This official media errand makes money, but it's also a lifelong career. If she can take on this errand, she won't have to worry about getting old and sick again. Her nephew and his family are unwilling to serve her, no matter how good they are, there is no filial son in front of the bed for a long illness...

  "If there's anything, go to the back courtyard and find Old Lady Hong, the companion of my wife." Guo Sheng glanced at Yang Pozi, who was still in a state of shock and delight, and then turned around and left.

  Yang's wife carried a food box, walked quickly all the way back home, carefully sorted out what had just happened, and felt that there was some clue. It seemed that this was the county magistrate's wife from Houyuan, who had joined forces with the old master of Jiangning Prefecture to dig up Zhang's wife from their family and eradicate her completely.

  Alas, it's also a pity, harming one person is not enough, now you want to harm other people's children, whoever it is can't bear it.

  Zhong Baozi didn't scold that lady less, just because that lady and Li County Magistrate were extremely close, that lady's words carried weight in front of Li County Magistrate, since they did, this official match shouldn't be empty talk...

  Yang's wife weighed the ten taels of silver in her basket, and whether or not the matchmaker was present, this ten taels of silver was actually in hand.

  It's better to get things done in the evening before dinner, that old lady can drink a lot, and with an empty stomach, it's easy to get drunk. Not eating dinner also leaves room for more drinks...

  Yang's wife made up her mind, put away the ten taels of silver, took out two strings of copper coins and rushed to Old Cai's house in the east of the city to buy a whole braised pig head, which was what Zhong's wife loved to eat most, authentic Yangzhou flavor.

  ………………

  Hong's aunt hid behind the fake mountain, watching Yang's wife come in with a small wine jar in one hand and a large oil paper package in the other, rushing straight to Zhong's wife's house, only her tense palms were sweating.

  Dinner was ready, but Zhong Bao's wife didn't come out to eat. So Xu Tai ordered the kitchen to stir-fry a few delicious small dishes. Hong Niang personally ran an errand and selected several jars of the best Huangjiu wine, which were sent together with the food to Zhong Bao's wife's room.

  As soon as Old Lady Hong mentioned that Yang's wife had come, Li Dong couldn't help but stare at the water clock in the corner of the room, his tense little face turning pale.

  Li Xia sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs, occasionally taking apart and reassembling a nine-linked ring, watching her sister who was getting more and more anxious as she stared at the water clock, their mother who kept going out and coming back in, and Hong's aunt who tried to appear calm but was actually walking anxiously. She secretly sighed, thinking that this family of hers was really too honest.

  "Ah, this is tricky... how can we catch up? I just feel..." Mrs. Xu went in and out four or five times, the more she thought about it, the more she felt that catching up with this cleverness was really too difficult, the more she thought about it, the less confident she became.

  "That's what Da Ji said, this clever phrase, half human effort and half heavenly will. Take a look at our Fifth Brother, Madam can rest assured, he'll definitely make it..." Hong Niang suppressed the tangled thoughts in her heart, forcing herself to boost Xu Tai Tai's morale.

  Li Dong looked at Li Xia, who was looking around with big shining eyes, and pulled on Hong's sleeve. "Let Xia go play, go see if Sixth Brother has finished writing his characters."

  "No way." Li Xia shook her head, "Fifth Brother told me to stay here and said that if it's time for dinner, I should go call him to eat."

  "Right, right, right!" Old Lady Hong's eyes lit up and her heart felt at ease when Li Xia mentioned Li Wenshan. "With Fifth Brother around, Fifth Brother said that when the time comes...he'll be there."

  Hong looked at Li Xia, who was sitting steadily with her two small chubby legs swinging back and forth, and trailed off in the second half of her sentence. Even Jiu Siao'er had become more sensible.

  "As a mother, I have no skills at all." Mrs. Xu also felt a little relieved and her legs softened as she sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling a wave of guilt and sorrow in her heart.

  "Madam! Just at the critical moment!" Hong's voice was a little stern, and Mrs. Xu hastily stood up, "I know, I know, don't worry, Nanny, what time is it now?"

  "Two o'clock." Li Dong replied extremely quickly.

  Li Xia couldn't help but roll her eyes, what time is two o'clock?

  "I'll go to the kitchen and take a look, it's almost time to set the meal. The old master has been drinking two or three cups of wine every night for dinner these days, eating slowly, not hurrying up or down." Hong's aunt gave an order, taking three steps as two, rushing to the kitchen to urge the meal.

  Li Xia looked at the dishes that were almost ready, glanced at the water clock, jumped down from the bed, and hopped to the study room to call Fifth Brother and Father to come and eat.

  "Master will be back soon, Madam must keep calm and not let Master suspect anything, otherwise...Madam must keep calm no matter what!" Hong Yiniang instructed Xu TaiTai with a serious expression as she watched Li Xia leave the door.

  Mrs. Xu nodded continuously, "Don't worry, don't worry, no matter what! Whatever it is..."

  Li Dong poured a cup of tea and handed it to Mrs. Xu, "Auntie, don't worry, Fifth Brother is here." Li Dong said with relief, but his voice was slightly trembling.

  It took County Magistrate Li a while to come over for dinner. In the feelings of Mrs. Xu and Li Dong, this period was extremely long, yet almost just a blink of an eye.

  Outside the curtain, County Magistrate Li and his son Li Wenshan walked over while talking.

  Hong's aunt was also tense and stiff all over, lifting the curtain with one hand and staring at Mrs. Xu with a fierce gaze.

  Li Xia held Fifth Brother's hand, looking at her mother and sister standing stiffly on either side of the table, and sighed inwardly. Her mother and sister were so inexperienced!

  Li Xia sighed inwardly, but didn't slow down, shaking off Wu Ge's hand and rushing forward: "Today there's delicious food!" Before the words were out of her mouth, one foot tripped on the threshold, and she tumbled straight into the room.

  Li Dong let out a loud cry and rushed over to catch Li Xia, while Mrs. Xu was also frightened and hastily rushed forward, but her foot got caught in the hem of her own skirt, failing to catch Li Xia, and instead stumbled forward herself. Just then, County Magistrate Li had just stepped across the threshold and quickly opened his arms, just in time to catch the rushing Mrs. Xu.

  Mrs. Xu fell into County Magistrate Li's arms, but Li Xia was really knocked to the ground, getting mud all over her face. She was picked up from behind by Fifth Brother Li Wenshan and was in so much pain that she was crying. Her trick of pretending to be hurt had backfired.

  Mrs. Xü and Lǐ Dōng were so startled that the tension which had stiffened their bodies relaxed to six or seven parts out of ten, and the remaining few parts of tension, in the eyes of Magistrate Lǐ, must have been the lingering fear from those two loud crashes just now.

  Magistrate Li held Li Xia in his arms, feeling both heartbroken and amused. He took the handkerchief and personally wiped Li Xia's hands and face, pointing at the dishes on the table with a mixture of anger and laughter: "Which dish is so delicious that it made our family's Xia into this state?"

  Xiao Jiu said, "There's a beggar in Yangzhou who steals pig heads." Li Xia leaned forward, looking at the table, preparing for his next move.

  "Steamed pig's head?" County Magistrate Li was taken aback - where was there any steamed pig's head on this table?

  "Xiao Jiu'er was probably seen in Zhong Aiyi's house." Hong Aiyi's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly explained with a smile: "Before dinner, Yang Paozi from Yaohou Street came to look for Zhong Aiyi to drink and chat. The mistress asked the kitchen to carefully stir-fry a few small dishes and also bought two or three jars of good wine to send over."

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