Jinger looked at his mother, his expression becoming a little stubborn: "Master Pang knows that I was punished, so he naturally knows that I was wrong. I won't go!"

"You have been punished, so Master Pang naturally knows that you have admitted your mistake. But wouldn't it be more sincere if you went to apologize to Master Pang in person?" Eleventh Lady was furious, but she tried to soften her tone. "To dare to pluck the peacock feather is brave, to dare to go to the edge of the cliff to pick oranges is brave, and to squat better than others is brave. If we make a mistake, not covering it up, not avoiding it, and actively admitting it is even more brave. And this is the real bravery..."

"I won't go, I won't go..." Jing'er was stubborn and didn't want to listen anymore. He covered his ears, slipped off the kang, and ran out.

Eleventh Lady was stunned.

Although her son was playful and sometimes a little arrogant, he listened to her advice... Unexpectedly, he even ignored her words. None of the maids and old women dared to control him. Xu Lingyi and the lady regarded his mischief as cleverness. If this continued, who could control him?

The fire in her heart could no longer be suppressed and burst out.

Eleventh Lady slipped on her shoes and chased after him.

"Stop right there!" she shouted.

It was the first time for everyone in the yard to hear Eleventh Lady speak in such an angry tone. They looked at each other in fear and stood timidly in the corner.

"You did something wrong, but you didn't admit it and you ran away!" No matter how difficult things are in life, Shiyi Niang never avoids them. She believes that as long as she uses her brain, is sincere, and is brave enough to bear the consequences, she can overcome them. Therefore, she hates those who run away when they encounter difficulties. Thinking that her son, whom she had spent so much energy to train, turned out to be like this, her rationality was like a collapsed riverbank, "If you run away, can the mistakes you have made be erased? If you run away, can you not apologize to Master Pang? Xu Sijin, I tell you, it's okay for you to apologize to Master Pang this time. Otherwise, after the three-day house arrest is over, you will kneel in the ancestral hall. When you figure it out, you can go to Xiumuyuan for class!"

His mother had always been gentle and kind to him. She had never punished him by making him kneel in the ancestral hall, and she had never even spoken to him loudly.

Jing'er froze there.

My mother actually scolded him like this just because of Master Pang.

"I'm not the only one who put the laxative in Master Pang's tea. Why should I be the only one who is grounded and have to go to pay my respects..." He said angrily, but more importantly, he was sad.

"Shut up!" Eleventh Lady looked at Jin Ge'er who was full of resentment, her face flushed with anger, and she interrupted him with a loud shout, "You did something wrong, but you even blamed others." She felt a dull pain in her heart. How could her son become like this? "You are the elder brother, and Jin Ge'er is the younger brother. You don't set a good example for your younger brother, but you even compete with him. Not to mention that he is younger than you, he is following you. Even if he is not following you, he did something wrong, and you, as a brother, knew that you didn't stop him, you have failed to do your duty! You actually said such words now. Do you act like a brother? Is this how your mother usually tells you to behave and do things? You really..." She was so angry that she didn't know what to say.

Rumbling thunder rolled across the sky, and the originally bright sky suddenly darkened.

Jing'er's tears were welling up in his eyes, and his mother's face became blurred.

"I'm not going, I'm not going..." He raised his chin, "Anyway, I'm not going! I didn't drag anyone else into it..."

Isn't this considered pulling other people's leg?

"No!" Eleventh Lady was also getting angry. "If you don't want to go, then stand here and think carefully about why your mother wants you to apologize to Master Pang. When you have thought it through, come to see me, and I will go with you to Master Pang to apologize to him! If you can't think it through, then you don't have to apologize to Master Pang, and of course you don't have to come to see me!"

Jing'er listened, turned his head away and made a disdainful look.

If you are so arrogant in front of your parents, how much more so in front of others!

Eleventh Lady was furious. She turned around and went to the main house, while telling Amber: "Close the door - it won't be too late to open the door for the Sixth Young Master when he has thought it through."

The usually obedient Sixth Young Master suddenly acted so stubborn, and the usually good-tempered Madam suddenly acted so strong. Amber didn't expect things to turn out like this. She didn't dare to say a word more, and while she whispered "yes", she winked at Qiuyu, signaling her to go and tell Xu Lingyi, and followed Eleventh Lady to close the door of the main hall.

Qiuyu trotted out of the yard in a panic.

Everyone else held their breath, fearing that they might accidentally anger Shiyi Niang or Jing'er and become the target of the anger.

For a moment, the yard was quiet, with only the rustling sound of wind blowing through the treetops, which added to the depressing feeling.

Jinger stared at the closed green ice-cracked transparent glass lattice door in the main room, his mouth tightly pursed. He glanced at the maid and daughter-in-law huddled in the corner, and his body straightened even more.

* * * * * *

Amber helped Shiyi Niang sit down on the big kang by the window in the inner room.

The little maid served the hot tea with trembling hands and feet.

Amber took the teacup, motioned the maid to leave, and tiptoed to place the teacup in front of Eleventh Lady. Seeing that there was no one else in the room, she whispered, "Drink some hot tea to calm down!"

Shiyi Niang couldn't drink it. She picked up the tea lid and brushed the tea leaves floating on the teacup, then put the teacup down again.

"Madam!" Amber carefully observed her expression. "So many years have passed in the blink of an eye. When I first followed you, I knew nothing. You taught me step by step. Now, I can stand on my own. When others mention me, they say that I am smart and capable. I can't help but feel a little scared when I hear that. I always think that if it weren't for your careful instructions, I wouldn't be where I am today..."

