When they paid their respects the next day, Changfeng and Molan, brother and sister, were indeed "recovered from their illness". Wang took them aside and asked about their health, asking what the illness was and how things were going after they recovered. Changfeng was fine, but Molan blushed with shame. After everyone paid their respects to the old lady in order, Changfeng and his sister both apologized to her.
"I'm sorry to have worried you, Madam. We weren't really ill. We just caught a cold the night before yesterday, and yesterday morning we woke up feeling dizzy and lightheaded. It wouldn't have been a big deal, but I was thinking about how Madam had gotten better just now. What if I had passed on her illness? And since Third Brother and I live close by, Aunt Lin was afraid he'd get sick too, so she decided to keep him as well."
Molan spoke softly, her face haggard and her figure frail, looking as if she had really been ill. Changfeng's fair face was a little embarrassed, and he continued, "I don't know what happened. My sister was sick when she woke up yesterday morning, and I didn't let her go out. I'm sorry to have caused grandma so much worry. Please don't blame me, old lady."
He bowed repeatedly as he spoke. Minglan, watching from the side, felt that it didn't seem fake. Old Lady Sheng looked at the panic-stricken Changfeng, her face slightly brightened, and she said gently, "Feng'er is almost ten years old. It's time for him to have his own room and servants so that he can study more conveniently and not be with the women and children all day, delaying his studies. Your eldest brother plans to take the Tongkat Ali exam next year. He's studying so hard now that even the wives and sisters don't see him often. Although families like us can donate money to have a student, it's not as good as passing the exam. You must also work hard to make progress. In the future, whether you can bring honor to our family or support your parents on your own, it all depends on your own luck."
The old lady said this not only to Changfeng, but also to Aunt Lin. It was truly from the heart. Changfeng immediately stood up straight with a solemn expression and bowed respectfully to the old lady. On the other side, Wang was delighted when she heard the old lady mention Changbai, and her pride was unconcealable. Changbai was still taciturn and didn't even raise his eyebrows.
The old lady pulled Chang Feng aside and spoke a few more words, but she ignored Mo Lan. Her face gradually turned red, and she was at a loss as to what to do. Old Lady Sheng then looked at her and said slowly, "Mo girl, you caught a cold this time. It's probably because you were paying respects to me a few days ago. It's freezing cold, and you're weak, so you naturally can't stand it."
Molan agreed with tears in her eyes. She raised her little face to the side and looked at the tearful old lady, feeling both pitiful and aggrieved. She said, "I'm unlucky not to be able to serve you, old lady. I've been feeling bad these days and caught a cold. It's all my fault. I was wrong. Please punish me, old lady." As she spoke, she knelt in front of the kang, her little body swaying and trembling. The maids and old women in the room couldn't bear to see her.
Old Madam Sheng looked at her for a moment, then had Cuiping help her up and pull her towards her. She said gently, "Mo girl, I didn't ask you to come here, so don't take it personally. It's just that Madam has so much to do with so many children, so I'm taking care of one for her to relieve her stress. You're a little girl, so don't worry too much, or it'll affect your health. You still need to take good care of yourself. You'll have to learn needlework, the rules and etiquette, and you'll have to bear the burden. I'm telling you the same thing, even your sixth sister."
Molan's tears rolled in her eyes but did not fall. She nodded and snuggled up to the old lady. Hualan saw this and went over to comfort her. Wang turned to look at Rulan and sighed. Rulan was tapping her shoes impatiently, her eyes looking outside. She turned to look at Minglan and found that she was just staring at her feet with her head down. She thought her daughter was fine too.
After everyone went back, the grandparents and grandchildren had breakfast as usual. Today's breakfast had an additional addition: fresh roe deer meat and minced meat porridge made from glutinous rice. Minglan had never eaten this kind of meat before and found it particularly delicious. She couldn't help but eat an extra bowl. Seeing the little girl eating with puffed cheeks and relishing the meal, the old lady couldn't help but eat more as well. The housekeeper at the side was also happy to see this. Minglan felt that eating required an atmosphere. Even Bajie would lose his appetite in front of Lin Daiyu, who looked sick and was only picking at rice grains.
