Human beings are reflective creatures, and they always feel bad about things they failed to do or failed to do well in the past.
If God gave Mother Fang the chance to travel through time, she would definitely go back to around the time of Old Lady Sheng's wedding, either to ruin the marriage or to kill those little devils. Whenever she thought of this, Mother Fang wished Old Master Sheng would crawl out of his grave and take in a few restless concubines so that she could practice her skills. And the result of this depression was...
"...Then Qiu Niang left in a hurry." After dinner, Xiao Tao took the opportunity when Gu Tingye went to the study to report in detail about Qiu Niang's visit to Jiaxiju in the afternoon.
Minglan was still not fully awake. She blinked hard and said, "So what?"
She was just a little restless and wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with her master and man whom she had met again after a long time. Unfortunately, things had changed and people had changed. Xiren was still the same Xiren, but Gu Tingye was never Brother Bao.
"This is not a simple matter!" Danju on the side said in a low voice with disappointment, and Minglan was startled.
"How did she know when the master would return? How could she have such a coincidence that she followed right after the master returned? It's obvious that she asked the little girl to watch at the intersection and report any news!" Danju's eyes sparkled, and her reasoning was flawless. "Huh, it's only the first day! Where did she get the manpower? How did she know which way the master took?"
"So..." Minglan continued for her.
Danju bit her cheek secretly: "As soon as my sister Cuiwei said that, she went to check it out immediately. After those people moved into Kouxiangyuan, Aunt Gong and Sister Rong went to bed, but Qiu Niang secretly went to talk to Mother Lai! Humph! These people are restless!" Her usually kind face was also full of indignation.
"But what can I do?" Minglan laughed. "Lai Mama and Qiu Niang originally came from the Madam Dowager's place, so it's not wrong for them to speak. As for gathering information, unless everyone in Kouxiang Garden is under house arrest, I can't control which garden or road they go to. I just need to keep a closer eye on the gatehouse in this courtyard."
If she wanted to connect, she would have done it long ago, but she is not afraid of it.
Xiao Tao was worried and dazed: "Is there no way to cure them?"
"Just staring at the intersection, or talking to my mother, isn't a mistake," Minglan shook her head. "Arguing for nothing is not only pointless, but also makes people laugh at me and think I'm intolerant. The family rules and regulations are all there. If we find someone wrong, wouldn't it be easy to punish them?"
"What if they don't make mistakes, and that's disgusting?" Danju reacted quickly.
Minglan laughed dryly and said, "Then... we can only make them feel disgusted." In this era, how many wives have not been disgusted by the concubines? Some of them are very sensitive and intense, and are prone to vomiting blood.
The disgusting things came soon.
Early the next morning, Minglan was still lingering in bed when Gong Hongxiao and Qiu Niang came with Rong Jie'er to pay their respects. Danju and Xiaotao were in a panic, but they managed to get Minglan ready to meet them.
"Greetings to the Madam." Hong Xiao bowed gracefully, wearing a pink satin jacket with pomegranate flowers, which was very gorgeous. She looked up and saw Minglan wearing a waisted jacket with dark blue brocade patterns, which reflected her beautiful jade-like face, which was simple and dignified, and her slender and graceful figure. She could not help but praise, "When I was in the Marquis' Mansion, I often heard people praise the Madam for her outstanding character and appearance. Now that you have moved back to Chengyuan, I am so lucky. In the future, I can learn some tricks from the Madam, and I won't be so vulgar all day long." As she spoke, she tugged at her clothes.
Minglan touched her loose bun, having neglected to wear the brocade flower in her haste. She looked at Hongxiao, who had a sincere expression on her face, and was somewhat speechless. She said calmly, "I think you look good dressed like this. Besides... I sometimes wear this color, too."
Hongxiao felt a little embarrassed and retreated to sit on a small stool.
