Puchi!
Xiqiu laughed, she really liked it here, far from the main courtyard and very quiet.
Sixing poked Siliu's head and said, "We didn't know, only you have the clearest idea, yet you insist on making it clear."
Chunyan covered her mouth and laughed: "Why don't you ask Miss to put in a word for you with the First Master when he returns, and marry you to Fugui, saving you both from longing over distance."
Xiqiu raised her eyebrows.
Unexpectedly, Siliu said earnestly: "How can such a thing be decided just by a servant's wish? Besides, I do not want to leave Miss."
"Really shameless!" Sixing and Chunyan laughed, falling onto the heated bed.
Didn't expect she really had that thought! Xiqiu smiled without replying and said, "You rest well, I will go back to change clothes." With that, she was about to get up and leave.
Sixing immediately stepped forward and lifted the curtain: "I have warmed some jujube cakes on the stove, Miss, please have some to fill your stomach."
Xiqiu nodded: "You haven't eaten either, take five taels of silver to the kitchen tonight, and add two more dishes for you to eat, as I probably won't be back for dinner."
Sixing agreed: "Xiuzhi from the concubine's side came by, brought a jar of pearl cream, sat for a while and then left." Xiqiu paused, gazing towards the East Cross Courtyard in silence for a moment: "Go personally later, tell Aunt about the event, and reassure her."
Sixing nodded, and Xi'er, who was bald, rushed in through the courtyard gate: "Miss, Sister Zijuan from the Lady's room is here, saying the concubine and cousin young master have arrived, and asking Miss to go over."
Xiqiu returned to her room to change into a gosling yellow silk-embroidered short jacket, a moon-white trim-lined skirt, and put on a bean green overcoat. She let her hair down and styled it into a falling horse bun, pinning it with a dotted oriole flower hairpin. Her brows and eyes were delicate but appeared youthful and thin. She showed a shy smile in the mirror, satisfied, and turned to see Sixing with a hesitant look.
Leaving the Hanging Flower Gate of the West Courtyard, she entered the Tong Mansion's garden. Because of Tong Xiyan, not many flowers were planted, only a row of cannas near the rockery in the middle of the courtyard. Past the garden was the main house, Zhui Garden. On the left were the East Cross Courtyard where the concubines lived, and beside it was a side door. Out of the side door was the Tongji River, and opposite was the courtyard of Second Master Tong Zhengchuan.
The Tong Family's ancestral home was Hebei Dingzhou. The old master came from a merchant background. Later, by some means, he befriended Prince Rui, the brother of Emperor Jianwen, and did business with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, acquiring this four-entry garden. By chance, he also obtained a neighboring three-entry courtyard. The old master built a bridge over the Tongji River separating the two courtyards, joining them as one. Later, two great-grandsons consecutively passed the Advanced Scholar exam and entered the Hanlin Academy. The elder brother, Tong Zheng'an, married the second daughter of the Jiangnan Family Zhang Mansion, and Second Master Tong Zhengchuan married the youngest daughter of their former mentor, Lord Yan. They moved into the two separate courtyards on either side, though they lived separately, their families frequently interacted.
The concubine visiting today was the younger sister of the First Lady, married to Xu Wei, who passed the examination in the same batch as the First Master. He was sent to Shandong Linzi as a county magistrate, later promoted to prefect. This visit was due to Xu Tianqing's participation in this year's autumn examination, coming ahead for social visits.
Xiqiu entered Zhui Garden, and even before reaching the corridor, cheerful laughter came from inside. The First Lady's voice was slightly higher than usual: "Tianqing has studied well, and when your elder brother's lecture is done, you two should have a good chat." As the First Lady spoke, Xiqiu had taken off her silver fur cloak and stepped into the Warm Pavilion, immediately seeing the First Lady in a red twined peony overcoat, affectionately holding the arm of a woman in her late twenties dressed in a smoky purple double gold jacket beside her. The two women bore a five-part resemblance. Unlike the First Lady's noble and dignified aura, she appeared gentle, but her habitual commanding presence undermined her overall grace, though it was not jarring.
Everyone turned their gaze to her, and Xiqiu stepped forward to salute the concubine, her head bowed in its usual obedient arc: "Greetings, Aunt."
The concubine's gaze swept over her, freshly and plainly dressed yet somewhat stiff, still childlike among the young ladies here, not standing out in the least: "This is the Sixth Girl, she's grown so much." As she spoke, a matron in an amber-colored jacket standing beside her handed over a willow green pocket. Xiqiu thanked her and accepted it with a bowed head, then also bowed to the First Lady and exchanged pleasantries with Tong Xiyang, Tong Xiyan, and Tong Xiyu, sitting in the lower seats.
She moved to sit on the empty embroidered stool beside Tong Xiyu.
The First Lady spoke up, pointing to a young man seated nearby: "This is your cousin."
Xiqiu felt several gazes fall heavily upon her, so she had to step out again, head lowered, only seeing the pair of black soled boots, and the lotus green hem of his robe: "Greetings, cousin."
"Hello, Sixth Cousin." Xu Tianqing's eyes lit up, he stood up excitedly, but he could only see her glossy jet-black hair from this angle.
Thinking of Xiqiu's cautiousness all these times, the caring words lingered on his tongue, unable to come out.
The concubine glanced at her son, furrowing her brows slightly, then looked back at Xiqiu. Seeing her neither raising her head throughout, a note of satisfaction entered her voice beyond the previous: "We're all family relatives, Sixth Girl, sit quickly."
Xu Tianqing's face fell, retracting his gaze to focus intently on the tea cup in his hand.
Xiqiu agreed, obediently sitting back on the embroidered stool.
Tong Xiyang noticed a subtle shift in Xu Tianqing's mood and recalled his distracted look towards the door earlier.
In a flash, she understood, and her gaze toward Xiqiu immediately turned hot, as if wanting to devour her.
Xiqiu lowered her head, sipping tea, as if the brief awkward pause in the room had nothing to do with her, and she remained nonchalant about both Tong Xiyang and Xu Tianqing's attitude.
The concubine didn't want the First Lady to notice her son's misstep and shifted the topic quickly: "These few girls are all about the same age; sister might be busy in the next couple of years."
"Ah, none of them in this room are easy to handle." This time, the First Lady spoke honestly. She wished nothing more than to send all these annoying girls away tomorrow except for Tong Xiyan.
The concubine laughed: "Sister is blessed, unlike me, only one offspring, making it seem rather lonely."
However, the First Lady's expression changed slightly. Her ears interpreted it as boasting. Who didn't know Lord Xu feared his wife, having only one concubine in the mansion, who was old, faded, and barren, while she was troubled by a houseful of illegitimate children creating issues.
The concubine seemed unaware of the First Lady's change, and continued: "How is the eldest girl? I haven't seen her for years."
The eldest daughter had been married for eight years without bearing children.
She spoke of sensitive topics, and Xiqiu slightly raised her brows. It seemed the bond between sisters wasn't as harmonious as it appeared on the surface.
Fourth Miss Tong Xiyan sensed her mother's mood shift, and laughed: "Mother is biased. Ever since cousin arrived, none of us children in this room looks pleasing to her eyes."
The First Lady's face softened slightly, patting Tong Xiyan: "You're the smart one!"