Such a lady made Eleventh Lady feel very unfamiliar.
But she is a person who gets stronger when facing strong opponents. The more chaotic the time, the calmer she becomes.
"Mother," she took the lady's hand, her mind racing, "I'm not trying to stop you. I just want to ask Jing'er a question."
The lady was slightly startled.
Eleventh Lady had half-crouched down and was looking at Jin Ge'er straight in the eye: "Why don't you go with mother to accompany Master Pang, and then go with grandmother to change clothes, okay?"
"No!" Jin Ge'er didn't expect his mother to still focus on this matter. He hid beside the old lady and said, "I won't go to accompany Master Pang."
Eleventh Lady grabbed his arm and said, "My mother asked you to go, but you won't go?"
"I won't go!" Jin Ge'er was annoyed when he heard the name. He struggled to break free from Shiyi Niang's hand and hugged the Taifu's arm. "I'm already under house arrest, why should I go to accompany Master Pang?" As he spoke, he looked at the Taifu with a pleading look in his eyes, hoping that the Taifu could come forward to keep him.
Eleventh Lady stood up slowly and stared at the Lady Dowager with a serious expression: "Mother, please let Brother Jin and I go to pay the gift to Master Pang before changing clothes!"
Although her words were very tactful, the meaning she wanted to express was very clear.
The lady's eyes widened, looking very shocked.
He is just a master who teaches boxing and martial arts, so whether he is polite or not is secondary.
Filial piety comes first among all virtues. Jin Ge'er actually didn't listen to Shiyi Niang. And he even refuted Shiyi Niang in front of so many people. He dared to do this at such a young age. If he lives a few more years...Wouldn't he have no father or mother, no family or ancestral hall in his eyes?
The old lady looked at this grandson whom she had held in her hands for fear of dropping him and held in her mouth for fear of melting him since he was a child, and sadness, sorrow, and disappointment all surged into her heart. For a moment, she didn't know what to say!
The alert Jing'er immediately sensed the change in the lady's mood.
"Grandma!" He clutched the lady's arm tightly, "I'm cold, I want to change clothes!" Unconsciously, he used a coquettish tone.
"Mother!" Eleventh Lady ignored Jin'er's behavior, stepped forward and held the other half of the lady's arm, "I have never been willing to drink the Laojunmei you gave me last time, and today the kitchen has made your favorite crystal cakes and red bean paste cakes. How about I ask Amber to make you a pot of Laojunmei, and then bring you a plate of crystal cakes and red bean paste cakes, and you can go to the flower hall to rest? Wait for me to accompany Jin'er to accompany Master Pang, change clothes, and then go to pay my respects to you. What do you think?" She spoke softly, finding a way out for the lady.
The lady looked at Jing'er, who looked nervous and uneasy, and then looked at Shiyi Niang, who looked trusting and entrusting, and sighed silently.
"Okay!" She nodded randomly, "I'll go sit in the hall!"
However, Eleventh Lady winked at Xu Lingyi.
The reason why the old lady lost her temper was because she loved Jing'er too much. Now that Jing'er had become like this, she believed that the old lady was sadder than anyone else. If Xu Lingyi could go and sit with the old lady for a while and say some words of comfort, the old lady would feel better.
Xu Lingyi was really afraid that Shiyi Niang would say something extreme in a hurry, so he went forward to stop Shiyi Niang regardless of his mother's feelings. But when he saw his wife squatting and asking her son if he was willing to go to Master Pang to pay the tribute before changing clothes, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a happy smile.
Apologizing to Master Pang was just a cause. What mattered was that Jing'er could learn to be tolerant and compromise through this incident. If he answered "yes" against his will under such circumstances, it would also be another form of tolerance and compromise, and for them, it would be a perfect ending. If he answered "no", his mother was not unreasonable. After realizing Jing'er's stubbornness, he believed that his mother's attitude would change.
Now things are going as he expected, his mother no longer interferes in the matter, and even without his wife telling him, he will do his best to save his mother's face.
"Mother!" He immediately stepped forward respectfully and helped the old lady, "Let me accompany you to the flower hall! Eleventh Lady is here!" Then he pretended to be talking and laughing, "I remember you always said that your teeth felt sore after eating candy? Why are you eating red bean paste cakes and crystal cakes again? These two are sweets."
The old lady knew that her son did this intentionally because he was afraid that she would be embarrassed. How could she reject his kindness? She naturally went along with his wishes and said, "The crispy pastries outside are naturally sweet and greasy. Ours are different. We don't put sugar, only a little peanut oil..." But she couldn't help being absent-minded.
Seeing his father supporting his grandmother as they walked out, Jing'er felt a fear that the situation was hopeless.
He ran over and pulled the lady's sleeve: "Grandma, Grandma... You, you won't take me to change clothes?"
The master sighed, feeling mixed emotions.
"Good boy!" She turned around and touched Jing'er's head, "Be good! Listen to your mother. Go apologize to Master Pang first..." She couldn't let it go, so she paused and said, "When you come back from Master Pang, your grandmother will personally change you into a beautiful new dress."
"Grandma..." Tears were welling up in Jing'er's eyes, and he was about to fall.
Not to mention the Madam, even Xu Lingyi felt soft-hearted when he saw his son like this. He wanted to just let it go... But if he let it go at this moment, wouldn't all of Eleventh Lady's previous efforts be in vain?
