Chapter 131

Chapter 133: Accompanying (Part 1)

When Eleventh Miss arrived at the elder madam’s place, Third Sister-in-law had already been there for a while, sitting on the large heated brick bed by the window chatting with the elder madam: "...There are one hundred and fifty pots of wintersweet, one hundred and fifty pots of kumquats, two hundred pots of Dongqing trees, and one hundred pots of camellias..."

Hearing the noise, she looked over and saw Eleventh Miss entering. She stopped her conversation and stood up warmly to greet her: "Fourth sister-in-law is here!"

Eleventh Miss smiled and called out "Third sister-in-law," then paid her respects to the elder madam and curtsied to the Third Sister-in-law.

Third Sister-in-law warmly said to her: "I know you like pickled fish, so I specially had someone prepare this dish today."

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Third sister-in-law," Eleventh Miss thanked Third Sister-in-law. A maid brought over an armchair, and Eleventh Miss sat down, chatting with them: "Are you discussing the decorative plants for the New Year?"

Third Sister-in-law nodded and said, "The weather has been bad this year, and prices have gone up." She looked quite troubled.

"No matter the cost, we must celebrate the New Year," the elder madam laughed. "Just make sure everything is prepared!"

Third Sister-in-law smiled and agreed.

Eleventh Miss then brought up the matter of the young maids: "...I have found five. When would you have time? I can bring them over for you to see."

The elder madam smiled and said, "Let's do it this afternoon then!"

Eleventh Miss handed over a piece of paper with the names of the young maids: "Here are their names!"

The elder madam put it in the drawer of the small table behind her.

Third Sister-in-law’s eyes sparkled, and she smiled, "Since elder madam is free this afternoon, I'll also bring the young maids I've selected for you to look over. You can help Qin Ge take a look."

The elder madam smiled and said, "Sure!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the wet nurses brought over Zhenjie and Chun Ge.

The adults stopped their conversation and smiled as they received the children's greetings.

The elder madam stood up with a smile: "No matter how important things are, let's eat first!"

Third Sister-in-law quickly helped the elder madam, and the group headed to the eastern room for lunch.

After the meal, the children were taken by the wet nurses for their afternoon nap, while the elder madam kept Third Sister-in-law and Eleventh Miss in the western room to talk.

"In a couple of days, the Zhongshan Marquis's family is marrying off their daughter," she said with a smile, looking at Third Sister-in-law. "You have to prepare for the New Year celebrations for the whole family, and Dan Yang is pregnant," she then turned her gaze to Eleventh Miss, "Eleventh Miss, you accompany me!"

Eleventh Miss was taken aback.

Since Lord Xu returned victorious from the northwest, the Xu family had closed their doors to guests. For any weddings or funerals among relatives and friends, it was either Third Young Master or the household stewards who attended. She never expected that for the wedding of the Zhongshan Marquis's daughter, the elder madam would attend—and not only attend but also take her along!

She felt a flutter in her heart, sensing that the elder madam's actions were closely tied to her... but she couldn't find the reason for this change.

Nevertheless, the outcome was promising.

At least it showed that the elder madam was willing to give her a chance to prove herself capable of being the wife of the Yongping Marquis.

Eleventh Miss recalled what had happened early that morning.

She had been comfortably settled in her bed when Lord Xu suddenly arrived.

She hurriedly got up, washed, and served him breakfast.

He dismissed everyone around him but hesitated several times, seemingly wanting to say something.

Lady Shier thought about how Lord Xu had gone out with Third Master last night and only returned in the dead of night. She also recalled what Mama Tao had whispered to her earlier, saying that Lord Xu had rested in Qiao Lianfang’s room, but the lamp in the eastern study had remained lit all night. She guessed he might have had a heart-to-heart talk with Third Master, which left him restless and unable to sleep. Early in the morning, he seemed to want to say something to her, but it was not his habit to speak so openly, making it difficult for him to start.

To think of her when he wanted to say something was already a significant improvement.

At that moment, she decided to break the rule of "no talking in bed, no speaking at meals" and spoke cheerfully about some trivial matters around her: “... Wanyi Zong has three sons; the youngest one is hard to tell. The eldest and second are very capable. Especially the eldest, who is diligent and sincere. He was worried that heavy snow would collapse the house, so he took his brother to clear the snow in the middle of the night. Otherwise, more than just a side room in Goldfish Lane would have collapsed!”

Since Lord Xu was planning a major cleanup in the outer court, if he could secure a position for Wanda Xian and Waner Xian, Dongqing’s life after marriage would be much smoother. Pushing too hard would not be appropriate; the best approach would be subtle and gradual.

Lord Xu’s expression indeed became more relaxed as he listened. Although he did not respond directly, he did not frown or look at her disapprovingly, implying that she had violated dining etiquette.

Now, the Dowager Lady was asking her to accompany her on social engagements...

Lady Shier felt greatly uplifted, responding respectfully with a smile, “Yes,” suddenly finding everything before her bright and clear.

Third Lady, however, felt a bitter taste in her mouth.

The Dowager Lady held a prestigious position, and the Xu family was among the foremost of dukes and marquises. If one were to be precise, the Marquis of Zhongshan was two generations younger than the Dowager Lady in both age and seniority. For their daughter’s wedding, the Dowager Lady’s presence was a gesture of honor; her absence would also be understandable. After the Xu family had kept to themselves for over half a year, the Dowager Lady now changed her usual low profile and personally took Lady Shier to attend the wedding banquet. What else could this mean but to personally guide Lady Shier?

