Chapter 271: The Grand Old Lady in the Mansion Passes Away

Old Mrs. Sheng nodded slightly.

However, we did not continue the conversation and ask in detail which family the girl was from.

Such unreasonable closeness makes people feel even more uncomfortable.

"Take me to the backyard."

After a brief chat, Mrs. Sheng asked Xu Gaoping to lead her back to her original house.

Xu Gaoping understood what his grandparents meant by leaving him alone at home, so he did not refuse Mrs. Sheng's request. He immediately stood up and led everyone to the back house.

The carved beams and painted buildings, gardens and waterside pavilions along the way are no different from the Pingyang Marquis Mansion in Bian Jing.

Judging from the outside, one cannot tell that the Xu family has fallen on hard times in the Zhou Dynasty.

This is the effort made by the rich and powerful.

Just like the Gu family of Ningyuan Marquis Mansion.

Even though he was reserved in the government treasury, he still maintained the proper decency in public.

However, there are still slight differences in the details.

That is the number of maids and old women along the way.

I only saw a few of them passing by, but they were far less than those that could be seen almost everywhere in Pingyang Marquis's Mansion.

Soon.

After passing through several hanging flower gates, Xu Gaoping led a group of people to stop in front of a small courtyard.

This is where Old Madam Sheng lived in the Marquis' Mansion in the past.

At this time, maids kept coming in and out of the courtyard gate, carrying coarse cloth buckets in their hands. It was obvious that no one had lived in this courtyard for a long time, and they remembered to clean it up temporarily.

Seeing this, Xu Gaoping looked embarrassed and gave Old Lady Sheng a wry smile:
"Grandma, since you got married, no one has lived in this house."

Xu Gaoping didn't say anything. This was specially reserved for Old Madam Sheng at home, and they would only live there when she came back, or maybe they left it empty on purpose to avoid it being an eyesore.

He only gave a brief introduction, then called a maid to manage the place and asked about the condition of the yard in front of Old Madam Sheng. After learning that it had been cleaned, he sent the maids away and led the way into the house.

At the same time, he was still complaining in his heart:

'I don't know what my grandmother was thinking. If she wanted my great-aunt to come over, then why hasn't she asked anyone to clean the yard even though my great-aunt has been in Jinling for so many days?

He hid away to seek peace and quiet, leaving me here in an awkward position...'

God have mercy on him. As soon as Xu Gaoping was called by his grandmother to be a shield, he sent someone to clean the yard.

but……

But today is the next morning!

He was called back home by his grandmother during the banquet yesterday.

I guess the wife of Marquis Yongyi never expected that Old Lady Sheng would come so quickly and so decisively.

He killed his own grandson unexpectedly.

However, Xu Gaoping was not completely unprepared.

When they were walking towards the main hall in the courtyard, someone came to report that the person Xu Gaoping had sent had arrived.

Xu Gaoping immediately showed joy on his face and asked the man to come up.

As the person walked in, it was the familiar figure of Li Xu.

Old Madam Sheng showed no surprise on her face.

After Xu Gaoping and Li Xu bowed and saluted, they smiled at Old Madam Sheng and said:
"Grandma, this woman is a daughter of our clan. I'm sure you think she looks familiar to you."

Xu Gaoping didn't care what arrangements his grandparents had made for Li Xu. He knew nothing about them anyway.

Since it was not clear before, there is no need to know it now.

So when you act, just act as if you don't know the inside story.

It was also the first time he met Li Xu.

Old Madam Sheng's expression remained unchanged. She smiled and nodded.
"Of course she recognized me. She came to me yesterday to thank me."

"now it's right!"

Xu Gaoping clapped his hands and immediately replied:
"My grandson only learned about the relationship between Jia Shengzi and you last night, so I immediately called her to wait at your house, waiting for you to come and talk to her."

"Oh?"

Old Madam Sheng didn't quite understand what Xu Gaoping meant, and said with a strange look on her face:
"Why did you call her here again?"

"I was thinking that you, my great-aunt, were able to return home after so many years, thanks to this family's relationship with the child."

Xu Gaoping explained:

"Her master just passed away, and her son hurried to join the army in the south. There is no man to take care of the family, and life will be difficult in the future, so..."

While Xu Gaoping was beckoning Li Xu to come closer to Old Madam Sheng, he continued:

"So I made up my mind to let her be the manager of my great-aunt's yard. It will be an easy job for her, and she can look after the house for you out of your kindness."

Old Madam Sheng was immediately shocked:
"what?"

Old Madam Sheng was really confused now.

