Chapter Seventy-Five April (Below) (Pink Ticket 450)

  Wu Niang's face turned bright red as she listened: "You just know how to have fun!"

  The seventh daughter smiled mischievously.

  With a smile, Eleventh Sister had already altered her skirt.

  "Give it a try."

  The Seventh Young Lady jumped up, and her personal maid, Mu Fu, hurried forward to help her dress.

  "Great, great!" She smiled and gazed at her skirt hem, "With this added trim, it really looks much better."

  Eleventh Sister's skirt was a bit long, so Eleventh Sister cut off four inches and found a piece of cloth the same color as Seventh Sister's undershirt to make a hem and sew it onto the skirt.

  "After being delayed on the road for three days, I've worn out all the clothes I brought." She got back onto the kang, "Taking a bath and changing into clean clothes is really comfortable!"

  The eleventh girl saw that she was satisfied and smiled as she put away her needle and thread.

  A little maid came in and asked: "Where is Seventh Young Miss's meal placed?"

  "Let's set up here!" said Qiuniang with a smile.

  Dong Qing and several others cleared the kang table in front, while the little maidservants brought up the dishes.

  After dinner, three sisters sat around the kang table drinking tea.

  "...she puffed out a mouthful of air, and the torch in her hand ignited...and she could even stuff the torch into her mouth..." Her tone was full of amazement.

  Wu Niang and Shi Yi Niang listened to her for half a day, Er Tai Tai was about to leave, someone came to call Qi Niang, but Qi Niang wanted to stay overnight with Shi Yi Niang: "......just right to send off Wu Jie."

  The second wife heard and came to see for herself.

  The place was tidy and elegant, the maids were all gentle and looked very disciplined. She left Yu Mama to take care of Qiuniang and returned with her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter to Laojuntang Hutong.

  The seventh daughter was like a horse let loose from its reins, overjoyed beyond measure.

  Just as Dà Nǎi returned, Qī Niáng started arguing that she wanted to ask Dà Nǎi about making the bed.

  Eleventh Girl watched her boundless energy and laughed as she accompanied her to Big Milk.

  As they went out of the door, they passed by the main courtyard and happened to see Da Nai going to Da Tai Tai's place to report this matter. Qiuniang then pulled Shiyiniang over to listen in.

  "...The aunt and uncle did not come, saying that they were busy with spring plowing at home and could not come. A clan uncle came, bringing a cousin. The two of them were dressed quite decently, but their movements and behavior were somewhat awkward, it was clear that they were not used to seeing the world. There was also an aunt who spoke eloquently, but had very small hands."

  The lady nodded slightly: "It's better this way, or else she won't be able to handle it after marrying in."

  The old mother from Hangzhou who was making the bed with Dajie couldn't help but laugh and say, "Didn't you see? When that aunt saw the dowry we sent over, her eyes nearly popped out. I specifically instructed the night watchman to be careful and make sure nothing was missing."

  "Good!" The old lady was very satisfied and said to Hang's mother, "Go down and rest now!"

  Hang's mother went along with him.

  Dà nǎi kàn qī niáng tīng dé rù shén, yǎn xiù ér xiào: "qī mèi hái xiǎng zhī dào shén me?"

  Translation:

  The big milkmaid looked at Seventh Sister with rapt attention, covering her sleeve and smiling: "Seventh Sister still wants to know what?"

  Seventh Sister's face turned bright red with anger, and she dragged Eleventh Sister away as they ran off.

  Da Nai laughed and said: "Seventh Sister's personality is really lively."

  The lady smiled and said: "Second Uncle and Second Brother and Sister regard her as a lucky star, so they can't help but spoil her."

  The seventh girl pulled the eleventh girl and ran to the backyard in one breath, and the eleventh girl panted: "Indeed, a thief is always nervous, so she wants to run!"

  "What do you mean?!" Qiuniang listened with a pout, her cheeks flushing red, looking very cute and lovely.

  The eleventh daughter covered her sleeve and smiled.

  "Never mind, I won't tell you." Qiuniang said somewhat evasively, "Let's go see Shime now! We haven't seen her all day. Last time I heard from my mother that her asthma had flared up, and I wrote to her but she didn't respond. Originally, I wasn't planning on seeing her, but since we're here, let's go take a look!"

  That was during the Chinese New Year last year, when the mistress asked her to accompany her to the temple to burn incense for Yuan Niang. She stared coldly at the mistress in front of everyone in the house: "I have asthma."

