Qiao Lianfang wore a rose-red swastika cloud makeup jacket, a dark green embroidered plum orchid bamboo skirt, a black green silk curled in a high bun, and a jasper hairpin, her posture was still so upright, and her expression was still so indifferent, but there was a faint tiredness between her eyebrows, as if she hadn't slept well.

It seems that Qiao Lianfang, like Aunt Qin, can't sleep well!

Qiao Lianfang likes Xu Lingyi, and it is understandable that he is still worried about a concubine who has been dead for more than ten years. But why is Aunt Qin?

Remembering the old sisterhood?

Or are you bemoaning her early death?

Or are you just worried about the impact of Xu Sijie's arrival on Xu Siyu?

After thinking about it, a little maid came in and said, "Madam, the Hou Ye and the Fifth Master are about to get up!" ”

"Oh!" Eleven Niang hurriedly collected her thoughts, and instructed Amber with a smile: "Go and ask, see where the breakfast is placed?" ”

Amber departed.

Then Eleventh Niang instructed Aunt Qin: "Today is Chinese New Year's Eve, the place where the fifth young master lives has not been cleaned up, and the people in the house are not ready for a while." I don't have to trouble Aunt Qin. ”

Aunt Qin immediately got up and said, "Madam, don't worry, I'll let the people in my house help clean up the place." ”

Eleven Niang nodded and took the tea: "Everyone disperses!" Remember to come early in the afternoon so that we can go to Mrs. Tai's for Chinese New Year's Eve dinner. ”

The people stood up and answered.

Aunt Wen smiled and came to Eleven Niang's approach: "Madam, I'm idle anyway, it's better to help the fifth young master clean up the house with Sister Qin." ”

Aunt Wen's house also has a housekeeper's mother, a rough mother, two second-class girls, and two little maids.

"Okay!" Eleven Niang smiled, "There is great power in numbers." There are also fireworks to watch at night. If we stop this matter sooner, we can have a peaceful New Year! ”

Aunt Wen smiled and responded "yes", and went to Xu Siyu's former residence with Aunt Qin, while Qiao Lianfang took the embroidery back to her house.

Xiu Lu smiled and brought a cup of hot tea to Qiao Lianfang: "Miss should rest assured now!" Hou Ye went to Eleven Niang, but it was just a response. ”

Qiao Lianfang only brought one embroidered whirlpool when he came over, and the others were all matched by the Xu family. So on weekdays, she only left the embroidery in front of her. There was no one else in the house.

Hearing the embroidery make fun of herself, she turned red, smiled and took the handkerchief to shake the embroidery: "What nonsense?" ”

Xiu Xuan dodged, covered his sleeves and smiled, and simply quipped: "Miss take care of your body!" ”

Qiao Lianfang's face darkened when she heard this, and her hand was subconsciously placed on her abdomen.

The smile on Xiu Qi's face gradually faded. Walked lightly to Qiao Lianfang's side, and said in a low voice: "Miss, don't worry, this time you will definitely be able to have a dream." ”

Qiao Lianfang couldn't help but reddened the corners of her eyes when she heard this: "I also took the medicine, and I also wore the utensils...... Everything that could be done was done. But my body is ......" as he said, he couldn't help but fold his hands and face the west: "The great mercy and compassion of Guanyin Bodhisattva, if you can follow the little woman's wish this time, I will make a golden body for you and offer incense, day and night." ”

The three aunts walked on the front foot, and Amber talked back and forth on the back foot: "Master Hou said that breakfast will be placed in the study." ”

Eleven Niang took Xu Sijie and Binju who hugged him to the study together.

At the door, they met Green Cloud to send out the two maids beside the fifth lady.

The three of them bent their knees to salute her, and Lu Yun hurriedly explained: "The fifth lady sent someone over to deliver clothes to the fifth master. ”

The fifth lady has always taken good care of Xu Lingkuan.

Eleven Niang smiled and nodded to the two maids, a little hesitant.

Could it be that the two of them are still washing early?

Just as he was about to ask Lu Yun, the red embroidery curtain came out: "Madam, Master Hou, please come in." ”

Eleven Niang smiled and entered the study.

Xu Lingyi and Xu Lingkuan were sitting on the big kang near the window on the left and right, one wearing a half-new royal blue home-style brocade robe, and the other wearing a white mink jacket with a Buddha's head and carved silk. looked calm, eyebrows stretched, and it could be seen that both of them were in a good mood.

Seeing that Eleven Niang brought Xu Sijie in, Xu Lingkuan hurriedly stepped forward and saluted: "Fourth sister-in-law! "Very respectful.

Could it be because I listened to Xu Lingyi's words last night......

Eleven Niang secretly thought, smiled back, and got up to see Xu Sijie, who was held in Binju's arms, looking at Xu Lingyi with a pair of dark eyes, and joy overflowed her eyebrows.

Look at Xu Lingkuan again - he gently turned his face sideways.

She couldn't help but sigh secretly in her heart.

This kid may really have no fate with Xu Lingkuan.

While thinking, he asked Xu Si to salute the two of them.

Xu Lingyi asked about Xu Si's commandment: "...... All arranged? ”

"Arrange to live in Brother Yu's original old residence. Because the Chinese New Year is approaching, it is not easy to find people around me. For the time being, I was watched over by a few maids around me. After the Lantern Festival, I will find a few honest and reliable people from home to serve by my side. Eleven Niang said briefly.

Xu Lingyi nodded incessantly as he listened, revealing a very satisfied expression, which was very inconsistent with his usual low-key and restrained expression.

Could it be that it was made for Xu Lingkuan?

Thinking of what he said to Xu Lingkuan yesterday, I can't help but think about this aspect.

