Chapter 686: Alternation (Part 2)
I don't know when, Xu Lingyi had quietly walked to the side of Shiyi Niang.
He looked tired and exhausted... darker and thinner than before, but in good spirits. He looked at her with bright eyes: "Let's wash and comb our hair, so we can go and pay our respects to the Madam."
For some reason, his words made Shiyi Niang blush slightly. She said "hmm" softly, and followed behind Jiang'er and Ying Niang shoulder to shoulder with Xu Lingyi.
"...So, my eldest cousin is going to the Yaowang Temple on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month?" Jian Ge'er chattered with Ying Niang, "I have been there several times with my grandmother. Although the incense there is not the most prosperous, the things it sells are the best. Unlike the Daxiangguo Temple, which claims that the Buddhist beads are made of sandalwood, they are actually made of willow trees."
Although Jiange'er seemed casual, he kept glancing behind him out of the corner of his eyes.
Seeing his mother quietly following his father, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
It turns out that the more you say, the more mistakes you make!
This bad habit must be corrected in the future.
Thinking of this, he smiled and asked Yingniang: "What fun things do you do when I'm not at home?" Yingniang thought for a moment and smiled: "The Spring Banquet on March 3rd! That day is very fun..."
Successfully passed the topic to Ying Niang'er.
Seeing how happy the two were talking, Xu Lingyi and Shiyi Niang couldn't help but exchange glances.
The maids, daughters-in-law and old women who passed by all saluted the two of them.
Zhihong came over here with two maids in panic. Youzhai's eyes suddenly fell on the two of them, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Marquis, Madam, Sixth Young Master, Eldest Cousin!" She bowed hastily. "The Madam knows that the Marquis has returned and is on her way here. We went to check but didn't see the Marquis, Madam, Sixth Young Master..." "Got it!" Xu Lingyi said in a deep voice. "We'll go back to the room now!" Zhihong bowed with bent knees and left with a little maid.
Xu Lingyi smiled and glanced at Shiyi Niang, as if to say, it's you who's been so nagging that you delayed your grooming and made the Madam unable to find you...
Eleventh Lady glanced at him and couldn't help laughing.
The smile in Xu Lingyi's eyes deepened and his gaze became brighter.
Shiyi Niang was suddenly flustered. She hurriedly caught up with her son, as if to avoid him: "Why did you come back so soon?" She didn't even look at Xu Lingyi.
"Anyway, we've seen all the places we need to see, so we'll come back early." Jian Ge'er said vaguely, and quickly changed the subject, "Mom, I want to go to the Yaowang Temple tomorrow, too!"
"Okay!" Eleventh Lady smiled, "Just remember not to run around when the time comes. And remember to take good care of your eldest cousin." "Don't worry, mother!" Jian'er quickly assured.
The three of them walked towards the main courtyard, chatting and laughing.
Xu Lingyi looked at their backs, his eyes filled with joy.
…
As soon as they entered the house, the lady arrived.
Xu Lingyi and Jiang'er hurried forward to kowtow to the lady.
The old lady held her son in one hand and her son in the other: "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!" She couldn't help but shed tears.
"Mom, our parents are here, not far away." With tears in his eyes, Xu Lingyi knelt in front of the lady again. "I am unfilial and have made you worry!" Seeing this, Jian'er hurriedly knelt down as well.
The lady bent down to embrace Xu Lingyi, then with a tearful smile she told Jian'er to get up. Then she and Xu Lingyi sat side by side on the big kang by the window, looking at him carefully.
Xu Lingyi smiled quietly at the lady and let his mother look at him.
"You've become darker and thinner!" said the lady, tears falling again.
Eleventh Lady hurriedly handed the handkerchief over.
The lady took the handkerchief, wiped her tears and was about to think about something when tears started to fall again.
"Mom, am I fine?" Xu Lingyi said this with sobs and couldn't continue.
Everyone in the room had tears in their eyes, and the two little maids even covered their mouths and cried silently.
"Grandma, grandma!" Jiang'er suddenly jumped in front of the lady-in-waiting. "Do you see that I have become thinner and darker?" He smiled in front of the lady-in-waiting, and the sad atmosphere was immediately broken by him.
The lady knew very well that it was the knife that was trying to make her happy.
"Oh my!" The old lady hugged Jian'er with tears and laughter, "My dear, come and see grandma!" It would have been better if she hadn't looked. After a careful look, the old lady's face changed, "Why are you so thin? Don't you have anything to eat along the way? Where did you go?" As she said this, she looked at Xu Lingyi suspiciously.
"We were just walking around Jiayuguan." Xu Lingyi said hurriedly, "How could there be nothing to eat? My brother eats three large rotten rice bowls in one meal. Otherwise, how could he grow taller again?" There was still some doubt in the lady's eyes.
"It's true!" Jiang'er laughed, "Cuoyang said that I ate the food rations of their entire family in one day." "Cuoyang?" The lady looked at Xu Lingyi in confusion.
"It's an orphan picked up by Jiange'er in Jiayuguan." Xu Lingyi smiled, "He is about the same age as Jiange'er and very smart. Jiange'er wanted to bring him back, so I agreed." As he was speaking, Xu Sizhen came over holding the child.
"Father." He saluted Xu Lingyi respectfully, and greeted Jiange'er as "Sixth Brother" with a smile.
Xu Lingyi and Jiang'er's eyes both fell on Ting'er in the wet nurse's arms.
