I just found out that Qidian.com is doing an event, and the monthly ticket will double after 12 noon on the 28th. Friends who like "The Concubine" are also welcome to support it and cast a pink vote for "The Concubine" after 12 noon on the 28th.

Thank you everyone!

* * * * * *

At some point, Xu Lingyi had quietly walked to the side of Eleventh Lady.

He looked tired and exhausted... darker and thinner than before, but in good spirits. He looked at her with bright eyes: "Let's wash up and go to pay our respects to the lady."

For some reason, his words made Shiyi Niang blush slightly. She said "hmm" softly, and followed behind Jing'er and Ying Niang shoulder to shoulder with Xu Lingyi.

"...So, my cousin is going to Yaowang Temple on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month?" Jing'er chattered with Yingniang, "I've been there several times with my grandmother. Although that place is not the most popular, the things that sell are the best. It's not like the Daxiangguo Temple, which claims that the Buddhist beads are made of sandalwood, but they are actually made of willow."

Although Jing'er seemed casual, he kept glancing behind him from 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 talk, the more mistakes you make!

This bad habit should be corrected in the future.

Thinking of this, he smiled and asked Yingniang: "What fun things do you do when I'm not in the mansion?"

Yingniang thought for a moment and said with a smile, "The Spring Banquet on March 3! That day was really fun..."

Successfully turned the topic over 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 bowed to the two of them.

Zhihong came over here with two maids in a panic. Youye's eyes suddenly fell on the two of them, and several people breathed a sigh of relief.

"Marquis, Madam, Sixth Young Master, Miss Cousin!" She bowed hastily. "Madam knows that the Marquis has returned and is coming this way. We went to the main courtyard to report the news, but we didn't see the Marquis, Madam, or Sixth Young Master..."

"Got it!" Xu Lingyi said in a deep voice, "Let's go back to the house now!"

Zhihong bent her knees and bowed, then left with a little maid.

Xu Lingyi smiled and glanced at Shiyi Niang, as if to say, look, it was you who was so long-winded that you delayed her grooming and made the lady unable to find her...

Eleventh Lady glanced at him and couldn't help laughing.

The smile in Xu Lingyi's eyes deepened and his gaze became brighter.

Eleventh Lady was suddenly flustered. She hurriedly caught up with her son, trying 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." Jing'er said vaguely, and quickly changed the subject, "Mom, I want to go to the Medicine King Temple tomorrow, too!"

"Okay!" Eleventh Lady smiled, "Just remember not to run around. And remember to take good care of your cousin."

"Mom, don't worry!" Jing'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 Jing'er hurried forward and kowtowed to the lady.

The old lady held her son in one hand and her grandson 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, I won't travel far away while my parents are still here." Xu Lingyi's eyes moistened as he knelt down in front of the old lady again. "I am unfilial and have made you worry!"

When Jing'er saw this, he quickly knelt down.

The lady bent down and helped Xu Lingyi up, then with a tearful smile she told Jing'er to get up. Then she and Xu Lingyi sat side by side on the big kang by the window, looking at Xu Lingyi carefully.

Xu Lingyi smiled quietly at the lady and let his mother look at him.

"You've become darker and thinner!" said the lady, and tears fell again.

Eleventh Lady hurriedly handed over the handkerchief.

The lady took the handkerchief, wiped her tears and was about to say something, but tears started falling again.

"Mom, I'm fine, aren't I?" Xu Lingyi choked up and said this and couldn't continue.

Everyone in the room had tears in their eyes, and the two little maids covered their mouths and cried silently.

"Grandma, grandma!" Jing'er suddenly jumped in front of the lady, "Do you think I have lost weight or become darker?" He stood in front of the lady with a smile, and the sad atmosphere was immediately broken by him.

The old lady knew very well that it was her grandson who was trying to make her happy.

"Oh my!" The old lady hugged Jing'er with tears and smiles, "My dear, come and see grandma!" It would have been better if she hadn't looked. After a closer look, the old lady's face changed, "How come you are so thin? Don't you have anything to eat along the way? Where did you go?" As she spoke, she looked at Xu Lingyi suspiciously.

"We were just walking around Jiayuguan." Xu Lingyi said hurriedly, "How could there be no food? Jing'er eats three big steamed buns in one meal. Otherwise, how could he have grown taller again?"

There was still some doubt in the lady's eyes.

"It's true!" Jinger 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.

