Chapter 1937: Chapter 986: Snatching Leisure Amidst Busyness (Part 2)
After resting from the afternoon nap, familiar lady visitors came to visit. Lian Manman also came over to chat. After seeing the lady visitors off, the steward’s wife came over to report.
Busy until evening, Lian Shouxin, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi all returned, and the family had dinner together again. After dinner, as usual, the family sat together drinking tea and chatting.
Wu Lang then told Lian Manman that the items sent to Shen Yi and Shen Shi were delivered.
"...Ninth Miss seems to have caught a cold, hasn’t gone out in a few days." Wu Lang said to Lian Manman, "I sent some items inside, and they sent a person to ask when you would be free to visit."
"Ninth Miss is sick? Is it serious? If not, I’ll go see her tomorrow." Lian Manman quickly said, initially planning to visit the Shen Family in a few days, but now hearing Shen Yi was sick, she thought she should visit sooner.
"It shouldn’t be too serious," Wu Lang said, "I heard she’s taking medicine, and because she doesn’t want to pass it on, she hasn’t seen anyone for several days. Manman, if you’re going, not tomorrow, but the day after or the day after that would be just fine."
Young ladies from wealthy families are usually fragile, and catching a cold is quite common for tenant farmers. Drinking a couple of bowls of hot ginger soup and sweating it out under a quilt usually cures it. But in wealthy families, one must invite a doctor and take medicine.
Of course, this kind of attention isn’t entirely wrong. After all, if a cold isn’t treated promptly, it can worsen and turn into typhoid fever. In this era, people losing their lives or leaving lasting ailments due to typhoid fever isn’t unheard of.
Moreover, colds are considered a seasonal illness and regarded as contagious.
"In that case, Xiao Qi, go every day to keep me informed of Ninth Miss’s condition. Let me know when she can see people, and I’ll visit her." Lian Manman told Xiao Qi.
"Okay." Xiao Qi nodded in agreement.
"...What did you learn today, did you see Brother Xiao Jiu, is he well?" the family continued to chat, and Lian Manman asked Xiao Qi.
"...I just returned, Master Chu didn’t teach any new lessons today, just reviewed a few Chapters," Xiao Qi told Lian Manman, "I saw Brother Xiao Jiu, he’s doing well. Brother Xiao Jiu also asked about Sister, and about Father and Mother. Brother Xiao Jiu said he’ll visit our home in a couple of days."
Listening to Xiao Qi, both Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang were quite pleased.
"That child, no matter how old he gets, he still acts the same as when he was young, approachable and friendly," Lady Zhang said with a smile.
"But only with us," Xiao Qi laughed, "With others, Brother Xiao Jiu is more formal."
"Brother, are you free tomorrow?" Lian Manman asked Wu Lang.
"Something up?" Wu Lang inquired.
"Yes," Lian Manman nodded, "Mother said she wants to get you two more fur coats. Tomorrow, the tailor and embroidery shop people will come, perfect time to take measurements and choose fabrics and styles."
"Tomorrow afternoon, I still need to go to the academy in the morning," Wu Lang said, "I have a lunch appointment."
"Then tomorrow afternoon. Xiao Qi, inform Master Chu, come back an hour earlier," Lady Zhang said, then to Lian Shouxin, "And you too, let’s take advantage and get another outfit made, many things to do for this year’s New Year."
"Okay." Both Lian Shouxin and Xiao Qi nodded.
"Brother, are you inviting them to our restaurant or home?" Lian Manman asked about Wu Lang’s drinking arrangements.
"No need to host at home, I invited them to Shunde Store," Wu Lang said.
"That’s good," Lian Manman nodded, "Find out when Brother Xiao Jiu is coming, let the store know in advance to prepare a nice, fatty duck."
This season is perfect for eating roast duck, and Fatty Shen happens to love it.
"Alright." Xiao Qi nodded with a smile.
The family chatted and laughed, and after their food settled, they each dispersed. Wu Lang and Xiao Qi went to the study for nighttime reading, Lady Zhang and Lian Manman took the maidservants to do needlework, leaving Lian Shouxin free for the time being.
"I’ll go check on the night watch," Lian Shouxin, being an industrious person who can’t sit idle, donned a big coat and stood up. Before nightfall, he would personally inspect all areas, even go to the stables in the side courtyard to tend to the family’s horses personally. Only when the children were asleep would he and Lady Zhang rest.
Wu Lang and Xiao Qi would read late into the night, until the late hour. Lian Manman, on the other hand, accompanied by several maidservants, would do needlework, read a few pages of a book or ledger, and rest at the early hour, the earliest sleeper in the household.
For several days, Lian Manman didn’t go out, handling household affairs each day, and doing needlework with Lady Zhang. This day, hearing that Shen Yi’s health had improved enough to see people, Lian Manman washed and dressed early, had breakfast, and told Lady Zhang she would visit the Shen Family.
"Go ahead, send my regards to everyone there. It’s too busy here, I can’t leave," Lady Zhang said, "You’ve been cooped up at home, it’s time for you to go out for a while. Stay as long as you like, if you’re not coming back for dinner, have someone let me know."
"Alright." Lian Manman agreed with a smile, took several close maidservants, selected two pots of fresh flowers from the conservatory in the garden, and headed out to the second gate to take a carriage.
When Lian Manman went out, she had close maidservants, four sturdy women, and a steward leading several servants both front and rear. They left through the main gate, heading straight to the Shen Mansion.
At the entrance of Pine Tree Alley, there was a tea stall that sold hot tea, hot noodles, and hot snacks all year round. As soon as Lian Manman’s carriage departed Pine Tree Alley, a man, dressed as a peddler at the tea stall, stood up and left, turned the corner, mounted a robust mule, and galloped toward a mansion in the west of the city.
...
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