Fourth Master Xiao looked at the doorway with a profound gaze, his expression sowhat cold and severe...
"I heard that yesterday the Count lost his composure before the Emperor and was reprimanded," Tong Xiyan said with a smile in his eyes. "Isn’t that why Third Sister hasn’t co back?"
Madam Jiang laughed as she listened, "It’s just a minor issue. The Marquis Mansion is a prominent family for a hundred years, and it’s inevitable for the Count to have so lapses due to his age. Fourth Mistress, let’s not dwell on it." After all, she was Tong Xiyan’s sister-in-law, so there were so things she avoided discussing with him, but her tone was much more casual than when she spoke with Xiqiu.
"Sister-in-law!" Tong Xiyan pouted, "What great family are you talking about? My husband said that the Marquis Mansion’s power is waning. Once the Count falls, the Emperor is likely to revoke the Marquis Mansion’s privileges!"
Xiqiu was lowering her head, speaking with Min, while Chunliu was behind, peeling walnuts. Xiqiu spoon-fed the walnuts to Min, who sat obediently beside her.
"Sixth Sister!" Tong Xiyan said, "Say sothing!" He then looked at Min again, "Min, you didn’t call your Fourth Aunt today. Fourth Aunt here has so fun things for you."
Min glanced at Xiqiu, who nodded at him, prompting him to call out, "Fourth Aunt."
Tong Xiyan laughed and took out a two-ounce small gold ingot threaded with a bat pattern, plump and cute, "Isn’t it interesting?" he said, handing it to Min.
Min looked at the gold ingot and then at the embroidered golden ingots on his shoes, frowning slightly.
He didn’t like ingots!
Seeing him frowning, Xiqiu secretly found it amusing, but pretended not to notice and spoke to Tong Xiyan, "I heard Old Madam Jiang was ill. Has she recovered now?"
Tong Xiyan’s eyes flickered, and he replied with a smile, "She recovered before the New Year. It wasn’t anything serious, just caught a cold after drinking so cold tea on a windy day!"
"It’s good that she’s fine." Xiqiu laughed but noticed Tong Xiyan seed thinner than the last ti she saw him. She was silently puzzled but suppressed her curiosity and didn’t ask.
While the three were chatting, Tong Xiyu gracefully walked in. Xiqiu looked at her; today, she was wearing a crimson overcoat with diagonal gold embroidery of peonies, slightly adorned with makeup, her eyebrows and eyes exquisite and gentle, even taller, standing elegantly at the doorway, and greeted the three with a poised and graceful bow.
Tong Xiyan raised his eyebrows too, surprised to see such a transformation in Tong Xiyu after just half a month.
Xiqiu later learned that Madam i had secretly hired a tutor for Tong Xiyu.
"Eighth Sister, co and sit." Madam Jiang smiled and walked over to pull Tong Xiyu to sit opposite Xiqiu, "There’s no need to be so reserved at ho, especially when eting your two sisters."
Tong Xiyu glanced at Xiqiu and Tong Xiyan, smiling, "It’s been long since I last saw Fourth Sister and Sixth Sister, so I decided to personally cook so special dishes for you both today. I hope you won’t be upset with your younger sister for being late."
No wonder Tong Xiyu wasn’t seen earlier; she was in the kitchen.
"Of course not." Tong Xiyan laughed, "Eighth Sister personally cooking, Fourth Sister and I are delighted."
Tong Xiyu let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this, while Xiqiu turned her head to speak to Min.
Soon, Nanny Qiu invited everyone to move to the dining room to eat. Madam Jiang then instructed a maid beside her, "Go fetch the Seventh Young Master and Third Young Master from the outer courtyard for dinner." She glanced at Xiqiu, "Also invite Madam Xia and Madam i. Since there are no outsiders at ho, there’s no need to stand on ceremony."
The maid acknowledged and left.
In no ti, Tong Minzhi and Tong Quanzhi arrived together, but Madam Xia didn’t co. The maid reported, "Madam Xia said she had already eaten in her room and wished the Young Master and Mistresses a good al." She added, "Madam i said she would stay in her room to chat with Madam Xia and also won’t be coming."
While it was expected for Madam Xia not to co, Madam i’s absence was a bit surprising. Xiqiu pondered for a while, looked at Tong Minzhi and Tong Quanzhi, and recalled the events of the past few days, intending to ask about them later.
Everyone gathered around the table and quietly began to eat.
Xiqiu intended to visit Madam Xia; once Fourth Master Xiao, Tong Shen Zhi, Jiang Shilin, and Tong Quanzhi went to the outer courtyard, she said to Madam Jiang, "Sister-in-law, Fourth Sister, and Eighth Sister, keep chatting. I’ll go sit with our aunt."
Everyone knew Xiqiu was concerned about Madam Xia, so they didn’t stop her. Xiqiu then went with Tong Minzhi to visit Madam Xia.
On the way, Xiqiu asked Tong Minzhi, "You said you ca to find a few days ago. Why did you suddenly leave?"
"Oh," Tong Minzhi said, holding Min’s hand and teasing the quiet Min as he replied, "Young Master Zhou reserved a place at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, and Mr. Qian brought the past few years’ exam papers to share. Third Brother urged , so I was eager to see them and didn’t go in."
"The academy exam?" Xiqiu was taken aback, stopped, and looked at Tong Minzhi, "Are you planning to take the exam this year?"
Tong Minzhi touched his neck, blushing a little, and replied, "Yes, Mr. Zhao told to try, even if I’m not successful, to gain experience."
"Is that so?" Xiqiu was pleased and looked at Tong Minzhi, "The exam is just a few months away; you must study diligently." Tong Minzhi nodded earnestly, "Yes."
Min curiously tilted his head and asked Tong Minzhi, "Uncle, are you taking the academy exam? Are you scared?"
Tong Minzhi squatted down to face Min and tapped his little nose, "Uncle is very scared! So you have to be Uncle’s strong support!"
Min seed to like Tong Minzhi very much, smiled, and nodded, "Yes, Uncle will definitely succeed!"
Tong Minzhi chuckled heartily.
He stood up, looked at Xiqiu, and suddenly, as if recalling sothing, asked Xiqiu, "Sister, you received the painting I sent, right? That was my new work. Last ti you said you wanted to see it, I promised to paint a new one for you... If you don’t like it, I’ll paint another one for you."
Upon hearing this, Xiqiu paused, a strange feeling in her heart, and she frowned slightly, looking at Tong Minzhi with a hint of coldness, "You went to the estate last ti just to deliver the painting?"
Tong Minzhi nodded, "Yes, I promised you, didn’t I?"
Xiqiu squinted her eyes and asked, "You didn’t deliver it. To whom did you hand the painting for it to be brought into the inner courtyard?" Tong Minzhi, sensing sothing unusual from Xiqiu’s expression, also changed his expression and replied, "To a maid wearing an overcoat in the color of Qiuxiang. Third Brother said she was a maid from your courtyard, nad... nad Bao... sothing..." He scratched his head, montarily unable to recall the maid’s na, and added, "Round face, not tall!"
Xiqiu’s face darkened; with the "Bao" character in the na and a round face, the only one in her courtyard fitting the description was Treasure Bead. However, the painting Tong Minzhi brought never reached her hand, aning either Treasure Bead didn’t deliver it or it was delivered but never ntioned to her.
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