Tled by Serena Love

Unedited

Chapter 103 (1): Mid-Autumn Festival

Zhou-shi and the old madam got on the Zhou-shi's carriage, while Xie Ye and Xie Hao got on the old madam's carriage. The two carriages drove toward the Xie Mansion in a very silent atmosphere.

When they stepped inside the mansion gate, everyone suddenly felt that Xie Mansion today seemed different from before.

The road is still that same road, and the trees are still those same trees, but people passing by are smiling, which brings the atmosphere of joy.

Today, everyone ran to each other at the street food market. Each has their own guilty conscience, but they all chose not to mention it.

Zhou-shi and the old madam didn't say a word on the carriage, and when they reached the mansion, they finally felt more at ease. Zhou-shi followed the old madam, and the more she looked around, the more she felt something was wrong. She casually stopped a servant and asked, "What's going on today? Is there a happy event in the mansion?"

The person replied respectfully, "In response to the second lady, the third lady stated that it is Mid-Autumn Festival, so today she issued silver rewards."

Zhou-shi nodded. The servants were rewarded, so it is normal to be happy.

As she was about to leave, she heard someone continue to say, "The third lady also said that tomorrow, those who are not on duty could go home and spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with their family."

Zhou-shi was stunned for a moment, looking down at the baggage the person was holding in his hands, and suddenly realized that his joy was not because of silver reward but for being able to go home to reunite with his relatives.

There was something uncomfortable in her heart for a while. She nodded to let the servant leave and followed the old madam to the main courtyard.

Walking into the inner courtyard, she was dazzled by the trees full of lanterns when she looked up.

The lanterns in Xie's Mansion were always bright at night, but it was never like this before. There are many styles of lanterns, and the light paper is very thin, which makes the lanterns exquisitely bright. The bright white light dyed the treetops a warm color and made a scattered dim halo on the ground. Along the way, the road is shrouded by the halo of lanterns of various colors, which rotate and sway, intertwining a blurred and hazy world of light and shadow.

Zhou-shi subconsciously followed the lanterns, and the lights along the way made her dazzled.

Looking at the dim light and shadow for a long time, people feel a sense of loneliness away from the mortal world. People in the outer courtyard are returning home lively, and the inner courtyard appears extremely quiet. Zhou-shi walked forward slowly, her heart is empty, and her feet felt like it was floating in the air.

She paused and turned around to look, not knowing when she had separated from the old madam.

Probably she was stunned and walked along with the lantern.

Looking at the complicated and bright lanterns, she lowered her head, preparing to turn around and head to the second branch.

Suddenly, a cheerful voice sounded.

"You help me. Help me."

She looked in the direction of the sound and saw two maids spinning around Jiang Shuyao. Jiang Shuyao carried her skirt in her hand as if she was about to climb up the wooden ladder.

Xie Xun followed helplessly, "Let the maids hang it up. You have hanged up so many lanterns, but have you enjoyed it yet?"

Jiang Shuyao climbed up the wooden ladder regardless of her maids' fear and turned her head, pretending to be angry, "Why, is it not looking good?"

Xie Xun spread his arms under the wooden ladder, protecting her, and weakly speaking, "Good-looking. It is good-looking, but... don't you think it's too much? It's all over the house."

Jiang Shuyao took the lantern from the maid's hand and prepared to hang it on the trees. When she turned her head, her eyes met Zhou-shi's.

Xie Xun watched under the wooden ladder with fear, and when she saw her movement stopped, he hurriedly got up to help her down, "Be careful, don't fall."

Jiang Shuyao ignored him. With a bright smile on her face, she waved to Zhou-shi in the distance, "Second Sister-in-law!"

Xie Xun was startled and almost couldn't hold back Jiang Shuyao on the ladder, "Didn't I tell you to be careful?"

Jiang Shuyao handed the lantern back to the maid and suddenly jumped down from the wooden ladder with her skirt in her hand.

Seeing this, Xie Xun who was quickly stretched out his hand to protect her, stomping his feet with anger.

The maids were very helpless. The lady had climbed to half a person tall. Why is she not careful?

Xie Xun breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Jiang Shuyao safely on the ground. Then he turned to look back and suddenly changed his demeanor. He calmly greeted Zhou-shi, "Second Sister-in-law."

At the same time he said hello, Jiang Shuyao had already run towards Zhou-shi with her skirt.

"Second sister-in-law, hurry up, come with me." She ran over, her eyes full of shattered lights, brilliantly bright. She smiled and grabbed Zhou-shi's wrist, "I went to the second branch to find you, but they said you haven't come back. Why are you back so late today?"

Zhou-shi's empty heart was filled in an instant, pulling her back into the real world from the dreamlike light-filled world.

She was unprepared, and Jiang Shuyao staggered her.

Jiang Shuyao quickly turned around and made Zhou-shi chuckles.

