Chapter 401: Happy events for several families [Many thanks

Around Jiying Lane, the sound of fireworks and firecrackers began to increase.

Sheng family

Weirui Pavilion

"Take care, Physician!"

Changbai stood in front of Liu Mama and Fang Mama and bowed.

The physician carried his medicine box, bowed, and turned to leave.

"Bo-ge'er, I'll go report to the Old Madam first."

"Fang Mama, go ahead."

Fang Mama smiled, curtsied, and walked toward Shou'an Hall.

Shou'an Hall,

Fang Mama lifted the curtain and entered the main hall.

She smiled at the Old Madam who was looking over and said: "Old Madam, don't worry. The physician said Da Niangzi was hurt in spirit due to suddenly hearing great joy, leading to insufficient heart Qi and poor blood circulation."

"Da Niangzi has always been healthy; she'll be fine after recuperating for a period."

Hearing this, the Old Madam let out a breath and nodded lightly: "It's good that she's fine!"

The Old Madam looked at Minglan, who was standing to the side with wide eyes, beckoned, and signaled Minglan to come over.

After Minglan stood by her side, the Old Madam said: "Ming-er, you must remember that one must have a calm spirit when facing major events."

Minglan nodded ignorantly: "Grandmother, what is a calm spirit?"

The Old Madam looked at Minglan, her tone full of emotion: "A calm spirit... that is to be unperturbed by favor or humiliation. Don't be too happy and lose your head when facing great joy; don't be too pessimistic and desperate when the worst happens, becoming listless."

Minglan bit her lip lightly, looked at the Old Madam, and asked hesitantly: "Grandmother, why shouldn't one be pessimistic and desperate even when the worst happens?"

The Old Madam took a light breath, smiled at the corners of her mouth, and said: "Because one is still alive. The worst has already happened; compared to this, aren't all subsequent things good things?"

"The bitterness has been eaten, and sweetness is to be eaten later; why be pessimistic?"

"Some things that look like the sky is falling to you right now, think about them again in two years, hmph, they're nothing more than that."

As she spoke, the Old Madam touched Minglan's little face, then looked at Cui Mama and Fang Mama.

Minglan followed the Old Madam's gaze and looked over too.

Fang and Cui, these two mamas, have had lives that are far from smooth over these decades.

Fang Mama was born in poverty, and Cui Mama was displaced; it was only after coming to the Old Madam's side that their lives got better.

After this period,

The sound of fireworks and firecrackers in the distance and nearby became dense, as if it were the Spring Festival.

"Master is here."

As he spoke, Sheng Hong, with a full smile, lifted the curtain and walked into the main hall, bringing a slight smell of alcohol.

Sheng Hong smiled, bowed, and cupped his hands: "Mother, this child was dragged by colleagues to drink, and returned a bit late."

Minglan curtsied obediently to the side.

In a great mood, Sheng Hong smiled at Minglan.

The Old Madam nodded with a smile: "Hong-er, have you been to see Da Niangzi?"

"Ah? Mother, this child hasn't been yet."

"When can you not pay respects to me, your old woman? You knew Da Niangzi fainted and you still came to my courtyard first?"

Seeing the Old Madam's expression, Sheng Hong hurriedly stood up and said: "This child will go now."

"Wait a moment first."

Sheng Hong stopped his steps: "Mother?"

"There is such a great happy event in the court, and the Xu family has such a good thing; as relatives, our family should celebrate."

"Mother, should the celebration be low-key?"

The Old Madam waved her hand: "What low-key is needed for celebrating in one's own home? It's better for us relatives to celebrate high-key! But Hong-er, you are going to court tomorrow..."

Sheng Hong hurriedly said: "This child understands, I will definitely act low-key and carefully."

Although the Old Madam was dissatisfied with Sheng Hong's actions in the family, she still praised Sheng Hong's actions in the officialdom.

Jin'an Studio

Outside the room,

Under the eaves,

Wei Shuyi folded her hands in front of her abdomen, looking at the fireworks in the distance with a standard lady's posture.

"Little Niang, Little Niang, the fireworks over there are big!"

Sister Xiaodie beside her held Changzhen, stood on tiptoe, pointed to the distance, and shouted.

Wei Shuyi watched the brilliant fireworks slowly dissipate in the sky with a smile on her mouth. Just as she was about to withdraw her gaze, another firework exploded.