Qiu Niang, who was standing by, saw Danju bringing in a cup of tea. She quickly stood up, took the cup from the tray, and handed it to Minglan respectfully: "Madam, please have some tea." Minglan nodded, took the cup, and took a sip. Danju lowered her head and pouted, then turned and went to the inner room to clean up with Xiaotao.
Minglan's eyes turned to Rong Jie'er, who sat huddled in a corner with her head lowered. Minglan couldn't help but ask, "Rong Jie'er, you just moved. Did you sleep well last night?"
Rong Jieer raised her head woodenly, looking at Minglan with a somewhat hesitant gaze, then lowered her head, still without saying a word. Qiu Niang became anxious and said quickly, "Madam has arranged it very well. The bed and bedding are of the highest quality, and the maids have served her very well. I slept in the same room with Rong Jieer last night, and she didn't wake up the whole night."
Minglan smiled at her and said, "No wonder the master always says you are a considerate person."
Qiu Niang suddenly looked up, her eyes watering, and she choked with sobs, "I'm afraid I've failed the master's trust."
Hong Xiao seemed a little embarrassed, but her face was very calm. However, her fingers that kept wrapping around the belt around her waist were a little too impatient.
Minglan took another big sip of tea, trying hard to suppress the discomfort of getting up early, and said with a casual smile: "You don't have to come to pay your respects so early in the future. There are few people here and not so many rules. Come back after 2:30 am tomorrow." It's better to go to work at 8 o'clock.
Qiu Niang's eyes were filled with earnestness, and she said quickly, "How can we do this? I know Madam is considerate of us, but we can't break the rules just like that. Besides, the Master has been attending court since before dawn, and Madam has to serve him, so she won't have any rest. How can we go beyond the rules?"
Minglan was embarrassed. When did she give up sleeping in to serve Gu Tingye in court? However, not many people knew about this.
Xiao Tao inside couldn't help herself and almost burst out, "You're the one breaking the rules, your whole family is breaking the rules," but was held back by Dan Ju behind them. Then they both heard Ming Lan's gentle voice: "It's not that I won't come to pay my respects, it's just that I'm late. I can still do this! Besides, it's not for anything else, it's just for Sister Rong. This child is still growing up and is so frail, she needs to be taken care of."
Everyone's eyes turned to Rong Jie'er. She lowered her head even lower, almost to her knees, in an awkward and inelegant posture. Minglan frowned slightly and glanced at Hong Xiao casually. She smiled softly and said gently, "She's already eight years old. It's not good for her to be worse than five-year-old Xian Jie'er. If relatives or guests come over and see Rong Jie like this, what will they say?"
Sister Rong's shoulders trembled, but she didn't look up.
Hong Xiao and Qiu Niang both blushed and stood up to apologize. Qiu Niang stammered in fear, saying, "It's all my negligence." Hong Xiao choked out a sob and said, "Madam, you were thinking, before... well, there's no need to say it. Now that he's in the presence of his own parents, he'll definitely be able to take care of himself."
"Children love to sleep. Take good care of them, give them some good warming food, relax their minds, and exercise more. They will naturally get better." Minglan slowly moved the lid of the teapot. "Tell her to sleep a little longer in the morning. After breakfast, when she's more active, it won't be too late to come and pay her respects. I'll have someone send over the stew every day. You must keep an eye on Sister Rong while she eats. Qiu Niang, I'm sorry to bother you with this."
Qiu Niang quickly responded and said yes repeatedly.
Minglan turned to Hongxiao again and said gently, "This child came to you when she was five years old. Can she read and write now? How many characters does she know? Has she finished learning the Three Character Classic?"
Hong Xiao shuddered immediately. She looked at Minglan, then at Sister Rong, opened her mouth, and stammered, "Well...well... Sister Rong isn't feeling well, so I didn't dare push her too much. It seems...it seems...she knows about ten or so words."
