Chapter 189: Chapter 189: Surface (2)
Tong Xiyan was stunned, and blurted out, "What are you saying?!"
Xiqiu sighed, then heard Tong Xihua laughingly say, "After lunch, Sixth Sister might also be tired. I’ll have Maid Qiuping accompany you back to rest. Fourth Sister isn’t in good health either, so don’t walk back and forth, just stay here and chat with me."
"Yes!" Xiqiu stood up with a smile, Maid Qiuping went to the door to hold up the curtain for Xiqiu, Xiqiu looked back at Tong Xiyan, then left with Sixing and Chunyan.
As they just walked into the courtyard, they happened to encounter a maid dressed in a honey-colored overcoat, with her hair in a woman’s bun. Xiqiu was slightly surprised, and that maid had already approached with a smile.
She smiled and curtsied to Xiqiu, saying, "Maid Qingshuang greets Sixth Miss of the in-laws." After speaking, she raised her head to look at Xiqiu and said, "Our madam wishes to invite you and Fourth Miss to come over for a visit."
Xiqiu raised her eyebrow, Madam? Could it be Fifth Madam?
Qingshuang laughed again and said, "It’s Fifth Madam, saying that both of you have just arrived, and she wants to take advantage of the quiet courtyard at noon to accompany both misses for a walk in the garden."
"Thank Fifth Madam for her kindness." Xiqiu smiled, showing a troubled look: "Fourth Sister is currently speaking with Second Madam, please convey to Fifth Madam that we’ll come later to disturb her."
Unexpectedly, Qingshuang insisted with a smile, "Then Sixth Miss should come over, and I’ll come later to invite Fourth Miss." She was determined to invite Xiqiu.
Xiqiu showed slight surprise, looking back at the main house’s entrance, where a little maid was secretly glancing over; she was hesitating when Maid Qiuping came out from the house, met Qingshuang with a smile, and then said to Xiqiu, "Second Madam mentioned, since Fifth Madam invited Sixth Miss, you should go for a visit, just remember to bring more people along, so you don’t get lost in the garden!"
Saying this, even if Xiqiu wanted to decline, she couldn’t, so she looked behind Maid Qiuping, indeed seeing a few older women standing there, she nodded with a smile, and said, "Trouble Maid Qiuping to convey to Sister, I’ll be back shortly!" After saying so, she left the courtyard with Qingshuang and some maids and older women.
The courtyard where Fifth Madam lived was across the entire garden, diagonally opposite to Tong Xihua’s courtyard, with two magnolia trees planted at the entrance. At this moment, the petals and leaves had fallen, revealing a ’Ruyi Gate’ painted in red under the interlocking branches, with the words ’Pinglan Pavilion’ written in bold and grand script above. Upon entering the courtyard gate and passing the screen wall, there was a small garden, with layers of rockery and clear flowing water; a thin layer of ice had formed over the water surface, and beneath the ice, golden koi fish could be seen swimming clearly.
As they walked, Qingshuang introduced the scenery in the courtyard to Xiqiu. At this moment, seeing Xiqiu notice the koi in the pond, she smilingly explained, "These were specially caught by Fifth Young Master from the mountain behind Puji Temple, then sent back in jars for Madam to keep. Madam was so delighted that she has them fed daily. Initially, they were only as long as a finger when returned, unexpectedly they’ve grown so large."
Xiqiu thought back to when she received similar fish at Puji Temple, she had thought they were small goldfish, not expecting them to be koi fish.
Xiqiu responded appropriately, "I’ve heard that the koi from Puji Temple are quite picky; I didn’t expect Fifth Young Master to have caught so many!" She sounded full of admiration and surprise, to which Qingshuang immediately showed pride: "Indeed, every time Fifth Young Master and Second Young Master go together, Second Young Master always returns empty-handed, only our Fifth Young Master can manage to get seven or eight, or at least three or four..."
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yanyi also fished? Xiqiu smiled faintly, and Qingshuang, feeling it was somewhat disrespectful to speak that way about Xiao Yanyi in front of Xiqiu, supplemented apologetically, "But every time Second Young Master goes, he’s not focused on fishing. It’s said there’s a river beneath the mountain of Puji Temple with many colorful stones, and Second Young Master always takes people to find stones in the river, bringing all sorts of strange-shaped ones back to the mansion, and sometimes when he’s in a good mood, he even carves characters on them."