Eleventh Lady understood her thoughts and waved at her.

"He's grown up, how come you never saw me lose my temper with him? Have I never been angry?" As she spoke, she thought of Jing'er's unwilling look, and her emotions that had just calmed down began to surge again, and her tone seemed a little excited, "I always think that he is still young and I have to teach him slowly. No matter how naughty he is, I always think of the good side of it. Sometimes I get angry, but I hold my breath. I think it will be better when he is older. But look at him today..."

"Madam!" Seeing that Shiyi Niang was really angry, Amber hurriedly said, "Since you know..."

"Okay!" Eleventh Lady slowed down her voice and leaned on the pillow with a bright red background embroidered with dark green bamboo. "You can go down and have a rest! I have my own ideas about this matter." Her attitude was very firm.

Amber didn't dare to say anything more. She responded in a low voice and retreated.

You could hear a pin drop in the room, and the floor-standing Western clock in the east room was ticking rhythmically.

Eleventh Lady's heart gradually calmed down.

She was so busy losing her temper that she didn't notice whether any maids or old women went to inform Xu Lingyi or the Madam. However, even if she noticed, she couldn't stop them in that situation. Otherwise, the clever Jing'er would think that she was afraid of Xu Lingyi and the Madam, and might even go to Xu Lingyi or the Madam to act like a spoiled child. But since there was such a big commotion in her yard, whether it was Xu Lingyi or the Madam, they should get the news and rush over soon.

Thinking of this, Eleventh Lady couldn't help but look out the window.

In the yard, the magnolia flowers are as white as jade, the pomegranate flowers are as red as fire, and the cannas are as colorful and brilliant as brocade.

Jing'er stood there motionless, his thin figure looking stubborn and fragile.

Her heart suddenly felt so soft that water seemed to drip out of it.

The scene of her son toddling onto her back with a smile on his face, helping her put the flower on her, stuffing his favorite peach cake into her mouth with his chubby little hands, and happily chattering around her appeared in her mind... She suddenly felt worried.

This child has had a smooth life since childhood, I'm afraid he won't give in so easily!

Eleventh Lady became a little restless.

She controlled her temper and walked around the room a few times. When she looked back out the window, she saw Jing'er still standing there, but he raised his head slightly to express his persistence.

Eleventh Lady sighed softly.

At this point, either the east wind will prevail over the west wind, or the west wind will prevail over the east wind.

She thought about it, moved out the embroidery frame, forced herself not to think about the little man standing in the middle of the yard, and calmed down to embroider.

After finally splitting the thread, threading the needle, and embroidering half a leaf, there was a sudden flash of lightning and thunder.

Eleventh Lady was startled and rushed to the window.

There was a strong wind outside, branches were flying, and the sky was covered with dark clouds.

Jing'er, who was standing in the middle of the yard, turned his back and used his arms to shield his face from the wind and sand.

"Amber!" Eleventh Lady hurriedly slipped on her shoes and got off the kang.

Amber had been waiting outside the curtain, and immediately lifted it and came in when she heard the noise.

"Go and see the Sixth Young Master..." As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Eleventh Lady's expression froze.

If her decision is overturned at this moment due to various external factors, will Jing'er still take her words to heart and listen to her advice in the future?

Eleventh Lady slowly stood up and stopped Amber who was walking out in a hurry with a look of surprise on her face: "...No need!"

"Madam!" Amber looked at her in astonishment, "There's thunder and wind outside, I'm afraid it's going to rain..."

yes!

Although it was summer, the rain still felt a bit cold. If she got gonorrhea, it would be too late for her to regret.

However, how could the maids and wives turn a blind eye to their commotion? There would always be someone to act as a peacemaker.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but smile bitterly.

This may be one of the reasons why Jing'er has become so stubborn!

The thought flashed through my mind, and outside, there was a "boom..." of lightning and thunder, and then rain began to fall heavily.

Eleventh Lady ran back to the inner room, hurriedly got on the kang, and leaned on the window to look out.

Bean-sized raindrops fell from the sky, landing on the bluestone bricks, splashing small water droplets.

Jing'er trotted forward two steps, then stopped, and as if he remembered something, he stared blankly towards the window of the inner room.

Eleventh Lady quickly shrank inward, fearing that he would see her worry and make all her persistence go to waste!

Lightning flashed one after another, thunder roared one after another, and the sound of rain became heavier and heavier.

Eleventh Lady's heart was in a knot. She hid by the window and looked out.

Zhu Xiang ran over with an umbrella, squatted beside Jing'er and said something.

Jing'er's eyes fell on the window of the inner room, his lips pursed into a slit, and his head shook like a rattle.

Zhu Xiang talked for a long time, but Jing'er had no room to maneuver.

She had no choice but to stand up and hold the umbrella for Jing'er.

But Jing'er snatched her umbrella and threw it on the ground.

Zhu Xiang stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do for a moment, and let the wind and rain beat down on her body.

"Go tell Zhu Xiang, no, tell all the maids, wives, and old women," Eleventh Lady's face darkened. She turned around and told Amber with a stern expression, "No one is allowed to control the Sixth Young Master. Otherwise, hand him over to Chief Steward Bai for disposal."

Amber's heart trembled. She didn't dare to be negligent. She bent her knees and saluted, then quickly walked out of the inner room.

There was a commotion outside.

Eleventh Lady turned around and through the glass window, she saw Xu Lingyi walking quickly in the rain.

※

I went to Wuhan today to get diagnosed, and came back a little late. I'll post a draft first and correct the typos later!

O(∩_∩)O~