Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen: Visiting

  The lady was indeed in better spirits than the last time I saw her, with neatly combed hair and elegant attire. Mrs. Xu was attentively serving by her side.

  I heard we're going to see Shininga, she pouted, but her expression couldn't recover as quickly as before, so it looked a bit strange.

  "She never had a peaceful day and night, this is also a lesson."

  The girl listened with a wince, smiling silently as she sat there.

  The old lady asked the people in her house: “... three concubines, Qin Niangniang is older, and when the master goes to her place, it's mostly just for show. Wen Niangniang always talks about the Wen family business whenever she sees the master. The one you need to be careful of is Qiao Niangniang. Do you know what day her little holiday is?”

  "I didn't ask." said Eleventh Sister with a faint smile.

  She was arranged according to the degree of respect, not by who is easy to get pregnant. Xu Lingyi is not a fool either. Even Nanyang's daughter-in-law knows it, how could he not know? Even if he didn't know, wouldn't Madame Tai know? Wouldn't Third Madame know? She doesn't want to become the laughing stock of the Xu family from top to bottom.

  The lady's eyebrows were already furrowed.

  "Didn't your mother teach you anything?" Despite her illness, her gaze was still stern. "The difference between legitimate and illegitimate is fundamental. What if Qiao Lian gave birth to a son, what would you do then?"

  The eleventh girl smiled slightly: "Now that Master Hou has both sons and daughters, having a few more children would be a blessing, Mother doesn't have to worry too much."

  The big wife glared at Eleven Girl: "You idiot..."

  Just then a little maid came in and reported "The eldest lady has arrived", the madam coldly hummed, stopping the conversation.

  Daiyu had changed into a pale blue squirrel-fur coat, and her face was lightly powdered. Her long eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes seemed even more charming than usual. After asking Madame Wang if she had any messages to convey, Daiyu bid farewell to the mistress of the house and left with Xi'nan, getting into their carriage and arriving at the Marquis of Rongguo's mansion in Shixi Hutong.

  A young servant had already gone in to announce their arrival, and when the carriage stopped in front of the Flowery Gate, a maid immediately came out to greet them: "The elder maternal aunt has arrived! The madam has arrived!"

  The old lady casually waved her hand and gave some money as a reward, and then led the child into the inner courtyard.

  Cypress trees stand on both sides, reflecting the snow, and a refreshing atmosphere rushes towards me.

  Inside the house, a large basin in the center was burning patchouli, and on the incense table in the central hall, a self-sounding clock was ticking away. A maid stood beside the canopy with her head bowed and eyes cast down, and it didn't lose the style of an aristocratic family at all.

  A group of maids and servants surrounded a woman with a head full of white hair as she walked out of the inner chamber: "It's Eldest Sister-in-law and Eleventh Aunt!"

  The eleventh girl saw that the woman had a piece of jade as big as a pigeon's egg on her forehead, and a ruby ring as small as a lotus seed on her hand. She was wearing a stone-green silk jacket with sleeves, and she had already secretly guessed the identity of this woman.

  Someone on the side said: "This is the old lady of our mansion."

  Never thought Wang Lang's mother would be in Shiniang's house.

  The two of them hurried forward and paid their respects.

  The eleventh girl couldn't help but take a closer look.

  Her appearance was very elegant, but Mrs. Jiang had seven or eight similarities with her, only the corners of her eyes and eyebrows were filled with a strong melancholy color, like someone who had been ill for many years, looking very haggard.

  Madam Wang, holding onto Da Nai with one hand and Shi Yiniang with the other, urged them to hurry: "Quickly, please get up!" As she spoke, tears already fell down. "Shi Nai hasn't eaten or drunk for two or three days now, I really had no choice but to send someone over with a message. Can you both help me persuade her?"

  Dà Nǎi and Shíyī Niáng were both shocked.

  It didn't occur to me that it has already been two or three days since it happened.

  The two of them nodded randomly and hastily entered the inner room.

