After dinner.
Chu Hongyu pulled Yunchu into the room and tucked a wooden sculpture into Yunchu's arms as if offering a treasure: "Mother, do you like it?"
It was a palm-sized wooden sculpture of a mannequin, and one could barely make out that it was a woman in a dress shirt, and one could also make out that it was Yun Chu.
She was filled with joy as she looked the wooden carving over and over again, "Brother Yu, thank you, mother really likes it, mother also has a gift for you."
She took out a purse and handed it over.
Chu Hongyu couldn't wait to open the purse and pulled out a small doll sewn from pieces of cloth.
The doll was only the size of a thumb, but its face and expression were lifelike, and its vivid expression let people know at a glance that it was Chu Hongyu.
"Wow, Mother, you're really too good, I love this doll so much!" The little guy said excitedly, "If only this doll was a bit bigger, I could hold it in my arms."
Yun Chou picked him up and put him on her lap, softly said, "I am purposely making it so small, you can put it in your purse and wear it on your body every day, remember, you can't let anyone know that you came to Xie's house, and you can't let anyone know that you called me your mother, or else I will be in big trouble."
Chu Hongyu nodded seriously, thought for a moment, and hesitantly said, "Can I let my sister know?"
He had said long ago that his sister wouldn't talk, and those who couldn't talk certainly wouldn't reveal their secrets, and Yunchu nodded gently.
The little guy jumped for joy.
Yun Chou could tell that the brother and sister duo were very close, and that little girl must be as likable as he was.
Perhaps because he was leaving in the morning, the little guy was extra pestering, wrapping his arms and legs around Yun Chou, leaning his head against her chest, unwilling to close his eyes and go to sleep.
Yunchu told him several stories and sang several songs, and it was only after almost tossing and turning until midnight that the child finally fell asleep.
By the dim light, looking at the sleeping child in her arms, I don't know what made her do it, but she gently kissed the child on the cheek.
One kiss and it felt like something was filling his empty chest.
She hugged the baby tightly and fell into a deep sleep as well.
Early the next morning, the faint morning light had just shone in through the window when Yun Chou opened her eyes and that child in her arms was gone.
She got out of bed in a hurry.
"Madam, the young world son got up and left in the middle of the Yin hour, seeing that you were sleeping heavily, he did not allow the slave girls to wake you up." Listening to the frost carrying a basin of water came in, "Today is the old lady's birthday banquet, all the courtyards are up and busy, slave girl serve madam to comb your makeup."
Yun Chou held the wooden carving in her hands, only this thing proved that the boy had been here.
She sat down in front of the mirror and with a great deal of effort to push the child's figure out of her mind, looked at herself in the mirror and said, "Keep your hair simple."
Listening to Frost nodded, quickly combed the simplest hairstyle, inserted a plain jade hairpin, followed by makeup for Yun Chou, the whole face was coated with white powder, no lip balm, and no eyebrow tracing, it looked devoid of any color, and then finally put on a dark purple dress, which set off that face as white as paper.
The grooming had just finished when the invitations arrived.
Because of the old lady's birthday, Xie Shian did not go to the school, and the people who followed the invitation are waiting in the flower hall.
Yun Chou walked out and the crowd saluted.
Xie Shi An looked up at Yun Chou's face, and said with a desire to speak, "How is mother's face so white, is she not feeling well somewhere?"
"The headache started in the middle of the night, and now my head feels like it's going to explode." Yunchu pressed her temples, "Ange, do you think it's suitable for me to go out and welcome guests like this?"
Xie Shi'an pursed his lips.
If mother doesn't greet the guests, the rumors outside will be even worse, I'm afraid.
But with her mother in this sickly state, guests were afraid that seeing her would give rise to all kinds of suspicions.
"Ma'am, I happened to bring lip balm." Listening Rain walked forward, "Concubine will color your lips and your complexion should look better."
Yunchu nodded and let her pound away.
It just looked a little whiter after painting her lips red.
Xie Shi'an spoke, "Mother already has white skin, it's better if you don't wear lipstick."
Hearing Rain snapped and had to take a handkerchief to wipe the lipstick.
Standing at the side, Listening Frost felt unworthy for her own lady, these people were only worried about whether or not her lady's appearance would cause the Xie family to be talked about, no one really cared about her lady's body at all.
She suddenly understood why the madam was no longer close to the Xie family's children, because every single one of them was a white-eyed wolf.
Even if the lady poured her heart out and raised these children, she probably wouldn't get a good word in return.
It's not as good as the young son of the Pingxi royal family ...
Yun Chu stood up and smiled, "Let's go, let's go to wish the old lady a happy birthday."
The group hooted and hollered as they headed for Anshou Hall.
The old lady was dressed freshly, hale and hearty sitting on top of the main seat, Yuan had arrived a long time ago, and Yunchu's eunuch, Xie Zhongcheng, had also arrived.
Among the masters of the entire Xie House, the one that Yunchu dealt with the least was Xie Jingyu's father, Xie Zhongcheng, as this eunuch was mostly lodged in the manor outside of the city, single-mindedly taking care of the Xie family's industry.
She walked in and saluted one by one, then looked at the old lady and said with a smile, "Grandson-in-law has wished the old lady a happy birthday, wishing the old lady good fortune like the East Sea, longevity like the South Mountain, year after year, year after year."
The aunts behind her, the brothers and sisters, also went up one by one to say good luck and auspicious words.
The old lady was all smiles, "Good good good, you all have filial piety, my Xie family is counting on you to shine!"
The Xie family was the only one in the capital, and after the birthday wishes were over, they began to offer congratulatory gifts.
Xie Zhongcheng went to a temple to ask for a longevity talisman for his mother, claiming that he knelt for nine days and nine nights at the most godly Cold Mountain Temple outside the city to ask for one.
Yuan gave the old lady a longevity jade vase.
Xie Jingyu, on the other hand, sent a picture of an immortal deer painted by himself.
Next, it was Yun Chu's turn to give gifts, every year on the old lady's birthday, Yun Chu's gift was the most expensive one among all the birthday gifts.
The old lady saw Hearing Frost and Hearing Snow carrying a large object in, and at a glance she knew it was a screen.
"Old madam, this is the Hundred Longevity Screen that granddaughter-in-law spent three months embroidering for you." Yunchu pulls the red cloth down, "Sun daughter-in-law is the daughter of a military general, not good at women's red, barely learned some but not very good, I hope the old lady will not dislike it."
Yuan spoke up, "Congratulatory gifts are all about sincerity, whether the embroidery is good or not is secondary."
But when she saw the word "longevity" on the screen, Yuan could not boast about it, because it was too ugly.
If this screen is placed in the house, I am afraid that it will have to make a fool of itself and can only be put away in the treasury, but, putting it in the treasury is also taking up space ...
The corners of the old lady's mouth twitched, the worst maid in her house embroidery work is better than Yunchu embroidery, embroidery so poorly don't embroider, this is not a disgrace?
But it's really not easy to embroider a hundred longevity characters, especially for people who don't know how to do women's embroidery.
If she said anything less than satisfactory and hurt Yun Chou's face, there was no telling what outrageous things this granddaughter-in-law would do.
"Chou'er has a heart." Against her will, the old lady said, "The fact that you meticulously prepared a birthday gift even when you were sick, this filial piety is touching."
Yunchu bowed her head and said she didn't dare.
Then the aunts send gifts, send some clothes and shoes and other objects, or calligraphy and painting, do not see what novelty.
After the gift-giving was over, the old lady stood up, "It's almost time, it's time to open the door to welcome the guests, let's go, go to the front yard."