Hearing this, Yu Tang lowered her head to look at her own skirt.

Seeing this, Xu Xuan laughed heartily and said, “Atang, I also want to ask you—where did you have this skirt made? It’s truly beautiful. I’d like to have one made too. Is this a new style from Hangzhou? The color combination is really lovely.”

Yu Tang smiled with pursed lips and said, “If you like it, I’ll have someone make one for you. It’s just that the embroidery will take time—it was embroidered by that woman called Mei Niang.”

She didn’t say whether it was a new style or who made it.

Hearing this, Xu Xuan felt somewhat puzzled and said, “How did Mei Niang get involved in this?”

Yu Tang was vague and didn’t elaborate, instead smiling and saying, “If your requirements for embroidery aren’t too high, I can have our family’s embroiderer make you a similar one.”

Xu Xuan had seen many fine things and didn’t feel Mei Niang’s craftsmanship was exceptionally superior. Hearing this, she smiled and said, “My family’s embroiderer’s skills are also quite good, though she’s better at embroidering flowers and plants. What I really find beautiful is the color combination of your skirt. What fabrics did you use?”

Different fabrics—even in the same color—would have subtle differences, and even their luster would vary.

Yu Tang smiled and pointed to her skirt: “It’s all Hangzhou satin. You can buy it at any ordinary silk shop.”

Hearing this, Pei Dan said, “Third Aunt, I want one too! When you have the embroiderer make a skirt for Sister Xu, have her make one for me as well.” She widened her eyes and asked, “Third Aunt, did you bring embroiderers with you when you came this time?”

Qian’er had already drunk his water. Old Madam Pei wiped Qian’er’s mouth with a handkerchief while smiling and interjecting, “Haven’t your two little cousin brothers both come along? This time we not only brought embroiderers, we also brought cooks. Last time I came to the capital, I didn’t get to eat a proper meal even once.”

This was naturally somewhat exaggerated, but it was true that Old Madam Pei had suffered some hardship during her last visit.

Everyone laughed.

The steward woman of the small residence came in to ask where lunch should be served.

Old Madam Pei pointed to the large round table in the center of the room and said, “Just set it here. It’s warmer here. Don’t move it here and there—we might freeze the children.”

The steward woman acknowledged and left.

Old Madam then set Qian’er down on the floor, smiling gently and saying, “Go on! Go play with your older brother.”

Qian’er nodded with a beaming smile and ran to Jiang’er’s side, taking his older brother’s hand.

Brother Yuan called out “older brother” to the two of them.

Old Madam chuckled and said, “Not older brother—little uncle.”

Brother Yuan very much wanted to play with Jiang’er and Qian’er. He obediently corrected himself, calling out “little uncle.”

Qian’er hid behind his older brother, curiously observing Brother Yuan without running around. Jiang’er, like a little adult, nodded his head with the demeanor of an elder and said “good boy.”

This amused everyone into another round of laughter.

Amid everyone’s laughter, the steward woman led the maids in carrying food boxes.

Everyone took their seats, rinsed their mouths, washed their hands, and had lunch.

Yu Tang then led Jiang’er and Qian’er to their afternoon nap. Old Madam Pei was in good spirits and stayed in the warm pavilion to drink tea and chat with Xu Xuan and the others.

Jiang’er asked Yu Tang, “Mother, Father said that branch of the family no longer has any relationship with our family. Do we still need to let them call us little uncle?”

Perhaps because she had children after being married for a long time, Yu Tang was extremely loving toward both her sons. Even though Jiang’er was already six years old, she would still watch him fall asleep before leaving.

Yu Tang tucked in the corner of his quilt and smiled, saying, “Just listen to your father.”

After all, Pei Tong was Old Madam Pei’s own grandson—Old Madam Pei couldn’t truly ignore him.

But in Yu Tang’s household, she always maintained Pei Yan’s dignity.

Jiang’er nodded solemnly.

Qian’er, sleeping beside Jiang’er, suddenly said clearly, “I’ll listen to Big Brother.”

Yu Tang couldn’t suppress her laughter.

Her younger son was like his older brother’s belt—following him wherever he went. Whatever his older brother said, he would enthusiastically support. If there was anything good to eat, he would always let his older brother have it first. He was extremely adorable.

Yu Tang gently touched her younger son’s forehead and smiled, saying, “Sleep now! Mother will leave after you’re both asleep.”

The two little children nodded, closed their eyes, and quickly fell asleep.

Only then did Yu Tang return to the warm pavilion.

Brother Yuan had also been taken down by his wet nurse for his afternoon nap. Gu Xi was sitting beside Old Madam Pei peeling tangerines for her, while Old Madam Pei chatted with Xu Xuan: “…Then we’ll rest for one night tonight before leaving. Safety first.” She then sighed with feeling, “The residence Atang bought is quite good—very convenient for everyone.”

Xu Xuan smiled in agreement: “She still quite enjoys buying things.”

“That’s why they say birds of a feather flock together!” Hearing this, Old Madam laughed. “Xiaguang also enjoys buying things. These past few years when they’ve had nothing else to do, they’ve made their residences absolutely beautiful. It’s a pity you’re in the capital year-round, otherwise you could go stay there often.” After speaking, the old woman looked up and saw Yu Tang, then beckoned to her.

Yu Tang walked over.

Old Madam Pei accepted the tangerine Gu Xi had wrapped in a handkerchief, but didn’t eat a single segment. She held it out to Yu Tang and asked, “Are Jiang’er and Qian’er both asleep?”

Yu Tang didn’t particularly want to eat fruit peeled by Gu Xi, but since Old Madam had offered it to her, she couldn’t go against the old woman’s wishes. She accepted it and said, “They’re both asleep.”

