The news that the crown prince was coming home in July quickly spread throughout the Dingxi Marquis Mansion, and the mansion suddenly became as lively as the New Year.
"We are already on the road at this time. If we don't have many social activities along the way, we will be home in the fifteenth or sixteenth day. If we have some social activities, we will be around twenty at the latest." Su's mother calculated.
Mrs. Xie's room was full of people. On one side of the two rows of chairs sat three young ladies from the family. The youngest one was only four or five years old and had to be supported by the wet nurse to sit firmly. On the other side sat two concubines.
The mother-in-law stood there, everyone's eyebrows and eyes were full of smiles.
"According to the prince's temperament, he is afraid of being covered with stars and moons. He wishes he could fly back." A woman said with a smile.
After hearing this, Ms. Xie couldn't help but feel a sore nose.
"It's been three years..." She lightly touched her eyes with a handkerchief and said.
"No." A concubine in her thirties immediately said with tears, "I still remember that I had just finished burning seven pieces of paper for the old lady when I left, and it was raining heavily..."
Several of the women below also raised their hands to wipe away their tears.
"Mother, don't cry." The little girl, who was being supported by the wet nurse, suddenly came down and staggered towards Ms.
This move made Mr. Xie burst into laughter.
"Our fourth lady is so good." She smiled.
Everyone else in the room also laughed, which made the child feel shy, turned around and ran back to the nanny's arms.
The second and third ladies sitting nearby also laughed, but there was a trace of disdain in their eyes.
"This is a great event, Madam, please don't be sad." Aunt Zhu, who was sitting on the other side, smiled and said, "I used to hear the Marquis praising the Crown Prince, and now I can finally meet him, and I've been making a fuss about it these days.
He is so powerful, he must be happy to know that his brother is coming back."
The second young lady here was finishing her tea. After hearing what Aunt Zhu said, she choked on a mouthful of water and spilled all over her skirt.
Looking at the other people in the room, they all had strange expressions on their faces, and were shocked and holding back their laughter.
Aunt Zhu wanted to join in the fun, but she didn't expect everyone's reaction, and her face suddenly turned red and white.
"Second Miss, you must be happy, the reaction is so big." She said a little unhappy.
"No aunt, you're too responsive," the second young lady said with a smile.
The ladies were busy wiping her, and the room was a little messy.
"Shulan, go and see Mother Su. How many days will it take for everyone in the family to have a new set of clothes?" said Xie.
The second young lady and the third young lady were now imitating housekeepers. When they heard the hurried response, they got up and went to the living room opposite with Mother Su and other ladies.
"How is Yalan eating well these days? How is she sleeping?" Ms. Xie looked at the fourth lady who was hiding in the nanny's arms, and asked with a smile. Without waiting for the nanny's answer, she looked at the concubine on the other side, "You have to be free.
Walk around her yard more often, the yard has just been divided, I’m afraid I won’t get used to it.”
The concubine stood up in surprise.
"This, this, this slave doesn't understand anything, don't mislead the young lady." She said tremblingly.
"You are her mother. You don't need to know anything. Just look at her. If you want to know anything, you have a nanny and a nurse to teach you when you grow up. Why are you worrying so much?" Ms. Xie said with a smile.
The concubine also smiled and lowered her head.
"Thank you, madam. I will take good care of the fourth young lady." She said.
The nanny smiled knowingly and pushed the fourth lady to serve the concubine.
"Go and call Auntie." She whispered.
The concubine also looked at the fourth lady with some excitement.
However, the fourth lady hid behind the nanny, who had no choice but to pull her out first. The concubine once again excused herself from Mrs. Xie before going out.
"The Fourth Miss is really well-educated by the First Lady." Aunt Zhu rolled her eyes and smiled at Mrs. Xie.
Xie didn't even raise her eyelids as she took a sip of tea.
"If we correct others, the children we raise will naturally be correct, but it is not the fault of any one person. The children should be better off than this mother," she said.
"It's different when the eldest lady teaches you. That's what the prince is like." Aunt Zhu said with a smile.
"Okay, go back and have a rest. Now is the time when your health is most important. Don't move around." Xie put down the tea and said.
Aunt Zhu quickly stood up, said yes, and left.
The second young lady and the third young lady over there also came over, and the second young lady told how many people would use what materials according to their different identities, how much money would be needed and how many days could it be done.
Mrs. Xie listened to her and looked at Su's mother again.
"Everything the second lady said is based on the old practices of previous years." Su's mother immediately smiled.
