Chapter 470

Chapter 477: Situation (Part 1)

The Old Madame nodded approvingly.

Though there were distinctions between close and distant relatives, one shouldn’t make them too obvious.

“As long as you’re aware,” the Old Madame said with a smile, sitting down on the heated platform bed by the window.

Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie ran over. “Grandmother, grandmother!” They bowed in greeting.

The Old Madame looked at the two children and chuckled, then took Jin, who had just been crying, from Gu Ma’s arms. “What’s wrong? Who bullied our Jin? Tell Grandmother—I’ll teach them a lesson!” She added, “Our Jin looks even more handsome in this little outfit.” With that, she kissed Jin on the cheek.

Jin stared at the Old Madame with his big, teary eyes, now shining like polished onyx after being washed by tears.

The Old Madame adored him and kissed his cheek again. Then she asked Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie, “Why are you two pestering your mother again?”

Xu Sizhun quickly replied, “Mother said she’s better now. We can have lunch here every day from now on!”

The Old Madame glanced at Lady Eleven.

Lady Eleven smiled. “It’s just lunch, and there are maidservants and older women to help. Mother, don’t worry.”

The Old Madame noticed that while she and Lady Eleven were talking, Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie had already started playing with Jin—one grabbing his hand, the other yanking his arm. She shook her head lightly with a smile. “You indulge them too much.”

Lady Eleven laughed. “Shouldn’t children be spoiled? Besides, Chun and Jie are so well-behaved. Even if I wanted to spoil them, I doubt it would do any harm.”

Just then, the ladies arrived.

Seeing the Old Madame, Lady Wen seemed a bit reserved, Qiao Lianfang was unaffectedly elegant, while Yang Shi appeared very respectful.

“We heard that you’ve moved back to the main residence and came to see if you needed anything,” Yang Shi said with a smile, stepping forward when the atmosphere grew awkward, while Lady Wen stayed silent. “If there’s anything you need, just say the word.”

“There’s nothing for now,” Lady Eleven replied. “The underfloor heating in the main residence has been kept warm, and Xiu Lian and the others have helped clean up the dust.” She picked up her teacup, a subtle gesture of dismissal. “If anything comes up, I’ll certainly ask for your assistance.”

The three concubines curtsied and filed out.

The Old Madame watched Yang Shi’s retreating figure, hesitating as if she wanted to say something.

Yang Shi still hadn’t shared Lord Xu’s bed—something many in the household knew, let alone the Old Madame.

Lady Eleven had suffered a difficult pregnancy, and Lord Xu had been especially attentive, staying by her side. Then came the difficult birth, followed by the child’s health issues, and now she needed years to recover from postpartum hemorrhage. By the standards of a dutiful wife, she should have arranged for concubines to serve him, especially on the nights meant for her own quarters. Yet Lord Xu kept to her chambers…

She turned a blind eye.

“Mother, have you eaten yet? If not, why not join us?” Lady Eleven said cheerfully, holding Xu Sijie’s hand and resting an arm on Xu Sizhun’s shoulder. “We haven’t had lunch either!”

The Old Madame smiled. “Alright, then have your kitchen prepare me some soup of aged duck with dried bamboo.”

It was her favorite dish.

Lady Eleven agreed with a smile and instructed Zhuxiang to arrange the meal.

Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie crowded around, one clamoring for “Dragon Well shrimp” and the other for “rose-scented pastries.” The Old Madame laughed heartily and teased the oblivious Jin, “Look at your fifth brother—all he craves are sweet buns and meat pies!”

Xu Sijie’s love for meat buns was well-known in the household. He lowered his head sheepishly.

Lady Eleven patted his head and whispered in his ear, “I love meat buns too.” Xu Sijie looked up, his cheeks flushed but his eyes sparkling.

Two days later, Lady Eleven went to Count Zhongqin’s residence to present a dowry gift for Miss Xian.

Lady Gan came out with a beaming smile. "Despite your poor health, you still came in person—I truly don’t know what to say!" Miss Eleven replied politely, "For Xián Jie’s wedding, I simply had to come no matter what."

The two of them chatted as they entered the main hall of the house.

Seated in the hall were two unfamiliar women, both around eighteen or nineteen years old. One was dressed luxuriously but had plain features, while the other wore simple attire but had a strikingly beautiful face. They sat side by side on the grand chairs, conversing, yet the atmosphere in the room felt somewhat chilly.

Miss Eleven couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

Lady Gan smiled and introduced them, "These two are sisters-in-law from our seventh aunt’s family." She pointed to the plain-looking one, "This is Yang Shi, the Liang family’s Third Wife," then to the other, "And this is Huang Shi, the Liang family’s Second Wife." As she spoke, both women’s gazes simultaneously landed on Miss Eleven.

Miss Eleven had lost weight recently, so today she had deliberately styled her hair in a drooping bun and wore a lake-green jacket with grass-green borders, paired with a twelve-pleated skirt embroidered with plum blossoms in lake-green. Despite the winter chill, she appeared graceful and poised. She also wore a garnet bracelet wrapped seven or eight times around her wrist, adding a soft allure to her elegance.

Yang Shi’s eyes revealed a hint of envy, while Huang Shi’s gaze held a trace of suspicion. Lady Gan introduced Miss Eleven, "This is Lady Yongping, Luo Shi. She just gave birth a few days ago and ended her postpartum confinement just to attend Xián Jie’s bridal trousseau gathering." Her tone carried a note of pride.

