Chapter 88

Chapter 90: Returning Home

The elder lady hurriedly invited Luo Zhenxing in.

Luo Zhenxing greeted the elder lady and gave her a red lacquer food box decorated with gold, containing a porcelain jar of glutinous rice, two carp, and a plate of meat pies.

Madam Du took it and served Lord Xu and Eleven Miss the first meal.

The elder lady then invited Luo Zhenxing to sit and chat.

Lord Xu and Eleven Miss ate a little, then said goodbye to the elder lady and followed Luo Zhenxing to Bowstring Alley.

Luo Zhenda, Yu Yiqing, and Qian Ming were waiting at the gate and came forward as the carriage arrived.

After alighting from the carriage and exchanging greetings, Lord Xu and Eleven Miss went to see the patriarch and the matriarch.

The second wife, third wife, Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss, Ten Miss, the first wife, Third Wife, as well as Luo Zhenkai, Luo Zhenyu, Wang Lang, and others were all waiting for them in the room.

Eleven Miss was quite surprised to see Ten Miss, but seeing her calm demeanor, she felt somewhat comforted.

Wang Lang's expression was somewhat unsettled upon seeing Lord Xu, but he still stepped forward to pay his respects.

Lord Xu nodded at Wang Lang with a smile, but his attitude was quite cold.

The women, however, were different, chattering excitedly around Eleven Miss. The second wife even laughed loudly, saying, "Our first-class lady has returned," which made Eleven Miss feel somewhat uncomfortable—after all, being ignored for so long and suddenly standing in the spotlight, anyone would need time to adjust. Fortunately, Eleven Miss had encountered many strange things before, so she smiled and addressed each of them as "Second Aunt" and "Third Aunt," softening the impact of the second wife's comment.

The third wife then smiled and pulled Eleven Miss, saying, "Come inside quickly, the patriarch and matriarch are waiting for you!"

Lord Xu and Eleven Miss went to the western chamber.

The patriarch and the matriarch were already seated on the large kang by the window, waiting.

Lord Xu and Eleven Miss knelt and bowed to them.

Luo Zhenxing and the first wife helped them up.

The patriarch looked at them with a smile and kindly asked Lord Xu, "Has Eleven Miss caused you any trouble?"

Eleven Miss felt a bit nervous.

As her father-in-law, wasn't the patriarch being a bit too humble?

And Lord Xu's response surprised her even more.

"Eleven Miss is gracious and courteous, and everyone in the family likes her."

Eleven Miss couldn't help looking at Lord Xu.

His gaze was calm, his expression serious, not treating it as a joke or a modest remark. But because of his attitude, the patriarch was momentarily at a loss for words, looking somewhat hesitant.

The matriarch smiled and said, "The patriarch is just being overly concerned! Lord Xu has always been generous, has he ever criticized anyone?" Then she looked at Eleven Miss, "When you were with me, I also told you to read *Admonitions for Women* and *Biographies of Exemplary Women.* If your husband is humble, you should respect him even more. If your mother-in-law loves you, you should be even more cautious. Don't let favor make you arrogant, nor love make you flattering..." She actually began to admonish Eleven Miss.

Eleven Miss naturally listened respectfully.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the room became somewhat heavy.

Lord Xu slightly furrowed his brow.

Qian Ming immediately smiled and interrupted the matriarch, "Mother-in-law, we guests have been waiting on an empty stomach since yesterday, we're starving. If you continue to admonish, we won't be able to bear it."

The matriarch's face showed a flicker of irritation, but the others laughed, and she couldn't say much more, only murmuring a vague "hmm."

Qian Ming then pulled Lord Xu, saying, "Let's go drink, let's go drink!" He also said to Luo Zhenxing, "Today, we, the grooms, are the most important. Don't tell me you don't have good wine and food."

This again caused everyone to laugh, and the atmosphere became lively.

The patriarch, Lord Xu, and a few others headed to Luo Zhenxing's quarters, while Eleven Miss stayed with the women at the matriarch's place.

The maids arranged a black lacquered drum-legged table in the hall.

The matriarch led Eleven Miss to the head of the table: "Today marks the return of the young lady..."

The second wife and the third wife smiled and sat on either side at the lower end. Fourth Miss sat next to the second wife, Fifth Miss sat next to the third wife, and Third Wife and Ten Miss sat opposite the matriarch and Eleven Miss.

The eldest wife then called the maids to serve the dishes.

Fifth Miss's eyes darted around as she stared at Eleven Miss.

Unlike her usual simplicity and elegance, today Eleven Miss was adorned in opulent attire. Her jet-black hair was swept into a peony bun, adorned with a gold hairband inlaid with amethyst, a tourmaline jewel knot, a gold phoenix hairpin with ruby, a large red gold-woven sleeved robe, and an apricot-yellow embroidered skirt with plum, orchid, and bamboo patterns.

The amethysts on the hairband were each the size of a fingernail, and the tourmalines on the jewel knot varied in size and depth, but together they created an overwhelming beauty. The rubies in the phoenix hairpin's mouth were each as big as a lotus seed, shining brightly and dazzlingly.

She couldn't help but reveal envy in her gaze.

Fourth Miss, sitting opposite her, couldn't help but smile slightly and said, "Fifth sister, you're staring at Eleven sister without blinking. Is the Marquis bullying your sister?"

