When Mrs. Xie saw Aunt Bai, she couldn't hide the smile on her face.
Ha ha……
The charming and gentle Aunt Bai turned into a white and fat steamed bun. No wonder the master left Xiangsiyuan after only sitting there for a cup of tea.
Aunt Bai knew exactly what Mrs. Xie was laughing at.
Xie was making fun of her for becoming ugly and gloating over her misfortune.
Aunt Bai snorted secretly, and Xie was not much better than her.
After all, Mrs. Xie is old, and since she came to the capital, she has been plagued by one thing after another.
Xie's well-maintained face also showed signs of aging, her eyes were no longer bright and lively, and she looked more tired.
"Why is Madam here?" Aunt Bai's voice was as gentle as ever.
Mrs. Xie said, "I heard that the twelfth brother is ill. As his legal mother, I naturally want to come and see him. Have you called a doctor?"
"Mrs. Lao is concerned and has already called a doctor."
"What does the doctor say?"
Xie walked into the main house of Xiangsiyuan and asked about the situation of her twelfth brother.
Xie sat down in the main seat, and Aunt Bai stood in front of her with her head bowed.
Aunt Bai said, "The doctor said it's an old illness and needs to be taken care of carefully."
Xie hummed, "Is the child awake?"
"Unfortunately, the child just went to bed."
Xie looked at Aunt Bai with a half-smile, "It's okay, where is the child? I'll go see him."
Aunt Bai lowered her head and bit her lip. She wanted to refuse directly, but was worried about giving Xie a handle.
After hesitating for a moment, Aunt Bai said, "The child is in the room."
Xie immediately got up and went to the bedroom to visit her twelfth brother.
The twelfth brother was indeed asleep, a little kid.
Mrs. Xie frowned as soon as she saw it. "Mrs. Bai, how did you raise the child? He's already a hundred days old, why hasn't he gained any weight?"
"Madam, you misunderstood."
Maid Cui Liu explained on behalf of Aunt Bai, "Twelve Brother has been weak since birth. Aunt Bai, despite her postpartum weakness, insisted on taking care of him herself, just to let him gain some weight. Aunt Bai took care of the child herself during the day and had to get up at night, and she was so tired that she fainted. It can be said that no one cared about the boy more than Aunt Bai."
Xie looked at Aunt Bai and said, "Look at how haggard you look. It seems I misunderstood you. But you torture yourself like this every day. When will you be able to recover and serve the master?"
Aunt Bai bowed and said, "Thank you, Madam, for reminding me."
Mrs. Xie smiled and said, "My brother is weak because he is too young. In two years, when he grows up a little, his body will naturally get better. For example, the second girl was sick every few days when she was young, but now she is fine."
Aunt Bai said, "The second young lady was ill a few days ago."
"The doctor said it was caused by stimulation."
Mrs. Xie reached out and gently stroked the cheek of her twelfth brother.
Aunt Bai was very nervous when she saw this scene.
She said hurriedly, "Madam, my brother is ill. Be careful not to get sick."
Xie waved her hand, "No problem."
Aunt Bai rushed forward, picked up the twelfth brother, and said nervously: "The child can't leave me. I will hold him first."
Xie looked at Aunt Bai with a half-smile, "You're so nervous, are you worried that I might harm my twelfth brother?"
Aunt Bai lowered her head and said, "I don't think so."
Mrs. Xie sneered, "Whether you think so or not, you know it best in your heart. But I think this child is unlucky. Mrs. Bai, you must pay more attention to the child."
It wasn't easy for you to give birth to this child safely. Besides, the doctor said you won't be able to have any more children in the future. So, cherish your twelfth brother! Your future depends entirely on him."
Aunt Bai lowered her brows and said graciously, "Thank you, Madam, for reminding me."
Xie smiled, got up and left the bedroom.
Aunt Bai immediately breathed a sigh of relief and carefully put Twelve Brother back on the bed. Then she walked out of the bedroom to deal with Mrs. Xie.
Xie looked at the furnishings of Acacia Courtyard and said meaningfully to Aunt Bai, "Bai, please don't let down the master's kindness to you!"
