After a still low-key Lantern Festival, Wang packed her bags and headed north to Fengtian. All affairs in the Sheng Mansion were managed by Hai. Since Hai had been involved in many things before, the handover went smoothly. There were a few ignorant maids who wanted to make trouble, but Hai also had some morning sickness at the right time, and then asked Rulan, who usually assisted Wang in managing the household, to help.
I don't know if it was the subtle influence of Brother Jing's great personality, or if Rulan had really grown up. In addition, she was scolded badly by Sheng Hong and Wang a while ago, and she had a lot of anger but had no place to vent it, so she just went all out and scolded those old women.
"You blind bastard! How dare you contradict my sister-in-law? You were talking like this when my mother was upstairs? Are you tired of your good life and thinking of moving on?!"
"You came with the Wang family. My maternal grandfather's financial accounts are very clear to me. Yet you've come up with this amount today. Is this how you're trying to bring shame to the Wang family?!"
"Stop talking nonsense! Just get off your job! You seem to have an itch in your bones, and a good thrashing will fix it!"
…
After a good scolding, Hai's morning sickness stopped, and Rulan also felt better. She continued to embroider her trousseau with affection. Minglan was stunned. After a while, she couldn't help but say, "Fifth sister, you're about to get married, so please be more tolerant, otherwise..."
Minglan didn't know what to say next, so Rulan replied calmly, "To prevent them from gossiping about me outside, right?" Minglan stared at her. Since you already know everything, then... ?
Rulan looked tenderly at the half-finished embroidery of 'Mandarin Ducks Playing with Lotus Leaves in Clear Water' on the canvas. Without even looking up, she suddenly said something out of the blue: "The last time you went out with me, you met the old lady of the Wen family. What do you think of her?"
Minglan avoided looking away and stammered, "Uh... she looks quite talkative, straightforward, and decisive..." In fact, she was very noisy, aggressive, and overbearing, and had a loud voice; but it was not appropriate to say bad things about her future mother-in-law in front of Ruolan.
Rulan raised her head and rolled her eyes at Minglan, saying bluntly, "That's not a worry-free mother-in-law!"
Minglan fell silent, but Rulan continued, "I'm not really stupid. I know whether he's being truly good to me or just pretending. When I was little, I went back to my hometown in Youyang and saw how that old, wicked woman from the Sun family treated Sister Shulan, as well as that bastard scholar surnamed Sun. Sixth sister, I listened to all your subsequent warnings, and I've also wondered if Brother Jing is truly good to me."
Minglan looked at Rulan's solemn expression and listened quietly. Rulan's voice gradually lowered, "I say Brother Jing is good because he never hides anything from his family. He told me everything about his mother's favoritism, his brothers' lack of progress, and his repeatedly delayed marriage! He also told me that being the eldest daughter-in-law in his family is not easy."
"Then you still..." Minglan said softly.
Rulan interrupted him and said, "I told Brother Jing at the time that I would be filial to my mother-in-law and treat my younger siblings well, but there was only one condition: he had to agree with me. As long as that was the case, I wouldn't be afraid of anything!"
Minglan's heart moved. These words sounded very familiar. She had heard similar words from Hualan before. She slowly fell silent. It seemed that the past conflict between Wang and Sheng Hong and their defeat at the hands of Aunt Lin had left a deep mark on the hearts of these two daughters.
Rulan suddenly laughed cheerfully and said, "Brother Jing promised me that if anyone bullies me, he won't take sides. At most, he'll just run away! So I thought, I'll start practicing my courage and voice now, so I don't get defeated later!"
Minglan was both amused and confused, and just shook her head. As the saying goes, pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger, it is not certain who is the pig and who is the tiger.
"Fifth sister will definitely live a good life!" Minglan said sincerely.
Rulan rolled her eyes and snorted, "Of course! You two all married into wealthy families, but I'm the only one who married into a lower class. I've got to live a good life and not let you laugh at me!"
Minglan looked up to the sky in silence. This was the fifth young lady of the Sheng family. Every time she had a little positive emotion towards Rulan, such as liking, admiration, sympathy, etc., it would never last for five minutes before turning into negative emotions.