  The lady said nothing and sent for a doctor to examine her.

  The old master heard that she was ill, and hastily called the doctor to ask. The doctor replied very arrogantly: "...... Where did your family invite this mediocre doctor from? This young lady is obviously fine, how can you say that she contracted asthma three years ago?" The old master was so angry that he trembled with rage. If it weren't for the old mistress's persuasion, the old master would have thrown Shining Concubine into a temple to fend for herself long ago.

  At that time, Eleventh Sister couldn't help but think that perhaps by abandoning Tenth Sister in the temple, she would still have a way to survive...

  "She was not feeling well at that time, her spirit was low and she might not have noticed." Eleventh Sister smiled as she helped explain for Tenth Sister.

  Qī niáng jiù xiào le xiào, niē zhe shí yī niáng de sāi bāng zi: "nǐ a, jiù gěi tā fěn shì tài píng ba!"

  Translation:

  Seventh girl just smiled and pinched the cheek of Eleventh girl: "You, just give her a comforting word!"

  Eleventh girl smiled and accompanied Seventh girl to Tenth girl's place.

  The silver bottle blocked them outside the inner room: "Miss is resting!" But a pleading expression appeared on her face.

  Qī Niáng looked at him and sighed, smiling: "Then go tell Shí Mèi that we came to see her."

  Yinping's face was filled with gratitude: "I will definitely tell our young lady about this." Then he personally escorted the two out of the door.

  Qī Niáng turned back to look at the gate and whispered to Shíyī Niáng: "I wonder if she has some kind of illness?"

  The eleventh girl smiled bitterly.

  To be honest, she thought that the current Tian Niang was like a person who was terminally ill - knowing that their days were numbered, they would usually do things they had always wanted to do but never had the courage or opportunity to do. So she was more uninhibited and reckless than when she was in Yu Hang, with a desperate courage, no, or willfulness, wanting to provoke Dà Tàitai's patience, letting Dà Tàitai also experience her unhappiness over the past few years!

  But little did she know, in other people's eyes, she was just a moth flying into the fire...

  She couldn't help but think of her fourth aunt.

  Does Shining Girl know that her own mother has passed away?

  It's almost been a year, but there is still no news from Da Yiniang and Er Yiniang.

  It's like there's a riddle in front of everyone, and no one can guess the answer. The person who knows the answer is right in front of us, but nobody asks them, and instead pretends they don't exist... making this whole thing become a mystery!

  She was lost in thought when someone laughed and said: "Miss Seven has just returned? Miss Five invites the two of you to have tea!"

  She raised her head and saw Ziwei smiling brightly on the steps.

  Qī Niáng then asked in a low voice: "Who else will follow and get married?"

  "Ordinary attendants are all from the past." Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "Add two more rooms for accompanying attendants."

  Qī Niáng nodded and went with Shíyī Niáng to Wǔ Niáng's place.

  The fifth daughter treated them with the best West Lake Longjing tea.

  Qī Niáng then joked: "Want to know what Dà Nǎi said, huh?"

  The fifth daughter forced herself to calm down: "What's there to ask about!"

  "That's it!" Qiuniang laughed and said, "Tomorrow after getting married, you'll know everything!"

  "This sly devil," Wu Niang scolded, "you think you know a lot!"

  Qī Niáng burst out laughing and still told Wǔ Niáng what Dà Nǎi had said.

  The fifth daughter listened with a thoughtful expression.

  The Seventh Sister took the opportunity to bid farewell: "Fifth Sister still has to get up early tomorrow to comb her hair."

  The Fifth Daughter asked Ziwei to see them out.

  The two returned to their house, where the maid busied herself fetching water and waiting on them as they washed and dressed.

  Seventh Sister wants to wash her feet with Eleventh Sister.

  "Mind your own business." Eleventh Sister directly refused.

  "Let's go together!" Qiuniang was very persistent.

  Eleventh girl "slammed" shut the door of the clean room, Seventh girl was so angry that she stomped her feet. Eleventh girl laughed behind the door.

  After taking a bath, Qī Niáng is going to sleep with Shíyī Niáng.

  The eleventh girl felt uncomfortable, but thinking that the bed was big enough, she asked someone to add more quilts.

  "Qī Niáng yòu bù yī: 'nǐ zěn me yàng? píng shí wǒ duì nǐ duō hǎo ā!'"

  Translation:

  "The Seventh Girl was indignant again: 'How can you be like this? I've always been good to you!'"

