The gong for the hour of Xu had just struck, and lights were gradually being lit in the Sheng Mansion in Quanzhou. In the main room of the west courtyard sat an old woman with gray hair, a rosary on her hands, and plain clothes, which seemed quite out of place with the rich and elegant surroundings. Sitting at the bottom of the room was the head of the Sheng Mansion, Sheng Hong.
"Thanks to the blessings of my ancestors, my son received an excellent performance evaluation this time. The official decree for promotion will be issued around the end of the month." It was early summer now, and Sheng Hong was wearing a thin ochre silk summer shirt. His words were very respectful.
"It's well worth all the years you've endured outside. It's the most difficult to get promoted from the sixth rank. After passing this level, you can be considered a middle-rank official. Do you have any idea where you will be promoted this time?" Old Lady Sheng said in a flat tone without any fluctuation.
"Uncle Geng has already written to inform me that he should be the governor of Dengzhou." Sheng Hong has always been a cautious person, but when he said this, he couldn't help but show his joy.
"Congratulations, sir. The post of prefect has always been held by people of the fifth rank. You, a sixth rank official, can be the prefect of a state. It is not only because of the good deeds of your ancestors, but also thanks to the people who have arranged things for you." said Mrs. Sheng.
"Of course. I have already prepared the gift list for several uncles and aunts in the capital. Please take a look, mother." Sheng Hong took out a few pieces of plain paper from his sleeve and handed them to the maid standing beside him.
"The master has become more experienced in handling affairs over the years. You should make your own decisions. Remember one thing: the friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water. Money should be spent properly and etiquette should be thorough. You should be neither humble nor arrogant and should be approachable. Those old gentlemen have been in officialdom all their lives and have sharp eyes. They have taken good care of you over the years. Of course, it is because of the kindness of your father when he was alive, but it is also because of your hard work that they are willing to help." Old Lady Sheng was a little out of breath after talking for a few more words. Fang Mama beside her immediately picked up the teacup and put it to her mouth, with one hand gently stroking the old lady's back.
Sheng Hong saw this and was terrified. He said anxiously, "Mother, please take care of yourself. I owe everything I have today to you. If it weren't for your kindness, I would be living a miserable life in the countryside right now. I have to be filial to you."
Old Madam Sheng remained silent, as if lost in thought. After a while, she said, "It's hard to say whether it's a great or small thing, but I did it out of the love I had with your father. It wouldn't be nice for him to have a desolate grave a hundred years later. Fortunately... you are finally making progress." Her voice was weak and gradually faded away.
Sheng Hong didn't dare to reply. The hall fell silent for a moment. After a while, Sheng Hong said, "Mother, you are in the prime of life. You will surely enjoy a long and prosperous future. Just relax and take good care of yourself." He looked around and frowned, "Mother, this place is too plain. It doesn't look like a nunnery. Mother, listen to me. There are also elderly ladies in ordinary families who eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures, but they also decorate their homes in a lively manner. Why do you have to suffer so much? If someone saw you, they would think you were unfilial."
Old Madam Sheng said, "The joy of life lies in one's heart. If one's heart is desolate, then no matter how lively the decorations are, they will be useless. They will only fall on the ears of a deaf person and serve as decoration."
Sheng Hong whispered, "It's all because of the unfilial son that he can't control his wife."
Old Madam Sheng said, "I don't blame you. I know you're filial. You don't need to blame your daughter-in-law either. I'm not her real mother-in-law, so there's no need to act so arrogant. She's tired and annoyed by seeing me for the first time in three days. You don't need to worry about people saying you're unfilial. I was well-known early on, and many people know my temper. It's more comfortable for everyone to stay away from me."
Sheng Hong said anxiously, "What are you talking about, mother? What do you mean by not being a proper mother-in-law? Mother is my father's legitimate wife, my son's mother, and even his second wife. All these things are my son and daughter-in-law's fault. Mother, please don't say that."
Old Madam Sheng seemed a little impatient and waved her hand gently: "Master, please don't worry about these trivial matters. Your promotion is imminent, so you must make arrangements quickly. You have been the Tongzhi of Quanzhou for many years, and you have many friends. You must show your courtesy before leaving. We are all in the same officialdom. We may not see each other today, but we will see each other tomorrow. Don't let your colleagues down. We must part ways on good terms."
