Chapter 61, 66 and 67 have been overhauled. If you feel that you can’t keep up, just turn to the front and take a look…(*^__^*) Hehe…
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The next day was Yuanniang's funeral. According to the rules, the Luo family should send three sacrificial animals to the mourning hall to burn paper money for Yuanniang. But the eldest wife vomited all over her body when she woke up in the morning. The eldest master was so scared that his face turned pale and he hurriedly sent someone to ask for a doctor. Luo Zhenxing knew about it and rushed over to visit the patient. The eldest wife was afraid of delaying Yuanniang's time, so she urged her son to go quickly: "... Madam Xu, your father and Sixth Aunt are at home, what do you have to worry about?"
Luo Zhenxing hesitated.
The eldest wife said that she wanted to keep Eleventh Lady as well: "Your sister has always been calm and steady, you should be relieved, right?"
As they were talking, the Third Master Luo Zhenda, the Fourth Uncle Yu Yiqing, the Third Madam, the Fourth Mother, and the Seventh Mother from the Second House arrived.
"Go quickly!" said the first wife, "I'm fine. I just caught a cold. Don't let everyone wait for you."
Luo Zhenxing thought about it, gave some instructions to Shiyi Niang, and then went to the bedroom.
Qian Ming and Yu Yiqing were already talking happily. Luo Zhenda, 20 years old, was still a student, while Luo Zhensheng was not even a student. The two stood there in silence, naturally not daring to say a word. Seeing Luo Zhenxing coming, Yu Yiqing smiled and asked him about his exam.
Luo Zhenxing felt that he had done well in the exam, but this kind of thing cannot be passed by feeling alone. He did not dare to brag. He responded vaguely with a few words and asked the servant to wait at the door: "See why Fifth Master and Sixth Master have not come yet?"
"These two guys only know how to play." Yu Yiqing is not tall, but looks handsome and gentle. His small eyes are bright and full of spirit.
Qian Ming smiled and said, "They are still young and just like to play!"
Yu Yiqing smiled and was about to say something when a child's angry voice came from outside the door: "Fifth sister's wife is still the best. Unlike fourth brother-in-law, he always pretends to be an adult."
Everyone looked over. Who else was there besides Fifth Master Luo Zhenkai?
Yu Yiqing burst into laughter: "I am an adult, how can I pretend to be one?"
Luo Zhenkai puffed up his cheeks and was about to say something, but Luo Zhenyu pulled his brother's collar and said, "Mom told you to listen to your eldest brother when you go out." He was so angry that he glared at his younger brother.
When Luo Zhenxing saw them, he said, "Since everyone is here, let's go over there quickly!"
Everyone stopped smiling and went to Xu's house with Luo Zhenxing.
The front of Xu's house was covered in white, with people coming and going. A row of black lacquered flat-topped carriages with green curtains and silver dragon embroidered belts, which could only be ridden by officials of the third rank and above, were parked.
Qian Ming clicked his tongue: "Have all the officials from Yanjing come?"
Yu Yiqing was also quite excited: "The Marquis seems to be only one year older than me."
"Yeah." Luo Zhenxing smiled bitterly, "The Marquis is twenty-six years old this year."
As they were talking, a sharp-eyed steward saw them, hurried over, and enthusiastically led them in.
From a distance, Luo Zhenxing saw Xu Lingyi, dressed in white clothes and white socks, standing in front of the mourning shed and talking to two men in their forties.
Seeing Luo Zhenxing, he whispered a few words to the two men and came forward: "You are here!"
When he got closer, Luo Zhenxing realized that Xu Lingyi looked a little haggard.
Everyone hurriedly saluted Xu Lingyi, and Qian Ming introduced himself: "My student Qian Zichun from Yichun, nice to meet your brother-in-law."
Xu Lingyi was slightly stunned.
Luo Zhenxing hurriedly explained: "He is Fifth Sister's fiancé, who just got engaged."
Xu Lingyi nodded to Qian Ming, then exchanged pleasantries with Yu Yiqing: "Did you come here during the Chinese New Year? Have you been preparing for the imperial examination?"
Yu Yiqing nodded: "It's an opportunity that only happens once every three years."
