Do you know: I’m Xu Jiazi

At the right moment (after eight o'clock in the morning)

blue sky

Southeast of the Royal Palace

There are green trees near the corner tower,

There are a few bits of sunshine shining between the two willow trees beside the road,

Next to a sleek and beautifully decorated dark carriage, Fan's mother was looking into the distance.

After noticing two carriages coming this way, Fan's mother took two steps forward with her handkerchief in hand. These few steps allowed her to stand in the morning sunshine.

Mother Fan quickly raised her hands to block the dazzling sunlight.

After seeing the oncoming car clearly, Fan's mother returned to the carriage and said, "Girl, Miss Zhengzheng is here."

The fifth lady of the British Duke's Zhang family opened her mouth, yawned and opened the car curtain.

After seeing Fan's mother's eyes, Wu Niang quickly covered her mouth with her hands to save her appearance.

After a while,

The Chai family's carriage came to the willow tree, and the servant who followed it was holding a basket of flowers. At first glance, there were traces of dew on the branches and leaves.

Chai Zhengzheng opened the car curtain, waved to Wu Niang in the other car and said, "Wu Niang, why are you here so early?"

The fifth lady of the Zhang family rolled her eyes and said, "I got up early!"

Chai Zhengzheng smiled and said, "Okay, come with me!"

At this time, Fan’s mother came to Chai Zhengzheng’s car and whispered:

"Miss Chai, Wu Niang practiced swordsmanship for a while in the morning. After hearing the Duke's wife asked her to practice nvhong for a while, she ran out on the pretext of having an appointment with you. She hasn't had breakfast yet!"

"My slave wanted to buy some food, but my girl kept saying she wasn't hungry."

When Chai Zhengzheng heard this, he nodded with a smile and whispered: "Don't worry, Mother Fan, just leave it to me."

Fan’s mother bowed and said, “I’m sorry, girl.”

"Mom, you're welcome."

After speaking, Wu Niang suddenly opened the curtain of the Zhang family's carriage: "By the way, Zhengzheng, I'm not hungry!"

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

Then, several carriages continued to move forward,

The second carriage following Chai Zhengzheng stopped, and after the Zhang family's carriage reached the middle, it followed.

On the way to the Chai family's shop, from time to time a female envoy from the Chai family would approach the carriage where Chai Zhengzheng was, and then leave after receiving instructions.

After walking for less than two-quarters of an hour, the group arrived at a shop selling stationery supplies under Zheng Zheng's name.

The female servants of the Chai family, Fuyi and Ziteng, got off the carriage first and entered the store.

Today, because we have to receive female customers, the shopkeeper in the store has been replaced by a female steward.

"I've seen Miss Fuyi and Miss Ziteng."

After the two female envoys returned a slight salute, they went straight to the second floor accompanied by Ding's mother.

Fu Yi saw that the windows facing the street on the second floor were all covered with gauze. He nodded and went forward to check and smell them carefully. Then he wiped the window lattice and railings with his handkerchief.

Wisteria approached the tables and chairs and carefully touched the hard-to-wipe corners of the table with her handkerchief. After looking at the handkerchief on her fingertips, Wisteria approached the tables and chairs again and sniffed.

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

"Mother Ding is attentive."

"Thank you two girls for the compliment."

The two female envoys went downstairs. After reporting, Chai Zhengzheng and Wu Niang got out of the carriage.

When she got out of the car, Wu Niang glanced curiously at the woman wearing a veil and holding a pipa who got out of the car behind her.

Everyone comes through the door,

Chai and Zhang, a strong woman with some martial arts, stood at the door.

Not long after Chai Zhengzheng and Wu Niang went upstairs, the female envoy from the Chai family who left on the way also returned here.

The female envoys were carrying bamboo baskets in their hands. After passing through the store hall, they entered the backyard.

A grandma who had been with Mrs. Chai for many years walked out of the very clean and tidy kitchen. She looked at the neat backyard and nodded with approval.

"I didn't say I wanted to use the kitchen, but it was kept so clean. It's really nice!"