"What you said is true, and I think so too. I remember when I first arrived in Quanzhou, I thought the climate in Lingnan was hot and the people were rough. Even if it was not a barbaric place, it was still uncivilized. I never thought that the weather here is good and the people are simple. It is close to the coast and benefits from fishing and salt production and shipping. Although it is not as prosperous as Jiangnan, the people are quite wealthy. I have lived here for the past few years and I am reluctant to leave." Sheng Hong said with a smile.
Old Madam Sheng also laughed and said, "That's right. I've lived in the north all my life. Even if it were the wonderful Jiangnan, I wouldn't want to go. I didn't expect to get used to living in Quanzhou. Here, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away. Life is leisurely. Before I leave, I'll sell this big house and buy a small farm with beautiful scenery. It won't be ostentatious, but it will provide me with a place to live in the future."
"This is a great idea, son. I think it's brilliant. I'll do it right away." Sheng Hong said with a smile.
Old Madam Sheng was extremely strict with her manners. After she had spoken, the maids and servants in the room remained silent. Mother and son chatted for a while, Sheng Hong moving his lips several times to bring up something, but then retreated. For a moment, the room grew cold again. Old Madam Sheng glanced at him, gently stirring the tea leaves with her teacup. The housekeeper at the side was very perceptive and quietly called the maids and servants out. She personally drove everyone to the side rooms, gave a few instructions to the head maids, and then returned to the main room to serve. Just then, she heard Old Madam Sheng say, "...you're finally willing to speak up. I thought you were going to keep this from me until you die."
Sheng Hong stood with his head bowed, a look of fear on his face. "I regret not listening to my mother's advice. This has led to such a disaster today. It's all because of my lack of virtue that this family has been in turmoil."
"Is it just that the family is in turmoil?" Old Madam Sheng raised her voice slightly. "I didn't expect you to be so foolish. Do you know how serious this matter can be?"
Sheng Hong was startled and bowed, saying, "Please give me some advice, mother."
Old Madam Sheng straightened up from the rosewood couch. "I'm a private person, and I don't want to be annoying by being nosy. Whoever you like is none of my business, and I never ask about the right and wrong in your room. But you've been getting more and more disrespectful these past few years. Go ask around and see what rules people follow to treat a concubine like you do! I gave her face and my family, and I gave her a farm and a shop. She has children now, and the only thing she lacks is a status. She's no worse than a proper daughter-in-law! You're confusing the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, breaking the rules, and bringing disaster to your family! Well, well, today we've finally had a life, a bloody corpse and two lives, and what can you say?"
Sheng Hong's face was filled with shame, and he bowed repeatedly. "Mother, what you taught me is true. It's all my fault. I was foolish and always thought that she was all alone and relying on me for shelter. It was really pitiful. She gave up being a proper wife outside and chose to be my concubine. I couldn't help but feel pity for her. Plus, she was from the old lady's family, so she was more respectable than the average concubine. But I didn't think that loving her would harm her, making her even more incoherent. I really know I was wrong."
When Old Lady Sheng heard the last few words, she sneered softly and said nothing. She picked up the tea bowl and blew gently. Seeing this, Fang Mama stepped forward and said, "Master is kind-hearted, so how could this old lady not know this? This matter has dragged on for a few years. If we don't make it clear, everyone's life will never be smooth. As the elder, there are some things that are inconvenient to say. Today, let me, an old woman, take the initiative and explain it to Master. I hope Master will not blame me."
Sheng Hong heard Fang Mama speak and hurriedly said, "What are you talking about, Mom? Mom has devoted herself to the Sheng family over the years and served her wholeheartedly. She is like an elder in my family to me. If you have anything to say, just say it."
The housekeeper did not dare to accept the gift, but turned aside and said, "That old woman is too talkative. Aunt Lin's mother and the old lady were acquainted in the boudoir. To be honest, they only met a few times at that time. They were not as close as the other sisters in the boudoir. After they got married, they had no contact at all. I have served the old lady since I was a child, so I know this very well. Later, her husband's family was convicted of improper behavior. Although they were not confiscated or beheaded, their family fell into decline. That year, the husband of the old lady died of illness, and she had no children, so she had no one to rely on. Living a miserable life with her daughter, she approached the old lady before dying, begging her to consider their former relationship and at least take care of her daughter. Her relatives were all ruthless and had done nothing but harm to the girl. The old lady, a devoted vegetarian and Buddhist, was incredibly kind-hearted, so she agreed and took Lin Yi Niang into the family. For those years, our old lady treated her like her own daughter, choosing the finest food, clothing, and daily necessities for her. She also constantly talked about getting her a dowry and finding her a good husband.
