epiphany
Tan Linshuang's words enlightened Zhao Mingyan, and she instantly realized that she might have been used.
Although it seems that the other party has no malicious intentions and is using her to achieve his goals, she still feels like there is something stuck in her throat and her lower abdomen aches slightly.
She held her belly and closed her eyes.
Seeing that she didn't move, Tan Linshuang stopped talking, moved inward, and lay on his back to sleep.
"Huh?"
Xiaozhu, who suddenly woke up in the middle of the night, pricked up her ears in confusion. After listening carefully for a while, she confirmed that she had heard correctly. There was no sound next door tonight. Then she yawned and muttered, "Why didn't the young lady and the son-in-law have sex tonight?"
"It turns out that the young lady has her period."
The next morning, Xiaozhu, who helped Zhao Mingyan prepare the menstrual cloth, finally understood why it was so quiet last night.
"But don't you and your uncle sleep together almost every night? Why is it that the young lady still can't get the sun and the moon into her arms?"
She couldn't help but become suspicious, "Could it be that... my son-in-law is not good enough?"
Zhao Mingyan waved her hands and didn't want to talk about it. At this moment, she looked pale, listless, and her mood had fallen to the bottom.
Seeing this, Xiaozhu quickly supported her and said, "Miss, you don't look well today. Why don't you go to pay your respects? Just stay in bed and rest. I'll go talk to the old lady."
"No."
Zhao Mingyan quickly shook her head, "Don't let grandma know that I'm having my period."
"Why? This is not a big taboo?" Xiaozhu was puzzled.
Zhao Mingyan pressed her lower abdomen and explained weakly, "I was too impulsive yesterday. I must have upset Grandmother. If I don't pay my respects today, she will harbor even more resentment towards me."
Every word of Tan Linshuang's words last night is still fresh in my mind.
No matter how capable Zhao Mingyan is, she is just the granddaughter-in-law of the Tan family. What Fan Wenlan would like to see is that she helps the Tan family continue its bloodline and takes care of her husband and children. Now letting her take care of some business is also helping her husband.
Therefore, letting Fan Wenlan know that she had her period at this time would only increase her disappointment.
"Being married is like walking with bound feet." She sighed helplessly.
When they arrived at the main courtyard, Zhao Mingyan found that Tan Linshuang had already sat down. After seeing her, he quickly noticed that she was not in good spirits, so he turned his head and whispered a few words to Fan Wenlan beside him.
Zhao Mingyan naturally couldn't hear what they were whispering about. She only saw Fan Wenlan's mouth corners gradually rising, and his eyes were full of teasing.
When she came closer, he waved to her to sit down, and smiled and reminded her to take care of herself.
"They say there are only tired oxen, not spoiled land. But if you over-cultivate the land, the water will be lost. You better take it easy."
ha?
Zhao Ming was in a fog.
After sitting down, she raised her foot and bumped Tan Linshuang's calf. Seeing him turn his head to look at her, she asked with her eyes: Grandma, what do you mean?
Tan Linshuang replied in spoken language: I won’t tell you.
Zhao Mingyan: ...
I raised my foot and stepped on his instep, which made me feel relieved.
After finishing his meal, Fan Wenlan wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and said calmly with his eyes downcast: "Yu'e is old, and the villa is damp. I plan to take her back home."
Yu'e was none other than the second concubine Jiang Yu'e.
"What?"
Tan Mozhu was obviously unaware of the inside story and the game behind it. He was so shocked that he dropped the tooth pick in his hand and asked, "Why did you bring her back?"
"Of course it's for retirement."
Tan Linshuang continued, looking at him with a half-smile, "Could it be that my uncle expects an elderly woman to look after the ancestral tomb?"
"She was willing to guard the mausoleum at the beginning." Tan Mozhu picked up the toothpick and continued to pick his teeth.
"Really?" Tan Linshuang asked back, a sneer on his lips and a cold light flashing in his eyes.
Tan Mozhu paused and turned to look at Fan Wenlan, "Mom?"
Fan Wenlan smiled faintly, "I am old now and need someone to accompany me. Compared to you young people, the old people are more suitable."
"Mom, your lying skills are getting better and better."
After everyone left, Tan Mozhu lifted his hips and moved to sit next to Fan Wenlan, squinting his eyes at her. "Didn't you send Second Aunt to guard the ancestral tomb because you thought her presence was an eyesore?"
"I've already inquired about it. She's very well behaved over there, much more obedient than Ah Xiang. But if we take her back, it's hard to say."
Fan Wenlan's face immediately darkened. "Do you think I'm old and confused?"
Tan Mozhu blinked, "Did Lin'er ask you to bring her back?"
"That's certainly not his intention."
Fan Wenlan extended his hand to let him help him up, and then led him towards the garden behind the main courtyard. "There's a saying that goes 'pillow talk.'"
