In view of her intention to fight a long-term battle with the women and children of the Gu family, after turning off the lights and settling down that night, Minglan sternly rejected all kinds of provocations from someone, firmly turned her back to him, hugged the quilt like a shrimp, and slept soundly all night until dawn; Gu Tingye was both angry and amused, he was not a lustful person, so he put his arm around her shoulders and fell asleep.
When Minglan woke up early the next morning, she found that the quilt in her arms had turned into a strong arm, and a long leg was familiarly placed on her stomach. She rubbed her eyes for a long time, and then used her hands and feet to push (kick) the man awake - usually on days when she didn't have to attend the morning court, Minglan would try her best to get up with him, have breakfast with him, and see him out.
After washing up, she was looking at herself in the mirror when Gu Tingye came out of the bathroom. He looked a little strange. He waved his hand to send away the maid in the room, strode over to Minglan, lifted his sleeve, and stared at her with dark, playful eyes: "If you want to eat pork elbow, just tell me, why bother?"
On the sturdy upper arm, on the slightly bulging light brown skin, there were three shallow round teeth marks, neatly arranged in the shape of a T. The three teeth marks seemed to be grinning and laughing at Minglan together.
Minglan felt guilty. She had no recollection of it, but she didn't want to admit she was craving pork elbow. She gritted her teeth and said, "Well... before the battle, isn't it time to offer a sacrifice? This, this tooth mark, is just a small token of my resolve."
Gu Tingye wanted to let her go, but this girl was so stubborn and stubborn that she refused to give in. He narrowed his eyes and deliberately put on a stern face: "Well said! I'll make up my mind too."
Finally, Gu Tingye stretched out his arm to compare it with her shoulder and neck. He was very satisfied with the two sets of teeth marks in the shape of a Chinese character "品" (T), which were evenly sized. Minglan covered her tender shoulders like tofu, looked at the man with a wronged face, and expressed her accusation with her eyes: "Wow, bad man, I did it unintentionally in my sleep, but you did it on purpose."
Her gloomy expression amused Gu Tingye, who held her close for a long time, his hands groping around and almost causing a fire. As they ran out of time for breakfast, he had no choice but to eat a couple of bites of crispy steamed buns and leave. Before leaving, Minglan kindly held up a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, but the man deliberately kissed her face. Minglan couldn't dodge in time, and he rubbed her face with pastry crumbs.
Danju held the basin of water and helped Minglan wash and apply perfume and flower balm. Her face was full of resentment, and she muttered a few words of blame. But Mother Cui frowned and glared at Danju: "What do you know, little girl? Don't talk nonsense."
A newlywed couple should be as sweet as ever; a while ago, she saw Minglan was unhappy, and Gu Tingye was also in a bad mood; Mother Cui was a little uneasy, but now that she saw that the couple was getting along better than before, she was relieved.
When the people from the Marquis' Mansion came again, they found that Minglan was different from before and her attitude was much more amiable!
In response to the complaints of the women, Minglan expressed her deep sympathy and encouraged them optimistically that "nothing serious will happen" (they won't lose their heads). Then she calmly took care of the household affairs, asking questions to the housekeeper or distributing monthly wages.
The storehouse was opened twice, once to take out some fine leather, and the other to send a list of gifts prepared earlier to General Bo's residence to congratulate him on the birth of his newborn. The Bo family was known for their low profile, so they probably didn't even plan a big celebration for the third day or the full month.
The second time I opened the warehouse was to put things in it.
Ever since the banquet to celebrate the opening of the house, Minglan finally realized the benefits of being in a high position. In these days, she has received seven or eight generous gifts one after another. Some of them are Gu Tingye's former subordinates who are now working in local areas and would send her "local gifts" every winter, summer or New Year's Day. There are also Gu Tingye's current subordinates who sent her "congratulatory gifts" under various pretexts. There are also many relatives and friends who are barely related to her, and it is hard to count them all.