Aunt Bai frowned slightly, but then regained her composure. "I dare not disappoint the master, and even more so, I dare not disappoint the mistress."
Mrs. Xie smiled and said, "That's great. Take good care of the child and make him stronger. I will come to visit you and your child another day."
"Farewell, Madam."
Aunt Bai watched Xie and the maids and servants leave, and breathed a sigh of relief.
She hurried back to the bedroom to check on her twelfth brother.
Twelve Brother is still sleeping soundly. The medicine prescribed by the doctor is still effective.
Aunt Bai felt relieved.
Xie returned to Furong Courtyard and asked Chunhe, "Tomorrow is the day when the Marquis's Mansion will display the dowry. Have you prepared all the gifts to add to the dowry?"
"Madam, it's ready. Here's the gift list, please review it."
Chunhe presented a gift list. Xie opened it and frowned slightly.
Chun He was nervous, "Is Madam dissatisfied?"
Xie frowned and said, "Isn't it a bit too expensive?"
Chun He hurriedly said, "I have drawn up this according to the rules of the mansion. If Madam thinks the gift is too heavy, then I will draw up a new gift list."
"No need, just give the gifts according to this gift list. Send someone to ask the girls if they have prepared the dowry for Gu Mei. Don't wait until tomorrow and embarrass yourself in the Marquis' Mansion."
"I will send someone to ask right away."
In Zhilan Courtyard, Gu Jiu was busy painting.
Qingzhu came in from outside and reported: "Miss, Sister Dongmei is here."
Gu Jiu stopped painting and said, "Please invite Sister Dongmei in."
A moment later, the maid Dongmei was invited to the study.
Gu Jiu smiled at her and said, "Sister Dongmei is a rare guest. Please take a seat."
Qingmei also joked: "What kind of wind is blowing today? It actually blew Sister Dongmei here."
Dongmei smiled and said, "Tomorrow is the day when the Marquis's Mansion displays the dowry. Madam is worried that the girls haven't prepared the dowry gifts for the eldest daughter of the Marquis' Mansion yet, so she specially asked this servant to come and take a look."
Gu Jiu asked Dongmei to sit down and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Lao, for your concern. The gifts for the makeup are already prepared."
Dongmei said, "That's good."
"Sister Dongmei, have some tea." Gu Jiu greeted her.
Dongmei was surprised. She didn't expect that when she arrived at Zhilanyuan, she would be served tea.
She took the teacup with a smile, "Second Miss, you're welcome."
Gu Jiu smiled and asked, "Is the Xie family's funeral over?"
Dongmei nodded, "It's done."
Gu Jiu casually asked, "Did the government catch the murderer who killed Mr. Xie?"
Dongmei sighed and shook her head. "The government said that a thief had entered the capital. But we haven't seen any trace of the thief yet."
Gu Jiu said: "Maybe the thief has already left the capital."
"Madam thinks so too. It's a pity that Mr. Xie died in vain."
Gu Jiu asked, "Master Xie passed away. Madam must be very sad."
Dongmei felt that the atmosphere in Zhilan Courtyard was very good, comfortable and relaxed, and she couldn't help but talk more.
"Of course. Madam has been crying for several nights in a row, and during the day she has to go to the Xie family to help with the housework. She is so tired and thin."
Gu Jiu said, "It's hard for Madam. I heard that the Xie family is planning to split up."
Dongmei lowered her voice and said, "I will only tell this to the Second Miss. Please don't tell anyone else."
Gu Jiu nodded and promised not to tell anyone.
Dongmei said, "Even before the funeral was over, the Xie family was already arguing about splitting up. Now that the funeral is over, the first and second branches of the Xie family are arguing even more fiercely over the division of the family.
The second young lady should still remember Mrs. Xie, Ma, who was a noisy person, and the second master Xie was not an easy person to deal with either.
The two families would argue for a long time over a needle or a bundle of thread, and the wife was caught in the middle and felt very embarrassed.
Gu Jiu asked curiously, "Won't the two elders of the Xie family come forward to suppress it?"
"It's useless."
Dongmei said directly, "The Xie family's fortune was all acquired by Mr. Xie and Mr. Xie II.
