Chapter 211

Chapter 214: The First Month (Part 1)

Eleven Miss was immediately drawn to an unfamiliar woman following Third Wife.

She wore a peach-colored brocade jacket, a moon-white skirt, and had her hair styled in a high bun adorned with a gold hairpin. She appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, of medium height, with fair skin and delicate features. However, her gaze was evasive, giving off a somewhat timid air.

Lady Wen quickly whispered, "That is Yi Yi from the Third Wife's household."

Yi Yi, who was close to the Qin Yi?

Eleven Miss took another glance before stepping forward to greet Third Young Master and Third Wife. She then instructed Binju to fetch Lord Xu, and herself curtsied to Third Young Master and Third Wife. She noticed Xu Siyu out of the corner of her eye.

He was gazing absently at Chun Ge and Xu Sijie, who were standing hand in hand.

Xu Siqin, noticing Eleven Miss's gaze, quickly tugged at Xu Siyu's sleeve and whispered, "Your mother is looking at you."

Xu Siyu jolted but didn't even glance towards Eleven Miss. Instead, he simply offered a gentle smile.

To an outsider, it would seem as though he had been smiling warmly at Chun Ge and Xu Sijie the whole time!

Eleven Miss sighed a sigh inwardly.

Meanwhile, Third Young Master and Third Wife had already returned the greetings and called Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian over to pay their respects to Eleven Miss. Xu Siyu joined his brothers in bowing to her.

Just as they rose, Lord Xu emerged from the eastern side chamber.

Another round of polite exchanges ensued.

Xu Lingkuan then entered, supporting the Fifth Madam.

"Fourth Brother!" he called out cheerfully to Lord Xu, with more affection than usual.

Lord Xu nodded with a smile, his usual stern demeanor softened. "You're here!"

Xu Lingkuan nodded, leaving the Fifth Madam to bow to Lord Xu.

The Fifth Madam, caught off guard by her husband's sudden departure, chided with a smile, "Xu Lingkuan, really. Seeing the Marquis, you forget everything else, leaving me unsteady..."

Before she could finish, Xu Lingkuan rushed back to her, "Are you alright?" The Third Wife chuckled, and Lord Xu shook his head, causing the Fifth Madam to blush deeply, which in turn made Third Young Master laugh.

Amidst the commotion, Madam Du emerged, supporting the elder madam.

Madam Du wore a bright red, gold-embroidered jacket and, unusually, a pair of red velvet flowers as small as fingernails in her hair, looking festive and spirited.

The elder madam wore a lilac-colored robe with crane patterns and a ruby hairpin, appearing more splendid than usual.

"Grandmother, grandmother!" The Chun Ge ran over.

The elder madam chuckled, patted the Chun Ge's head, and took his hand.

Left alone, Xu Sijie stood by a black lacquered pillar, blinking as he glanced at the Chun Ge nestled beside the elder madam, then at Eleven Miss, who was chatting and laughing with the Third Wife, before lowering his eyelids.

Xu Siyu, observing all this, showed a hint of mockery in his eyes. The room was filled with the elder madam's kind voice, "Is everyone here?"

"Everyone is here," the Third Wife replied with a smile.

"Good," the elder madam said, turning to Lord Xu. "Let us proceed to the ancestral hall."

Lord Xu respectfully acknowledged, and everyone boarded the green curtain carriages to the ancestral hall located in the east of the Xu residence.

The Xu family ancestral hall has five rooms, with bluestone corner paths flanked by lush pines and cypresses, and a large green cauldron, three feet square, standing in the center.

Lord Xu first led the men into the ancestral hall to offer wine, burn silk, and pour libations. Then, the elder madam led Eleven Miss, the third madam, and the fifth madam to present offerings before the portraits of their ancestors.

The concubines, young maids, and matrons stood silently outside the ceremonial gate of the ancestral hall, waiting.

By the time the ancestral rites were completed, it was already dark.

Large red lanterns hung everywhere, casting a crimson glow on the snowy ground. The occasional crackle of firecrackers echoed, bringing the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

Everyone smiled brightly as they boarded the small green carriages and returned to the elder madam's quarters.

The elder madam sat on a grand traditional armchair in the center of the hall, its seat cushion embroidered with colorful patterns. First, Lord Xu led Xu Lingning and Xu Lingkuan to pay their respects to the elder madam. Then, Xu Siqin led Xu Siyu, Xu Sijian, Chun Ge, and Xu Sijie to bow to her. Next, Eleven Miss led the third madam and the fifth madam to offer their respects, followed by the concubines from each household. Finally, the respected madams and young maids stepped forward to pay their respects.

Madam Du stood by, announcing each step, while Sister Wei and Sister Yao were responsible for distributing rewards.

The jingling of silver ingots in the baskets mixed with the grateful voices of the maids and madams, instantly enlivening the atmosphere in the room.

After setting off firecrackers, the family banquet was arranged according to gender, age, and status in the east chamber, the main hall, and the passageway. They drank Jinhua wine and ate lucky fruits and cakes, celebrating until around 9 PM. When the banquet concluded, tea was served. Xu Lingkuan then led Xu Siqin, Xu Siyu, Xu Sijian, Chun Ge, and servants to set off fireworks, while the maids and madams gathered under the eaves to watch.

Xu Sijie stayed behind in the room, where Binju fed him lily bulb and lotus seed soup.

Chun Ge's head maid couldn't help but remind her, "Don't feed him too much. Be careful he doesn't wet the bed tonight."

