Old Mrs. Zheng did not suspect anything. After hearing what the servant who came to pick her up said, she thought that Zheng Xiu really had not seen Zheng Xian for several times and missed her.
Zheng Xian seemed a little hesitant, and said to the visitor: "I haven't been feeling well these days, and I'm afraid that I might pass my illness on to my elder sister. When I get better, I'll go to the mansion to pay my respects to my elder sister."
The maid who came to pick her up was also a little hesitant. Although Zheng Xiu had ordered her to take Zheng Xian with her, Zheng Xiu was pregnant and about to give birth, and it was a time that could not afford to make mistakes. Zheng Xian said that she was ill, and if she really passed her illness on to Zheng Xiu, the maid herself couldn't afford it...
Just when the maid was hesitant, Old Lady Zheng nudged Zheng Xian with her elbow, signaling her to stop talking nonsense.
Zheng Xian lowered her eyes and pretended not to see it.
Old Lady Zheng smiled at the old woman and said, "Don't listen to her nonsense. She just did too much for Zheng Xian these few days. She didn't sleep well at night and felt a little listless. There is no disease in her body."
Old Lady Zheng was Zheng Xiu's grandmother and was also close to Zheng Xiu. Naturally, she would not harm her. The old woman was relieved and said a lot of good things diligently. After
Old Lady Zheng said so, Zheng Xian naturally had no excuse to refuse and followed Old Lady Zheng to get on the carriage of the Duke of Qing's Mansion.
Zheng Xiu was already waiting for them in Haoye Hall. When she heard from the servants that the carriage of Old Lady Zheng and Zheng Xian had arrived, she asked Minghui to pick them up on her behalf.
Although Old Lady Zheng had been in the capital for less than a month, she had come to the Duke of Qing's mansion several times. She was familiar with the place and talked to Minghui while going to Haoye Hall.
Zheng Xiu had just received two baskets of fresh cherries from Princess Guihe. Not only were they round and plump, but they were also red like agate. They were just delivered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Princess Guihe knew that she was picky during her pregnancy, so she asked someone to share half of them.
Zheng Xiu couldn't finish them all by herself, so she thought of sharing some with Old Lady Zheng and Zheng Xian.
After Old Lady Zheng and Zheng Xian came, Zheng Xiu greeted them at the door with a smile, asked them to sit down, and then sat down next to Zheng Xian, took her hand and said with a smile: "Sister Xian, you haven't come for a few days. I have cut new clothes for you, but you didn't come to try them on." When the two got closer, Zheng Xiu found that Zheng Xian didn't wear the hairpin she gave her last time, but still wore her thin silver hairpin.
Zheng Xian half-closed her eyes and said softly: "My elder sister asked someone to make it, so it is naturally suitable."
"You still have to come in and try it on. If it doesn't fit, you can change it."
Old Lady Zheng also said: "Xian girl, just go with your elder sister and try the new clothes. Why are you still shy with your elder sister?"
Zheng Xian followed Zheng Xiu into the inner room.
Zheng Xiu had difficulty moving because of her bulging belly, so Zheng Xian helped her in all the way.
Zheng Xian was not stupid. If it was really such a simple matter of trying on clothes, there was absolutely no need for Zheng Xiu to specially call her over and accompany her to try them on in person. Now it was obvious that she had something to say.
Zheng Xiu also felt that her reaction was a little strange. When she came over a few days ago, Zheng Xian was quite close to her. She didn't know what happened now.
They both entered the inner room with their own thoughts. Fen Ge opened the closet and took out two newly made ruqun.
Zheng Xiu asked Zheng Xian to try first, and then gave Fen Ge a look. Fen Ge then helped Zheng Xian to put on the new ruqun behind the screen.
Zheng Xian was already very beautiful, and now after a little dressing up, her appearance became even more outstanding.
After she changed into her skirt and came out, Zheng Xiu couldn't help but praise her.
Zheng Xian smiled shyly and said, "I'd better change it. I'll wear this skirt during the holidays."
Zheng Xiu said, "Why take it off? Just wear it. Big sister doesn't have much else here, but there is enough material for clothes. Now that I know your size, I'll ask someone to make you two more sets of clothes."
"Don't worry, big sister. I have enough clothes. My uncle also prepared some for me."
"You are my only sister. Who else can I give it to if not you?" Zheng Xiu smiled and pulled her to sit on the couch, letting Fen Ge go out first.
There were only two sisters left in the inner room. Zheng Xian bit her lip and said, "I know that elder sister is kind to me because she loves me, but in the eyes of others, it is not the case."
Zheng Xiu kept smiling and asked her, "Who said something gossipy in front of you? Tell elder sister."
Since they were in the mansion of Duke Qing, Zheng Xian did not hide it and said, "Not long ago, the wife of Liu Hanlin came to visit my uncle's house and saw me. After praising the hairpin on her head, grandma said that it was given by the elder sister. The Hanlin wife laughed and said that such a good thing was hard to come by for ordinary people. Then she tried to get close to grandma, saying that the elder sister was in her advanced period and must need someone to take care of her. Although she didn't say anything explicitly, the look in my eyes showed that..."
