Chapter 14 Situation (Part 1)

  The room fell silent, and the slightest sound around them was amplified. After a while, they heard footsteps coming from the stairs, neither fast nor slow.

  "Go and take a look." Eleven's daughter suddenly raised her head from knitting, instructing Dong Qing, "See if there are any movements from tenth sister!"

  Dong Qing had been thinking about the arrival of Da Yiniang, but Shi Yiniang hadn't made a move, so she didn't dare say anything. Now that Shi Yiniang told her to go gather information, she immediately beamed with joy and smiled brightly as she replied "yes" in a soft voice, then quietly slipped out.

  Before long, she turned back: "Miss Eleven, it's Big Aunt - she just left."

  The eleventh girl's hand, which was holding onto the rope, paused for a moment, and she said: "What expression did Big Aunt have when she left?"

  Dong Qing murmured: "It's just as usual, can't see anything different!"

  Indeed, he's a master.

  The eleventh girl was secretly thinking in her heart.

  The staircase echoed with light footsteps again.

  Two people stared at each other in dismay.

  "Go and take a look quickly!"

  Dong Qing immediately responded and went, soon folding back: "Eleventh Miss, it's Tenth Miss. Accompanied by Zhu Tao, wearing a gray crane-colored brocade cloak, she has come downstairs."

  The eleventh daughter's face showed deep thought.

  Shi Niang going up and down the stairs, always makes the floorboards creak "thud thud thud", but today why is it so unusual, her footsteps are so gentle... Also, since she went out, not bringing Bai Zhi or Jiu Xiang, how did she bring Xiao Ya Tou Zhu Tao? Or, is it related to Da Yi Niang's arrival!

  A thought flashed through her mind, and Eleventh Sister had already said: "You go take a look, see where Tenth Miss is going!"

  Dong Qing nodded and walked out quietly.

  Eleventh girl finished hitting a bat, and Dong Qing just came back.

  "Miss Eleven, Miss Ten has gone to Fourth Aunt's place." Her expression was somewhat solemn. "I originally wanted to follow her and listen to what Fourth Aunt and Miss Ten said, but the maid standing outside Fourth Aunt's room didn't let me get close..."

  Three years ago, the tenth daughter pushed the eleventh daughter to the ground. In front of outsiders, the madam said it was "the ground is slippery, and the eleventh daughter accidentally fell". But in front of the master, she scolded him for spoiling his concubines, saying that the young ladies not only developed a proud and arrogant temperament but also lacked any filial piety or ladylike demeanor. The master did not dare to refute her.

  Fourth Aunt Yang was given to the old master by his superior when he was serving in Shaanxi. When the first wife found out about her, Fourth Aunt was not only pregnant but also managed the old master's salary and the private silver sent from home. The first wife thought for a moment and then sent over her most beautiful maid, Lu Shi. The old master liked her immediately, and she soon became pregnant. Before the child was born, the first wife promoted Lu Shi to Fifth Aunt. However, Fifth Aunt, although beautiful, had a weak personality and was suppressed by Fourth Aunt after only a few encounters. Seeing this, the first wife again selected a young and beautiful maid named Lu Shi and sent her to the old master's side, giving birth to Twelfth Aunt. At that time, the old master was already serving as the Governor of Fujian, and the three of them grew up with their father in office. Because of this incident, they were placed in Green Bamboo Building, where they were personally taught by the first wife's most trusted maidservants. Fourth Aunt Yang, who did not teach her daughters strictly, was punished by the first wife to kneel in the ancestral hall.

  The weather was cold, and after kneeling on the empty space in front of the ancestral hall paved with green bricks for a night, Fourth Aunt fell ill and was moved to a two-room wing house beside the Double Apricot Courtyard to recuperate.

  This child has been raised for three years.

  In these three years, Shining went to see Fourth Aunt's place only a few times. Unexpectedly, after Eldest Aunt left, she actually went to Fourth Aunt's place.