"Second Sister-in-law?" Zhou-shi suddenly laughed and confused Jiang Shuyao.

Zhou-shi just smiled and said nothing.

Although Jiang Shuyao was puzzled, she did not ask anything. She pulled her forward, "I have all the ingredients ready. Let's make moon cakes to enjoy the moon tonight. Although the fifteen is tomorrow, the moon is already full today."

Zhou-shi looked towards the sky and discovered that the moonlight was so bright. It was enough to suppress the lanterns in the house.

"Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival. During the daytime, let's teach the people in the street food market to make moon cakes, and then we come back to eat moon cakes to admire the moon in the evening. What do you think?"

Zhou-shi nodded and responded, "Your mother and I have not yet discussed a specific way to sell mooncakes. We make them in the daytime. Can we sell them at night?"

Jiang Shuyao said in a puzzled way, "I didn't plan to sell moon cakes. Moon cakes require a lot of sugar. Sugar is expensive, so people are reluctant to buy it. Just let them take it back and share it with their family." She smiled all over her eyes, "Give them moon cakes, which is their bonus for the Mid-Autumn Festival. It's for good luck, so let's not make money."

Zhou-shi was startled slightly, but Jiang Shuyao had led her to the courtyard.

There are various tables and chairs in the spacious courtyard. There are high and low tables, filled with bowls and dishes, and a large chopping board on the largest table.

Jiang Shuyao said, "I have all the ingredients ready. Let's make mooncakes together after we clean our hands." After she finished speaking, she realized that she was just paying attention to the excitement and forgot to ask Zhou-shi's opinion, "Do you have time tonight? Just forget it if you have something."

"What else can I do tonight?" Zhou-shi shook her head with a smile and went to clean her hands with Jiang Shuyao.

After returning, the two squeezed into a pile of tables and started making moon cakes.

Jiang Shuyao brought the big wooden basin next to it and put it on the table, which was filled with flour piled into sharp hills. She poured in the oil, honey, and sugar and stirred evenly. After the flour has turned into tender yellow crumbs, it was ready.

The flour with oil and honey kneaded softly with hands until the loose pieces turned into a ball. Zhou-shi has always been rushing to do this kind of "physical work." She squeezed Jiang Shuyao away and grabbed the job of kneading dough.

Whether it's kneading dough or watching someone kneading dough, Jiang Shuyao always thinks it is very stress-relieving.

Zhou-shi did not knead the dough like Jiang Shuyao, who likes to use her body weight. Her arms have enough strength and look very light. The flour seems to be pliable under her hands, and she kneaded it into a smooth dough after a short while.

The surface of the dough is golden, glowing with oily luster, soft as jade, and it is pleasing to the eye.

Jiang Shuyao saw that it is almost done and said, "Okay, put it aside and wait for a while."

Zhou-shi stopped her work, turned around, and cleaned her hands again.

Xie Xun watched the excitement next to him and said, "Does the pastry made like this?"

Jiang Shuyao said, "Of course, it will not be the same."

Xie Xun nodded, looked at the dazzling array of fillings on the table, and asked, "What about the fillings? What are the fillings today?"

"There are sweet moon cakes filled with jujube paste and bean paste, and salty moon cakes with pork floss, egg yolk filling, and ham. This bowl is the lotus seed paste filling, made of lotus seeds, sugar, and oil. These bowls are walnut, almonds, peanut, melon seeds, and sesame. After a while, let's mix them together, chop them into small pieces, and add sugar to make five nuts moon cakes. Some people don't like them, but I think it tastes good."

"Five benevolence?" Xie Xun nodded, "I like this name. Benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and faith. It is very pleasing to hear."

[T/N: It's another Chinese words that means differently based on context. 五仁月饼 (Pinyin: Wǔ rén yuèbǐng) means "Five nuts moon cake," but the word 仁 (rén) means benevolence.

Jiang Shuyao laughed at him, "Then you will have to eat a whole piece by yourself after it is made."

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Xie Xun said, "Naturally." He pointed to another table and continued to ask curiously, "Then what are these?"

Jiang Shuyao showed him one by one, "This is sweet-scented osmanthus, this is green plum, this is hawthorn cake, candied orange peel, winter melon candy-have you tried it? Would you like to try it?"

How could Xie Xun not agree? He opened his mouth naturally, waiting for Jiang Shuyao to feed him.

There were no extra chopsticks here. Jiang Shuyao washed her hands again, picked them up directly, and put them in his mouth.

Xie Xun stood in front of the table with his hands on his back, chewing and nodding, "It's really sweet. Um, not bad."

His cold face and gluttonous appearance amused Jiang Shuyao, "Many people hate winter melon candy."

Xie Xun frowned and was very confused, "Why do these people hate everything? They are really picky." He finished speaking, savoring the sweetness left in his mouth, "One more."