"He's an orphan that Jing'er picked up in Jiayuguan." Xu Lingyi said with a smile, "He's about the same age as Jing'er and he's very smart. Jing'er wanted to bring him back, so I agreed."

As he was speaking, Xu Sizhun came over with the child.

"Father." He saluted Xu Lingyi respectfully and greeted Jing'er with a smile, "Sixth Brother."

Xu Lingyi and Jing'er's eyes both fell on Ting'er who was in the wet nurse's arms.

The wet nurse cleverly brought Ting'er to Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi smiled and shook Ting'er's white and tender little hand. Ting'er 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.

Jinger 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 Sizhun.

Xu Sizhun didn't notice any of this. He looked at Jing'er with a smile, and saw Jing'er clumsily holding Ting'er and coaxing him to talk: "I'm your sixth uncle, call me sixth uncle!"

Ting'er tilted his head and looked at Jing'er without blinking.

Eleventh Lady hurried over to hold the child: "Brother Ting 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 Brother Ting get choked by the smoke."

Jin Ge'er laughed and ran to the old lady: "Grandma, I'm going to take a shower. After the shower, let's go see the things I bought. Please don't leave, there are so many good things." Then, as if he remembered something, he said to the others in the room, "Whoever sees it gets a share. If you leave, it's gone!"

The lady nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, okay! I won't leave, I won't leave."

Everybody burst into laughter.

The sad atmosphere disappeared.

The lady smiled and patted Xu Lingyi's hand: "You haven't washed yet! Go change your clothes." Then she told Eleventh Lady, "Ask the kitchen to prepare a few dishes that Fourth Master and Jing'er will like. We will have dinner here today."

Eleventh Lady responded with a smile.

He ran into the Fifth Lady with her child. Before the Fifth Lady could speak, Chen Ge'er rushed to Eleventh Lady and said, "Aunt Four, Sixth Brother is back?"

"Yes!" When Jin Ge'er was not at home, Chen Ge'er was not having fun, and often ran over unconsciously to ask when Jin Ge'er would be back. Shiyi Niang touched his head, "He is taking a bath, he will be back soon."

Brother Chen answered "yes" obediently. After entering the house, he rolled his eyes and said to the lady, "I'll go see why Sixth Brother hasn't finished washing yet. Don't let him fall into the toilet!" Then he ran into the bathroom.

There was a commotion in the bathroom.

Everyone outside the house laughed.

* * * * * *

They shared things, told anecdotes... until Xu Lingkuan came back, and there was another round of chatting. 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 the Fifth Lady sat around the Taifu, listening to Xu Lingyi talk about his trip after leaving home. Xin Jie'er, Xu Sijie, Yingniang, Chen Ge'er, and Cheng Ge'er were in the hall, talking in low voices and laughing loudly. The excitement of New Year's Eve was no more than this. It was not until the Taifu yawned several times that everyone wanted to leave.

Xu Lingyi sent the lady back to her room.

Brother Xu wants to stay and sleep with Brother Jing.

"Okay!" Xu Lingkuan didn't care, "Just don't fight!"

The two guys were so happy that they thanked Xu Lingkuan again and again, and Madam Five couldn't help laughing when they saw this.

Shiyi Niang saw everyone out and went to make the bed for Jing'er. Ying Niang followed behind Shiyi Niang, helping to pass things here and there.

Jing'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 sulked, half pretending and half sincerely.

"Oh, that's not it!" Jin Ge'er said hurriedly, "I'm just asking. Didn't mother always tell me to prepare for a rainy day? Don't I also want to prepare in advance?"

Eleventh Lady looked at his face which showed hidden excitement and couldn't help feeling deeply moved.

My son has really grown up...but he is only ten years old this year. Isn’t it a bit early to be an empty nester so early?

She muttered to herself, hugged her son's shoulders tightly, and didn't speak for a long time.

* * * * * *

It was already midnight when Xu Lingyi came back. Shiyi Niang was sitting at the head of the bed, hugging the quilt, 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, his face 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.

"I took Jing'er to Jizhou, Datong, Xuantong, and Jiayuguan, and also brought back the Miao headdress." She grabbed his sleeve tightly, "Don't tell me you just want your son to see it all." Her fingertips turned white, "I let him read maps so that he can travel to 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 strengthen his body and not be bullied, but not so that he can lead troops to fight and splash blood for ten miles." As she spoke, she felt the scene in front of her eyes become blurred, and she turned her face away.

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I'll post a draft first and correct the typos later.