The room is bright.

Yingniang was lying sideways. Her black hair was tied up in a bun. She was wearing a lake-colored jacket, a plain blue Xiang skirt, and red-gold willow-leaf earrings. From a distance, she looked gleaming like a bunch of sunlight left in the world.

Standing opposite her was Xu Sijie, who was a head taller than her.

He was wearing an eggplant purple Hangzhou silk gown with square patterns. His delicate eyebrows were tightly furrowed and his clear eyes were full of worry.

"I've asked for leave from my husband. It's okay." Xu Sijie said in a low voice with a hint of gentleness in his coldness, "It's my cousin who has been staying here to take care of mother..." He said with a hint of guilt, "It's my turn now. Cousin, go take a rest!"

Yingniang burst out laughing when she heard this. Shi immediately remembered Shiyi Niang who was still asleep, and quickly covered her mouth. After a while, she said, "It's your mother, isn't it my aunt? She's not sleepy in the middle of the night, and she hasn't slept for days and nights. Why do you need to change someone? Fifth cousin, why don't you go to school quickly? Seeing you work hard, your aunt is happier than anything else. It's a hundred times, a thousand times better than you sitting here doing nothing."

Xu Sijie couldn't help feeling embarrassed.

He passed the county examination in February. Eleventh Lady was very happy. She made two pieces of clothes for him personally and also gave him a top-ranking Duan inkstone.

"Go quickly, go quickly!" Ying Niang said with a smile, "I'm here."

Xu Sijie looked at Shiyi Niang hesitantly.

Eleventh Lady felt as if she was eavesdropping and subconsciously closed her eyes.

"Well, then!" After a long while, Xu Sijie said, "If mother wakes up, you can ask her what's wrong with her? Should we call a doctor? If you can't make up your mind, send a servant to Dou Ge's home. When father hears that mother is not feeling well, he will definitely come back."

"I understand." Yingniang smiled, seeming a little indifferent to his nagging.

Xu Sijie also heard it. He stood there looking at Yingniang, as if he would not leave unless she agreed.

"Don't we still have our fourth cousin and his wife?" After a moment, Yingniang said helplessly, "Why should we go so far away? Today is Lord Dou's birthday. If we go like this, wouldn't we be laughed at?" After saying that, she paused for a while and continued, "Even if our fourth cousin and his wife can't make up their minds, don't we still have our fifth aunt and second aunt? You go to school! I know what to do?" Her tone sounded as if she was sending Xu Sijie away.

Xu Sijie's face turned red, but he had to admit that what Yingniang said made sense.

"Well, then I'm leaving! When mother wakes up, remember to bring me a message." After he gave his instructions, he left the inner room in a somewhat embarrassed manner.

Yingniang looked at his back and smiled.

The maid Wanxiang hurriedly whispered, "Miss, this is not at home, and the Fifth Young Master is not our Young Master Kang. He has been taught by you since he was a child, so he is used to it. Please be careful with your words."

"It's okay!" Yingniang smiled, "He has a good temper and won't take it to heart. Even his fourth cousin, second cousin's wife, and even the eldest and third cousin's wives in Sanjing Hutong are all very easygoing. Don't worry."

The tone was very affirmative. He did not mention Jiang.

Eleventh Lady was a little curious. She opened her eyes and heard the maid hurriedly say, "My dear lady, this is in my aunt's room. If my aunt heard you talking about people behind their backs, I'm afraid she would be unhappy."

Yingniang smiled embarrassedly and put her arm around Wanxiang's shoulders: "Okay, okay, it's my fault, isn't that enough?" She was a little worried in her heart. As she spoke, she looked at Shiyi Niang, and her eyes met hers.

"Ouch!" She blushed and looked embarrassed. "When did my aunt wake up?"

Eleventh Lady didn't want to embarrass her. She smiled and said, "I was half asleep, and when I heard someone apologizing, I woke up!"

Yingniang smiled, her eyes twinkling, and she looked very happy.

"Aunt, would you like to drink some water?" She hurried forward to help Eleventh Lady.

Eleventh Lady sat up by herself: "Okay, pour me a glass of water!"

Yingniang nodded, and Wanxiang had already poured a cup of warm water and brought it over.

Eleventh Lady held the teacup and glanced around the room casually, finding that only Yingniang and her servant were there.

"My fourth cousin, Madam Song, and Guan Qing's wife are all busy," Ying Niang said immediately, "I am the only one who is free, so I will stay here with you." As she spoke, she said seriously, "Guan Qing's wife said that you are not feeling well. Where do you feel uncomfortable? Is it a headache? Or is it a tightness in your chest?"

"It's okay," Eleventh Lady smiled and drank a sip of water, "In this weather, it's hot if you cover yourself with a thick quilt, and it's cold if you cover yourself with a thin quilt. I just didn't sleep well last night."

Yingniang looked at Shiyi Niang carefully for a while, and was relieved to see that she looked good.

"Fourth cousin's wife came to ask you something. Guan Qing's family said you had rested. Fourth cousin's wife was a little worried, so she came to see you. The housekeepers were waiting for her instructions. She was afraid of disturbing you, so she asked Baozhu to help pass the message. I happened to come here to give flowers to my aunt, and saw Baozhu running around sweating profusely. I took the initiative to take care of you here." Before Eleventh Lady could speak, Yingniang smiled and said, "Aunt, please don't blame me for acting on my own. I was also afraid of delaying my trip to the Medicine King Temple tomorrow."

This child has a strong sense of observation.

Eleventh Lady smiled slightly, wanting to ask why Xu Sijie was here, but she swallowed her words when she said that she woke up when Yingniang admitted her mistake, and said with a smile, "I'm fine. You don't have to be nervous. Send someone to talk to your fourth cousin's wife, and tell her not to worry."