She was not without self-awareness.

Striving to keep her smile gracious and composed, Third Lady stood up, “When will Mother go with Fourth Sister-in-law? I’ll have someone prepare the carriage.”

“We’ll set out at the beginning of the fourth watch tomorrow,” the Dowager Lady chuckled, “just in time for the meal.”

Hearing the teasing tone in the Dowager Lady’s voice, Lady Shier joined in, smiling, “That’s good, then I’ll eat less in the morning.”

Everyone laughed.

Third Lady rose to take her leave, “I’ll go instruct Li Quan’s wife to prepare the carriage.”

"Go ahead!" the Grand Dowager smiled and nodded, and the Third Lady withdrew.

The Grand Dowager pointed to a brocade stool nearby. "Sit down and talk!"

Smiling, the Eleventh Lady sat on the brocade stool.

The Grand Dowager took out several large red gold-sprinkled invitations from a drawer of the kang table beside her.

"These families listed here have prominent statuses; when visiting them, you must dress according to your rank," the Grand Dowager handed her one. "For these families, maintaining proper etiquette is sufficient," she handed her another. "These families are close friends; being relaxed and generous is best," she said, handing her another, "and for these families, visit when you have time; if not, send someone from the Affairs Office." She then handed her a list... As she spoke, she gave her seven or eight invitations. Some listed only four or five households but had long strings of titles, while others listed over ten households with just names. The Zhongshan Marquis family was among those that required only proper etiquette.

The Eleventh Lady knew this was the Xu family's social circle.

She accepted them solemnly.

The Grand Dowager smiled. "Although the Affairs Office has a roster, if we rely on them for everything, over time, the managers might become complacent. It’s better to remember it yourself. When something comes up, mention it casually so they know you’re not confused. Over time, even if you make mistakes, they won’t dare to deceive you under the weight of your authority."

In other words, you need to be familiar with your duties so that subordinates won't take advantage of your lack of knowledge.

Understanding that the Grand Dowager was gradually teaching her, the Eleventh Lady suppressed her excitement and responded earnestly.

Seeing the Eleventh Lady change from her earlier lightness to seriousness, the Grand Dowager knew she understood her meaning and was pleased by her quick wit. Smiling, she nodded. "The Zhongshan Marquis family has the widest network among our noble families. Most of the people on this list will likely be encountered. Remember how to speak and act, so you’ll be prepared."

The Eleventh Lady respectfully replied, "Yes," and after helping the Grand Dowager lie down, she returned to her room without taking a nap and began memorizing the names and titles on the invitations. Her younger body made her memory much sharper than before.

By the time Mother Tao arrived, she had already memorized three or four invitations.

Mother Tao looked at the invitation cards on her kang, her expression somewhat complicated. "Is Madam going to accompany the Grand Dowager on visits?"

The Eleventh Lady smiled and nodded. "The Zhongshan Marquis family is marrying off their daughter, and the Grand Dowager is taking me along."

"Madam... you’ve gained the elder madam’s favor so quickly." Her smile was somewhat forced.

Eleven Miss understood her feelings perfectly.

She had to fully support Eleven Miss for Chun Ge’s sake now, but that didn’t mean she was happy to see Eleven Miss grow stronger day by day. Once their chain of interests broke, the first one to jump out and embarrass her might be Madam Tao. This was also why she had to carefully sidestep Madam Tao to build her own influence in the mansion.

Eleven Miss had no interest or time to dwell on Madam Tao’s feelings. She smiled and said, "Have all the little maids been brought over? Bring them in for a look!"

Madam Tao returned to her usual calm and composed self, smiling as she called the little maids in.

Five little maids, the oldest no more than ten, the youngest only seven. All had their hair tied up in buns and were dressed neatly and cleanly. Wen Zhu was slender, true to her name; Mi Xiang had a chubby, baby-like face, which was very cute. Tao Liu had delicate features and looked very quiet. Lian Jiao had a timid air about her, making her seem pitiful. Tao Hua and Sister Wei looked very much alike, somewhat carefree.

Eleven Miss gave a subtle nod.

These little girls each had their own characteristics, and the elder madam was bound to find one she liked.

She kindly instructed them with words like "Don’t be afraid" and "Just answer whatever the elder madam asks you well," then led them with Madam Tao to the elder madam’s place.

The third madam arrived earlier than her. Madam Gan led five little maids standing under the eaves waiting. Those little maids were no more than twelve or thirteen years old, the youngest about ten, all with very proper appearances. Seeing Eleven Miss and the others, Madam Gan immediately smiled and came forward: "Fourth Madam, you’re here!" Her eyes, however, were darting towards the back.

Eleven Miss smiled and nodded at her, leaving Madam Tao and the little maids with Madam Gan to wait, and entered the room with a little maid lifting the curtain.

The elder madam was talking with the third madam about the maids: "...I think that Fang Ting is also good. Let’s keep her as you suggested!"

It seemed the elder madam had already seen those little maids.

It was also hard for her to put so much thought into it, settling the maids for Brother Qin’s room before she arrived, to avoid any complications like when Eldest Miss was around, and an outsider was forced in.

Eleven Miss smiled and stepped forward to pay her respects to the elder madam.