Minglan was not unfamiliar with this situation, except that in the past, the Sheng family prepared a list of gifts and sent them to various uncles and aunts. It was not considered bribery, but just to maintain good relationships and hope that others would help them. Others might not necessarily covet your benefits, but these respectful actions could show that you are "informed and knowledgeable", and not the kind of person who pretends to be ignorant and waits for benefits without making any move.
But now, the situation is reversed, and Minglan has become the one receiving gifts; she has only been a member of the privileged class for a short time, and she is not used to receiving things as a matter of course.
"Master Fu, thank you for your courtesy." Minglan held a gift list in her hand and said to a servant standing in front of her with a smile, "Master Fu and my old master have been through thick and thin together. We have been friends for a lifetime. There is no need to be so polite."
"My madam is absolutely right." The maid, who was about thirty years old and very respectfully dressed, bowed respectfully. "My old grandfather has been in poor health and hasn't been out much, so the friendship between us has faded over the years... He said back then that the governor would have a bright future, and now it seems to be true. He is happy for the late marquis to have such a son."
Minglan smiled and looked at Mrs. Bing and Mrs. Zhu beside her, and saw that they both looked very unhappy.
In recent days, many families who used to have close ties with the Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion have gradually changed their attitude. Gu Tingye and Gongsun Baishi discussed for a long time. Those families who were implicated will be helped if possible, while those who brought the trouble upon themselves will be turned away.
The old man of this family and the old Marquis Gu were originally colleagues. The Fu family was also a family of generals for generations, and they were inevitably swept up in the series of turmoil.
After saying a few polite words, Minglan asked the maid to take some medicinal herbs and supplements back to the Fu family.
There are also many rules for returning gifts. If you return a gift unopened, it means "don't bother me, I don't know you well". If you accept a gift and then quickly give a gift of equal value in return, it means "thank you for your love, but let's keep some distance". Like now, you only give a small gift in return as a token of your willingness to accept the other person's kindness.
The kind of open acceptance without hesitation usually comes from a close family relationship, a relationship of favoritism between superiors and subordinates, or other special reasons. In short, it is also a matter of sharing what you have.
After seeing off the guests, Minglan was very satisfied with her performance and felt that she had learned a lot of new things after marriage.
Ignoring Mrs. Bing's cold words, Minglan warmly invited Zhu to try the new dim sum: "This is made with the newly delivered yogurt from the north. I heard that people in the north eat it directly. I think the taste is strong and a bit smelly, so I call it dim sum. This way it is more fragrant, rich and soft."
Zhu's face was stiff as she took the pastry and tasted it with difficulty. Mrs. Bing II bit her lip and said, "Sister-in-law, you are so leisurely. Your uncles and brothers are in dire straits and are about to kill themselves, and you are still so indifferent. I don't know what kind of heart you are made of!"
"Well said. My heart is naturally no different from that of any other woman in the world." Minglan slowly turned her head, a faint smile on her lips. "Since Second Sister-in-law has said so much, I will also speak from the bottom of my heart today."
Minglan slowly smoothed her dress and looked at her. "As a woman, I have no business interfering in matters outside. However, I have said all that I should say and done all that I should do. If my Second Master has other concerns or considerations, can I still force him to do so?"
Mrs. Bing was furious. Minglan said sternly, "After all, a married woman should obey her husband, and the husband is the head of the wife. Even the wife's family has to give way to the husband's family. Second sister-in-law, ask around and see how many married women would go against their husbands for others? I know it's not pleasant to hear, but the truth is, most of the time it's not pleasant to hear."
Mrs. Bing knew this was the truth, but she couldn't refute it. She opened and closed her mouth a few times. Just as she was about to speak, Minglan smiled and continued, "Perhaps my second sister-in-law has the courage, but Minglan has only been married for less than half a year, and she still has no children. I can only be dutiful and cautious, and would never dare to overstep the line. I hope my second sister-in-law will forgive me." After saying this, she smiled bitterly twice to express her helplessness.
