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  It's almost there~

  "What did you say to Qiuyue last night?" The old lady's tone was flat and her expression was bland, unable to discern any emotions.

  Li Jingxian knew at once that it was Han Shi who had come to his mother to tattle on him.

  "His mother had always complained that the house was too small for her son, but now that he had achieved some success, she should be content. Besides, Liu's wife was still in her childbearing years, and his son thought it would be a good idea to have another child to carry on the family line. What did his mother think?" Li Jingxian asked calmly.

  The old lady murmured softly, "Having more children is a good thing. I hope your elder brother has three sons and three daughters. Now the house is full of grandchildren, it's so lively! Your third uncle's body is a bit weak, but he also had four sons and one daughter. Only... only two sons and one daughter were born to him, and this daughter can't even be recognized..." The old lady sighed as she spoke: "It's not just the mother's selfishness, all this hard work is for the sake of leaving a good fortune for future generations! As a mother, I wish for prosperity and flourishing descendants, but now that Liu Niangniang is favored everywhere, Autumn Moon is neglected. She was already feeling lost in her heart, if Liu Niangniang gives birth to another son, I'm afraid from then on she'll only recognize Liu Niangniang and not acknowledge Autumn Moon anymore. It's understandable that she has feelings, so it's essential to comfort her well."

  Li Jingxian respectfully said: "I understand."

  "Doting on Liu Niang is not impossible, but there must be a limit. Don't spoil her too much, lest she develops an arrogant attitude as the mistress of the house. You should know that many family troubles are caused by unequal treatment between wives and concubines. Now that your career is going smoothly and Ming Yun is in his prime, you can't avoid having some shallow people who are jealous and waiting for a chance to pick on you. You can't just follow your own nature and create unnecessary trouble." The old lady said slowly.

  Li Jingxian humbly accepted the teachings: "Mother's golden words, son has taken note."

  The old lady said, "As for the matter of having a child, let's put it off for now. The New Year is approaching and it's supposed to be a good thing, but if we don't handle it properly, everyone will be unhappy and the New Year won't be peaceful either. Besides, all the household chores are taken care of by Autumn Moon, if she gets angry and falls ill, who will take care of the family? Let's wait until Ming Then passes his imperial examination, Autumn Moon will be happy then, and we can bring it up with her again!"

  Li Jingxian silently thought to himself: If it were clear, then wouldn't he not be able to pass the exam? This matter would just be dropped? He wants a son, but also has to consider Han Shi's mood. Li Jingxian responded with a mouth that didn't match his heart, waiting for the day when Wang Yu was pregnant with his child, and seeing who would still dare to make idle chatter.

  Lin Lan returned to Luoxiazhai, and Yu Rong told her that Qianqiu had just come from Liu Niang's side, asking what was the matter. She saw that Er Shaonainai was not there, so she said she would come again later.

  Lin Lan was puzzled as to why Liu Niang had come looking for her. They had never had any dealings with each other before, except when Lin Lan was being carried in a sedan chair to be made a niang, Liu Niang had sent a gift to congratulate her.

  Lin Lan had just sat down when someone outside reported, "Qiu Jian is requesting an audience."

  "Could it be that she is waiting for him right in front of us?"

  "Let her in!" Nowadays, Liu Yiniang is very favored by Li Zha's father and is about to hand over the important task of adding a new member to the family to her. Lin Lan naturally cannot avoid seeing her.

  Ru Yi brought him in.

  Qianqiu bowed to Lin Lan: "I've paid my respects to Second Young Mistress."

  Lin Lan held up her hand warmer and smiled slightly, saying: "What brings you to find me?"

  Qianqiu glanced at Yinliu and Ruyi beside him, with an expression that was hard to speak.

  Lin Lan said: "Just say it, doesn't matter."

  Qianqiu hesitated and said: "Last month, Liu Niang felt a slight pain in her lower abdomen, but she didn't think it was serious, so she didn't dare disturb the old master and mistress, fearing that everyone would say she was being overly sensitive. However, these past two days, the pain has become more severe, and I don't know what's causing it. I'd like to ask Second Young Mistress to take a look and see if it's serious."

  Lin Lan furrowed her brow and thought for a moment before saying, "Go back and tell Liu Niangniang that after I pay my respects tonight, I'll go see her again."

  Qian Qiuxi said: "The slave will thank Second Young Mistress Liu on behalf of her mistress."

  Lin Lan nodded slightly and let Ruyi send her out.

  Yin Liu said: "Second Young Mistress, you really are going! The madam will be unhappy about this. These past few days the madam has already been very unhappy."

  Lin Lan said calmly: "Aunt Liu invited me, so I'll go. Madam will naturally not be pleased, but if Master asked me to go, even if Madam is unhappy, there's nothing she can do."

  Just then, Mingyun came back and smiled as soon as he entered the door: "Lan'er, look, what's this?" He waved an envelope in his hand at her.

  "Is it Master's reply?"

  Li Mingyun took off his cloak and handed her the letter: "See for yourself!"

  Yinliu took off her cloak and asked with a smile: "Second Master, would you like to have a bowl of wine-steamed meatballs or tea?"

  Li Mingyun thought for a moment: "Still wine brewing meatballs soup! Just fill the belly."

  "Yes, I'll go and get it right away."

  Li Mingyuan went straight to the bathroom.

