"Double happiness... at the door?" Qiu Sanniang looked at Zhang Shi holding her hand, then at Jiang Suxin who seemed even more delighted, and really wanted to pull her hand away and leave.

  "Mozi is your good friend, after letting your fourth brother take the house, she and I will be like sisters, aren't I closer to you? Although you are going to marry far away in Shangdu, I'll let her write letters to you often." Jiang Suxin suddenly mentioned Mozi.

  What a wonderful coincidence! Qiu Sanniang sneered in her heart, with a fake smile on her face. "They say you have a Bodhisattva's heart, and I see it's really true, matching the housekeeper girl's sisterly affection. If it were me, my own personal maid would be fine, but to call the master's housekeeper girl 'sister', no matter what, I couldn't do that."

  "The four wives have always been kind-hearted. However, she's not someone to be called sister lightly, isn't that because of your maid? If you say you're also soft-hearted, with four maids under your hand, which one can be easily bullied? Zhang Shi casually mentioned the incident that night, "I'm doing it for your own good. When you get married into another family and need to rely on these accompanying maids from your mother's house to support you, you'll naturally understand my kindness."

  It seems that Mozi Ru has been received in Ming'er's house, and the master-servant relationship may come in handy soon. After Jiang Suxin mentioned it, Zhangshi's heart felt a little better. The matchmaker's words have already been settled, she can't resist Old Master's intention, so she can only mend her relationship with Qiu San Niang before she gets married.

  "Third daughter understood that from now on when she arrived at her husband's home, she must be careful and restrained." Qiu third daughter was afraid that the matter would be stirred up again by Zhang Shi, so she could only pretend to obey verbally.

  "With Mu Zi gone, you'll only have two first-class maids and one second-class maid by your side. Is that okay? Ai Xiang and Ai Tao have been serving me for three years now, and I've been training them well. They're both skilled with their hands and sweet with their words, able to read my mind and help me with everything. One is nineteen, the other eighteen, just the right age. Why don't you take them with you when you get married? With them leading the way, your maids will be able to handle everything for you, saving you a lot of trouble." Zhang Shi waited until Ai Xiang and Ai Tao came forward to serve tea before bringing it up with Qiu San Niang, "Besides, once you're pregnant, it won't be convenient for you to serve your husband. Wouldn't it be better to have maids from your own family take care of him? You can't trust those sent by your mother-in-law not to have ulterior motives."

  Ai Xing Ai Tao's faces turned red, and they called out "wife" in a bashful tone, while stealing glances at Qiu San Niang. However, Qiu San Niang's expression remained unchanged, making it impossible to read her thoughts.

  Jiang Suxin was taken aback, feeling that her mother-in-law was being too hasty. They had only brought up the marriage this morning, and now her mother-in-law was already talking about sending dowry to San Niang, and making it clear what she was thinking - did she think people were stupid?

  "Mother, this matter is not urgent. I'll go back and ask Mozi's intentions first. If she's willing to serve my fourth brother, then we can find a maid to make up for it. Moreover, we need to investigate the rules of Jing Wangfu clearly, so as not to overdo it and be criticized for being wealthy and arrogant."

  "First, let's talk about Mozi. Such a good thing, what's not to be willing? Even if you're not willing, the contract is in your hands, so it's up to you to decide. What are you afraid of her for? As for those rules for marrying out, that's the Jing Wang Fu, a proper and formal marriage with a wife from a respectable family, none of the four maidservants can compare to that?" Zhang heard the evasive tone in Jiuyi's words and felt somewhat displeased. Is this what it means to climb up high and put on airs? "You are our family's eldest daughter, the Jiuyi family has produced officials who have served in the imperial court, not just ordinary merchants. Although people often say that a married-out daughter is like spilled water, but blood is thicker than water. We won't forget about you, don't think that your husband's family will always be thinking of you? In the future when something happens, won't you have to rely on your natal family to help you out?"

  Zhang wanted to explain the benefits of his wife's family, but every sentence was a rhetorical question, making him sound unfriendly and overbearing.

