In August, the fragrance of osmanthus osmanthus fills the air in Yanjing. However, the oranges near Lingqiong Villa have just grown and are still green. Standing in Lingqiong Villa and looking down, you need to open your eyes wide to see them under the shade of green trees.
Eleventh Lady kept asking, "Why not wait a few days? At this time, I'm afraid it will be sour and bitter."
Xu Lingyi, wearing a short robe made of Songjiang Sansuo cloth, nimbly jumped out of the pavilion and said, "Come back to pick them in two days!" Then he turned around and looked at his son who was leaning against the beauty in the pavilion and said, "Come here, Brother Jin!"
Jing'er immediately smiled and fell on Xu Lingyi's back.
Eleventh Lady hurriedly took out a blue coarse cloth belt and said, "Tie it up... You can carry Jin Ge'er to the orange tree, but it's still a dilemma whether Jin Ge'er can hold your neck all the time. Don't let Jin Ge'er slip when you get to the orange tree..."
Jinger twisted his body and said, "I can hold Daddy's neck! I won't fall!"
"Listen to your mother." This time Xu Lingyi did not reject Shiyi Niang's suggestion. He took the cloth belt and tied Jing'er around his body.
Jing'er pouted but didn't dare to refuse.
Eleventh Lady went down the mountain.
The guards have already set up the fishing net made of knotted kudzu.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
A little maid shouted, "The Madam is here!"
Shiyi Niang and Xu Lingyi were stunned.
The lady had climbed up breathlessly with the help of Yuban and Zhihong.
"What are you guys talking about?" The old man said angrily. "If the guards hadn't come in to pull the nets and the inner courtyard hadn't used curtains to cordon off a path, I wouldn't have known you brought Jing'er here to pick oranges today!"
Eleventh Lady hurried forward to support the lady.
The lady said with a surprised look, "Although we should be honest and keep our promises, we can't be like you, who agree to everything regardless of whether it is right or wrong. We should always distinguish right from wrong, right? I tell you, if Jin'er loses a hair, I will not forgive you." As she spoke, she walked to the side of the beauty. "Good boy!" The lady's expression was slightly relieved, and she coaxed Jin'er softly, "Let your father pick it for you, if you don't want to go, just watch it here with grandma!"
"I want to go!" Jinger acted coquettishly but held Xu Lingyi tightly, as if he was afraid that someone would pull him off Xu Lingyi. Xu Lingyi was almost choked by the strangulation. "I want to pick oranges."
Xu Lingyi also hurriedly said: "Mother, it's okay. Look, I have tied Jing'er to my body!"
Eleventh Lady also advised: "The Marquis went to pick two oranges yesterday. He already knew how to get there. It was because I was worried and nagging that the Marquis asked the guards to come in and support the fishing net. Mother, please let Jin Ge'er give it a try!"
The lady was still worried, and Jing'er had already shouted "Grandma" loudly: "I said I would pick oranges for Grandma to offer to the Buddha. Once I say something, I must do it. Otherwise, no one will listen to me."
One day, he was having fun with Jin Ge'er and gave Jin Ge'er a small sword made of peach wood that Xu Lingyi had given him. Two days later, he regretted it and asked Jin Ge'er for it. Jin Ge'er refused to give it to him, so the lady taught Jin Ge'er a lesson with these words. She didn't expect Jin Ge'er to refute her with such words.
The lady was really surprised and delighted. She looked at the strong guards at the foot of the mountain and nodded with gritted teeth: "Old Four, don't forget that you are carrying Jing'er on your back!"
Xu Lingyi was afraid that if he continued talking, the lady would change her mind again, so he quickly responded with a "yes", carried Jing'er on his back, and carefully went down the hill to the orange tree.
* * * * * *
Wenzhu brought in a bowl of snow pear paste that had been stewed for half an hour. Seeing Xu Siyu was still reading, she smiled and said, "The Marquis is taking the Sixth Young Master to pick oranges at Lingqiong Villa. Why don't you take a break and join in the fun?"
Xu Siyu had just finished his exam and was waiting for the results to be announced.
"I haven't finished my homework yet." Father took Jing'er to pick oranges. Jing'er must be very happy. Thinking of this, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, "I'll go after I memorize these pages." As he said this, he took the pear paste and ate a few bites, then started to recite again.
Wenzhu looked at it and smiled with relief.
As long as the second young master studies hard, he will have a way out when he is admitted to the imperial examination.
She quietly packed up her things and retreated.
* * * * * *
"Really!" Xu Sizhun stood up and looked at Wang Shu with sparkling eyes, "Father took my sixth brother to pick oranges!" Then he turned around and pulled Xu Sijie, "Let's go pick oranges too!"
Wang Shu hurriedly stopped Xu Sizhun and said, "That place is very steep. I heard that the Marquis even asked the guards to set up a net at the foot of the mountain!"
"Then I must go and see it!" Xu Sizhun said with a smile, "Last time mother took my sixth brother to pick chestnuts, and they also set up a net under the tree. My sixth brother thought it was fun, so he jumped directly from the tree into the net, and was bounced into the air!" He said with great envy.
"No!" Xu Sijie said hurriedly, "At that time, my sixth brother frightened mother so much that her face turned pale..."
"I know, I know." Xu Sizhun smiled and comforted his brother, "I won't be like Sixth Brother. I just went to take a look!"
Xu Sijie also wanted to go and take a look.
Maids, old women and servants surrounded the two of them and led them to the inner courtyard.
Wang Shu followed Xu Sizun closely.
A servant waved at him.
He found some time and walked over quickly.
"What's the matter?" He asked impatiently.
