Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 701 Fine Tea, My Little Nephew [Thank you! Bow again! 38k words owed]

Standing at the front, Madam Lu smiled and said, "Granny, your teachings have always been kept in mind and have benefited me immensely."

"Knowing that you are returning to the capital, we will definitely come to welcome you."

After Madam Lu finished speaking, the women around her and behind her, whose hairstyles were either those of married women or young girls, all looked at Granny Kong and nodded repeatedly in approval.

"Sister/younger sister Lu is right!"

"Granny, you must be tired from your journey here?"

As they spoke,
Lady Lu stepped aside.
The other girls from the Lu family then gathered around.

Granny Kong said with a touch of emotion, "When I first met you, you were still young ladies raised in seclusion. Now, some of you are already wives."

The women and girls from the Du family behind said, "Granny, you've been away from the capital for three or four years. If you don't get married soon, we'll all become old maids."

Upon hearing this, Granny Kong laughed.

When the ladies and young women greeted each other

The knights who had been accompanying Granny Kong's carriage dismounted and walked to the side to watch Granny Kong speak.

One of the knights, Chai Jin, even smiled at his wife, Lady Lu, and his younger sister, Chai Zhengzheng, in the crowd.

Standing next to her sister-in-law, Chai Zhengzheng glanced at her brother, then continued to look at Granny Kong, and whispered in Madam Lu's ear, "Sister-in-law, Granny Kong speaks softly and speaks gently, and her smile is kind and gentle. She's not as stern as you described on the way here!"

Madam Lu smiled and said, "Third Sister, that's because you were never a student of Granny Kong! When you were being taught by Granny Kong, if you made a mistake in your actions or words, Granny Kong would definitely have hit your palms with a bamboo stick."

Chai Zhengzheng asked with some doubt, "Did it hurt?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Lu twitched her eye and turned to look at Chai Zhengzheng, saying, "Third Sister, would you like to give it a try?"

Chai Zhengzheng quickly shook her head: "Sister-in-law, judging from your expression, I won't try it."

Under the shade of the tree,
Some distance away from the ladies and noblewomen, several maids stood by their carriages, smiling as they watched the scene unfold.

Zifeng, Chai Zhengzheng's personal maid, asked with some confusion, "Why are these ladies and noblewomen standing in front and behind each other today?"

Rong Feiyan, who used to hold her chin high and was always invited to stand at the front because of her family background, was standing at the back today.

Standing next to the wisteria, Fuyi also looked somewhat puzzled.

Ningxiang, a maid from the Rong family standing to the side, said softly, "Sisters, the young ladies and mistresses are standing in order of when they were taught by Granny Kong."

Upon hearing this, the maids of the Chai family nodded in understanding and said, "Oh, I see."

Ningxiang continued, "Actually, it's no wonder that these ladies and young women are so enthusiastic towards Granny Kong. I heard that several of the young ladies' good marriages were arranged by Granny Kong!"

"And when the eldest daughter-in-law encountered any troubles or knots in her heart, she would still write to Granny Kong to confide in her and ask for advice, and she was able to resolve most of them."

The maids from the surrounding households nodded in agreement, saying, "Sister Ningxiang is right."

Some people exclaimed, "No wonder the lady of the house came out of the city to greet her."

Standing behind the six women from the Lu family of the Duke of Lianguo's mansion were the four eldest daughters of the Du family of the Duke of Yanguo, and behind the Du family members was Rong Feiyan.

After speaking with the Du family's eldest daughter and young ladies, Granny Kong looked at Rong Feiyan in front of her and sighed, "Feiyan, it's been several years since I last saw you, and you've become even more beautiful and graceful."

Upon hearing this, Rong Feiyan blushed slightly and quickly bowed her head in a curtsy: "You flatter me, Granny! I am unworthy of such praise."

Granny Kong smiled.

At this time,

An older woman in the crowd said, "Granny, you must be tired from your journey. Why don't we go into the city? We'll host a welcome banquet for you at Fanlou."

