Chapter 365: Offended Xu Wu and still want to be okay? [Thanks to everyone for your support]

At the hour of Chen (after 8:00 AM)

The sky was clear for ten thousand miles.

Southeast of the Imperial Palace.

The green trees near the corner tower were shaded,

A few spots of sunlight were scattered between two willow trees by the road,

Beside a dark carriage that was sleek and beautifully decorated, Fan Mama was looking into the distance.

After discovering two carriages driving toward this side, Fan Mama pinched her handkerchief and walked forward two steps, which put her in the morning sunlight.

Fan Mama hurriedly raised her hand to shield her eyes from the dazzling sunlight.

After seeing the carriages clearly, Fan Mama returned to the carriage and said: "Miss, Miss Zhengzheng is here."

Zhang Wu Niang of the British Xiao Xiao Gongye's Zhang family opened her mouth, yawned, and lifted the carriage curtain.

After seeing Fan Mama's look, Wuniang hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand to save her demeanor.

Before long,

The Chai family's carriage arrived beside the willow trees, and the maid following them was holding a basket of fresh flowers, which at a glance still had traces of dew on the branches and leaves.

Chai Zhengzheng lifted the carriage curtain and waved to Wuniang in the other carriage: "Wuniang, why did you come so early?"

Zhang Wu Niang's eyes rolled and she said: "I got up early!"

Chai Zhengzheng laughed: "Good, come with me!"

At this time, Fan Mama came to Chai Zhengzheng's carriage and whispered:

"Miss Chai, Wuniang practiced sword for a while this morning. Hearing the Duchess say she should practice needlework for a while longer, she ran out with the excuse of having an appointment with you. She hasn't even had breakfast yet!"

"This servant originally wanted to buy something to eat, but my young lady kept saying she wasn't hungry."

Chai Zhengzheng heard this, nodded with a smile, and whispered: "Fan Mama, don't worry, leave it to me."

Fan Mama bowed: "Sorry to trouble you, Miss."

"Mama, you are too polite."

After speaking, in the Zhang family carriage, Wuniang suddenly lifted the curtain: "By the way, Zhengzheng, I'm not hungry!"

Chai Zhengzheng replied: "I'm not hungry either! Let's go!"

Afterward, the carriages continued to move forward,

And the second carriage following Chai Zhengzheng stopped. After the Zhang family carriage walked to the middle, it followed.

On the way to the Chai family's shop, Chai family maids would occasionally approach the carriage where Chai Zhengzheng was, and leave after receiving instructions.

After walking for less than two quarters of an hour, the group arrived at the shop selling scholar's supplies under Zhengzheng's name.

Chai family maids Fuyi and Ziteng got off the carriage first and entered the shop.

Today, because they were receiving female guests, the shopkeeper had been replaced by a female manager.

"Greetings, Miss Fuyi, Miss Ziteng."

The two maids bowed slightly in return, then walked straight to the second floor accompanied by Ding Mama.

Fuyi saw that the windows facing the street on the second floor were covered with thin gauze, nodded, then stepped forward to carefully check and sniff, and then used a handkerchief to wipe the window lattices and railings.

Ziteng approached the tables and chairs, used her handkerchief to carefully touch the hard-to-clean corners of the table, looked at the handkerchief on her fingertips, and then approached the tables and chairs to sniff.

Afterward, the two looked at each other and nodded: they were wiped very carefully and cleanly.

"Ding Mama has been diligent."

"Thank you for the praise, two Misses."

The two maids went downstairs, and after reporting, Chai Zhengzheng and Wuniang got off the carriage.

When getting off the carriage, Wuniang also curiously glanced at the woman wearing a veil and holding a pipa who had gotten off the carriage behind.

The group entered the door,

The sturdy maids of the Chai and Zhang families, who had some martial arts skills, stood at the door.

Not long after Chai Zhengzheng and Wuniang went upstairs, the Chai family maids who had left on the road also returned to this place.

The maids had more bamboo baskets in their hands, and after passing through the shop's main hall, they entered the backyard.

A Mama who had been by Madam Chai's side for many years walked out of the very clean and tidy kitchen, looked at the neat backyard, and nodded with approval.

"Didn't say we were going to use the kitchen, yet it was cleaned so cleanly, truly not bad!"

Then this Mama opened her arms, and a little maid to the side began to help her tidy up her wide sleeves and tie her apron.

A clean-looking Mama from the Zhang family walked over:

"This old sister, just now Fan Mama gave instructions, Wuniang likes anything with meat filling."

