CHAPTER 310: CHAPTER 310: ELDEST SISTER-IN-LAW (5)

Qiuhua was sent to the kitchen last month, entrusted to Nanny Cai for training, so she was not part of the group.

Xiqiu’s gaze fell on Qiya. She hadn’t seen her for a few months, and the originally thin and dark face was now much fairer and rounder. The dimple on her left cheek was even cuter, and she seemed much more clever. Seeing Xiqiu looking at her, she knelt and said, "Servant Biwu greets Sixth Miss."

Xiqiu raised her eyebrows slightly and asked with a smile, "Why did you change your name?"

Sixth Miss still remembered her, and Biwu’s face lit up with joy: "Replying to Sixth Miss, Nanny Qian said my name didn’t sound nice, so she asked me to change it. I thought for a long time and couldn’t come up with a good name, so I asked Sister Bihuai to help me choose one!"

Bihuai? Who could that be?!

Seemingly aware of Xiqiu’s question, Biwu smiled and said, "Sister Bihuai is Qiuhua. She said her name conflicted with the Sixth Miss’s character and wanted to change it. Coincidentally, I found her, and she said that we two sisters were fated, so why not choose similar names, easy to remember and like sisters!"

Knowing her name conflicted with mine, she immediately changed it, and even got Qiya to take a similar name. This Qiuhua is indeed clever.

Xiqiu nodded with satisfaction and said, "The name Biwu is not bad. From now on, you’ll follow Chunliu and start learning the affairs of the outer courtyard. If you don’t understand something, you can ask her." Biwu was full of joy, kowtowing to Xiqiu with gratitude: "This servant will definitely heed Sister Chunliu’s words!" Her big eyes were very lively, blinking cutely.

"Stand up!" Xiqiu told Biwu to stand, then turned to the two old servants behind her. After inquiring about them, one was a stout, tall woman named Yang, and the other was not tall but had meticulously combed hair, looking very proper and serious, named Xu. Xiqiu instructed them to do some sweeping in the yard and, occasionally, run errands with Nanny Qian.

All these people needed to be well-trained before she brought them with her when she got married. Otherwise, in a new place, they might become burdens instead of helping her.

Once everyone left, Xiqiu called Chunliu over and instructed, "When you have time, go check the kitchen and see how Bihuai is doing!" Chunliu understood her meaning and nodded, saying, "This servant will remember."

As the two were speaking, Chunyan walked in carrying a long picture scroll, barely having time to set it down before giving Xiqiu a letter: "Miss, Yishan from First Young Master just came by, saying First Young Master was looking for you. Seeing you busy, I went by, and First Young Master gave us a Nine-nine Cold Relief Map and instructed me to hand this letter to you."

Xiqiu was taken aback, uncertain who sent her the letter. She opened it and was stunned—it was from Fourth Master Xiao. But why was it sent to Tong Shen Zhi instead of being directly delivered to her?!

"Did Big Brother say anything else?!"

Chunyan nodded: "He said there were three letters in total. This one is yours, and he just asked me to bring it to you!"

Xiqiu raised her eyebrows, wondering why he would send three letters simultaneously?

"Go find out who received these three letters." Xiqiu tucked the letter away and instructed Chunyan. Chunyan nodded and pointed to the scroll on the table: "First Young Master asked me to bring this to you and hang it in the main hall."

Xiqiu nodded and asked Chunyan to open the picture. It depicted a plain plum branch with nine plum blossoms, each with nine petals, totaling eighty-one petals, representing the eighty-one days of the "number nine cold days," each flower symbolizing a "nine," and each petal representing a day...

One year, during winter solstice at the mansion, First Master also hung a similar picture in Zhui Garden. Every day, he would dye a petal with light pink pigment; once nine petals were dyed, one "nine" had passed, and when nine blossoms were completed, the "nine" had ended, symbolizing the harshest winter was over.

"Hang it up."

Chunyan, Chunliu, Bihuai, and Xi’er all worked together to take down the landscape spring scene painting originally hanging on the wall and replace it with the Nine-nine Cold Relief Map. Xiqiu took the letter back to her room, slowly unfolding it, and her eyes fell on the strong strokes of small regular script—this was her first time seeing his handwriting. They say one’s writing reflects their character. Fourth Master Xiao’s writing was fluid yet subtly sharp, somewhat different from the impression she had of him.

The content of the letter was simple. He mentioned he’d arrived in Liaodong by the end of July and had hurried to the garrison. Coincidentally, the Mongolian soldiers, laden with spoils, retreated to the grasslands. He noted that Liaodong would enter winter after September, and since the Mongols had tasted success, they wouldn’t stop there. Besides, the spoils they seized wouldn’t suffice for the entire winter!

He highlighted troop movements without detailing future military plans, but noted the clothing she sent was a perfect fit, although the jiaao was too thin. The fur cloak was warm but inconvenient. He candidly suggested that if she had time, she could make more to send. Although the local garments were ill-fitting, the jiaao, despite being thin, was worn daily!

Additionally, he mentioned that Count Wuchang’s Princely Heir Shen would be heading to Liaodong before the year-end. Arrangements had been made for someone from the Tong Mansion to collect them, asking her to send the items with the heir to him!

Xiqiu chuckled, realizing he’d rather endure the cold than buy outside clothing?! He just assumed she’d make clothes for him?!

After all these years traveling, Fourth Master Xiao must have worn various clothes, so why such particularity now? Xiqiu understood he was making up an excuse for her to have something to do!

After some thought, she shook her head and found the jacket she had cut out some days ago, smiling gently!

Meanwhile, Chunyan had made a round in the courtyard and returned to tell Xiqiu: "The Great Governor’s three letters were sent this afternoon—one was First Young Master’s, one was yours..." Chunyan paused, her expression turning odd: "And the other was... for the Lady."

Xiqiu was stunned. He actually wrote a letter to the Lady too?

She couldn’t fathom what Fourth Master Xiao would have to say to the Lady, and in the letter he sent to her, he hadn’t even mentioned it. Xiqiu was filled with curiosity.

However, by the next day, the answer was clear. The Lady’s and Nanny Fang’s expressions were beyond terrible. Xiqiu was secretly puzzled because, even though she’d visited daily, and the Lady and Nanny Fang often made it difficult for her, they weren’t as hostile as today, as if every glance carried a hint of murder.

"Sixth Miss, you should go back! The Lady has me here, so you needn’t come every day!" Nanny Fang said, her gaze like knives on Xiqiu.

Xiqiu was surprised: "Mother’s illness is not yet healed. How can you manage alone?!" Why wasn’t she allowed to visit suddenly?!

Nanny Fang smirked with mockery: "Someone like the Fourth Miss, the Lady can’t handle. Save yourself!" With that, she flipped the curtain aside and ushered Xiqiu out!