Hearing this, Sheng Hong blushed slightly, as if embarrassed. Fang Mama sighed and continued, "Who would have thought that this Miss Lin was such a big shot? She refused to marry me after being approached by several families, and instead secretly had an affair with the master. The old woman's words are rude, so please don't be offended, master. Our old lady was completely in the dark about this whole thing. It was not until the lady came to us in anger and tears that the old lady realized that the girl she raised was so unruly."
Sheng Hong was so ashamed that his face turned red and he couldn't speak.
Madam Fang said gently, "Originally, the relationship between Madam and Old Lady wasn't like this. When Madam first came into the family, the two were very affectionate and courteous. But after that incident, it seemed as if Old Lady was deliberately trying to embarrass Madam. She raised Miss Lin so she could find a concubine for Master. Later, Master married Concubine Lin, and then Concubine Lin had children and lived a more respectable life than a proper wife. Madam couldn't help but blame Old Lady for her resentment and stopped interacting with her. She's really disappointed."
Sheng Hong fell to his knees before Old Madam Sheng with a thud, weeping, "I deserve death. I've caused you so much unhappiness, leaving you feeling pent up but unable to express your grievances. I'm an unfilial son, an unfilial son."
As she spoke, she kowtowed repeatedly. Old Madam Sheng closed her eyes and raised her hand to Fang Mama. Fang Mama hurried to help Sheng Hong up, but Sheng Hong refused to get up and kept apologizing. Old Madam Sheng said, "You should get up first. You, a grown man, don't really understand these inner-city affairs. Get up. There's no such thing as an overnight grudge between mother and son."
Sheng Hong finally stood up, but his forehead was already red and swollen. Old Madam Sheng sighed and said, "I know that when you were little, you and Concubine Chun depended on each other for survival. Life was not easy. I couldn't even take care of my own son back then, and I didn't know that the servants were deceiving their superiors and hiding the truth from their subordinates, which made you suffer. And now, your wife is not a kind person, so you are always worried that Concubine Lin and Brother Feng will be wronged, so you let the servants bully them and give them real estate and land. How could I not know your good intentions? That's why I closed my eyes and mouth, pretending to be deaf and dumb for the past few years, just like a living dead."
Sheng Hong wept, "How can I have anything to do with the old lady? It's all because of my son's lack of virtue. Mother's heart is as clear as a mirror, and every word she said hits the nail on the head. I'm just afraid of you... That's why I spoiled her too much and broke the rules. I deserve death."
"Don't keep saying you're going to die. If you die, who will we, an orphan and a widow, rely on?" Old Madam Sheng gestured to Fang Mama to bring a chair to Sheng Hong, and helped Sheng Hong, who was still crying, to sit down.
After Fang Mama had given Sheng Hong a hot towel and washed his face with tea, Old Madam Sheng continued, "Let's not talk about justice and human nature. Don't you think about this? You're just thirty years old now. Your official career isn't smooth sailing, but it hasn't been bumpy either. How many of those who passed the imperial examination with you have had a smooth career? How many are still struggling, jealous of you, waiting to find fault with you? There are definitely some. Besides, Aunt Wei wasn't a maid bought by our family. She comes from a decent family. She originally lived in Jiangnan and passed down her family traditions of farming and studying. She was supposed to be the main wife of the family. If her family hadn't suffered a disaster, she would have refused to be a concubine no matter how poor she was. Now she died tragically after only five years of marriage. If someone uses this to make trouble for you, instigating her family to cause trouble and accusing you of failing to manage the family and disregarding human life, how can you still get promoted smoothly?"
Sheng Hong was startled and sweat broke out. "Thankfully, the old lady understood and stabilized the Wei family in time, so my son no longer has to worry about anything."
"The Wei family is kindhearted. They didn't make a fuss when they learned of Aunt Wei's death. They just wanted to take Aunt Wei's body back and bury it themselves, but I refused. The Wei family even refused to accept the extra money I gave them, saying they couldn't face taking money for their daughter's life. They just asked me to take good care of Ming girl, and they were grateful. It breaks my heart to see how miserable that family is."
Old Madam Sheng took out her handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes. Madam Fang personally brought the teapot from outside to refill the water. She added water to the two smooth porcelain tea bowls with floating patterns, carefully covered the tea bowls, and sighed, "Madam Wei is a kind person, and the girl she raised is also pitiful. Since her aunt passed away, she has had a fever for two days in a row and was confused. She has been stupid and silly these days since she woke up, and has not even said a complete word. That day, I followed the old lady's orders to see her, but I only saw the old women and maids laughing and playing outside, and there was no one to serve in the room. When I went in, I saw the girl got out of bed by herself to pour water to drink! The child was only four or five years old, and could not even reach the table. She climbed on the stool and tiptoed to drink water from the tea bowl. It was really pitiful!" Madam Fang also wiped her tears.