Chai Mama said: "Then please, sister, come and give me a hand!"

This Zhang family Mama nodded, and the kitchen began to get busy.

In the shop,

Chai Zhengzheng and Wuniang were strolling on the first floor,

Wuniang would occasionally pick up paper, brushes, and inkstones to look at them for a few moments.

Suddenly, Wuniang's eyes lit up, she walked forward two steps, and picked up a "thin bamboo" about a foot long, sharpened at the front, and tied with a red string at the back, about the thickness of a little finger:

"Zhengzheng, what is this thing?"

Chai Zhengzheng walked over, picked up another "thin bamboo" to look at it, and said:

"Wuniang, this is a hard pen from the Northwest. They say people in the Bai Gao Kingdom use this thing dipped in ink to write, and it's named 'Bamboo Pen', with a unique font and style."

"It's not often seen in our Great Zhou. The purchasing manager in the Northwest saw this thing was novel, so he brought in a hundred."

Wuniang nodded as if she understood.

Chai Zhengzheng held the bamboo pen and continued: "Look, this sharpened pen tip here was originally the bamboo node of this thin bamboo, and a slit was even split in the middle."

Wuniang blinked and said: "Is it because the bamboo node is harder?"

Chai Zhengzheng laughed: "Wuniang is truly amazing!"

"Hmm, I want ten. When I have time, I'll have someone send them to Brother Zheng Xiao to see."

Chai Zhengzheng glanced at the shop's female manager.

Ding Mama nodded to indicate she had received the order.

Afterward, the two noble ladies went to the second floor together.

Looking at Wei Fangzhi, who was wearing a veil behind the screen on the second floor, Wuniang whispered beside Chai Zhengzheng: "Zhengzheng, what does that woman do?"

"A musician invited by the family, her pipa playing is unique."

As they spoke, Wuniang looked around. Upstairs were the incense burners, thin gauze, and porcelain vases and bamboo baskets with fresh flowers that she usually saw... as well as various cloth dolls placed on the armchairs.

Looking at the hug pillows with various styles and pleasing shapes, Wuniang's eyes widened.

"Wow! Zhengzheng, where were these made?"

Before the words fell, Zhang Wu Niang was already playing with a silk doll in the same style as "Little Peach Tiger."

Chai Zhengzheng laughed: "I saw them when I went to play in Sister Tingyi's courtyard before. I collected other patterns and made these."

"In a few days, the room next to this shop will be renovated, and these things will be sold. For those who want to do it themselves, we will also provide some cut fabric and weighed cotton wool."

Wuniang nodded and said: "Hmm, when the time comes, I'll buy some and have the maids in my room make a few."

With the time on the road, plus the time spent turning around in the shop, Wuniang felt the hunger in her stomach.

Wuniang pursed her lips, thinking of what she had said to Zhengzheng before, she sat on the chair powerlessly and annoyedly, and grabbed a handful of dried fruits from the fruit plate on the table and chewed them carefully.

Seeing this, Fan Mama, who was standing to the side, curled her lips.

Wuniang looked at the maids in the room again; they were all the two's personal maids, so she whispered: "By the way, Zhengzheng, I heard that a few days ago your brother..."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded and said: "The one behind the screen is her. Mother made the decision to take both her deed of sale and her household registration."

Wuniang: "Ah? I know the deed of sale, what is the household registration?"

Just as Chai Zhengzheng was explaining, at the stairs, the maids walked up carrying trays.

Wuniang sniffed and leaned forward to look: "Zhengzheng, it's so fragrant!"

Chai Zhengzheng looked at Wuniang's little gluttonous cat-like appearance and pursed her lips into a smile.

As the lid of the jade-like porcelain bowl was opened, the large, round-bellied wontons in the snow-white porcelain bowl moved slightly, and there were a few drops of golden sesame oil on the soup.

Beside the tray were a few small porcelain plates containing small dried shrimp, coriander, pickles, pickled radishes, and scallion-mixed tofu...

On the second floor, the smell of wontons and sesame oil drifted away.

After Wuniang swallowed her saliva fiercely, she forced herself to look elsewhere.

Chai Zhengzheng held back her laughter and said: "Wuniang, I felt a bit hungry on the road, and seeing that the cook made a bit too many wontons, why don't you help me eat some?"

Wuniang's eyes glanced at the large bowl: "Alright, I'll eat a tiny bit for you, Zhengzheng!"

A few breaths later, Wuniang's voice came:

"Hoo hoo... Lamb filling?! I like it!"

