Back in the house, Eleventh Lady warned Xu Lingyi: "My Lord, you must explain this clearly to Master Pang, lest Master Pang doesn't know the inside story and Chen Ge'er falls and gets hurt because of it!"

"I'll explain it to Master Pang!" Xu Lingyi said with a smile, calling Jing'er over to talk. "Since you're learning from the master, you must study hard. You can't fish for three days and dry the net for two days. Otherwise, you will be punished by the master!"

Jinger nodded repeatedly: "I won't be punished by the master!"

"Okay then." Xu Lingyi said with a smile, "You must remember your words!"

Jinger smiled and nodded, then ran to Eleventh Lady, who was sitting on the kang sorting out scraps of cloth, and said, "Mom, mom, are you going to make a school bag for Seventh Brother?"

"Yes!" Eleventh Lady smiled and carried her son onto the kang.

Jing'er lay on his mother's lap, looking at Shiyi Niang with his big phoenix eyes without blinking: "Mom, my second brother has books, as well as pens, ink, paper and inkstone... There are even big tigers and pine trees carved on the inkstone..." His eyes were full of envy.

The inkstone used by Yuger was given by the second lady. It is a Duan inkstone from the previous dynasty and is very precious.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help laughing and pinched her son's nose: "Little rascal, mother has prepared it for you a long time ago." Then, she took out a boxwood box with a pattern of fishermen, woodcutters, farmers and scholars carved on it from the kang beside her: "Here you go!"

Jing'er saw that the box was only the size of Yu'er's inkstone, so he opened it hesitantly. Inside, there were brushes and inkstones neatly arranged. The brush tube was made of bamboo, with a monkey holding a peach carved on it, and the monkey's hair was clearly visible, making it look lifelike; the inkstone was also a monkey, but it was climbing on the inkstone, and the inkstone was carved with a monkey picking pine nuts under a pine forest. All three items were small, cute, and interesting.

Jing'er shouted and threw himself into Shiyi Niang's arms. Shiyi Niang was caught off guard and was thrown backwards, almost hitting the kang.

Xu Lingyi was quick-witted and grabbed his son, shouting, "You're about to go to school, why are you still so impatient?"

"It's okay, it's okay!" Eleventh Lady smiled and came to her son's rescue.

Jin Ge'er struggled and threw himself into Shiyi Niang's arms again, "Mom, these are all for me!"

"Yes!" Eleventh Lady hugged her son, "It looks good, doesn't it? Mother specially ordered it from Duobao Pavilion."

"It's beautiful!" Jinger nodded repeatedly, his eyes smiling like crescent moons. Then he climbed up from his mother's arms, picked up the box and slid down the kang. "Mom, I'm going to see my seventh brother!"

"It's so late!" Eleventh Lady was a little surprised. She looked out the window and said, "Let's go tomorrow!"

"I'll be back soon!" Jing'er's eyes sparkled. "I'll let Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu follow me. I promise they won't run around..."

Eleventh Lady suddenly realized.

He didn't go to see Brother Chen at all, he obviously went there to show off.

"You can go if you want, but leave the box here with me." Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "Be careful not to break the things in the box."

She considered her son's face and didn't point it out.

Jing'er pouted and rolled his eyes.

Eleventh Lady pretended not to see it and called Hong Wen in: "It's getting late, help the Sixth Young Master to wash up!"

Hong Wen agreed and went to hold Jing'er's hand.

Jing'er followed Hongwen with his head down.

Eleventh Lady laughed.

If he were to go, Brother Chen would definitely be jealous and the Fifth Madam would not have a peaceful night.

She tidied up the scraps of cloth on the table and said, "My Lord, I will help you wash up!"

"No need," Xu Lingyi sat down opposite his wife, "Just ask the maid to come in!"

Eleventh Lady called the little maid.

Xu Lingyi told her about Jing'er's schooling: "Don't be so distressed when you see your child suffer. Don't go when it's hot, don't go when it's cold, and don't go when it's windy or rainy. If you break the habit, you won't be able to succeed in anything in the future!"

"Look at what the Marquis said." Eleventh Lady put the selected pieces of cloth into a small rattan basket beside her, "Am I that kind of person?"

Xu Lingyi smiled and said, "Don't bring it up too soon. Mother is a person with strong opinions, right? My second brother gave up halfway."

"Why do you feel so insignificant when your second brother isn't around?" Eleventh Lady argued with him.

Xu Lingyi was speechless.

"Got it!" Eleventh Lady glanced at him, "I will definitely urge Jing'er to go to school every day. I will make sure that his studies will not be delayed!"

Under the light, she glanced at me sideways, sparkling and rippling like spring water.

Xu Lingyi was moved and held Shiyi Niang's hand.

Eleventh Lady pursed her lips and smiled.

There was an ambiguous atmosphere in the room that made people's hearts beat fast.

Xu Lingyi's mouth twitched, and he was about to say something when Hong Wen suddenly exclaimed from outside the house: "Sixth Young Master, Madam said that you should go tomorrow..."

Shiyi Niang was stunned, and Xu Lingyi quickly lifted the curtain and walked out. When Shiyi Niang went out, Xu Lingyi was looking for the child: "He must not have left the courtyard. Light up all the lanterns and search carefully for me!"

He stood on the steps with his head held high, his pair of bright eyes as sharp as a falcon. The maids and old women around him were either moving stools, or holding iron poles for hanging lanterns, or holding lanterns out to shine in the corners of the yard. The scene was bustling and chaotic.