Sheng Hong thought of Concubine Wei's past kindness and tenderness, and his heart ached. He said with shame, "I wanted to send her to Madam, but Ru-ya has been ill these past few days, and Madam's place is also very busy. I thought I would send her there in a few days when Madam is free."
Old Madam Sheng took a deep breath and said slowly, "What's the point of being idle? Whether Ming girl wants her to be held or carried, there are as many maids and servants as needed at home. If you give orders, someone will do it. It's just a little more trouble. She is making excuses and refusing to support Ming girl. I'm afraid she is just making fun of her."
Sheng Hong stood up again stiffly, not daring to say anything. Madam Sheng glanced at him, her voice slightly cold, "You dare not say anything about her, nor can you say anything about her. It's nothing more than your own dishonesty, and she interrupts you with every word. You were the one who broke the rules first, pampering your concubine like a child, and even treating her like the wife of the principal house. I can imagine what Madam said - why? When you have nothing to do, Madam always raises the child by herself, and now that their biological mother has died, you think of her as a nominal mother? It's no wonder Madam is angry. I don't care about what happened in the past. I only want to ask you two questions, and answer them honestly."
Sheng Hong hurriedly said, "Mother, please speak. Don't just say a few words, even if it's thousands of words, I will answer every one of you."
"First, are you going to let it go with the loss of two lives caused by Aunt Wei? Or are you going to take someone else's life in exchange for that?" Old Madam Sheng stared at Sheng Hong.
"Of course I have to plan carefully. How can I let such a vicious person off easily when there is one in my family? She can harm Aunt Wei and my full-term child today, and she can do something to other people tomorrow. How can I tolerate such a person in my Sheng family!" Sheng Hong replied with gritted teeth.
Old Madam Sheng's expression brightened slightly, and after a pause, she continued, "Okay, secondly, with the current situation in your family where there's no distinction between elders and illegitimate children, what are your plans?"
Sheng Hong took a deep breath. "Mother, please understand. When I returned and saw Aunt Wei's bloody corpse and the child suffocated to death in her womb, I was filled with remorse. The servants dared to act so arrogantly because they were not bound by strict rules. If the top beam is crooked, the bottom beam will be crooked. The root of all this is naturally from above. I have made up my mind to rectify the family's style."
"Okay, okay, just these two words from you are good." Old Madam Sheng's heart was slightly relieved. Knowing Sheng Hong's character, she stopped talking and nodded repeatedly. "If you want to hold this position for a long time, and if our Sheng family wants to have descendants, we must run the family strictly. You must know that troubles begin within the family. Many aristocratic families often become rotten from within. We should learn from them."
"Mother is right. I have been worried about my performance evaluation for the past few days. Now that I feel relieved, I need to make some time to sort things out. Let's start with the incident with the maids and old women on the day when Aunt Wei gave birth." Sheng Hong's tone was calm, but he was obviously quite angry in his heart.
"No, we can't investigate now." Unexpectedly, Old Madam Sheng rejected it outright. Sheng Hong was surprised: "Old Madam, why is that? Are you going to indulge these unruly slaves?"
Old Madam Sheng gave Sheng Hong a meaningful look. "You've been the Tongzhi of Quanzhou for several years. Everyone knows you well. The women in your family are all on good terms with each other, and many of your maids, servants, and servants were brought in locally. How could others not know about any disturbances in your family? Although you're on good terms with most of your colleagues, there's no guarantee that there might be some who secretly resent you. Your concubine just died, and now you're reorganizing the servants. Isn't this just trying to cover up your mistake? You're clearly telling everyone that your family is in turmoil."
Sheng Hong was alert and said, "Thanks to my mother's reminder, I almost made a mistake. If I had cleaned up the house in Quanzhou and then started selling people, I'm afraid the whole prefecture would know about it. When we get to Shandong, how would we deal with those stubborn slaves? Who would know the inside story?"
"That's right. So, not only must you not make any noise right now, you must also keep this family stable and arrive at Dengzhou in peace and quiet to take up your post. Once the imperial edict comes down and you take the official seal, and our family settles down in Shandong, then you can slowly start to act."