After dinner, the old lady asked Minglan to take off her shoes and get on the kang again. This time, she gave Minglan a tracing book and asked her to lie on the kang table and trace the characters. She wrote one by one and recognized it. While she was writing, the old lady whispered instructions to her. Not long after, Old Lady Sheng found that Minglan had a very good memory. She could remember more than ten characters in one morning. Although she was small and weak, and most of her characters were crooked, each stroke was quite methodical. When she started to write a horizontal stroke, she would naturally tilt to the left first, and then move steadily to the right.
This sparked an interest in teaching. Worried that Minglan would get bored if she had to practice calligraphy all day, Old Lady Sheng pulled out a collection of poems and selected a few catchy short poems, reading them to her line by line. The first was the famous "Goose," explaining the meaning of the characters as she went along. Minglan felt a little embarrassed, but she pretended to follow along. After two tries, she could recite it by heart. Old Lady Sheng was even more fond of her, hugging the little girl and kissing her. The old lady was quite talented in her youth, which was why she had taken such good care of Aunt Lin. Minglan's hair was disheveled from being hugged, and her face flushed with praise. Luo Binwang could compose poetry at the age of seven, so it was normal for her to recite a poem at the age of six.
"Ming Ya'er, do you know the meaning of this poem?" The wrinkles on Old Lady Sheng's face seemed to smooth out.
"Grandmother, after telling me the words, I understood. Once upon a time, there were three geese. They bent their necks to sing towards the sky, their white feathers floated on the green water, and their red paws stirred the clear water." Minglan answered in a clear voice.
"Do you like this poem?" The old lady smiled as she listened.
"I like it. This poem has both colors and sounds. Even people who have never seen geese will feel as if they have seen the three big white geese." Minglan tried to explain in children's language.
Old Madam Sheng pointed at Minglan and said with a smile, "Okay, okay, three geese... yes, those three silly geese!"
After two days of getting along, Old Lady Sheng felt that this little granddaughter who could not speak clearly was really a wonderful person. She was not as eloquent as Hualan, nor as knowledgeable as Molan. She looked silly, but had an indescribable charm. The childish words she spoke seemed to be correct at first glance, and she looked very serious. Her little face showed a serious look, but it always made people want to laugh.
After a morning of mental and physical work, Mrs. Sheng had a great appetite at noon and ate an extra bowl of rice while she was happy. In order to show her sincerity in gaining weight to her new boss, Minglan also ate a whole bowl of rice. The dish of greasy and smooth braised pork with rock sugar was bought by the two of them together because of its good appearance. Mother Fang was stunned and secretly told Cuiping to prepare two servings of Shenqu tea made with pickled tangerine peel and sour plums to help digestion.
After lunch, the grandparents sat by the window in a pair of large ebony armchairs with longevity patterns, intending to digest their food before taking a nap. Winter was drawing to a close, the ice and snow had melted, and the midday sun was warm. Minglan was basking in the warmth, curled up like a furry kitten on the brocade-covered cotton chair. She had a hearty lunch, and her cheeks were rosy and tender. Old Lady Sheng looked at her granddaughter, whose eyes were gradually closing, and suddenly asked, "...Ming'er, do you think your fourth sister is really sick?"
This question is a bit mysterious.
Minglan had been drowsy, but after hearing this question, she tried to open her eyes wider. Her expression was a bit dazed, and she spoke incoherently, "No... I don't know. I originally thought Fourth Sister was angry and embarrassed, so she was feigning illness and refusing to come. Every time Master came to check Fifth Sister's homework, she pretended to be sick. But when I saw Fourth Sister this morning, I thought she was really sick."
The old lady smiled slightly after hearing this honest confession. She met her bright eyes, gathered her hair, stroked her round bun, and said, "What if your fourth sister is really faking it? Should we punish her?"
Minglan leaned against her grandmother's warm palm, shook her head, stretched out a pair of small white jade paws, and clung to the old lady's sleeve, saying softly, "I can't come to you. Even if Fourth Sister isn't sick, she's still feeling bad. There must be something wrong with that, and it's not considered feigning illness. When Eldest Sister forced me to play shuttlecock every day, I actually pretended to be sick."