Jiang Shuyao put one to his mouth again.

His eyes were emptied, and he was very satisfied with the sweetness of winter melon candy.

When Zhou-shi came over after washing her hands, she saw Jiang Shuyao feeding Xie Xun with candy. Looking at Xie Xun's gluttonous gesture, she couldn't believe that this was the cold-faced brother-in-law she knew.

She stood on the corner and laughed. She covered her mouth and decided to stand here for a while, allowing the young couple to have a sweeter time.

It's a pity that her old aunty's smile was interrupted by a voice behind her.

"Second sister-in-law, I finally found you." Xu-shi walked up and down from outside, really unusual for her.

Behind her were the gray-headed Xie Ye and Xie Hao, Xie Li, who cautiously persuaded her and the short-legged twins adorning her tail.

"Sister-in-law?" Zhou-shi was a little surprised, "What's wrong with you?"

Xu-shi was really angry today. Just now, Xie Ye and Xie Hao came back with a bruised face. She was so scared that she almost broke her porcelain cup. Before she could ask more questions, she heard the nanny next to the old madam understand the cause of their injuries. The nanny said it euphemistically, but Xu-shi understood her meaning in a few words.

Her two sons actually went to the river to have a fight. After the fight, they bullied the son of the Qian family together with his college classmates and asked him to go to the street food market to buy food for them.

Xu-shi is a very competent mother and knew something about the disputes in the academy. He knew that the Qian family's son was the top rank in the academy, so he might have high self-esteem and couldn't deal with Xie Ye and the others. But Xu-shi taught them how gentlemen were to behave since they were young and sent them to the best college to study. When something went wrong, they actually chose to fight to solve it, which really made her angry.

However, Xie Ye and Xie Hao felt that they were wronged and kept talking back, "Mother, you have wronged us. The bet was because of Qian Xiuzhu. Well, Qian Xiuzhu proposed it. He was also the one who said that the loser would agree to the winner's request. He was willing to bet, and he lost. Why do you say that we bully him when we ask him to treat us?"

Xu-shi can accept that her sons made a mistake, but she cannot accept that her sons defend themselves without admitting that they were wrong.

She has always been gentle and dignified, but this time she was so angry that she made a move. Xie Li rushed over when he heard of the incident and reluctantly stopped her after several persuasion.

Xie Ye and Xie Hao saw that Xu-shi was so angry, and they themselves felt wronged, "Mother, you don't know right and wrong. We didn't lie. If you don't believe us, ask Second Aunt!"

Xu-shi heard the words "Second Aunt" and realized in the blink of an eye. Zhou-shi was busy in the street food market. Even if her poorly educated sons learn to fight and bully people, will they still embarrass her in front of Zhou-shi?

She was not angry anymore, "Okay, I will ask her now. Hmph, do you think she will protect you like your father? If your second aunt says you are lying, then you will kneel for me in the ancestral hall this month."

So Xu-shi dragged her whole family to the third branch and created the scene just now.

Seeing that Xu-shi's angry face looked like an angry face, Zhou-shi asked in surprise, "What's wrong with you, so angry? It's strange. I haven't seen you blush since I got married."

The two have been accustomed to fighting each other for many years. She obviously didn't intend to ridicule Xu-shi, but she couldn't change her sarcastic habit.

When Xie Ye and Xie Hao argued, Xu-shi could not stop her fire. When Xie Li persuaded her, Xu-shi could not stop the fire. Even after such a long walk, Xu-shi was still angry. But when Zhou-shi said this, her anger actually stopped.

She smoothly said, "I want to ask you something."

Chapter 103 (2): Moon Cake

The movement attracted the attention of Jiang Shuyao and Xie Xun. Jiang Shuyao was very surprised when she saw the first branch's family, "Why is Eldest sister-in-law here? Come in quickly. What are you doing talking outside!" It happened that it is a good time to be lively.

When Zhou-shi heard Jiang Shuyao saying this, she followed, "If you have any questions, just come in and talk about it."

Xu-shi reluctantly entered the third branch's inner courtyard.

As soon as they entered the yard, she was distracted. What is with the tables and bowls around the yard?

"Sister-in-law, you happen to be here. My Second sister-in-law and I are about to make mooncakes." She looked at the twins and waved to them, "You are here too. I also thought that I would send it to you after finishing it. If you do it yourself, it would be more delicious."

The twins knew that Xu-shi was angry, so even though Jiang Shuyao beckoned to them, they didn't dare to jump around too much. They stared at Xu-shi's face and hesitated to go.

Xu-shi's anger was dissipated, and she calmed down. Seeing the twins look like this, she felt funny and said, "Your third aunt asked you to go over. Just go."

The twins quickly jumped to Jiang Shuyao and rushed over.

Xu-shi turned her head and asked Zhou-shi, "Second sister-in-law, do you know that my son is bullying his classmates in the street food market?"

