Eleventh Lady's tone made Xu Lingyi feel very strange.

It wasn't the kind of questioning to get you talking, nor was it the kind of probing before a small talk. She was just curious, and asked him like a student who encountered a difficult problem and asked the teacher for help.

Xu Lingyi was silent for a moment before he said, "It's in the Guizhou area, and Sichuan has a little bit of it. It's very remote, and there are a lot of mountains."

Eleventh Lady said "Oh", and then Xu Lingyi heard the sound of flipping pages, obviously looking for the places he mentioned.

Seeing how serious she was, Xu Lingyi couldn't help but ask, "Why do you like reading regional chronicles?"

Eleventh Lady turned her head and smiled at him: "Because this way, you will know that the outside world is very vast. Your little troubles will not matter!"

Her voice was faint, with the aftertaste of the lingering sound of an empty mountain.

Xu Lingyi was stunned.

Is she enlightening herself?

With her back to the light, she looked at herself with eyes that were sparkling, shining with an inexplicable light and containing deep meaning.

He suddenly found his heart beating very fast. He wanted to say something but didn't know what to say.

Eleventh Lady had turned away and lowered her head to flip through the book: "Where is the northwest?"

Her voice was soft, and her slender white neck was slightly drooped, forming a graceful arc. The dim light fell on it, and the fine fur was hazy as if sprinkled with a layer of gold powder.

Then he smelled a faint fragrance, he couldn't tell what it was, it was vague, but it went straight to his heart.

For some unknown reason, he suddenly reached out and touched the back of her neck.

The pair of large hands with thin calluses in her memory suddenly stroked the back of her neck, and she was stunned.

No way…

The sound of turning pages suddenly stopped.

The soft skin under my palm became a little stiff.

The forbearing expression on her face that night suddenly appeared in his mind.

As if touching a hot potato, Xu Lingyi suddenly retracted his arm: "Go to bed quickly, you have to get up early tomorrow!"

Eleventh Lady was stunned.

She was very sure that it was not an unintentional sweep, but a caress with a purpose.

But he gave up without any sign...

Why?

But the result made her feel relieved, and she certainly wouldn't be stupid enough to pursue anything.

Pretending to be clueless, she smiled and nodded, leaned over to blow out the lamp, and huddled under the quilt.

For some reason, Xu Lingyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

* * * * * *

Eleventh Lady fell asleep quickly.

She knew that if he wanted her, she had no right to refuse.

So, instead of thinking about these useless things, it is better to get a good night’s sleep and get enough rest to deal with tomorrow’s affairs.

In the dim light, there was a slight rustling sound around me.

Is he still turning over? He is the eldest in this family, he has the right to do anything, including staying up late at night. But she can't... The thought flashed through her mind, she turned over and fell asleep again.

When she woke up, it was pitch black and very quiet.

She was stunned for a moment, then immediately reached around.

Empty...

"Holly!" her voice was hoarse.

The curtains were immediately drawn aside, and a bright light flashed across her eyes.

"Ma'am, you're awake!" Dongqing's voice was calm and contained a hint of smile.

Eleventh Lady was slightly startled: "What time is it?"

"It's still a quarter to midnight."

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but sigh.

Fortunately, I didn’t delay in paying my respects to the lady!

"The Lord has gone to court." The smile in Dong Qing's voice became more obvious, "He didn't let us wake you up."

"So you didn't wake me up!" Eleventh Lady muttered softly, thinking of the rustling sound she heard in the dim light... It must be the sound of Xu Lingyi getting up!

Dongqing didn't hear Shiyi Niang's muttering. She smiled and turned around to lift the curtain.

The five-bead round sheep-horn palace lanterns cast in soft and bright light.

"The Marquis got up at Chouchu." Dongqing helped Shiyi Niang get up. "He drank a bowl of porridge, ate two steamed buns and three dumplings. He also took a few meat pies. Chouzheng went out. Linbo came to pick up the Marquis." She explained Xu Lingyi's affairs in detail.

"I understand." Eleventh Lady nodded and went to the bathroom to wash up. Just as she sat on the dressing table, a little maid came in and said, "Madam, Mother Tao is here."

So early!

"Let her in!"

The little maid went to tell Mother Tao.

A round-faced woman in her twenties came in quietly, knelt down to greet her, then took the boxwood comb on the dressing table and began to comb her hair.

The woman's husband was called Nan Yong, and everyone called her Nan Yong's wife. She was the hairdresser in the mansion, and was picked out by the lady-in-waiting as a reward. The peony bun she combed when she returned to her parents' home was Nan Yong's masterpiece.

"Just a simple bun will do." Eleventh Lady instructed Nan Yong's wife.

Nanyong's wife smiled and replied "yes" softly, then started to comb her hair skillfully.

Mother Tao walked in quickly.

"Greetings, Madam!" She smiled and bent her knees to greet Eleventh Lady.

"Mom, what's up so early?"

Mother Tao glanced at Nan Yong's wife.

Shiyi Niang felt that Nanyong's wife's movements were getting faster.

She quickly fixed her hair, then bowed and retreated.

Mother Tao said, "Eldest Aunt has a hair comber by her side, why don't you use it? It will be more convenient for you to talk this way!"

Eleventh Lady refused without a second thought: "Nan Yong's wife was given to me by the Madam."

Mother Tao paused for a moment, then whispered, "When is the right time to meet the people in the eldest aunt's room?"

"Let me talk about it after I go see the Madam." Yuanniang passed away for more than a year, and the Madam must have made some arrangements for this matter.

Mother Tao couldn't help but frowned slightly. She was about to say something when a little maid came in and said, "Madam, the three concubines are here to pay their respects to you."

Eleventh Lady nodded, and the little maid went to call three people in.