Then the nanny stretched out her arms, and the little girl beside her began to help her straighten her wide sleeves and tie her collar.

A plain grandmother from the Zhang family came over:

"This old sister, Mother Fan gave her orders just now. Wu Niang likes all kinds of meat fillings."

Aunt Chai said, "Then I'll ask my sister to help me!"

After Grandma Zhang nodded, the kitchen started to get busy.

in the store,

Chai Zhengzheng and Wu Niang were shopping on the first floor.

Wu Niang picked up the paper, pen and inkstone from time to time to take a look.

Suddenly, Wu Niang's eyes lit up, she took two steps forward, picked up a piece of 'thin bamboo' that was as long as a long one, with the front end sharpened, and a red string tied at the back end, the thickness of her little finger, and said:

"Zhengzheng, what is this?"

Chai Zhengzheng walked over, picked up another 'thin bamboo', looked at it and said:

"Wuniang, this is a hard pen that came from the northwest. It is said that someone in Bai Gao Kingdom used this thing to dip in ink to write, and named it 'bamboo pen'. The handwriting has a unique style."

"It's rare to see it in our country. The purchasing manager in the northwest saw the novelty of this thing, so he bought hundreds of them."

Wu Niang nodded in understanding.

Chai Zhengzheng took the bamboo pen and continued: "Look, the tip of this sharpened pen is originally a thin bamboo joint, and there is a gap in the middle."

Wu Niang blinked and said, "Is it because the bamboo joints are harder?"

Chai Zhengzheng smiled and said: "Wu Niang is so amazing!"

"Well, I want ten. When I have time, I'll ask someone to bring it to brother Zheng Xiao."

Chai Zhengzheng glanced at the female steward of the shop.

Mother Ding nodded to indicate receipt.

Afterwards, the two ladies went up to the second floor together.

Looking at Wei Fangzhi wearing a veil behind the screen on the second floor, Wu Niang whispered to Chai Zhengzheng: "Zhengzheng, what does that woman do?"

"The musician hired by the family, she is an excellent pipa player."

As she spoke, Wu Niang looked around. Upstairs were the incense burners, gauze, porcelain vases and bamboo baskets with fresh flowers that she usually saw. And various dolls were placed on the armchairs.

Looking at the pillows of various styles and lovely shapes, Wu Niang's eyes popped out.

"Wow! Zhengzheng, where is this made from?"

Before she finished speaking, Zhang's Wu Niang was already holding a silk doll of the same style as "Little Peach Tiger" and playing with it.

Chai Zhengzheng smiled and said, "I saw it when I went to play in Sister Tingyi's yard before. I also collected a few other patterns and made these."

"After a few days, when the house next to this store is repaired, we will sell these things. If you want to do it yourself, we will also provide some cut cloth and weighed cotton wool."

Wu Niang nodded and said, "Well, I will buy some and ask my maid to make a few."

The time on the road, plus the time spent in the store, Wu Niang felt hungry in her stomach.

Wu Niang pursed her lips, thinking about what she said to Zhengzheng before, she sat on the chair weakly and annoyed, and grabbed a handful of dried fruits from the fruit plate on the table and chewed them carefully.

Seeing this scene, the corner of Fan's mouth raised when she stood by.

Wu Niang looked at the maids in the room again, all of whom were close to the two of them, and whispered, "By the way, Zhengzheng, I heard that your brother a few days ago."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded and said, "The one behind the screen is this. Mother decided to take his personal contract and family contract."

Wu Niang: "Ah? I know the personal contract, but what is the family contract?"

As Chai Zhengzheng was explaining, the maids came up the stairs with trays.

Wu Niang sniffed and leaned over to look and said, "Zhengzheng, it smells so good!"

Chai Zhengzheng looked at Wu Niang's greedy look and smiled.

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

Next to the tray, there were several small porcelain plates filled with small shrimps, coriander, kimchi, pickled radish, and onion tofu

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

Wu Niang swallowed hard and forced herself to look away.

Chai Zhengzheng said with a smile: "Wu Niang, I feel a little hungry on the way. I saw that the cook made too much steamed buns. How about you help me eat some?"

