Chapter 99 Stormy Weather (Part 2) (Pink Ticket 810)

  The eleventh girl couldn't remember how she fell asleep, it seemed like she had been chatting with Xu Lingyi for half a day, and then her eyelids drooped, and she fell asleep. When she woke up again, someone was gently pushing her: "Madam, madam, it's the fifth watch."

  She sat up with a start and heard Xu Lingyi's smiling voice: "Sleep for a while longer! It's not like there aren't any maids around."

  The eleventh girl completely woke up.

  She smiled and said: "I'll serve Master Hou in getting up!"

  "No need." Xu Lingyi refused without hesitation.

  But the eleventh girl couldn't sleep, so she got up with her, washed and dressed, had breakfast, sent Xu Lingyi out the door, and returned to the house already after one o'clock.

  She yawned: "It's good that we're staying close to the palace, otherwise, I'm afraid it would be time to get up at midnight."

  Amber helped her into bed: "Madam, rest for a while! You can't keep going on like this."

  Eleventh girl nodded, climbed onto the bed, slept until the time of the fourth watch, then got up to wash and dress, and also ordered Amber to find Tao's mother.

  Nanyong's wife combs her hair, and they chat idly. She asks when she got married, what her husband does, if she has children, and how old the children are. Nanyong's wife answers somewhat shyly. Both she and her husband were born into the Xu family, and their marriage was arranged from a young age. At twelve years old, she entered the estate and originally worked in the sewing room doing needlework. After showing talent for hairstyling, she was noticed by the mother of the lady who styled the madam's hair, and then followed her to learn for several years. She got married at eighteen years old, is now twenty-two years old, her husband works in the stables feeding horses, and they have a three-year-old daughter.

  "You're out so early, what about your daughter?"

  Her face flushed with a sweet smile: "I've asked Aunt Zhao next door to keep an eye on it!"

  "What does Aunt Zhao's family do?"

  "She is the wife of Zhao, the manager of the household. She doesn't work in the mansion. Usually does some needlework and sells it outside. She's a very good person." As she spoke, Nanyong's wife gradually relaxed, "I can braid over ten different hairstyles, do you want to try another one tomorrow?"

  The eleventh girl nodded silently.

  But she doesn't want people around her to be trembling with fear or being like puppets, what's the point of that.

  "I'm afraid of trouble!" she said with a smile, "It's so much better to simply braid your hair like this!"

  Just as the eleventh girl's words fell, Nanyang's wife had already pinned up her last strand of hair and took out a pair of crimson agate earrings with ruby inlays from an intricately carved red lacquer box: "Try these on?"

  She put it on as she said, and became a few points more lovely.

  "It's no wonder you're in charge of combing hair."

  The eleventh girl praised her. Nanyong's wife smiled with pursed lips.

  A young maid came in and reported: "Tao's mother has arrived."

  Eleventh Girl found that Nanyong's wife's expression became somewhat stiff, then restored the previous shrinking, quickly picking up the comb on the dressing table.

  "Please come in, Aunt Tao!"

  The little maid hurriedly rolled up the curtain and invited Mrs. Tao in.

  Nan Yong's wife immediately kowtowed to Eleventh Sister and backed away.

  Eleventh Sister quietly asked Tao Mama: "Have you ever heard of Changchun Daochang?"

  "Of course, I've heard of him," said Mrs. Tao with a smile. "Changchun Daozhang is the master of Changchun Temple and can worship snow and rain. He was conferred by the previous emperor as Jingwei Miaojijian Xingyuan Fan Zhenren, and his calculations of fortune and misfortune are also very accurate. Many aristocratic families in Yanjing have become his disciples. To say that our eldest aunt has Ah-gong, it's all thanks to Changchun Daozhang." As she spoke, she told the eleventh lady about how Changchun Daozhang had examined the feng shui for Yuanniang back then, how he had dispelled her solitary star, how he had helped her conceive a child, and how he had calculated that Ah-gong would be a boy, even predicting that Ah-gong would have "three disasters" before the age of ten.