The key to refusing without offending someone is to be gentle, firm in principle, and clear in your words, demonstrating that it's not your fault, that it's beyond your power to do anything, but rather, it's God's will. They are sisters-in-law, and it's likely they'll see each other in the future, so it's better to be more gentle.
Besides, now that things have come to this, there is no need to say anything else. There is a limit to how long they can keep pestering me like this. I guess after a few days, they will see that there is no hope and will stop.
Minglan continued to treat them to tea and snacks with a smile. When there was something to do, she would do it. When she had nothing to do, she would hold a small sewing basket and do some work to show that she was very virtuous. After all, they couldn't rush up and beat her, so she just let it go in one ear and out the other.
"The stitching is so fine." Zhu, who was still good at reading people's expressions, came over to Minglan, picked up a small bellyband, and praised, "Wow, the pattern and the stitching are really amazing."
Minglan blushed slightly as she gently twisted the thread. "My eldest sister from my mother's family sent a message saying she wanted to talk to me. I'm going to go over tomorrow morning. I'm still short of a few stitches, so I'll just finish it and send it along."
Zhu was slightly surprised, but then her expression returned to normal. She jokingly said, "Oh, my, she's my sister after all. I wonder if my virtuous brother will be lucky enough to wear such fine needlework." She shifted her gaze, deliberately gazing at Minglan, and added, "Working for other people's children is ultimately not as good as doing it for yourself. I wonder when you'll have one of your own?"
Minglan blushed deeply, a smile on her lips, and a shy expression on her face. She 'gently' pushed Zhu: "Oh! That's so annoying! You, you, you, really are such a jerk! How can you talk about me like that..."
Zhu was caught off guard and stumbled, almost falling off the chair. Her arm was hurt so much that she was seeing stars.
…
The next day, when they went to the Duke of Zhongqin's residence, Minglan told Hualan this story. Hualan laughed so hard that she doubled over, leaned over on the kang, and poked Minglan's forehead with her pointed finger: "You, you! You're so grown up, but you're still like a child! Are you happy playing like this?"
Minglan shook her head nonchalantly. "They've been giving me so much trouble these past few days, and they won't even let me get some back. They're just secretly happy about it. If it were my fifth sister, she'd probably be served with a broom and a kitchen knife!"
Hualan covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed so hard that her body shook.
Minglan looked at her carefully. Hualan was indeed in good spirits. Although she was still a little thin, her brows and eyes were relaxed, her worry expression was gone, and her expression was cheerful. She seemed to have returned to the carefree, proud and noble eldest daughter of the Sheng family.
After finally stopping laughing, Hualan asked for a large plate of snacks to be served: "Here, try some. Cuichan hasn't made it in a while."
Bright red bean paste flower cakes, golden honey dried fruit dew, chewy brown sugar glutinous rice lotus root, and plump, sweet, crispy yogurt bean rolls—Minglan tasted them and found the flavors wonderfully familiar. She sighed, "Grandmother really loves me the most. She gave me the Cuichan, the most exquisite creation of Fang Mama's craftsmanship. I haven't tasted anything like it in ages since I left my parents' home."
Cuiwei, who was standing aside, pretended to be angry and said, "It seems that the young lady is disgusted with us. Well, Sister Cuichan, why don't you switch with me, so that our young lady won't get tired of us!"
Cuichan covered her mouth with her hands and laughed. Hualan pointed at Cuichan and said with a smile, "Little girl, everyone knows that your daughter is very generous to her subordinates. Don't try to take advantage of her!"
"Sister Cuichan!" Xiaotao, who was standing beside her, was also quite tempted by the familiar snacks and leaned over with a licking face. "Since my girl is so nice, why don't you come over here!"
Cuichan was gentle by nature and did not argue. She just stood beside Hualan and said softly, "My daughter and I grew up together. We promised to serve her for the rest of my life. Even if she hits me, scolds me, or chases me away, I will never leave."
Minglan was jealous and kept clicking her tongue for a long time. Although Hualan didn't say anything, she was very proud in her heart. She said a few more words and asked Cuichan to take Cuiwei and Xiaotao out for some snacks.