…
As the days passed, Rulan only had to concentrate on embroidering some jackets and handkerchiefs for herself. Wang had already prepared most of her dowry, but Minglan was far behind. Old Lady Sheng had originally planned to let Minglan get married half a year after Rulan's wedding, but now something unexpected happened, so she had to hurry up.
A few days ago, Youyang sent a message saying that Pinlan and her cousin Taisheng had gotten married at the beginning of the twelfth lunar month before the New Year. All the gifts sent from the capital had been received and everything was fine. The old lady carefully asked Yuner, who had returned from the New Year, about Pinlan's dowry, and then she cheered up and immersed herself in the battle of preparing Minglan's dowry.
Dowry was a very important item for the daughters of officials and wealthy families in ancient times. In some wealthy and sophisticated families, the elders would start saving dowries for the valued daughters from the time they could speak.
Even dowries of the same size could be either elaborate or simple. The elaborate ones included not only the maids, servants, and property brought along with the bride, but also everything from furniture like beds, tables, and chests to clothes for all seasons, even mahogany toilets and bathtubs with golden hoops. The more exaggerated ones might even include funeral clothes. Old Madam Sheng and Lady Hai, for example, had a complete set of dowries from head to toe, meticulously crafted and meticulously detailed.
But this is a minority after all. Many officials have to serve in many places and have no time to save money slowly. Some families have become successful later and simply cannot afford a complete dowry, so they came up with the most effective 1001st trick.
silver!
Old Madam Sheng thought about it carefully. Apart from the antique tripods and porcelains that she had unearthed from the old house in Jinling, which she wanted to leave to Changbai and pass on to the descendants of the Sheng family, there was nothing else she could not give to Minglan. She unearthed the deeds to the land and shops from the boxes and handed them over to her one by one.
"...This farm is on the outskirts of Baitong River, Beijing. It has about five or six hundred acres of fertile land, both inside and outside. The owner is your mother Cui's husband. I think they're honest and I'll give them all to you as a dowry. There's also a small forest next to the farm. Although it's not big, the feng shui is good. I bought it two years ago and asked some of Mr. Cui's sons to take care of it and grow some fruit." Old Lady Sheng rarely spoke so much at once. As she spoke, she asked questions, "Don't be stunned!... Do you still remember what Grandmother told you about the farm affairs?!"
Minglan immediately realized what was happening and replied fluently, "Yes! Employers must value trust and be constantly scrutinized! Even the most honest servants, without effective supervision, will inevitably develop ulterior motives over time. But one must also avoid being overly suspicious and discouraging those below them."
The old lady nodded in satisfaction, then sighed, "There was originally a large tract of fertile land next to the farm that was used to buy off the guilty ministers, more than a thousand acres. But because the land was too close to the imperial farm, I thought it was not a good idea and didn't buy it. If I had known you would marry like this, I would... Alas!"
"No, that's enough, that's enough!" Minglan said hurriedly. Molan only had two hundred acres of paddy fields and a piece of dry land. Even Hualan's dowry farm was only seven hundred acres. Of course, Wang also gave her other things.
"Enough? Enough what?!" Old Madam Sheng glared at her, and Minglan immediately shrank back. Disdainful of Minglan's naiveté, she continued to speak to herself, "There are also a few shops in Jinling and back home that your uncle is looking after, and there are also dividends from a few business deals..."
"Grandma!" Minglan finally couldn't bear to listen any longer. The farmland and forests alone totaled seven or eight thousand taels. She couldn't help but interrupt, "This money is enough to marry a daughter of a noble family. Why would I need it?... Besides, you have to keep some for yourself. As the saying goes, a thousand sons are not as good as the money you have... Ouch!"
Minglan received a slap on the forehead. She covered her head and huddled back under the mattress. Old Madam Sheng scolded her loudly, "You good-for-nothing! Do you think life is easy in that big house? From the sisters-in-law, mothers-in-law, and younger sisters-in-law to the housekeepers and maids, which one is easy? You'll have your money to spend once you get in there!"
Minglan knew what her grandmother meant, but shook her head and said, "Everyone outside knows who I am. There's no need to act like a fool. I'll just have to figure out what to do when the time comes. You, on the other hand, are old, so it's better for you to have more money with you!" Although she may not be good at other things, pretending to be stupid is the most sophisticated skill Minglan has learned since she reached this age.
