A rosy complexion is the effect of makeup, but a peaceful look cannot be achieved by makeup alone.

Although Eleventh Lady felt a little chill in her heart, she couldn't help but open her eyes wide and take a closer look.

Maybe she often frowned when she was alive, there were two deep wrinkles between her eyebrows. Now they were relaxed, and her expression seemed very relaxed. But there was a hint of smile at the corner of her mouth. No matter how you look at it, it seems a little weird.

Eleventh Lady just felt goosebumps all over her body.

Someone asked her to sit on the big kang next to the window: "...the madam left in the middle of the night, and Miss Yinping and Miss Jinlian helped her take a bath." The voice was low and solemn.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but look up.

She was a stranger woman, about thirty years old, wearing a beautiful blue jacket with flying flowers, with fair skin, decent features, and two lotus-shaped hairpins, looking neat and tidy.

The woman saw her looking at her. She whispered, "I am the head of the house. The mistress is gone. Miss Yinping is afraid that the maids are not able to move quickly, so she asked me to help pour tea for the ladies and run errands."

It seems that the chief steward employed by Shi Niang is also a smart and capable person.

The people who were standing next to the big kang by the window all moved away, and some even picked up the cushions on the kang and patted them attentively.

Shiyi Niang pretended not to see anything, sat down and asked the housekeeper: "Why don't you see Yinping and Jinlian?"

The woman's eyes were slightly red, and she whispered, "Miss Yinping and my husband went to pawn their 'birthright' and Miss Jinlian is in the account office, paying for the various expenses of the mission."

Eleventh Lady was very surprised: "Longevity birth?"

Some wealthy elderly people do not want their children to spend money to send them off, so they will buy some land or real estate as "longevity inheritance" in their later years. The income from these properties can be used as their own money when they are alive, and sold for funeral expenses when they die. Shi Niang was very young and did not have much dowry when she got married, so how could she have longevity inheritance?

The housekeeper glanced at the women in the room, all with different expressions on their faces, and said respectfully but loudly, "This was purchased for Madam when the old lady was alive. On the Duke's birthday that year, he mentioned it in front of the whole family, and later he went to the government to get a clear path. Now that Madam is gone, this property must be sold to pay for Madam's funeral!"

It turned out that it was Madam Wang who bought it for Shi Niang!

Eleventh Lady was stunned.

Most of the women in the Wang family lowered their heads, and some showed disdain and wanted to step forward to argue, but were held back by Wang Chengzu's biological mother.

"Miss Yinping is too impatient." Wang Chengzu's biological mother looked at Shiyi Niang with an embarrassed look and said, "Madam raised the Duke, could it be that the Duke is reluctant to spend money on Madam's funeral? What the Duke means is that instead of selling the life property to help Madam's funeral, it would be better for the Duke to use the money to help Madam's funeral, and keep the Madam's life property as Madam's sacrificial field. In this way, someone can be hired to offer incense all year round..."

"These are the words left by the madam." The housekeeper looked coldly at Wang Chengzu's biological mother, "and they are also the madam's instructions. We, the servants, dare not disobey." He responded without a trace of fear.

"You..." Wang Chengzu's biological mother's forehead was bulging with veins. She glared at Shiyi Niang and forced herself to swallow the words that were about to come out of her mouth.

Eleventh Lady was secretly surprised.

After Shi Niang passed away, these maids would make a living under Wang Chengzu. Although Wang Chengzu's biological mother was not legitimate, she was still related by blood, and she spoke and acted in the name of Wang Chengzu. It was impossible for these stewards and maids not to give her some face. But looking at the attitude of the steward's family, for the benefit of Shi Niang, they seemed to have completely torn their faces with Wang Chengzu's biological mother. Could it be that the relationship between Wang Chengzu and Shi Niang was very tense? So the steward who used to obey Shi Niang in everything knew that he could no longer stay in this family, so he simply gave up?

While I was thinking, Si Niang came.

"Sister, you were so young, and I never thought you would be gone like this!" She covered her face with a handkerchief and started crying as soon as she entered the room. "You were fine when you came to give me a New Year gift during the Chinese New Year. I never thought that we sisters would be separated forever like this... It's all my fault. I didn't ask about your illness properly at the time..."

Shi Niang hasn't seen them for eight or nine years. People who don't know the situation would think that they are very close sisters after hearing what Si Niang said.

Eleventh Lady was ashamed.

The women in the Wang family all breathed a sigh of relief.

Although what Si Niang said were just polite words, her presence diluted the awkwardness in the room.

They all came forward and tried to persuade Si Niang.

There was a noise outside, and a silver bottle wrapped in mourning appeared in front of everyone.

"Miss Yinping!" The housekeeper's face showed surprise, and she hurried to greet her, "Both aunts are here..." she said meaningfully.

Yin Ping took two steps at a time and went forward to greet Si Niang and Shiyi Niang. She stood up and said, "Madam's birthday property was sold for three thousand taels of silver. One thousand two hundred taels were used to buy a pair of top-quality purple purlin coffins, one thousand taels were used for 'reading scriptures', two hundred taels were used for 'burning the coffin', one hundred taels were used for 'burning the coffin', and one hundred taels were used for the paper money..."

Si Niang and Shiyi Niang were very surprised.