"Little Niang, this looks like even more than the fireworks for the New Year."

Wei Shuyi nodded with a smile.

Sister Xiaodie glanced at Wei Shuyi to the side and said in a low voice: "Little Niang, Sixth Young Lady came to report the good news to you so happily, how could you bear to drive her away..."

"Looking at the look in Sixth Young Lady's eyes, my heart aches."

Wei Shuyi sighed lightly: "Old Madam likes Ming-er; that is Ming-er's good fortune, especially after today."

Sister Xiaodie pursed her lips and nodded, glancing at Changzhen in her arms. Changzhen inherited the advantages of Sheng Hong and Wei Shuyi in appearance, especially his eyes, which looked exactly like Wei Shuyi's.

Sheng Changzhen twisted in Sister Xiaodie's arms: "Little Niang, hold."

Wei Shuyi to the side smiled with great relief and reached out to take her son.

"This doesn't look like his sister."

Sister Xiaodie handed Changzhen over, her expression neither happy nor angry.

"Right, although Ni-ge'er failed the exam this time, his essays are still good."

Sister Xiaodie suddenly felt uncomfortable and said: "Little Niang, how do you know if his essays are good or not?"

Wei Shuyi smiled: "Scholar Zhuang said so! Ming-er said that Xu family Zhang-ge'er specifically brought essays from the Zhu family to ask the scholar to help look at them."

"Dong"

After a slight flash, the sound of fireworks exploding came.

Sister Xiaodie lowered her head and said:

"Little Niang, he is going to be a Grand Secretary in the future. I am a maidservant with no father or mother; how am I worthy of him!"

Wei Shuyi shook her head: "If you weren't worthy, Ni Da Niangzi wouldn't keep calling you to the Zhu family."

"At your age, you can't delay any longer!"

Sister Xiaodie said in a low voice: "If I leave, who will take care of you, Little Niang..."

"I have the Old Madam and Da Niangzi protecting me; can I be short of maidservants?"

"I won't marry!"

After speaking, Sister Xiaodie was about to turn around, but was grabbed by Wei Shuyi.

"Er Ya!"

Sister Xiaodie stopped her steps.

"Er Ya, ever since my family had an accident and I sold myself, you have been by my side. We are called master and servant, but it's better to call us sisters..."

"Before, whether it was in Quanzhou or Yang Zhou, you took care of me like a sister..."

Sister Xiaodie, with her back to Wei Shuyi, raised her sleeve and wiped the corner of her eye.

"Ni family's eldest young lady is a Viscount's wife, and Ni-ge'er is a scholar and has a house in Bianjing. Yuyi helped me inquire; Ni family's younger brother and sister are also sensible."

"I can't watch such a good marriage be missed because you are worried about me!"

"Taking advantage of such good news, tomorrow I will report to Da Niangzi and the Old Madam; you must agree to this marriage."

Sister Xiaodie turned around angrily, stamped her foot, and said with a crying voice full of grievance and pleading: "Little Niang..."

Sister Xiaodie wiped her tear-filled eyes with her hand:

"In Quanzhou, you taught me to read, and I had a share of everything to eat and use."

"In, in Yang Zhou, you even wanted to make me a cotton jacket with the expensive cotton wool sent by the eldest young lady. When Mother and Brother were still here, they didn't treat me much better than this."

"Little Niang, I don't want to marry..."

Changzhen reached out to help Wei Shuyi wipe her tears: "A-Niang, don't cry..."

"Sister Xiaodie sister, don't cry."

As he spoke, Changzhen leaned over to help Sister Xiaodie wipe her eyes.

Hearing the words "A-Niang," Sister Xiaodie, with her face full of tears, stroked Changzhen's little hand with a smile on her mouth.

Wei Shuyi sighed and sniffed her somewhat sour nose: "Now Yuyi, brother-in-law, and my mother are all in the capital, and they all have good jobs in the salt manor, so how can I be like before?"

"Besides, I still have Zhen-er! Times are different now."

As she spoke, Wei Shuyi held Changzhen in one hand and stroked Sister Xiaodie's face with the other, rubbing the corner of Sister Xiaodie's eye with her thumb: "Don't cry."

Sister Xiaodie nodded, took a deep breath to adjust her mood, and said: "Little Niang, before Qingcao brought the two sisters Yunxiang and Huaxiang over, we were helping them plan to make cotton gloves. It seems the Xu family young master won't need them."