Xu Lingyi restrained himself from looking at his son, and hardened his heart to pull the lady out: "Shiyi Niang will take care of these things, so don't worry about them..." In order to prevent the lady from changing her mind and making things more complicated, "Mother, I still have the Dahongpao that the palace awarded me two days ago. Do you want to change your Laojunmei into the Dahongpao..." As they talked, they left the yard surrounded by maids and wives, leaving Jing'er standing alone in the middle of the aisle.
"Do you know why your grandmother, who dotes on you the most, and your father, who loves you the most, insist that you go to give gifts to Master Pang?" Eleventh Lady asked him.
Grandma, Daddy...won't help him...
Jin Ge'er clenched his fists, closed his mouth tightly, lowered his head and stared at his toes, which was considered as his answer to Shiyi Niang's question.
"Since you haven't figured it out yet, then continue standing here and thinking about it carefully." Eleventh Lady turned calmly and walked into the hall. "When you have figured it out, come see me again."
The door was shut tightly again.
Jing'er looked up and tears fell down in big drops.
* * * * * *
The rain poured down like a bucket, bending the branches and leaving fallen leaves all over the ground. Soon, a small puddle formed in the yard.
Jing'er huddled at the door with his knees hugged, shivering.
This time, no one really came... It had been a long time, and his legs were numb from standing... Daddy didn't want him anymore, and neither did Grandma... And Zhu Xiang, Qiu Yu, Huang Xiaomao, Liu Erwu and the others... In the past, if Mom was angry, they would come to persuade him... Then he would run to Mom and act like a spoiled child. Mom would then laugh, hug him and kiss him... Then Mom would become the mother who would smile when she looked into his eyes. Instead of looking at him with cold eyes like before...
The thought flashed through his mind and his body stiffened.
Mother, do you not want him anymore?
Zhu Xiang and the others are serving their mother. When their mother is angry, they dare not come, which is reasonable. But Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu are serving him, why don't they come... It's too abominable! When he returns, he will give them ten strokes each to let them know that coming to save him is the most important thing...
Thinking of this, he waved his hands vigorously in the air.
As if in response to his action, suddenly bright lightning streaked across the gloomy sky, turning the sky silvery white.
Jing'er shuddered with fear, buried his head between his knees, and curled up even tighter.
So he didn't notice that a servant was peeking over here and ran to the study in the rain.
"What's the matter?" The lady went over to him hastily without waiting for the servant to come forward. "Jin'er, haven't you given in yet?"
The raindrops flowed down his cheeks from his temples, but the boy didn't even dare to raise his hand to wipe them away.
"No!" His voice was so trembling that if you didn't listen carefully, it would almost be swallowed by the sound of rain.
"This child, this child..." The lady paced around the room.
"Mom," Xu Lingyi's brows also showed a bit of anxiety, "Please be patient. Things have come to this point. No matter how difficult it is, we have to bite the bullet and move forward..."
"I know, I know!" The lady waved her hand impatiently, "I'm just worried about Jing'er... He has never suffered such hardship..." As she spoke, she paused, "If I had insisted on asking him to change his wet clothes just now..." Her tone was full of regret.
Xu Lingyi said hurriedly: "If we help him change his wet clothes, he will see that we are afraid that he will suffer, and he will probably become more fearless..."
"I know, I know!" The lady's brows were tightly locked. "I'm just saying..." The extraordinary anxiety was something Xu Lingyi had never seen before.
Xu Lingyi couldn't help but smile bitterly.
If Jin Ge'er doesn't give in, I'm afraid the Madam won't be able to hold on any longer...
* * * * * *
Eleventh Lady was also walking around the room.
It's been two hours and the child still won't give in.
I knew he was stubborn, but I didn't expect him to be so stubborn. Fortunately, she was angry and wanted to correct his bad habits. If he was older and had more contact with the outside world, he would know how big the world is. I'm afraid this small courtyard would not be able to restrain him. If he got stubborn and ran away, parents would have no choice but to compromise.
Eleventh Lady couldn't help but feel secretly thankful, and her eyes looked out the window involuntarily.
"Madam!" Amber, who was standing quietly beside the kang and accompanying her silently, said softly, "It's almost time to light the lamps, you see..."
She didn't even dare to mention dinner!
"Don't rush to light the lamp!" Eleventh Lady said hesitantly, "Wait a little longer..."
The night is dark and windy with heavy rain. Could it be that Jing'er still refuses to compromise?
Will it backfire and scare the child?
While I was worrying about gains and losses, another flash of lightning accompanied by rumbling thunder streaked across the sky, illuminating the house brightly.
"Knock, knock, knock!" There was a rapid knock on the door.
"Mother, mother, I'm scared! I'm scared!"
Jing'er's sobbing voice could be heard faintly.
Eleventh Lady showed ecstasy on her face and ran quickly towards the hall.
But when her fingers touched the hard lattice door, her steps slowly slowed down and the smile on her face faded.
"Have you thought it through? Do you want to go with mom to apologize to Master Pang?"
Eleventh Lady's voice sounded calm and rational, and therefore a little cold.
※
I will go to Chengdu tonight to attend the annual meeting of Qidian. I can only update once this weekend. When I come back, I will start to "pay my debts". I will just ignore it for the next two days...
O(∩_∩)O~