Zhou-shi knew that Xu-shi would not let the two of them go. Originally, she planned to grab them to see Xu-shi, but she ran into the old madam and then she lost her mind when she returned to the mansion.

"Naturally, I took them both out of the market."

Xu-shi was a little embarrassed. She glanced at his two dumb-headed sons and said, "Then do you know the ins and outs of the matter?"

As Zhou-shi was about to reply, Jiang Shuyao interrupted again, "Second sister-in-law, what are you talking about over there? The dough is ready, come and make mooncakes. Eldest sister-in-law, you too!"

Zhou-shi turned her head and shouted, "Okay." As she walked forward, she said to Xu-shi, "I didn't know the details, but then after asking people, I found out the ins and outs."

She walked towards Jiang Shuyao, and Xu-shi had to follow her.

"I heard that the food they brought during the examination was too fragrant. The Qian family's boy didn't answer well, so he probably lost his chance. The Qian boy had an uncomfortable time and then lost the bet. So he had to go to the street food market and bought them food from the whole street."

Xie Hao corrected her and said, "Half a street, I haven't finished eating yet..." Xu-shi swept him a knife-like glance and he shut his mouth.

Xie Ye said, "Mother, now you know? My second brother and I didn't lie."

Xu-shi's sneer, "So? This matter could have been resolved peacefully, but you have to agree to his request. Is it reasonable to learn from rascal's style?"

It was true that the two of them did something wrong. They mumbled a few words and hung their heads down.

After Zhou-shi finished talking, she went to Jiang Shuyao to prepare moon cakes.

Jiang Shuyao took a knife and prepared to chop the five nuts. Seeing that they had finished talking, she wanted them to come together to stuff the mooncakes. Only then did she see the wounds on the two elder nephews and their dusty clothes.

She asked Zhou-shi in a low voice, "What happened to them?"

Zhou-shi said, "Fighting."

Jiang Shuyao didn't think the matter was too serious. Although the two had reached the age of imperial examination, they were essentially immature teenagers. For her, it was normal for boys to fight and make trouble.

But Xu-shi obviously didn't think so. She said something harshly, Xie Ye and Xie Hao raised their head in surprise and then drooped their head unwillingly.

There are four Chinese-style words of tolerance, "Everyone is alright," "It wasn't easy," "It is a holiday," "They are still young."

So Jiang Shuyao naturally wanted to persuade her. She put aside the things in her hand and walked over, "Sister-in-law, why bother to be angry?" Although tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, today is also barely a holiday.

Xu-shi's heart was also depressed, "Who wants to get angry with them, but they..."

Jiang Shuyao looked at Xie Ye and Xie Hao. As she got closer, she could see their injuries clearly. She said in surprise, "How come they were hurt like this?" One eye was black, and the other torn the corner of his mouth. Their face was dirty, and there was no medicine.

She forgot to ask the reason and hurriedly shouted to Xie Xun, "Bo Yuan, go and fetch the medicine box from the room. It is on the cabinet at the end of the bed." Then she turned her head and said, "Sister-in-law, the two are injured like this, so let's get medicine first. And the clothes, those are dirty and torn, it should be changed first."

Xu-shi just said, "Good. So they will remember that it is hurt when they get injured."

Jiang Shuyao knew that Xu-shi's appearance was gentle, but she is a tough person inside, so she stopped persuading her and took Xie Ye and Xie Hao to the east wing room, "Let's go, take care of the injuries on your face first. Are you hurt?"

Xie Ye and Xie Hao were still squeezing their muscles. Their wounds were painful, but they were silent. When Jiang Shuyao asked, their noses suddenly became sore, "No, it's bruised at most."

Jiang Shuyao joked, "It's really ruthless to hit people on their faces."

Xie Ye and Xie Hao were a little surprised by Jiang Shuyao's attitude. They were holding their breath and arguing with Xu-shi, but they didn't feel that they were at fault. But Jiang Shuyao didn't ask why they fought. First, she cared about their wounds and then talked about it jokingly. Somehow, they rested their hearts and began to reflect on their mistakes.

Xie Ye murmured, "They were not happy... but who knew that they started hitting so cruelly. They said to fight by the river. My friends and I thought they were playing around, but when we went, we got beaten up." So then they couldn't help but fight back, and when they won the fight, they had to get them back. That's why they took them to the street food market to "punish" Qian Xiuzhu.

Xie Xun found the medicine box. He was also very surprised to see the wounds on their faces. He opened the medicine box to get the medicine and asked, "What's the matter?"

Xie Ye and Xie Hao were very afraid of Xie Xun, so they didn't dare to rebel like they did in front of Xu-shi. They obediently lowered their heads to repeat the story.

After speaking, they glanced at Xie Xun secretly, and when they saw his face sinking like water, they immediately trembled. They were even more frightened than facing Xu-shi's anger.