After the lady finished speaking, Lu Shi, Rong Feiyan, and the others all showed signs of interest.

Granny Kong smiled and waved her hand, saying, "I'm already very grateful that you all came to welcome me outside the city today! Talking is fine, but we'll skip the welcome banquet!"

"I appreciate your kindness!"

Although Granny Kong spoke with a smile, the look in her eyes was very resolute.

Upon hearing this, Madam Lu smiled and curtsied, saying, "Yes, Granny."

Seeing Granny Kong nodding with a smile, Rong Feiyan and the others quickly curtsied and said, "Yes, Granny."

Granny Kong smiled and nodded: "Alright, children, you can get in the carriage first!"

The eldest daughter of the Du family glanced at the maid holding a gift box under the shade of a tree and was about to speak when she was given a wink by Madam Lu.

Seeing Lu shake her head slightly, the eldest daughter-in-law from the Du family did not continue speaking.

When everyone returned to the carriage, they huddled together and whispered among themselves for a while. After everyone boarded the carriage, it didn't move.

See here,

Helpless, Granny Kong boarded the carriage and walked at the front, heading towards the city.

Then, the carriages from several families followed.

After crossing the moat and entering the city gate,
Granny Kong lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the capital city she had left three or four years ago.

Bianjing remains prosperous, with porridge stalls offering free porridge and cash along the bustling streets.

As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, there are many stalls selling mugwort, colorful threads, and various fruits along the streets.

along the way,

Many passersby would cast curious glances when they saw a dozen or so horse-drawn carriages lined up in a row.

When they reached a street corner, the maidservant beside Granny Kong got off the carriage.

Then the convoy dispersed.

On the way,

The girls went home one by one.
The older women mostly went back to their husbands' homes.

Chai Zhengzheng and Madam Lu were sitting in a carriage when Chai Zhengzheng said in surprise, "That Madam Du from earlier actually has some connection with the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion?"

Mrs. Lu nodded with a smile: "Yes, there is some connection!"

"How come I've never heard of this?" Chai Zhengzheng asked in confusion.

Seeing her sister-in-law Chai Zhengzheng's curious look, Madam Lu smiled and said, "It was Zong-ge who told me before that one of his sworn brothers, Xu Jiawulang's, close attendants married the daughter of a steward from the Du family of Duke Yan."

"That stewardess came to the Du family as part of the dowry of Lady Yan, and she watched Lady Du grow up."

"Oh!" Chai Zhengzheng nodded, thinking about which of Xu Zaijing's close followers she had, and then she looked enlightened.

"Do you know who it is?" Madam Lu asked with a smile.

Chai Zhengzheng nodded: "Yes! It should be the book-finding guy."

"Then, sister-in-law, what should we do with the gifts we prepared?" Chai Zhengzheng asked.

Madam Lu smiled slightly: "Naturally, it will be sent to Granny Kong's place."

Chai Zhengzheng smiled and nodded.

Then, she asked curiously, "Sister-in-law, did Granny Kong teach these people who appeared today while she was in the capital?"

Madam Lu's smile faded, and she shook her head, saying, "Of course, it's not just these. Some of them didn't marry well, so they don't come out anymore."

“Some of the husband’s family members are not in Beijing, so they don’t know about it, and even if they do, it’s not convenient for them to come over.”

"Some felt that Granny Kong's teachings were useless and disdained to come."

Chai Zhengzheng: "Oh"

At noon,

Sheng Family School

Madam Cui, accompanied by her maid, carried lunch to the school.

After bowing to Zhuang Xuejiu and Changbai, he smiled as he watched the servants take the delicacies.

Zhuang Xuejiu stood up, walked to the door, looked towards the courtyard, and said, "Mother Cui, just now, there was a commotion outside the courtyard. What happened?"

Madam Cui was taken aback, and quickly bowed, saying, "Reporting to the scholar, it's a governess we hired who has arrived! Has she disrupted the school?"

Zhuang Xuejiu shook his head: "No, I was just asking."