"Grandma, please understand. I haven't had a personal conversation with you for many years. After saying this today, I feel much more relieved. In the future, I will have to rely more on you to manage the household. I have to let my wife Duoduo come to ask you for advice." Sheng Hong said sincerely.
"No, I'm already half buried in the ground. If this hadn't caused a big stir, I wouldn't have bothered with this matter any more. From now on, everything will remain the same here. Just ask your wife to come and pay her respects three times a month. You can take care of your own affairs and your own family. I'll just quietly chant Buddha's name and eat vegetarian food."
Old Madam Sheng seemed a little tired. She leaned against the backrest of the couch, slightly closed her eyes, and her voice gradually weakened. On the sandalwood table in the corner of the room stood a purple copper Qilin incense burner, quietly emitting cloud-like smoke.
【Author has something to say】
Most current farming stories are modeled after Ming and Qing dynasty vernacular novels, as the customs and habits of the two dynasties were largely similar. This is true. Recently, I've been researching some materials for my writing and discovered that, in terms of the status of women and the inner chambers, there are quite a few differences between the Ming and Qing dynasties. Let's discuss this when we have time.
If you're interested, consider Ming Dynasty vernacular novels like "Three Words, Two Shots" and "Jin Ping Mei," and compare them with Qing Dynasty works like "Dream of the Red Chamber" and "Liao Zhai." You'll notice differences in the status and living conditions of women between the Ming and Qing dynasties. "The Travels of Lao Can" may be a bit late in the Qing dynasty and not very representative. While "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," "Water Margin," and "Journey to the West" were written in the Ming Dynasty, it's more difficult to find the social context of the time, so I'll skip them for now.
First of all, this farming article of mine is set in a fictional dynasty, the Great Zhou, and most of its customs and systems are simulated from the Ming Dynasty society. Because the customs of the Ming Dynasty are also controversial among historians, some parts of this article are not very rigorous, so please do not delve into it too deeply.
Chapter 2: He was considered a half-martyr who died in the line of duty, but he was reborn into such a fetus. The Huangquan Organization should also fight corruption and promote integrity. Beside the lotus pond on the east side of Sheng Mansion, it was getting late, the house was stuffy, but there was a cool breeze in the yard. Several maids were eating melon seeds and chatting in the yard, and no one was left in the room to serve. Yao Yiyi was lying alone on the beech bunk bed in the inner room, half-dead and dazed.
Yao Yiyi buried her little body in the pile of pillows, her short limbs spread out in a big letter shape, her expression dull and listless. Ever since she came to this world, Yao Yiyi has been in this wandering state. She turned her little head and looked around the room. This was an ancient room similar to the ones seen on TV. There was a Ruyi round table in the middle of the room. Yao Yiyi couldn't tell what kind of wood it was, but it had a good luster and was obviously a good product. There was a carved wooden top cabinet against the wall, and the pattern on it vaguely resembled the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea. There were also a few low tables and round stools and so on.
Yao Yiyi felt a little thirsty and got out of bed barefoot. People in the south were used to using wooden boards to pave the floor, so she didn't feel cold walking on the floor barefoot. She came to the Ruyi round table and saw a small stool and a round stool slightly higher than the small stool under the table. Yao Yiyi thought it was very funny. She stepped on the small stool and then climbed onto the round stool. She reached the table steadily, dragged over a heavy teapot, and drank from the spout.
After drinking it, she climbed back onto the bed in the same order as before, and suddenly she felt a lingering fragrance on her teeth and cheeks. Yao Yiyi thought dully, oh, it’s not plain water today, it’s tea, and it seems to be good tea.
A few days ago, she slept until her mouth was dry, and she crawled to drink tea by herself. Suddenly, several people came in from outside. The old lady who led them saw her crawling on the table to drink water. She was shocked as if she was struck by lightning. She seemed to be deeply shocked. She scolded the maids and old women in the yard on the spot and comforted her. At that time, Yao Yiyi had only been in this world for two days and had not yet entered the state. She did not have the father, mother, wet nurse or personal maid who should have appeared in a new world. There were many people coming in and out like a revolving lantern every day. She had not even recognized all their faces, so she could only listen and watch blankly without any reaction. The old lady sighed, said "poor thing" a few times, and left.
Yao Yiyi realized belatedly that she was being pitied. In fact, she really wanted to say that she felt more comfortable when no one was in the room. As an imposter, it was... difficult for her to remain calm and pretend when she was still frightened.
