Chapter 278

Chapter 283 Moving (Part 2)

"Wonderful!" Elder Madam exclaimed cheerfully. "Huguang is a land teeming with fish, and Wuchang is a major crossroads linking nine provinces—what a splendid place!"

Lady Xiang replied modestly, "It is all thanks to His Majesty's grace."

Elder Madam smiled.

Lady Xiang then brought up the matter of selling the properties. "They are all ancestral estates, and all told, there are about a dozen. The houses are four or five decades old. Though the locations are good, the buildings have fallen into disrepair. Even if we wait until the end of the year, we’d only fetch a mere hundred taels extra." She glanced at Second Madam with a smile. "This time, I also wanted to discuss with my sister-in-law (married-out daughter) which properties to keep and which to sell."

Her tone suggested she highly valued Second Madam’s opinion. However, Second Madam was a married woman, and this was a family matter of the Xiangs. Discussing it in front of Elder Madam seemed somewhat inappropriate.

Eleven Miss looked toward Second Madam.

She caught a fleeting sharpness in Second Madam’s eyes before a faint smile appeared. "I’m not well-versed in such matters. If you’re worried about getting a poor price, the steward assigned to me by Lord Xu is quite shrewd. I can have him visit tomorrow. You can consult him if you’re uncertain about anything." She made it clear she wanted to drop the subject and instructed her maid, Jiexiang, "Go see if the uncle and Lord Xu have finished their conversation. It’s been years since Elder Madam last saw Yi Jia—he should come and pay his respects."

Jiexiang hurried off.

Elder Madam also sensed Second Madam’s displeasure and chimed in amiably, "Old folks like me enjoy a lively crowd. I’d love to see Yi Jia again. I remember last time he was only this tall…" She gestured with her hand. "He must be a young man now, right?"

Lady Xiang smiled. "He’s already taller than me!"

Just then, a maid announced, "Elder Madam, the second young master, fourth young master, fifth young master, and eldest daughter have arrived!"

"Let them in!" Elder Madam beamed. She turned to Lady Xiang. "These are my grandchildren—let me introduce them to you." She glanced at the three Xiang daughters. "They just moved yesterday and took a day off from their studies to rest at home."

Before she finished speaking, Xu Siyu and the others filed in one after another.

Lady Xiang looked at Xu Siyu. "This must be Yuge, right? Though it’s been years, he still looks much like he did as a child." Then she smiled at Zhun'er. "And this one was still a babe in arms last time!"

"Exactly!" Elder Madam laughed. Eleven Miss introduced the children to Lady Xiang.

Lady Xiang gifted the children jade pendants as tokens of meeting.

The children bowed in thanks, and Lady Xiang had the three Xiang daughters greet Xu Siyu and the others, while the eldest son of the Xiang family came to pay respects to Elder Madam.

For a while, the room was filled with cheerful chatter. The adults exchanged pleasantries, while the children each had their own quirks.

The eldest and second Xiang daughters sat demurely looking straight ahead, their gazes fixed forward. The third Xiang daughter, however, kept stealing sidelong glances at Xu Siyu, who sat across from her, sitting with eyes downcast, perfectly composed, his posture straight as a pine. Nearby, Zhenjie and Zhun'er listened attentively to the adults’ conversation. The eldest Xiang son, sitting opposite them, kept observing Zhenjie from the corner of his eye. Only little Xu Sijie, completely engrossed in munching sweets, seemed entirely carefree.

********

After lunch, Lady Xiang took the children to Second Madam’s quarters. Eleven Miss attended to Elder Madam’s rest and was about to return to her own courtyard when Amber approached. "Abbess Jining sent you some good luck charms. When she found you weren’t home, she walked around the courtyard. She said the apricot trees near the lakeside pavilion should be replaced with locust trees, and the goldfish you keep on the heated platform by the window should be moved to the southeast corner of the main hall… I heard Fifth Madam pays her a hundred taels for a single blessing ceremony. I didn’t dare say yes or no and said we’d have to wait for your return before moving anything."

Eleven Miss pondered. "When in Rome, we must follow local customs. But we also can’t let her take advantage too easily. Be careful these days—avoid letting me cross paths with her, but don’t offend her either."

Amber acknowledged the order.

Eleven Miss decided to rest with the children in Zhun'er’s room. Later, she played leaf cards with Elder Madam, had her laughing uproariously.

By dusk, Nurse Zhuang went to Shaohua Courtyard to invite Second Madam and the Xiang family for dinner. Elder Madam took the opportunity to ask Lady Xiang to bring the children for a meal at the Angling Pavilion the next day. "Fourth Young Master is having his courtyard renovated and has temporarily moved to the Angling Pavilion. I thought, since it’s been years since anyone lived there, we should liven the place up. Along with our family, the Luo aunts will also be there—all familiar faces. You should join us too."

Lady Xiang seemed to consider it, but when her husband’s sister added, "Wuchang is thousands of miles away—who knows when we’ll meet again? Sister-in-law, bring Yi Jia and the children tomorrow for some fun," she no longer hesitated.

"We’re grateful for your generosity, Elder Madam. Tomorrow, I’ll bring the children to impose on you and Fourth Madam!" She nodded warmly at Eleven Miss, her attitude friendly.

"You’re more than welcome—it’s no imposition at all!" Eleven Miss replied politely.

The children brightened up—all except Xu Siyu.

After seeing off the guests, Eleven Miss returned to her quarters. Not long after, Lord Xu returned as well.