As he was speaking, Xiang came over holding the child.

"Mother, I heard you were not feeling well. What's wrong with you?"

"I'm fine." The bad thing about having someone visit you is that you have to keep repeating the answer of agreement.

Yingying twisted her body in her wet nurse's arms, asking Shiyi Niang to hold her.

Eleventh Lady picked up Yingying and put her on the kang. She immediately climbed to the window and reached out to catch the goldfish.

Xiang was startled and climbed onto the kang to pull the child away, but Shiyi Niang had already smiled and carried Yingying aside.

Xu Sizhun and Jiang came.

"Mother, I heard from Sese that you are not feeling well." He looked a little anxious. "Where do you feel unwell?"

Although Yingniang was there to take care of her, she was still a guest after all.

Jiang felt uneasy, so as soon as she left the house, she sent someone to inform Xu Sizun in the outer courtyard.

"I'm fine." Eleventh Lady smiled and asked her to sit down. "I was just about to send someone to tell you." Then she pointed to the armchair beside them and asked them to sit down, and asked about Jiang's preparations for going to the Medicine King Temple tomorrow.

Seeing Shiyi Niang leaning on the big pillow with a ruddy face, Jiang Shi finally felt relieved and answered Shiyi Niang's questions carefully.

Yingniang retreated quietly.

Xu Sizhun and Xiang were listening attentively, but Yingying, who was ignorant, was mumbling something beside them, thinking that Jiang was talking to her. Xiang hurriedly took the child out.

Eleventh Lady nodded slightly. She gave Jiang two tasks, and Jiang completed them very well.

"I'll leave tomorrow's matters to you." Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "After you finish this matter, you can take a good rest for a few days."

Jiang said modestly, "Mother, you are too kind. With the help of Guan Qing and Mother Song, I am just talking."

Eleventh Lady thought about how Jiang had answered so fluently just now, and it was obvious that she had put in a lot of effort. She smiled and brought the tea: "Everything has been explained, you should go back to your room and have a rest! Get enough rest so that you can go to the Medicine King Temple tomorrow."

The two of them nodded respectfully and left the inner room. They saw Yingniang sitting on the big kang by the window in the west room, cutting paper-cuts, while Xiang was sitting beside her, holding the child.

"Fourth cousin, fourth cousin's wife, you can go back!" Xiang Niang stood up with a smile.

Jiang smiled and nodded, teasing Yingying.

Xu Sizhun picked up a paper-cut window paper and said, "What are you cutting? It's not the New Year or any other festival, why are you suddenly cutting window paper-cuts?"

It was Zhang Xique climbing up the branch.

"Isn't my fifth cousin's sister Xi'er going to get married soon?" Yingniang said with a smile, "I have nothing to do, so I cut some paper-cuts for her."

He knew about this. Manager Bai had just said that he wanted to send a few maids to work in Xu Sijie's room.

"It's very well cut!" Xu Sizhun said with a smile, "I'll just give this year's New Year's paper-cuts to my eldest cousin!"

"I won't do it!" Yingniang joked with Xu Sizun with a smile, "There are so many windows in the mansion. Even if I start cutting them now, I won't be able to finish them until the New Year! Besides, the grocery store's window paper-cuts are three cents for five. I'm cutting so many window paper-cuts for you for free. Isn't it a loss?"

Xu Sizhun found her words interesting and said with a smile, "So my cousin likes Brother Kong Fang. She cuts paper-cuts for windows when she sees him, and won't cut them when she doesn't see him."

All three of them laughed.

"What are you talking about so happily!" Xu Sijie walked in from outside, "Is mother awake? Did she say where she was feeling unwell?" His eyes fell on Yingniang at the first moment.

"Aunt said she was fine." Yingniang smiled, "I think she was just tired and wanted to rest."

Xu Sijie's expression relaxed.

Xu Sizhun asked curiously, "How do you know that mother is not feeling well?"

"I noticed that my mother looked unhappy these past two days," he said, "and I was a little worried. I told Mr. Chang and came to see her. I didn't expect that my mother was really feeling unwell!"

Xu Sizhun felt a little ashamed.

He also felt that his mother was unhappy, but he didn't think of coming to see her...

Yingniang saw it clearly and said hurriedly, "Fourth cousin, fourth cousin's wife, let's have dinner with aunt later! More people will make it more lively. Maybe aunt's mood will improve!"

"Okay!" Xu Sizhun said hurriedly, "We'll bring Ting'er over later."

The atmosphere will be better with children around.

After everyone had discussed it, they went their separate ways.

Xu Sijie and Yingniang went to the inner room and chatted with Shiyi Niang for a long time, and then waited for Jinger to finish school and had lunch together. In the afternoon, Xu Sijie and Jinger went to school, while Shiyi Niang and Yingniang chose clothes and jewelry to wear to the Yaowang Temple. In the evening, everyone gathered together for dinner.

Xu Lingyi is back.

He was surprised to see a room full of people.

"Dad, you're back!" Jing'er was the first to jump out and greet him happily.

Xu Lingyi smiled and put his arm around his son's shoulders. Shiyi Niang then stood up and said, "My Lord, have you had dinner yet? If not, I'll ask the kitchen to add a few dishes!"

She was smiling and looked no different from usual, but people who knew her could still see that her eyes were cold.

Xu Lingyi couldn't help but smile bitterly.

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PS: I saw a friend in the comment area asking about the overdue updates...⊙﹏⊙b sweat! "Debts" must be repaid. It's just that there are some things at work, so I'm quite busy, so I may not be able to proceed smoothly as planned... Well, I will find a way to adjust it... I'm running down with my head in my hands...