Old Madam Sheng was touched, but she still scolded him, "I've saved some money for my own survival, so you don't have to worry about it! It's because you're marrying into a wealthy family that I need a bigger dowry!"
Minglan thought of Hualan's life in the Yuan Mansion. She had no money, yet she lived well. It was obvious that money couldn't buy attention and love. She looked into the old lady's eyes and said sternly, "Grandmother, please listen to me. If I'm blessed, I'll have no worries in the future. If I'm unlucky, no matter how much dowry I get, it will be cheap for others! You'd better keep more for yourself. You're not in good health. If... someone doesn't take good care of me, or if the people under you don't handle things properly, what can't you do with money?!"
These were heartbreaking words, even hinting at disobedience and rebellion. Minglan would never dare to say them unless it was just this moment. The old lady understood, tears welling in her eyes as she whispered, "Don't worry, they won't dare neglect me!... And I see that your eldest sister-in-law is a polite woman who treats me very well. I'm only worried about you, silly child..."
Minglan's eyes moistened, and she tried to look cheerful, saying with a smile, "I heard from Xiaotao that there's a saying in their village: 'Marry a man, and you'll have clothes to wear and food to eat.' At least my granddaughter is marrying into a wealthy family, so she shouldn't have trouble making a living!"
The old lady couldn't help laughing when she heard this, but then she put on a serious face and said sternly, "Good! Since he has done everything he can to get you, he certainly won't let you starve!"
The grandfather and grandson talked for a long time, and finally decided that the fixed property would only be the farmland and forests, and that the old lady would give more silver and several large boxes of precious materials that she had saved over the years.
After all, the dowry is a fixed thing, and once it is decided, it is decided. The people who come with the dowry are the problem.
When Hualan got married, in addition to the maids and servants from Weiruixuan, Wang Shi gave her a colorful hairpin, and the old lady also gave her beloved granddaughter a green cicada. Nearly ten years later, Caizan has been promoted to a concubine and has given birth to a son out of wedlock, which inevitably makes her suspicious of Hualan. Meanwhile, Green Cicada has married the most capable steward in the Yuan Mansion and has become Hualan's most trusted right-hand man.
Molan was an exception. Neither Wang nor the old lady sent many people with her. They only brought the people from her Shanyueju.
As for the remaining Ruolan and Minglan, Wang followed Hualan's example and gave Ruolan a colorful pendant and Minglan a colorful ring. The old lady gave the most mature and steady Cuiping to Ruolan. As for Minglan, Xiaotao and Danju were basically from Shou'an Hall, and the four green ones were also trained by Fang Mama, plus Cuixiu. The old lady did not give them to anyone else.
Caihuan was a beautiful girl with almond eyes and rosy cheeks. The old lady got angry at the first sight of her and said hatefully, "I don't know what she's up to?!"
Minglan quickly comforted her, saying, "In terms of beauty, she's not even as good as Ruomei, let alone me, your granddaughter, who is so beautiful that she can make fish sink to the bottom of their waters, geese drop to the ground, and the moon and flowers blush!"
The old lady staggered and almost fell off the kang.
Back at Mu Cang Zhai, Minglan kept thinking about this matter, so she asked Danju, "The old lady is choosing dowry with me. Go down and ask them if there's anyone who's reluctant to leave their parents, or if they have a marriage they'd like. If you miss this opportunity, it'll be gone forever."
Xiao Tao, who was standing by, heard this and quickly interrupted, "Sister Danju and I will naturally follow the girl!"
"Nonsense!" Minglan glared at her. "Shut up! I'm asking Danju!"
Unexpectedly, Danju looked embarrassed and twisted her fingers. Minglan was surprised and asked, "Don't you want to go with me? Just say it."
Danju was startled and waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no! How could I leave the girl? It's... Yancao and Ruomei."
Minglan frowned and said softly, "Tell me now! I'm afraid quite a few people have come to ask for favors from you these days."
