Volume 1 Chapter 131 Harvest (Part 2)

  "The two brothers went out together again!" The old lady's face showed disappointment.

  The eleventh girl smiled and said, "On ordinary days, some social engagements the young master can attend if he wants to, or not attend if he doesn't want to. But as the New Year's Eve is approaching, various local officials have excuses to return to Beijing ahead of time to pay their respects to the Emperor, but the young master cannot avoid seeing them."

  Madam nodded: "I didn't know, of course. It's just that these days the house is lively and I'm a bit reluctant to part with it."

  "The eleventh girl smiled and said: 'It will be fine by early summer next year.'"

  In the spring, local officials will return to Beijing for a job performance review. As Xu Lingyi's identity and status, social interactions will increase again.

  "By next early summer, the weather will have warmed up and we'll have plenty of places to go. Who would still want him around?" The old lady smiled as if she didn't care, just then the third lady arrived.

  She wore a large red brocade embroidered skirt, combed peony hair bun, wore crimson gold and jade headband, painted eyebrows, applied powder, smeared rouge, dressed up grandly and magnificently.

  Looks like the couple had a fight... Only when trying to hide something would they be particularly attentive in that aspect... Could it be that someone got hit?

  The eleventh daughter secretly guessed and went forward to pay her respects to the third lady.

  The old lady then smiled and said: "Where did he go?"

  The third lady smiled and came forward to pay her respects to the elder lady, saying: "The weather is cold, and there's nothing to do at home, so I tidied up my trunks." As she spoke, she looked down at her clothes, "I didn't think I still had such a beautiful jacket, so I put it on to come see you. How is it? Is it still passable?"

  The old lady looked her up and down: "Good. Such bright clothes, it's good to wear during the New Year!"

  "Really!" said the third madam with a smile, "Let's put it away for now and take it out again to wear during the New Year."

  The elder lady pointed at the third lady and smiled back at Shiyiniang who was standing behind her: "Look, take this opportunity to tell me your grievances and ask for new clothes to wear!"

  The eleventh girl smiled and said, "I don't know how many good things are stored in the warehouse. Why not take advantage of it and give us some? We wore the clothes you gave us to visit relatives during the New Year, and we had a good face." She said with a smile, pursing her lips.

  The old man's family has this ability, who wouldn't want to be a charming and likable spendthrift.

  The old lady chuckled and said to Du's mother beside her, "They really don't get along."

  "That's also your good stuff, making young people jealous." Du's mother flattered the old lady with an attitude that was neither humble nor arrogant, making everyone who heard it feel very comfortable.

  The old lady was indeed very pleased and ordered Wei Zi: "Tomorrow, open the warehouse and take out the new-style embroidered flowers and carved silks that were awarded in the palace. Let them choose." She also said, "Call Dan Yang too. Leave a few pieces for Yi Zhen as well."

  "Oh dear!" The Third Lady's face was full of surprise and delight, though slightly exaggerated. "Thanks to the Old Mistress's blessing, this is just perfect now!"

  Eleventh Sister: "My heart aches, it's too late!"

  The old lady just smiled and said nothing.

  Du's mother said: "We have a lot of things at home, as long as you have the strength to move them."

  The third lady turned her head and smiled at Eleventh Sister: "This is a good opportunity for us to eat a few more bowls of rice."

  Everyone in the house burst out laughing.

  Just then Xu Sikuang and his two brothers arrived, greeted everyone, and asked why they were laughing. Du's mother repeated what she had just said, and Xu Sikuang immediately said, "I also want to make new clothes."

  The third madam stretched out her slender fingers and tapped on her youngest son's forehead: "When have I ever been short of food or clothes?"

  Xu Si Jian's branch is Xu Wu.

  Xu Siqin smiled and said, "There are mountains beyond the mountains. Who wouldn't be eager to see Grandmother's things? I also want to. It's just that I'm the oldest, so it's not good for me to speak up."

  Mrs. Tai laughed all over her face: "Exactly, exactly! Otherwise, why would your mother be so devoted to reciting those things of mine?"

  The younger brother heard and shouted in a soft voice on one side: "I also want grandma's things!"

  Everyone burst out laughing, and the atmosphere was very lively.

  After dinner, Old Madam still repeatedly exhorted Xu Xiangqin and Xu Xiangyu as they left the house. The eleventh lady and Third Lady waited for the wet nurse to take Jing'er and Rong'er to rest before bidding farewell to Old Madam and leaving.

  Old Mrs. Tai was getting on in years, and her sleep was gradually decreasing. At midnight, she closed the door, but didn't go to bed immediately. She usually chatted with Du Mama or Wei Zi and Yao Huang, playing cards. Today was no exception, except that she let all the servants in the house go to sleep, leaving only Du Mama behind.

  "Go and ask around." The gentle and kind expression on the face of the old lady just now turned into a sharp and efficient one. "Besides Old Four, who else from the Five Armies Commander's Mansion participated in the city patrol? Ask White, the chief steward, who was with Old Three last night when he was settling accounts? Ask Old Three's personal servant, when did General Fan Wei return? Where did he go to watch opera? What play did he watch? When did the two young masters part ways with General Fan? When did they return to the mansion?"

  Du's mother also changed her smile and replied seriously "Yes".

  The next day, at a moment past the hour of the snake, Madame Wang was as usual, having washed her hands and sat in the warm pavilion on the east side of the Buddhist hall to copy the Heart Sutra.

  Du's mother walked in quietly.

  The old lady sat upright with a serious expression, her brush moving swiftly and smoothly, without even lifting an eyebrow.