She was alone in the room, stretching her legs whenever she wanted, and lying on the frog whenever she wanted, which was actually helpful for her initial emotional recovery after the time travel. After the old lady left that day, the maids and servants immediately improved the service, putting some snacks on the table, tea in the teapot, and a basin of freshly soaked grapes yesterday. What was even more thoughtful was that they placed several stools of different heights according to Yao Yiyi's height and body shape, forming a staircase to facilitate her climbing up and down - and then, they went out to play again.
Yao Yiyi was very moved.
There were bursts of voices coming from the courtyard outside the house. Yao Yiyi could hear them clearly without having to prick up her ears. Lately, things have been turbulent in the Sheng Mansion, and the maids in this deserted little courtyard have been cheering up and going all out in gossip.
"This morning I heard Lai Fu, who serves the master, say that an imperial decree came down from above the other day. Our master has been promoted to prefect and will go to Dengzhou to take up his post at the end of the month. Aunt Lin has been very busy these days and is anxious to sell some shops for cash so that she can take them away when the time comes." Maid A said.
"My dears, how much wealth does Aunt Lin have over the years? I see that she is even richer than the Madam. People say that she was born in a wealthy family and that she had to become a concubine because she admired our master. It seems that this is true." Maid B said excitedly.
"Bah! Listen to that bunch of nonsense of praising someone and putting her down! My mother told me a long time ago that Aunt Lin is just an orphan from a ruined official family. When she first came to our Sheng Mansion, she was accompanied by only a little maid and an old nanny. She had only five or six boxes and bags in total. The clothes she wore were not even as good as the first and second-class maids in the mansion. How could she have such a rich family?!" Maid C was a little angry.
"Oh, that Concubine Lin is so rich now. The master favors her so much, no wonder the mistress is always unhappy. Even Master favors Feng'er and Miss Mo. This Concubine Lin is really capable." Maid D said with envy.
Maid E continued, "Of course, otherwise how could the master be so fond of her? She's even disregarding the mistress's dignity and the rules of the mansion. Although the old lady is unhappy, she doesn't bother to care. She's pregnant and has a son and a daughter, so naturally she's very confident. Alas, it seems that our courtyard is in trouble. It was fine when Concubine Wei was here, and the master would come often. Now that Concubine Wei is gone, it's immediately deserted. I don't know where we sisters will be accommodated. It would be great if we could go to Concubine Lin's place. They say the sisters there have better food, clothing, and monthly allowances than other places."
"You wishful thinking, little bitch. I tell you, Madam Lin is not someone you can get along with easily," Yao Yiyi recognized the voice of Maid C again and sneered, "When she first came in, everything was fine. But after she gave birth to Brother Feng, she quietly and subtly demoted several of the senior maids and servants. My mother, Aunt Lai, Cui Xi's sister, and my mother, too. Why? It's because these people saw how down and out she looked!"
"Oh! Is what sister said true? This concubine Lin is so powerful." Maid E who wanted to transfer was very surprised.
"If I were to talk nonsense, you'd make me a rotten gossip!" Maid C said bitterly. "It's so bad now. Madams of respectable status won't talk, and those who can have been banished from the mansion. No one in the mansion talks about her past, except for those black-hearted people who benefited from her. They spread her praises everywhere, saying she's well-versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and is an expert in poetry and songs, with a kind heart and a pure character. Pah! The only truly kind and honest person just died, and that was our most honest concubine Wei!"
"Sister Cui, please keep your voice down. If you are heard, you will be in trouble!" Maid F kindly reminded.
"Humph! What am I afraid of? I've already been married off, and my mother is the old lady's wife. She's long been out of the mansion and living in the farm. The other day, my parents asked the old lady for mercy. This time, the master has been promoted to Dengzhou, so I won't go with him. I'll help with some work in the farm, and then I won't have to deal with these troubles anymore."
It turns out that the maid Cui C has already found a way out. No wonder she is so fearless, Yao Yiyi thought.
"Well, if it weren't for the incident with Concubine Wei this time, who would have known that Concubine Lin had such a cruel heart? Look at how polite and courteous she speaks and how kind she treats others. Who would have thought that as soon as our Concubine Wei died, she drove away Sister Die'er and the others, and even sent away our girl's wet nurse, leaving behind only a few third-rate maids like us who know nothing..." Maid A spoke in a lower and lower voice.
"They are the most capable people of Concubine Wei and they are always on good terms with her. They must be driven away. Otherwise, what will we do if the master asks about them and finds out something?" said the maid Cui C.
"What clues? What nonsense are you talking about?" Maid B said softly.