But one thing is certain, that is, the appointment of Li Xu was definitely not a decision made by his brother and sister-in-law, but the self-initiative of this nephew.

How can I make this house "come alive" again if my brother and sister-in-law don't want to see me again.

Xu Gaoping seemed not to notice Mrs. Sheng's surprise and continued to talk:

"If my great aunt has some free time in the future, she can just go back home and stay for a few days."

The son does not feel any pain when he sells his father's land. Xu Gaoping's action also has the same suspicion.

Since I was conscripted into the army anyway, I could just use the chicken feathers as a token of authority and leave some "little surprises" for my grandparents.

It would be interesting to have a young guy come.

Old Madam Sheng restrained her expression and asked back with a smile:
"Have you asked your grandfather and grandmother about this in advance?"

Xu Gaoping and Old Lady Sheng blinked and chuckled:
"That's what my great-aunt said. Without the consent of the elders, how can a grandson take over the job?"

Anyway, when my grandmother came to me, she said, "As long as you and my grandmother are still alive, everything at home will be under your control."

Xu Gaoping felt that the two complemented each other at the moment.

You didn’t leave the house, did you?
No refund will be given once the goods arrive and the debt is settled!
"Okay! Then I will accept your kindness!"

Old Mrs. Sheng also laughed.

After saying this, he asked Li Xu to stand at the back and listen to his instructions.

Afterwards, Xu Gaoping stopped talking and just followed beside Old Lady Sheng as she led the group around to look around.

Old Lady Sheng led her three granddaughters, with Li Xu hanging behind them, and began to walk around the main hall, reminiscing about the past as she walked.

"This is the study room in the side room. My family used to hire a nanny to teach me."

As she spoke, Old Lady Sheng suddenly chuckled, turned to Minglan and Rulan and said with a smile:
"But just like you, I don't use it much."

"Oh, I know! Just like Grandma Kong!" Rulan took the opportunity to say.

Old Madam Sheng nodded:

"almost."

It's almost the same, just there are a few more people.

There are not only teachers who teach etiquette, but also female teachers who teach reading and calligraphy.

At this moment, Rulan suddenly showed an expression of sudden enlightenment, and then happily asked Hualan for credit:

"Look, sister! Grandma didn't study hard before! Don't force her in the future..."

"Later, I went in and out of the palace, so I had no use for this place." Old Lady Sheng added in a calm tone, without changing her expression.

Rulan: "..."

Rulan's fair face turned red, and she swallowed the words she was about to say.

She felt confused by her grandmother's nonchalant words.

This was just a small episode, and Mrs. Sheng continued to browse through the rooms one by one.

"This is the main hall..." "This is the side hall..."

"This is the bedroom..."

Old Mrs. Sheng talked as she walked, and walked around the yard without anyone's help.

Finally, Old Lady Sheng walked out of the yard and stood outside the hanging flower gate, looking at the entire courtyard through the door.

"This is where I lived when I was a girl."

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit dull, Minglan took the opportunity to laugh and joked:
"But after that, when I went in and out of the palace..."

Rulan also echoed and said in unison:
“There aren’t many people living here.”

After touring the former courtyard, it was already noon.

Xu Gaoping had already asked someone to prepare the banquet, so he suggested that they eat it first.

But Mrs. Sheng refused.

"It's not a good time to go burn incense for my father and mother this afternoon. Take me to the ancestral hall to burn some incense first."

Xu Gaoping did not refuse either.

Outside the Xu Family Ancestral Hall.

Hualan, Rulan, Minglan and others were waiting outside the ancestral hall, while Old Lady Sheng was led into the hall by Xu Gaoping.

“This ancestral hall is so big!”

It was the first time that Rulan saw someone else's ancestral hall. When she compared it with her own, she couldn't help but be surprised.

"By the way, sister, you should have seen the Yang Family Ancestral Hall. It's not worse than this place, right?" Rulan asked curiously.

"shut up!"

Hualan gave Rulan a sidelong glance.

My sister really speaks without thinking. Now the three of us are right next to someone else's ancestral hall. How can she ask such questions?
Whether good or bad, it is a blasphemy to our ancestors.

After scolding Rulan, Hualan looked up at the gate of the ancestral hall opposite her. Through the door, she seemed to vaguely see a scene similar to the Yang Family Ancestral Hall.

The tablets stacked up layer by layer are of high order, with the smoke from candles curling up, making the scene even more solemn and majestic.

To Hualan's surprise, it took only the time of burning a stick of incense for Old Madam Sheng to come out.

Apart from the slightly red eyes and the smell of incense, there was no other picture.