  Eleventh Sister saw Tao's mother mention this and her expression was like that of an idol, excited and unable to stop talking. She knew she also believed in Changchun Daochang. So she smiled and said: "In that case, should Big Sister be a disciple of Changchun Daochang?"

  "That's natural." Tao Mama said with a smile, "If you have time one day, you should also go to Changchun Temple to pay respects to the Taoist priest!"

  The eleventh girl nodded: "Can't I go alone? There are others at home who are also disciples of Changchun Daozhang. It's better to go together later."

  "Everyone at home believes," said Tao's mother with a smile. "However, the old lady, Master Hou and the second mistress are Buddhists, so they don't often go to see Daoist priest Zhang."

  The eleventh daughter nodded slightly, and a little maid reported: "Three aunts have come to pay their respects to the lady."

  Tao's mother supported Eleven Girl and went to the main room.

  The three of them bowed to her. Madame Wen immediately asked Hou Shi Niang with great concern, "Did you sleep well?" and the like. Shi Niang responded to her a few times, and then Hu Po came over to serve dinner.

  Qin Yiniang busily helped Hupo arrange the chopsticks and bowls, while Wen Yiniang smiled and directed the maids to serve the eleventh lady in washing her hands. Qiao Lianfang stood aside, her face somewhat stiff.

  The eleventh lady didn't want to make things difficult for anyone, so she smiled and said: "Everyone can disperse now! I still need to go pay my respects to the old madam later."

  Qiao Lianfang turned and left, but Qin Yiniang smiled and said: "Madam also asked me to do my best."

  The eleventh girl smiled and said: "From now on, everyone will live in the same house, and days will be long. There's no need to rush for the time being."

  Tao's mother also saw that she didn't want to keep the three aunts, and was persuading them on the side. Only then did Qin and Wen aunts leave. Afterwards, she said: "The Fourth Mistress is doing the right thing. That Wen aunt has a mouth that can't be shut at any time. She served you a meal today, and soon it will spread everywhere. Those who don't know will think she's always serving you. It's all to her advantage."

  The eleventh girl smiled.

  This is really something she would do.

  Smiling, she saw off Madam Tao, who asked Amber, "Are the medicinal herbs for Lady Tai and Fifth Mistress ready?"

  Amber nodded: "As you instructed, two ginseng each one branch, six taels of blood jade to Madame Tai, and four taels to Madame Wu."

  Eleventh Girl nodded and ordered Dongqing: "You stay in the back house for the next few days, don't come out. To avoid meeting Fifth Madam."

  Dong Qing nodded repeatedly, and then Eleventh Sister took Amber and Binju to Madame Tai's place.

  Knowing that Shiyi Niang had sent her and Wu Furen some medicinal materials, Tai Furen was delighted: "I don't lack this here."

  The eleventh girl smiled and said: "This is still what Master Hou ordered me to deliver!"

  "Really?" Madam Wang was even more delighted when she heard this, and hastily told Du Mama to put the things away, then had Yao Huang accompany Xueyan to Fifth Mistress's place.

  Ruren accompanied Zhen Jie and Yun Ge over to pay their respects to Shiyi Niang.

  Everyone had just spoken a couple of words when Xu Siqin and Xu Sijun arrived, followed by Third Master and Third Mistress with Xu Sijian in tow. Then Fifth Mistress came in surrounded by a large group of maids.

  At this time, Mrs. Tai's house was extremely lively.

  After sending Xu Siqin, Xu Siwei and Xu Sijian to school, and sending San Ye to the shop, Wu Furen brought up the matter of moving: "...... We've disturbed both families' parents so much that they can't live in peace. As a junior, we really can't bear it. It just so happens that one of the houses I brought with me is located near Ci Yuan Temple's Fang Sheng Hutong. You also know that the abbot of Ci Yuan Temple, Master Ji Ning, is skilled in medicine. Fifth Master and I discussed it, and we plan to move there temporarily."

