Chapter 75 April (Part 2)

Wu Niang blushed as she heard this: "You only know how to play!"

Qi Niang giggled.

While chatting and laughing, Eleventh Lady had already altered her skirt.

"You try it."

Qi Niang jumped up, and her personal maid Mu Fu hurried forward to help her put on the clothes.

"Very good, very good!" She looked at the hem of her skirt with a smile, "It really looks much better with this hem."

Eleventh Lady's skirt was a little long for her, so she simply cut it off four inches and found a piece of cloth of the same color as Seventh Lady's jacket to make a hem to embroider on the skirt.

"I've been on the road for three days, and I've changed all the clothes I brought with me." She got back on the kang, "Take a bath, change into clean clothes, it's so comfortable!"

Seeing that she was satisfied, Eleventh Lady smiled and put away her needlework.

A little maid came in and asked, "Where should Miss Seven's food be placed?"

Qi Niang smiled and said, "Just put it here!"

Dongqing and a few others came forward to clear the table on the kang, and the maids brought up the food.

After dinner, the three sisters sat around the kang table and drank tea.

Qi Niang described the scene when she went to the temple fair: "...she puffed out a breath, and the torch in her hand lit up...and her mother put the torch in her mouth..." Her tone was so amazing.

Wu Niang and Shiyi Niang listened to her talk for a long time. The Second Wife wanted to go back and sent someone to call Qi Niang. However, Qi Niang wanted to stay and spend the night with Shiyi Niang: "...It's a good time to see Wu Jie off."

After hearing this, the second wife came to see it in person.

Seeing that Shiyi Niang's place was clean and simple, and the maids were all very careful and well-behaved, he left his personal servant Yu Ma to look after Qi Niang, and then returned to Laojuntang Hutong with his son, son-in-law, wife and daughter-in-law.

Qi Niang was as happy as a horse that had been let go of its reins.

Just then, the eldest grandmother came back, and Qi Niang insisted on asking her about making the bed.

Seeing that she was full of energy, Eleventh Lady smiled and accompanied her to see the grandmother.

When they went out and passed the main courtyard, they happened to see the eldest grandmother going to the eldest lady to report this matter, so Qi Niang pulled Shiyi Niang to listen.

"…My mother-in-law and father-in-law didn't come. They said they were busy with spring planting at home and couldn't come. An uncle came with a cousin. They were both dressed decently, but their movements were a little restrained. It was obvious that they were not used to the world. There was also an aunt who was very tactful but had a small hand."

The first wife nodded slightly: "That's good, so that she won't be unable to control herself after she gets married."

Mother Hang, who was accompanying the grandmother to make the bed, said with a smile, "You didn't see it, when the aunt saw the dowry we sent, her eyes widened. I specifically told the mother who was on night watch to be careful and make sure nothing was missing."

"Hey!" The eldest wife was very satisfied and said to Mother Hang, "Go down and have a rest!"

Mother Hang left immediately.

Seeing Qi Niang listening intently, the grandmother smiled and said, "Seventh sister, what else do you want to know?"

After asking Qi Niang, she blushed and ran away with Shiyi Niang.

The eldest grandmother laughed and said, "Seventh sister is really lively."

The eldest wife smiled and said, "My second uncle and my second brother and his wife regard her as a lucky star, so they are naturally spoiled."

Qi Niang dragged Shiyi Niang to the backyard in one breath and stopped. Shiyi Niang panted and said, "As expected, you are a thief with a guilty conscience, so you have to run!"

"What do you mean?" Qi Niang listened to the coquettish call, her cheeks blushing, very playful and cute.

Eleventh Lady covered her sleeves and smiled.

"Forget it, I won't tell you." Qi Niang avoided her and said, "Let's go see Tenth Sister! I haven't seen her all day. I heard from mother last time that her asthma had recurred. I wrote to her, but she didn't reply. I didn't intend to pay attention to her, but since we are here, let's go see her!"