Old Master Xie wanted to take charge of dividing the family business, but Ma and Second Master Xie were dissatisfied with him and refused to listen to him.
The Xie family had been in a state of chaos for the past few days. It was only because his wife was patient that she came over every day.
If I were to say, Madam shouldn't interfere in the affairs of the Xie family."
Dongmei had obviously been holding these words in for a long time, wanting to talk to someone. Today was finally her chance.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "After all, it's my wife's family home, I can't ignore it."
Dongmei nodded repeatedly. "Second Miss is right. After all, that is Madam's family home. Madam can't bear to ignore them. But the weather is getting hotter and hotter. Madam has to run back and forth every day. She might get tired one day."
Gu Jiu said, "Sister Dongmei, please persuade Madam to take care of herself."
"I don't have that ability. I have to ask Chun He to persuade Madam, and Madam will listen."
Gu Jiu put down the teacup and said, "I heard that when the Madam came back today, she went to visit Aunt Bai."
Dongmei did not hide it, "Yes, the Madam went to Acacia Courtyard as soon as she came back. It was because the Master went to drink wine... Ah, this servant deserves a slap on the face for talking nonsense in front of the Second Young Lady. Please forgive me, Second Young Lady."
"Sister Dongmei, there's no need to do this."
After a pause, Gu Jiu said, "It seems that there will be a new member in the mansion."
Dongmei was stunned for a moment, "What does the second lady mean?"
Gu Jiu smiled softly: "I heard that Aunt Bai gained a lot of weight after giving birth, and she is no longer as gentle and charming as before."
Dongmei nodded.
Gu Jiu continued, "The master always needs someone to serve him. Aunt Bai is not good enough, and Aunt Hu and Aunt Wei are even worse. What do you think? Should we have a new person in the mansion?"
"ah?"
Dongmei was horrified, "Madam, isn't it..."
Dongmei quickly covered her mouth and didn't say the rest of the words.
Gu Jiu said softly, "It's inevitable that the Madam will be angry, but for others, this is also an opportunity. I just don't know if everyone can seize this opportunity."
Dongmei's heart was beating fast.
She was in a state of confusion. If the master wanted to take in a new woman, the mistress would definitely be unhappy. Would the mistress then promote a maidservant to become the master's concubine, so that she could compete with the new woman?
Dongmei was in a state of confusion and was distracted by Gu Jiu's words.
At this time, Gu Jiu said, "I just said those things randomly. Sister Dongmei, please don't take them seriously and don't tell anyone. If the news gets to the Madam's ears, she will find fault with me again."
Dongmei came back to her senses and said, "Don't worry, Second Miss, I will never tell Madam what you said."
"Thank you, Sister Dongmei."
"You are too polite, Miss. I have to hurry back to report, so I will take my leave now."
"Qingmei, please see Sister Dongmei off for me."
Qingmei sent Dongmei to the door and then returned to Gu Jiu.
She asked, "Is the Master really going to take a concubine?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "I just said it casually."
"A girl's words are so accurate that even what she says can become true."
Gu Jiu pinched Xiao Cui's cheek and said, "You've learned how to flatter me."
Xiao Cui giggled wildly.
Qingmei said, "The master is taking a concubine, and the mistress is making a fuss again. Miss reminded Sister Dongmei of those words. Could it be that Miss hopes that Sister Dongmei will become the master's maid?"
Gu Jiu picked up the teacup and took a sip, "It's not that I want Sister Dongmei to be the master's maid, but the maids in Furong Courtyard probably all have the same idea.
They're all quite old, but I've never heard of anyone discussing marriage. I guess those people are quite ambitious.
While the master is taking a concubine, we should make good arrangements and the mansion will be bustling again."
What Gu Jiu said to Dongmei was just an opportunity to create some trouble for Xie and make her unhappy.
It doesn’t matter whether things succeed or not, it will just go smoothly.
But it is obvious that Dongmei has some thoughts, and maybe Chunhe and the maids will also have some thoughts.
Lord Gu enjoyed himself so much while drinking that he did not return home until the middle of the night.