Hearing the noise, Xu Lingyi turned around and said, "This kid is too quick. When I got here, the person was gone." There was some helplessness in his tone.

Hong Wen, who was lighting a lantern nearby, heard this and immediately came over.

"Madam," she said, her face flushed red, almost crying, "It's all my fault that I didn't hold him back..."

The older Jin-ge'er gets, the more difficult it is for these maids and old women to keep an eye on him. We have to find him a personal servant who can keep him in check. Otherwise, when he moves to the outer courtyard in a few years, Xu Lingyi won't be able to keep an eye on him all day, and by then there won't even be anyone to stop him.

"I know." Eleventh Lady comforted her, but she was a little helpless. "Go light the lanterns!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Lingyi took two steps at a time and stood next to the holly tree beside the steps.

"Do you want to come out by yourself or let me carry it out!" He smiled as he looked at the holly trees trimmed into the shape of a hedge.

There was a rustling sound, and Jing'er, with a pouty mouth, stood up holding a boxwood box, with a few pieces of dry grass hanging on his head.

"How did Daddy know I was here?" he muttered softly, but his eyes glanced timidly at Eleventh Lady.

"This courtyard is so small, the hallway is invisible, and there is a corridor outside the door. Even an adult can't run out in such a short time, let alone a child like you." Xu Lingyi did not yell at him, but patiently and carefully answered Jin Ge'er's confusion, "You are either hiding in the wing room, or hiding in a corner of the courtyard. Knowing that I am looking for you, no maid or old woman dares to hide you. That means you are hiding in a corner of the courtyard. The lanterns are lit, the courtyard is brightly lit, and you are wearing a bright red dress, with red and green shading, so it is natural that I can find you quickly."

Jinger looked down at the red silk crane cloak with a gourd-shaped treasure vase on it, and frowned in annoyance: "If I had known this would happen, I would have changed my clothes before I came out!"

Eleventh Lady was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

Hong Wen hurriedly carried Jing'er out: "My Lord, Madam, I'll take the Sixth Young Master to wash up." She looked as if she was afraid that Xu Lingyi and Shiyi Niang would pursue the matter further, and she wanted to make a big deal out of a small matter.

"Wait a minute!" Xu Lingyi and Shiyi Niang stopped Hong Wen in unison.

The couple couldn't help but look at each other.

In front of so many servants, and considering Xu Lingyi's authority, Eleventh Lady took a step back and signaled Xu Lingyi to speak first.

Xu Lingyi took Jing'er from Hongwen and asked him as he walked into the house, "If you changed your clothes, could you have escaped?"

Jinger thought for a moment and said, "I'll wear green clothes!"

"What if we look for it bit by bit?" Xu Lingyi went to the inner room.

Eleventh Lady followed.

Seeing Jing'er tilting his head and saying nothing, there was a stubborn gleam in his eyes.

Xu Lingyi sat on the kang near the window and let Jing'er stand in front of him.

"Your mother didn't agree with you going out, but you insisted on going out. The maids and the old women naturally didn't allow you to go out. You didn't even think about it, didn't think of a solution, and just went out like that," he looked at his son indifferently, "I really didn't expect it!"

Although I'm telling Jing'er to plan carefully before doing anything, why does it sound like... like I want Jing'er to go against his parents!

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but frown: "My Lord..." and interrupted Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi didn't even look at her, but raised his hand with a serious expression and made a "forbidden" gesture.

In front of her son, Eleventh Lady had to keep silent.

"You can't just change your clothes to fix this!" Xu Lingyi continued, "Think carefully about what I said, isn't this the truth?"

Jing'er pursed his lips and lowered his head.

Xu Lingyi didn't say anything either.

The room was quiet and the atmosphere was solemn.

After a long while, Jing'er raised his head and said, "Well, then I'll slip out through the back door!" His eyes were a little wandering, and he seemed very unconfident.

"There's a night maid at the back door." Xu Lingyi poured a bucket of cold water on Jing'er's head, "Besides, Hong Wen is following you. Whether you go out the front door or the back door, the result will be the same!"

Jing'er, however, was cheered up - he saw a faint smile in his father's eyes.

"Then I'll run to the yard first, and then sneak out the back door!" Jin Ge'er's mind raced as he lost his timidity. He said loudly, "You all can look for me in the front yard, and I can go out the back door!"

Isn’t this a strategy to lure the tiger away from the mountain?

Xu Lingyi's few words gave Jing'er the idea.

Eleventh Lady's eyes widened. Thinking that parents arguing in front of their children would make them look helpless, she forced herself not to speak.

"Then you have to be faster than me!" Xu Lingyi could no longer contain his joy, and the smile overflowed from his eyes to his brows.

"Well, then..." Jing'er rolled his eyes, thinking of a solution.

Xu Lingyi scolded, "Don't look around! When others see your eyes moving, they will know that you are thinking about something. Then others will see you clearly, but you will know nothing about others. You will suffer a great loss!"

Jing'er quickly said "Oh" and his eyes immediately fixed.

Xu Lingyi nodded with satisfaction.

Jing'er's expression became even more relaxed.

"Then I will wait for Hong Wen to go get some water and sneak out of the warm room. You go to the front yard to look for me and I will go out the back door. If you go to the back yard to look for me, I will go out the front door. By the time you find me, I will have already run away and you won't be able to find me!"

※

Thanks to everyone, I received the notice to attend the annual meeting.

I would like to express my gratitude to all my friends who have always supported me. Without your support, Zhizhi would not have such an opportunity, and "The Strategies of a Noble Concubine" would not have achieved such results. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

O(∩_∩)O~