  "How?"

  Du's mother thought of the news she had received, and even though she was calm, she couldn't help but pause for a moment before speaking: "The people from the Five Armies Commander's Office said that no one was arranged to patrol the city. White Grand Manager said that Third Master stayed up all night alone in his study two nights ago. The little servant by Third Master's side said that General Fan returned the day before yesterday and invited His Lordship to watch a play. His Lordship and Third Master arrived at 3:00 PM, left at 11:00 PM, and returned to the mansion at 12:00 AM." She tried her best to simply and emotionlessly recount everything she had heard, but her voice still involuntarily dropped down.

  The old lady seemed not to have heard, until she received the last one, then she looked up at Du's mother: "Frame this word and send it to Lao San."

  Du's mother bowed respectfully and replied with a "yes".

  The old lady stretched out her hand.

  Du's mother quickly helped Mrs. Tai up.

  Old Mrs. went to the main hall of the Buddhist temple, gave three bows to Guanyin Bodhisattva, lit three incense sticks, and stood up as usual with Du's mother to go to the warm pavilion.

  "What was Old Third's wife doing last night?" The voice was very cold.

  Du Mama followed the old lady for nearly forty years and was well aware of her temper. Before coming, she had inquired about all the questions the old lady might ask and had prepared a draft in her mind. Therefore, although the old lady did not ask Du Mama to inquire about this matter, Du Mama had already quietly asked about it. Now that the old lady asked, answering was no longer difficult.

  "I heard she's been sewing all along, waiting for San Ye to return. She didn't sleep until late at night."

  "What about Lao Si's wife?"

  "Ordered the night watch mother and Aunt Qiao's people to wait at the gate for Master Hou. As for myself, I retired as usual around midnight."

  The old lady looked thoughtful.

  "Do you know or don't you? Or are you just holding back?"

  "I don't know." Du Mama knew the importance of this matter and humbled herself, "However, a few days ago, Wanxiang went to see Fourth Madame, and that night Master Hou went on patrol. This morning, Master Hou didn't go directly to court as usual, but instead went to Fourth Madame's quarters for breakfast. I heard that during breakfast, all the servants in the room were dismissed." After finishing speaking, she thought for a moment and whispered, "Those people are all trained by Tao Mama, so they can only be roughly interrogated, anything more than that would be impossible to find out."

  The old lady listened and nodded slightly: "How is the fourth lady treating Tao's mother?"

  "Not long after entering the gate, the white general manager of the outer courtyard pointed to the wife of the horse feeder, Xiang Chou'er's mother-in-law, to help move things for the fourth madam. Not long after, Xiang's granddaughter, also known as Little Fangfei, was arranged to sweep the floor in the back garden. In just a few days, she replaced a married maid and was promoted to second-class, now earning 500 coins per month. Xiang's mother-in-law was extremely grateful, often speaking of the fourth madam's kindness, even making meat pies for her. She frequently came and went with Xiuyan, who was in front of the fourth madam, making shoes and socks for her, being very close."

  The old lady's mouth curled up: "She's quite clever."

  Du's mother couldn't tell whether Old Mistress was praising Fourth Mistress or Young Mistress, so she just smiled vaguely and responded with a "yes".

  Madam Tai sat back in the warm pavilion and picked up a copy of the Diamond Sutra from the table...

  Eleventh daughter sat on the kang by the window doing needlework, the moon-white silk curtains hanging from the glass window were swaying gently in the breeze, and the scenery outside was visible at a glance. The snow outside reflected the soft light of the lanterns and shone in, illuminating her, outlining a slender yet beautiful silhouette like a willow branch.

  Green cloud quietly walked past, but found that the needle and thread in her hand had stopped unknowingly, staring blankly at the half-embroidered camellia on the embroidery rack.

  She hesitated for a moment and then whispered: "Madam, someone from the warm room has come to change the flowers."

  "Ah," said Xiāng Niáng, straightening up and regaining her usual lively gaze, a warm smile spreading across her face: "Let them in!"

  Lu Yun quietly replied "yes", and soon brought in two women to pay their respects to the eleventh daughter, replacing the nearly withered camellias in the room with plum blossoms that were half open and half still in bud.

  There was an almost imperceptible fragrance in the room immediately.

  The eleventh girl took a deep breath and asked the old woman: "Is there any narcissus?"

  The old woman smiled and said, "Of course there is! It's just that they haven't bloomed yet. If the lady wants to display narcissus flowers, I'll go tell Sister Ji Ting right away, and they can be delivered in a couple of days."

  In the warm room, flowers are sent in, and it's particular about half putting out and half waiting. Those without buds can't come up.

  The eleventh girl smiled and said, "Never mind, let her send a few pots over. I'll take care of them myself, it's all the same."

  The old woman immediately responded and set up a wintergreen tree with another old woman in the corner of the wall, and placed orchids and aloe vera on the flower shelf.

  Huangpu came in, still holding a Qinghua porcelain vase with a wooden hibiscus inserted.

  "Madam, where would you like it placed?" She smiled brightly at Eleven Mama.

  The eleventh girl looked at the wooden hibiscus, its mouth big and bright red, blooming dazzlingly, making people feel warm in their hearts. The house, decorated with lush green bamboo plants in winter, was quite festive. Smiling, she glanced around and then pointed to the window behind the kang: "Let's put it here!"

  Amber stepped onto the kang, placing the flower-shaped incense burner on the windowsill behind Eleventh Sister's back while softly saying: "Madam, you really did guess correctly. That business with Huan'er is fishy!"