Xie Xun sat down opposite them and said in a cold voice, "Why is your skill so bad?"

Both Xie Ye and Xie Hao were ready to be criticized, but they didn't expect to hear such words. They looked up at Xie Xun with wide eyes.

Xie Xun frowned, his expression getting colder and colder, "Why, dissatisfied? Even if my eldest brother didn't ask you to learn martial arts from a teacher, you should be able to learn some martial arts. But you were beaten like this."

They were dumbfounded, so shocked that they didn't know what to say.

Jiang Shuyao returned with a basin of water and guessed what happened as soon as she saw this scene. She guessed that the two people were confused by Xie Xun's cold face. She squeezed a smile and wrung out her handkerchief, "First, wipe the dust off her face."

Xie Ye and Xie Hao took it quickly, rubbing their faces indiscriminately, grinning in pain.

Xu-shi came in at this time and couldn't get angry when she saw it. She sighed helplessly.

Jiang Shuyao knew that it was time to persuade her. She walked over and said, "Sister-in-law, although they are wrong, it was a small matter."

Xu-shi did not speak.

Jiang Shuyao then repeated the fragmentary words that Xie Ye said to Xu-shi, "People at this age can not bear their anger. Besides, it has been like this in the past few years. You can bear it... Well, for a few more years..." She changed her chin to a different position, and Xie Xun, who was giving Xie Ye medicine, said, "In a few more years it will become like this."

When he said this, Xie Xun increased the pressure, making Xie Ye gasp, but he didn't dare to scream. He held the sound in his throat and bit his lips.

Xu-shi clan was amused by Jiang Shuyao's words and couldn't laugh or cry, "What did you say to your husband?"

"I didn't say anything." Jiang Shuyao smiled, "I just think that this is what kids will do at this age. Sister-in-law, don't be too strict."

Xu-shi shook her head. Her anger was completely gone, "Fine."

Upon seeing this, Jiang Shuyao quickly started another topic, "Sister-in-law, get some mooncakes. It is very sweet."

Xu-shi rubbed her forehead, "No, Ah Zhao and Ah Yao haven't done their homework for me today, I..." Jiang Shuyao was staring at her, and she couldn't speak.

"Sister-in-law, it is fine in other days, but at least today, don't stress the children."

Xu-shi smiled and said bitterly, "I just hope that they will become good people."

"I know." Jiang Shuyao patted Xu-shi's hand, "but you still have to pay attention."

She took Xu-shi to the courtyard, and the twins had followed Zhou-shi to make moon cakes.

They are short and have to stand on a bench to stand at the table.

Zhou-shi's hand was holding the tender yellow dough, pressed it into a pie shape, placed the bean paste filling in the center, then slowly wrapped the pie crust with bean paste filling.

The twins stared attentively, their eyes widened, round and bright, and they looked very well-behaved.

"Understand?" Zhou-shi rolled the finished dough into a smooth ball and put it on the palm of her hand to show the twins.

The twins nodded, "Understand."

Zhou-shi said, "Next is the upper mold."

The twins stood on the bench, blinking and listening very seriously.

Seeing this scene, Xu-shi suddenly felt a little soft. Maybe she was really too strict with her children, so she should relax today.

Jiang Shuyao took a pot with all sorts of mold and put it on the table, "Choose the pattern. There are flowers, grass, and writing. Each one is different." She took it and said, "Oh, yes, and this one, I asked the craftsman to carve the rabbit and the tiger. I thought it would be cute, but I didn't expect it to look scary."

They chatted about what mold to use, and Xu-shi looked at her, smiling subconsciously.

Xie Li quietly leaned over, "Madam is out of anger?"

Xu-shi said, "Do you think I am too strict with children?"

"How could it be." Xie Li took her hand and said gently, "Your love is deep, and the responsibility is very serious. Madam raised our four children very well."

At this time, Jiang Shuyao took a large mold from the basin and raised her voice, "This is a character written by your third uncle. I think it looks good, so I made it into a mold. Make a big moon cake print. It must be pretty."

Xie Xun just finished applying medicine to Xie Ye and came out of the east wing. He was a little bit embarrassed when he heard Jiang Shuyao's words, "I told you don't use that one. It's not very good."

"I think it's good." She smiled, "It's a Tanhua Lang's writing. How could it be bad?"

[T/N: Tanhua Lang is a title for the third place in an imperial exam.]

Although she was ridiculing him, Xie Xun was still very happy. He pursed his mouth and suppressing his smile to prevent the juniors from seeing it. He walked over and said, "Then just for yourself, don't use it for mooncakes for others."

Jiang Shuyao said, "I still want to bring it to the street food market tomorrow. It's not good to use other people's writing on moon cakes."

Xie Xun immediately became uncomfortable, "Do you really think my handwriting looks good, or is it just easier to use my handwriting?"