They were both in charge of household affairs. To invite Buddhist monks and Taoist priests to chant Buddhist scriptures was to invite them. Eight hundred taels of silver could at least invite ninety-nine monks and Taoist priests to chant for seventy-seventy-fourty-nine days. To burn the dead was to order paper funeral objects from the funeral clothing shop. Two hundred taels of silver could at least bring back dozens of carriages...

The two of them looked at each other in surprise.

Wang Chengzu's biological mother almost died.

In front of Si Niang and Shiyi Niang, she didn't dare to say anything. She gritted her teeth and asked Yin Ping, "Miss, have you told the Duke about this arrangement?"

"When the steward went to report, the two uncles and Lord Yongping were present." Yin Ping stared into Wang Chengzu's biological mother's eyes, "The Duke also agreed!"

Having said that, if Eleventh Lady and Fourth Lady still don’t understand what Wang Chengzu and Yinping are fighting about, then they are fools.

At noon, when they were seated at the banquet, Si Niang whispered to Shiyi Niang, "Since everything is arranged so well for Tenth Sister, I think I won't come tomorrow. Your brother-in-law is going to be the Minister of the Ministry of Works, and there are still a lot of things to do at home. I'll come and burn some incense when Tenth Sister's funeral is held!"

Xu Lingyi had told Shiyi Niang about this matter. He said that last summer, there was a severe flood in Zhejiang, many riverbanks were washed away, and fertile fields were flooded. The emperor intended to let Yu Yiqing take charge of river affairs. This is a good and lucrative job, but it is also a job that is prone to accidents. Yu Yiqing was quite hesitant.

"So, Fourth Brother-in-law has decided to go to the Ministry of Industry?"

Si Niang nodded and sighed, "Your fourth brother-in-law said that the emperor's grace cannot be violated. I just hope that he can get through these three years in peace!"

As they were talking, Amber came in: "Madam, your uncle is looking for you!"

Eleventh Lady was a little surprised. She nodded to Fourth Lady and followed Amber out of the flower hall.

He was wearing a light blue Hangzhou silk gown and standing in the middle of the yard with his hands behind his back.

The spring noon sun shone through the tender green leaves on his body, making his expression seem a little obscure.

"I won't stay for dinner later." He looked at the direction of Shi Niang's inner room with a somewhat melancholy look, "Second uncle and third uncle are about to return to Yanjing to report on their work. As you know, the two uncles have been in that position for eight or nine years, and they both want to change jobs. Especially the third uncle. The fifth and sixth brothers have been studying at the home of Elder Liu. Now that Elder Liu is old, the third uncle wants to bring the two brothers together, so that the family can be reunited. I want to help the two uncles to find some connections these two days. If there is anything here, please let someone bring me a message!"

Eleventh Lady thought of the death of the first wife.

It would indeed be difficult for Luo Zhenxing to run around for Shi Niang as he did before.

"I understand!" she said softly, "Brother, just go and do your work without any worries!"

Luo Zhenxing was silent for a while, then turned and left.

In the afternoon, Wang Chengzu and the Wang family discussed the setting up of the mourning tent, the announcement of the death, and the funeral procession. Wang Chengzu's biological mother and the housekeeper went to listen, and the female members of the Wang family also went to watch the fun. Shi Niang's room became deserted instead.

Yinping was sitting in the room with Shiyi Niang.

While taking care of Shi Niang's eternal lamp, she talked to Shiyi Niang about Si Niang who had just left: "...Madam was just cold-tempered, but she was very kind to others. If it weren't for Madam's protection over all these years, Jinlian and I would have been missing... And the steward..." She paused, "Madam handed over all the household affairs to him, and the steward made the decisions on all matters, big and small. No matter what the Wang family said, Madam never asked the steward a single question... Even after he passed away, she still made sure we and the steward were settled..."

Eleventh Lady was a little surprised.

Yin Ping's expression darkened. "Madam has been ill all this time. If she hadn't promised the Madam that she would not let the Crown Prince die without a family line and would raise the Duke to adulthood, marry him and have children, Madam would have died long ago..." Her eyes became red. "Later, the Duke got married. Madam felt that she could meet the Madam with a clear conscience, and she breathed a sigh of relief... Seeing that it was very tiring to say a few more words, Madam began to arrange her own affairs after her death... First, she sold her dowry and bought a small farm for us. She also went to the government to sign a deed and asked the steward to live with us on the farm. Jinlian and I will have a life for the rest of our lives. "She said, her expression getting a little excited, "For so many years, although Madam has been in charge of the household and the general affairs of the Wang family, she has never taken a penny from the Wang family. Even the longevity property given by the Madam was her own dowry and the gift from her eldest aunt to her... The Duke also knows... He promised it in front of the Madam back then, but now he wants to keep the land because of a word from his biological mother... The Wang family is short of money, what does it have to do with our Madam? Our Madam didn't use a penny... We were unwilling to accept it, so we hurried to sell the longevity land..." She covered her mouth and cried silently.

All Shi Niang has to fulfill is a promise.

Therefore, she didn't care who Wang Chengzu married, and she turned a blind eye to Wang Chengzu's plans...

Thinking of this, Eleventh Lady couldn't help but look at Tenth Lady.

Was the smile on her lips directed at Wang Chengzu? Or was she laughing at herself?

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It never rains but it pours...My computer broke down today...

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