"You did a good job. It's really different from what you grew up with in front of the old lady. It makes sense." Mrs. Xie nodded and praised the second lady with a smile. "Just follow what the second lady said and give the instructions with the right cards.
"
The eldest maid Aluan standing behind her immediately brought a pair of cards. The second lady saluted and took them, and the third lady left together.
Everyone else in the room also retreated one by one, allowing the two girls to open the window and light incense. Ah Luan picked up the freshly cut fruit plate and brought it over.
"The eldest lady has been talking for a long time to moisten her throat," she said.
Mr. Xie hummed and took a sip.
"Why don't you let a mother-in-law teach Aunt Zhu?" Aluan said.
Mr. Xie smiled.
"What are you teaching me? Isn't it bad for people to be like this?" She said, "I have been winning over the Marquis for three or four years. Don't dislike people for being vulgar. Being vulgar is also a skill."
As she spoke, her smile grew wider, "I want to see that dignified and elegant bitch who can play chess, calligraphy and painting. Such a woman can also be favored by the Marquis, even more favored than her."
Aluan knew clearly who the bitch she was talking about and stopped talking.
Aunt Zhu held the little girl's hand and walked slowly into the house.
"After giving birth to the Fourth Miss, Aunt Liu became ill. Aunt Song had a grudge against Aunt Liu, and Aunt Zhou was close to Aunt Song, so the eldest lady had to take care of the Fourth Miss. Aunt Liu recovered from her illness and only talked about herself
He fought back against the Fourth Miss and refused to raise the Fourth Miss no matter what..." The little girl on the side said in a low voice, while explaining the reason, "Aunt Liu was originally Aunt Song's girl, and she climbed into the Marquis' house with Aunt Song on her back.
In order to avoid being beaten to death by Aunt Song, I ran to the eldest lady and gave birth to the Fourth Miss. The eldest lady took the decision to carry the aunt."
"Oh, just like the plum blossoms in our house?" Aunt Zhu said with a smile.
"That's different. Aunt Sumei was lifted up by you. If you hadn't shown mercy, the Marquis would never have seen her." The little girl said immediately.
"It's all because of the kindness of the eldest lady." Aunt Zhu sighed, "How come the eldest lady is such a kind-hearted person, but she doesn't have a child of her own."
"The eldest lady has given birth to a fetus before, but she had a miscarriage and it was still a boy." The little girl said in a low voice, "It was said that she hurt her body, so she never gave birth to a baby again."
Aunt Zhu nodded and was silent for a moment.
"It's strange that the eldest lady treats the prince so dearly." She said slowly, "It's just that why did she choose to marry someone like that? Not to mention that the eldest lady is angry, even I feel sorry for him."
The little girl giggled.
"Except for the old lady, there is no one in the whole house who is fair," she said with a smile.
Aunt Zhu sighed again and frowned, looking even more charming.
"It's just that I'm very stupid and can't speak. I can't make the eldest lady feel at ease. Instead, I'm always worried." She said quietly and resentfully, "Seeing that the prince is back, it was a happy thing for the whole family, but I looked at the eldest lady.
Madam, you are not feeling well after all. You may have heard about the troubles that Young Madam has been having these days. Tell me, the prince has finally come back after such a long time, and you have to face such a person again, how aggrieved you must be."
The little girl nodded.
"No, let alone the prince, even Miss Sumei is feeling aggrieved." She said casually.
Aunt Zhu's eyes lit up, but quickly disappeared.
"In my opinion, Sumei is too honest. Not to mention that she is still half a master now. Even if she is still a girl, she shouldn't be timid in front of that person..." She said intentionally or unintentionally.
"It's no wonder Miss Sumei, the young lady's identity is..." the little girl said hesitantly.
Aunt Zhu laughed.
"You guys, I really don't know what you are thinking. The rules are not set by humans. Now that the masters of the house have changed, the rules are naturally not dead..." She smiled, "But I don't understand this either.
I'm from a small family, I don't have any rules, and I don't understand the rules in your family, so I'm just talking nonsense, and it's not right, so don't laugh at me."
"Who dares to laugh at my aunt?" the little girl said with a flattering smile.
"I don't care whether I laugh or not. I know that it was Mrs. Hou who gave me the good life I have now. I just want to make Mrs. Hou feel comfortable. As long as they are happy, I am willing to die." Zhu
The aunt sighed and said.
"It's enough for my aunt to have such a heart." The little girl also sighed, her eyes flickering and she didn't know what she was thinking. (To be continued)