Jiang Shuyao hurriedly coaxed, "Of course it is really good-looking. It is especially good-looking. No one else can compare with it. Tomorrow, let my mother see how beautiful her son-in-law's writing is."

Xie Xun couldn't help it anymore, and the corners of his mouth curled up, but he is pretending to be reserved and mumbled, "Okay, okay, I don't believe you."

Xie Ye and Xie Hao looked at Xie Xun's expressions. They looked at each other and smirked, but they forgot that the corners of their mouths were still hurt. They grinned and gasped with pain.

---

Chapter 103 (3): Separation Letter

The third branch was lively, but the Shouning Hall was particularly deserted.

After the old madam took off her hair bun, she sat in front of the bronze mirror and did not move for a long time.

She was getting older, and she fell into a trance from time to time. The nanny reminded her, "Old madam?"

The old madam returned to her senses and asked, "How is the first branch?"

The mother said, "The eldest lady had a quarrel with the eldest and the second young master and went to find the second lady, but the second lady was in the third branch courtyard, so they all went there. The person who inquired just now came back and said that there was no quarrel in the end. Everyone just gathered in the yard and happily started making pastries."

"Make pastries?"

The nanny smiled and said, "Yes, you are not wrong to be surprised. In the evening, all the ladies and young masters in the whole house were making cakes together..." As she said this and then saw the old madam's face in the bronze mirror, she immediately shut her mouth.

The old madam saw her reaction in the bronze mirror, put the wooden comb down, and sighed, "Have I punished you after all these years?"

The grandma was startled. She shook her head quickly and said, "The old madam is kind. I have never been punished."

"Then why are you so afraid of me?"

Mother was dumbfounded. She was the old madam's dowry girl and has followed the old madam since she was a child. Before she got married, the old madam was a famous lady in the capital, and no one couldn't find any mistakes in her behavior. Therefore, her attendants naturally had to abide by the rules strictly. After the old madam was married, in order to perform in front of her mother-in-law and to earn face in front of the noble mistress of Beijing, her rules became stricter. The old madam was indeed praised by the Queen Mother when she was young and became the target of the noble mistresses of Beijing to emulate. When she was old, she became the respected senior madam in Beijing. She treated herself so severely her whole life, so her maid did not dare to relax.

The old madam got up, and the nanny hurriedly supported her.

She walked to the window, opened the window, and the cool breeze swept into the room.

The full moon was round and bright, and the moonlight poured inside the room. It was cold and windy, and it made the room even more lonely.

"I don't like holidays very much." The old madam said.

The nanny seldom heard the old madam say things like these and quickly dropped her head.

The old madam stared at the full moon, seeming to be lost in memory, and whispered, "I don't like it when I was still in my boudoir, and I don't like it even after I get married. Before I got married, I have to compete with my sisters in my family. After I got married, I was busy running the banquet and take care of the staff, I came back very tired and couldn't have the energy to please my husband, so I could only watch him go to the other courtyard to rest..."

For decades, the nanny never heard the old madam say these things. She quickly interrupted, "Old madam."

The old madam shook her head, "How old am I? I don't care about it anymore." There was a confused look on her face, "I always thought I didn't like the excitement, that was why I always hate every festival. You watched me eat vegetarian food and reciting the scriptures. I have made Shouning Hall clean, and I can't stand a bit of excitement. But recently, I discovered that I seem to be wrong."

She closed the window, but the moonlight still spilled in, shining silver frost on the floor.

"It's not that I don't like the excitement, but I just don't like the empty excitement. After the excitement, the loneliness is really breathtaking." She walked slowly to the bed, "After every excitement in my childhood when I returned to the room, my mother would have to teach me what I did wrong—leaving me to face the wall to reflect on myself. After I got married, once the event was gone, it was also deserted when I returned to my room. The lights in the other courtyard were very bright. Outside, firecrackers were blasting, everyone laughed, but I was empty. The junior would run away after seeing me."

"Sometimes I wonder, if I was born in an ordinary family and just a hard-working woman, would I have a caring and well-behaved granddaughter like Auntie Hu? Grandmother and grandchildren depend on each other and let noble ladies who passed by admiring them."

The nanny felt uncomfortable. She held the old madam's hand but couldn't say any words of comfort.

The old madam just smiled and withdrew her hand, "What kind of expression do you make? I'm just talking casually. You see, I am lying on a high bed now, and people are waiting for me to go to bed. How many people are envious of it." She closed her eyes and whispered, "Didn't my third daughter-in-law said that you could return home if you are not on duty? You can go back tomorrow. I have kept you with me all these years, but I never thought of letting you go home on holiday. I didn't even think of that. I am ashamed."

The nanny shook her head, "What did the old madam say..." She looked up, saw that the old madam had closed her eyes. She stopped talking and quietly retreated.

