The house was bustling with guests, and the place was bustling with activity. All the female relatives were present. The furniture in the Gu Mansion was thick, solid and dignified, and the furnishings were simple and plain. But a closer look revealed that they were all extremely valuable and fine items, giving off a sense of peace and comfort without revealing the wealth. The teacups, bowls, plates and cups on the table were all pale pink official kiln hibiscus jade porcelain, which was plain and refreshing yet beautiful and translucent, and very appropriate for use in spring.
The maids serving tea and snacks were all wearing white skirts and jackets with blue and white patterns, and tied with brocade belts of different colors. When they went in and out to serve tea and entertain guests, their steps were light and steady, they lowered their heads and answered questions appropriately and properly, and they didn't even dare to glance at the guests.
After looking around, all the female relatives secretly praised her and stopped looking down on Minglan. They thought that after all, she came from a scholarly family. Although she was born out of wedlock, the rules of managing the household were quite strict. In such a big house, without any elders to look after her, she was so young and alone, but she managed everything neatly and efficiently.
As a result, they also looked up to Wang a little more. Several noble ladies walked over and started chatting with her. Wang had learned a lesson at the hands of Princess Pingning and knew the way to deal with these noble ladies. She was neither humble nor arrogant and was quite graceful.
Minglan seated Madam Lu, who was the oldest and the last to arrive, at the most honored seat, and then greeted everyone. Seeing little Shen sitting in the corner, she walked over and thanked her, "I don't know what I would have done today without you. Thank you so much." Then she personally poured a cup of tea for little Shen, who was thirsty from talking.
Little Shen took the tea bowl without hesitation and said with a smile, "Thank you, it's just a waste of words. I'm a nouveau riche country girl. I don't know how to talk about poetry, paint, or sing about the wind and the moon. I can't learn all these troublesome etiquette. Just don't blame me in the future."
"Where did you get that?" Minglan glanced back at the guests in the hall. She saw Madam Zheng Jun, Xiao Shen's eldest sister-in-law, standing next to the wife of the Marquis of Shoushan, talking. Something in her heart moved her, and she turned back and said with a smile, "The Empress's sister, the Emperor's uncle as her mother's family, please don't think I'm the real one. Come, you've been introducing me for so long, now come and meet my sisters."
Little Shen looked at Madam Zheng and quietly followed Minglan to the wife of the Marquis of Shoushan. When they met, Minglan smiled and bowed, "Aunt, long time no see. My elder sister said you went back to your hometown. How was your trip?"
The wife of the Earl of Shoushan was always cheerful, and her heroic face was full of smiles. "All is well, all is well. While I am still strong, I will hurry back to my hometown to finish what I need to do, so that I won't be unable to return. I didn't expect that when I came back, you would already be married, and Wenying would miss your wedding banquet."
Yuan Wenying, who was standing by, smiled and took Minglan's arm: "Tell me, how are you going to compensate me for the drink?"
Minglan tapped Yuan Wenying's forehead with her index finger and said with a sneer, "Bah, you're a charlatan, you've messed up everything. You've already delayed my wedding, and you still have the nerve to complain! Why don't you tell me how you're going to compensate me?"
Little Shen looked at the woman next to the wife of the Marquis of Shoushan and whispered, "Sister-in-law."
Mrs. Zheng was about thirty-three or thirty-four years old, with a dignified appearance and a sense of awe. She just nodded slowly and said, "Why didn't your sister-in-law come?" She was asking about Mrs. Zhang, the wife of Weibei Marquis.
Little Shen lowered her head and said, "My brother said that she is not feeling well and will not come today."
Madam Zheng glanced at Xiao Shen with a cold, lightning-like gaze and said calmly, "My aunt is over there. Come with me to see her."
Little Shen responded quickly, a slight look of joy on her face, and gave Minglan a grateful smile. Then the two sisters-in-law apologized to the wife of the Earl of Shoushan and turned to walk to the other end of the main hall.
Minglan and Yuan Wenying, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, were left alone. The three women looked at each other, their faces showing different expressions. It was Yuan Wenying who spoke first, exhaling, "What a powerful sister-in-law! She's even more impressive than the mother-in-law."
The wife of the Marquis of Shoushan said slowly, "You don't know, Madam Zheng is frail and sickly, and she hasn't taken care of things for many years. I heard that Zheng Xiao was practically raised by her sister-in-law, so she is like a mother to him."
Minglan shook her head and said, "Even if it's my mother-in-law, Madam Zheng is too scared."