"Big sister has been doing well lately!" Minglan put a snack in her mouth and smiled meaningfully. "This snack is complicated to make, the ingredients are difficult, and there are so many pots and pans. I guess big sister has her own small kitchen now?"
Hualan's eyes widened playfully. Seeing Minglan's mouth full of crumbs, she wiped the corner of her mouth with a smile and said, "Mother Fang is old, I know you don't want to bother her too much. If you want some snacks in the future, just tell your sister and send a message. I'll ask Cuichan to make some and send it over."
Minglan snuggled up to him happily: "Big sister treats me the best!"
Hualan smiled like a spring flower and helped to smooth Minglan's hair: "Silly girl!"
It is difficult to change one's nature, and she knows Hualan's personality best. She is an older sister type who likes to take care of people who are weaker and more docile than herself. The sense of accomplishment she gets from taking care of others makes her happier than getting a big favor from others.
"Um..." Minglan thought of something and was very curious, so she asked tentatively, "How is it?"
She didn't know what to do with the bad idea she had come up with. Minglan only took a quick look at the new concubine when she came in just now. The new concubine was dignified and beautiful. Although her youth had passed, she was still warm and gentle. She didn't talk much and was very polite in her words and deeds. She followed Madam Yuan very dutifully, but she didn't seem to be overly servile.
Hua Lan glanced at her and knew what she was thinking. She said proudly, "The plan has been sold."
Lady Shoushan did not want to bring in a really coquettish and spoiled little devil to disturb the family home, so the concubine Zhang she found, although not young and pretty, was sensible and virtuous. Not only did she never make rude requests, but her words and deeds were also decent. She was also gentle and considerate, and treated everyone with kindness and mercy. In an instant, the long-dried heart of Lord Zhongqin seemed to be nourished like Niagara Falls.
Concubine Zhang was born into a respectable family and personally hired by the wife of the Marquis of Shoushan. Master Yuan had agreed to take her, making her a typical noble concubine. Unable to stop her from entering the house, Madam Yuan planned to torture her later. However, Zhang's words and actions were flawless, and she treated the wife of the principal room with unwavering respect. Even when she was slapped and forced to kneel without cause, she accepted it. Then, that night, she presented herself to Master Yuan with bruises all over her face and body.
As for the reason for the punishment, Mrs. Yuan could not explain it clearly. She just kept saying "you were disrespectful and made me angry", and could not come up with a clear and reliable explanation. Uncle Yuan was furious and accused her of being "jealous", one of the seven grounds for punishment, which was much more serious than bullying a daughter-in-law.
The worst thing is that Zhang and the old uncle now sleep in the same bed almost every night. Even if Madam Yuan learns from Rong Mama to use her magic needle skills, the old uncle can still find the scars at night.
After reflecting on herself in the ancestral hall for two nights, Mrs. Yuan suppressed her anger and dared not make things too difficult for Zhang.
She picked on the weak and squeezed the weak. She also asked Hualan for some money to "borrow" because the Yuan family had more and more descendants and the house was not big enough to accommodate them, so she wanted to expand the courtyard in the back garden of the mansion.
Zhang was very smart. She knew very well that if she wanted to gain a foothold in the Earl's Mansion, she would need a backer. The favor of the old uncle alone was not enough. Moreover, before entering the house, she had already received instructions from the wife of the Earl of Shoushan - to stop Mrs. Yuan's wanton behavior, so as not to break up the Yuan family.
Whenever this kind of thing happened before, although the old man felt that it was wrong, he could not stand Mrs. Yuan crying about the numerous ways to spend money, exaggerating the difficulties of running the household a hundredfold, and her unreasonable complaints. The old man would just have a headache and let it go.
Even if Hualan felt that something was wrong, she didn't dare to complain. "Criticizing elders" was also unfilial.