The master of Shouning Hall has fallen asleep, but the third room is still lively.

Jiang Shuyao and the first branch's children made mooncakes together. Xu-shi and Zhou-shi were responsible for kneading the dough, and Xie Xun and Xie Li were responsible for stealing the fillings. A group of people quickly made a large plate of mooncakes.

Zhou-shi wanted the mooncakes to be made into a thin-crusted and large-sized, but she did not take into account the five-nuts filling in her hand. The skin was wrapped up here, but the filling was exposed over there, making the mooncakes "smiling."

Xu-shi couldn't laugh or cry. Seeing Zhou-shi's hair hanging down from her temple, she used her little finger that hadn't touched the oily surface to pick her hair and place it behind her ear.

Just after she picked it, her action froze.

Zhou-shi was puzzled and looked up at her.

Xu-shi glanced at the far gate. Zhou-shi turned her head and found Xie Lang standing at the courtyard gate, seeming to want to come in.

Her face darkened immediately.

"What is he doing here? Ruining the mood." Zhou-shi's said.

Xu-shi was a little bit hesitant to speak. She hesitated for a while and said, "He should have something to say to you."

Zhou-shi looked at Xu-shi in surprise. Although Xu-shi hadn't said anything about her and Xie Lang, she had always been on her side. How did she change her attitude today?

Xu-shi said, "Why don't you... go and chat with him."

Zhou-shi put down the dough in her hand and frowned at Xu-shi.

Xu-shi sighed, "You believe me once. He has important things to tell you."

Zhou-shi did not want to see Xie Lang, but Xu-shi had said so. She didn't want to get angry with Xu-shi, so she wiped her hands with a dry cloth and walked to the courtyard gate.

Xie Lang was a little happy to see her coming but quickly suppressed it, "I have something to tell you. Can we find a place to sit down and talk?"

Zhou-shi said impatiently, "Isn't it enough just to talk? It's nothing more than just nonsense."

Xie Lang smiled bitterly, "I promise, this is our last conversation."

Zhou-shi waved her hand and stepped out of the courtyard, "Okay, that's what you said. Once today's matter is over, don't bother me in the future."

Xie Lang's footsteps stiffened, and he couldn't hold back the bitter smile on his face.

The two sat down in a nearby pavilion, and Zhou-shi immediately said, "Let's go. I need to go back and make moon cakes."

Xie Lang wanted to ask her how she was doing, but he knew that Zhou-shi would only leave impatiently if she heard this.

So he could only skip the words that he had held for a long time, took two things out of his sleeve, and put them on the stone table.

Zhou-shi frowned and looked at him.

He pushed the booklet on the stone table in front of Zhou-shi.

"What's this?" Zhou-shi was hesitant to stretch out her hand and picked up the thin paper.

When she opened it up, the impatient expression on her face was suddenly broken, leaving nothing but a surprised look.

She stared at Xie Lang with wide eyes. She saw him nodding and then moved her gaze back to the thin paper again.

The three words "wife separation letter" are very eye-catching.

Perhaps only when she was shocked would he have the opportunity to say something. Xie Lang was bitter in his heart. He didn't expect that he would even have to work hard to find opportunities to talk to her. He said, "These years, I owe you a lot. I am ashamed. Whether I admit my mistakes or apologize, I can't make up for it anymore."

When Zhou-shi closed the paper, there was an unreal feeling that had settled.

Xie Lang didn't dare to look at her. He pushed another booklet in front of Zhou-shi's. This time, without saying anything, Zhou-shi took the initiative to open it.

"A transfer edict?" Zhou-shi read the words in the booklet at a glance and asked in disbelief, "QingZhou... You, are you going to QingZhou?" QingZhou is the most desolate place in Mobei.

"Yes." Xie Lang raised his head to look at her, his smile finally no longer bitter. "I have discussed with Ah Sheng. She said that she is willing to follow me to take office in QingZhou. If she is trapped in Beijing, she will never see the lonely smoke in the desert recorded in the books, can't appreciate the different cultures and customs. She really wants to go to Mobei to see it. Then I will send her to the Zhou family's house. If she misses me, she can also be sent to QingZhou to see me."

Zhou-shi was too surprised, and she could not react for a while, "Wait, compared with your current official position, the QingZhou's prefect position is like being demoted. What have you done?"

Xie Lang chuckled. When she was confused, she seemed to have returned to the appearance when he first met her.

"This is what I asked for." The smile on Xie Lang's face dissipated. "You can follow me when I go there in the new year, or you can go there earlier. You could say that we peacefully separated, or you can continue to be my wife. It's all up to you which identity you wanted."

Zhou-shi put down the edict, her mind was confused, and she didn't know how to reply.

"You want to go back to Mobei, but you can't leave because you have concerns. You don't have to. Ah Sheng will follow me, and you can follow too. There is no need to worry about your identity. Of course, if it's not convenient to be a divorced woman, there is no need to mention to others that we have separated."