  Lin Lan eagerly opened the letter to read, unexpectedly finding another letter from her brother inside. Her brother's handwriting was crooked and hard to read, but it felt so intimate. Lin Lan's eyes instantly turned red.

  Li Mingyu came out after washing his face and saw Lin Lan crying while reading a letter.

  "What's wrong? What did the letter say?"

  Lin Lan handed it over to him, choking: "For yourself."

  Li Mingyu read the two letters and smiled, "Second Master and Fifth Master will come to Beijing next year, this is a good thing! Isn't that what writing letters is for?"

  Lin Lan sniffled: "I'm happy, I miss them."

  Li Ming stroked her head dotingly: "Silly girl, we'll meet soon, don't cry anymore. Later, I'll go ask for your forgiveness, or else they'll think I've bullied you."

  Lin Lan then wiped away her tears and said, "Second Brother and Fifth Brother have arrived. With them here, we don't have to worry about the pharmacy anymore. But my brother is coming, and I haven't thought of a place for him yet. And that sister-in-law of mine, she's really annoying, always causing trouble day and night."

  Li Mingyun smiled and took out another letter: "This is a reply from my grandmother, take a look."

  Lin Lan was surprised: "Is it a dish sent over?"

  "Uh-huh! I've sent everything to the old master's mansion. I went there today to pick it up. Previously, I wrote a letter to my paternal grandmother and asked her to take care of my sister and nephew for now, and not let them come to Beijing yet. Our own affairs are still unresolved, so we can't let them get involved. As for brother, Ningxing is also recruiting soldiers, but if war breaks out, he might have to go to the battlefield. I'm his only brother, so naturally, I won't let him take risks. Right now, the Kyoto Prefectural Government is recruiting a batch of constables. I've already asked Patrol Officer Zheng to reserve a spot for my brother. Whether or not it works out depends on my brother's abilities. If he succeeds, that would be best - his martial arts skills will come in handy. If not, he can work as a guard at the Ye family residence. In any case, I'll make arrangements and you don't have to worry." Li Mingyu said slowly.

  Lin Lan was stunned. She hadn't even mentioned her brother's matter, and was still thinking about how to bring it up with him, but he had already made arrangements. Lin Lan felt moved in her heart: "Ming Yun, thank you."

  Li Mingyu gently pinched her small nose and said with a hint of blame, "Brother is my brother, his affairs are my affairs. Between husband and wife, what's the point of saying thank you?"

  Lin Lan burst into tears and laughed, putting away the letter.

  "Second Master, Second Mistress..." Bai Hui came uninvited, with a new stone-blue cotton jacket draped over her arm, smiling warmly: "I made a new set of clothes for the Second Master, try them on and see if they fit. If they don't fit, I'll go and alter them right away."

  Bai Hua finished speaking and only then did she notice that the Second Young Mistress's eyes were red, having just cried. She awkwardly said: "Unless... I'll come back later."

  Lin Lan's good mood was ruined by her, she made new clothes for the master, a piece of heart and soul just so eager to present it to the master, didn't she know that without the mistress' order, the maid couldn't casually make clothes for the male master? Did she think she was a wooden second young madam?

  Yinliu just brought the wine and meatballs, saw the situation and smiled: "The second young master's new clothes were made by the second lady long ago. Today, the eldest uncle sent six sets of new clothes, saying that it was a lucky number to match the six-six big Shun. Now there is one more piece, making seven. Bai Hui sister might as well make two more, to make nine-nine numbers, which means eternal."

  Bai Hui's expression was awkward, and she said weakly: "I didn't know the second young mistress had already..."

  Yinliu smiled and said, "How could the second young master possibly spend the New Year without new clothes to wear? Even if the second young mistress herself didn't have new clothes, she couldn't let the second young master be shabby, right? Second young mistress, I heard that the new clothes you ordered are all made of top-quality materials, including Shu brocade. I've been wanting to take a look but haven't had the chance yet!" Yinliu placed the wine-steamed meatballs in front of the second young master.

  Lin Lan quietly watched Bai Hui, only to see her hand restlessly grasping the new clothes in her hand, as if she wanted to hide them. Then she looked at Li Mingyun slowly drinking the sweet potato porridge, with an air of not being concerned about anything.

  Lin Lan sighed inwardly and deliberately said to Yin Liu, "New clothes aren't too many, besides, this is also Bai Hui's kind intention. Unlike us, who are lazy about needlework, be careful that in the future you won't even be able to get married."

  Yinliu's face turned red with anger and she said, "Who said I wanted to get married? I won't marry anyone. I'll serve the two young mistresses for the rest of my life."

  Lin Lan said to Bai Hui again: "Leave the clothes behind! Wait for Second Young Master to have time and try again. However, what's made will definitely be a good fit."

  Bai Hui's face lit up again, and she put the new clothes on the table, curtsying: "I'll take my leave first."

  Lin Lan watched her leave and said indifferently: "Yin Liu, you go out first too."

  Yin Liu saw that Er Shao's wife looked unwell and also left with a murmur of "oh".

  The room fell silent for a while, and Lin Lan just stared at Li Mingyu without making a sound. Li Mingyu finally couldn't hold it in anymore, put down his spoon, and was about to speak.

  Lin Lan said: "I've already found a match for her, it's the son of Xu, the manager of the Ye family, named Xu Fu'an, 20 years old this year, and I heard that the young man is quite capable."

  Don't discriminate against singles!

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