However, Zhang was much smarter. She only raised one question: the Zhongqin Marquis's Mansion had little gray income, and the farms, shops, and salaries were all clearly visible. The Yuan family had always been frugal and never spent lavishly. At least there should have been some surplus over the years. Why was there not enough money when they were about to start construction?
This is like a family with an annual income of 100,000 and normal annual expenses of 50,000. If, in the past few years, there are no large-scale celebrations (such as the construction of a separate courtyard for the visit of the imperial concubine), no seriously ill patients (Hualan's illness and Yuan Wenshao's use of connections are both self-care projects), no meals of abalone and sea cucumber, and no silk and satin for everyone; in short, if there are no large expenses, then no matter how much is spent, there should be no deficit. Not only should there be no deficit, but there should also be savings.
"I've only been married for a short time, so I don't dare to speak rashly. But today, Madam spoke so harshly, as if our family wouldn't be able to make ends meet unless Second Madam gave us some money. What on earth is going on here?"
The old uncle had also suffered a lot. He was shocked and, after some persuasion, asked to check the accounts of the uncle's house the next day.
Mrs. Yuan was frightened half to death. She started to cry for a long time and refused to hand over the account. This made people suspicious. Finally, the old uncle showed her the family rules and forced her to hand over the account book. Upon checking, they found that Mrs. Yuan withdrew a lot of money from the account every year. At first, she just said that she used it to support her natal family. Later, when she was forced to question her, she found out that she was deceived by her brother and sister-in-law from her natal family to do "business". Of course, all the "businesses" failed.
Uncle Yuan was so angry that he almost vomited blood. The savings that the Yuan family had accumulated through years of hard work and diligence were lost by nearly half.
To be honest, Hualan had only wanted to let her father-in-law know that the Bo family's finances were actually quite adequate, and there was no need to deduct his daughter-in-law's personal funds. It was just Madam Yuan who was being harsh and snarky. Hualan had thought that after checking the accounts, she would be able to have some peace and quiet for a while.
"I never thought that my mother-in-law would be so bold!" Hua Lan was also shocked.
The final punishment was that Madam Yuan lost her financial power forever. From then on, the two daughters-in-law would jointly control the money flow and account details of the Yuan family. If there was a disagreement or a decision could not be made, they would ask Aunt Zhang to pass it on to the old uncle. In short, Madam Yuan was not allowed to interfere!
That night, Madam Yuan, with her hair disheveled, threatened to hang herself. She even dragged her two sons to plead for her, saying things like, "Even if I haven't done anything meritorious, I've worked hard." The old uncle was so angry that half his body went numb: "Before you married in, the Yuan family was even richer than it is now. What hard work have you done?!"
Finally, the old uncle got so angry that he threatened to open the ancestral hall: "I don't want this old face anymore. Call all the uncles and brothers and let them judge whether you are worthy of being the wife of the clan! Then, whether you want a divorce or send me to the nunnery, it's up to us!"
Mrs. Yuan was a little scared now. She didn't have a good reputation in the clan. If she really opened an ancestral hall, it would basically be a dead end.
"I was wondering why you looked so good, sister." Minglan understood.
Hualan felt that her mood had improved over the past few days. She walked with her head held high and her chest puffed out, looking very vigorous: "This time, even my uncle doesn't help my mother-in-law!" She smiled with great pride, her face full of sunshine.
"That's natural." Minglan was not surprised. After all, it was the family property of Mr. Yuan that Mrs. Yuan lost.
"The couple has been having a quarrel these days." Hua Lan pointed eastward, referring to the main branch of the Yuan family. "My eldest brother blamed her for helping mother-in-law keep everything secret. He also said that if he hadn't found out now, the Yuan family would be a hollow shell by the time he succeeds to the throne!"
Although one of the Yuan brothers is capable and the other mediocre, they have a good relationship. In particular, Yuan Wenshao has expressed to his brother several times that he is willing to take a smaller share of the family property and build his own career in the future.
"Tell me, should I ask Aunt Zhang to send two maids over there?" Hua Lan bit her red lips with her fine teeth, smiling mischievously, "Let's have some fun over there..."