Binju smiled and replied, "The fifth young master is very well-behaved. He wakes up on his own to use the bathroom."

The elder madam, sitting nearby, overheard and inquired, "How old is he?"

Binju quickly composed herself and answered respectfully, "He will turn four on the third day of the third month."

The elder madam said nothing more and turned to instruct the fifth madam, "You're pregnant. You should rest early."

The fifth madam, feeling tired, bid farewell to Eleven Miss and the others, and was escorted back to her room by a group of young maids and matrons. The elder madam then rose to change her clothes, with Madam Du following to assist her.

"Children from poor families mature early. When Chun Ge was young, we couldn't take our eyes off him for a moment."

The remark was sudden and puzzling, but Madam Du, who had served the elder madam for decades, understood that she was referring to Xu Sijie.

As she handed the elder madam soap to wash her hands, Madam Du said, "Chun Ge is so precious! Do you remember? That year when we had porridge, the cook added a handful of unpolished green rice to the snow-white rice. Everyone said it was delicious, but Chun Ge complained that the rice was too coarse and hard to swallow."

The elder madam laughed, "He can't tolerate the slightest discomfort."

"Exactly," Madam Du replied, chuckling with the elder madam as they returned to the east chamber. Just then, firecrackers erupted from every household at midnight, lasting a full half-hour before fading.

Lord Xu urged the elder madam to rest, saying, "...We have to go to the palace early tomorrow morning to offer New Year's greetings."

The elder madam, being of advanced age, gave a few instructions to the third madam about being careful with candles and such, then extended her hand for Eleven Miss to help her into the inner chamber.

Eleven Miss and Madam Du together assisted the elder madam in removing her hairpins, washing her face and hands, and changing into her nightclothes. Just as Eleven Miss was about to leave, the elder madam grabbed her hand and pulled out a small pouch from under her pillow, handing it to her.

"This is for you," she said with a smile, looking at Eleven Miss. "Lucky money."

Eleven Miss was slightly surprised and a bit embarrassed. "I'm already an adult. How can I accept your lucky money..."

Before she could finish, the elder madam had already pressed the pouch into her hand. "You haven't had your coming-of-age ceremony at fifteen yet. You're still a child. Be good. Take it. This is from me."

Seeing the elder madam's sincerity, Eleven Miss smiled and accepted it.

The pouch felt weighty in her hand. She thanked the elder madam and tucked it into her robe.

The elder madam smiled and nodded, patted her hand, and said, "I remember, your birthday is on the fifth day of the fifth month, right?"

"You have such a good memory, mother," Eleven Miss replied with a smile. "I was born at midnight on the fifth day of the fifth month."

"Hmm," the elder madam nodded with a smile. "We should make it a special celebration..."

Eleven Miss didn't think much of it.

This year, on the fifth day of the fifth month, she would turn fifteen, and a grand ceremony symbolizing her coming of age would be held, naturally more elaborate than other birthdays.

She simply smiled, assisted the elder madam to bed, and then returned to the hall.

Zhun'er was still outside with Xu Lingkuan, setting off fireworks, while Xu Sijie had already fallen asleep in Binju's arms. Seeing Eleven Miss come out, Third Madam, rubbing her eyes, inquired, "Has mother rested?"

"Yes," Eleven Miss nodded.

Third Madam then looked at Third Young Master, "Should we call it a night too?"

Third Young Master glanced at Lord Xu. After a pause, Lord Xu suggested, "Alright, let's leave this to Little Five."

Third Young Master hesitated, "Maybe I should stay?" He seemed uneasy about leaving Xu Lingkuan in charge.

Lord Xu smiled, "Let him handle it. We should rest too."

Third Young Master, though concerned, didn't argue further but watched as Lord Xu called Xu Lingkuan in to give instructions.

Xu Lingkuan, brimming with excitement, assured them, "You all go and rest! I promise to keep the nephews safe."

With a reassuring pat on the shoulder, Lord Xu left with Eleven Miss and the sleeping Xu Sijie.

Exchanging a resigned look, Third Young Master and Third Madam called for Sister Autumn Silk to watch over Xu Siqin and his brothers, and then returned to their rooms.

After freshening up, Eleven Miss noticed Lord Xu lounging on the bed, playing with the pouch she had left by the pillow.

"Mother gave it to me," she smiled, explaining. "She said it's New Year's money." She hadn't had a chance to see what was inside.

With a smile, Lord Xu returned the pouch to its place by the pillow and then took out a small carved red lacquer box from under the pillow, handing it to her, "Here!"

Eleven Miss was taken aback.

How had he hidden a box under the pillow? She hadn't seen it while making the bed earlier...

Seeing that Eleven Miss didn't show the joy he had expected, Lord Xu, feeling awkward, managed a strained smile and casually tossed the box onto the quilt, "After all, it's the New Year!"

After all, it was a kind gesture to give her a gift.

Beaming, Eleven Miss quickly retrieved the box, "Is this my New Year's gift?"

With a nonchalant "Hmm," Lord Xu turned away to sleep.

Eleven Miss opened the box with a smile.

The gemstones' brilliance under the dim light forced her to squint, and it took her a while to see clearly what was inside the box.

Twelve rubies, each the size of a pigeon's egg, lay on the dark green velvet.

"My lord..." Eleven Miss hesitated, feeling uneasy, "This..."

The gift was far too extravagant. She couldn't fathom why she deserved such a gift.

Sensing her discomfort, Lord Xu, though turned away, felt a subtle joy, yet his tone remained casual, "Get some rest. We've an early start tomorrow..."