Chapter Eight The Forest

  The old lady's mouth corners floated out a few points of smile: "That child, doing things is okay. Ask her what's good, she always looks left and right, thinks this is good, that's also good! Even if it's not good, she can pick out something good." As she spoke, her face turned serious, and she loudly called in Lian Qiao. She asked: "Has Lian Qiao returned?"

  Luo Qiao smiled and said, "Just got back. It's said that Fourth Master's side had Di Jin bringing a few young maids to roast sweet potatoes, so she stayed behind and came back late." After pausing for a moment, she continued, "Lian Qiao also brought some back for us to try. Would you like me to serve you some?"

  "What a good thing!" Before Madame Wu could speak, Mr. Wu's family laughed and said, "Be careful with your food."

  The old lady also nodded: "You eat, that thing eats in the heart is stuffy." And ordered her, "Who is the little girl who went with Lianqiao to deliver things to Fourth Master?"

  "It's azalea."

  "Go ask her where Lianqiao went after she came back from Fourth Master's place?"

  She was taken aback for a moment.

  The lady said calmly: "If you can't ask properly, tell me early and I'll send someone else to ask!"

  Luo Qiao's face changed slightly, and she smiled: "Don't worry, madam, I know what to do!"

  She had just taken a few steps when the old lady called out "come back".

  He stood with his hands hanging down in reverence.

  The lady held her tea and sipped it slowly for a while.

  Wu Xiaoquan's family got up, smiled and said: "This weather is strangely cold, I'll go refill the teapot with hot tea." After speaking, he quickly walked out of the inner room, saw that there was no one outside, but stuck his ear to the door curtain again.

  "...you... Green Building... take a look at Eleven Girl... these days... doing what... saw which people..."

  At first, there were intermittent sounds coming out, and later, they could no longer be heard.

  Wu Xiaquan's family walked out and casually pointed to a little maid standing under the eaves: "You, quickly go and get hot water for Madame to make tea."

  The little maid ran quickly to a nearby tea house and brought back a pot of hot water.

  Wu Xiaquan's family took over and walked in.

  Just then, Zheng He and Luo Qiang bumped into each other head-on.

  "The old lady said she's a bit tired, you should rest too!"

  Wu Xiaoquan nodded and smiled: "I'll just sit outside. Today, Mrs. Xu is not here again, so I won't have to wait for Madam to wake up with no one to serve her. You don't need to worry about me."

  Luo Qiao smiled and nodded as she left.

  Wu Xiaquan's family tiptoed to the door curtain and quietly opened a gap to look inside.

  She saw the lady tightly grasping a letter in her hand, with sparkling tears in the corner of her eyes.

  The girl's hands were clenched into fists. She tried to walk forward with her usual calm and steady pace, but her feet somehow became restless and hurried.

  The old master and young master sent the letter back one after another...

  "Next letter, just call you as a screen..."

  "Sent Auntie Xu to Ci'an Temple..."

  "Also asked us how to print Lotus Sutra..."

  "Jun Ge is the eldest son, but not the crown prince..."

  "Is it still the case that the elder is established but not the younger, the virtuous are established but not the legitimate..."

  Her footsteps suddenly stopped.

  The situation changed suddenly, and Binju almost bumped into Shiro's body behind her.

  "Miss Eleven, what's wrong with you?"

  She saw a thin layer of sweat on Eleven's forehead.

  "It's okay, it's okay!" Shíyī niáng saw the dense worry in Binju's eyes and couldn't help but smile to comfort her, "I just have some things I don't understand..."

  "Shall we take a stroll in the woods?" Binju smiled and picked up where Shiyimao had left off.

  Normally, when Miss Eleven had something on her mind, she would go to the yellow poplar forest in front of Green Bamboo Building and take a walk. After walking around for a bit, her mood would improve greatly. Thinking that today Mrs. An had someone over at their place, not just Miss Eleven, even she wanted to go for a stroll...

  Two people went into the poplar forest.

  The snow was pure white, the branches and leaves were a deep green, and the air was cold and crisp... The cool colors gradually dispelled the resentment in Shier Niang's heart.

  Binju looked at her and smiled: "Miss Eleven, Dongqing sister told me to tell you that we will all listen to your orders." The tone was cautious and exploratory.

  The eleventh daughter was taken aback.

  Binju asked: "Miss, do you still remember when we first arrived at Lüqún Building?"

  How could I forget?

  At that time, she was supported by Dong Qing, standing in the center of the house, and said to Bin Ju and Xiao Yatou Qiu Ju, Yue Xiang: "From now on, this is our home." Later, it was discovered that Yue Xiang often went to the side of the big wife, so she gave Yue Xiang a laxative, using the Luofu's "patient avoidance" rule, sent Yue Xiang to the outer courtyard for recuperation, and replaced her with Zhu Xiang recommended by Lv Niang. Of course, the process was also quite complicated. For example, how to make Yue Xiang sick, and how to use the right time and place to make Mrs. Xu send Yue Xiang away, and how to get Zhu Xiang through Mrs. Xu's hands, all of which took some effort. But such efforts were well worth it, at least, shocking the people around her, making them deeply believe in the means of Shi Yiniang from then on.

  "Dong Qing sister said she always remembered Miss's words." Bin Ju smiled and said, "This is our home!"

  Eleventh girl tightly grasped Bin Kui's hand.

