After asking her three granddaughters questions, Mrs. Sheng said she was tired and asked her children and grandchildren to go back to the house. She wanted to rest. Sheng Hong wanted to say a few words for Molan, but he had to hold it in and go back to the house.
Just after returning to the house and before she had undressed and washed, the housemaid who was by the old lady's side suddenly came. Sheng Hong and his wife hurriedly invited her in. The housemaid was a veteran in the mansion. She spoke fluently and explained her purpose in a few words - the old lady wanted Miss Minglan to come over.
As soon as these words were spoken, Sheng Hong and his wife were immediately overjoyed. Wang was overjoyed and wanted to burn two incense sticks to fulfill her wish immediately. Sheng Hong was a little depressed, thinking that the old lady was unwilling to like Aunt Lin after all.
"Master, I appreciate your kindness. I'd like to thank you on your behalf. ... Madam, please take some time to pack up Sixth Miss. Let me know when you're done and I'll come get her."
Mother Fang has always been a straightforward person. After she finished speaking, she bowed and went back.
"What does the old lady mean? Among the girls in our family, besides Hua'er, Mo'er is the oldest. Naturally, the eldest sister should do the hard work. Can we let an ignorant and sickly child go?" Sheng Hong opened his arms and let Wang undress. No matter how he thought about it, he felt that Molan was more suitable than Minglan. "Not to mention that Mo'er has been serving the old lady these days. Everyone says she is filial and considerate. What is the old lady still hesitating about?"
Wang was feeling quite relaxed and said with a smile, "It's the old lady who's choosing. You think it's useless. She has to be willing to do it herself! I often tell Hua'er that she looks fresher in bright colors, but she prefers light-colored clothes. Master, everything should be done willingly. You can't just force someone on someone just because you think it's good. The old lady won't object to you for your sake, but she might not feel comfortable. So, don't worry. No matter which child the old lady chooses, isn't she still your daughter? Now that the old lady has spoken, just do it. It will please the old lady, and you will be filial. Isn't that the best of both worlds? Besides, the old lady is kind and benevolent. She must have seen that Concubine Wei died early and Ming'er is sick and ignorant, so she might want to promote her."
Sheng Hong felt that this reason was more reliable, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Even if he wanted to promote Molan, he couldn't force the old lady to accept her. However, Aunt Lin and he truly loved each other, and Molan was the fruit of their love. For this fruit, he planned to try again.
The next day, just as Old Madam Sheng got up, Fang Mama was serving her bird's nest porridge in an open-mouthed white porcelain bowl inlaid with silver threads and patterns symbolizing longevity. The maid outside reported to the inside, "The master is here." Then she opened the thick indigo felt curtain to let Sheng Hong in. Old Madam Sheng glanced at him slightly, raised the corner of her mouth slightly, and asked Fang Mama to remove the porridge.
"What are you doing here so early in the morning? It's cold, why don't you get some more sleep?" Old Madam Sheng said after Sheng Hong finished his greetings and sat down.
Sheng Hong said respectfully, "After the roommate left yesterday, I thought about it all night and still feel it's not right. I know that old lady is sympathetic to Ming'er, but your own health is not yet well. If you add another ignorant child, how can your son be at ease? Why not let Mo'er come? She is sensible and well-behaved, speaks and acts appropriately, and can serve old lady well. What do you think?"
"This is not right." Old Madam Sheng shook her head and said, "Although your heart is good, you are not thoughtful enough. A child is the apple of his mother's eye. When I brought Hua'er here, it was only three days, and my wife lost a lot of weight, almost out of shape. She didn't dare to say it, but her heart felt like it was being fried in oil. I have also been a mother, how could I not know? So even if you were registered under my name at the beginning, I still let Concubine Chun raise you. Although the Madam is the children's biological mother, the blood relationship is inseparable. I really can't bear to let Mo'er leave Concubine Lin at such a young age... Didn't you not ask the Madam to raise Mo'er on the grounds of blood relationship? Why are you willing to do it now?" As she spoke, she glanced at Sheng Hong.
Sheng Hong forced a smile: "What the old lady said is true, but tomorrow she..."
Old Madam Sheng calmly took over the conversation, "It's certainly good for Minglan to be with Madam now, but Madam has to manage the household, prepare Hua'er's wedding, and take care of Ru'er and Changbai. It's a bit too much. Besides, she's not Minglan's biological mother, so she's bound to be restricted. It's a good thing that she came to me, so she can have the best of both worlds."
Sheng Hong was speechless and laughed dryly, "Old Madam, you are indeed very thoughtful. I am afraid that if I am ignorant and tire you out tomorrow, it will all be my fault."
