Chapter 44: The Old Lady's Decision

  It's said that the aunt from the maternal family is coming over, and Old Lady Jiang is also delighted. She wasn't originally a person who liked lively scenes, but perhaps due to old age, she has been looking forward to more people in the mansion these days, so there would be someone to chat with her. Fortunately, her daughter returned, and every day they could talk and alleviate the loneliness. Now that it's said that the aunt from the maternal family is coming, there will be another person to talk to, and Yu Shi's burden on her body will also be lighter, which means they can gather for a game of cards.

  Because of this, after hearing that my sister had the intention to buy a house in Beijing and live there for a long time, Old Lady said: "Why bother with so much trouble? Our mansion isn't without space, isn't there still a courtyard behind White Peony Courtyard? Let your sister move in there, you sisters can also be close. When brother grows up, let him move out of the second gate, if he doesn't mind. Then have him live together with Third Uncle, Apricot Forest Garden has several rooms too, it would be a waste to leave them empty. If not willing, outside the second gate there are three or four courtyards, let him find one to live in."

  This was an unexpected delight, and Ning Fengbi couldn't help but look up at Old Lady Jiang: The Yu family came from a merchant background, and Auntie had only married the son of a merchant back then. Now that she had become a widow, her status and position were really limited. In the previous life, although they had entered the capital, Old Lady Jiang hadn't even said a word to keep them as guests, let alone Yu Shi and her sister, who didn't dare to have such an extravagant hope. You're just a widowed mother from a merchant's family, what makes you qualified to stay in the Earl's Manor?

  At this moment, Mrs. Yu was overjoyed and tearfully grateful, but on the other hand, Madame Qu and Yuan furrowed their brows, thinking to themselves: "What's wrong with the old lady? She's almost sixty years old, how can she be so muddled in her actions?" That family of merchants, even if they were orphans and widows, did they really need the esteemed Earl's Manor to show them sympathy? Even if they were impoverished and destitute, helping them out with a few taels of silver would have been enough. And yet, now that it's said they still have some money on hand, why do they need our care and support?

  She thought to herself, but saw that Old Lady Jiang had not changed her mind or showed any signs of regret. Instead, she asked Yu Shi about the situation with her sister-in-law, and what time they would be arriving in the capital. She estimated which day they would arrive and said that someone from the mansion should go to meet them.

  Yu's family has been married for so many years, and her feelings towards Old Lady Jiang have never been as strong as they are now. If it weren't for the presence of her sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews, she would almost kneel down in front of the old lady. With a face full of joy, she returned from Old Lady Jiang's room, and as soon as she entered the house, she didn't even bother to greet the servants or Lan Niangniang, but instead hugged Ning Shibuo and burst into tears.

  Ning Feng was also speechless, thinking of this life's fate, she could only think of one sentence: The vicissitudes of life are playing tricks on people, nothing more than this.

  In the previous life, from the time Third Master returned home, she was also like those sisters, almost not on good terms, as a result Third House remained Third House, and she hid her golden finger, ultimately leading to her own tragedy, probably making her parents suffer too.

  But in this life, it was from the moment she stuck with Ning De Rong that everyone's fate began to change quietly.

  She recalled the old man's accident in her previous life and Old Lady Jiang's firm attitude towards letting him continue to live in the mansion. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking that she had made a mistake, a huge one. As a transmigrated woman like herself, it was probably rare to be as foolish as she was. From the very beginning, she had misjudged Old Lady Jiang's position and didn't have any ambition to improve her situation. The outcome was terrible, but who could she blame?

  She sighed here, and Ning Shibuo was also discussing with Yu Shi Lan Niang the big sister who was about to enter the capital. In the end, Ning Shibuo shook his head regretfully: "It's a pity that my sister doesn't have a daughter, otherwise she could be a companion for He Hua."

  Yu Shi laughed and said, "Are the peonies not enough with so many sisters? Now that Er Ge has come, he can take Xuan Ge under his wing. Or, Master can take a look at him. If he's suitable for studying, we can let him attend our family school for a few years. Who knows, maybe he'll even have a bright future."

  Ning Shibei smiled and said: "This is natural, but we'll have to wait until the person arrives before saying anything."

  Ning Fengbi listened on the side, but in her heart, she was clear that her cousin Jiang Jing, although his studies were not bad, had no ambition for officialdom and was only interested in business.

  Unfortunately, in his previous life, he had no one to rely on and no foundation in the capital, so he only opened two shops. But it's unknown whether Ning Shibai can help him this time around, allowing him to make a big splash in the business world. However, thinking about it again, Ning Shibai is just an illegitimate son of a count's family, even if he passes the imperial examination, it's uncertain how many years he'll have to struggle before becoming a somewhat notable official, and this prospect doesn't look too good.

  She was thinking silently here, and the couple over there chatted enthusiastically for a few more sentences. Then Ning Shibei asked Xuan Ge a few questions about his studies, listened to him recite a whole chapter of San Zi Jing in a childish tone, and seemed satisfied. He then let the maid serve dinner, and several people ate together without mentioning anything else.

  On this side, the Yu family is eagerly awaiting the arrival of Aunt Yu and Jiang Jing, but only the third house is concerned about it. The other ones are just a few little girls who have some curiosity about their so-called aunt's brother, while Ning Cheyu, Ning Chegu and other brothers don't care about this matter at all.

  Ning Chuyu's marriage had been settled, and in recent days, Qu Furen had been busy preparing the betrothal gifts for him. He himself was carefree and at ease, and on this day he went out with his younger brothers to the street, where they happened to see Shen Qianshan coming out of Liulichang, so several people hastily gathered around to exchange greetings.

  Shen Qianshan saw that it was them, and a faint smile also appeared on his face. Although he is only eight years old now, his actions have already become as calm as those of a small adult. After wandering around the other shops in Liuli Factory with his brothers, he suddenly seemed to remember something and asked Ning Che'an: "By the way, did Xianglu Six sister drink it? Did she feel good?"

  Ning Che An was a straightforward person, and upon hearing this, he laughed and said: "Sixth sister has a kind heart, she couldn't bear to drink the fragrant dew herself, so she respectfully gave it to Old Lady, who drank two bowls of it and felt much better, and hasn't stopped talking about it for the past two days."

  Shen Qianshan was taken aback for a moment, and his face became somewhat uncomfortable. He thought of the little girl's usual cold and stern attitude towards him, so he smiled wryly and said to himself: "Is it that you really don't want to drink? Or is it just that you don't want anything from me? On the day when Mr. Ning saved my grandmother, I was worried and spoke rashly. From then on, Sixth Young Lady has been very unfriendly towards me. I'm afraid she's really angry with me."

  Ning Che Bao and Shen Qian Shan were about the same age, so he hurriedly smiled and said: "Third Master, don't worry too much. Liu Mei's face may be a bit cold, but she has a good heart and no reason to be angry with you. It's really because of her filial piety that such precious things, how could she drink them herself? Just in time for grandmother's birthday, when the summer days are hot, she says it's stuffy in the house, so Liu Mei gave it to her."

  Shen Qianshan didn't mean anything else, he just felt that Ning Fengyi was different from other girls, and when she spoke to him, she didn't have the same flattering tone as others, so in his heart, he thought she was quite pleasing to the eye.

  It's already the 23rd!