When Zhou Rui's wife was still trying to continue speaking, suddenly Lady Wang asked, "Who is inside?" Zhou Rui's wife quickly went outside and replied, reporting on the matter of Old Liu. After waiting a while, seeing that Lady Wang said nothing, she tried to leave, but Aunt Xue laughed again and said, "Wait a moment. There's something I want you to take." She then called out, "Xiangling." The curtain rustled, and the little girl who had been playing with Jin Cuier earlier came in and asked, "Auntie, what do you need?" Aunt Xue said, "Bring me the flowers from that box." Xiangling replied and brought a small silk box from over there. Aunt Xue said, "These are newly designed piled gauze flower ornaments made in the palace, and there are twelve of them. Yesterday, I felt it was a pity to keep them stored away and let them age, so I thought about having my nieces wear them. I intended to deliver them yesterday, but I forgot. Today is just the right time, so please take them. Give two each to your three daughters, that's six, give two to Lin Guiren, and the remaining four can be given to Phoenix Sister." Lady Wang said, "It would have been better to keep them for Baoyuan; she cares about her own children too much." Aunt Xue said, "You don't know. Baoyuan is different; she doesn't like these kinds of flowers or cosmetics."

Zhou Rui's wife left the room carrying a box, and Jin Guancan was still there, basking in the sunlight. Zhou Rui's wife asked, "That little girl named Xiangling, who I always hear about, is she the one who was bought when she went to the capital, and for whom they even filed a lawsuit accusing someone of murder?" Jin Guancan replied, "Yes, that's her." Just then, Xiangling walked in with a smile. Zhou Rui's wife took her hand and examined it carefully before smiling at Jin Guancan and saying, "Her appearance is somewhat similar to the Yongda grandmother of the Eastern Mansion." Jin Guancan laughed. "I think so too." Zhou Rui's wife asked Xiangling, "How old were you when you came here?" She then asked, "Where are your parents now? How old are you this year? Where are you originally from?" Xiangling shook her head after being asked and said, "I don't remember." Zhou Rui's wife and Jin Guancan heard this and sighed with pity.

After a while, Zhou Rui's wife went to the back of Lady Wang's main chamber with flowers. Recently, Jia Mu had said, "The granddaughters are too numerous, and it is inconvenient for them to gather in one place." So, only Bao Yu and Daiyu were left here as companions, while Yingchun, Tanchun, and Xichun were moved to a three-room annex behind Lady Wang's room, where they lived with Li Yan accompanying and taking care of them. Therefore, Zhou Rui's wife happened to be passing by and stopped in at this place first. Several young maids were sitting quietly inside the annex, waiting to be called. The attendant for Yingchun and the secretary for Tanchun just came out after raising the curtain, and both held tea trays and teacups. Zhou Rui's wife realized that the sisters were together and entered the inner room. Yingchun and Tanchun were playing Go by the window. When Zhou Rui's wife offered the flowers and explained the situation, they immediately stopped playing, stood up, bowed in greeting, and told the maids to put them away.

Zhou Rui's wife replied, "Sizigui is not in her room. She is probably with her grandmother." The maids answered, "Is she perhaps in that room?" Hearing this, Zhou Rui's wife went to the other room. Xichun was laughing and playing with Suyuean's young nun, Zhineng. When Zhou Rui's wife entered, Xichun asked what she wanted. Zhou Rui's wife opened the box of flowers and explained the situation. Xichun laughed and said, "Just now, Zhineng and I were talking about how I would shave my head and become a nun tomorrow, and just then, these flowers arrived. Now that I am going to shave my head, where will I put these flowers?" Everyone laughed for a while, and Xichun had the maid put them away. Zhou Rui's wife asked Zhineng, "When did you come here? Where is your master?" Zhineng replied, "I came early this morning. My master went to Lord Yu's residence after seeing your ladyship. I was told to wait here." Zhou Rui's wife then asked, "Have you received the monthly offerings yet?" Zhineng answered, "I don't know." Xichun heard this and asked Zhou Rui's wife, "Who is in charge of collecting the monthly offerings from each temple now?" Zhou Rui's wife said, "Yuxin." Xichun listened and laughed. "So that's it. When that master comes, Yuxin's wife rushes over and has a quiet conversation with him for a while. It must be about this."

