"Did she really say that?" Aunt Lin had changed into a half-new stone-blue satin jacket embroidered with white magnolias, and pinned a red gold hairpin in the shape of a beeswax drop on her head. She was half leaning on the headboard of the kang holding a book, but her eyes were looking at her daughter beside the kang table.
Molan nodded and slowly moved to the other side to rest, her expression somewhat uncertain. Aunt Lin's eyes flashed with admiration as she said with a smile, "I didn't expect a sparrow to hatch a phoenix egg. Aunt Wei, who is so timid and submissive, actually has such a daughter. It must be the old lady who taught her so well."
The curtain moved, and a maid entered, carrying a gilded teacup on a small tea tray carved from black pear wood. Molan took it, took a sip, and praised, "This tastes good. The bird's nest teacups Madam sent to Weiruixuan last time were so small and broken, they had no flavor at all." Then she waved the maid away, put down the teacup, and whispered, "Mother, can you take what Minglan said seriously?"
Aunt Lin stroked her temples and snorted softly, "I take it seriously, and I don't take it seriously. I know the old lady's temper. In her eyes, no good people come from wealthy families. If Minglan behaves like this in the future, it won't be a problem for you, but you never know. Look at how much the old lady has doted on that little girl these past few years. She's become more lively, no longer fasting, and her temper has become more lively. She's probably afraid that she won't live long enough for the sixth girl to get married, so she's trying her best to take care of her health."
Molan's heart moved, and she said, "Mom, the Madam sent two people over today. Could it be..."
Aunt Lin looked at Molan, her eyes full of pride. "After all, she's my daughter, clever and intelligent, always understanding things! Ever since Minglan entered Shou'an Hall, the old woman has stopped pretending to be so noble and doted on the little girl... Tsk tsk, she makes new clothes for her today, new jewelry for her tomorrow. Hairpins from Cuibaozhai, jade from Liuli Pavilion, silk from Ruihexiang, even poria cocos, bird's nests, fat geese, and big ducks are all sent to Shou'an Hall as if they were free! She even pays for things beyond her quota herself, and it doesn't involve the public account at all, so the mistress can't say anything."
Molan thought of the furnishings in Mucangzhai. Though few in number, each piece was exquisitely simple and simple, evidently possessing a rich history. She couldn't help but feel a little indignant. Aunt Lin grew increasingly angry as she spoke, scornfully saying, "...Humph, I was mistaken back then. I thought she was a truly benevolent, chaste, and heroic woman, giving all her property to a son she wasn't her own and then retiring to a vegetarian diet and Buddhist chants. I never imagined she had a hidden agenda! She constantly acts like I'm her benefactor, pretending to be poor and needy to bluff people. If I had a generous dowry, who wouldn't marry me? If she hadn't kept it a secret from me, why would I...?!"
This time, Molan didn't say a word. She looked at her biological mother who was angry on the other end, and only moved the corners of her mouth. She thought to herself: Your surname is Lin, the old lady's surname is Xu, and the family's surname is Sheng. She will use her savings from retirement as a dowry for you... ?
Aunt Lin threw the book down, straightened up, and sneered, "Hmph, but that's all right... In recent years, the old lady has spent money on the sixth girl, and Madam has been thinking about it for a long time. But Shou'an Hall is like an iron fence under the old lady's control. Madam can't get in or bribe it. Whether the old lady has money or how much money she has, Madam has no idea. After thinking about it, the only thing she can do is to start with the sixth girl..."
Molan felt inexplicably happy after hearing this and said with a smile, "It's better to ask Madam to go and find out. All the money will go to that little girl. Even if the old lady dotes on her, she still has to abide by the rules. There are more than one girl named Sheng in the mansion. You can't assume that Rulan and I are dead. It's impossible for all the gold and silver to belong to her alone!"
Aunt Lin shook her head. "Not even a mountain of gold and silver. The old master died young, leaving behind a lot of messes to clean up. After the old lady registered the master's name, she had a serious lawsuit with the third old master, which almost alarmed the government and caused a lot of family property to be lost. Later, the property was returned to the master in full. Even if the old lady is rich, she is not that rich. You see, the mistress's greed for money, her stubbornness and her love of power will sooner or later make the old lady angry again! Haha..."
Aunt Lin leaned on the pillow and laughed for a while, then slowly stopped laughing. She said to Molan in a serious tone, "Don't go against the Sixth Girl in the future. She doesn't seem to be someone you can easily mess with today. Be a good sister to her. The Master and the Old Madam will like it. Don't be like Rulan, who is always beating people up and scolding dogs, and is annoying... However, if you can pick on the Fifth Girl to quarrel with her, that would be the best."