  The three madams heard this and immediately said: "How can this be? Fifth sister is carrying the flesh and blood of our Xu family, how can she give birth outside? This is also inauspicious!"

  The old lady did not make a sound, but there was a flicker of hesitation in her eyes.

  "It's not like it's outside either!" The Fifth Madam glanced at the silent Eleventh Young Lady and smiled, "Since it's my dowry, it naturally belongs to the Xu family..."

  "Five younger brothers and sisters are afraid of stirring up trouble, someone will gossip!" Before the fifth wife finished speaking, the third wife smiled and glanced at the old lady, "Speaking of which, this is not just a matter for you alone, Fifth Sister. Think back to when Second Sister had a miscarriage and needed rest, she suggested that two maids by Second Brother's side be dismissed. Second Brother disagreed, and Mother sympathized with Second Sister, so didn't agree either. As a result, now Second Brother doesn't even have anyone to offer incense to his ancestors, and Second Sister is left all alone..."

  "Enough!" Madam Tai shouted, "This matter is settled. All those with the surname 'Niu' will withdraw from the household!"

  No one dared to raise an objection again.

  The three madams had a triumphant look on their faces.

  The Fifth Mistress couldn't help but glance at Eleventh Sister.

  However, it was found that Eleventh Sister remained calm as water, without any unusual color.

  She was slightly surprised but heard a young maid come in and report: "Madam, the Abbess of Ciyuan Temple has arrived to pay her respects."

  Everyone was stunned.

  The old lady said: "Please come in quickly."

  The little maid went out at the sound of her voice.

  Old Mrs. asked Fifth Mrs., "But didn't you and Shifu's wife agree on that?"

  "No, no." The fifth lady hurriedly said, "I don't know what she's here for either?" There was a hint of confusion in her eyes.

  Before long, a young nun wearing a blue cotton robe with a white apron walked in, led by the little maid.

  She joined her palms together and chanted "Amitabha Buddha" to greet everyone, and the three madams, San Fu Ren and Wu Fu Ren, all stood up and called out to the nun "Ji Ning Shi Tai", while also standing up to welcome the nun.

  The old lady called for a young maid to bring over a armchair for the nun to sit on and served her some clear tea.

  Jining Shitai sat down with a smile, took a sip of tea, and exchanged a few pleasantries with the lady, such as "It's been a while since we met on the Yu Lan Festival". Then she turned her attention to the eleventh daughter-in-law: "This must be the new fourth madam of the mansion? I apologize for not coming to congratulate you earlier due to my recent participation in a Buddhist ritual. Please don't blame me, Fourth Madam." As she spoke, she stood up and joined her hands together in greeting, paying respects to the eleventh daughter-in-law.

  Seeing Madam Tian treating Shifuniang with such courtesy, the Eleventh Lady naturally didn't dare to be presumptuous. She smiled and stood up to return the greeting: "I don't dare to bother you with mundane matters, Shifuniang is too polite."

  Jining Shitai smiled upon hearing this: "I had long heard that the Fourth Mistress was humble and courteous, the best among the young ladies of the Luo family. I thought someone must have exaggerated, but now that I've seen her for myself, I know it's not an empty claim."

  The eleventh daughter was shocked.

  Others were also surprised.

  Jining Shitai smiled and said to Tai Furen, "As it happens, I am also acquainted with your esteemed household. However, this matter is entrusted to me by someone else, so I was wondering if I could trouble you, Tai Furen, to grant me a favor and allow me to have a private conversation with the Fourth Mistress."

  Madam Tai listened with a flicker in her eyes, and smiled: "Shifu has always been dignified in his actions, I naturally trust him." She also said to Eleventh Sister, "Since Shifu came at someone's request, you can't help but listen to what he has to say!"

  Eleventh Young Lady naturally complied and followed Madame Shi out of the main house, heading towards the eastern wing.

  Suddenly found out I owe so much debt...~~~~(》_《)~~~~