Minglan's face was filled with a hint of surprise. Hongxiao stood aside in panic, not daring to speak. Minglan slowed her tone and said, "Even if we can't compare to Aunt Tingcan's knowledge of poetry and literature, Rongjie'er can't be blind. Before you came, I heard people say that Concubine Gong came from a scholarly family and was very knowledgeable and well-mannered. I thought at the time that our Rongjie'er was really lucky to have such a concubine by her side to teach her. In the future, she won't have to worry about her behavior and reading. But now..."
She sighed deeply, her eyes blaming her, staring at Hong Xiao so intently that she couldn't raise her head. Minglan paused and continued, "Let the past be in the past. From today on, you have to take better care of her! Will Rong Jie'er behave like this when friends and family come over in the future? You can't let her be locked up in the inner courtyard forever."
Hong Xiao couldn't even lift her head under the scolding. She had just said yesterday, "The Madam's entrustment," and now she was slapping her tongue. Qiu Niang was even more afraid to utter a single word. Minglan spoke with a slightly solemn tone, authoritatively saying, "It's natural for Rong Jie'er to be shy with me, but she and you have lived under the same roof for years. Since you two have been entrusted with this task, you must shoulder the responsibility!"
Hongxiao and Qiuniang responded tremblingly. Minglan gave a few more instructions before sending someone to take the three of them back to Kouxiang Garden. Xiaotao and Danju inside then breathed a sigh of relief.
Danju came out smiling, holding a few pearl flowers in her hands. As she slowly put them on Minglan's head, she said, "Even Concubine Lin back then never dared to speak politely in front of Madam. They are really brave! Madam, you should scare them a little, otherwise they will take advantage of your kindness."
Minglan sighed helplessly. She actually hated using power to bully others, but some people seemed to fall for it. If you treated them kindly, it would only make them push you further. "From now on, I can only sleep with Chen Zheng at best..." she sighed regretfully.
Danju immediately frowned and started scolding, "I'm not saying anything bad about you! Ever since you got married, you've been living too lazily. Even back home, you weren't so comfortable. You better pull yourself together from now on! So many people are watching you make mistakes!"
Looking at Danju's face full of fighting spirit, Minglan couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
It was almost noon when Gu Tingye returned home from the court. Minglan helped him loosen his court robes and change into his casual clothes. Then she had dinner set on the kang table by the window. The kang was already covered with a mat made of reed, cotton, linen, and silk. The couple ate in the cool breeze and the aroma of flowers and plants. Gu Tingye took a sip of light wine and said with a smile, "How are you this morning?"
"Very good." Minglan blinked. "This is the first time in my life that someone has paid me a visit."
Seeing the charming pink on her cheeks, Gu Tingye smiled and said, "That's not difficult. We'll have seventeen or eighteen sons. When they get married, they'll have to line up one by one to pay their respects to you. Wouldn't that be quite lively?"
Minglan glared at him and said, "You are not pregnant for ten months, and you just talk nonsense and think it's over?" She did not reject having children, but she had to master the physical conditions for childbirth. You know, there was no obstetrics and gynecology in ancient times. She did not intend to give birth to a child and lose half her life.
Gu Tingye lowered his voice, his eyes hinting at teasing: "I didn't just talk."
"We're eating!" Minglan's face immediately turned red.
"Food and sex are human nature. My lady is right." Gu Tingye said leisurely.
Minglan glared at him for a long time, then broke down herself and laughed, "You! You... Oh, if only your daughter had half the nerve of you!"
Gu Tingye's expression gradually darkened: "Sister Rong...is she still like that?"
"She doesn't talk, she ignores us. Even at this age, she doesn't read or learn needlework. Needless to say, her interactions with others are as if no one is watching over her." Minglan pondered. "You said she had a very hot temper as a child. Now she's so listless. I guess it's because of... uh... these past few years... Now that she's with us, she'll slowly calm down."
"...Man Niang has always been a cruel woman with a heartless husband." Gu Tingye said with a hint of sarcasm, "Then what are you going to do?"
