Xiqiu sighed and asked, "How is Father?" Madam Jiang paused and replied, "He went to the government office yesterday and returned late. He left early this morning, so I didn’t see him. I just stopped by Madam Mei’s place, and he said that if there’s any more trouble, he’ll send her away to be raised on the estate..."

With Madam Wang as an example, I suppose Madam Mei wouldn’t dare to cause much trouble!

Madam Jiang rubbed her forehead and pointed to the bruise under her eyes, "I haven’t slept well for two days. I’ve brought in some young servant girls and older women from the human traffickers, and let some of the older ones in the household go to avoid stirring up more trouble."

Xiqiu patted her hand and was about to speak when Nanny Cen outside announced, "Madam, Madam Lou has arrived."

"Understood." Xiqiu exchanged a glance with Madam Jiang, and both stood up to greet the visitor. Madam Lou, surrounded by her maids, was already stepping onto the front porch. Seeing Madam Jiang also present, Madam Lou hesitated slightly and smiled, "First Young Madam Tong is here too."

Madam Jiang acknowledged her with a bow, "Madam!" The three of them entered the adjacent room. Madam Lou smiled and said, "I was quite startled to see the housekeeper come yesterday. It wasn’t until she explained that I felt at ease." Since the passing of Second Young Madam Lou, Madam Lou had become much more haggard, appearing to lack spirit.

"It was my sister-in-law." Xiqiu held Madam Lou’s hand and turned to Madam Jiang, "She has something to discuss with you."

Madam Lou, once again taken aback as she had little contact with Madam Jiang, couldn’t fathom what Madam Jiang wanted to discuss, feeling somewhat uneasy, she asked, "...What is it?"

"Let my sister-in-law speak with you." Xiqiu smiled and stood up, "Stay and have lunch here, I’ll have the kitchen prepare it." Saying this, she made a move to leave. Madam Lou, realizing the matter was serious, glanced at Madam Jiang and then Xiqiu, nodded anxiously, and absentmindedly replied, "Then I’ll trouble Fourth Madam."

Xiqiu smiled and nodded to Madam Jiang, then left with a few maids, casually closing the door behind her, leaving Madam Jiang and Madam Lou inside.

"Where is Zhi?" Xiqiu instructed Nanny Cen to tell the kitchen to prepare some light dishes. Bihuai replied, "He went to the outer courtyard, left together with Young Master Min."

Xiqiu was taken aback. Min was attending a lesson; what was he going for?

"Who is accompanying them?" Xiqiu asked. Bihuai answered, "Mrs. Zhou, Wenyu, along with Qingshan and Qingyuan, are all there."

Feeling reassured, Xiqiu decided to visit the kitchen herself, staying for about half an hour before returning to the adjacent room. Upon entering, the room felt stifling, with only the suppressed sound of Madam Lou’s weeping. Seeing Xiqiu enter, Madam Jiang gave her a bitter smile, while Madam Lou, lifting her eyes to see Xiqiu, lamented through her tears, "This disgraceful child..." Unable to continue speaking.

Xiqiu sighed. In this matter, they had no ground to criticize Second Master Lou. As a woman, Tong Xiyu wasn’t any more honorable than Second Master Lou. She gently consoled Madam Lou, "Take heart, things have already happened, speaking more does no good. Your health is already poor. My sister-in-law originally didn’t want to burden you with this, but it’s not a small matter. Second Master Lou is insistent, so we couldn’t decide on our own and had to ask you to discuss it privately."

"Ah!" Madam Lou sighed and shook her head in distress, "To be honest, I’ve been scolded by my mother countless times over the years, for pampering the children too much. In my youth, I refused to accept it, thinking if I didn’t spoil my own children, who would? I catered to their every whim, and now in my old age, I’ve reaped the consequences. Looking back, my mother was right; those children were indeed spoiled by me..."

Madam Jiang, also feeling sorrowful, wiped her tears and comforted, "They say when sons grow up, they no longer belong to the mother. Please don’t blame yourself entirely..." She wanted to mention how promising the young men of the estate appeared, but at the thought of First Master Lou and Second Master Lou, she couldn’t continue. Count Shouning had many sons, three legitimate ones, the youngest only in his early teens, yet only the second son by a concubine seemed most outstanding.

Realizing this, she found herself incapable of further persuasion.

Madam Lou waved her hand, her face bereft of anger, only sorrow, "No need for First Young Madam and Fourth Madam to comfort me; I know my sons all too well." After a pause, she continued, "The second son doesn’t have any bad habits, he’s always been meticulous in managing household affairs. When his wife was alive, their relationship was quite good, which was a comfort to me. But to think he committed such a heart-wrenching act is unexpected."

Remembering her recently deceased daughter-in-law, her cries grew more grievous.

Xiqiu and Madam Jiang sat with her, momentarily at a loss for comforting words.

After crying for a while, Madam Lou wiped her tears and asked Xiqiu, "Could Fourth Madam kindly have a basin of water brought for me? I’d like to wash up so as not to be a laughingstock when I leave."

Xiqiu assented and instructed Chunliu to bring water, assisting Madam Lou in washing her face and combing her hair. Once settled back again, Madam Lou said, "I’ll discuss this with my mother, and within three days, I’ll provide an answer to First Young Madam. Would that be acceptable?"

Madam Jiang naturally had no objections, nodding in agreement, "Very well!"

Having discussed what needed to be said, Madam Lou couldn’t stay longer. Rising, she bid farewell to Xiqiu, "Please stay for lunch," Xiqiu pleaded.

"I can’t eat now; I’ll just go back." With that, she nodded to Xiqiu and Madam Jiang before leaving the room.

Once Madam Lou left, Xiqiu and Madam Jiang chatted for a while longer in the room before Madam Jiang also took her leave. When Xiqiu stepped outside, still not seeing Zhi, she took a few maids to the outer courtyard. Standing outside, she peered through a window to see Zhi bent over a table, brush in hand, absorbed in drawing something.

Young Master Min sat beside him. Mr. Ji held a book, lecturing occasionally, glancing at both Young Master Min and Zhi, a smile on his face...

"Young Master Zhi is attending lessons too?" Chunliu exclaimed in surprise. Xiqiu smiled slightly, feeling relieved that Zhi could quietly stay and listen to Mr. Ji’s teachings.

"Let’s go." In this scorching heat, as long as he wasn’t running around, it was fine.

Back in her chamber, Xiqiu changed into her casual dress, and shortly after she sat down, Zhi and Min returned. Xiqiu instructed someone to take the two to wash their hands and face and then asked Zhi, "What did you do this morning?"

"I listened to the teacher’s lesson and did some drawing," Zhi replied proudly.

Min laughed beside him, and Xiqiu asked, "Oh? And what did the teacher teach, and what did you draw?"

"This!" Zhi took a sheet of paper from behind him and handed it to Xiqiu. Unfolding it, Xiqiu was momentarily stunned. The sheet bore both brushwork and finger-painted ink drawings. Some resembled curved knives, others like bows and arrows, and yet others, round like shields...

"You drew this?" Xiqiu asked with a smile. Zhi nodded, "Yes, I’ve seen it in Father’s study..." Taking the drawing back, he added, "I want to show it to Father."