Yuan Wenying quickly said, "Yes, yes."
The wife of the Marquis of Shoushan glared and said, "You two are ignorant. What do you know? You have never suffered from your mother-in-law!"
Minglan shrank her neck and laughed, "Look at what you said. I won't say anything for now. Sister Wenying is indeed very blessed. Auntie has become a mother-in-law, and she is loved so much that she can't bear any hardship."
"Mother! Look at Ming'er's mouth!" Yuan Wenying coquettishly tugged at Mrs. Shoushan's sleeve and glared at Minglan. Mrs. Shoushan smiled and pulled them both to her side, gently hugging them and saying, "Alright, alright, you are both blessed children!" After a few jokes, she sighed again, "To be honest, it's the Shen family's fault. Although it can't be said that they favor concubines over wives, they are too flattering to that Concubine Zou. I'm afraid that the uncle's wife didn't come today and she must be angry again."
Minglan asked in confusion, "What does this have to do with the Zheng family?" Why did Mrs. Zheng give Xiao Shen a hard time?
The wife of the Marquis of Shoushan looked around and saw that there were no one around. She said, "Duke Yingguo was a military commander in his early years, and the Zhang family has deep roots. How many people who have served in the army don't have connections to the Zhang family? What's more, the old master once saved Mr. Zheng's life."
Minglan understood. She turned to look at the two sisters-in-law of the Zheng family and sighed softly, "Speaking of the saying that an eldest sister-in-law is like a mother, I heard that Madam Zheng was practically raised by Madam Zou, the previous wife of the Emperor's uncle. The bond between the sisters-in-law is deep."
Everyone has their own feelings and difficulties. Speaking of this, the wife of the Marquis of Shoushan also sighed and shook her head. At this time, Yuan Wenying's eyebrows moved, and suddenly he thought of something, and couldn't help but said: "In fact, there is more than that, there is also..."
Before she could finish her words, a lady in her forties or fifties approached. She had a round face and a plump figure. She was wearing a maroon jacket with a gold coin pattern and her hair was covered in pearls and jade. She looked extremely rich. Minglan quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Madam Gan."
Mrs. Gan smiled warmly, took Minglan's wrist, and said affectionately: "Look at you, child, you have lost a lot of weight. I'm afraid you've been too busy! You too, if you are tired, just let me know. No one else will say anything, but I am the most caring person and will definitely come to help! But you are also a capable child. Look at this house, this garden, wow..."
Mrs. Gan had a high-pitched voice and liked to speak in a shrill voice. As soon as she opened her mouth, the whole room could hear her. She praised everyone inside and outside the house one by one, holding Minglan's wrist and praising her non-stop. Although Minglan had received countless compliments in her life, this kind of praise was the most unbearable for her. She only felt a buzzing in her ears and her scalp was numb.
Mrs. Gan talked endlessly and always in a very intimate way. Minglan couldn't help but wonder when did she become so familiar with this old lady?
As Madam Gan spoke, she reached out to stroke Minglan's hair, acting like a kind elder. Minglan tried her best to endure the discomfort and maintain a smile. She wanted to see what tricks this old lady could come up with.
For a full half-minute, Madam Gan spoke with such eloquence that most people would have been overwhelmed. However, Minglan remained unmoved, smiling with her head bowed. Madam Gan spoke ten or eight sentences, and Minglan only replied with three or two words. Though cold, her tone was gentle and respectful, never a hint of disrespect or inappropriateness. Madam Gan's patience gradually wore thin, and she changed the subject, saying, "...If you have any difficulties in the future, you can always come to me. After all, we're family! Uh...how's my adopted daughter, Feng Xian'er, doing now?"
Minglan's heart tightened, and she sneered to herself, "It's finally here." She smiled and said, "That's good." She didn't say another word.
Madam Gan paused, suppressed her anger, and said with a smile, "Oh my, today I have met someone who is very frugal with words."
Minglan still smiled without saying anything.
Madam Gan gritted her teeth. She should have been able to easily fool such an inexperienced young wife, but she felt powerless. No matter what she said, Minglan was always indifferent. She could only continue, "My adopted daughter was also born into an official family, but unfortunately her life was a bit hard. Now that she has entered the Gu family, she can be considered to have escaped from the sea of suffering. I hope you will look after her in the future for my sake!"
Minglan still smiled: "Of course."