Minglan actually felt quite sympathetic towards Molan. She probably used to throw tantrums like this when Aunt Lin was in favor before, so when Molan was rejected, Aunt Lin immediately reflexively gave the old lady a cold look. Unfortunately, she ran into trouble this time.
You have to know that since Sheng Hong was promoted to Dengzhou, he has been determined to rectify his family's reputation. He does like Concubine Lin and her children and is willing to respect them, but he values his own family and social status more. As soon as the old lady rejected Molan, Concubine Lin had her two children feign illness and not go to pay their respects. This was a clear attempt to save the old lady's face and a clear message to the entire Sheng family that Concubine Lin was a man of high moral character.
The old lady's immediate counterattack forced Sheng Hong to choose between favoring Concubine Lin and family etiquette. Filial piety came first, and Sheng Hong chose the latter without hesitation. It's like buying stocks based not only on the company's performance but also on the national situation. The current situation in the Sheng household is that Sheng Hong is willing to protect Concubine Lin, but she must adhere to her duties as a concubine.
The old lady was slightly surprised that her granddaughter understood the situation, and then asked gently, "So, what do you think your fourth sister did wrong, Ming'er?"
Minglan shook her little head and said in a serious tone, "It's our filial piety and the old lady's pleasure to have someone come to her. Fourth sister shouldn't have pretended to be sick and caused you worry just because her wish wasn't fulfilled."
The old lady smiled with satisfaction, brought Minglan over and sat her on her lap, caressing her little face as she said, "My sixth daughter, you're right. You should know that in Grandmother's place, learning to read and needlework is secondary. The most important thing for us is to learn to be sensible and to know how to deal with things. Living in this world, there will always be things that go our way and things that don't. What's yours is yours, and what's not yours shouldn't be forced. You should cherish your blessings and accept fate, and not use any means to achieve your goals..."
The old lady saw that her little granddaughter looked confused and seemed to understand but not quite. She felt that what she said was too profound, so she stopped talking and asked Mother Cui to carry Minglan into the pear blossom cabinet for a nap.
Minglan understood. Old Madam Sheng was a tragic figure. When she raised Concubine Lin, she had hoped to raise a virtuous Lin Daiyu, but she ended up raising a fierce You Erjie, scheming and aggressive, who turned the Sheng Mansion upside down. All of this stemmed from one single word: greed. This time, she had adopted a concubine. If she became arrogant and developed undue expectations simply by being around her, that would only harm her. That was why the old madam was taking precautions.
Lying on the warm kang, Minglan sighed softly. Mrs. Sheng needn't have worried. From the day she accepted this identity, she had been thinking about her future. This was clearly a perfectly normal ancient world, with a strict hierarchy, clear feudal rules, and a society devoid of fantasies. She couldn't possibly run away from home to become a knight-errant, nor could she dream of starting a business. She certainly couldn't imagine living in the palace. All she could do was manage her own life.
Human beings get their sense of happiness through comparison. If everyone around you is worse off than you, you will feel very happy even if you have to eat coarse food. The reason why concubines' daughters suffer is that legitimate sisters who grew up together often have a better life. It is inevitable that they will feel unhappy when they see sisters who were born to the same father and grew up together are better than themselves in every way.
But what if we don't compare ourselves to legitimate daughters? Imagine Minglan was born into a hungry peasant family, or even worse, into a slave family with no control over their fate. Compared to these, she's already much better off. Her current life at least allows her to have enough food and clothing, and she still has a small fortune. Her father isn't a jerk like Jia She who married off his daughters randomly, so her family is still quite well-off.
For a girl like her in ancient times, the trajectory of life was already set: grow up as a concubine's daughter, marry a man of equal status, have children, and grow old. Aside from not being able to divorce and likely having to accept several "sisters" to share a husband, life wasn't much different from modern times. Sometimes, Minglan would think, rather unpromisingly, "This isn't so bad."
If life doesn't go smoothly and God insists on giving her a miserable life, then she will lose her life and her head. If there is really no way out, she will not be polite. She won't let those who treat her badly live well. When the time comes, she will fight to the death. Who is afraid of who? She has been drowned by a mudslide!
Thinking of this, Minglan felt relieved. She stretched her belly and fell into a deep sleep.
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