The maid Cui C said in a deep voice: "Huh! Although we are third-class maids, we are not blind. When Concubine Wei was about to give birth, she cried out in pain at the first quarter of the morning. Sister Die'er hurried to ask Concubine Lin to send a midwife, but why did the midwife not come until almost the ninth hour? There are also many midwives in the family who know how to deliver babies. How could it be such a coincidence that they were all on vacation those days? When Concubine Wei could no longer bear it, Sister Die'er was anxious to get clean cloths and boil water. Why are we either called to call people or sent to run errands? "What's wrong? When it comes to the critical moment, there's actually no one in the courtyard to turn to. You know, the master and the mistress left home a few days ago. The old lady in the west courtyard doesn't care about anything. All matters in the mansion are decided by Concubine Lin. What clues do you think there are?! God has eyes. The master suddenly had official business and returned home a few days early. Just saw Concubine Wei take her last breath, asked Sister Die'er a few questions, and immediately got angry. If he had returned a few days later, Concubine Lin would have cleaned up everything and there would be nothing to find out!"
After these words were spoken, the courtyard fell silent, with only a few long sighs. Yao Yiyi exhaled softly, shifted her posture, and waited to hear the second half. After a while, a maid said, "But I haven't seen the master get angry in the past ten days. He just lives in the study, and Concubine Lin is still fine. In the master's heart, Concubine Lin is naturally more important than Concubine Wei."
The maid Cui C sneered briefly and said nothing more.
"If you ask me, the same goes for Aunt Lin. Why bother competing with Aunt Wei? How can Aunt Wei compare to her? Just like Aunt Ping and Aunt Xiang, just ignore them." Maid D said with a sigh.
"You don't know this. How can Concubine Ping and Concubine Xiang compare with our Concubine Wei. Although Concubine Wei doesn't know anything about poetry or painting, she is not a lowly maid. She was brought into the family in a proper way. What's more, our Concubine Wei is very beautiful, young and considerate. The master has loved her very much since she came into the family. She has already given birth to a girl. If she gives birth to a boy, he may not be worse than Concubine Lin. What a pity..." Maid F spoke with the tone of an experienced person.
"That's right. I heard he was a very handsome boy, with eyes and eyebrows exactly like the master. How pitiful, he was suffocated to death in his mother's womb. Alas... it's against the will of heaven." Maid B said in a very soft voice, "Even if the truth is found out, what will happen? Will the master let Concubine Lin pay with her life? For the sake of Brother Feng and Miss Mo, I can't do anything. I can only take my anger out on a few servants."
The yard was quiet again. Yao Yiyi nodded. This girl was very perceptive and hit the nail on the head.
"Sister Cui, you are lucky. My mother and I and several brothers are all capable. You will have a lot of happiness when you leave the house. But I don't know where we sisters have gone. This small courtyard is about to be disbanded, and I don't know where our girl will go." Maid E always keeps the employment issue in mind.
"What kind of blessing is that? It's just a change of place to work. However, we can be closer to our parents and brothers and enjoy some family happiness. Don't worry, we are all third-class maids. Even if Aunt Lin vents her anger on us, it won't be blamed on us. We will just have a different master to serve when the time comes." Maid C said with some pride.
"If we had another master, I wonder if there would be someone as easy to talk to as Concubine Wei. She is a kind person and has never gotten angry with us. When my sister was sick that year, she even rewarded me with a few taels of silver." Maid A said.
"She is honest, but too cowardly. There is no courtesy in our house. Others can come as they please. The old women and wives in the courtyard dare to plot against my aunt secretly. She always tolerates it, but it doesn't end well for her. Except for Sister Dier, who dares to stand up for her and who thinks well of her? I say that as a master, you should behave like a master. Wanting to do everything well is just not being able to distinguish right from wrong." Maid B said.
These topics were so heavy that the maids soon turned their attention to Miss Cui C's lifelong affairs, and the courtyard suddenly became lively again. Yao Yiyi lay on her back on the bed, staring blankly at the green vine curtains on the carved frame. She had been listening to this kind of meaningless chat for more than ten days. Currently, she was the sixth young lady of the Sheng Mansion, her name was Sheng Minglan.
A young lady born out of wedlock who has no one to rely on, now seems to have lost her brain, she is stupid and speechless, and naturally the servants don't take her seriously. In addition, the Sheng Mansion has been in chaos these days, either busy moving or busy collecting money. Some old mothers and housekeepers are so busy that there is no one to look after these little girls. Most of them are married women, not very old, but they know the family affairs best. These third-rate maids are not well-behaved and never shy away from gossip. This is a good thing for Yao Yiyi. During the past ten days, it was like listening to a TV series, and she heard enough trivial things in the Sheng Mansion.