  "I think so too." Binju smiled, "With Miss, Dongqing sister, Qiujie, and Zhuxiang, Xin mama, Tang mama, we will definitely live a good life."

  The girl's heart suddenly calmed down.

  Yes, she spent all her heart and energy in these three years, wasn't it just for these people around her to stand by her side at critical moments?

  She smiled and asked Binju: "Is there any official family that sends their daughter to someone as a concubine... hmm, not those declining families, but in order to curry favor with their superiors, they send their daughters to be concubines."

  Binju thought for a moment: "There shouldn't be any!" Her tone was not very certain.

  The eleventh girl couldn't help but let out a sigh.

  I'm also desperately trying all sorts of remedies.

  At the age of five, Jin Hua entered the mansion and grew up in this big house. How would she know if there were any official families sending their daughters to be concubines?

  She raised her head.

  The sky was a brilliant blue, but her gaze could only reach this small area shrouded in the Luo family's backyard.

  He let out a long sigh.

  The eyes gradually became clear.

  Eleventh Girl and Binju returned to Lüqún Building.

  As usual, the Green Building was quiet and deserted in front of it. Everyone tried to stay in their own place, lest they accidentally intervene in someone else's life.

  The Green Building has five rooms on two floors. The living room in the middle is shared, and behind it there is a staircase leading to the second floor. Eleventh Niang got the two rooms on the east side. The next room was divided into three parts by horizontal partitions: the front part was used as a residence for Dong Qing and Bin Hua, the middle part was used as a resting place, and the back part was used as a residence for Xiao Yāo Hua and Zhu Xiang. The slightly larger room was her own bedroom, also divided horizontally into three parts: the front part was used as a study and an embroidery room, and the back part was used as a bedroom. As for Xin Mama and Wu Mama and other rough servant girls, they lived together in a three-room wing behind the Green Building.

  As they walked in, Xin Mama and Tang Mama were sitting around the fire pit roasting and chatting.

  When they saw the eleventh girl, both of them stood up with a smile on their faces.

  Xin Mama immediately stuffed a hand warmer into her hands: "I've been helping you add charcoal, it's warm!"

  The eleventh girl took over the hand warmer and smiled with her eyebrows and eyes relaxed, making Xin's mother happy too.

  She glanced towards the east wing and laughed loudly: "Autumn Chrysanthemum, the young lady is back."

  It turned out to be Dong Qing: "Miss, you're back." As he spoke, he turned around and lifted the curtain for Shiyi Niang.

  Eleventh and Binh Kieu walked in, and ran into Amber head-on.

  She has a tall and slender figure, with fair skin and bright eyes. A simple blue denim jacket on her can't hide her radiant beauty.

  Amber bowed down and gave a blessing gift to Miss Eleven: "Miss Eleven, I am Amber."

  It was also often seen at Mrs. Dà's place before.

  The eleven-year-old girl smiled warmly and asked her how old she was, who else was in the family, and if she was used to being here. She also said some polite words like "I'm sorry to trouble you, sister" and "From now on, I'll rely on you to take care of things at home."

  Amber stood respectfully while listening to Shiyi's words and answered one by one after she finished asking.

  She said she was fifteen years old, the only daughter of her family, and both her mother and father worked on a farm. Wintergreen sister is very beautiful, looks like a person in a painting, treats her like a biological younger sister, feels close to her at first sight. Also said some words such as "I grew up on the farm, don't understand etiquette, please don't hesitate to teach me, Wintergreen sister and Binju sister".

  Eleventh Girl seemed very satisfied with her. She instructed Binju: "You accompany Amber to take a look around, and Dongqing helps me change clothes."

  Amber showed great obedience to Shiyi's orders, and did not rush to help Dongqing help Shiyi change clothes. Instead, she followed Binju to pay respects to Shiyi and responded with a "yes", seeing off Shiyi and Dongqing as they went to the nearby bedroom.

  The eleventh girl is still very satisfied with this point.

  At least he's a clever person. He didn't rush into things without knowing what to do next.

  Taking advantage of the opportunity to change clothes, Eleventh Sister quietly told Dongqing that Eldest Madam had let Hupo take over her household affairs.

  Dong Qing had mentally prepared for such an outcome long ago.

  She was worried that she would be married off to Mrs. Yao's nephew.

  "Madam didn't mention it at all." Eleventh Sister shook her head, "I have to embroider a screen for the time being. Madam said to let you help me with it. I think that at least before next March, she won't bring up this matter."

  Her calm expression had a stabilizing effect on Dong Qing, making him feel at ease. He looked at Shiyi Niang with a flicker in his eyes: "Then, what's the method of exchange?"

  Eleventh Sister often embroidered Buddhist scriptures and let Dong Qing take them outside to sell. They also had two or three hundred taels of silver savings in their hands, as well as some gold and silver jewelry that Lv Niang secretly gave to Eleventh Sister.

  "Leave one hundred taels of silver, hand over everything else."

  Dong Qing was somewhat surprised: "Hand over everything..."

  "Just do as I say." Shí yī niáng nodded to Dōng Qīng, who was holding a jade pendant tied with plum blossom cord, and put it on her. "Later, you hand the key over to Hǔ Pò. Then think of some way to get her out of the way for me, I have something to say to you and Bīn Jú."

  Dong Qing nodded: "Don't worry, miss. I'll be frugal."

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