Molan's eyes lit up and she said, "Mother is right. Fifth girl is just like the Madam, with a firecracker temper, easily ignited and easily fooled!" Suddenly her expression darkened a little, "But my eldest brother is nothing like her. He's thoughtful and alert, and he's such a good student. But my brother is a little impetuous. Mr. Zhuang also said that he doesn't have a solid foundation in his studies, and doesn't study hard for the exams, but likes to hang out with those sour scholars."
Aunt Lin picked up the scroll from the kang and said with a smile, "Don't listen to Mr. Zhuang's nonsense. He's so talented, so why can't he pass the imperial examination? They say that when you're young, you're brilliant, but not necessarily when you're older. I don't think your eldest brother is that good. Those in their thirties and forties are still taking the exams. Your brother is so young. Make more friends so that you can socialize in the officialdom in the future."
Molan picked up the bird's nest cup and drank slowly, saying with some worry, "It doesn't matter whether we make friends or not. Big brother will take the Spring Examination soon. Who knows, he might pass it in one go. But I hope that he can also pass the Autumn Examination in two years."
Aunt Lin suddenly frowned, thinking of the little devil-like maids in her son's room, who were always dressed in red and green and painted with makeup, and who might seduce her son. Why not...
On the second day after Ginkgo and Jiuer entered Mucangzhai, Old Lady Sheng said: "What Madam said makes a lot of sense. The people around the Sixth Miss are too old and too young to be useful. Cuiwei, the second-class maid from Shou'an Hall, should also be assigned to the Sixth Miss to serve. When the older ones need to be married off, the younger one can just fill in."
Minglan sat on the wooden kang in the right corner of the room, with a group of maids standing below her. On one side were the newly arrived Cuiwei, Ginkgo, and Jiuer, on the other, Danju and Xiaotao, and below them were several third-class maids. Minglan smiled and said, "...From now on, I'll rely on you sisters. These girls around me grew up together, and I didn't discipline them much, so they don't know much etiquette. You three sisters are all favored by the old lady and the mistress, so you bear some of the burden for me. Our courtyard may be small, but it has everything, and every move must be in accordance with the rules. Sister Cuiwei was trained by the housekeeper herself, so I'll trouble you with the younger sisters from now on."
Cuiwei had a fair oval face, which looked steady and amiable. She said, "Look at what the young lady said. From now on, we will all be sisters living in the same courtyard. I have been a little arrogant because of the old lady's status. I hope that you sisters will not dislike me." Although she spoke to the maids, her eyes were only looking at Ginkgo and Jiuer.
Ginkgo's beautiful oval face was a little pale. Jiuer lowered her head and looked at her from the side, only to see that she was pouting.
Danju glanced at Xiaotao, only to see that she was still naive. Then she looked at Minglan, only to see her small body sitting upright at the head of the table. Perhaps because of the fatigue of moving and the sadness of parting with the old lady, she had lost a lot of weight after the Chinese New Year. Her originally chubby little face had a beautiful and soft curve, revealing a slender and elegant neck. Her eyes seemed very large, dark and deep. What kind of thoughts were hidden behind such clear and lively eyes? When they moved out of Shou'an Hall, the old lady had noticed that the girls were short of staff. She, Xiaotao, and the four green girls were all about the same age as Minglan. Mother Cui had family responsibilities and could not stay in the inner house day and night, so the old lady wanted to send someone over, either Cuixi or Cuiwei, but Minglan refused.
"...Wait a moment. I'll ask the old lady for her later. It's hard to say right now." Minglan's face flashed with childish mischief, but her expression contained a hint of a wry smile. "We have to wait until they make their move before we can respond."
At that time, only the old lady and Fang Mama understood, and they shook their heads with a wry smile. Danju was completely confused, and only now did she realize that the madam was the biological mother of all her brothers and sisters, and it was natural for her to interfere in the affairs of Mu Cang Zhai. Even the old lady could not say anything. Her daughter had long expected that the madam would send someone over, so she had reserved this trick.
Sure enough, someone was sent over on the first day to pay respects to the madam. As soon as Ginkgo and Jiuer entered Mucangzhai, they acted like older sisters to Danju, who was younger than them. Moreover, they were sent by the madam, so Danju had to hand over the power in Minglan's room immediately. Fortunately, as soon as Shou'an Hall got the news, they sent Cuiwei over in time. Her age and qualifications were just higher than Ginkgo and Jiuer, and she came from the old lady's side.
Danju breathed a sigh of relief with some fear. When they were in Shou'an Hall, they often followed Cuixi and Cuiwei to learn things. Now that they are familiar with it, they are not afraid anymore. In their hearts, they have even more admiration for their own girls and even more love for them.
"...Leave this vacancy so that Madam can send someone more suitable. If Cui Xi or Cui Wei is left in Mu Cang Zhai from the beginning, and Madam sends someone with more qualifications, will Grandmother have to add another person to suppress her? That would be a fight between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. I hope I am judging others by my own standards." Minglan held the old lady's hand and spoke slowly, word by word, with a frank expression and a bitter tone.
