Chapter Eighteen: The Decision (Part One)

  Things are far more complicated than what Eleven thought...

  She decided to use stillness to control movement.

  Then he issued a house arrest for himself - nothing happened, everyone stayed at home, even if there were good friends coming to ask him out, he was not allowed to go out.

  She sent Dongqing there and told Wu Yiniang that she was going to embroider a screen, so Wu Yiniang shouldn't come to the Green Sough Pavilion unless it's necessary.

  It's okay, the people in Shiyi Niang's house had long been used to her low-key manner, and Wu Yiniang had also become accustomed to her daughter's aloofness. Even Hupo showed sufficient obedience to Shiyi Niang's orders, spending every day accompanying Qiuju and Zhuxiang at the resting place, doing some needlework and chatting.

  They were quiet and silent on their side, but outside was full of laughter and chatter.

  A moment later, Wu Niang drew a picture of Guanyin for Madame, and the Bodhisattva's face in the painting was surprisingly similar to Madame's. Madame was extremely pleased and had it hung in her own chamber. When Third Lady from the Western Mansion came, she even took Third Lady to see it, and Third Lady praised it profusely. A moment later, Shi Niang accompanied Madame in reciting scriptures, and the abbess of Ci'an Temple, Master Hui Zhen, came to visit Madame. Shi Niang was able to discuss scriptures with Master Hui Zhen, who repeatedly praised Shi Niang as a reincarnation of the jade maiden from Guanyin's throne. Madame was overjoyed and immediately rewarded Shi Niang with her favorite rosary made of fragrant wood. A moment later, Shier Niang presented Madame with various silk flowers she had made herself, and Madame held them in her hand, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion for a while, even touching them gently... Only Shiyi Niang remained silent and stayed in the house embroidering a screen.

  Everyone else was easy to talk about, but when Xin Mama and Tang Mama returned to their own residence, they often heard the mothers of Shi Niang and Shi Er Niang enthusiastically telling stories about how their own young mistresses had made a good impression in front of Da Tai Tai, and how they had won her favor. Especially the two mothers from Shi Niang's household, who would often sigh that Shi Niang was too stubborn by nature, and that they had mistakenly followed the wrong master. Who knew that one night, Shi Niang seemed to have suddenly come around, not only surpassing Shi Yi Niang but also no longer being looked down upon by Wu Niang like before? The two mothers suddenly saw hope, and their conversations naturally revolved around these matters. Moreover, the two mothers from Shi Er Niang's household smiled and said, "Speaking of which, among our family's unmarried young mistresses - excluding Shi Er Niang who is still young - Wu Niang, Shi Niang, and Shi Yi Niang, judging by their appearance and features, Shi Niang is the most beautiful. It's just that she used to be frail and rarely appeared in front of Da Tai Tai. Now that she has fully recovered, and possesses talents comparable to Qing Nu and Su E, it's no wonder that Da Tai Tai is extremely fond of her."

  The two women in the Shiniang House were delighted to hear this, and they took out 500 coins to add dishes to the kitchen and invited them to drink. They also said: "After all, there is a day when we can lift our eyebrows and breathe a sigh of relief." When Xin and Tang's mothers heard this, it was not pleasant at all.

  Two of them knew that Dong Qing was accompanying Shiyi Niang in embroidering the screen, and they didn't dare to go find her. They pulled two small maidservants aside and said: "It's supposed to be on the first and fifteenth days to pay respects, but think about it, when we received this screen, it had already passed the first day, and only went to pay respects to Madame on the fifteenth. By the time the next first day arrived, it was already New Year's Day, and everyone would go to pay respects to Madame, so they lost out once. When the fifteenth day of the Lantern Festival arrived, it was another family reunion, so they lost out again... Like this, one or two times, by the time they could regularly attend morning and evening court, that screen might have been embroidered long ago."

  Qiu Ju also hurried, bitter face: "What can be done? Can't let the young lady lose that screen fan and do nothing about it! You don't see, every year at night the young lady embroiders until the beginning of Hai and then rests. Where is the energy!"

  Zhu Xiang's mother died early, and her father remarried. Although her stepmother never beat or scolded her, she had never given her a kind face either. If it weren't for the fact that her mother used to serve in the main wife's quarters with Fifth Aunt, who remembered old times, even if Zhu Xiang had the opportunity to enter the mansion as a maid, she wouldn't have been assigned to the young lady's chambers and received the monthly allowance of a third-class maid.

  Seeing everyone's concern, she couldn't help but comfort them: "Don't worry, sisters and mothers. The mistress only had clothes made for the fifth young lady and our eleventh young lady, so it seems that our young lady still has more face in front of the mistress."

  Just then Amber came to find Qiujie, asking her to bring the food box. After hearing Zhu Xiang's words, she couldn't help but nod secretly and remain silent, watching what they would say next.

  "Didn't the mistress say that with Chinese New Year approaching, there's a lot to do at home? Can we wait until after the New Year's rush is over before making clothes for the tenth and twelfth young ladies?" Xin Mama muttered, "What kind of face is this?"

  "Mother is confused!" Qiujie has come back to her senses, with a smile all over her face, explaining, "Our young lady can surpass the tenth young lady and make clothes first, it's possible that this is the big madam compensating our young lady for her hard work these days. From now on, mothers shouldn't listen to those few women gossiping."

  Xin Mama and Tang Mama both thought that Qiuju's words made sense, nodding in agreement: "No wonder Miss told us to speak less with others and have fewer dealings with them, it seems she had anticipated this would happen."

  Amber was so absorbed in listening that someone suddenly shouted loudly behind her: "Miss Amber!"