  It's impossible for her to believe it was just a coincidence.

  What's more, the fourth aunt even had her maid wait outside the door while the two of them were talking...

  She quickly flipped through her fingers: "You go find a flat box and I'll put the two skeins of yarn I've finished in it later."

  Dong Qing was taken aback: "You want to personally go give the elder aunt and second aunt the silk threads?"

  Eleventh Sister replied irrelevantly: "I'm going to pay respects to Madame and incidentally deliver this hair clasp."

  Eleventh Sister arrived when the big wife's house was already filled with joyful voices and laughter.

  Ziwei and Ziyun stood in front of the madam, holding a calligraphy painting. Wuniang sat beside the madam, pointing at the painting: "......Look at this character, it's nice, isn't it? I imitated ancient seal script. And this one, I imitated Wang Xizhi's running script..."

  The lady smiled and nodded, nodding continuously, as if she was very satisfied with this work in front of her.

  Eleventh Sister walked in and Mrs. Li beckoned her over: "Come take a look at the longevity picture your sister drew."

  It's done so quickly!

  Eleventh girl secretly wondered, smiling and greeting the madam, then seeing off Fifth girl: "Is this for doing embroidery? Sister is so quick!"

  The Fifth Daughter-in-law gave a return gift to the Eleventh Daughter-in-law, smiling and saying: "I was thinking of rushing out to give a birthday gift to my elder sister's family. I'm afraid there might be some imperfect stitches, which would also affect my younger sister's embroidery."

  "I don't see anything wrong with it." Eleventh Sister smiled as she examined the characters Fifth Sister had written.

  On a six-foot square piece of Xuan paper, Kai, Li, Zhuan, Xing, Cao... different fonts, varying sizes, dazzling to the eye, making her secretly astonished.

  Regardless of how good these words are, this effort alone is admirable.

  I didn't expect Wu Niang's calligraphy to be so good.

  The big wife also smiled: "I think it's well written too!"

  "Thank you for the compliment, Mother." Wu Niang smiled humbly.

  The mistress then had Ziwei and Ziyun give the embroidery pattern to Shier Niang: "Just embroider according to this!"

  Eleventh daughter bent her knees in response to "yes", and Amber hurried forward to collect the calligraphy and painting.

  The lady pointed at the box in Amber's hand, "This is..."

  "The one I made is for Brother Xiang."

  The old lady's eyes lit up and she said, "Bring it here for me to see."

  Amber listened and quickly opened the box, handing it over.

  Two roots representing the five elements of white, blue, black, red and yellow colors are quietly lying in a large red satin box. Upon closer inspection, it is discovered that the two lines of silk coins have been woven into a plum blossom knot, with five date-sized bats embroidered in the middle.

  "Really exquisite." The madam praised with a clicking sound in her mouth, "Not to mention anything else, just these two pieces of embroidery, the needlework of Eleventh Sister is already among the best in Hangzhou Prefecture."

  The fifth daughter's eyes flashed as she listened.

  The eleventh girl smiled and said: "My daughter can make such a good knot because her mother invited a master from Hangzhou Prefecture to teach us."

  The old lady listened and a hint of relief flashed in her eyes: "Go give it to the two aunts, lest it gets late!"

  Eleventh Girl smiled and responded, just about to kneel down and retreat, when a little maid came to report that Tenth Girl had arrived.

  Everyone showed a surprised expression, even the madam raised an eyebrow.

  Ever since she accompanied Fourth Aunt to kowtow at the ancestral hall and caught a chill that led to asthma three years ago, every winter, Madame would excuse her from morning and evening duties.

  Eleventh girl thought of what had happened before, and her heart couldn't help but feel some apprehension, always feeling that tenth girl's sudden arrival wasn't such a simple matter.

  "Quickly let her in, lest she catch a chill and start coughing again!" The mistress ordered the little maid, but her tone was tinged with disdain.