"Yan'er's idea?" Tan Mozhu was surprised.
"Oh!"
Fan Wenlan snorted and laughed coldly, "She's just a messenger."
Tan Mozhu narrowed his eyes, "A Xiang really can't be underestimated. Even though she's locked up, she can still stir up trouble."
"It's also my fault. I shouldn't have let Yan'er get so close to her. She and her mother are both capable of bewitching people, not just men." Fan Wenlan said in annoyance.
"Then what are you going to do? Bring the second concubine back and put her under house arrest as usual?" asked Tan Mozhu.
"House arrest? She didn't do anything wrong? Why would I put her under house arrest?"
Fan Wenlan sneered, then raised his eyebrows. The kindness on his face disappeared, and only calculation appeared. "Didn't you hear what Lin'er said? Bring her back so she can keep me company."
"Have you forgotten that we are cousins?"
"Cousins who couldn't be more distant." Tan Mozhu sneered.
Then, his expression changed and his brows knitted slightly. "Mom, I feel like Lin'er has been being a bit tart towards me lately."
"Hasn't he always been rude to you?" Fan Wenlan felt that he was exaggerating.
Tan Mozhu said seriously, "We didn't get close before, but now... it feels like we're deliberately opposing each other."
"Lin'er is upright and honest. It's normal for him to be dissatisfied with your way of doing things. I can't stand it either, but it's your fault for not changing your ways despite repeated admonitions. I can't stuff you back into my belly and give you another life." Fan Wenlan spread his hands helplessly.
"It's not that I'm not used to it."
Tan Mozhu shook his head, his brows furrowed even deeper, "He wouldn't have discovered anything, would he?"
"What did you find?"
Fan Wenlan suddenly became nervous, "What is it?"
…
"Yan'er, you've come just in time. This is a reply from the paper mill, along with a package."
Zhao Mingyan did not go to the Chastity Hall today, but came to the Bamboo Forest Trading Company. As soon as she entered the door, she saw Tan Moyuan, the third brother of the Tan family, coming out to greet her. He asked a clerk to present a letter and a package.
"Jiading Wenxuan Paper Shop?" Zhao Mingyan asked with a smile.
"Exactly!"
Tan Moyuan nodded and pointed at the package and guessed, "This must be the bamboo paper you bought from them."
He knew that Zhao Mingyan had purchased bamboo paper and understood her intention.
Although the other party may not reciprocate, it at least proves that Zhao Mingyan does have some business skills and is much better than himself.
Qin Bo came over upon hearing the sound, helped Zhao Mingyan unwrap the package, took out a roll of bamboo paper, unfolded it, and held it up to the sunlight. "This is the paper made from bitter bamboo!"
"It's firm, smooth, and very thin..."
He picked up another corner and rubbed it gently. "If it were our hard-headed yellow bamboo, it would probably be thicker and more resilient."
"Resilient? That's a good word."
Zhao Mingyan thought about it, then gave him a thumbs-up and added, "It also absorbs water better, making it suitable for painting."
“Of course, the colors may not be as bright as the paper made from bitter bamboo.”
"Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses."
Qin Bo smiled and nodded, then asked curiously, "What do you plan to do with this batch of bamboo paper, Madam?"
"Making lanterns." Zhao Mingyan raised her lips and curved her eyebrows.
——Zhaohua Town, Mingyuezhai——
"mother!"
After Zhulin Trading Company sent a reply letter to Wenxuan Paper Shop and assisted Tan Moyuan in handling some miscellaneous matters, Zhao Mingyan took Xiaozhu and got on the carriage and headed straight for Mingyuezhai.
"Let me see what's blowing today that brings the ever-indulgent young mistress of the Tan family here with us."
Li Yuzhu greeted him with a smile and a joke, but as he approached, he immediately frowned, "Why are you so thin?"
Zhao Mingyan touched her round face and said, "Maybe it's because I've changed a lot of clothes."
"Mom, let's talk later."
She took the bamboo paper handed to her by Xiaozhu and walked towards the backyard. She first checked the revolving lanterns made by the masters with silk. They were indeed more transparent and dreamy than rice paper. Then she handed the bamboo paper to them and asked them to try to make a batch of "short-lived" lanterns.
"Miss, what is the 'ephemeral' lantern?" The masters looked at each other in confusion.
Zhao Mingyan pulled out a piece of bamboo paper, raised it and flicked it. "How is it?"
Master Liu was the first to answer: "Thin, tough, but crisp."
"I understand."
The youngest among them, Master Niu, suddenly realized, "It's just a flash in the pan. It only lights up once, or two or three times, and then the lamp is useless."
“That’s right!”
Zhao Mingyan smiled and nodded. "This is paper made from bitter bamboo. It's not as durable as other rice papers, but it's thin and transparent, and the flames will shine brighter."