"The three forehead bands that Da Niangzi ordered Little Niang to make should also be the same."

Wei Shuyi nodded: "It's good that they aren't needed. If it really gets to the dead of winter, I don't know how much suffering he'll have to endure in the north. And this kind of quick victory means fewer people will die in the two countries."

Sister Xiaodie to the side nodded with great emotion; after all, her brother died in the north.

"Boom!"

Another huge firework exploded over the Imperial Palace,

The brilliant fireworks reflected in the clear eyes of several noble girls by the window.

"Another one, another one!"

Not far away came the cheerful voice of Zhang family's Fifth Lady,

"Dong~"

Amidst the sound of fireworks,

Fan Mama stepped up the stairs to the third floor, nodded to the maidservant mamas of the Gu, Chai, Rong, and other families, then walked to Fifth Lady's side and said: "Young Lady, Madam wants you to go home, saying there's a banquet in the palace tomorrow, and there are fireworks to watch at night."

Fifth Lady was very reluctant: "Ah??? I haven't finished watching yet!"

As she spoke, she pointed to the fireworks over the Imperial Palace outside the window.

"It was the mama beside Madam who passed the word."

Chai Zhengzheng looked around and said: "How about we go back too? It just so happens we can enter the palace together tomorrow to watch the fireworks."

Gu Tingyi hurriedly nodded: "Yes, yes, yes, I'm on the same way as Fifth Lady, let's go!"

When the noble girls went downstairs,

On the stairs with bright yellow lanterns,

Tingyi was in the front, Fifth Lady was in the middle, and Chai Zhengzheng and Rong Feiyan were in the back.

Fifth Lady sighed secretly in her heart: 'Old Marquis Zhongjing is also, why let Xiao-ge go to the north? If he went under Marquis Xu, maybe he would be back in a few days...'

Thinking of these, Fifth Lady stepped onto the next step...

"Young Lady!"

"Hey hey hey..."

"Scared me to death."

Stepping into the air, Fifth Lady, who was pulled by the arms by Zhengzheng and Feiyan, sighed with a sense of survival after a disaster while patting her chest.

"Zhengzheng, Feiyan, you are so good!"

As she spoke, Fifth Lady hugged the two noble girls behind her.

Chai Zhengzheng said: "Fifth Lady, what are you thinking about?"

Fifth Lady: "No, not thinking about anything..."

Everyone arrived downstairs,

After Fan Mama, who was following behind, thanked Chai Zhengzheng and Rong Feiyan with a smile, everyone boarded the carriages and returned to their prefectures.

Passing Pan Tower Main Street,

At Huangjianyuan Street, the Chai and Rong family carriages separated and returned to their respective homes.

Rong family second gate,

Rong Feiyan walked off the carriage supported by Ningxiang's hand.

Marquis Marquis Fu Chang's Da Niangzi's courtyard,

Rong Feiyan looked at Da Niangzi, who was sewing shoe soles, and said: "Mother, where is Big Brother?"

Rong family Da Niangzi scratched her hair bun with a needle and said: "Said he was treating colleagues to a meal, and even sent a servant back to say he'll be promoted tomorrow."

Rong Feiyan glanced at the size of her mother's shoe sole and said: "Mother, it looks good, but can you take off the chrysanthemum pinned on the helmet? You're wearing armor!"

When Rong Xian spoke, the Marquis Marquis Fu Chang and Rong family Da Niangzi sitting behind him nodded in agreement.

Rong Feiyan scanned Rong Xian from top to bottom and said: "Brother, it looks good, but can you take off the chrysanthemum pinned on the helmet?"

Hearing this, Rong Xian looked up and said: "I think pinning this chrysanthemum looks very good!"

Rong Feiyan shook her head and stopped paying attention to her brother, and said to Marquis Marquis Fu Chang: "Father, has it been decided where His Majesty will accept the surrender?"

Marquis Marquis Fu Chang nodded: "Decided, some Grand Secretaries suggested Mingde Gate, but His Majesty said he would accept the surrender at Jinglong Gate."

Rong Feiyan nodded: "Does Father know why?"

Rong Da Niangzi interrupted: "Your sister sent word, it seems His Majesty said the ancestors accepted surrender in the south, this time His Majesty wants to accept surrender in the north of the inner city."