When Wuniang burped and watched the maids take away the porcelain bowls.

It was already the hour of Si (after 9:30 AM).

Soon,

Gu Tingyi brought her maids to the second floor. Seeing Wuniang, she complained and scolded her, blaming Wuniang, who was also in Xingguofang, for not waiting for her and coming first.

As for the cloth dolls and such, she wasn't as rare as Wuniang, after all, Gu Tingyi had seen plenty of them at her sister-in-law Pingmei's place.

Half a quarter of an hour later, the six daughters of the Lu family of the Xiao Xiao Gongye of Lian and Rong Feiyan came to the second floor together; both families were located on the north side of the east side of the Imperial City.

Looking at the cloth dolls on the chairs on the second floor, Rong Feiyan blinked and looked at the maid beside her. The maid hurriedly nodded, indicating she could make them.

The last to arrive were the Li family of the Minister of Personnel, the Li family's fifth daughter who was nearsighted from reading too much.

After everyone had arrived, amidst the soft and relaxing pipa music.

Everyone was chattering on the second floor,

Sometimes talking about how the corn spread by the Xu family of the Marquis of Yongyi was, and what other crops it could be planted with;

Sometimes exchanging how much produce their own or their own manors had produced and what the price was;

Most of these were things they had learned and heard from their mothers.

Of course, there were also the essential topics of burning incense, flower arranging, tea making, and hanging paintings.

After these were finished,

At lunch,

The maids of several families were arranging the dishes brought from the nearby Pan Tower onto the table.

The young ladies took their seats; there was no rule of not talking while eating for gatherings and outings.

The fifth daughter of the Li family recommended several novel scripts from the Southern Opera troupe to everyone.

The six daughters of the Lu family brought several jars of new sweet wine that their relatives at home had sent and that they thought tasted very good.

The Mamas poured this sweet wine into wine cups, and after everyone took a small sip, their eyes lit up.

Zhang Wu Niang said:

"Sister Lu, the taste of this wine is truly not bad! Which relative brewed it? I'll have my family buy a few jars later!"

The six daughters of the Lu family laughed in unison, and the eldest daughter said: "It's the Li family, the maternal grandfather of our family's Zongge'er!"

Just as everyone was talking about the fabric of a certain cloth doll on the chair, a huge commotion suddenly came from outside the building, separated by a thin gauze.

A commotion attracted everyone to look outside one after another.

"Fan Mama, send someone to ask what happened!"

"Yes, Miss!"

When the maids had cleaned up the table and the noble ladies were drinking digestive tea, Fan Mama went to the second floor.

"Fan Mama, have you found out the reason for what happened?"

Zhang Wu Niang asked.

Fan Mama bowed to the ladies and said:

"Returning to Miss, I've inquired, it seems to be the Tan family of the Xiao Xiao Gongye of An in Chunmingfang in the south, who sent servants to the north to find a physician. Listening to the words, it seems like someone elderly in the mansion is not feeling well."

Hearing this, the young ladies looked at each other in surprise.

The fifth daughter of the Li family narrowed her eyes and said in confusion: "This, why doesn't the Xiao Xiao Gongye's mansion look for an Imperial Physician?"

Rong Feiyan had a look of contemplation in her eyes and said hesitantly:

"I see, the Tan family should be going along the north-south Zhao Ten Thousand Street to near the Old Fengqiu Gate in the north of the inner city to invite the Gold-Purple Medical Officer who serves in the palace."

"That's why they passed by nearby."

Hearing Rong Feiyan's words, everyone nodded in agreement.

Chai Zhengzheng turned sideways and whispered: "Sister Tingyi, how old is the Old Xiao Xiao Gongye of An?"

Gu Tingyi said: "Nearly seventy."

At the end of the hour of Wei (3:00 PM)

The noble ladies were preparing to leave.

After watching Gu Tingyi and the two Wuniangs leave together, Chai Zhengzheng boarded the carriage with Rong Feiyan and the Lu family daughters and drove north.

In the carriage,

The maid Miss Yun Mu whispered: "Miss, that Great Gao sword that Qiao Jiulang pawned in the pawnshop has been redeemed by the Qiao family."

"Not Qiao Jiulang?"

"No, it's the Master of the Qiao family."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded.

In the evening,

The Xu brothers returned home from school and waited for dinner in their mother's courtyard.

"After your sister learned about the Tan family from Tingyi, she sent someone to tell me."

Listening to Madam Sun's words, Xu Zaijing asked: "Mother, do you know which member of the Tan family is not feeling well?"