Old Madam Sheng said leisurely, "Ignorant? ... Not necessarily."
Sheng Hong was surprised: "Oh? What do you mean?"
Old Madam Sheng sighed softly and turned her head away. The maidservant next to her, noticing her expression, hurriedly continued with a smile, "It's a pitiful story. After arriving in Dengzhou, the master brought his wife and children to pay their respects to the old lady. After breakfast, the other boys and girls were taken away by their mothers and maids, but the sixth girl's mother was busy drinking tea and told the girl to wait. The sixth girl wandered around and stumbled upon the old lady's Buddhist shrine. When I went to look for her, I saw her lying on a cushion, kowtowing to the statue of Guanyin. Poor girl, she was holding back her tears, not daring to cry out loud, only to sob softly and silently."
Old Madam Sheng said in a deep voice, "Everyone thought she was stupid. Who would have thought she understood everything? She just felt miserable but didn't dare to say it out loud. She could only cry secretly to the Buddha."
Sheng Hong thought of Concubine Wei and felt a little sad. He lowered his head and grieved secretly. Old Madam Sheng glanced at Sheng Hong and said with a hint of sarcasm, "I know that most of your heart is given to Concubine Lin, but Mo'er is smart and has such a good mother. You won't lose anything even if you worry less. But the sixth girl is weak and ignorant. Considering Concubine Wei who died early, you should take care of her more. She is the one who has no one to rely on."
Sheng Hong was left speechless.
After seeing Sheng Hong off, Fang Mama helped the old lady to lie down on the kang by the window. She couldn't help but say, "What a pity for the fourth young lady. Putting aside Aunt Lin's behavior, she was a good child."
Old Madam Sheng chuckled softly, "Once bitten by a snake, I'm afraid of those clever and intelligent girls. They're quick-witted and thoughtful. Before I even figure out a single thought, they've already gone through seventeen or eighteen twists and turns. It's better to have a dumber one, which is easier. Besides, she's not really stupid. Didn't you say you heard her muttering about her mother in front of the Buddha that day? She's missing her late mother. She's a thoughtful girl. Let's go with her."
…
Wang was refreshed. Things were going the way she had hoped. The vixen hadn't gotten away with it. Rulan didn't have to leave her, and she even had a sweet potato thrown to her. Dengzhou was a great place, with good feng shui, and it would bring her good luck! So the next day, she got up early and ordered the maids and servants to pack up Minglan, intending to send her directly over when they paid their respects.
While everyone was busy, Hualan sat majestically on the kang, and little Minglan sat on a small stool, listening to her elder sister's instructions - no sleeping in, no slacking off and not exercising, no being late for greeting, no being bullied... Hualan said one word and she responded one word. She was already sleepy in the morning, but Hualan kept on chanting like Tang Monk. Minglan was puzzled. A little girl of fourteen or fifteen years old was actually more nagging than the aunt who was the manager of the girls' dormitory back then. It was really weird.
"Did you hear that? What are you thinking about all day long?" Hualan pointed at Minglan's forehead with her scallion-like index finger.
Minglan regained consciousness and murmured with emotion, "He is so lucky to have such a considerate and caring elder sister."
"Who?" Hua Lan couldn't hear clearly.
"Brother-in-law." Minglan tried to open her eyes wide, looking very dull and naive.
The busy maids and old women in the room all covered their mouths and laughed. Hualan blushed and wanted to tear Minglan to pieces, but she was too embarrassed to leave. Minglan blinked her big eyes innocently at her, using body language to say: What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?
Wang was in high spirits when she was happy, and her high spirits led to her generous spending. In order to show that she was actually a very virtuous and loving mother, she brought Minglan more than a dozen pieces of fine fabrics, including satin, velvet, singed wool, thin silk, damask, and carved silk... Because they were directly taken from Hualan's dowry, they were very decent. She also gave Minglan several pieces of newly made gold and silver jewelry for Rulan, covering her whole body with them.
After paying their respects, Minglan was led by her mother to see her new room. Rulan followed, skipping and dancing. Wang and Hualan continued to chat with Old Madam Sheng. Wang, like a door-to-door salesperson, was worried about the goods being returned, so she kept praising Minglan to Old Madam Sheng for her honesty, simplicity, and obedience. Hualan couldn't sit still and said with a smile, "Look, old madam, the lady is afraid you won't want Sixth Sister, so she keeps praising her."