Zheng Xiu raised her eyebrows. The Hanlin wife was really worrying about trivial matters, even to the point of worrying about her room.
"Grandma, why do you just rely on what she said? Why didn't you have someone kick her out?"
Zheng Xian said with a tangled face, "This is not the first time that Liu Hanlin's wife has come here. She is good at talking and Grandma likes her very much. She said that she is unfamiliar with the capital and it is rare to have someone she can talk to. She also said that she is not arrogant at all and is very approachable. Although Grandma didn't say anything after listening to what she said, she seemed to agree with it..."
Zheng Xiu thought to herself, didn't Old Lady Zheng agree with it, otherwise she wouldn't have said something about a concubine in front of her that day...
Could it be that Grandma really meant that?
Zheng Xiu couldn't help but think that Zheng Xian was already sixteen or seventeen years old. Since her marriage with that poor scholar ended in failure, there was still no result until now. No wonder Grandma was anxious.
Zheng Xiu patted the back of Zheng Xian's hand, "Grandma was distracted for a moment, don't think too much. How can you not know what kind of person big sister is? How can I let you be wronged?"
Zheng Xian nodded and said, "Of course I know what kind of person big sister is, but I am worried that grandma is confused for a moment, and there are rumors outside..."
Zheng Xiu also nodded, "Since big sister knows about this, she will not sit idly by. You don't need to make it public yet, I will think about how to interrupt this conversation."
Zheng Xian responded, and the two talked for a while, and then went out together.
The two had been in the inner room for a long time, and there was no time to delay, and they went out together.
Old lady Zheng had been sitting there for a long time, and the tea was changed once.
Zheng Xiu saw that the two plates of cherries on the table were untouched, so she said, "Grandma, why don't you eat these cherries? These are sent by the princess. They are said to be specially supplied by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and are not available outside."
Old Lady Zheng knew that such good cherries were hard to come by, so she was reluctant to eat them. She only said, "Grandma doesn't like to eat these. Save them for you and Ah Xian."
"Don't be polite, grandma. I have more here. You can pack some back for grandpa to taste later." Zheng Xiu said as she pushed the five-color glazed plate of cherries in front of her.
Grandma Zheng then picked one and tasted it.
The three of them sat together and talked about family matters for a while. Zheng Xiu asked Bai Zhu to serve snacks, and an hour or so passed quickly.
Zheng Xiu was easily tired at this time, and soon she couldn't sit still.
Seeing that she was tired, Grandma Zheng and Zheng Xian got up to say goodbye. Zheng Xiu asked Minghui to see them off personally.
After they left, Zheng Xiu asked Fen Ge to comb her hair, and went back to bed to rest. Not long after lying down, she fell asleep in a daze.
Xue Zhi came back in the evening. Zheng Xiu had just woken up. Her hair was tied up in a bun with a jade hairpin pinned casually on it. She was instructing Bai Shu to prepare dinner.
After instructing Bai Shu, Zheng Xiu sat on the kang near the window with Xue Zhi to talk.
Minghui and Fenge were the only ones left in the room. Zheng Xiu didn't need to avoid them, so she went straight to the point with Xue Zhi: "I raped sister Xian in the daytime. I was wondering why she avoided me like a monster. It turned out that the wife of the Hanlin Academy used the hairpin I gave her to say something about a concubine in front of her... My grandmother actually heard it, so sister Xian avoided me..."
Xue Zhi couldn't help but feel helpless and amused, "What does your grandmother think? Does she really want your cousin to come in and be my mistress?"
Zheng Xiu glanced at him and said, "What do you mean by 'your grandmother'? That's not your 'grandmother'?"
Xue Zhi hurriedly said, "Okay, I said something wrong. That's our grandmother..."
Zheng Xiu laughed again She glared at him and continued, "I don't know what grandma was thinking. I'm afraid she was a little hesitant after seeing the wealth of the Duke's Mansion, thinking about her sister's uncertain marriage, and hearing that Hanlin wife say how bad it would be for me to have no one around me... Grandma has a good heart, but she is too easy to listen to. She hasn't met many people in the countryside and doesn't understand how vicious people in the capital are. She thought they were really worried about our family..."
Xue Zhi shook his head and smiled, "Grandma has been in the capital for less than a month, and in just one month she has listened to other people's words and had such thoughts. It's really..." As he said this, he observed Zheng Xiu's expression, and thought of how she was always nervous about her family, so he didn't continue.
After all, she was the elder, so Zheng Xiu couldn't say anything to Old Lady Zheng. She said, "I'll send someone to tell my father to tell Grandma to stop associating with that Hanlin wife." Old Lady Zheng didn't say anything else, but she obeyed Zheng Ren's orders.
Xue Zhi nodded, then pondered for a moment and said, "I'm leaving. If you think this matter is not that simple, I'll have someone check it out tomorrow."
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