Hearing this, Rong Feiyan's eyes were full of thought.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 405 =====

Chai Zhengzheng looked at the person riding on horseback under the lanterns outside the carriage: "Brother?"

Chai Jin smiled and let down the carriage curtain.

Everyone entered the main gate,

and after getting off the carriage, Chai Zhengzheng walked toward the courtyard with Chai Jin, who had been waiting to the side.

In the courtyard corridor,

amidst the flickering light of the lanterns,

"Brother, why did you come back so late?"

"You're still asking me? Little sister, what did you go off to do?"

Chai Zhengzheng gave an explanation.

"What about you, brother?"

"Didn't the Xu family capture Keyi Gate? I originally thought Dingzhou would still take some time to fight for, who would have known..."

Chai Zhengzheng listened to her elder brother's words, feeling somewhat dazed: "Dingzhou?"

Chai Jin nodded and said: "Yes, it was previously called Dingyuan Town, the former garrison of the Wei Yuan Army."

Seeing that Chai Zhengzheng still looked bewildered, Chai Jin continued: "Zhengzheng, do you still remember when the Gu Marquis Heir came to our house as a guest?"

Chai Zhengzheng recalled as she walked, and soon nodded: "I remember now, I even went to offer a toast at the time! It seems it was because of the Black Gold Charcoal that was even better than ours?"

Chai Jin nodded: "Right! That was the time, and this Dingzhou is located just east of the Bai Gao Sacred Mountain!"

"Brother, do you mean that the place where that Black Gold Charcoal is produced is already under the rule of our Great Zhou?"

"My little sister is truly clever!"

Chai Zhengzheng disdainfully swatted away the hand Chai Jin was using to pat her head.

"This afternoon, I followed His Majesty's orders and organized the capable hands in our family, preparing to go to Dingzhou to take over this coal mine."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded repeatedly as she listened: "Previously, the Marquis of Tuoxi captured craftsmen from the Iron Smelting Office near Xiazhou and figured out the function of that novel bellows. Plus this Black Gold Charcoal that's even better than ours, doesn't that mean... our Great Zhou can also produce fine iron swords?"

Chai Jin stood with his hands behind his back, a smile on his lips, his eyes full of joy.

At this moment, the brother and sister had already arrived at Madam Chai's courtyard, and the bright yellow candlelight from inside the room shone out in front of the house.

Glancing at his little sister, Chai Jin said: "Little sister, why do you look so unhappy?"

Chai Zhengzheng hurriedly smiled: "Not at all, I'm just too happy!"

"Oh!"

Afterward, the two lowered their heads, passed through the bead curtain, and entered their mother's room.

After the Chai family members talked for a while,

Chai Zhengzheng left Madam Chai's room.

Chai Jin, who remained in the room, looked at Madam Chai and said: "Mother, just now when we entered the door, I spoke to little sister, but she actually didn't jump up with joy."

Madam Chai glanced at her son and said: "You don't think about who in Bianjing currently holds the most top-tier Great Gao swords?"

Chai Jin hesitated for a moment: "The palace?"

Madam Chai shook her head and said: "Speaking of which, the Xu family has quite a few too! We can forge Great Gao swords, so wouldn't the value of the ones in the hands of the Xu family's young master be discounted..."

After Chai Jin's eyes rolled around, he frowned and looked at Madam Chai: "Mother, I don't think so! With Bai Gao surrendering, the Great Gao swords in the world should increase significantly in value!"

"Because there will never be any more Great Gao iron swords! Especially since the ones in Jing Ge'er's hands aren't the kind used by ordinary Bai Gao soldiers! The quality is top-notch... even if the quality is the same in the future, don't people in the world just value the reputation?"

"Jing Ge'er's items were obtained from the palace... they are very authentic!"

Madam Chai smiled and waved her hand at the Mama to the side: "Go, tell the young lady."

The next day,

the Chai family sat at the table eating breakfast,

and Chai Jin turned his head to look at Chai Zhengzheng, who was full of smiles beside him, and then glanced at the fragrant sugar pastries that Zhengzheng liked most, which she had personally placed into his bowl.

Chai Jin felt quite flattered.

Then, Chai Jin looked very smugly at his father and younger brother, whose jealousy was about to break through the sky, raised his eyebrows, and grinned: "Sniff, sniff... truly fragrant!"

(End of chapter)