Xu Lingyi nodded slightly, and Qian Ming smiled and said, "I am also going to the exam with my eldest uncle and brother-in-law Yu this year, but I am not well educated, so I wonder if I can pass the exam?"
"How do you know if there is a chance if you don't try!" Xu Lingyi said calmly, and then personally led them to the mourning shed. As for the grandmother and the fourth daughter, they had already been taken to the inner courtyard by the maid who led the female relatives to burn incense and mourn for the deceased where Yuanniang's coffin was placed.
However, just as Luo Zhenxing and others entered the mourning shed, the steward came to report: "The Queen's sacrifice has arrived."
Xu Lingyi asked the steward to greet Luo Zhenxing and others, and went to the main hall himself.
* * * * * *
Eleventh Lady was relieved to be kept at home.
She was really afraid that Zhun Ge would say something in the mourning hall and make the situation embarrassing.
After helping the eldest lady lie down, Eleventh Lady brought a brocade stool and did needlework beside her bed.
After a while, the doctor came.
Eleventh Lady retreated to the east room and returned to the inner room only after the doctor left.
"What does the doctor say?"
"It is said that there is heat in the chest and cold in the stomach, and the stomach is out of harmony and descending, so there is vomiting." Mother Xu showed the prescription to Shiyi Niang and said, "I prescribed Huanglian Decoction."
Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "I don't quite understand these things, but I think the doctor is right. But have you sent someone to get the medicine? Otherwise, I can light a small stove so that I can boil the medicine in time when it comes back."
Mother Xu heard her speak so well and said with a smile: "How can I ask you to light the stove? Just tell the maid to do it."
Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "This is part of my job. You're welcome, mother."
The two chatted for a long time, and then the person who got the medicine came back.
Eleventh Lady showed the medicine to Mother Xu, took one of the packets and went to the side room, lit a small stove and boiled a dose of medicine for the first wife.
When they brought it in, the eldest wife was talking to Mother Xu: "...We can't let her be in the dark..."
When the eldest wife saw Eleventh Lady come in, she stopped talking.
“We can’t leave her in the dark.” Who is this “she” referring to? What does “in the dark” mean?
Eleventh Lady did not dare to reveal her confusion and served the First Madam medicine with a smile.
The first wife fell asleep after taking the medicine. Eleventh Lady and Mother Xu sat in front of the bed doing needlework. Seeing that it was getting late, she went to the kitchen to make a bowl of white porridge for the first wife with a mixture of yellow millet and white rice. When she brought it in, the first wife had just woken up.
"Miss Eleven is so thoughtful!" Mother Xu praised Eleventh Lady in front of the First Lady.
Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "I watched my mother serve her like this every day, so I followed her and learned from her."
"Oh, it's all my credit that the relationship came to an end!" Mother Xu laughed.
The eldest wife looked at him and nodded slightly.
After dinner, Luo Zhenxing and others came back and rushed over to ask about the first wife's condition.
Knowing that the first wife was fine, the fourth, fifth, and seventh wives gathered around to talk about Yuanniang's sacrifice: "...The Empress's was not rare, just three animals and six gifts. There was a commander named Yang Wenxiong, and the things he sent were really rich. Pigs and sheep sacrifices, mountains of gold and silver, satin and colorful silk, paper money and incense, more than a hundred loads!"
The eldest wife asked, "Do you know what offerings the Wen family sent?"
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. But the grandmother said calmly, "It was just some pigs and sheep sacrifices, and nine platforms were carried."
The eldest wife nodded.
Now that Yuanniang is gone, my aunt must be wary of the Wen family, right?
Si Niang felt that she seemed to have seen what the eldest wife was thinking, so she smiled and stood up to say goodbye: "It's getting late today, I'll come to see the eldest aunt tomorrow."
The eldest wife didn't stay, and the eldest grandmother sent her out. Then she said to Eleventh Lady who stayed in the room, "The Wen family in Yangzhou got married to the Xu family back then, and relied on the Xu family to do business in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and they were involved in the weaving in the south and the horse farm in the north...but they can still keep a low profile, which is very rare." As she said, she looked at Eleventh Lady thoughtfully, "You know, the offerings sent are all superficial things, and the ones sent to the account office are real gold and silver."