All the masters and servants in the room laughed. Old Madam Sheng liked Hualan's sharp tongue the most. She said with a smile, "Little girl, you even make up stories about your own mother. Be careful that she will deduct your dowry, or you will have nowhere to cry!"
Hualan blushed again and turned away without saying anything. Wang smiled broadly, "What the old lady said is true. I'm worried that this girl will become so disrespectful at home that she'll be laughed at when she returns to her husband's family."
Old Madam Sheng leaned towards Wang and said sternly, "That's what I was going to say. Ever since Hua'er got engaged, I've written to my old sisters in the capital, asking them to recommend a steady and respectable governess, someone who's from the palace, well-mannered, polite, and well-educated. She'd like us to come to our house and help teach Hua a few rules. I just hope Madam won't blame me for being nosy."
Wang was overjoyed and immediately stood up and bowed deeply to the old lady, saying in a tearful voice, "Thanks to your thoughtfulness, old lady. I was worried about this too. If it was an official family of the same level, it would be fine, but Hua'er happened to be betrothed to an earl's mansion. Although our family can be considered a noble family, those dukes and marquises have many rules and regulations, which ordinary people can't learn. Let alone the loyal and diligent marquis' mansion, even the relatives and friends we will interact with in the future will probably be from princes' mansions or dukes' mansions. Hua'er is straightforward, and I'm always worried that she doesn't know etiquette and will be looked down upon in the future! Old lady has really solved a big problem in my heart today. I kowtow to you here to thank you! Come, Hua'er, come here too, kowtow to you!"
Wang started to cry as she spoke. Hualan hurried over, but before she could kneel down, she was pulled into the arms of Old Lady Sheng. The old lady asked Fang Mama to help Wang up, while holding her eldest granddaughter, she looked at her earnestly and said with a sob, "You are a blessed child. Your father has been inquiring and comparing people for your marriage. The character and talent of those young men are all excellent. You have the protection of the old marquis above you, and your husband's family below you. You must be sensible and obedient in the future. When the nanny comes in a few days, you should learn the rules and manners from her, so that you can be respected by your husband's family in the future. Ah... to think that you were not even as big as a pillow back then, and now you are getting married..."
Hua Lan tried to hold back her tears, but they still flowed down her cheeks. "Grandfather, don't worry, I will be fine. You must take good care of yourself too. Your granddaughter will come to visit you often in the future."
Old Madam Sheng felt sad and nodded to Madam Fang. Madam Fang pulled out a large, flat wooden box. The wood looked old, but the corners were inlaid with gold rings and patterns of clouds and dragons, which were gorgeous and radiant. Madam Fang placed the box on the kang. Old Madam Sheng took it and said to Hualan, "Your dowry was made in Quanzhou a few years ago. Your parents worked hard, and there's nothing missing. This ruby and red gold headpiece was given to me as a gift when I got married. I give it to you today."
When the box was opened, the room was suddenly filled with golden light. The golden red color showed that it had been cleaned recently. The rubies were large and shiny, each as big as a thumb, bright red and dazzling. Even Wang, who came from a wealthy family, was shocked and could not take her eyes away. Hua Lan was even more stunned and took a breath.
Mother Fang smiled and thrust the box into Hua Lan's hands. "My dear, please accept this! The rubies on it were brought back by the old marquis from the Kingdom of Kiev, beyond the Great Snow Mountain, and made into a complete headpiece for the old lady as a dowry. From the head, body, to the hands, there are a total of eighteen rubies, carefully inlaid with bare gold. It took two teams of craftsmen three months to make this. It's enough to wear to the palace to meet the nobles. My dear, this is a token of my goodness from the old lady, please accept it."
Hualan was so excited that she buried her head in the old lady's arms and started crying, thanking her while crying. Wang was also wiping her tears beside her, and this time her tears were definitely real.
…
The old lady's decision to support the sixth young lady had already been made, and the news spread throughout the Sheng Mansion within the morning. When Aunt Lin heard about it, she smashed a teacup on the spot. Molan sat beside her, wiping her tears, and cried, "I said I wouldn't go, but you forced me to go. Look, this time I'm really embarrassed!"
Several personal maids beside her didn't dare to say a word. The whole Sheng Mansion knew that Molan had been serving the old lady diligently these days. They all thought that the person who would go would be Molan. Who knew that she would change her mind at the last minute? This time it was really embarrassing.
Aunt Lin stood in the room, her hairpins and rings scattered, her beautiful features twisted into a fierce expression. She said hatefully, "Humph, that damn old woman has no money and she's not the master's biological mother, so why is she putting on airs? She doesn't want you, but we don't care. Let's wait and see how far she can get in her boasting!"
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