Seeing Zhou-shi raised her eyes to look at him, Xie Lang laughed self-deprecatingly, "Don't worry, since I have given you the separation letter, I won't entangle you anymore." After saying this, he also felt relieved a lot, "Ruoying, you don't have to worry about what I have planned. If you can't believe the "me" after we got married, please think of "me" before we got married. You can go home boldly."

The word "home" suddenly made Zhou-shi's nose sore. She forced her tears down, cast aside her complicated thoughts, and said, "You don't have to ask for a transfer for me."

Xie Lang smiled, "Not only for you but also for myself."

After tonight, maybe the two can no longer sit face to face and talk. Xie Lang's throat rolled, suppressing his sadness and sorrow, and tried to make himself look decent, "I always had a smooth life. My family background is good, and I am good at learning everything. The only twists and turns I encountered were when I traveled to Mobei and met you."

Seeing that Zhou-shi was about to speak, he hurriedly continued, "Don't rush to scold me. That was what I accustomed to. Even when I was traveling, I have never treat myself badly in food, clothing, housing, and transportation, unlike my third brother, who followed his teacher and lived like an ascetic monk. After I arrived in Mobei, I still ate fine meals and fell asleep on the soft silk quilt until I met you on the street that day. From then on, my life was turned upside down by you."

"The trip to Mobei was just to increase some insights, and in the meantime, learned a little bit of diligence. But when I arrived in Mobei, I had never experienced the sufferings of the border, nor had I experienced the bitter cold of winter, and the poems I wrote were just fake. Even so, when I came back, everyone praised me, and I gained the reputation of great talent." Xie Lang finished speaking and couldn't help but shook his head and laughed.

Zhou-shi did not answer, so he continued, "In my whole life, I am a nobleman born in Beijing and a nobleman who lived by the book. If it weren't for you, I would have never seen the other side of the world. You have taken me to drink strong wine, seen the desert, hunted wolves, saw the bright moon at the border, and worshipped the soldiers' burial ground... Obviously, you gave me a chance, but I did not seize it. I chose to return to the capital, took an official position, and re-indulged in the wind and snow."

Zhou-shi didn't love him anymore, but she still felt sad because of his words.

"I think I missed it seven years ago, so I shouldn't miss it again now. I used to eat fine delicacies in Mobei, but now I should follow the people to eat dried bean curd buns. I used to live in the most prosperous part of the city. Now I should go to the poorest place to observe the people's sentiments. I don't need to try my best to do a good job as an official. If I stay here, it's nothing more than a guaranteed promotion, but I can't rely on this ground for a lifetime. After arriving in QingZhou, I should try my best to be a prefect. This is what a person should pursue in his life, right?"

Zhou-shi was silent, and the atmosphere was a bit stagnant.

After Xie Lang gave her the separation letter, those indecisions, tossing, and doubts disappeared together. It seems that time has passed, but he has become the personable and carefree Second Young Master Xie once again, "Ruoying, I have not really understood the relationship between men and women, what I have learned and seen are all those fireworks in the book, but from you, I understand true friendship. You are the most indispensable friend in my life. Meeting you is a great blessing in my life, and I have lost you. I'm very sorry."

Zhou-shi looked up, "I don't want your apology."

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Xie Lang laughed, "This is you." He closed his smile and said, "If you want to go back to Mobei, go back just before the end of the year so that you can spend a New Year with your family. I will take care of it for you. You can leave without worry. It's okay to go back earlier. After all, the food in Mobei is really hard to eat. When I arrive in QingZhou in the future, I might still need to freeload from you every now and then, so I don't need to eat those grit dry bun all the time."

Zhou-shi said, "You want to be beautiful. QingZhou is far away from the Zhou family's home. You could only come once or twice years at most."

Xie Lang said, "I know." Freeloading food cannot work, and it is also difficult for him to see the other side. Maybe they will say goodbye today.

Both of them were silent, and there was an uncomfortable silence in the pavilion.

Xie Lang hoped this silence could stay for a while, and he could get along with her for a bit longer. But contrary to his expectations, Zhou-shi took a breath, stood up, and prepared to leave.

Xie Lang looked up at her, and his gaze just happened to run into her sight.

"You know I won't thank you for what you did?" she asked.

Xie Lang replied, "I know."

"You also know that I still hate you?"

"I know."

Zhou-shi nodded and left the pavilion without looking back.

Xie Lang still maintained his posture when she left and sat for a while. He didn't move until the wind started blowing, and he put the letter on the stone table into his sleeves.

He looked up at the sky. The full moon tonight was very bright, dazzling, and looking at it a few more times would make the eyes sore.

He murmured to the moon, "You know that the last words on the last meeting will be remembered for a lifetime, right?

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