  The eleventh girl smiled and said: "You just want to talk to me, I'm listening!" As she spoke, she lay down first.

  "You're just bullying the weak and fearing the strong!" Qiuniang muttered as she went to bed.

  The eleventh daughter smiled straight away.

  The seventh daughter then dismissed the servants in the house.

  Dong Qing didn't care. Shiyi Niang would rest, as long as there was a thermos of warm tea on her bedside table. Whether someone kept watch or not, she usually wasn't too concerned. But Mu Fu was different. The second madam had repeatedly instructed him before leaving that if something happened, he couldn't bear the responsibility. He couldn't help but beg anxiously by her side.

  The eleventh girl thought that she still had to get up early tomorrow and compromised: "Why don't you lie on the big bed by the window?"

  Mufu was still hesitating when Qiuniang said: "Either sleep on the big kang by the window, or squeeze together with Dongqing."

  The answer is self-evident.

  The seventh girl indeed has something to say to her.

  She said a lot of useless things, and then whispered: "...... I went to the temple fair ...... met someone ......".

  The opening remarks made Eleven's heart skip a beat.

  Later, he came to propose...

  The eleventh girl exerted a great deal of effort to suppress the shocking waves in her heart: "Is there still such a thing?" She feigned surprise.

  "So I want you to know... " Huan Xi's eyes sparkled with excitement, "I haven't even told my mother!"

  Why tell me then!

  Keeping secrets for others is also a very tiring thing!

  Eleventh girl couldn't help but mutter to herself, and was also worried that there might be some ulterior motive behind this.

  She asked Qiuniang in a low voice: "Did Erniu agree?"

  Qī Niáng is different from her, Qī Niáng's marriage, Second Madam will definitely be very cautious.

  "Uh-huh!" Qī Niáng nodded, "I heard Mom say that once we get back, it'll be settled." She smiled shyly.

  The eleventh daughter was taken aback.

  His name is Zhu Anping, from Gaoying County in Shandong Province. He's twenty-two years old this year. His father passed away early, and he took over the position of Weiwei Zhihui at the age of fifteen. I heard someone jokingly call him Xueyi Jun... She chuckled, "In the past, Mengchang Jun's fief was in Xueyi, could it be that he also has the style of Mengchang Jun? He's really a very interesting person..."

  "How did you know that someone nicknamed Zhu Anping 'Xueyi Jun'?" asked Shiyi Niang, trying to make her voice sound softer.

  "I heard it at the temple fair!" Qiū Niáng leaned her head on Shíyī Niáng's shoulder, "Someone shouted 'it turned out to be Gāo Qīng Xī Yì Jūn', I was curious at that time, took a glance... who knew not long after, someone came home to propose marriage, saying it was Gāo Qīng, a generous person, nicknamed 'Xī Yì Jūn'. Shíyī sister, do you think this is fate?" Her voice was soft and gentle, with infinite longing, "It was my first time going to the temple fair..."

  Eleventh sister was very surprised.

  If it's true, then it's indeed fate...

  A thought flashed through her mind and she suddenly felt a twinge of self-reproach for her own rigid and narrow way of thinking.

  Is it just because I no longer have the passion of my youth that everything I look at is now filled with skepticism?

  She grasped Qiuniang's hand: "Qiuniang, this is a rare fate!" Her voice was extremely sincere.

  Qī Niáng smiled softly: "I knew it, you wouldn't laugh at me!"

  Joyful laughter is contagious.

  The eleventh girl also burst out laughing.

  "Hey, if you just met someone, wouldn't you be like this?" For some reason, she became playful, "Is he still tall and handsome, with a strong and elegant spirit..."

  "No, no," Qī Niáng sat up with a "thud", shaking her head repeatedly, "Nothing like that happened!"

  "It's really not!" Eleventh Sister smiled slyly, "Do you want me to ask Mu Fu?"

  "Hey!" Qiū Niáng protested, "When did you become so good at teasing people?"

  The eleventh girl laughed softly.

  Qī niáng yě mò le zuǐ xiào, yǎn dǐ huà guò jǐ sī dé yì, zuì hòu hái shì rěn bù zhù dào: "Shì, shì tǐng yīng jùn de……"

  Translation:

  The seventh girl also smiled with pursed lips, a few lines of satisfaction flashing at the bottom of her eyes, and finally couldn't help but say: "Yes, yes, he's quite handsome..."

  The eleventh girl burst out laughing.

  Seeing people around you happy, don't you feel happy too?