The wet nurse cleverly brought Ting'er to Xu Lingyi.
Xu Lingyi smiled and held Tingger's white and tender little hand. Tingger could already recognize people. He stared at Xu Lingyi with his eyes wide open, looking very cute.
Xu Lingyi couldn't help but feel happy.
Jiangeer ran over and said, "Give me a hug!"
The wet nurse did not dare to hesitate, but her eyes turned towards Jiang.
Jiang hesitated and looked at Xu Sinian.
Xu Sizhen didn't notice any of this. He looked at Jiange'er with a smile, and saw Jiange'er clumsily holding up Ting'er, and coaxing Ting'er to say, "I'm your sixth uncle, call me sixth uncle!" Ting'er tilted his head and looked at Jiange'er without blinking.
Shiyi Niang hurried over and picked up the child: "Ting'er can't speak yet!" Then she handed the child to the wet nurse and calmly told her son: "Okay, go wash up quickly. You are covered in mud, don't let Ting'er get choked by the fumes." Ting'er laughed and ran to the old lady: "Grandma, I'm going to take a bath. After the bath, let's go and see the things I sold. Please don't leave, there are so many good things." Then, as if she remembered something, she said to the others in the room, "Whoever sees it gets a share, and if you leave, it will be gone!"
The lady nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, okay! I won't leave. I won't leave."
Everyone burst into laughter.
The atmosphere of sadness dissipated.
The lady smiled and patted Xu Lingyi's hand: "You haven't washed yet! Go change your clothes." Then she told Shiyi Niang, "Ask the kitchen to prepare a few dishes that Lao Si and Jian Ge'er will like. We will have dinner here today."
Eleventh Lady smiled and agreed.
They ran into the Fifth Lady with her child. Before the Fifth Lady could speak, Chen Geer suddenly appeared in front of Eleventh Lady: "Fourth Aunt, Sixth Brother is back!" "Yes!" Chen Geer was not at home, and he was not happy. He often ran over unconsciously and asked when Chen Geer would be back. Eleventh Lady touched his head and said, "He is taking a bath and will be done soon." Chen Geer answered "yes" obediently and went into the house, but his eyes turned and he said to the Lady Dowager: "I'll go see why Sixth Brother hasn't finished bathing yet? Don't let him fall into the toilet!" Then he ran into the bathroom.
There was a loud noise in the clean room.
Everyone outside started laughing.
…
They shared things and told strange stories until Xu Lingkuan came back. There was another round of laughter. Then they gathered in the hall to have dinner. Yingying and Ting'er had already gone to bed, and Xiang and Jiang had gone home with their children. Xu Lingyi, Xu Lingkuan, Shiyi Niang, and Wu Furen sat around the Taifu, listening to Xu Lingyi talk about his itinerary after leaving home. Xin Jie'er, Xu Si'e, Ying Niang, Shen Ge'er, and Cheng Ge'er were in the hall, talking in low voices, laughing and arguing. Even New Year's Eve was so lively. It was not until the Taifu yawned several times that everyone wanted to leave.
Xu Lingyi sent the lady back to her room.
Brother Shen wants to stay and be with Brother Jian.
"Okay!" Xu Lingkuan didn't care. "Just don't fight!" The two guys happily thanked Xu Lingkuan again and again. Madam Wu couldn't help laughing when she saw them.
Shiyi Niang saw everyone out and went to make the bed for Jiange'er. Ying Niang followed behind Shiyi Niang, helping to carry things here and there.
Jiang'er came over and asked Shiyi Niang: "Mom, when can I move to the outer courtyard?" He looked very excited.
"Do you really want to move out?" Eleventh Lady said with a stern face, half pretending and half sincerely.
"Oh, I'm not leaving either!" Jian'er said hurriedly, "I'm just asking. Didn't mother always tell me to prepare for a rainy day? Don't I want to make preparations in advance?" Shiyi Niang looked at his face with hidden excitement and couldn't help feeling a lot of emotions.
My son has really grown up...but he is only ten years old this year. Isn't it a little too early for him to be an empty nester so early?
She muttered to herself, hugged her son's shoulders tightly, and didn't say anything for a long time.
It was already midnight when Xu Lingyi came back. Shiyi Niang was sitting at the head of the bed with a blanket, still waiting for him.
The dim light shines on her body, quiet and gentle.
"Didn't I tell you to go to bed early?" After walking through the Gobi Desert and coming back to see Shiyi Niang, who was as delicate as bone china, he touched her face with a bit of caution, and his voice was softer than usual, "You were afraid that I wouldn't come back." He smiled slightly, with a bit of ambiguous teasing, and gently kissed her cheek.
Eleventh Lady did not move.
She looked at Xu Lingyi with her bright eyes: "My Lord, what do you want to do?" There was undisguised worry in her voice.
Xu Lingyi was stunned.
"You took Jiang'er to Jizhou, Datong, Xuantong, and Jiayuguan, and brought back the Miao headdress." She grabbed his sleeve tightly, "Don't tell me, you just wanted your son to see the world." Her fingers turned white, "I let him learn the world so that he can travel around the famous mountains and rivers, but I don't want him to fight in the north and south; I let him learn martial arts so that he can keep fit and not be bullied, but I don't want him to lead troops in battle and spill blood for miles." As she spoke, she felt the scene in front of her become blurry, and she turned her head away.