The atmosphere was a little dull during lunch.

After dinner, Mrs. Sheng said goodbye.

Xu Gaoping did not say any insincere words to keep her. He just personally helped Old Lady Sheng onto the carriage, said sincerely, "That room has always been kept for your great aunt," and then stood there, watching the carriage leave.

Silent all night.

The next morning.

In the early morning sunlight, at the gate of Jinling City, Old Lady Sheng lifted the curtain of the carriage, turned around and glanced in the direction of the Marquis Yongyi's Mansion, then responded silently without saying a word.

Yuyang.

Old Madam Sheng and her entourage had just returned to the Sheng Mansion and were about to propose this trip to the Sheng family's eldest wife, but they received the news that Old Madam Sheng was seriously ill.

To be exact, he is critically ill.

Old Madam Sheng immediately rushed to Old Madam Sheng's house, only to see a bleak scene inside the house, with miserable looks on everyone's face.

At this time, old lady Shengda was sleeping on the bed, and a doctor was seeing a patient beside her.

After a while, the doctor stood up silently, walked to the outer room with a heavy expression, and said to everyone:
"Oh, I'm so sorry! The old lady in your house has calmed down now, and you can arrange her funeral now!"

"Woo~! Mother!"

"grandmother!"

"..."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a burst of crying and shouting in the house.

Everyone vaguely knew this would be the result, but they still couldn't help but cry loudly.

"What? What happened? You suddenly started howling like ghosts and wolves."

Suddenly, old lady Shengda, who had been sleeping, opened her eyes.

Seeing this scene in the house, Mrs. Sheng immediately understood what was going on.

At the same time, she also saw Old Lady Sheng returning from a journey exhausted.

"You guys go out first, I want to talk to your second grandmother."

After the crying and shouting in the house moved outside, Mrs. Sheng finally stood up with difficulty and said to Mrs. Sheng with an apologetic look:

"Sister, this time it's my elder sister..."

"No need to say more, no need to say more!"

Old Madam Sheng held Madam Sheng's hand with tears in her eyes and said affectionately:
"Don't lose heart. The doctor just told me that as long as you get through this, you will have a good life in the future. Besides... besides, you didn't even see Shu get married. Can you leave with peace of mind now?!"

Old lady Shengda forced a pale smile on her face:

"I am very aware of my body. I can listen to what is said even when I am dazed. I just can't get up."

"correct."

Old Madam Sheng seemed to have thought of something and asked Old Madam Sheng:
"Did you enter the gate of the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion when you went to Jinling this time?"

Seeing that Mrs. Sheng was still concerned about her affairs before her death, Mrs. Sheng felt even more grief-stricken and nodded hurriedly:
"I went in, I went in! I also went to see my father and mother!"

"Oh~!"

Old lady Shengda nodded slightly, and Muran fell silent.

When Old Lady Sheng saw this, she immediately panicked and called everyone outside in to talk.

Before her death, all the daughters and daughters in the eldest wife's house wanted to say something to Old Madam Shengda, so they all knelt beside Old Madam Shengda's bed, crying and shouting, fearing that Old Madam Shengda would pass away.

At the same time, Old Lady Sheng seemed to have finally remembered something.

Her eyes suddenly widened, and her hands unconsciously reached above her head, while she kept shouting:

"Shu'er, Shu'er! You're here to see me!"

Before the younger generation could ask, they saw that the kind expression of old lady Sheng suddenly revealed a strong viciousness and malice, and she said hatefully:

"Sheng Huaizhong, you favored your concubine over your wife and killed my Shu'er. Just wait for me, I'm coming to find you!"

"..."

outside the house.

After hearing a burst of angry shouting inside, there was a brief pause in silence, and then there was another burst of crying and shouting.

This night.

The night is dark and the wind is bitingly cold.

Day two.

A white silk was hung in front of the gate of Sheng Mansion and the funeral procession began.

Afterwards, the coffin of old lady Sheng was carried by a group of people from the Sheng family.

Because there were bandits causing chaos in the surrounding area at that time, Hualan also asked her personal guards to watch over the place, and nothing went wrong.

After the funeral of old lady Shengda.

Kang Yuner obtained Li's consent and allowed her and Changwu to return to Beijing to take up their posts.

However, Changwu was already working for the Wucheng Bingmasi, so he needed to rush back to Bianliang first, and she and Hualan would go back to Bianliang by boat.

Half a month later.

Bianjing Wharf.

The Yangjialou ship was docked at the pier.

When Hualan got off the boat and looked up, she saw the face she had been thinking about.

"Official!"

(End of this chapter)