Sheng Minglan's biological father, who is also the head of the Sheng Mansion, is named Sheng Hong. He is a Jinshi who passed the imperial examination twice. He currently holds the sixth rank official position and is about to be promoted to the governor of Dengzhou. He was born out of wedlock, and the old lady in the west courtyard is his biological mother. He has one wife and many concubines. Don't ask Yao Yiyi how many concubines he has. Those little girls told stories too disorganized and she couldn't understand them clearly.
Let's talk about his wife first. Mrs. Wang, the principal wife of the Sheng family, was originally the daughter of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. This marriage was, in a sense, a case of Sheng Hong marrying up. The Wang family was a long line of officials, and by then, the Sheng family's old man, Sheng Hong's father, had already passed away. He was just a minor Jinshi. But it didn't matter. Mrs. Sheng was there. Her background was better than the Wang family's, as she was the eldest daughter of the Yongyi Marquis's mansion. Furthermore, the late old man had been a world-renowned scholar who won the third place in the imperial examination. So, after much consideration, the Wang family's old man finally agreed to the marriage.
After marriage, Wang had an eldest daughter, Miss Sheng Hualan, who was just old enough to get married; an eldest son, Mr. Sheng Changbai, who was around the age of elementary school graduates; and a younger daughter, Sheng Rulan, who seemed to have a body similar to Yao Yiyi's current one.
Speaking of the numerous concubines, the first one to mention is, of course, the renowned Concubine Lin (please welcome her with flowers and applause). While she shares the surname Lin, she's far superior to Daiyu. Their abilities are practically on a different level, like the difference between Amy Yip and Joey Wong. Daiyu, blessed with only her grandmother's protection and her father's wealth, ultimately ended up dead. But look at Concubine Lin. Coming from humble beginnings, she rose from nothing and transformed an oppressed semi-feudal, semi-colonial nation into a moderately developed nation, successfully completing the transformation from poverty to prosperity—an achievement even more astonishing than the achievements of reform and opening up. This Lady Lin has a son and a daughter, Mr. Sheng Changfeng and Ms. Sheng Molan, whose ages are unknown, roughly midway between Sheng Changbai and Sheng Rulan.
It seems that there is also a concubine Ping and a concubine Xiang. Concubine Xiang has a son named Sheng Changdong, whose age is still unknown. As for the other concubines who have no children, Yao Yiyi doesn't know. Please don't blame Yao Yiyi for her negative attitude towards time travel. Her time travel is really tragic.
Have you seen the Hong Kong drama series "Courtroom No. 1"? The sparring, the back-and-forth, the love-hate dynamics—what a challenging workplace! Do you see that beautiful woman in her lawyer's robes? No, no, Yao Yiyi isn't that lawyer. Do you see the upright judge standing in front of the lawyers? No, no, Yao Yiyi isn't qualified. Please look down. To the judge's right and below, there's a guy buried in his typing. That's right, Yao Yiyi is a glorious clerk at the People's Court.
After graduating from XX University of Political Science and Law, Yao Yiyi took the civil service exam. After battling through numerous competitions and narrowly navigating a narrow path, she finally secured a position at a local court near her home. This stable job was the envy of her close female classmates. The court consisted of a case filing division, a criminal division, a civil division, a review and supervision division, and an enforcement bureau. Fortunately, Yao Yiyi was spotted by an elderly woman keen on building a female army and was assigned to the busiest civil court as a clerk.
The work in the court is completely different from that in Hong Kong dramas. Yao Yiyi does not need to speak or make judgments in court. Apart from constantly recording and listing evidence, she can almost be regarded as an invisible person. However, her name will appear on the final verdict. The most common affairs she handles are the division of family property and the dispute over inheritance, which makes Yao Yiyi's young mind full of vicissitudes.
However, occasionally Yao Yiyi would meet a handsome lawyer brother and a very elegant prosecutor brother. Unfortunately, in front of the imposing beautiful lawyer, Yao Yiyi had no chance to shine. So on the day when the two brothers both told her that they had girlfriends, Yao Yiyi, whose soul was sublimated, bravely expressed to the old judge that she was willing to go to the border area with her for a year.
There is a so-called "immediate court". For those poor mountainous areas, transportation is extremely inconvenient. It takes several days or even a week to go to the city. If the plaintiff does not have the perseverance of Ms. Qiu Ju,
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