CHAPTER 141: CHAPTER 141: DILEMMA (PART 1)

Xiqiu smiled but said nothing. In the afternoon, she sat with Siliu and Sixing in the room and embroidered crabapple blossoms. The next afternoon, she took the finished embroidery to Tong Xiyan’s room and asked someone to call over Tong Xiyu. The three of them sat together in the room and pasted the embroidered crabapples onto the overcoats that Tong Xiyan and Tong Xiyu made.

The bright red double-gold overcoat had seven or eight crabapples embroidered on it by Xiqiu. She used a double-sided needle technique to affix the embroidered flowers onto the garment. Then she asked Xinzhu to bring an iron and pressed it down thoroughly. Upon seeing it, Tong Xiyan’s eyes widened: "How did Sixth Sister manage this? Without even discussing the embroidery technique, just the way the flowers are sewn on seamlessly is enough to amaze me." She held the garment, her eyes full of delight: "The Grand Dowager will surely love it. I even want to wear it myself."

Tong Xiyu also touched the few crabapple flowers: "Sixth Sister’s embroidery is truly beautiful."

Xiqiu hid her smile behind her sleeve: "The dress looks beautiful, but it’s not just my work. These few crabapples I’ve sewn on are merely the icing on the cake." Tong Xiyan laughed, leaning on the couch: "This is great; we haven’t even sent the things out yet, and here we are, locked in the room, already praising each other enough."

Yet, there was a complex expression in Tong Xiyu’s eyes as she smiled and said, "Sister mustn’t be modest. The overcoat was ordinary on its own, but with Sister’s embroidered flowers, it now seems both elegant and dignified... In Mother’s eyes, Sister is quite the hero now."

Her words seemed innocent, as if she were genuinely marveling and admiring.

Xiqiu barely frowned and gave Tong Xiyu a deep look, feeling that Tong Xiyu was particularly focused on this occasion of the Grand Dowager’s birthday celebration.

"Enough with the compliments, let’s go show Mother," Tong Xiyan said with a smile, asking Xinzhu to fold the overcoat and gauze skirt together. She then changed into another outfit, and the three of them took their maids and went to the main room.

Sure enough, Lady was also very satisfied when she saw the gown: "I didn’t underestimate you all; I had even prepared an extra set of embroidery and asked Nanny Fang to find the Master’s calligraphy and paintings. But now it seems unnecessary." She pointed to Nanny Fang, "Take these things to the embroidery room for final touches, steam them again, and hang them up to dry. Once they’re ready, we can retrieve and wrap them for the trip to the Marquis Mansion." Nanny Fang nodded and carried the clothes out.

Once Nanny Fang had left, Tong Xiyan leaned in to ask Lady, "Mother, has Nanny Fang gone to see Big Sister? How is the situation on Sister’s side?" She was also reminded of Xiqiu’s pregnancy dream.

Lady looked at Xiqiu with a smile filled with anticipation, and Xiqiu raised an eyebrow inwardly, thinking it couldn’t be so coincidental. Could Tong Xihua really be pregnant?

When she made that cloak, she only heard from Laiwang’s wife about Tong Xihua’s medicine-taking. She thought of making a cloak just in case, so if good news came in one day, she wouldn’t be scrambling to prepare... She didn’t expect such an unintended action to have such a clever outcome.

"The doctors haven’t diagnosed anything yet, so don’t go spreading rumors," she smiled and warned her three daughters. "Even if it’s true, it’s not for us to say. The Marquis Mansion will send good news when it’s appropriate. Until then, you must keep your mouths shut to avoid spreading unfounded rumors that might hurt your elder sister’s reputation."

The three daughters nodded repeatedly.

At this moment, footsteps could be heard from outside, and soon the First Master appeared at the doorway. Lady led her three daughters up to greet him, curtsied, and then the First Master sat on the armchair. Nanny Fang served tea, and his gaze swept over his three daughters before he said, "I have matters to discuss with your mother; you should all return and rest."

Xiqiu paused for a moment before exiting behind Tong Xiyan, following the etiquette of seniority.

Once the daughters had left, Lady sat beside the First Master and asked, puzzled, "Husband, is there an important matter?" Since the incident with Zijuan and Caitao, the First Master hadn’t visited the main room. If there was anything, he would send someone to pass on messages, and Lady’s several trips to the main room had always ended in disappointment.

Seeing the First Master today, Lady was secretly surprised and couldn’t help wondering what had brought him back suddenly.

The First Master took a sip of tea; the cup contained the familiar Tieguanyin he always drank, but with time, even one’s taste seemed to change. He looked at Lady and said, "I have arranged with some colleagues to set off the day after tomorrow. Firstly, to avoid being delayed by the rainy season on the road, and secondly, I want to take this opportunity to travel along Jianghuai and return to Baoding once more. This Qingming Festival, I only sent someone back, as the ancestral hall had part of its roof collapsed by last year’s heavy snow. Although it’s been repaired, I still can’t feel at ease. The second elder doesn’t have the time, so I thought I’d take a look... Besides, it’s been years since we were last there."

Such a mentality, almost like someone too set in their ways, left Lady in a daze, blurting out, "Husband, has something happened?"

The First Master lifted his eyebrows and asked, "Why say that? It’s just that I haven’t been there in a long time and it coincides nicely with an opportunity to take a look."

Lady remained skeptical, but even if the First Master didn’t want to tell her, she knew she wouldn’t get anything by asking him. She could only wait until later to call the servant and find out what had happened during this period.

"Husband is leaving in a hurry, but fortunately, everything seems prepared. Only a cloak and a jiaao remain unfinished. We thought we had a few more days, so there was no rush. Now it seems we’ll have to send them over some days later." The First Master didn’t respond, so she continued, "Without anyone to serve you by your side, I won’t feel at ease while at home. Let me pick a clever maid from the mansion to accompany you, so there’s someone to attend to your needs."

The First Master frowned and said with discontent: "You can make that decision, but do not speak of letting a maid serve me again, lest it stirs up trouble!" He was referring to the matter with Zijuan. Zijuan, not wanting to, secretly left the door open and let Caitao in, which caused such a commotion. Outsiders who were unaware might think he was indulging in inappropriate affairs, forcing the mansion’s maid to take drastic measures.

"The Caitao incident was due to my oversight!" Thinking of Caitao, Lady felt a block of air stuck in her chest. Had she known Zijuan was like that, she would have let them go a long time ago to avoid such disturbances, which ended up offending the First Master!

However, some matters, even with regrets, she could not concede to. Without promoting a maid, she could only choose from the concubines in the house, but those three concubines now seemed unfit to accompany him. "The concubines, some sick, others frail, couldn’t attend to you properly and might instead need your care," she proposed, "it’s better to choose a clever maid." The First Master waved off her suggestions: "There are not such complications. If it’s not suitable, then send an older maid, for it’s only about attending to daily needs."

Lady’s expression turned cold, sending an older maid implied to the world that the first wife of Tong Mansion was jealous, unable to personally serve her husband when he was away and unwilling to let concubines accompany him, instead sending an aged maid... Such a reputation she could not afford. Moreover, without a woman by the man’s side, it might be manageable for a short while, but over a longer period, who’s to say he wouldn’t keep a mistress or go astray? It’s more reassuring to have a woman close by.