"Wait." Minglan said neatly, "Wait until she grows up, wait until she figures things out. No one in this world can survive the passage of time. A month, a year, several years, things will slowly get better. I've given instructions today, and asked Qiu Niang to take care of her food, clothing, and daily life, and asked Concubine Gong to take care of her studies and etiquette. Let her take care of her health first, and when she's older, we can hire some good masters to teach her." She's a modern person, but it took her ten years to become an ancient boudoir.
Gu Tingye frowned. Actually, he had no other choice. When he was a child, if he was disobedient or had a bad temper, Lord Gu would just beat him with a board or bamboo stick, but it was not the same with girls.
Minglan looked somewhat helpless. "Most young ladies, ladies from prominent families, have been brought up. They've been provided with fine clothes and delicacies, adorned with piles of silk and satin, and have servants and maids to serve them respectfully. As a result, they've been nurtured and dignified, and with authority and respectability, they've gradually become so."
Gu Tingye nodded slowly, showing his approval. Although Minglan's words were rough, they were very reasonable and showed genuine kindness everywhere. He smiled and said, "I'm afraid she is stubborn and unwilling to honor you."
"I don't need her filial piety." Minglan looked disapproving.
Gu Tingye was astonished. After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "Don't be discouraged. Being filial to your stepmother is the most important principle of etiquette. If she doesn't obey you, I will punish her severely!"
"What are you thinking! That's not what I meant." Minglan laughed. "I don't know how to teach a child, but..." She slowly straightened her expression and said sincerely, "I just want her to understand that life is not for anger, not for depression, and certainly not for resentment, but for living well. She still has a life to live, and she will have children in the future. The past was not her fault, and she shouldn't keep holding on to it. The world is vast, the sea is endless, and the sky is boundless. Broaden your mind and broaden your horizons, and you will live a long life."
Gu Tingye's heart seemed to melt, his eyes sparkling, and he couldn't help but curl his lips. He pulled Minglan to sit on his lap, put his arm around her waist and gently stroked it. His voice was full of laughter as he said softly, "Even though you've coaxed me, tricked me, and often deceived me, I've always known that you have the best intentions."
Minglan glanced over, pretending to be displeased: "Are you praising me?"
After this sentence, Gu Tingye did not speak for a long time. Instead, he seemed to be staring at Minglan's collar in a trance, his eyes blank, no longer as sharp as usual. Minglan patted his cheek: "What's the matter?"
Gu Tingye came back to his senses, pressed his palm on Minglan's chest twice, rubbed it three times, and sighed: "I don't know when, a lot of flesh has grown here." His hand still lingered back and forth on her soft chest.
Minglan was so embarrassed and angry that her face turned red like a shrimp. She covered her chest and tried to turn around and run away, but Gu Tingye caught her. Minglan stretched out her claws to tickle the man's waist. The two of them fell on the kang and started laughing. In the end, Lady Sheng was defeated by General Gu and was pressed on the kang and kissed for a long time.
When Xiaotao went in, she saw that Minglan's lips were a little red and swollen. She couldn't help but wonder: Is the food too hot?
After dinner, the couple played a game of chess and then prepared to take a nap. Xiaotao and the two little girls cleaned up the table and walked into the courtyard with the bowls, plates and cups, when they saw Danju stopping someone not far away and talking to him.
Danju smiled formally: "Miss Qiu..."
"Just call me Qiu Niang. If you don't mind, I will also call you Sister Danju." Qiu Niang said hurriedly.
Danju's forehead twitched heavily, but she continued to smile: "Sister Qiuniang, I'm afraid the master is about to take a nap. If you have something important to see him about, I will pass it on for you."
"Nap?" Qiu Niang looked bewildered. "He never rests at noon."
Danju's aching cheeks forced her to maintain a smile. "I don't know about that, but ever since our wife married in, Master has always taken a short nap whenever he has time."