Wu Niang glanced at the bowl: "Okay, I'll eat a little for you, Zhengzheng!"

A few breaths later, Wu Niang's voice came:

"Hoohoo. Mutton stuffing?! I like it!"

When Wu Niang burped and watched the maid take away all the porcelain bowls.

It was two quarters of the Si hour (after 9:30 in the morning)

Soon,

Gu Tingyi took the maid to the second floor. After seeing Wu Niang, he scolded her, blaming Wu Niang, who was also in Xingguofang, for not waiting for her and coming first.

As for puppets, he was not as rare as Wu Niang, after all, Gu Tingyi had seen a lot of them at his eldest sister-in-law Pingmei's place.

Half a quarter of an hour later, the six girls from the Lu family of the Duke of Lian and Rong Feiyan went up to the second floor together. Both families were located on the north side of the east side of the imperial city.

Looking at the puppet on the chair on the second floor, Rong Feiyan blinked and looked at the maid next to her. The maid nodded hurriedly, indicating that she could do it.

The last to come was the fifth daughter of the Li family, who was short-sighted because of reading too much.

After everyone came, in the sound of the gentle and relaxing pipa music.

Everyone chattered on the second floor.

Sometimes they talked about the corn spread by the Xu family of the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion, and what crops it could be planted with;

Sometimes they exchanged how much their own or their own farms produced and how much they were worth;

Most of these were learned by their mothers.

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

After talking about these,

at lunch,

the maids of several families were arranging the dishes brought from Pan Lou on the table.

The girls sat down, and there was no rule of not talking while eating at a party.

The fifth lady of the Li family recommended several novel scripts of the southern opera troupe to everyone.

The six girls of the Lu family brought several jars of sweet wine given by their relatives, and tasted the very good new sweet wine.

The maids poured the sweet wine into the wine glasses, and everyone took a sip, and their eyes lit up.

The fifth lady of the Zhang family said:

"Sister Lu, this wine tastes really good! Which relative brewed it? I will ask my family to buy a few jars!"

The six girls of the Lu family laughed together, and the oldest girl said: "It's the Li family, the maternal grandfather of my Zong Ge'er!"

When everyone was talking about the fabric of a puppet on the chair, there was a huge noise outside the building separated by a tulle.

The noise attracted everyone to look outside.

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

"Yes, young lady!"

When the maids cleared the table and the ladies drank tea to help digestion, Mother Fan went upstairs.

"Mother Fan, what happened? Did you find out the whole story?"

Mother Zhang asked.

Mother Fan bowed to the ladies and said:

"Back to the girl, I asked around, and it seems that it is the doctor Anguo Gong Tan's family in Chunmingfang in the south. He sent his servant to the north to find a doctor. From what he said, it seems that there is an elderly person in the house who is not feeling well."

Hearing this, the girls looked at each other in surprise.

The fifth lady of the Li family squinted her eyes and said doubtfully: "Well, why doesn't the Duke's mansion ask for an imperial doctor?"

Rong Feiyan's eyes were full of thinking, and he said hesitantly:

"I see that the Tan family should have gone along the north-south Zhao Shiwan Street, near the old Fengqiu Gate in the north of the inner city, to ask for the medical officer Jin Zi who works in the palace."

"That's why I passed by nearby."

After hearing Rong Feiyan's words, everyone nodded in agreement.

Chai Zhengzheng turned sideways and whispered: "Sister Tingyi, how long does it take for Mr. An Guogong to live long?"

Gu Tingyi said: "It's almost ancient times."

At the end of the day (3 p.m.)

The ladies of each family were preparing to leave.

After watching Gu Tingyi and the two Wu Niangs leave together, Chai Zhengzheng, Rong Feiyan and the girls from the Lu family got into the carriage and drove north.

On the carriage,

The female envoy Yunmu said softly: "Girl, the big sword that Qiao Jiulang kept in the pawn shop has been redeemed by the Qiao family."

"Not Qiao Jiulang?"

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

Chai Zhengzheng nodded.

evening,

The two brothers Xu Zaijing returned home from school and were waiting for dinner in their mother's courtyard.