"Oh! That's good!" Mrs. Cui breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhuang Xuejiu smiled, waved his folding fan, and walked out. While the two were talking, Qi Heng, sitting in the middle, pricked up his ears to listen.

Upon hearing the words "groom's wife," Qi Heng sighed with some frustration.

suddenly,

Qi Heng noticed something and turned to look to his right, where he saw Xu Zaijing also looking towards the door.

Xu Zaijing and Qi Heng smiled at each other.

Putting everything else aside, Xu Zaijing actually really wanted to see Granny Kong one last time.

The backyard of the Sheng family

Old Madam Sheng and Granny Kong walked side by side under the covered walkway.

Seeing the two old best friends looking a little estranged, Mrs. Fang, who was following behind, smiled slightly.

As she walked, Granny Kong looked around at the scenery in the courtyard.

"Sister, your courtyard is truly beautiful," praised Granny Kong.

The old lady smiled and said, "That's fine then."

Granny Kong nodded: "That's true, this is much smaller than the Marquis's mansion."

Seeing the old lady's reproachful look, Granny Kong smiled indifferently.

Upon entering the courtyard of Shou'an Hall,
With no other maids from the surrounding courtyards around, Granny Kong leaned closer to the old lady and naturally took her arm.

When Madam Sheng turned her head to look, Granny Kong had a smile on her face and even raised her eyebrows smugly.

See here,

Several young female servants in Shou'an Hall, including Cuiwei and Danju, all showed expressions of great surprise.

After all, Madam Sheng is usually stern and doesn't smile much. Over the years, only Hua Lan, Ming Lan, and Xu Zai Jing have dared to approach her like this.

Mrs. Fang smiled, seemingly unsurprised.

Looking at the two elderly people arm in arm in front of you, if you ignore their silver-gray hair and somewhat thickened backs...
In a daze, Fang's mother seemed to have returned to decades ago, where she was walking arm in arm with two young girls.

Back then, Fang's mother was also a young girl.

They went into the house side by side.

Granny Kong helped Old Madam Sheng to the Luohan chair at the head of the table, and then sat down on a chair to the side.

Cuiwei quickly stepped aside and handed the prepared tea to the two elderly people.

Taking the tea, Granny Kong closed her eyes, smelled it, and said with enjoyment, "I knew you had good stuff here, sister! I haven't smelled such good tea in a long time."

The old lady shook her head helplessly and said, "The good tea I sent you over the years, could it have been eaten by some cat or fox?"

Upon hearing this, Granny Kong nodded repeatedly: "I dare not say they are cats or foxes, they are all noble ladies from wealthy families in Xijing!"

Looking up at the puzzled Fang Mama, Granny Kong continued, "Suqin, my dignity as a governess is entirely due to the fine tea that your daughter brings me."

Hearing this, the old lady sitting in the armchair shook her head helplessly and said, "You, a renowned governess in both capitals, do you need me to support you?"

"Yes!" Granny Kong nodded and smiled, replying, "Without you, sister, where would I, an old nanny who has left the palace and has no influence at home, find those big and small dragon and phoenix tea cakes?"

Madam Fang laughed and said, "Granny, with the education you've given to the noble ladies of your family, how many cups of tea could you buy with the tuition fees from those high-ranking families?"

Granny Kong said helplessly, "It is possible to buy compressed tea, but it is rare to find one as excellent as the one your young lady gave us!"

Madam Sheng smiled and raised her cup, saying, "Then you can stay at my house for a while longer and enjoy my family's fine tea."

Standing to the side, Mama Fang smiled and nodded, saying, "Granny, this tea was made by my own hands."

Granny Kong held up a teacup and said, "Then I must try your cooking, Suqin, and see if it has changed over the years."

In fact, Granny Kong was not talking nonsense.

The Yongyi Marquis's mansion was once extremely prestigious, and the previous Yongyi Marquis and his wife doted on their only daughter, Old Madam Sheng.

The most prestigious tea houses near the Fujian Road Jianzhou in the south and the Beiyu Tea Garden in the north were given as part of the dowry.