Aunt Wen smiled and greeted Mother Tao: "Good morning!"

Mother Tao nodded somewhat indifferently.

Only then did she, Aunt Qin, and Qiao Lianfang pay their respects to Eleventh Lady.

Because she had to meet the lady dowager, Eleventh Lady exchanged a few words with them and sent them away. Then she had breakfast, changed her clothes and went to see the lady dowager.

When she arrived, it was still a quarter before noon. Unexpectedly, the Third Master, the Third Madam, the Fifth Master, and the three masters and three grandmothers from the south had already arrived and were together. Seeing Eleventh Lady, the Third Madam smiled and greeted her, "Good morning, Fourth Sister-in-law! I heard that the Marquis has gone to court. It must be tiring to serve the Marquis so early in the morning?"

Eleventh Lady didn't say anything, just smiled, and then greeted everyone.

Grandma Hongda said, "We are going back to Nanjing today, and we came here specially to say goodbye to Madam Tai!"

Eleventh Lady was polite to her: "Why don't you stay a few more days?"

Grandma Hongda smiled and said, "There are a lot of things to do at home. I will bother you another day!"

As she was talking, Yao Huang came out and said, "Madam Tai, please invite all the gentlemen, ladies, and grandmothers in."

Everyone filed into the lady's room.

The lady was sitting on the kang by the window drinking tea. When she saw them come in, she said with a smile, "Here they are!"

Several people hurried forward to pay their respects to the lady-in-waiting. The maids brought an armchair and placed it on the left side of the lady-in-waiting's kang, and the master sat on it. They also brought a small stool and placed it on the right side of the lady-in-waiting, and the female members of the family sat on it.

After the maids served tea, Xu Linghong told them that he wanted to return to Nanjing today.

The lady-in-waiting tried to keep them, but Xu Linghong declined. The lady-in-waiting then said something like "Come and visit during the New Year," and then personally escorted them to the door. The Third Lady and Eleventh Lady escorted them to the Chuihua Gate, and the Third Master and the Fifth Master escorted them all the way to the dock.

Looking at the carriage going away, the Third Lady smiled at Eleventh Lady and said, "I won't accompany my sister-in-law. I still have a bunch of maids and wives waiting for me in my courtyard!"

As she was talking, a little maid ran over breathlessly: "Fourth Madam, the Madam wants you to come over and talk."

Eleventh Lady smiled at the Third Lady, then followed the maid to the Grand Lady.

Zhun Ge and Zhen Jie Er were skipping rope in the yard. When they saw Shiyi Niang coming in, they were slightly startled. Zhen Jie Er hurriedly pulled Zhun Ge forward to salute Shiyi Niang.

But Zhun Ge broke free from Zhen Jie'er's hand and ran away.

Shiyi Niang was quite surprised. Zhen Jieer hurriedly apologized to Shiyi Niang: "Mother, Zhun Ge is a little shy. He will be fine once he gets familiar with her!"

This isn't a question of whether you're shy or not, right?

However, I am not here to please him, but to take care of him so that he can grow up smoothly. The latter is the most important thing, and there is no need to put the cart before the horse.

But she liked Zhen Jie'er's reaction very much.

"I didn't know he was so shy." Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "If Zhun Ge has any other habits, please remember to remind me."

She saw Zhen Jie'er heaved a sigh of relief and nodded seriously: "I will definitely remind mother."

Eleventh Lady smiled and asked her, "Are you going to look for Zhun Ge? Do you want to go with me to Grandmother's place?"

She thought for a moment and said, "Should I go find Brother Zhun? Otherwise he'll run off to Nianci Hall." After saying that, she looked embarrassed again.

"Nianci Hall?" It might be Yuanniang's house. Zhun Ge and Zhen Jie'er chose this name privately. However, Zhun Ge was young, so it was Zhen Jie'er who chose it. She smiled and said, "Did you help choose it?"

Zhen Jieer nodded uneasily and said, "He cried so hard, so I..."

Eleventh Lady smiled at her and said, "Sister Zhen is worthy of being a sister. She takes good care of her brother."

Sister Zhen's expression was somewhat surprised.

Maybe she didn't expect that I would praise her like this!

"Okay, go find Brother Zhun!" Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "I'm going to see my grandmother."

Zhen Jie nodded and went to the back door surrounded by maids and servants.

Eleventh Lady called out "Sister Zhen".

Zhen Jie'er looked back in surprise, and there was a look of vigilance in her eyes again.

"If you find Brother Zhun, remember to tell me." Eleventh Lady looked at her with a smile, "So that I won't worry."

"Yes!" Zhen Jieer nodded, and her figure disappeared in the corridor. Then Eleventh Lady entered the lady's room.

The lady took Shiyi Niang's hand and sat on the big kang by the window in the inner room. She looked at her with a smile and asked, "Are you used to it?"

"Habit!" Eleventh Lady nodded.

There was some hesitation in the lady's expression.

Eleventh Lady was not in a hurry and started chatting with the lady. "There are so many things to do at the wedding, and the guests from the south have left. You should take a good rest these few days."

"You are so thoughtful." The lady smiled and patted her hand, chatted for a few more words, and finally said: "I want to keep Zhun Ge for a few more days!"

What this means is that you should keep Zhun Ge by her side!

This is normal.

Although Zhun Ge was Yuan Niang's only flesh and blood to the eldest wife, he was also her beloved grandson to the old lady.

Eleventh Lady said sincerely, "I am young and ignorant. Apart from other things, if you hadn't given me a wife to comb my hair, I would have had to comb my hair into a bun the next day when I returned home. Not to mention such a big thing as raising Zhun Ge. With him by your side, I can also learn how to take care of a child."

After hearing this, the old lady nodded with relief, and then told her about the housekeeper and the treatment of the people who used to serve Yuanniang.

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