Zhou Rui's wife, being even more intelligent, spoke for a while and then headed towards the place where Fengjie was. She went through a side passage, passed behind Li Zai's window, crossed the western flower garden, and entered Fengjie's courtyard through the west gate. When she arrived at the front room, a young maid named Feng'er was sitting by the entrance to Fengjie's room. Seeing Zhou Rui's wife, Feng'er quickly waved her hand and gestured for her to go to the east room. Zhou Rui's wife understood and quietly entered the east room. The wet nurse was putting the eldest child to sleep. Zhou Rui's wife whispered to the wet nurse, "Is the young lady still sleeping? Should I wake her up?" The wet nurse shook her head. Just then, a burst of laughter came from across the way, and Jia Lian's voice could be heard. Then, the door of the room was knocked, and Ping'er came out carrying a large copper bucket and told Feng'er to fetch water and bring it inside.

平児 entered the room without a word and, seeing Zhou Rui's wife, asked, "Auntie, what is your business this time?" Zhou Rui's wife quickly stood up and said while holding out a box of flowers, "I came to deliver these flowers."

平児 opened the box and took out four flowers, then turned around and went further inside. After a short while, he returned with two more flowers in his hand and called out to Cai Ming, saying, "Take these over to the other house and give them to Grandma Rongda." Then, he finally told Zhou Rui's wife to go back and bow her thanks.

Zhou Rui's wife then went to Jia Mu's place. In the hallway, she unexpectedly encountered her daughter, who had come from Zhou Rui's house dressed up. Zhou Rui's wife quickly asked, "What are you doing here at this hour?" The daughter replied, "Mother, have you been well? I waited half a day at home, but you haven't returned. What could possibly be so busy that you can't come back home? I was tired of waiting, so I came to greet Grandmother first. Now I am going to visit my stepmother. Do you still have unfinished business? What are you holding in your hands?" Zhou Rui's wife smiled and said, "Oh, it turns out Liu姥姥 is here today. I got caught up in some things and had to run around all over the place for half a day. Just now, Auntie Xue saw me and asked me to deliver these flowers to the young ladies and my stepmother. I haven't finished distributing them yet. Since you came at this time, there must be something important." The daughter smiled and said, "As expected of Mother, you are very perceptive. Actually, my husband got into a fight with someone after drinking too much alcohol. For some reason, he was slandered by the other party and reported to the authorities as an unknown person. It seems like he is going to be sent back to his hometown, so I came to consult you about who we can ask for help." Zhou Rui's wife listened and said, "I already knew something was wrong. It's not a big deal. Go home and wait. After delivering the flowers to Lin姑娘, come back. My stepmother and Second Grandmother are both busy right now, so just go home and wait." The daughter heard this and turned to leave, saying, "Mother, please hurry up." Zhou Rui's wife muttered, "Young people these days are easily flustered by such things." She then headed towards Daiyu's room.

However, Daiyu was not in her own room; she was in Baoyu's room, playing a game of "Nine-Linked Ring" with everyone. Zhou Rui's wife entered and said with a smile, "Miss Lin, I have been instructed by the Auntie to deliver flowers." Upon hearing this, Baoyu said, "What kind of flowers? Show me." He reached out and took the box, opening it. Inside were two newly designed silk flower arrangements made in the palace. Daiyu glanced at Baoyu's hand and asked, "Are these just for me, or do other young ladies also have some?" Zhou Rui's wife replied, "We have already delivered them to everyone else. These two are yours." Daiyu smiled faintly and said, "I knew it. They wouldn't give them to me unless they were the ones that no one else chose." Zhou Rui's wife did not reply. Baoyu asked, "Zhou-san, what were you doing over there?" Zhou Rui's wife replied, "I was going to Madam's place to report on Liu Laolao's matter. Auntie happened to ask me to bring these along." Baoyu said, "What is Baojie doing at home? Why hasn't she been here for a few days?" Zhou Rui's wife answered, "She has not been feeling well." Baoyu told the maids, "Someone should go and check on her. Tell Auntie and Sister that I, along with Miss Lin, am concerned about their health. Ask what illness she is suffering from and what medicine she is taking. Technically, I should be the one to go, but I just returned from school and have a slight cold myself, so tell them I will visit again another day." A servant named Qianshe replied and left. Zhou Rui's wife also left without saying anything further, and that was all.

Zhou Rui's wife's son-in-law was Leng Zixing, a friend of Yu Cun. Recently, he had been involved in lawsuits with others due to selling antiques, and he asked his wife to intervene and act as an intermediary. Zhou Rui's wife believed that this wasn't a big deal, relying on the influence of her husband and other important people. She thought she could resolve it by asking Feng Jie for help at night.