"But who would buy a lamp that can only be lit once or twice?" Master Wei frowned.
Zhao Mingyan, smiling unwaveringly, turned to him and asked, "Epiphyllums only bloom twice a year, so why do people still flock to them?"
"Scarcity makes things valuable!" he said.
"It also has to look good," Master Niu added.
"oh!"
Everyone suddenly understood.
"Then just make it into the shape of an Epiphyllum," Master Liu suggested.
"I leave it to you." Zhao Mingyan smiled even more.
Many of these lamp makers were her grandfather's apprentices, and the younger ones were her father's apprentices. She never hesitated about their lamp-making skills.
What they lack are new ideas.
Mingyuezhai is already the best lantern shop in Fushun County, and even in Xuzhou Prefecture. If it wants to move to a higher level, it can only go out of Shu and learn from other places.
Her father was like this back then. When he couldn't think of a new lantern, he would go to the capital or the south of the Yangtze River to see what the local lanterns looked like, and then find inspiration from the mountains, rivers, lakes and seas he passed by.
It's a pity that she is a woman and is already married. It is difficult for her to leave Xuzhou Prefecture or even Fushun County.
"If the weaving house can expand its business to Jinguanyi, I think it shouldn't be a problem to leave Xuzhou Prefecture, but..."
When she thought that she might have been used by Aunt Zhuang and Tan Moxiang, she felt upset and her lower abdomen ached.
"Yan'er, do you have a stomachache? Constipation or indigestion?"
Seeing her suddenly bend over and cover her belly, Li Yuzhu hurried over to support her.
Zhao Mingyan leaned into her arms, changing from her previous spirited expression, and said dejectedly, "I have my period."
Li Yuzhu understood and helped her into the tea room to rest, and called Xiaozhu to make a pot of red date tea.
"Which day?" Li Yuzhu asked.
Zhao Mingyan said, "It's the second day, I guess."
She came last night.
"Then remember to soak your feet tonight." Li Yuzhu reminded.
"never mind."
After saying that, he waved his hand again and smiled to himself, "I might as well remind Xiaozhu instead of reminding you."
Just as she was about to stand up and look for Xiaozhu, Zhao Mingyan held her hand.
"Mom, talk to me for a while."
Li Yuzhu held her hand and asked softly, "Did something go wrong?"
Zhao Mingyan pursed her lips and said dejectedly, "I feel like a fool."
She then told her mother what had happened recently.
After hearing this, Li Yuzhu frowned.
She hadn't expected the situation in the Tan Mansion to be so complicated. She had thought there were only three masters left in the mansion, and her daughter wouldn't be involved in any harem disputes if she married there.
Who would have thought...
She somewhat regretted having made this marriage possible.
If Tan Linshuang really did not live past the age of twenty as rumored by the outside world, then she would take her daughter back and find another son-in-law.
Even though she said that women should remain chaste, how could chastity be more important than her daughter's happiness or the Zhao family's incense?
The Tan family is so unfathomable, so the Zhulin Trading Company must be a hot potato, so it’s better not to have it.
Then, she took her daughter's hand and patted it. "They say a daughter-in-law eventually becomes a mother-in-law, but I've never been a mother-in-law, so I don't know what the mentality of those who have been is. I only know that you are not yet the mistress of the Tan family. In addition to serving your husband well, you also have to follow the old lady's instructions. You must not act as you please like you do at home, and you must not let others use you as a pawn in their secret struggles."
"Yan'er, you've been kind and righteous since you were a child, and you've helped many people. But do you still remember when you were seven years old and you almost became Mr. Dongguo?"
Her eyes flickered slightly as she looked at her daughter.
Zhao Mingyan nodded heavily, "Remember!"
How could she forget?
That year she took in a little beggar, hoping that she could share some of Xiaozhu's work in the future. However, she didn't expect that the beggar was an ungrateful person. Not only did he steal the cash box in the shop, he also almost burned down the back of the shop.
This incident was like a bolt from the blue to the young and naive Zhao Mingyan. From then on, she became more cautious in dealing with people and things, but she still looked cute and adorable on the outside.
She developed the habit of keeping a low profile, which made people underestimate her, and she was cautious in her words and actions towards others.
Of course, there are times when one acts impulsively.
"Maybe the problems I encountered recently were handled too smoothly, which made me a little complacent." She frowned and reflected.
"It's never too late to mend." Li Yuzhu patted her chubby hands again and gave her an encouraging smile.
"Mom is still the best!"
Zhao Mingyan threw herself coquettishly into her mother's arms. It seemed like it had been a long time since she had put down all her burdens and become a daughter again...
Green locust trees and tall willows swallowed new cicadas. In early summer, Jiang Yu'e was taken back to the Tan family.
Zhao Mingyan did not go to greet him, but listened to the cicadas chirping under the green gauze window.
"Summer is here, and it's time to change the lanterns in the house."
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