That happened during the Chinese New Year last year. The eldest wife asked her to accompany her to the temple to burn incense for Yuanniang. She looked at the eldest wife coldly in front of everyone in the room and said, "I have asthma."

The first wife said nothing and sent someone to ask a doctor to see her.

When the eldest master heard that she was ill, he hurriedly called a doctor to ask, but the doctor said arrogantly: "... Where did you invite this quack from? This young lady is obviously fine, how can you say she contracted asthma three years ago?" The eldest master was so angry that he trembled. If it weren't for the eldest wife's persuasion, the eldest master would have thrown Shi Niang into the temple and let her die.

At that time, Shiyi Niang couldn't help but think that maybe if she threw Shi Niang into the temple, she would still have a chance to survive...

"She was not feeling well at that time, and looked unhappy. I'm afraid she didn't pay attention." Eleventh Lady explained to Tenth Lady with a smile.

Qi Niang smiled and pinched Shiyi Niang's cheek: "You, just pretend everything is fine for her!"

Eleventh Lady smiled and accompanied Seventh Lady to Tenth Lady's place.

Yinping stopped them outside the inner room and said, "Miss, please go to bed!" But there was a pleading look on his face.

Qi Niang sighed and said with a smile, "Then tell Tenth Sister that we came to see her."

Yinping's face was full of gratitude: "I will definitely tell our young lady." Then he personally saw the two of them out.

Qi Niang looked back at the door and whispered to Shiyi Niang: "Is there something wrong with her?"

Eleventh Lady smiled bitterly.

To be honest, she felt that Shi Niang was like a blind person who was terminally ill. Knowing that she didn't have much time left, she would usually do things that she wanted to do the most but never had the courage or opportunity to do. So she was more willful and reckless than when she was in Yuhang. With the courage of a desperate struggle, or rather, willfulness, she wanted to provoke the patience of the first wife and let her feel the unhappiness she had experienced in the past few years!

However, she didn't know that in the eyes of others, she was just a moth that flew into the fire...

She couldn't help but think of the Fourth Aunt.

Does Shi Niang know that her biological mother has passed away?

It's been almost a year, and there's still no news from the eldest and second aunts.

It's like there is a riddle in front of everyone, no one can guess the answer, and the one who knows the answer is right in front of them, but no one asks, and then ignores its existence and walks around it, making this matter a weird one!

As she was thinking, someone said with a smile, "Miss Seven just came back. Our Miss Five invited you two to have tea!"

She looked up and saw Ziwei standing on the steps with a smile on her face.

Qi Niang then asked Shiyi Niang in a low voice: "Who else will marry with her?"

"All the servants will go with us," said Eleventh Lady with a smile, "and two more maids will be added."

Qi Niang nodded and went to Wu Niang with Shiyi Niang.

Wu Niang brought them the best West Lake Longjing tea.

Qi Niang joked: "You want to know what Grandma said?"

Wu Niang tried to remain calm: "What is there to ask?"

"That's right!" Qi Niang said with a smile, "You'll know everything when you get married tomorrow!"

"You are such a jerk," Wu Niang said angrily, "you are the only one who knows so much!"

Qi Niang laughed and told Wu Niang what the grandmother had said.

Wu Niang listened thoughtfully.

Qi Niang took the opportunity to excuse herself: "Fifth sister has to get up early tomorrow morning to comb her hair."

Wu Niang asked Ziwei to see them out.

The two returned to the house, and the maid hurriedly fetched water to help them wash and dress.

Qi Niang wants to wash feet with Shiyi Niang.

"Everyone washes their own." Eleventh Lady refused directly.

"Together!" Qi Niang insisted.

Shiyi Niang slammed the door of the clean room, and Qi Niang stamped her feet in anger. Shiyi Niang laughed through the door.

After taking a bath, Qi Niang wanted to sleep with Shiyi Niang.

Although Eleventh Lady felt uncomfortable, she thought the bed was big enough, so she asked someone to add an extra quilt.