"No, no, no, absolutely not!" Minglan quickly stopped Hualan's bad plan, "Your sister-in-law's room is doing very well now." So the number of concubines and maids in the two brothers' rooms should maintain such a disparate ratio.
"Really?"
Hua Lan's face was full of doubt. She was very excited at the moment and wanted to vent all the frustration she had been holding back for ten years in one go.
"What good does it do you to see your sister-in-law and her husband quarrel? Will it help you gain a few pounds?" Minglan lowered her voice, looking like a dog-headed military advisor. "It is absolutely unacceptable to harm others without benefiting yourself! If you harm others, you must benefit yourself!"
Hualan is a smart person and understands everything immediately, but she is still feeling depressed.
Minglan saw the exposed shoulders and neck, the bare, prominent collarbone, and felt truly pitiful. She felt pity for her, "Big sister, you need to take the long-term view. Your mother-in-law won't stop. If she gets humiliated elsewhere, she'll definitely come back to you, and you can't fight back. You're not feeling well right now, and what if she uses this as an excuse to take a concubine for your brother-in-law?"
Hualan nodded slowly: "That's right. If my mother-in-law dares to speak again, please ask Aunt Zhang to report the matter to my father-in-law! Two sons and two daughters-in-law, you can't be so partial!" She had suffered grievances for ten years, and now she finally won her husband's heart, and with two sons by her side, she felt a little more confident.
Thinking of her son, her eyes turned, she grabbed Minglan's collar and whispered, "I say, do you have any news?"
Minglan held the untouched teacup and stared blankly at Hualan. This woman's thoughts raced too fast. She said helplessly, "I've only been married for two months. How can it be that fast?"
Her menstrual cycle is longer than that of ordinary people, occurring only once every 40 days. Correspondingly, her ovulation period is also less frequent.
"Stop pretending!" Hua Lan glared at her and snatched the cake from her hand. "What do you want with Madam He's letter? Tell me, when do you want to give birth?"
Minglan knew she couldn't hide it from Hualan, so she smiled bitterly, "I originally wanted to have another child in six months, but I was just scolded by my grandmother the other day. I thought I'd just finish this round of medicine and forget about it. It'll probably be another month or so."
What Old Lady Sheng meant was: Even if you give birth, it may not be a boy at once. If it’s almost time, you should give birth as soon as possible.
Hua Lan nodded in satisfaction: "It's good that you know! After all, women still have to rely on their children. Don't be so foolish as to rely on Erlang's love for you right now!"
Minglan felt deeply wronged, raising her hands and crying out, "How could that be! I'm just living a life of luxury! Old Madam He said long ago that the first child is the most important, and that I need to take good care of myself, and all subsequent pregnancies will be smooth sailing. But I had just married into the Gu family, and there were so many problems, both overt and covert. If I didn't take care of everything inside and outside the home, I wouldn't know what the people who came to serve me were up to, and I wouldn't even know what to eat or what to use. How could I have dared to have a baby?"
Even with Madam He's medical skills, she was unable to save her young son's life. It was simply because it was difficult to guard against a hidden attack.
"You're just talking nonsense!" Hualan grabbed Minglan's ear, her eyes widening. "Stop talking nonsense and give birth to a son!"
Minglan saved her ears and said with a stern face, "Sister, stop scolding me. You should take good care of yourself. If you are not in good health, everything else will be weak! If something happens, would you worry about your brother-in-law remarrying? Would you worry about your nephew and niece falling into the hands of others? The medicine I brought this time is all according to the prescription! You'd better be honest and take care of yourself!"
Hualan then pinched Minglan's chubby face, scolding her with a smile, "Great! You're capable! If you can imitate Old Madam He and give birth to eight children in one go, four boys and four girls! As your elder sister, I'll be in your service from now on!"
Minglan was not afraid of blushing and nodded seriously: "Yes, I am planning to learn from Madam He and have more children, and give birth to good children."
Hualan: ...
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