  The large red canopy was half closed, and the tenth girl's face was pale, her eyes tightly closed as she leaned against the emerald green pillow, her eyebrows no longer radiant like summer flowers, but instead a dull yellow like autumn leaves.

  "Shi Niang." Da Nai's eyes immediately welled up with tears, she quickly walked to the bedside and sat down, softly calling out to her, "Shi Niang, it's Da Sao. I've come with Shi Yi Niang to see you."

  Wang Lao's wife and a group of people surrounded Da Nai and Shi Niang: "Shi Niang, your mother's family has come to see you."

  The tenth girl's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes slowly opened.

  "Shi Niang." Da Nai excitedly called out to her.

  Her gaze lingered on Da Nian's face for a moment before stopping at Shiyi Niang's face.

  "Ten sister." Eleven maiden called out softly to her.

  The young girl stared blankly at her, her eyes dull and empty like dead ashes.

  Eleventh girl looked at her and felt something was wrong, so she called out again in a somewhat uneasy tone, "Tenth sister".

  The tenth girl still stared blankly at the eleventh girl, as if she didn't recognize the person in front of her.

  Everyone was quietly holding their breath and staring at Shining, the atmosphere was a bit tense.

  After a while, Shining Girl slowly closed her eyes and turned her face away.

  It was as if he had an expression of refusing to see Eleven.

  Everyone was stunned, and their eyes all fell on Shiyi's body.

  For a moment, the house was as quiet as water.

  "Everyone else, don't crowd around here, it's suffocating." As she spoke, her gaze swept through the crowd and landed on Yinping. She instructed her, "Take Eleventh Aunt to the outer room to sit for a while."

  Yinping hastily came over to pay respects to Shiyi Niang, and Wang Lao Furen also saw some clues, personally accompanying Shiyi Niang to the outer hall.

  "Madam, it's getting late, the lord should go to court now, let's head back first! So you won't be late returning home and worry the lord."

  Madam Wang hastily said, "The tenth daughter and eleventh aunt are sisters, and she's still a young girl at heart. I'm sure the eleventh aunt knows too. Please don't mind." She had her daughter-in-law give a gift to the eleventh aunt, with a somewhat awkward smile.

  "Eleventh girl smiled and said, 'Don't worry, old lady. We grew up together, I still know a bit about her temper.' Then she turned to Amber and said, 'Since you came with big sister, I'll wait for big sister too!'"

  Yinping hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, since Eleventh Aunt has come, let's have some tea before leaving." As she spoke, Yinping carefully served tea to the eleventh aunt, as if afraid of offending her.

  Madam Wang asked about Madam Tai: “...it's been since New Year's that I've seen her, I suppose she still looks as spirited and lively as ever?”

  "Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Lao." Shi'er Niang chatted with her, but she kept glancing towards the inner room, as if worried that something might happen.

  Eleventh girl remained calm and expressionless.

  After sitting for two cups of tea, Da Nian came out from the inner room with red eyes.

  The old lady Wang immediately went forward: "Auntie, why don't you eat at home before leaving?"

  Dai looked at Shiyi with a calm expression and shook his head: "It's getting late, I'll come see her again tomorrow."

  The old lady Wang didn't stay much longer and personally saw them out of the door.

  Big Sister Dai gave a meaningful glance at Eleventh Sister and loudly instructed: "Go back to Hu Tong Alley."

  They came out of the Wang's house at dusk, and Shiyi Niang was in Xu Jia's carriage. Normally, she would say a few words to Da Niang and then they would go their separate ways. She deliberately gave this loud instruction, and Shiyi Niang thought of Old Lady Wang's unease earlier, so she immediately whispered to Hupo: "We'll follow behind Da Niang's carriage." Then, with the help of the accompanying servant girls, she got into the carriage.

  Amber quietly instructed the driver, and the Xu family's carriage followed the Luo family's carriage out of Shixi Hutong.

