Chapter 191: Chapter 191: Surface (4)
Xiqiu furrowed her brows tightly, bypassing the main entrance, crossing the hallway, and returning to her courtyard. She sat by the bed drinking tea, with Sixing sitting at her feet with a face full of worry, and asked Xiqiu, "Miss, is Fifth Madam trying to inquire about something from us?"
"Oh? How so?"
Sixing replied, "While I was waiting outside, Qiuluo cunningly asked me about Madam Qian and then inquired about the Fourth Miss’s marriage..." Xiqiu raised her eyebrows and asked, "How did you respond?"
"I thought it was suspicious, and didn’t dare openly refuse, so I said I hadn’t heard anything like that in the mansion, not saying a word more." She looked at Xiqiu and asked, "Could it be that Fifth Madam also favors the Zhou family’s match?"
The Fifth Madam is indeed impatient, Xiqiu shook her head helplessly!
"Miss, everything is packed. Would you like to take a look?" Nanny Song came in smiling and said, "Sixing, Chunyan, and I will live in the wing in the courtyard, which is close to the miss’s place and more convenient for coming and going." The opposite side rooms were given to Nanny Qian and her group. Being someone serving beside Lady, Nanny Song dared not contest with Nanny Qian, and moreover, considering the status of the two misses, she dared not speak up.
Xiqiu smiled and nodded, saying, "How could I not trust you, Nanny? You’ve had a tiring morning, go take a rest." She then looked at Sixing and Chunyan and said, "Having been accompanying me, you haven’t eaten yet. Go and eat something!"
Sixing, Chunyan, and Nanny Song went down to eat, and Xiqiu leaned back on the bed to rest with her eyes closed. In the afternoon, she went to Tong Xihua’s room. Tong Xihua smiled at her and asked, "What did the Fifth Madam say to you?"
Smiling, Xiqiu relayed Fifth Madam’s words verbatim to Tong Xihua, and sure enough, she saw a glimmer of coldness flash across Tong Xihua’s eyes. She snorted coldly through her nose in disdain and said, "She only knows how to use a bit of wit. Does she really think the bystanders are fools?"
Xiqiu hung her head without speaking. Since it related to Tong Xiyan, she had no interest and didn’t say much, merely turned her face to sip tea, and Tong Xihua waved her hand smilingly, saying, "It’s getting late, you both should go over, and come back early for dinner!"
"Yes!" Xiqiu and Tong Xiyan stood up, curtsied, and said. Because Tong Xihua was pregnant, the Grand Dowager exempted her from paying morning respects, allowing her to go only on the first and fifteenth of each month. However, Xiqiu and Tong Xiyan were not exempted, so they bid goodbye to Tong Xihua and were escorted out by Qiuping. The two stood at the doorway, looking at the courtyard scene and both were stunned. In the middle of the courtyard, two soft sedan chairs were parked, and four servant women curtsied in unison upon seeing the two come out.
Tong Xiyan smiled and said to Xiqiu, "Big sister is thoughtful indeed, even soft sedan chairs are prepared." Qiu Luo, who escorted them out, frowned in confusion, not remembering any mention of sedan chairs by the Second Madam!
Xiqiu said nothing, sensing that these sedan chairs were likely related to Xiao Yanyi.
"Ladies, please step on," the women carrying the sedan gently said to Tong Xiyan and Xiqiu.
Tong Xiyan thought nothing of it and first entered the one at the front. Xiqiu moved her lips slightly, reluctantly boarding the one at the back. Once they were gone, Qiuping hurried back inside to report to Tong Xihua, causing her to pause her tea sipping in surprise and asked, "You said someone prepared soft sedan chairs for the two misses?"
Qiuping nodded, and Tong Xihua placed her teacup on the table, asking, "Did you ask who ordered it?" Who could be so attentive? It couldn’t possibly be the Grand Dowager. If she knew Second Sister had trouble walking and Fourth Sister was unwell, she would exempt them from paying respects instead of specially calling for sedan chairs...
Suddenly, her expression changed, her face turning exceedingly unpleasant. Could it be that the Second Young Master prepared it for the two sisters?
Tong Xihua’s fingers clenched tightly. Pregnant for seven months, she had paid her respects daily to her mother and managed household matters, all the hustle making her back ache, yet he mentioned nothing about preparing sedan chairs for her. The sisters had just arrived for half a day, and he already called in sedan chairs!
Tong Xihua suddenly felt her limbs stiffen as if a cold bucket of water had been poured over her, making her shiver involuntarily.
"I’ll go and ask." Qiuping turned to leave, but Tong Xihua waved her to stop: "No need to ask." She leaned back against the soft pillow, slowly closing her eyes and sighing, "Let’s wait and see!"
Perhaps she was overthinking, after all, the Second Young Master being good to the sisters was also giving her face?!
Qiuping stopped, muttering as she looked at Tong Xihua.
Meanwhile, Xiqiu and Tong Xiyan went to the Grand Dowager’s room, finding her playing cards with Xiao Yanzheng, Marchioness Xuanning, and Nanny Wu. Upon seeing Xiqiu and Tong Xiyan, the Grand Dowager waved them over, saying, "The two young misses have arrived, come over and let me take a look, and maybe change my luck!" The big maid Qingyue beside her brought stools for the two, placing them next to the Grand Dowager, and after offering a greeting, Xiqiu and Tong Xiyan sat down.
Xiao Yanzheng smiled at the Grand Dowager and said, "Mother, today you’re the winner. If anyone needs a change in luck, it’s me!" She then turned to Xiqiu and said, "Sixth Sister, come sit by me, don’t let all the good luck go to Mother."
The Grand Dowager laughed warmly, and Nanny Wu, seeing her rare happiness, handed her cards to Tong Xiyan, laughingly saying, "Fourth Miss, play a round. I’m too scared to play, or I’ll end up losing all my savings for a grave to the Grand Dowager."
Tong Xiyan waved her hands repeatedly, "I can’t play this." Then looking at Xiqiu, she said, "Sixth Sister, you play!" Xiqiu shook her head with a smile, "Let Nanny Wu play, I can’t play cards!"
Nanny Wu drooped her face, sighing as she held the cards, "Seems it’s truly hard to keep it safe!"
The room burst into laughter, with the Grand Dowager pointing at Nanny Wu, "Don’t worry, there’s plenty of time. By the time you need it, you might have won it back."
Xiqiu smiled lightly with everyone, yet she always felt that although the Grand Dowager was laughing, the smile never reached her eyes, as if she was burdened with thoughts but didn’t want others to know, pretending to be relaxed...
Sitting beside Xiao Yanzheng and playing for a while, the Grand Dowager set the cards aside. As everyone rested in the Warm Pavilion, sipping tea, Xiqiu and Tong Xiyan noticed the hour growing late and were about to leave when Xiao Yanyi and Xiao Yanting entered one after the other. Xiqiu noticed Xiao Yanyi, who usually bore a gentle smile, had a cold expression, a trace of chill in his eyes. The Grand Dowager’s face changed upon seeing them, her smile disappearing.
Xiqiu grasped Tong Xiyan’s hand and stood up, saying to the Grand Dowager, "We shall return as well." The Grand Dowager nodded and said to Xiao Yanzheng, "You accompany the two young misses back home."
Only the Grand Dowager, Xiao Yanyi, Xiao Yanting, Marchioness Xuanning, and Nanny Wu were left in the study. Nanny Wu silently closed the door, escorting Xiqiu and Tong Xiyan, and Xiao Yanzheng out. She herself stayed on guard outside the door.