Old Madam asked again, “Who’s watching them in their room?”

Yu Tang knew that Old Madam regarded the two children like the apples of her eye. If she wasn’t confident about whoever was on duty, she would send her own Ji Niang or Chen Niang to personally watch over them.

She quickly said, “Both their wet nurses are watching over them there.”

Old Madam still couldn’t be completely at ease and said, “A’Xing should have been brought along.”

Ever since A’Xing had saved Yu Tang, A’Xing had become one of the most loyal people in Old Madam’s eyes. After Jiang’er was born, Old Madam had consulted with Yu Tang and made her the steward woman for Jiang’er’s quarters.

When Old Madam left the capital this time, she had originally wanted to bring her along, but A’Xing had been married for several years and had finally become pregnant. Yu Tang, worried about the strain of the journey, had let her stay in Lin’an.

Hearing this, Pei Dan asked about A’Xing: “Is she still with the Pei family?”

The Pei family had deliberately suppressed news of Yu Tang being pursued by Peng Eleven, but people in the family still knew about it. Especially Pei Dan—she was also one of those involved. Afterward, Pei Dan had even specially rewarded A’Xing with a small bag of gold ingots for her loyalty and courage. So she also knew that after A’Xing returned to Lin’an, Old Madam had freed her from bondage and given her fifty mu of prime farmland as dowry.

“She’s still there.” Yu Tang smiled and said, “She has her own mind. With Old Madam’s protection, she recruited a husband to marry into her family. Usually she still serves in the residence, but on holidays she returns to her own home.”

“It can be done that way?” Pei Dan asked in surprise.

“Why not?” Old Madam smiled. “Rules are set by people. She has done our Pei family a great service, so naturally she’s different from others. When the servant women in the household see this, they also know what they should do. It’s a good thing.”

Pei Dan looked thoughtful.

That evening, after paying respects to Old Madam Pei, she specially accompanied Yu Tang back to her room and curiously asked, “Did you find out A’Xing’s background?”

Yu Tang smiled and said, “She’s just a girl from an ordinary farming family.”

Pei Dan didn’t quite believe it.

Yu Tang smiled and said, “You still don’t believe that someone can be particularly independent-minded?”

Pei Dan thought about it and found this reasonable, so she put the matter aside and chatted and laughed with Yu Tang for a few sentences. Seeing that it was getting late, she rose to take her leave.

Yu Tang felt that the fewer people who knew about A’Xing’s background, the better.

According to Pei Yan’s investigation, her family should have offended local gentry in their hometown. While fleeing, they passed through Lin’an and, running out of travel funds, were forced to stay there. A’Xing had been dissatisfied since childhood with her parents’ favoritism toward her younger brother. She always liked to compete with boys and acted like a boy herself, with quite a chivalrous spirit—that’s why she had such courage.

But as long as there was no malicious intent toward the Pei family, whether it was Pei Yan or Yu Tang, they were willing to accept her.

She had indeed helped Yu Tang quite a bit.

However, when Pei Yan returned that evening, he had drunk a bit of wine and was more talkative than usual.

He questioned Yu Tang: “I heard you want to have our family’s embroiderer make a skirt exactly like the one you wore today for Xu Shi?”

Yu Tang knew his “jealous” habit was acting up again. Moreover, the older he got, the more childlike he became. If she didn’t humor him, he could truly go two or three days without speaking a single word to her.

“No!” Yu Tang said without changing expression. “Didn’t we agree that if you have any doubts, you should come ask me directly rather than just believing whatever intermediaries say? I did indeed say today that I’d have our family’s embroiderer make a skirt similar to mine for Madam Yin. Similar, not exactly the same. And I also said that the flowers and birds were embroidered by Mei Niang. If she’s willing, I can only have our family’s embroiderer help with embroidering flowers.”

The skirt she wore today was a gift from Pei Yan.

He had specially sent it to Mei Niang to have the pleats embroidered.

He also enjoyed personally making hairpins and crafting jewelry for Yu Tang.

Yu Tang loved these things very much.

But she was afraid others would think Pei Yan was neglecting serious matters by indulging in frivolities. Especially since she became pregnant—Pei Yan had hardly left the house and even helped her care for the children. She never mentioned these things in front of outsiders.

Pei Yan’s expression improved considerably.

Yu Tang took the opportunity to say, “Look at you—whenever you drink you like to talk nonsense. Should you stop drinking? You can’t even control yourself when you drink.”

“Nonsense!” Pei Yan refused to admit it. “I know what I’m doing.”

Yu Tang naturally knew this—she was just being unreasonable with Pei Yan.

Having heard what he wanted to hear, Pei Yan was satisfied. Thinking of his sons, he said, “Are they both asleep? I’ll go check on them!”

Yu Tang stopped him, chiding, “Look at you, reeking of alcohol. Change your clothes and wash up before going.”

The longer she lived with him, the more she felt that Pei Yan was innately proud and unruly. Concepts like “hold your grandson but not your son” and “a woman’s virtue lies in her lack of talent”—he scoffed at all of these. He not only held his sons but also enjoyed playing with them.

Jiang’er’s early education had been personally conducted by him.

Next year, he also planned to personally educate Qian’er.

Their two sons weren’t like other people’s sons, who saw their fathers like mice seeing cats. Both sons were very close to him. On occasions like this when he returned late, he always had to personally check on both sons before feeling at ease.

Pei Yan wasn’t truly drunk. He was just a bit upset that Yu Tang wanted to use the skirt he had made for her as a model for Xu Xuan. Hearing her words, he complied readily and went to change his clothes. He even drank sobering soup before going with Yu Tang to the room where their sons were resting.