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

Listening to Mrs. Sun's words, Xu Zaijing asked: "Mother, do you know who in the Tan family is not feeling well?"

Mrs. Sun shook her head.

At this time,

Dan's mother walked in from the door, looked at everyone in the hall and said, "Madam, Duke Lian's Lu family has sent a nanny over."

"Please!"

Mrs. Sun waved her hand again, and everyone in the hall who was not the personal maid left the room.

After a while, a decent nanny came in holding a handkerchief.

After first bowing to Mrs. Sun, she then smiled at Xu Zaijing, who was the eldest grandson of the Lu family and the personal aunt of Xu Zaijing's adopted brother.

"Madam, my old lady asked me to deliver a message."

"Mommy, please sit down."

Cuichan looked at Hualan and was about to move an embroidered pier over.

Aunt Lu waved her hands and said, "Madam, I will leave as soon as I finish speaking and won't sit down anymore."

With that said, Cuichan had already placed the embroidered pier beside her.

Mrs. Sun stretched out her hand and said, "Mommy, please sit down and talk."

Aunt Lu smiled bitterly and said yes, then continued:

"Madam, our family has received news that Mrs. An Guogong is not feeling well."

Mrs. Sun nodded and asked, "Is it nothing serious?"

Aunt Lu did not speak.

"Okay, I understand. Thank the Duke and the old lady for me."

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

Everyone stood up, Mrs. Sun said: "Mommy, walk slowly, Brother Jing, please see me off."

"Yes, mother. Nanny, go this way."

Out of the hall,

Xu Zaijing walked with his adopted brother's personal nanny.

"Mommy, how is Brother Zong doing lately?"

"It's very good. I've been arguing with my wife recently about riding a horse."

Xu Zaijing smiled and said: "Mommy, go back and tell the old lady and the eldest lady that Brother Zong can come to the house to ride a horse when he is free."

"Yes, I will definitely bring the words."

Huihefang

Duke Lian's Mansion

Aunt Lu got off the carriage from the second door.

When they arrived at the courtyard where the old Duke and his wife were, the female envoy at the door announced something.

After entering the house, Mammy Lu discovered that the prince-in-law and the princess of the third room of the Lu family were there, and there were very few maids waiting in the house.

The nanny bowed to everyone present, and after telling Xu Zaijing's words, she excused herself to see Lu Zezong leave the house.

Seeing no one else in the room,

The third son of the Lu family, who was in love with the princess, looked at each other and continued: "Father, mother, the palace official just told my son that we and my wife should get closer to Wu Lang of the Xu family."

The princess on the side said: "Do you want our eldest daughter to discuss marriage with Brother Jing?"

Lu Zezong's mother, Mrs. Li, nodded in approval.

Lian Guogong stroked his white beard, looked at each other with the old lady beside him, shook his head and said:

"If this is really the case, His Majesty can just grant the marriage directly, why do you need to ask the chief minister to pass the message!"

Suddenly, Lian Guogong was stunned, and a helpless smile appeared on his face.

The princess on the side looked at the old Duke's expression and said quickly: "Father-in-law, what did you think of?"

Old Lian Guogong also strongly supported the current emperor back then. When the princess got married, the emperor also told her to address her elders at home.

Lian Guogong nodded and said, "It was the old boy from the Marquis of Xiangyang, when he was drinking a few days ago."

"After saying that he was bald, the old boy almost knelt down and begged me not to tell anyone. I thought he had drunk too much."

"Since His Majesty has sent an internal officer here, you and your wife should prepare and give it a try."

The couple handed over their hands.

Then, the princess said: "Eunuch, that's the old lady of Duke Anguo's family."

Lian Guogong's eyes turned cold, he shook his head and whispered: "Hmph, who knew she would be so frightened when the Imperial City Secretary cheated."

"It looks like he may die of illness in a few days."

Hearing this, the Lu family members in the room all looked surprised.

The old lady of Duke Lian said hesitantly: "Is it related to the first baby boy that the Queen aborted more than ten years ago?"

Duke Lian nodded.