When Gu Xi first heard this, she hadn't realized who was talking to Old An. It was not until she heard a clean and pleasant voice that she was surprised to find that it was Yu Tang who was talking to Old An.

Although she knew she shouldn't, she still listened attentively.

"Mr. An, please don't say that. It's embarrassing for me." Yu Tang said embarrassedly, "No merit, no reward. I was just confused for a moment, but I didn't expect to cause trouble for the Third Elder. I, I am really ashamed."

She really meant what she said.

Maybe it was because she sent Shuangtao to ask A Ming about the Doupeng matter, and A Ming reported it to Pei Yan, who simply told the matter to Lao Anren and asked Lao Anren to help him explain it.

This led to the previous conversation.

Pei Yan was frank and unrestrained, but she seemed very sad.

She felt ashamed to see Pei Yan again.

Old An also felt that Yu Tang was making a big deal out of nothing. However, as a young girl living in someone else's home, Yu Tang should be more cautious.

She said, "I'm glad you don't take it to heart. I've already taught him a lesson, and told him to tell me if he has any problems in the future. I don't have much to do now, and if he needs my help, it would be a great way to kill time. I'd love that!"

Old An used to be a clan wife. All family matters, from big ones like weddings and funerals to small ones like quarrels between sisters-in-law, would be brought up here. She was busy every day, and her three sons were all brought up by a wet nurse. Now that she suddenly had a lot of free time, she was really a little uncomfortable.

Only Pei Yan knew that she was lonely and asked the little girls at home to come and play with her often.

It’s a pity that the girls are too young to talk to him, so Yu Tang was invited into the mansion.

Yu Tang didn't know the reasoning and just thought that Lao An was comforting her. She felt even more embarrassed and was thinking about how to apologize. Suddenly, Aunt Ji's voice came from outside: "Miss Gu, you're here!"

Gu Xi was listening attentively, and was suddenly asked a question. She panicked and looked a little helpless. She said hurriedly, "I just arrived. I don't know why I didn't see any servants along the way. I was wondering what was going on, and then the lady came in." As she spoke, she gradually calmed down and a smile appeared on her lips. She asked back, "When did the lady come in? I thought there was no one in the yard!"

Pei Yangang just left.

Before this, Lao An had sent away all the servants around him.

Aunt Ji thought that Gu Xi's arrival was just a coincidence, and without giving it much thought, she smiled and said, "I also saw Miss Gu here from a distance." She added, "Are you here to greet Old An? Please wait a moment, I will go and report to you."

Old An had heard the conversation outside, and without pretending to be nice, he said loudly, "Is it Miss Gu? Please come in and take a seat."

Gu Xi breathed a sigh of relief and said, "How dare I ignore your invitation? Just call me directly." Then he walked in with a smile.

Yu Tang stood up and greeted her, and the two of them sat down on either side of Old An.

Gu Xi said to Yu Tang coquettishly, "Why didn't you call me when you came? I had to wait for you in the room for a long time."

Yu Tang has a lot of experience dealing with Gu Xi. She smiled and said, "Then I'll remember to ask you to come with me next time."

Didn't say much about this.

Gu Xi felt as if he had punched cotton. He couldn't help but feel shocked and began to look at Yu Tang squarely.

Yu Tang was so familiar with her expressions and little movements that he couldn't help but sigh inwardly when he saw this.

She and Gu Xi really have no fate!

In the previous life, they were sisters-in-law, and Li Duan had evil intentions, so there was nothing she could do. In this life, they were so far apart, and she tried her best to avoid Gu Xi, so why was she still being targeted by Gu Xi?

Yu Tang felt a little unhappy.

In her previous life, Gu Xi wanted to keep her husband's heart, which she could understand. But in this life, she and Gu Xi had no hatred for each other, such as stealing her husband or killing her father. Was it necessary for Gu Xi to do this?

Yu Tang sneered in his heart and was unwilling to tolerate or avoid it anymore.

She lowered her head and drank her tea, thinking that if Gu Xi dared to provoke her again, she wouldn't mind teaching Gu Xi a lesson.

Fortunately, several young ladies and the second wife of the Pei residence came to pay their respects soon. For a while, the hall was filled with laughter and was very lively, which washed away all the little thoughts of Yu Tang and Gu Xi.

But when Yu Tang returned to the house, Shuang Tao couldn't help but ask her in a low voice: "Are we really going to meet Mr. An with Miss Gu later?"

The fourth young lady was still not giving up and still wanted to go for a barbecue today. Old An agreed, and everyone agreed to go to the century-old locust tree in the back garden to have a barbecue in the afternoon. So everyone had lunch at Old An's place and went back to the room for a nap.

Yu Tang smiled casually and said, "It's just a saying, do you really take it seriously?"

Shuangtao was dumbfounded.

Yu Tang smiled and pulled the thin blanket to his chest, closed his eyes, and said, "Go to sleep!"

Shuang Tao had no choice but to retreat awkwardly.

Yu Tang was thinking about the second young lady.

Gu Xi is obviously trying to encircle the Second Young Miss. I wonder if there is anything about the Second Young Miss that is worthy of Gu Xi's covetousness?

She has been hanging around the second young lady all morning.

And what about Pei Yan? I actually misunderstood him... Yu Tang's face was burning.

How embarrassing!

Should I just pretend nothing happened and let it go? Or should I apologize to Pei Yan?

Yu Tang was thinking in a daze and didn't know when he fell asleep.