Danju was at the door at the time. After hearing that, her heart trembled with fear. Under the decades of accumulated power of Old Lady Sheng, even Miss Hualan, who was the most favored lady at that time, did not dare to speak directly. "My dear, the old lady is not just your grandmother. Some things cannot be said directly."... Unexpectedly, the old lady was not angry at all. Instead, she hugged Minglan lovingly for a long time.
Later, Danju secretly asked Fang Mama whether the old lady would be unhappy. Fang Mama sighed and said: Sixth Miss is really smart.
The old lady has lived for most of her life and has seen all kinds of people and knows all kinds of sneaky things; the sixth girl has been smart and sensible since she was a child, but she hides nothing in front of the old lady, and tells her what is in her heart, no matter whether it is good or bad, open or covert. This is the trust that only those who are closest to them can have; the old lady has so many grandchildren, why does she love the sixth girl so much? Because she is the only one who truly cares about the old lady with a whole heart.
Danju took it as a warning after hearing this, as they were maids in the same situation.
Ginkgo is of good nature, loves to talk, laugh and ask questions, often flatters Cuiwei and is willing to help with the chores. After two days of getting along, she became familiar with the little girls. Jiuer is a little spoiled and does things on her own, but she gets along well with Xiaotao.
"What do you think of Ginkgo?" Minglan sat in the right-hand room, copying calligraphy. Cuiwei and Danju were tidying up the bookshelves. Xiaotao, sitting across from the kang, was winding her thread. Upon hearing this, she looked up and said, "He's quite friendly and easy to get along with."
"Silly girl, aren't you afraid of being cheated? Who knows she is trying to get close to you for some other purpose?" Danju turned around and said.
"What's the point? I didn't say a word about the girl, but I got beaten a lot by Fang Mama." Xiao Tao touched the palm of her hand, still feeling scared.
"Xiao Tao has been under the control of Fang Mama for these years. She won't easily talk about the young lady." Cui Wei walked gently to the door, lifted the curtain and looked out, then turned back and said with relief, "The young lady only cares about Ginkgo, so she doesn't care about Jiuer?"
Minglan smiled and said, "Think carefully, who is Jiu'er's mother? And what is Ginkgo's background?"
"You were born a maid." Xiaotao jumped off the kang and pushed Cuiwei onto it. Cuiwei declined and then sat down at the edge of the kang.
Jiuer is the youngest daughter of Liu Kun's family. She is very loved at home. She should have gone to Weiruixuan to be Ruolan's personal maid, but Ruolan has a bad temper and Jiuer is also delicate. If she is not careful, she will feel bad if Jiuer is punished and Wang Shi will be unhappy if Ruolan is offended. So she must not be sent to Molan, so only Minglan is left.
Danju came over and pulled Xiaotao to sit on the small stool at the bottom. "Mother Fang always said that Madam Liu, who was by the Madam's side, was a sensible woman. I think she was just looking for a comfortable place for Jiuer and wouldn't send her daughter to do anything shady. But Ginkgo has no roots in the mansion, so she has to do something to report her achievements to Madam."
Cuiwei looked at Danju with admiration, thinking that she was indeed Sixth Miss's confidant. Suddenly, Minglan said, "Mothers are so kind in the world. Jiuer is lucky to have such a mother."
Danju was young after all, and was still worried about what to do with Ginkgo. Cuiwei was fifteen years old, and her face turned slightly red. She immediately thought: If Mama Liu wanted to marry into a rich family, she should send her daughter to the eldest young master, but she sent her daughter to the sixth young lady because she didn't want her daughter to be a concubine. When Jiuer grew up, she would find a proper husband and carry her out of Mucangzhai with great fanfare.
Minglan looked at Cuiwei's thoughtful face, then at Danju, who was like a sister to her. She suddenly understood Yinxing's struggle and said with some regret, "It's not easy for women to live in this world. We have been together for a long time. In the future, I will do my best to find a good place for you, just like the old lady treated Cuiwei."
Cuiwei blushed immediately, but Danju kept a stern face and glared at Minglan: "Master, how dare you make fun of your own maid like this? Sister Cuiwei is already engaged. It is really true that you will give her more dowry later. It will be worth it for Sister Cuiwei to come from Shou'an Hall to help you!" As he said this, he looked at Cuiwei with a squinting eye, which meant to be teasing.
Cuiwei thought the first half of the sentence was fine and nodded repeatedly, thinking that Danju was a teachable child. However, when she heard the second half, she realized it was also a joke, so she said in a hateful voice, "Miss, I don't want any other dowry, just give this little hoof to my younger brother as his wife!"
Danju was furious and rushed forward to scratch people. Cuiwei hid behind Minglan, and Minglan immediately became the victim. They rubbed each other and laughed.
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