Miss Eleven greeted the two with a smile.

A flicker of jealousy flashed in Yang Shi’s eyes, while Huang Shi drew herself up, chin raised, with an air of arrogance.

Miss Eleven glanced at Yang Shi, a sly glint in her gaze. She then turned to Huang Shi and said, "I didn’t expect to meet Magistrate Huang’s daughter here."

Huang Shi looked slightly surprised.

Miss Eleven continued, "My family home is in Yuhang. When your grandfather held his birthday banquet, my elder brother went to pay respects on my father’s behalf."

Huang Shi’s expression softened with familiarity. "So you’re from Yuhang? I was accompanying my father on his post at the time."

"Fate works in funny ways," Miss Eleven said with a smile. "We didn’t know each other then, yet we’ve met here in Yanjing."

Huang Shi’s smile grew warmer.

"Since you’re old acquaintances, please sit down and chat," Lady Gan urged warmly, inviting them to take their seats.

Miss Eleven asked about Lán Tíng, "…Why isn’t she here?"

"She’s speaking with her elder brother," Lady Gan replied, signaling a maid to serve tea and snacks.

Miss Eleven then struck up a conversation with Huang Shi about Jiangnan, unaware she was sidelining Yang Shi.

Yang Shi’s face clouded over.

Huang Shi noticed and seemed pleased, engaging even more enthusiastically with Miss Eleven.

Yang Shi’s face grew increasingly sullen.

After all, they were guests. If this continued and Yang Shi made a scene, it would reflect poorly on the Gan family.

The thought crossed Miss Eleven’s mind just as she was about to say something to Yang Shi—when Lán Tíng walked in.

She wore a peach brocade jacket, her hair in a coiled updo adorned with gold-leaf earrings and pins. Her face was tense, her brows slightly furrowed, giving her a stern appearance.

Upon seeing Miss Eleven, she lit up, her usual cheer returning.

"Miss Eleven, you came!" Lán Tíng hurried forward to take her hand. "I heard Dr. Liu visits you every five days for checkups. How is your health?"

"Gradually improving," Miss Eleven replied briefly, dodging further details.

Lán Tíng nodded and let it drop.

Ten Miss proposed visiting Elder Madam Gan.

Lady Gan showed no surprise—everyone knew that Elder Madam Gan and Eleven Miss were business partners and had made a fortune.

Lan Ting quickly said, “I was summoned by my eldest brother as soon as I got back and haven't yet paid my respects to Mother.” Then she added, “Let’s go see her together!”

Lady Gan appeared somewhat reluctant but still sent a young servant girl to lead them to Elder Madam Gan.

As they walked, Eleven Miss asked Lan Ting, “I heard from your sister-in-law that your elder brother sent for you. Is it still about the Zhou Quan matter?”

Perhaps because she was with a trusted friend, Lan Ting’s face fell. “…He even said he couldn’t help with such a small matter. How could he explain it to the Gong family? I advised him not to do business with the Gongs—their family is powerful and wealthy, so losing a ship at sea is like losing a single hair to them. But for our family, it’s a serious loss. If anything happens, regret would be too late. But my brother wouldn’t listen to a word of it. There’s nothing I can do. It’s truly exhausting.” She continued, “You’ve seen it too. Though there are only three sisters-in-law in our household, each marches to her own drum. If I ask for favors for my family’s sake, they’d surely find out immediately. How could I maintain my dignity then?”

Before Eleven Miss could respond, they had already arrived at the entrance of Elder Madam Gan’s courtyard.

The two stopped their conversation and followed the maid inside.

Elder Madam Gan was delighted to see them. Smiling, she clasped Ten Miss’s hands. “Lately, I’ve heard people say you had a difficult birth, then that you suffered a hemorrhage—the rumors were so contradictory. I sent someone to inquire, but they couldn’t get a clear answer. I’ve been worried every day—what exactly happened?”

Eleven Miss reassured her with a smile, “…It’s nothing, just a false alarm.”

Relieved to hear everything was fine, Elder Madam Gan’s expression relaxed, and she turned to ask Lan Ting about herself.

“I’m doing well too,” Lan Ting replied indifferently. After a few polite words, she rose to excuse herself.

Eleven Miss, concerned about Jin Geer, also prepared to leave. After saying, “I’ll visit again next time,” she and Lan Ting exited Elder Madam’s courtyard.

The weather was clear that day, the sunlight gentle yet bright on their faces, not harsh but comforting.

Lan Ting’s steps slowed as she said softly, “Yesterday, I received a letter from Third Sister’s personal maid, saying she was pregnant.”

“Conceiving so soon after marriage—that’s wonderful news!”

But why did Lan Ting’s expression seem so strange?

Just as Eleven Miss wondered, she heard Lan Ting murmur, “But then she had a miscarriage because of Xiao An’s provocation.”

“Ah!” Eleven Miss couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.

Lan Ting halted as well.

She looked at Eleven Miss with a bitter smile. “I didn’t expect my elder brother to confront the Jiang family, just wanted him to write a letter reprimanding them. But who knew…” Lan Ting turned her face away, her eyes glistening.

So that’s why she chose today to return to her maiden home for Sister Xian’s trousseau preparations?