  She turned around and saw a gentle-looking woman in her thirties with a seventeen or eighteen-year-old maid standing at the door, both of them holding a coarse blue cloth bundle in their hands.

  Thinking that she had just been caught eavesdropping by the two of them, Amber's face turned bright red with shame. She quickly walked towards them and after a while, laughed loudly and said: "Mrs. Liu, Sister Huanxiu, how did you come here!"

  "We've come to deliver Miss Eleven's new spring clothes." The woman smiled, "I didn't expect to see Amber as soon as I walked in, this is great!"

  Amber hurriedly helped Mrs. Liu and Hanyu lift the curtain: "It's still a trouble for both of you to come in person."

  "We also followed the orders of the great lady." Liu's sister-in-law and Huan Xiao entered the house, placing the package on the round table in the center of the room, "Saying that I should hand it over to the young lady personally."

  Huangpu busily poured tea for Mrs. Liu and Hanyu.

  Liu's sister-in-law stopped her: "No need. I still have a lot of work to do in my hands, and I really can't be idle. Wait for a few more days when I'm free, and then come see Miss Eleven again." She insisted on leaving.

  Binju was sitting on the bed sorting out the flower patterns she had collected over time, and when she heard the noise, she also came out to help Hupo entertain the guests.

  Liu's sister-in-law saw their sincerity and thought of the clothes in her bundle, smiled and said: "Don't be polite to the two girls, I'm making clothes for Jun Ge - just like your young lady, can't delay!"

  Since you can't be bothered, why come in person to deliver the clothes?

  Both of them felt a bit strange in their hearts, and seeing that Liu's wife couldn't stay any longer, they had to send them out of the Green Jade Building.

  Back in the house, they opened their bundles and looked inside, only to find that both Amber and Wintergreen were stunned.

  Soft as peach blossoms, the drunk immortal's face is like clear sky after rain, the heavenly water is like jade belt white, and there is also a color like white but red, the sea and sky... None of these rare materials have been seen on anyone except the great lady.

  The two of them looked at each other in dismay and shook open a piece of light green cloth that was on top.

  Cross-collared, flat sleeves, knee-length, fitted waist, plum blossom pattern with hidden flowers, hem decorated with embroidered chrysanthemum and butterfly patterns, and three white jade buttons on the chest.

  The two of them simultaneously took in a mouthful of cold air.

  Such a new style, such exquisite craftsmanship, they had never seen before.

  Amber hastily picked up the scattered luggage and tied it back together, "Quickly, put it in Miss's trunk."

  Binju's face was also somewhat pale.

  Miss once said: The bird that sticks its head out gets shot. If you don't want to get hit, it's best not to be the bird that sticks its head out.

  This dress is so stunning that if you wear it out, you'll be the center of attention, just like a peacock spreading its colorful tail.

  She hastily picked up another bundle and followed Amber into the bedroom.

  "What's wrong with you?" Dong Qing sat beside Shiyi Nang, helping her to split the fine silk threads into two, while Shiyi Nang sewed quickly, without even lifting her head.

  Binju shook out the clothes in her hand for Dongqing to see: "This was just sent by Liu's wife, saying it was a new spring dress."

  "How could this be?" Dong Qing's voice was trembling slightly.

  The eleventh girl heard this and involuntarily lifted her head.

  She was also stunned when she saw that jacket.

  Amber stepped forward a few steps and told Eleven everything that Mrs. Liu had just said in her ear.

  The eleventh girl listened silently for a while, then stood up and said: "I'll try it on to see if this spring dress fits or not."

  Amber hurried forward and helped Eleventh Sister take off her jacket, wearing a silk shirt to put on the padded jacket.

  A white narrow-sleeved blouse, a light yellow pleated skirt, a pale green jacket, and a moon-white apron with a flying golden thread embroidery of roses and butterflies added a few more bright colors to the simple colors.

  Eleventh Sister stood in front of the dressing table, touching the white jade button on her chest and let out a long sigh: "You guys say, isn't my complexion much worse than before?"

  Dong Qing and Bin Ju were stunned, carefully examining Shi Yi Niang's face. Hu Po smiled and said: "Why don't you use some rouge? It's said that this is a palace product, ten taels of silver for one box on the market. Our Eldest Mistress uses this kind of powder."

  The eleven-year-old girl's dark eyes sparkled and she said: "How about I cut a fringe?"

  Amber smiled and said, "The eldest lady dislikes it the most when someone cuts their bangs straight across. She says it covers up half of her face and makes her look timid. I heard that the fifth young lady used to like cutting her bangs straight across, so the eldest lady had a reverse comb made for her."

  The eleventh girl smiled and took off her overcoat, letting Amber pick it up: "Since this is a spring dress, of course, it should be worn in the spring."

  Although it's still some days away from spring, Spring Festival is coming soon.

  Sweeping dust, worshiping the Stove King, worshiping ancestors, keeping watch on New Year's Eve, paying respects... The eleventh daughter only went out to eat a reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, and early in the morning of the first day of the new year, she paid her respects to the mistress. For the rest of the time, she stayed in the house embroidering screens. The hustle and bustle of the Spring Festival naturally had nothing to do with her. On the fifteenth day of the first month, the Lantern Festival, the Luo family did as they did every year, eating tangyuan for dinner, and letting off the women who kept watch at various places and the gatekeepers, as well as the maids and daughters-in-law from each house. Autumn Chrysanthemum also followed Du Wei and the others to walk a hundred illnesses. When she came back, there was an extra pouch on her waist.

  It's raining heavily today, the whole street is flooded... I wonder what the weather is like where you are?