19. Don't act coquettishly or foolishly with this old servant.
◎What a terrible sin this must have been?◎
Duan Yuze's eyes were unfathomable, and he didn't say anything. He simply waved his hand, and the two of them limped away.
Upon returning to Jinghua Courtyard, Fengran intended to freshen up and go back to sleep, but unexpectedly ran into Xiuer.
"My mother wants me to go to her place?" Feng Ran frowned. Since marrying into the family, she had only met Duan Jingchuan's mother once, on the day of the tea ceremony, and she personally disliked her. She had intended to keep to herself and not require her daughter-in-law to pay her respects morning and evening, but she didn't expect her to be summoned today. Feng Ran's face immediately fell.
Xiuer immediately said, "The Crown Princess must go."
Feng Ran looked a little listless, and Duan Jingchuan, standing beside her, asked with some concern, "Or should I stay with you?"
Feng Ran glanced at Duan Jingchuan sideways, thinking to herself, "Your legs are still weak; I'm afraid I'll have to carry you." She shook her head, "No need, I'll just change my clothes and go."
Married women are required to wear their hair up in an updo on a daily basis. The higher their status and the more noble they are, the more gorgeous the hairpins they wear.
Feng Ran didn't like those jewelry pieces. She usually wore her hair down at Jinghua Courtyard. Although she hadn't sweated much after running three laps, she still took a shower. Her hair was a little wet, and she impatiently put it up.
"Xiuer, that's fine, don't keep your mother waiting."
Xiuer quickly tugged at Feng Ran's sleeve, "Princess Consort, you mustn't. You should dress up properly before going to see Madam. Madam values etiquette."
Feng Ran was a little puzzled. "I've already taken a bath, gotten dressed, and called for my mother. Is there any other rule?"
Xiuer was speechless for a moment, but she still continued to emphasize, "This servant will help the Princess Consort put her hair up. It will be quick."
Feng Ran shook her head, her half-wet hair feeling heavy. She casually pulled a lock of hair and shoved it in front of Xiu'er. "If you put this up in a bun, it'll probably smell bad. Come on, Xiu'er, it's alright."
Clearly, Feng Ran had been too complacent. Xiu'er also deeply regretted not having advised the Crown Prince's Consort earlier. The moment the Lady of the Marquis was introduced, she erupted in fury, "Outrageous! The Crown Prince's Consort should have good manners!"
Feng Ran originally planned to pay her respects to the Lady of the Marquis first, but she was unexpectedly given a rude awakening, which she didn't understand.
"Mother, I know I've been behaving well, why are you getting so worked up?"
Lady Hou was so angry she nearly fell backward, slamming her hand on the table and shouting, "Do you think I'm praising you?"
Feng Ran looked innocent. "Otherwise what?"
Seeing Feng Ran's bewildered and ignorant appearance, Qin Shi was so angry that her chest ached. Feng Mama, who was standing to the side, tried to comfort her and kept giving Feng Ran meaningful glances.
"Princess Consort, it is indeed improper for you to rush to pay your respects to Madam with such disheveled appearance. You should quickly apologize to Madam."
Feng Ran couldn't figure out what was wrong with her makeup. Moreover, she said, "Granny Feng, I'm not wearing makeup, look." She then took two steps forward and put her face right in front of Granny Feng, trying to make sure Granny Feng could see clearly.
Even the most experienced Granny Feng was stunned by Feng Ran's actions. Her brows furrowed, and she wondered if the Princess Consort was truly feigning ignorance or genuinely foolish. So she turned her anger towards Xiu'er, who was serving her, and said, "How dare you, servant! How dare you allow the Princess Consort to leave the house in such an unseemly manner! What about the rules of the Marquis's residence? Guards, take her away and slap her!"
Granny Feng turned around and shouted, her spittle almost hitting Feng Ran's face, making her feel disgusted. Then, after hearing the implication in Granny Feng's words, she became furious, ran back to Xiu'er, and pulled Xiu'er into her arms, saying, "You old hag, you're so unreasonable! What did Xiu'er do to offend you?"
Seeing that Feng Ran was unyielding, Madam Qin flew into a rage and shouted, "Kneel down!"
Xiuer, standing to the side, trembled with fear, her legs buckling as she was about to fall. Fengran grabbed Xiuer's waist with one hand and asked, utterly bewildered, "Why is Mother so angry? Kneeling to you is not a bad thing, but why should I kneel? Is it just because I didn't comb my hair before coming here?"
Madam Qin's eyebrows furrowed, and she said angrily, "I originally intended to invite you to the Earl's family banquet the day after tomorrow, but seeing your state now, I'll pass. From today onwards, you are to claim illness and not leave Jinghua Courtyard."
Feng Ran glared angrily, "Why are you restricting my movements?"
At this moment, Madam Qin seemed resigned to her fate and sat upright at the head of the table, showing no trace of the extreme anger she had just displayed. She took a sip of tea to calm herself down and said, "As the Crown Prince's wife, you are the face of my Dingbei Marquis's mansion. If you lose your manners when you go out, what will become of my Dingbei Marquis's mansion? Granny Feng will go with you in a while. In the next half month, you should learn proper manners and etiquette from Granny Feng. We can talk about leaving the mansion when you are presentable enough to be seen in public.