Qiu Niang looked melancholy, holding a small bundle in her arms, her fingers clenched tightly. Dan Ju snorted inwardly and turned to go into the inner room to report. Ming Lan had just helped Gu Tingye loosen his coat. Upon hearing this, Gu Tingye frowned unconsciously, but still said, "Let her in."
When Qiu Niang entered, she saw Gu Tingye in a snow-white satin lingerie, sitting on the edge of the bed, suppressing his impatience. "What's the matter?"
"Well... Master... I haven't seen you for many years; I... I..." Qiu Niang knew something was wrong when she heard the tone. She glanced at Minglan, who was sitting at the head of the bed folding her court robes. She felt embarrassed and hesitated for a few times, but couldn't explain the reason. Gu Tingye became impatient and asked directly, "What's the matter? Hurry up."
Qiu Niang had to cut to the chase: "I've made some clothes, shoes, and socks for you over the years, but since I haven't seen them for a few years, I'm worried the sizes aren't quite right. I wanted you to try them on and see if they fit you."
Minglan tried hard to suppress the sneer on her lips, continued to concentrate on tidying up her clothes, and even took the time to smile gently at Qiu Niang.
Gu Tingye shrugged and scolded, "You've been talking about such a trivial matter for so long! How come you haven't become as straightforward as before these past few years?! Why don't you just find a few of my clothes and shoes to compare with? I don't have the time to try them on one by one."
Minglan smiled and said, "Mrs. Qiu is right to worry, Xiaotao, did you hear that?" Xiaotao, who was guarding the door to the inner room, smiled innocently and said, "Okay, Miss Qiu, if you need to compare clothing sizes in the future, just come to me and I'll give it to you."
Qiu Niang felt bitter and speechless, and could only respond repeatedly.
Gu Tingye said to Minglan, "I have to go out at the beginning of the afternoon. You must wake me up at noon at the latest."
Minglan turned her head to look at the dripping water and replied softly, "Okay. You should take a break and recuperate so that you can do your job more clearly."
Gu Tingye had a hint of a smile on his face and looked at Minglan gently: "Don't oversleep."
Minglan laughed shamelessly: "Even if I was sleepy, there are still Danju, Xiaotao and the others."
The two of them asked and answered each other like an ordinary couple, plain and peaceful, yet timeless and beautiful.
Qiu Niang felt sad and couldn't help but interrupt, "I'll stay with the master and the mistress. I'll go wake the master up."
Gu Tingye glanced at her and frowned, "Didn't I tell you to look after Sister Rong? Why are you...!" He was about to scold her harshly, but he thought of saving some face for Qiu Niang in front of Minglan, so he stopped talking.
Qiu Niang was born a maid and was used to reading people's expressions. Knowing that Gu Tingye was unhappy, she didn't dare to stay any longer. She said a few words and quickly retreated, looking back every few steps as she left the main house.
…
In the side room on the left, Luzhi was staring at her and saying, "You really passed the message on her behalf! Are you confused?"
Danju bit the thread end fiercely: "I'm not confused! Isn't she thinking about the master all day long? I specially asked her to go in at that time. How can the master be kind to her? Humph! Dream on!"
Lvzhi's expression softened. "That woman looked so honest and kind, I thought she was being intimidated."
"How is that possible?!" Danju glanced at the house across from her. Caihuan was standing in the courtyard, smiling as she was about to see Qiuniang out. She lowered her voice and said bitterly, "Luzhi, do you still remember what Mama Fang said to us?"
"Of course I remember!" Luzhi's gaze followed and, upon seeing Caihuan and Qiuniang, her eyes suddenly flashed with ferocity. "A while ago, she was still coyly telling us she wanted to 'share Madam's worries'. Bah! Sharing her worries for nothing! Seeing how well the master treats Madam, she's become jealous and has entertained inappropriate thoughts. No one else can see through her thoughts! Madam Fang has long said that anyone who gets close to the masters, young or old, has ulterior motives; anyone who rushes to become a concubine is a slut!"
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