  So Qiu Sanniang listened too, and every sentence was piercing her ears.

  "Madam is right, but San Niang's thoughts are not bad either. In my opinion, we should give San Niang enough face and also respect the wishes of the Wang Fu family. Let's not rush, after matching the eight characters, we can discuss it with the relatives." Jiang Suixin had already seen Zhang Shi and Qiu San Niang's increasingly tense faces, so she hurriedly mediated.

  "It's also like this, these things can be discussed slowly after they are settled." Zhang Shi yielded for the time being.

  Qiu Sanniang turned around with a smile, didn't say anything, and nodded slightly with an almost imperceptible degree.

  "Madam, Sixth Miss, Ninth Miss, and Tenth Master have arrived." Announced An'niang from the outer room. "Seventh Miss sent Early Spring to say that she's not feeling well, took some medicine, and is really too tired to get out of bed. She'll visit Third Miss another day to offer congratulations. Madam, should we set up a banquet?"

  "Qī niáng bìng dé kě zhēn bù shì shí hòu." Zhāng shì qīng hēng dào, "yí niáng men dōu dào le me?"

  Translation:

  "It's really not the right time for Seventh Sister to fall ill," said Madame Zhang with a slight hum, "Have all the aunts arrived?"

  "I arrived before the girls. I saw you were talking to Third Sister and Fourth Granny, so I asked the three aunts to wait under the corridor for a moment." Anpo curtsied behind the curtain.

  "Since everyone is here, let's set up the tables and eat."

  The table was set, the kitchen started serving dishes, and Qiu San Niang followed Zhang Shi to the outer room, sitting in a position beside her, receiving congratulations from Liu Niang and Jiu Niang, as well as four-year-old Di Di's sweet voice calling "big sister". The aunts stood behind Zhang Shi, one by one congratulating San Niang on her marriage. Zhang Shi pointed to Qiuniang's mother, also known as Siyiniang, serving her food, while San Yiniang and Wu Yiniang sat at the lowest position, and only then did they start eating.

  After dinner, Qiu Sanniang did not stay long. She thanked Zhangshi for the family banquet to celebrate her and politely asked Zhangshi to rest early, then left with Bai He, Lu Jing and Ju Xiang.

  The road back was increasingly desolate, and Qiu San Niang finally spoke her mind, "This meal is suffocating me to death. Liu Niang didn't say a word, barely touched the dishes with her chopsticks, and every time she glanced at me, it was as if I had wronged her in some way. The mistress chatted with her two daughters-in-law, but I couldn't join in their conversation. The only ones who could cheer me up were Jiu Niang and Rui Di, but they were both seated on the other side of Liu Niang, so it was as if they were celebrating my misfortune rather than congratulating me."

  "It's good that Seventh Young Lady didn't come, otherwise you would have suffered even more grievances." Green Jade chuckled, "No matter what kind of grievance, we can endure it now, right?"

  "I felt sorry for Fourth Aunt in the end. After all, she was also someone who had given birth to a daughter for Old Master, and at this age, she still had to serve Madame like the maids. Her hands were much rougher than Madame's, probably from doing needlework until they were tired, and I heard that her silver hadn't even been replenished yet." Bai He's heart was truly kind.

  "It's not anyone else's fault, it's just that her daughter is not making an effort. If Seventh Sister could consider others a bit more and make up for the silver on behalf of her mother, why would Fourth Aunt have to bear the burden?" Qiu San Niang didn't care about the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children, but Seventh Sister had a big heart for herself and a small heart for others, even when it came to her own mother. Therefore, she could never like this younger sister of hers.

  "Miss, what are you going to do about Mozi?" Baihe heard the four words "double happiness at the door" and was so frightened that her heart was racing.

  "Yes, miss, won't you tell Fourth Granny that Mozi doesn't want to?" Green Jade was a bit dim-witted and spoke out of concern.

  "It's not time yet." Qiu Sanniang didn't mind their impoliteness and simply said that before falling silent.

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