The servant looked at him timidly and said with a flattering smile, "It's still Brother Tao Cheng's business..." As he said that, he stuffed his purse into his arms.
Wang Shu threw the bulging purse to the servant and said, "Manager Tao is the maid of the fourth young master's biological mother, and is in charge of the fourth young master's property. If you want to see the fourth young master, just come in through the main gate. Who dares to stop you? I'm just a servant beside the fourth young master, and I don't dare to accept your gift!" He added, "Since we are from the same hometown, I will let it go this time. If you do this again, I'm afraid of being implicated, so I will have to tell the marquis about this!" After that, he turned and left.
The boy's face turned pale and blue, and he spat fiercely on the ground. He said, "What the hell?" and stuffed the purse into his sleeve: "You don't want it, but I do!"
* * * * * *
Xu Lingyi held the branch beside him with one hand and held Jing'er with the other, and walked briskly in the overgrown woods. From time to time, he stopped to point at the trees beside him and turned to talk to Jing'er. Jing'er lay on his father's back, stretched his head to look in the direction Xu Lingyi pointed, and his face was immediately filled with a smile.
The lady standing next to the beauty could not help but hold Eleventh Lady's hand tightly, muttering, "We can't keep these orange trees. We'll have them all cut down in a few days."
Eleventh Lady was both amused and annoyed, but she couldn't stop feeling nervous. She stared at the backs of the father and son without blinking.
Xu Lingyi walked to the orange tree, untied the cloth belt, and put Jing'er on his shoulders.
The abundant fruits hung in front of Jing'er's eyes, making him smile with joy.
He pulled the oranges from the tree with all his strength.
The branch bent down and bounced up again, hitting him in the face, earning him a joyful exclamation.
The lady looked at him with great pity: "Why didn't the fourth child help the child? What if he got hurt?"
Eleventh Lady also looked at Jing'er worriedly.
Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie came over.
Seeing Jing'er's look, Xu Sizhun smiled.
He waved and called out to Jing'er.
Jing'er grabbed Xu Lingyi's hair, sat on his shoulder and laughed.
Xu Sizhun shouted at him: "Pick some for me too!"
"Okay!" Jing'er nodded and went to pick oranges again.
* * * * * *
Madam Wen threw the embroidery frame in her hand onto the kang, then collapsed on her back with her whole body limp.
"I can't do it anymore!" She murmured, "Embroidering a handkerchief only makes two taels of silver. If I had this skill, I could earn ten taels of silver, no, I could earn twenty taels of silver."
Xia Hong covered her mouth and smiled: "Aunt, why don't you go outside for a walk? The Marquis is taking the Sixth Young Master to pick oranges at Lingqiong Villa. Everyone in our yard has gone to Biyi Gate to watch the fun!"
Aunt Wen was a little surprised and whispered, "Did Aunt Qiao go there too?"
"No!" Xia Hong said, "I heard that in order to save money, Duke Cheng moved all the people who originally lived in the east and west courtyards to the farm on the outskirts of the city. The number of maids and old women who served were reduced as much as possible, and those who could be let go were let go. Mrs. Qiao was a widowed sister-in-law, and although she stayed, she moved to a remote courtyard in the back garden, and only a little maid and a maid were left to serve her. Aunt Qiao found all the rulers at the bottom of the box, and worked day and night with Xiu Yuan to make a set of clothes for Mrs. Qiao for all four seasons. She has not been anywhere these days."
Madam Wen sighed.
* * * * * *
Jing'er poured the oranges onto the table covered with Shu brocade.
Green oranges rolled down.
Yuban, Zhihong and Zhuxiang hurried forward to pick up oranges.
Jinger stood on the stool and picked for a long time. He finally picked a big one and jumped off the stool to the old lady: "Grandma, eat oranges!"
"Ouch!" The lady smiled happily and kissed Jing'er.
Jing'er picked two more oranges, one for Xu Sizhun and one for Xu Sijie, and said, "Brother, eat oranges," then climbed onto the stool impatiently, picked up an orange, broke it open and put it into his mouth.
Everyone in the room burst into laughter.
Then I saw Jing'er frowning and spitting out the orange in his mouth with a "wow".
"It's so sour! So sour!" He covered his cheeks and stamped his feet, which frightened Zhu Xiang so much that her face turned pale and she hurried forward to hold the stool. But he jumped off the stool and ran towards the door.
"Mom, mom," he rushed into the arms of Eleventh Lady who was helping Xu Lingyi change his clothes, "Oranges taste so bad!"
Just think about it and you will know.
Whether the fruit is delicious or not is related to climate, soil and the spread of pollen. There are only a few orange trees there, and over the years, no matter how good the variety is, it is difficult to produce good oranges.
Eleventh Lady smiled and hugged Jing'er: "Let's rinse our mouths with clean water!"
Jing'er nodded, his big eyes sparkling with water, and he looked very aggrieved.
She changed into a royal blue plain silk gown. Xu Lingyi, who walked in side by side with Shiyi Niang, couldn't help laughing as he looked at her: "See if you still want to go pick oranges!"
Upon hearing this, the lady immediately said angrily, "The child has already suffered, and you are still making fun of him." Then, she waved to Jin Ge'er, "Come, come to grandma."
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I was planning to write a chapter in the evening, but halfway through, the power went out again…⊙﹏⊙b Sweat… But luckily I’ve finished half of it, so I can update normally today!
Amitabha, may I be able to finish half of it tonight. Lord, may there be no power outages on Saturday and Sunday…
PS: I'll post a draft first! In case there's a power outage later. O(∩_∩)O~