Madam Gan was a little exhausted. She tried to smile again and said, "Feng Xian'er can read and write, and has also learned some poetry and songs, but there's no way she can compare to you. If she does anything wrong, you should teach her a lesson as soon as possible. You don't have to give me face! But if you two can get along well, she'll be able to help you both at home and outside in the future, right?"
Minglan lowered her eyelids and said in a gentle and shy voice, "That's easy to say."
Madam Gan stared at Minglan for a long time, and finally couldn't hold back her pride anymore. She raised her voice with some displeasure and said, "Look at how busy you are today. As your elder, I can't bear it. Why don't you ask Fengxian to come out and help, and let me see you at the same time!"
As soon as the voice fell, the laughter and chattering around them suddenly became quieter. Although their conversation was not heard by everyone in the room, it was heard by the several groups of female relatives on all sides. Minglan clearly felt the countless inquiring eyes around her. Although they all pretended not to care about this place, they were all observing the development of the situation openly and secretly.
Many noble ladies secretly shook their heads, thinking that Madam Gan was going too far. How could the main lady force the concubines and maids to come out during a banquet, and do so in front of everyone?
Minglan looked at Madam Gan quietly, her eyes suddenly becoming sharp and clear. Madam Gan felt a little guilty, but also a little secretly happy when she saw such a look.
Yuan Wenying and her daughter-in-law were quite anxious. In such a large banquet, the host absolutely could not lose her temper, and it was even more inappropriate to argue with the guests. Unfortunately, Madam Gan was a notorious stickler who was not afraid of embarrassment and was used to pestering the guests. They were afraid that Minglan would not be able to refuse, so they had to bring the girl out. Then Madam Gan would take the girl to greet everyone, and then they would be out of trouble. Otherwise, there would be endless troubles!
"Help?" Minglan asked with a smile.
Mrs. Gan laughed. "Yes, we're all family. It wouldn't be nice for you to be so busy while she enjoys herself." Then she changed her tone and said worriedly, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen her for a long time..."
"Okay!" Minglan interrupted her and agreed readily. Everyone around was surprised. Some of them secretly mocked her, some showed ridicule on their faces, and some just watched the show.
Madam Gan was overjoyed and was about to speak when Minglan suddenly smiled as brightly as spring blossoms and said softly, "I've heard that Miss Fengxian is incredibly talented. Back then, she was a top performer in the Imperial Music Bureau. Today, I'm worried that the other girls won't be able to handle the situation. How about inviting Miss Fengxian to sing and dance? Madam Gan, what do you think?"
As soon as these words were spoken, half the room fell silent. The women looked over in amazement, some even gaping with astonishment. The wife of the Earl of Shoushan couldn't help laughing, quickly covering her face with a handkerchief. Yuan Wenying leaned over behind her, her shoulders shaking—brilliant! Brilliant! To deal with such shameless taffy, she simply had to put on a straight face!
There was nothing wrong with Minglan's words; they were all true. The Jiaofangsi was a fact, and so was her extraordinary talent. Even if Miss Fengxian was a concubine who had passed away, so what? Even the masters of wealthy families would bring out their concubines to entertain guests with singing and dancing.
Mrs. Gan was shaking with anger, but she saw Minglan looking straight at her with calm and firm eyes, without any fear at all.
Mrs. Gan could only look away. She had never dreamed that Minglan would be so direct in revealing the truth. She had thought that a young wife like Minglan would be too ashamed to speak up, so she could only swallow her anger. Her face changed several times, turning black with anger. While she was gritting her teeth, she could faintly hear the sounds of ridicule and mockery coming from all around, and her face immediately turned as red as pig blood.
In fact, many of the noble ladies present also disliked Madam Gan's behavior, but it was none of their business and there was no need for them to comment. However, they spared no effort to laugh at her. Since no one helped Minglan, they naturally would not come to help Madam Gan.
Just as Madam Gan was wondering how to leave the stage, Madam Lu, who had been pretending to be deaf and dumb at the top, suddenly shouted, "Sixth girl, I told you when the banquet will start. If you let me starve, I'll go complain to your grandmother!"
This made many of the women around laugh. Minglan blushed slightly in embarrassment, "Oh, I've met so many people today, and I was so excited about talking that I almost forgot! Don't be offended, old lady, let's start the meal now."
Madam Lu waved her hand and said, "It's okay. This is the little girl's first time doing this, and it's already pretty good!"