Qi Niang refused again: "Why are you like this? I am always so nice to you!"

Eleventh Lady laughed and said, "You just want to talk to me, I'm listening!" Then she lay down first.

"You only bully the weak and fear the strong!" Qinnan muttered as she went to bed.

Eleventh Lady laughed.

Qi Niang then sent the servants away.

Dongqing didn't care. When Eleventh Lady went to bed, she would just put a tea bucket with warm tea by the bed. She usually didn't care whether there was anyone on duty or not.

But Mu Fu was different. When Second Mistress left, Fan Xia told her that if anything happened, she couldn't bear the burden and would have to beg for mercy.

Thinking that she had to get up early the next day, Eleventh Lady compromised and said, "How about you lie down on the big kang next to the window?"

Mu Fu was still hesitating, but Qi Niang said, "Either you sleep on the big kang next to the window, or you can go with Dong Qing."

The answer is self-evident.

Qiniang really had something to say to her.

She said a lot of useless things and whispered, "...I went to a temple...and met someone..."

The opening remarks made Shiyi Niang's heart skip a beat.

"Later, he came to ask for marriage..."

Eleventh Lady took great effort to suppress the shock in her heart: "There is such a thing." She pretended to be surprised.

"So I want you to know..." Qi Niang's joy overflowed from her eyes and eyebrows, "I didn't even tell my mother!"

Then why tell me?

Keeping secrets is also very tiring!

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but murmur in her heart, and was worried that there was something strange about it.

She asked Qi Niang in a low voice: "Did Second Aunt agree?"

Qi Niang is different from her. Second Wife will definitely be very cautious about Qi Niang's marriage.

"Yes!" Qiniang nodded. "I heard from Mother Yu that she will make a decision when she returns." She smiled shyly.

Eleventh Lady was stunned.

"His name is Zhu Anping, from Gaoqing County, Shandong Province. He is 22 years old this year. His father died early, and he took the position of deputy commander of the guards at the age of 15. I heard that some people jokingly call him Xueyi Jun..." As she spoke, she giggled, "In the past, Meng Changjun's fiefdom was Xueyi. Could it be that he also has the style of Meng Changjun? He really is a very interesting person..."

"How do you know that some people jokingly call Zhu Anping "Xue Yijun"?" Eleventh Lady tried her best to make her voice sound softer.

"I heard it at the temple fair!" Qi Niang leaned her head on Shiyi Niang's shoulder. "Someone shouted, 'It turned out to be Xue Yijun from Gaoqing.'" I was very curious at the time and took a look... Who knew that not long after, someone came to our house to propose marriage, saying that he was from Gaoqing, generous, and was nicknamed "Xue Yijun". Shiyi sister, what do you think, is this fate?" Her voice was soft and full of infinite longing, "It was my first time to go to a temple fair..."

Eleventh Lady was very surprised.

If it's true, then it's fate...

As the thought flashed through her mind, she suddenly felt a little ashamed of herself for such a rigid and conservative way of thinking.

Is it because I no longer have the passion I had when I was young that I look at everything with suspicion?

She couldn't help but hold Qi Niang's hand: "Seventh sister, this is a rare fate!" Her voice was very sincere.

Qi Niang laughed softly: "I knew you wouldn't laugh at me!"

Happy laughter is contagious.

Eleventh Lady also laughed.

"Hey, if you just met someone, you wouldn't be like this, right?" She didn't know why, but she felt like joking, "Isn't he still tall and handsome, with a handsome face..."

"No, no." Qi Niang sat up suddenly and shook her hands repeatedly, "No such thing!"

"Really?" Shiyi Niang smiled slyly, "Do you want me to ask Mu Fu?"

"Oh my!" Qi Niang refused, "When did you become so good at teasing people?"

Eleventh Lady laughed softly.

Qi Niang also smiled, with a hint of pride in her eyes, and finally she couldn't help but said, "Yes, he is quite handsome..."

Eleventh Lady laughed.