When she woke up, she found that the sun was already setting.

How could this happen?!

Yu Tang was shocked and kept shouting "Double Peaches".

Shuang Tao trotted in and asked, "Miss, what's wrong with you?"

Yu Tang frowned and asked, "What time is it now?"

Shuang Tao grinned and said, "Miss, you don't know. When you were asleep, Aunt Ji from Old An's room came over and said that Old An had something to do in the afternoon, so the young ladies didn't need to come over to greet you. I saw that you were sleeping soundly, so I didn't wake you up. I thought that the young ladies from Pei's house would go to the barbecue later. I never thought that the young ladies from Pei's house didn't come over this afternoon. I was afraid that the young ladies forgot to call you, so I specially asked Liu Xu to go over and ask you. As a result, the young ladies were detained at home by the second wife in the afternoon to practice calligraphy, and they didn't go to the barbecue at all."

Yu Tang was surprised and asked, "How could this happen?"

Shuang Tao looked around and saw that there was no one around, so she stepped forward and whispered in Yu Tang's ear: "I heard that someone from the capital has come. They went to the old house first, but the third master was not there, so the second master accompanied them up the mountain. In order to avoid offending the distinguished guest, the women in the inner courtyard were detained and not allowed to go out."

Yu Tang was terrified.

What kind of person would make the women in Pei's family avoid him?

She thought for a moment and asked Shuang Tao, "What is Miss Gu doing this afternoon?"

Gu Xi has always been more informed than her. The simplest way she could think of was to infer from her whereabouts whether the people coming from Beijing were good or bad.

Shuang Tao said, "She is embroidering flowers in the house with the Second Miss!"

"Have you been embroidering all this time?" Yu Tang was a little surprised.

Shuang Tao nodded and said, "He Xiang used to go out everywhere, but she didn't go out this afternoon."

In other words, the visitor was of a very distinguished status. At least he could shock Gu Xi.

Who is so majestic?

Yu Tang guessed for a long time but still had no clue, so he simply let the matter go and thought about finding an opportunity to ask Lao An directly.

Everyone had dinner in their respective residences.

Early the next morning, the news broke.

The visitor was Zhang Shao, the eldest son of Zhang Ying, the master of Pei Yan.

He was appointed as the governor of Jiangxi some time ago. This time, he made a special stop to visit Pei Yan on his way to Jiangxi to take up his post.

But it shouldn't go to the extent of asking all the women in the family to avoid it, right?

Yu Tang felt that Zhang Shao's intention was not simple.

She asked Aunt Ji who had come to give her a hairpin, "Are you afraid that we might offend Lord Zhang?"

"No!" Aunt Ji laughed, "The Zhang family and our family are close friends. Mr. Zhang came and talked with Old Lady An for a long time. Dinner was also served in Old Lady An's house, so it was not appropriate to invite a few young ladies over."

Really?!

The relationship between the Zhang family and the Pei family is really very good.

Such a close relationship cannot be explained by a teacher-student relationship alone!

Yu Tang suppressed his doubts, picked a yellow camellia bud, and asked with a smile, "Is there a greenhouse in the other courtyard?"

Madam Ji smiled and said, "There is a greenhouse, right next to the plum forest. If you want to go there, you can tell me in advance. The eldest wife's orchids are grown there, and she often goes to the greenhouse to tend to the flowers and plants."

Yu Tang agreed with a smile, gave Aunt Ji a red envelope, and personally saw her off.

Shuang Tao was confused and asked, "Why should we reward Aunt Ji? Aunt Ji usually takes good care of us."

During this time, in addition to learning etiquette from Liu Xu, she was also observing how Aunt Ji and Aunt Chen treated others.

Yu Tang thought this was a good thing and encouraged her. She would ask directly if she had any questions.

She gently taught her: "Did you hear anything from Aunt Ji's mouth?"

Shuang Tao thought for a long time and shook her head.

Yu Tang said: "She is telling me not to go to the greenhouse casually."

Shuangtao let out an "ah".

They had lived in the villa for several days, and except for that day, they had never seen the first wife again.

It can be seen that the relationship between the first wife and the old An is not good as what is said outside. Since she entered the mansion because of the old An, it is best not to have anything to do with the first wife.

Shuangtao came to his senses.

Yu Tang got the news, and Gu Xi also got the news. Unlike Yu Tang who was calm and composed, Gu Xi was in a state of confusion and indecision.

The Pei family and the Zhang family are actually close friends.

No wonder her brother wanted to marry her to Pei Yan.

Zhang Shao's father, Zhang Ying, is not to be mentioned. His great-uncle was once the emperor's teacher, and his grandfather was once the Grand Academician of Wuying Palace and the chief assistant of the inner cabinet, and was a famous and capable official. He also has a younger brother who is now the junior minister of the Dali Temple, and a cousin who is the chief clerk of the Ministry of Personnel. It can be said that the Zhang family is one of the most prominent official families in this dynasty.

This made her excited.

But she had been here for such a long time, and although Old An seemed easy to talk to, she hadn't accomplished anything she wanted to do.

The best way is not to get involved in the internal strife of the Pei family.

But she doesn't have much time left.

The Chinese New Year is coming soon.

She couldn't really stay at Pei's house for the New Year, right?

The eldest wife often goes to the greenhouse, and she is not on good terms with Old An. Should she take advantage of this?

Gu Xi paced back and forth in the room.