Chapter 87: Changes

In the hall, a group of people gathered around Old Madam Xu, chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere. The main guests were originally Mrs. Zheng, Mr. Xu Xi Ping, and Mrs. Gui, but seeing that more of the younger generation had arrived, and since the two elders were present, the three Xu sisters in law were reluctant to speak. Therefore, Old Madam Xu sent them away, leaving only her grandchildren behind. This allowed everyone to relax, and the young ladies were able to talk and laugh freely with their grandmother and brothers.

Xu Jun Ying returned with a beautifully crafted wooden cane inlaid with gold and jade, a gift from the emperor, specially made by the palace craftsmen. The cane was made from rare purple cherry wood, with an elegant, unique design. The wood was firm and gave off a faint fragrance, making Old Madam Xu extremely happy as she played with it in her hands.

Xu Jun Lang described the emperor’s recent visit to the government office in plain clothes without his usual attendants. He told how the emperor was stopped by an official, who asked him to queue and take a number, sitting in the back row behind the doors. Despite the inconvenience, the emperor remained calm and patiently waited while the official clarified any issues. The official didn’t recognize the emperor and was reprimanded for neglecting him, but the emperor praised his conduct and even rewarded him.

The Xu sisters in law listened with great interest, and Old Madam Xu nodded, smiling, “The emperor is a benevolent ruler, gentle and respectful of the elderly, just like the late emperor when he was young.”

Xu Xiao Min turned to Xu Jun Ying and said, “Big Brother, you see the emperor every day, but I don’t even know what he looks like.”

Xu Jun Ying smiled, “The emperor is the Son of Heaven…”

Xu Jun Xuan followed, “The Son of Heaven naturally has a distinguished appearance, tall and handsome, commanding respect.”

Xu Xiao Wan added, “Grandmother once said that the emperor often visited our house when he was a child, but now he no longer comes.”

Everyone laughed, and Old Madam Xu said, “When the emperor was a child, he visited because your elder brother was at home. Later, when your elder brother went to the border, the emperor followed him. At that time, he was still the crown prince. He spent three years at the border before being called back by the late emperor. Now that he’s emperor, he’s busy with state affairs and no longer has time to visit.”

As the conversation continued, Xu Jun Lang glanced at Bai Jing Yu, who was sitting beside him, but their relationship had become strained after the incident on New Year’s Eve. Despite this, Xu Jun Lang had visited the Feng Hua Courtyard twice, hoping to mend things, but Bai Jing Yu ignored him both times. The second wife, unable to intervene, stopped trying, especially since the old master often stayed in Feng Hua Courtyard with little time to manage the younger couple.

Old Madam Xu, aware of the situation, had invited the couple over several times to dine with her in Jinhua Tang, hoping they would reconcile. Slowly, they began to mend their relationship.

As Meinang and Ning Rulan entered, the atmosphere grew even livelier. After greeting Old Madam Xu, the younger sisters in law either stood or sat, offering their respects or seats to the two women. Xu Xiao Rong and Xu Xiao Min bowed to the two women, giving up their seats.

Meinang focused on greeting the younger sisters in law and then went over to chat with Old Madam Xu. Xu Jun Ying was sitting in the lower left corner, and Meinang didn’t notice him. This wasn’t surprising, as Xu Jun Ying didn’t often visit Old Madam Xu’s room, and today he was wearing a red robe that didn’t fit his usual style. The Xu family brothers, aside from Sixth Master, all had similar builds, and the seating arrangements were usually more structured. Today, however, there seemed to be a mix-up, likely due to Xu Jun Lang and Bai Jing Yu sitting together.

Meinang paid little attention to Xu Jun Lang and his wife, merely greeting them before moving on. She turned to Xu Jun Xuan and the others, engaging in a livelier conversation. Ning Rulan, however, noticed Xu Jun Ying and quickly pulled Meinang’s attention to him.

Meinang, noticing Xu Jun Ying’s cold glance, stood up and gave a quick greeting, “Lord Hou, good health.” She then quickly sat back down, but Xu Jun Ying simply nodded and said, “Sit.”

Meinang sat down, playfully pinching Xu Xiao Min’s arm and whispering, “Why didn’t you tell me Lord Hou was here?”

Xu Xiao Min, rubbing her arm, apologized, “Sister in law, I was so happy to see you, I forgot about Big Brother.”

Xu Xiao Rong laughed, “I was the same.”

Just then, Zhuang Yu Lan and Zheng Mei Yu entered. Old Madam Xu laughed, “Look at you all, it’s almost time for dinner, but here you are, coming in one by one.”

Zhuang Yu Lan and Zheng Mei Yu only had eyes for Xu Jun Ying, greeting Old Madam Xu before kneeling to greet him, with Zhuang Yu Lan gently inquiring after his health and Zheng Mei Yu replying sweetly.

Meinang, watching the three of them exchange affection, wanted to gossip about Xu Jun Ying’s future, but just as she was about to do so, Rui Xue came in to announce that dinner was ready and on the table. Meinang had to stop.

Everyone gathered around Old Madam Xu as she moved to the other room, while Zhuang Yu Lan and Zheng Mei Yu stayed by Xu Jun Ying’s side, clearly having much more to say. Xu Jun Ying smiled and said, “You two must be hungry after spending so much time together. Please, join us for dinner.”

As usual, Meinang and Bai Jing Yu served the dishes and soup, making sure the younger and older members were taken care of. Ning Rulan wanted to help, but Meinang asked her to sit down, saying, “You’ve been running around all day, haven’t had a chance to drink tea, have some soup to warm up.”

Ning Rulan responded, “But you haven’t had a chance to rest either, Sister in law.”

“Not true, I eat more than you, so I’m better at enduring,” Meinang said with a smile, serving the dishes and soup.

Zhuang Yu Lan and Zheng Mei Yu continued to act graciously, but Meinang had lost interest in them and now focused her attention on Xu Jun Ying.

Dinner continued, and despite her annoyance at the atmosphere and the tea ceremony being interrupted by her own whims, Meinang couldn’t help but think about the things she wanted to accomplish within the Xu family. Her plans, like the invisible loans she had extended, were approaching their goal. The tea, the food, and the scene all felt like part of the bigger picture she was carefully crafting.