The tea produced in such tea houses is almost identical to the tribute tea used by the royal family, and naturally cannot be compared with that of ordinary tea houses.

If Granny Kong has this kind of tea, knowledgeable people will know it at a glance.

Subsequently,

Granny Kong closed her eyes with great enjoyment, savoring the tea in her teacup.

After a while, just as Granny Kong was about to speak after putting down her teacup, a maid walked in through the door.

After bowing to the crowd, the maid said, "Madam, the gatekeeper from the front courtyard has sent word that many prominent families in the capital have sent gifts."

Old Madam Sheng looked bewildered and asked, "Gifts? Why are you sending gifts to our family?"

The maid bowed and said, "Reporting to the old lady, the gatekeeper said it was a gift for Granny Kong."

Upon hearing this, the old lady glanced at Granny Kong with slight surprise.

Looking at the old lady's eyes, Granny Kong said helplessly, "Sister, when we arrived in the capital, the young ladies from the families I had previously taught greeted us outside the city."

"I didn't accept the gift, but I didn't expect them to send it to you."

As she spoke, Granny Kong stood up: "Then I'll go out and give it to you."

The old lady said, "They brought it to my house, and if you send it back, it will damage our relationship! Just accept it."

"Alright then." Granny Kong smiled and sat back down in her chair.

The young maid knew what to do, so she curtsied and walked outside.

After sipping the tea for a while,

Granny Kong, holding a teacup, smiled at the old lady and said, "Sister, I heard that your maternal nephew is studying here now?"

The old lady nodded: "Yes, and the young master of the Qi family too! Scholar Zhuang has a great reputation."

Granny Kong asked, "Is there any progress on the matter I mentioned in the letter I sent to my sister?"

Upon hearing this, the old lady was somewhat stunned and looked at Granny Kong with some doubt, saying, "You've given me quite a few letters, which one are you referring to?"

Granny Kong sighed helplessly, leaned towards the old lady, and said in a low voice, "About your little nephew's marriage!"

Hearing this,

The old lady closed her eyes with a look of sudden realization and nodded repeatedly: "Oh! I remember now! So that's what it was!"

"Yes! That's it, this is a matter of lifelong importance!" said Granny Kong.

After thinking for a moment with her eyes closed, Madam Sheng opened them and looked at Granny Kong, asking, "So, which noble lady are you planning to introduce to my little nephew?"

Granny Kong immediately perked up, sat up straight, and said with great interest, "There are plenty! In recent years, there have been quite a few influential families in Xijing who know about my relationship with you and have asked me about your grand-nephew!"

“There are plenty of people with money and power.”

Looking at the silent old lady, Granny Kong said, "Why don't you have that young master come here so I can take a look? That way I'll have something to say when I reply to this message."

The old lady pondered for a moment, looked at the sky outside the window, and said, "It's fine to let him come over, but let me make this clear: only his parents can decide on his marriage."

"Don't worry, I'm just checking on the child! I've only heard of him for the past few years, but never seen him in person!" Granny Kong said with a smile.

Seeing Granny Kong's smile, the old lady smiled back. Perhaps she could tell her about some rumors in the capital later.

Jin Anzhai
It's not far from Shou'an Hall.

Wei Shuyi stood in the courtyard with a smile on his lips and his eyes full of anticipation as he looked toward Shou'an Hall. He said in a low voice, "In a way, tomorrow has turned misfortune into blessing."

You must study hard!

Wei Rui Xuan
Rulan and Minglan nervously straightened their clothes and then turned to look at Wang Ruofu, who had taken several deep breaths.

Linxi Pavilion
Hearing Zhou Xueniang's words, Lin Qinshuang, who was fanning herself with a round fan, frowned and stood up, saying, "Granny Kong? Is she the Granny Kong who taught several noble ladies from duke and marquis families?"

"Yes, young lady, she's from the palace! She's said to be a governess hired for the two young ladies."

Lin Qinshuang stood up: "No! I have to go check."

(End of this chapter)