Feng Ran rolled her eyes and suddenly remembered something. She smiled and said to Qin Shi, "Mother, it's not that I don't want Granny Feng to teach me, but Father ordered that no outsiders are allowed to enter Jinghua Courtyard. Do you think I should just go back and lock myself up?" Learning manners was out of the question. She never wanted to learn manners in this life. She felt that she was quite well-behaved.
Feng Ran was also full of resentment, but considering that the little socially anxious girl was her benefactor, she still had to show respect to the parents of her benefactor.
Qin's expression stiffened, her eyes suddenly turning extremely cold, making Feng Ran feel a chill run down her spine. After a long while, Qin's tightly pursed lips finally uttered a few words, "You can also come here to learn."
Feng Ran returned to Jinghua Courtyard listlessly with Xiu'er and Granny Feng. As soon as she opened the door and saw the little socially anxious girl, she immediately looked aggrieved. "Husband, Mother sent Granny Feng here to teach me manners. She said I can't go out if I don't learn them well. Can you buy me some more delicious food?"
Upon hearing the first half of the sentence, Duan Jingchuan's expression changed slightly. He was about to have someone send Granny Feng back when he heard the second half. Duan Jingchuan suddenly understood. Feng Ran's core concern was getting good food, not for her to suffer the injustice of learning rules.
On the other hand, thinking about it, Feng Ran would definitely go out and socialize in the future, and it was impossible for her to stay in this courtyard. It would be a good thing for her to learn the rules. Duan Jingchuan nodded in agreement.
When Feng Ran left Jinghua Courtyard, she still considered herself a person with rules and regulations, but after entering Jinghua Courtyard, she completely relaxed and let herself go.
Thick carpets were laid out in the front hall. As soon as Feng Ran entered the room, she threw her shoes aside and walked barefoot straight to the soft couch. With a wave of her hand, Xiu'er brought up the fruits and snacks that had been prepared in advance.
Feng Ran leaned back lazily, eating her snacks, glancing sideways at Granny Feng. After finishing one piece, she finally spoke, "Granny Feng, just tell me what you want to teach, no need to stand on ceremony."
Granny Feng frowned, her eyebrows raised high, and scolded, "Princess Consort, I am here on the orders of the Madam to teach you manners. Please be more respectful."
Feng Ran was somewhat confused. "Where did my attitude go wrong? I was just trying to get you to speak to me nicely, wasn't I?"
"Please put on your shoes and socks, Princess Consort, and come with me to the front hall. Today, I will teach you how to walk, lie down, sit, and stand."
Upon hearing this, Feng Ran's almond-shaped eyes widened in confusion and bewilderment. She frowned and asked with great curiosity, "I really feel like I can walk quite well, and lying down is fine too. Is something wrong?"
Granny Feng was almost driven mad by Feng Ran's "I'm so smart" attitude. She angrily rebuked her, "Princess Consort, don't try to change the subject or act silly with me. I'm not the Prince, I don't fall for that."
Upon hearing this, Feng Ran's eyes lit up, and she turned to Xiu'er and said, "So my husband likes silly people? Does that mean I'm a little smart?"
Xiuer looked like she had something on her mind, and although she tried to speak, she didn't utter a single word. Instead, she gave a very subtle smile.
Feng Ran patted Xiu'er on the shoulder with a brotherly smile, "I knew we thought the same thing. What's it called again? Heroes are all alike."
Granny Feng sneered from the side, "Princess Consort, great minds think alike."
Feng Ran stuffed her mouth with pastries, her little mouth bulging out. Like a little squirrel, she turned her head and nodded to Granny Feng, humming a few words in her throat, "Granny Feng also thinks I'm a hero!"
Granny Feng took a deep breath, deciding to skip the previous topic, and bowed to Feng Ran, "Princess Consort, it's getting late. Please put on your shoes and socks and learn the manners from this old servant."
Feng Ran reluctantly put on her shoes and socks, complaining, "It's just learning manners, why do we have to wear shoes and socks? Can't we walk barefoot?"
Granny Feng, with a calm and serious expression, said, "This is against the rules."
Feng Ran pouted, "My husband said that I am the rule of Jinghua Garden."
Feng Momo choked for a moment, then decided to skip the topic again, "Does the Crown Princess know about a woman's appearance, virtue, speech, and work?"
"Wait a minute, what did you mean by 'slow down'?"
Granny Feng took a deep breath. "There's an old saying that a woman should obey three rules. There's no single way to govern a woman. This is what's commonly referred to as the Three Obediences and Four Virtues. Has the Princess Consort heard of this saying?"
Feng Ran felt the name sounded familiar, so she guessed she had heard of it before. She nodded indifferently.
Granny Feng nodded in satisfaction and smiled, "As the saying goes, before marriage one obeys one's father, after marriage one obeys one's husband, and after the husband's death one obeys one's son. Does the Princess Consort understand this saying?"
"Unmarried women must obey their fathers! What? Unmarried women have to live with their fathers? Me and Prime Minister Wu? Are you kidding me?" Feng Ran froze at the thought of that scene. What kind of terrible sin would she have to commit?
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