"You're going to have to worry about it." Xu Lingyi spoke to her in a very polite tone, "Ask the maid to set breakfast!" Later, we will go to the ancestral hall to set up the utensils used to worship our ancestors. ”

According to the rules, the items used to worship ancestors can only be placed by men, and women cannot touch them.

Eleven Niang responded "yes" with a smile, called the maid to pass the meal, served the two of them for breakfast, and then took Xu Sijie to Mrs. Tai together.

The third master, the third lady, the fifth lady, Xu Siqin, Xu Siyu, Xu Sijian, and Brother Zhen all arrived.

Seeing them enter the door, the fifth lady immediately walked towards Xu Lingkuan: "How was the fifth master resting yesterday?" His eyes looked at Xu Sijie in Binju's arms, his expression was very serious, and there was a bit of inquiry.

Eleven Niang couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Xu Lingkuan nodded to his wife, whispered "I'll talk about it later", and then stepped forward with a smile to greet everyone.

The fifth lady didn't look carefully yesterday, and then she didn't have a chance to look at it when she wanted to see it, this time she looked carefully, and felt that she had three or four points like Xu Lingyi, and thought of Shi Ma's ** words yesterday, and her heart settled down a little, and she stepped forward with a smile and saluted Eleven Niang.

Eleven Niang returned the salute, greeted the third master and the third lady, took Xu Sijie, and followed Xu Lingyi and Xu Lingkuan to greet Mrs. Tai.

Xu Lingyi took the third master and Xu Lingkuan and a group of small characters to the ancestral hall, the third lady wanted to prepare the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner in the evening, and the eleventh lady wanted to go to see how the place where Xu Sijie lived was cleaned up, leaving the fifth lady to talk to the wife, and the third lady and the eleventh lady said goodbye in a row and dispersed.

Aunt Qin's yard was the same as Qiao Lian's yard, but it was more spacious. The center of the yard is not planted with flowers and plants, but a rockery stacked with stones from Taihu Lake. Entering from the courtyard gate facing west, there is a verandah to the north, which leads directly to the former residence of Xu Siyu. The courtyard where Xu Siyu lives is more spacious than Aunt Qin's, the main house sits in the north and faces south, there are three wings on the left and right, and there is a bluestone rain lane in the middle of the inverted seat and Aunt Qin's main house, but it is a serious courtyard.

Aunt Wen accompanied Eleven Niang into the courtyard and pointed to the west wing: "This was originally Ruyi Gate." ”

It means that if you open a door here, you don't need to go through Aunt Qin's courtyard, you can go directly to Xu Siyu's former residence.

Eleven Niang was noncommittal.

Let's wait until the beginning of spring next year!

When the time comes, your own yard will be repaired, and you can also repair this yard by the way.

When I entered the door, I saw Aunt Qin directing a few little maids to hang the curtains, and a few little maids wiping the floor cover with rags.

Hearing the movement, everyone hurriedly stopped what they were doing to salute Eleven Niang.

Eleven Niang was a little surprised to see that the things in the house were almost cleaned up.

"Because it's going to be the New Year, I just swept the dust a few days ago, and I got twice the result with half the effort." Aunt Qin explained, "In the afternoon, after moving the mattress and bedding, the fifth young master can move in." ”

Eleven Niang smiled and nodded, asked the maids to continue cleaning, and walked around the house with Aunt Wen and Aunt Qin, discussing where to add something, where to reduce something, and where to put something, and in the blink of an eye, it was noon.

A servant beside Xu Lingyi came over and said, "Master Hou and the fifth young master have lunch in the outer courtyard, let Mrs. don't wait." ”

Amber rewarded the little guy with ten cents. Shi Niang smiled and said: "Since Master Hou is not coming back, let's eat some casually - there is something delicious in the evening." Let's clean up the Fifth Young Master's residence early, or we can go to the Taifu early. ”

Aunt Wen and Aunt Qin responded with a smile, went to the eleventh mother's house to eat some indiscriminately, stopped the house before the end of the day, made an appointment with Shen Chu to go to Mrs. Tai at three o'clock, and sent someone to talk to Qiao Lian's room, and then went back to the house to freshen up.

Xu Lingyi and others went to the ancestral hall, there was already a special priest over there to prepare the things, they set it according to the ceremony, and they were busy until noon in the outer courtyard hastily had lunch, and then went back to the ancestral hall, gave the ancestors, and Xu Lingyi wrote it, and put Xu Sijie's name on the family tree, and then they dispersed.

The fifth lady finally waited for Xu Lingkuan to come back.

She smiled and waited for him to change his clothes, and said casually, "What did you say?" I even talked about it all night. I'm worried that Master Hou will lose his temper with you, and I'm worried that you will be wronged...... Didn't get a good night's sleep. ”

A trace of shame flashed in Xu Lingkuan's eyes: "It's all my fault, I'm worried!" ”

"Look at what the fifth master said." The fifth lady said coquettishly, "It's just that the concubine likes to think crankily." As she spoke, she took the tea from the maid and handed it over with her own hands, and said with a smile, "However, the concubine is really curious, what did Master Hou say to you?" ”

Xu Lingkuan didn't tell his wife about the child, because he had always thought that the matter had been solved a long time ago - he paid Liu Huifang, and Liu Huifang was responsible for raising the child.

I never thought that there would be so many incidents.

Especially after listening to the fourth brother's heart-to-heart words yesterday, he realized how much trouble he had caused and how much danger he had brought to the Xu family.

When his wife asked him, he wanted to talk to her.

But when I thought that he had promised the fourth brother, "Forget about the child." As if it had never happened. Even if he asks himself, he will be sure that he is the fourth brother's child", and he endured it stubbornly.

"Nothing!" Xu Lingkuan took a deep breath and straightened his back unconsciously, "Fourth brother asked me to do him a favor!" ”