As she was speaking, Minglan asked the maids to lead the female relatives out of the flower hall and walk towards the lotus pond side hall where the meal was set out. Many of the female relatives were quite disappointed by Mrs. Lu's interruption, as they could not watch the good show. However, Mrs. Gan breathed a sigh of relief and followed them out.
Wife Xuan watched as the dispute was resolved and hurried to help lead the way for the guests. Minglan, who was waiting behind the guests, was about to leave when Yuan Wenying, beside her, grabbed her. Her face flushed with laughter, she leaned over and whispered in Minglan's ear, "Do you know how many 'adopted daughters' this shameless woman has given away?"
Minglan asked curiously, "A lot of them?"
Yuan Wenying nodded excitedly: "One from your family, one from Uncle Shen's family, one from Commander Xiao Zheng, and several generals from the Northern Frontier! I heard that it was at a banquet, and all the generals present were given away by General Gan!"
Minglan was shocked. She had noticed Mrs. Gan's shamelessness earlier, but she had never expected the Gan family to be so shameless. "But, but... the Shen and Zheng families are newlyweds!"
He did things so conspicuously, but he was probably just a pawn, and I don't know who was backing him.
"That's right! I didn't dare tell you at first, but now that you're not afraid, I'm relieved!" Yuan Wenying showed her fine, rice-white teeth, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "That Concubine Zou from Uncle Shen's family was very capable. She gave that girl away right away. The Zheng family was desperate and didn't want to break up with the Gan family, but Madam Zheng was newly married and refused to agree. She cried and made a fuss for more than half a month. Master Zheng Jun was afraid of angering the Queen, so he decided to take the girl in for his brother. Madam Zheng was not happy about this! Madam Zheng was famously dignified and strict. She hated those kind of seductive women the most. Without a word, she took a good concubine for her husband, saying that it was okay to take a concubine, but not a concubine like this. So there was another fuss..."
"What happened next?" Minglan asked with great interest.
Yuan Wenying almost fainted from laughing, and spoke incoherently, "Haha... Later, Madam Zheng stepped in. She, she... Haha, she took that woman in as a concubine for Master Zheng! Haha... Master Zheng has been bedridden for many years, barely able to move..."
Minglan was so impressed that she was speechless: "Oh my God, oh my God... this, this..."
"That's why the two sisters-in-law of the Zheng family are so awkward." Yuan Wenying finally recovered her breath and wiped away the tears of laughter. "My eldest sister-in-law and Madam Zheng were close friends. Her parents' home is far away, so she often comes to visit us. After she told us about this, we were all very angry! Humph, how could she be so shameless!"
The two of them laughed for a long time, holding their stomachs. When they had laughed enough, they hurried out together. They were both cheerful and humorous, and they got along very well. As they walked and talked, laughing all the way, Minglan casually asked, "By the way, have you been back to your mother's house to see your new nephew?"
Yuan Wenying immediately sighed: "Hey, I've been there. My second sister-in-law is very nice, my little nephew is also very nice, everyone is very nice, only my mother is not nice."
"What's wrong?"
Yuan Wenying said with a sad face, "A while ago, my aunt gave my father a concubine. My mother was so upset that she almost blew the roof off the house, but there was nothing she could do. She was already served tea and brought in the day before yesterday."
"Ah?! So..." fast? !
Minglan was so overjoyed that she almost revealed her true identity. She quickly changed her words and said, "Aunt, why are you like this?"
"Yes!" Yuan Wenying said worriedly, "I don't know what aunt was thinking. She got a girl in her twenties. She's said to be from a respectable family, but after her parents died, she delayed her marriage in order to raise her younger siblings. She's good-looking and has a good personality. She can read and write. Daddy..." She sighed heavily, "Dad likes her very much."
Minglan deeply admired the efficiency of Lady Shoushan. She was truly a highly qualified person who could understand things at a glance.
Lord Zhongqin is old and has a serious and solemn nature. He may not be attracted by a teenage girl. Instead, a gentle and strong woman with life experience is more suitable. What's more, a woman who can delay her own marriage in order to raise her younger siblings must not be a bad person. She will not really favor a concubine and kill her wife in the future.
Hualan's mother-in-law must be busy now. She hopes Hualan can live a more comfortable life. Minglan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at Yuan Wenying sideways, and felt guilty again.
She touched her nose, lowered her head and frowned, took Yuan Wenying's arm, stepped forward with a heavy face, and said firmly: As best friends, they will share the same sorrow and fate. Your mother is a mistress, which means my mother is a mistress. In this world full of legal mistresses, let them work together to create a better tomorrow.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