  "Your wife's temper has improved a bit." Amber closed the car door, with a hint of dissatisfaction in her tone, "What's wrong with you, Tenth Aunt? You can't take out your frustrations on others! Where will you put your face?"

  The eleventh girl smiled faintly: "What have I done wrong?"

  Amber hesitated for a moment and said, "No!"

  "That's it, then." Eleventh Sister smiled and said, "Since I didn't do anything wrong, what is there to be uneasy or resentful about?" As she spoke, a shallow look of pity appeared in her eyes, "You don't know, Tenth Sister... whether it's love or hate, one must have some reason to support oneself in living..."

  The tenth girl's resentful gaze, the intimidating look, the unwillingness to overturn the table in the green building... all kinds of scenes were spinning around in the eleventh girl's mind like a revolving lantern.

  The horse carriage stopped at the intersection of West Avenue.

  The eleventh lady was in a sulk when the old woman who had come with the sedan chair knocked on the door: "Milady, your elder sister-in-law has arrived."

  She hastily opened the car door, her breasts exposed to the cold wind, and slipped in, holding up her skirt.

  "I see that Shiniang doesn't seem right." She was surrounded by an air of coldness, "Ask her anything and she won't say a word! Press her for an answer, and all you'll get is a single 'good'."

  Eleventh Girl told Big Nai about her own unease when she was with Old Lady Wang.

  "Alright, you have your mother-in-law above and your sister-in-law below, it's not convenient for you to come and go. I'll go see her myself tomorrow. If there's anything, I'll send someone to tell you." He also said, "It's close from here back to the Lotus Flower Pavilion, let's part ways here instead. So as not to worry His Lordship if you return late."

  Eleventh girl was very grateful for her thoughtfulness and said some words of "be careful on the road", and parted ways with Da Nai at the intersection of West Avenue.

  Back home, Xu Lingyi had already finished her work and changed into casual clothes, lying on the large kang by the window reading a book. Seeing her come in, she raised her head to take a glance, said lightly "You're back", then lowered her head again to continue reading.

  Shi Niang responded with a sound, and was attended by Hu Po to change her clothes, wash her face, re-braid her hair, then sat down at the edge of the bed and said: "The tenth sister had a miscarriage, I went with Eldest Sister-in-law to see her."

  Xu Lingyi nodded and said, "As for Zi Chun's place, I will go there in person when the time comes. As for Shandong, let Zhao Guanshi go instead! This year's snow came early and suddenly, I'm afraid the road is not easy to walk. It's better to set off early."

  Eleventh girl didn't expect that Qian Ming would go there in person, and the benefits to Qian Ming are self-evident. She smiled: "Fifth sister-in-law will definitely be very happy when she knows. She likes it when relatives get together and make a lively scene."

  Xu Lingyi smiled slightly.

  Relatives who want to borrow his prestige, as long as it's not doing something illegal or disorderly, he usually won't refuse.

  He put down his book: "It's getting late, let's go to our mother's place!"

  Eleventh immediately responded with a "yes", and called Xia Yi to bring over Xu Lingyi's cloak. She tiptoed, personally putting it on Xu Lingyi. Just as she was about to put on her own cloak, a young maid came in to report: "Master Hou, Madame, Mrs. Qiao requests an audience!"

  Mrs. Qiao? The mother of Qiao Lianfang?

  The eleventh girl was somewhat unexpected, and didn't know what she had come to see Xu Lingyi for. Looking at Xu Lingyi's calm face, which showed no signs of refusal, she smiled and instructed the maid: "Please invite Mrs. Qiao in!" Then she went to help Xu Lingyi take off her cloak.

  Xu Lingyi stretched out his hand to block her action and stood there quietly waiting for Old Lady Qiao, looking like he was about to go out and had something urgent to say.

  The eleventh girl retreated a few steps and stood behind Xu Lingyi.

  I recommend a good new book "Dog God", stable updates, and the quality is not bad. Friends who are troubled by book scarcity can take a look, hehe.