Eleventh Lady was stunned.
The eldest wife...is she teaching me how to handle things?
She thought again of the first wife's words "my eyes are completely in the dark"... Could it be referring to her?
From then on, the eldest wife often asked Eleventh Lady to serve her and would talk about the Xu family from time to time.
Although Eleventh Lady listened carefully, she did not regard it as the only criterion. After all, everyone has their own perspective and way of understanding things.
* * * * * *
From the first seven days to the fifth seven days, the three aunts and six relatives had to go to pay homage again. So on March 25, the Luo family went to Xu's house again. Eleventh Lady was still left to take care of the eldest wife - the eldest wife's vomiting had improved a lot, but she was always listless. Maybe her body was fine, but Yuanniang's death had dealt her too much of a mental blow!
Eleventh Lady was pondering in her heart when she received a letter sent by the Seventh Miss of the Gan family.
In the letter, she first thanked Shiyi Niang for the handkerchief and purse she had sent her last time. Then she talked about Yuanniang's passing, asking her to mourn and take care of herself. She said that she would visit Shiyi Niang when she had the chance. She also asked Shiyi Niang to read more Buddhist scriptures when she had nothing to do, saying that there were great truths in the Buddhist scriptures. Her stepmother, Madam Gan, loved to read Buddhist scriptures.
Eleventh Lady couldn't help but laugh when holding the letter, but she felt more grateful.
Thank you Miss Seven for your kindness.
The Third Madam was her cousin's wife. She might know more about what happened to the Xu family and how Zhun-ge came up with that sentence than she did. Yet she could still comfort herself in this obscure way...
So Eleventh Lady not only wrote her back a letter saying that she was fine, but also asked the messenger to bring two five-bat bracelets that she had made herself to the Seventh Miss of the Gan family.
* * * * * *
On March 28, Luo Zhenxing, Luo Zhensheng and Wu Xiaoquan went to check the list early in the morning, but they had not returned by noon. The eldest wife was anxious, fearing that her son would be too shocked to come back after failing the exam, and that he would be dragged out drinking in high school... So she sent Hang Mama's son Hang Xincai to look for him, but as soon as Hang Xincai got the job, he ran back: "...Master, we won, Master, we won!"
After hearing this, the eldest wife hurriedly got up and went out, and ran into Luo Zhenxing.
"Mom, I won, I won." Luo Zhenxing was very excited, "No. 66."
"Quick, quick, quick," the eldest wife said with a happy face, "Sacrifice to the ancestors." She added, "Go and tell the eldest master quickly."
The house was suddenly filled with joy.
Luo Zhenxing added: "My fourth brother-in-law also won, ninth place."
The first wife was startled and asked hurriedly, "What about Mr. Qian?"
Luo Zhenxing hesitated for a moment and said, "We can only wait a few years."
The eldest wife's joy was reduced a little, but she still said: "There is nothing we can do about it. Your third uncle also took the exam several times in the past."
"Yes!" Luo Zhenxing was afraid that his mother would be disappointed, so he hurriedly said, "He has too many things to do. If he can concentrate on studying, the top two places will be easy for him to take..."
The eldest wife thought for a moment and immediately said, "Why don't you invite him to dinner later? First, it can comfort him, and second, if he is willing, our family will pay for the three-year Imperial College fee."
Luo Zhenxing was stunned.
The eldest wife said: "After all, the fourth uncle is from the second house. He is not like Mr. Qian. He is your brother-in-law!"
Luo Zhenxing thought about it and did not refuse. He immediately sent someone to invite Qian Minglai.
Qian Ming no longer had the high spirits he once had, but when he heard that the Luo family was willing to sponsor his studies, he excitedly stood up and bowed to Luo Zhenxing: "Brother, I cannot thank you enough for your kindness!"
Seeing that he was not jealous, Luo Zhenxing was quite happy and put his arm around his shoulders: "What's there to say between us about thank you or not!"
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I write two chapters a day, and the time is very tight, so there are many mistakes and many places to change. Please forgive me for the inconvenience.
O(∩_∩)O ~