Carving characters? Xiqiu suddenly felt a jolt in her heart, as if she had thought of something but could not quite grasp it. She furrowed her brows slightly, and Qingshuang assumed Xiqiu was unwilling to hear about Xiao Yanyi’s matters, exhibiting an embarrassed expression: "Look at me, immersed in talking happily, I’ve let Sixth Miss stand in the wind here." Saying this, she reached out to support Xiqiu.
However, Xiqiu smiled and said, "So there’s such an interesting story, no wonder I saw so many stones in Sister’s room." She thought of the piece of lake-green rain flower stone in Xiao Yanzheng’s room; could it have been Xiao Yanyi’s work as well?!
"Indeed, our Fifth Young Master often tells us about Second Young Master’s peculiar taste, how everyone else loves jade and antiques, but Second Young Master uniquely loves these uncut gems."
Xiqiu smiled without speaking, thinking a servant girl... she seemed to be speaking a bit too much.
She again took a closer look at Qingshuang, initially thinking she was one of the women close to Fifth Madam, but now it seemed she might be Fifth Young Master’s concubine, otherwise, given her status, she shouldn’t be discussing the masters so freely!
"Sixth Miss, watch your step." Qingshuang said as she was already climbing the steps and entering a passageway, with Xiqiu being supported by Sixing. Beyond the passage was a three-entry compound, slightly more spacious than Tong Xihua’s courtyard, with trellises set up and apricot trees planted along the paths. From the main house came the intermittent cries of a baby.
Qingshuang smiled slightly, saying to Xiqiu, "It must be our Sheng crying."
Sheng? That must be Fifth Madam’s first-born son; Fifth Madam gave birth to the first grandson of the Xiao Mansion in early October. Xiqiu had heard the name was chosen by the Marquis himself and rushed back via urgent command. When Tong Xihua returned and mentioned it to the Lady, she looked exceedingly displeased, remarking how it was just fortunate that he was born a grandson.
The Lady just laughed and consoled her, "What of being the first grandson, isn’t he still illegitimate." Hearing this, Tong Xihua laughed!
Xiqiu smiled and said, "I haven’t had the chance to congratulate Fifth Madam yet." As she finished speaking, the curtain of the main house was lifted, and Fifth Madam walked out smiling, extending her hand towards Xiqiu, saying, "Sixth Miss, you finally arrived, or else I would have had to invite you personally!"
"I wouldn’t dare!" Xiqiu let Fifth Madam lead her inside, saying as they walked, "I was indeed planning to visit you, but having just arrived, and unfamiliar with the garden, I didn’t dare wander about casually."
Fifth Madam led her into the Warm Pavilion to the right, saying, "Sixth Miss, please sit." She seated Xiqiu on the heated bricked bed on the left, displaying a warm and welcoming demeanor, then turned and instructed Qingshuang, "Go, take the young ladies and have some tea and a rest."
Qingshuang curtsied in response, Sixing and Chunyan exchanged glances with Xiqiu and then followed Qingshuang out of the Warm Pavilion.
Fifth Madam sat across from Xiqiu with a heated brick table between them, personally taking the tea handed by a maid and giving it to Xiqiu, saying, "Last time I troubled Sixth Miss to make clothes for Sheng, I haven’t had the chance to properly thank you. We’ve gone back and forth several times but haven’t had the opportunity to talk with you alone. Today, as soon as you came, I couldn’t wait to invite you over."
Xiqiu thanked her and accepted the tea, then smiled, "Fifth Madam is too polite, it was just a small effort after all." She looked around and asked, "Why don’t I see the eldest young master?!"
Upon mentioning her child, Fifth Madam’s gaze softened considerably, smiling as she instructed the maid at her side, "Go, ask the young lady to bring Sheng over." The maid complied and left, and Fifth Madam explained to Xiqiu, "He was just fussing and wouldn’t nurse, he just keeps crying!"