Madam Sun shook her head.

At this time,

Dan Mama walked in from outside the door and looked at everyone in the hall: "Madam, a Mama from the Lu family of the Xiao Xiao Gongye of Lian has come."

"Please invite her in!"

Madam Sun waved her hand again, and those in the hall who were not personal maids left the room.

After a while, a decent-looking Mama walked in, pinching a handkerchief.

After bowing to Madam Sun, she smiled at Xu Zaijing; she was the personal Mama of the Lu family's eldest grandson, Xu Zaijing's sworn brother.

"Madam, my Old Madam asked me to bring a message."

"Mama, please sit."

Watching Cuichan beside Hualan about to move an embroidered stool over.

The Lu family Mama waved her hand: "Madam, I'll leave after I finish speaking, so I won't sit."

As she spoke, Cuichan had already placed the embroidered stool beside the Mama.

Madam Sun reached out: "Mama, please sit down and speak."

The Lu family Mama gave a wry smile and responded, then continued:

"Madam, our family received news that the Old Madam of the Xiao Xiao Gongye of An is not feeling well."

Madam Sun nodded and asked: "Nothing serious, right?"

The Lu family Mama didn't speak.

"Alright, I know, thank the Xiao Xiao Gongye and Old Madam for me."

The Lu family Mama stood up with a smile and nodded: "Madam, then I'll take my leave."

Everyone stood up, and Madam Sun said: "Mama, walk slowly. Brother Jing, see her off."

"Yes, Mother. Mama, this way."

After leaving the hall,

Xu Zaijing accompanied his sworn brother's personal Mama as they walked.

"Mama, how is Zongge'er recently?"

"Very good, recently he's been arguing with the Eldest Madam about wanting to ride a horse."

Xu Zaijing laughed: "Mama, go back and tell the Old Madam and Eldest Madam that Zongge'er can come home to ride a horse whenever he has time."

"Yes, I will definitely bring the words."

Huihefang

Mansion of the Xiao Xiao Gongye of Lian

The Lu family Mama got off the carriage at the second gate,

When she arrived at the courtyard where the Old Xiao Xiao Gongye and his wife were, the maid at the door announced her.

After entering the room, the Lu family Mama discovered that the Lu family's third son, the Imperial Son-in-law, and the Princess were both there, and there were very few maids serving in the room.

This Mama bowed to everyone present, and after relaying Xu Zaijing's words, she left the room with the excuse of going to see Lu Zezong.

Seeing that there was no one else in the room,

The Lu family's third son, who had married the Princess, exchanged a look with the Princess and continued: "Father, Mother, the high-ranking Eunuch in the palace only told the son that we should get closer to the Xu family's Fifth Young Master."

The Princess to the side said: "Is it... wanting our family's eldest daughter and Brother Jing... to discuss marriage?"

Lu Zezong's mother, Madam Li, nodded in agreement.

The Xiao Xiao Gongye of Lian stroked his graying beard, exchanged a look with the Old Madam to the side, and shook his head:

"If it were really like that, the Emperor would have directly granted the marriage, why would he need to send a high-ranking Eunuch to pass the message!"

Suddenly, the Xiao Xiao Gongye of Lian was stunned, and a somewhat helpless smile appeared on his face.

The Princess to the side looked at the Old Xiao Xiao Gongye's expression and hurriedly said: "Father-in-law, what have you thought of?"

The Old Xiao Xiao Gongye of Lian was a staunch supporter of the current Emperor back then. When the Princess married down, the Emperor also exhorted her to call the elders by their titles at home.

The Xiao Xiao Gongye of Lian nodded and said: "It's that old boy, the Marquis of Xiangyang, when we were drinking a few days ago..."

"After he let it slip, that old boy almost knelt down and begged me not to tell anyone. I thought he was just drunk."

"Since the Emperor has sent an Eunuch, you two prepare and give it a try."

The couple bowed and agreed.

Afterward, the Princess said: "Father-in-law, then the Old Madam of the Xiao Xiao Gongye of An..."

The Xiao Xiao Gongye of Lian's eyes turned cold, and he shook his head and whispered: "Hmph, who knew that after the Imperial City Division bluffed, she would be scared like this."

"It looks like in a few days, she might 'die of illness'."

Hearing this, the Lu family members in the room all showed surprise.

The Old Madam of the Xiao Xiao Gongye of Lian said hesitantly: "Is it related to the first baby boy the Empress miscarried more than ten years ago?"

The Xiao Xiao Gongye of Lian nodded.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 366 =====