After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 1112 Message
Haitang watched the servants clean up the leftovers, then returned to the main courtyard to report to her grandmother Ma. However, she saw no one after entering the courtyard.

She thought that Ma and her aunt Zhou Ma had gone back to the upper room to rest, but she heard some noise the next second. Turning around, she saw that Ma and Zhou Ma were both standing under the window sill on the side of the east wing, smiling at each other and not knowing what they were doing. There was even a hint of slyness on their faces.

Haitang was confused and was about to walk towards them, but she realized it after taking two steps. Her brother Haijiao and his new sister-in-law Zhuang Minyi were both in the new room in the east wing! It was late at night, the guests had all left, and the newlyweds were about to start their wedding night. Why else could the two old ladies be standing outside the new room?
Haitang felt angry and amused, and also felt a little sympathetic towards her brother Haijiao. But he was so happy today, his long-cherished wish for two lifetimes had come true, so he probably didn't care about such a small matter.

Haitang looked back at Aunt Cui and the others who were still busy walking around outside the courtyard gate, and thought it would be better to cover up for the two elders and help her brother at the same time, so she pretended to know nothing and greeted her grandmother: "Grandma, Auntie, the tables, chairs, cups and plates are all cleared, is there anything else I can do?"

Ma was surprised to find her granddaughter had entered the yard. She felt a little embarrassed, but was afraid that her grandchildren would find out what she was doing, so she pretended to be calm and sent her away: "It's okay, you've been busy all day, you've worked hard, go back to your room and have a rest. Get up early tomorrow, remember to go to the upper room, your sister-in-law will come to serve tea. Don't forget to prepare gifts for your brother and sister-in-law."

Haitang responded with a smile, bowed to her aunt Zhou Ma, then excused herself and left.

The bridal chamber had become quiet. Neither Hai Jiao nor the new bride Zhuang Minyi said anything. Ma then pulled Ma Zhou and asked her elder sister to go to the upper room for tea. Ma Zhou covered her face with a handkerchief and said embarrassedly, "It's getting late. Our master must be waiting for me anxiously. I'd better go back first and come to talk to you another day."

Ma didn't keep her, but lowered her voice and said, "You saw what Lu Sheng's wife wanted to do today. When you go back, you must say a few words to them and stop being so eager for quick success. What is Miss Xuejun's current status? Ma Lusheng said they are relatives, but they are distant relatives and have never met before. In front of so many people today, the couple wanted to stick to her and flatter her, but what's the use? Can Miss Xuejun still give them an official position?"

Speaking of her nephew and niece-in-law, Madam Zhou was also very angry: "I used to think he was an honest man, but I didn't expect that I overestimated him. It's just that my eldest sister-in-law always gets in the way and takes the blame. If I had known that the couple would be so disgraceful, I shouldn't have brought them to Beijing, and I even had a quarrel with the master over this. I wanted to plan for their future, but they are not only ungrateful, but also wrote letters to my eldest brother and sister-in-law to say bad things about me, and they repeatedly hold me back. If this continues, I might as well send them back to Chang'an directly! It will also save me from staying around and getting angry!"

When she thought about the obvious behavior of Ma Lusheng's wife today, the news would surely soon reach her husband and the people in Cheng'en Marquis's Mansion and the Fourth House. She didn't know how she would be blamed and ridiculed by then! Zhou Ma's good mood flew away immediately. She forced a smile, said goodbye to her sister, and went to the front yard to find her husband and nephew and niece.

Ma smiled and escorted the people to the gate. She was not very angry. As long as Ma Lusheng and his wife did not embarrass her in front of outsiders, she would have nothing to endure. She was not working for her natal family, nor did she plan to help her nephew. Only her elder sister Zhou Ma could not let it go and could not make up her mind. If what happened today could make her elder sister really make up her mind, it would not be a bad thing.

On her way back to her room, Ma passed by the east wing and could faintly hear the soft voices of her grandchildren and granddaughter-in-law. She felt extremely happy. Her grandchildren and granddaughter-in-law were loving and affectionate. Maybe she would be able to hold her great-grandson next year. Such a good day was really something to look forward to!

After Haitang returned to her yard and sat down to take a breath, Xiangcao came back.

Earlier, she followed Haitang to see off the female guest. Later, she remembered that her brother was busy running errands in the front yard today and didn't know if he had eaten enough. So she apologized to Haitang and wanted to take some leftover dishes and cakes from the wedding banquet for Dunzi to eat. Haitang would not stop her and let her go. She also asked her to tell the kitchen that any clean dishes left over from the banquet could be distributed to the servants at home to avoid waste. Haitang thought that she was also busy today and would eat with her brother, but she didn't expect her to come back so soon.

Xiangcao smiled and said to her, "I have already eaten, so there is no need to eat again. I sent food to Dunzi, and he was very happy, thanking the young lady for her kindness. Also, when he was doing errands in the front yard, Master Jin asked him to help deliver a letter to the young lady. Because he didn't dare let others know, he didn't say anything until he saw me just now, then he took out the letter." As she spoke, Xiangcao took out a letter from her sleeve, placed it on the table in front of Haitang, knelt down, and without saying much, turned around to boil water.

Haitang's cheeks were hot, but she was also a little surprised. She picked up the letter and saw that there was no signature on the envelope, but the seal on the seal was printed with the words and patterns of Jin Jiashu's private seal. She opened the envelope and took out the thick three pages of letter paper, which were indeed written in Jin Jiashu's handwriting.

Haitang glanced outside the door and saw that Xiangcao would not be back for a while, and Mother Li and Shiliu were still busy in the front yard, so she moved to sit closer to the candlestick so that she could see the words on the letter more clearly.

Jin Jiashu just came back from the hot spring manor yesterday, and came to the Hai family for the banquet today. He didn't find a chance to visit several teachers in advance and listen to their teachings, so he had to plan to come another day. However, he had been away from the city for so long that he was always thinking about his fiancée Haitang, so he thought of sending the letter in first to tell her about his recent situation so that she could feel at ease.

He stayed at the hot spring manor for two or three months. The palace sent a doctor who was good at conditioning his body to watch him take medicine and eat. Now his body has recovered a lot. He thinks he is healthier than before the poisoning. He doesn't need to worry about any future troubles or that he will not be able to survive the imperial examination. The doctor reported this news to the palace. The queen mother and the new emperor were very happy. They thought they would not have to worry about his health in the future.

Jin Jiashu took this opportunity to successfully obtain the Queen Mother's permission to return to his home in the capital. In the following months, apart from preparing for his wedding and bringing his fiancée Haitang home, he only had to concentrate on preparing for the exam.

He was planning to pass the provincial examination in one fell swoop. He would give himself one more year at most. If he failed this year, he would have to pass the provincial examination next year. Therefore, apart from the wedding, he probably wouldn't be able to take care of anything else in the next six months. The housekeeper selected by Ma Shangyi took care of the chores in his family. Although Ma Shangyi was still recuperating at the hot spring villa and would have to live in Jiyuan in the future, she could still help him from time to time. In addition, he would have his capable wife Haitang after marriage, so he didn't have to worry about anything. It was just that he had some ideas about the new properties and wanted to arrange them in advance. He needed to discuss them with Haitang and seek her advice.