Ever since she arranged the marriage with Gu Tingye, her value has soared, and many maids and housekeepers wanted to follow her; so they asked people to pass on the message, either openly or secretly. Xiaotao was a notoriously honest and silly girl, and asking her to pass on the message might make things worse. Luzhi was a harsh-mouthed person, and it would be great if she didn't ridicule or scold her. Therefore, the gentle and kind-hearted Danju became the best breakthrough point.
Danju looked embarrassed and stammered, "Ruomei...she was bought from outside, and there's also Third Master Feng...if something goes wrong, she only has the girl to rely on."
Minglan pondered in silence. Ruomei was the first candidate that Fang's mother wanted to eliminate. She said that she was too beautiful, literate, and arrogant. It would be bad if her arrogantness caused trouble.
"What about Yancao? Aren't her parents arranging a marriage for her?"
Danju's expression turned even uglier, and she whispered, "...She said she couldn't bear to leave you, and wanted to serve you for a few more years."
Now, even Minglan's face looked ugly.
Xiao Tao made the bed and carried a blue and white porcelain incense burner to the warm room to slowly smoke. Hearing this, she turned around and said, "Sister Yancao's mother came to the mansion a few days ago. They hid in the room and talked for a long time. So they talked about this."
Danju felt embarrassed when the truth was revealed unexpectedly.
Minglan glanced over and saw Danju standing with her head bowed. Minglan said calmly, "You're always too soft-hearted." Danju was at a loss for words after being looked at by Minglan. She really didn't dare to hide it anymore, so she stammered, "We grew up together. She said we were going to enjoy ourselves and we couldn't leave our sisters behind."
Minglan's heart sank. After a moment's silence, she said, "Take Ruomei with you, and leave Yancao behind."
Danju was startled. Minglan glanced at her and continued, "...From tomorrow on, let Luzhi take over her duties and tell her to prepare for her wedding. Since we have a bond, her dowry will definitely not be shortchanged."
Danju responded and before lifting the curtain to go out, she couldn't help but look back and said, "Miss, Yancao has been very dedicated over the years and has not made any mistakes." She has served Minglan for nearly ten years and knows that Minglan looks amiable and easy to talk to on the surface, but in fact she is determined and rarely changes her mind; she can just try her best one more time.
"I know." Minglan sat before the mirror, propped up on one of her delicate, jade-white elbows, and said slowly, "But it's not good for her to have such intentions. In a powerful family like that, even if you don't have any bad intentions, they'll probably be drawn out. Besides, she's not very strong-minded to begin with. This way, we can finally fulfill our relationship."
She is not afraid of being deceived or betrayed. The only thing she is afraid of is that the person who deceives and betrays her is the one she trusts and cherishes.
In early February, the spring chill had already faded away. The day after Brother Jing and Changfeng entered the examination hall, Wang came back from Fengtian. Although she was exhausted, she could not hide her cheerful mood and her face was rosy.
"Mother has had a cough recently, so she won't come to see the two girls get married. She said that when the weather gets warmer, she will bring your aunt and cousins to visit relatives!" Wang was very happy, and Sheng Hong also laughed when he heard it.
In the room, there was a large round table made of crabapple stone piled with furry leather and thick velvet, which looked very valuable. There were also several boxes of ginseng tied with red strings. Wang kept saying, "... Nuonuo, this is given to you younger generations by your grandparents. Take whatever you like. This was just harvested before the New Year in the winter! Ming girl, don't just stand there, your grandma is thinking about you. She said there's a share for you too!" She won a great victory when she returned to her parents' home this time. Old Lady Wang softened her heart after her youngest daughter begged and knelt. In the end, the mother and daughter hugged each other and cried bitterly. All the past was forgotten and they reconciled.
Minglan smiled as she stepped forward, following Rulan as she examined the thick, fluffy fur. It felt soft and warm to the touch; it was indeed top-quality. She praised it, but inwardly, she wondered, knowing Wang, she knew that good things alone wouldn't be enough to make her so happy. There must be other people's misfortunes that she was gloating over. Could it be that Cousin Wang and Cousin Kang were having marital discord, a feud between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law?
Just as she was thinking about it, Rulan suddenly leaned close to Minglan's ear and whispered, "Sixth sister, I'm afraid cousin Kang is not having a good time in the Wang family!"
Minglan was delighted and leaned forward, whispering in his ear, "Great minds think alike!"
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