Mrs. Xie hadn't fallen asleep yet. When she heard that Lord Gu had returned, she suddenly sat up from the bed.
Chun He hurriedly asked, "What's wrong, Madam?"
Xie gritted her teeth and asked, "Is the master drunk? Did he bring anyone back home?"
"The master is half drunk and hasn't brought anyone home. What is the mistress worried about?"
Xie remained silent, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. "Have someone keep an eye on the outer courtyard and report any developments immediately."
"As you command. Madam, please rest early. You have to go to the Marquis' Mansion early tomorrow morning. Madam has lost a lot of weight these days."
"Have you lost weight?" Xie touched her cheek.
Chunhe nodded heavily.
Xie sighed, "My life is one of hard work."
Chunhe helped Xie go to bed before returning to her room to rest.
She was a little confused. When the lady asked if the master had brought anyone back, Chunhe had already figured out the meaning.
Madam is worried that the master will take a concubine.
Will the master take a concubine?
Of course.
The master cannot be without women to serve him.
Chunhe bit her lower lip, her heart in a mess, and finally fell asleep in a daze.
At dawn, Gu Fu, who had slept all night, woke up.
The kitchen is the busiest place, busy making breakfast and boiling hot water for the masters of each courtyard.
The dowry is being displayed at the Marquis' Mansion today, and as a member of the family, of course I have to go there early.
Gu Jiu was pulled out of the quilt by Qingmei.
"Girl, get up quickly, or it will be too late."
Gu Jiu was half asleep and half awake, his mind a mess.
It was not until I washed my face with cold water that my confused mind finally cleared up.
After washing, putting on makeup, changing clothes, and having breakfast, she rushed to the second gate and took a carriage to the marquis's mansion.
When I arrived at the Marquis' Mansion, I found that all the servants were busy as hell.
Let’s go to Songhe Hall first to meet the old lady Wei.
Old Madam Wei said cheerfully, "It's good that you're here. Go and call Miss Mei."
Gu Mei was invited out, looking shy and blushing.
Everyone says that the bride is the most beautiful. Gu Mei is only one day away from becoming a bride, but she is already beautiful enough.
I wonder how beautiful I will be when I wear my wedding dress tomorrow.
The dowry was brought out and placed in the flower hall.
There were 160 dowries, which could not even fit in the flower hall, and the yard was also filled up.
Xie looked at so much dowry, and each table was filled to the brim, and couldn't help but be amazed.
How much money did the Marquis' Mansion spend to prepare such a large dowry for Gu Mei?
Xie murmured to Zhang, "It's probably at least fifty or sixty thousand taels."
Zhang shook her head. "More than that. I heard that my eldest cousin's wife secretly added another 20,000 taels. This dowry is estimated to be at least 80,000 taels."
Xie was shocked.
"The Marquis' Mansion is indeed rich."
Zhang said, "You've misunderstood. It's not that the Marquis's Mansion is wealthy, but rather that the eldest cousin's wife has managed the business wisely. Over the years, not only has the estate doubled, but her own dowry has at least tripled. Now you understand why the eldest cousin's wife has always been the head of the Marquis' Mansion, and why the second and third cousins have been unable to get involved."
Mrs. Xie exclaimed, "The eldest cousin's wife is really amazing."
Zhang smiled and said, "We are following behind the Marquis' Mansion, so we can at least have some soup."
Xie immediately had an idea.
After returning to the capital, she bought farms and shops again, but the business was mediocre.
Since the eldest lady, Xiao Wei, is so good at business, can she take a ride and have some soup as well?
But there is no rush for this matter. I will talk to the eldest lady, Xiao Wei, when I get the chance tomorrow.
Xie went through the dowry one by one, and whether it was utensils, jewelry, cloth or quilts, they were all top-quality items.
The Marquis’ Mansion was indeed willing to do so.
Xie took a fancy to several pieces of jewelry and thought that she could prepare one for Gu Yue and another for Gu Shan.
She saw three handfuls of earth, representing three farms.
Plus three property deeds, representing three shops.
Xie was envious, it was great to be rich.
When Gu Shan got married, she also had to prepare a generous dowry, if not 80,000 taels, then at least 40,000 taels.
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