Elevenniang helped him change clothes, and he spoke of Lord Xiang: "...When Lord Xiang's father was alive, he was upright, resolute, and self-disciplined, caring nothing for nobles or scholars, which offended many. Lord Xiang inherited no advantages from his father but instead faced many troubles. Yet in just ten years, he rose from a seventh-rank county magistrate to a fourth-rank prefect. That’s no small achievement."

This was the first time she had heard about Lord Xiang's father.

Elevenniang couldn't help but picture a rigid, principled scholar in her mind.

She told Lord Xu about elder madam inviting Lady Xiang and the children to visit.

"They rarely come, so make sure they’re well hosted," Lord Xu said. "Second sister-in-law’s been on her own all this time, and it hasn’t been easy for her. We must reassure the Xiang family."

From Lord Xu's words, Elevenniang understood that he had been very close to his late second brother, Xu Ling'an, and that Second Madam had helped elder madam manage the household during its most difficult times. No matter how one looked at it, Lord Xu wanted Second Madam to live well—a feeling she understood well.

"Rest assured, my lord, I understand."

Elevenniang nodded, recalling Lady Xiang's tactless comments and the sharpness in Second Madam's eyes, and told Lord Xu about the Xiang family selling their house: "...Should we look into it quietly? If the Xiang family is truly in trouble, my lord, perhaps you could lend a hand?"

"This is the first I've heard of it," Lord Xu mused. "The Xiang family has been in officialdom for generations, and Lord Xiang's career has been smooth in recent years. Logically, they shouldn’t face financial difficulties..." Then he looked up. "I’ll see to it."

After a few more casual exchanges, the couple retired for the night.

The next morning, Elevenniang dressed in an off-white jacket and a rust-red skirt embroidered with lilies and honeysuckle vines, her hair twisted up simply and adorned with a pair of southern pearl hairpins. She went to the festooned gate to welcome Elder Madam Luo, Fourth Madam Luo, Twelve Miss, and Brother Rui to the waterside pavilion.

Xu Siyu and Chun Ge had gone to school, while Zhenjie led Xu Sijie to wait at the pavilion. When everyone met, laughter and chatter naturally followed.

Elevenniang took her two sisters-in-law on a tour of her residence.

The three main rooms behind the pavilion were arranged with the west side serving as the inner chamber and the east as the storeroom. Lord Xu's study was set up in the rear annex. Opening the side windows of the pavilion offered a view of the mountains and lake along the Biyi River.

"A perfect retreat for summer!" Elder Madam Luo kept nodding.

Fifth Madam arrived.

"I can’t eat meat," she greeted the Luo ladies with a smile, then pulled Elevenniang aside and whispered, "You’ll have to excuse me."

Elevenniang knew that Master Jining was performing rituals at her place these days and nodded understandingly. "Your business comes first. It’s just less lively without you and your husband."

"I’ll trouble Fourth Sister-in-law for company once this period passes," Fifth Madam said politely, leaving two small jars of imperial wine *Jinpanlu* before making small talk with the Luo ladies and returning to her courtyard surrounded by maids and older women.

Second Madam brought elder madam over.

Noticing the wine Fifth Madam had left, elder madam nodded slightly and engaged Elder Madam Luo and Fourth Madam Luo in conversation, while Twelve Miss and Zhenjie took Brother Rui and Brother Jie to play in the pavilion nearby.

Lady Xiang arrived with her daughters.

"Taking advantage of our stay in Yanjing, my husband took Yijia to call on old friends for some guidance on his studies," she explained her son's absence.

"Fathers always wish their sons could rise to greatness in a single step!" elder madam laughed. "Our Yuge and Chun Ge also had to attend school today!" She then asked about Xiang Yijia. "Is he preparing for the exams next year?"

Xiang Yijia had earned his xiucai degree last autumn.

Lady Xiang replied modestly, "My husband wants him to try," though she couldn’t hide a touch of pride.

"Then it’s wise to seek connections," elder madam agreed. "With guidance from Lord Xiang’s old friends, the boy won’t be left clueless."

"Exactly as elder madam says," Lady Xiang chatted amiably while Second Madam, Elder Madam Luo, and Fourth Madam Luo sat nearby. Meanwhile, the young ladies made polite, slightly stiff conversation.

Elevenniang gave a small, private nod, quietly managing the tea and refreshments.

By noon, Xu Siyu and Chun Ge returned from school, and they set two tables in the pavilion’s main room.

After a lively meal, Song Mama attended to Xu Siyu, Chun Ge, and Jie Ge as they rested at Lijing Pavilion, while Jie Xiang took care of Zhenjie, Twelfth Sister, and the three young ladies from the Xiang family at Shaohua Courtyard. The adults moved to the main hall behind the waterside pavilion to play cards.

Fourth Madam Luo declined to join the game, offering her seat to the second madam instead. "You sisters-in-law rarely get to see each other, unlike us, who come and go as we please." She then sat beside the elder madam. "Let me help you with your cards."

Delighted by her considerate remark, the elder madam took her hand. "Good, good, good. You help me with the cards. Let's see if we can beat all three of them."

Everyone laughed and settled comfortably at the table.

At one point during the game, a maid brought in a platter of assorted fruits.

Fourth Madam Luo stood to take the tray from the maid and placed it beside the elder madam. She then asked the maid to show her to the privy but cast a meaningful glance at Eleven Miss.