  Everyone in the house looked around, pretending they hadn't heard anything.

  Soon, a young maid led in a man wearing a grey crane-coloured silk cloak.

  The eleventh daughter was slightly stunned.

  She didn't even change her clothes and came directly from Fourth Aunt's place to Madame's here...

  The little maid carefully helped her take off her cloak, revealing a half-new and half-old grass-green silk jacket with a lychee pattern.

  "Daughter pays respects to mother." She knelt down lightly and elegantly in front of the madam.

  The old lady received her full courtesy, and only then did she lift her hand: "In such cold weather, how did you come? If you get frostbitten, how can I be at ease?" She instructed the maid beside her, "Make a cup of ginger soup for Miss Ten. Her body is weak, unlike Fifth Daughter who is like a monkey born from stone cracks, fearless of wind and rain. Nor is she like Eleventh Daughter, before the north wind has even blown, she's already wearing her padded clothes, no need for me to worry."

  She spoke with a smile, her tone was also very caring, but when heard by the eleventh girl, there was a strange feeling.

  The fifth daughter, already pulling on the sleeve of the elder lady, coquettishly said: "I'm all grown up now, Mother, and you're still using this to tease me. I won't have it - why am I like a stone that's been spat out, while tenth sister is cherished in your hands, and eleventh sister is so clever that she doesn't cause you any worry?"

  "Look at you, shaking me dizzy. What's gotten into you?" The old lady laughed and held her forehead.

  Everyone burst out laughing.

  Eleventh daughter went forward and greeted Tenth daughter.

  A hint of a smile appeared on the usually tense face of the young woman, making her thick and beautiful eyebrows bloom like summer flowers, with a stunning beauty that touches people's hearts.

  The eleventh girl's heart tightened as she watched.

  I remembered the scene when I first met fourth aunt.

  It was also winter at that time, Fourth Aunt wore a brightly colored grass green silk jacket with a crimson white ermine cloak outside, and in her hand was a blue enamel flower bird hand warmer, walking over with a swaying gait.

  She had just woken up, and in a daze, she thought she was still dreaming, that the beautiful woman from the ancient painting of elegant ladies had come to life. It wasn't until her fourth aunt's warm and gentle hand lightly touched her forehead that she felt a sense of reality.

  Eleventh girl still remembered her loving expression at that time: "Poor child, it's all our tenth girl's fault. I'll let her come and apologize to you later."

  When she said this, Fourth Aunt's willow-leaf-shaped eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if she was very worried.

  Just as the fourth aunt was about to leave her yard, she was called away by Mrs. Xu to the big wife's room. From then on, she never saw the fourth aunt again... nor did she know what she looked like now.

  A chill ran down her spine as the thought flashed through her mind.

  The clothes Xī Niáng is wearing are the same ones Fourth Aunt wore back then, but they're already old...

  Eleventh girl didn't dare think more, tenth girl had already exchanged pleasantries with her: "Little sister is also here!"

  "Just going to visit Fourth Mistress and Yuan Mistress." In front of Eldest Mistress, Eleventh Mistress never addressed Madam Shi as Eldest Mistress.

  The young girl smiled and nodded slightly.

  The eleventh girl took the opportunity to bid farewell to her mother: "Mother, that child is going to Aunt's place."

  The madam's attention had been completely absorbed by Shining, and she nodded somewhat absent-mindedly.

  The eleventh girl felt relieved and quickly led Amber away.

  When the door curtain came down, she heard Shi Niang laugh and say: "...... My daughter thought it was cold outside and didn't know how her mother's body was doing, so she especially came over to take a look."

  She quickened her pace involuntarily.

  Amber didn't make a sound and followed Eleventh Sister as she hastily left the mansion, only calling out to her then: "Miss, you should still put on your cloak!"

  The eleventh daughter slowed down her pace and went to the two aunts' place.

  Sorry, power outage...... ⊙﹏⊙ sweat!