Caught in her behavior, Fifth Miss couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed and forced a smile, saying, "I just wanted to see what a first-rank lady looks like! After all, Eleven sister is the first among our sisters."

Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but laugh.

The first among them was Eldest Miss... but who remembers her now?

A glint of coldness flashed in the matriarch's eyes, but she smiled and raised her cup: "Come, come, come, everyone, let's drink."

Everyone except Ten Miss raised their cups in response to the matriarch—she had already started eating on her own.

The banquet had officially begun.

The matriarch first picked up a piece of dried fish and put it in Eleven Miss's bowl: "This was brought from Yuhang; you might not have many chances to eat it in the future."

Eleven Miss smiled and said, "With you here, I'm not worried about missing out on it."

Hearing this, the matriarch nodded with satisfaction and then picked up a crab roe lion's head for her bowl: "This is your favorite!"

Eleven Miss smiled at the matriarch and softly said, "Thank you, mother."

The matriarch chuckled affectionately.

A hint of loneliness flickered in Fifth Miss's eyes.

But the third wife sighed and said, "They were just a group of little girls running around not long ago. Who would have thought that in just a few years, they've all grown up, gotten married, and even know how to care for their mother."

The second wife laughed and said, "Don't be envious. In a few years, you'll be a mother-in-law too. Someone will care for you as well."

The third wife shook her head with a smile: "A daughter-in-law can never compare to a daughter..." and the topic turned to Luo Zhensheng's marriage. "...Brother Kai and Brother Yu are too unruly; I can't manage them anymore. Coincidentally, father wrote saying he missed his two grandsons. I consulted Mr. Zhao and arranged for him to take them to Datong, to be managed by my father and study with my nephew. The two children are set to depart on September 18th, and I will go to Sichuan later—my husband has no one to take care of him, I'm really worried. I fear I won't be able to return to Yuhang for Brother Sheng's wedding."

The third wife said this, looking at the matriarch with a face full of apology.

The matriarch smiled and said, "Third uncle's matters are more important. Just remember to give a generous red envelope to your niece-in-law."

The third wife quickly responded, "Of course, of course."

The second wife then complained, "Why the Zhou family of all families? I heard they only have three acres of paddy fields and four or five younger brothers to support." She was quite dismissive, almost scornful, "Had I known the matriarch would agree to such a match, I would have arranged a marriage for Sheng myself! At least there would be a dowry of several thousand taels."

The second wife, also from Yuxian, had a half-brother who had made a fortune in business. She had always wanted to arrange a marriage between her niece and Luo Zhenxing, but it was delayed due to the mourning period for the old master. She naturally had her say when the matriarch quietly arranged such a marriage for Luo Zhenxing.

Everyone's gaze turned to the matriarch.

The matriarch smiled faintly, "You all know Sheng's nature. He needs someone more mature to guide him. The Zhou family has a clean reputation and is related to the magistrate of Hangzhou. I thought they could help in the future, so I agreed to this marriage."

The second wife pretended to lament, "What a twist of fate," and sighed, "It's such a coincidence. As you know, Seventh Miss's wedding is set for the tenth of October, and I can't leave. I'm afraid only Da can represent us in Yuhang."

"Is Third Brother coming back to Yanjing for the New Year?" Fifth Miss suddenly laughed, "If he is, he can escort me back!"

Everyone was slightly stunned, but the matriarch's eyes flickered with amusement.

Fifth Miss cast a triumphant glance at Eleven Miss and said, "My husband suggested I accompany mother back to Yuhang. Then, father and mother will stay in Yuhang, but I will return to Yanjing for the New Year. If Da returns to Yuhang, he can escort me back."

It was surprising that Qian Ming would permit Fifth Miss to return to Yuhang... Eleven Miss was quite taken aback.

The second wife's smile became strained, "Fifth son-in-law is so considerate! Da will naturally return to Yanjing for the New Year. Otherwise, who would look after the house at Laojuntang? Let your third brother escort you back then." As she spoke, she couldn't help but glance at the matriarch.

Originally, because she had cared for her in-laws during their illness, the three Luo brothers had treated her differently. Now, with one son-in-law as a scholar, another as the heir of a duke's mansion, and another as a powerful marquis, she was likely to rule the roost.

"The matriarch is truly blessed," she couldn't help but say with a hint of sourness, "A married daughter can still attend to her parents. Unlike our Fourth Miss, who has in-laws and children."

She insinuated that the matriarch, leveraging Qian Ming's support, had elevated Qian Ming's status, leaving her daughter with only her natal family and no in-laws.

The matriarch smiled as if she hadn't heard the second wife's words and urged everyone to eat, "...These mushrooms were sent by the marquis when he proposed. You can't buy them even with money, everyone try them!"

The topic then shifted to Eleven Miss.

The second wife smiled, "I heard the marquis has a foot ailment, is it true?"

"News sure travels fast!" Eleven Miss smiled, "That's what the imperial physician said."

"That's really troublesome!" The matriarch looked very concerned and asked about Lord Xu's condition, "Which imperial physician diagnosed it? What prescriptions were given?"

Eleven Miss shared what she knew, and everyone sighed in sympathy. The conversation then shifted to a recent case in Yanjing—where an imperial physician had diagnosed a young unmarried lady with a pregnancy, which was reported to the Shuntian Prefecture and confirmed by a midwife. Then the topic turned to what medicines and clothes the third wife should bring to Sichuan...

After that, no one asked about Lord Xu's foot ailment again.