Thanks to Father Sheng, Minglan had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the performances of a first-rate white flower for nearly a decade. Aunt Lin could easily provoke Wang's wrath for any number of reasons, and Minglan was almost certain she'd be eager to be punished, either standing or kneeling, preferably with some bruises, which would then lead to a huge argument between Father Sheng and Wang.
Later, Mama Fang secretly said that Aunt Lin is not as good as before. Back then (before Yao Yiyi wore it), Aunt Lin didn't have to do anything. She just had to wipe her tears secretly in front of others (to express various grievances), or lament the passing of time (lamenting her life experience), or even just look lonely. At that time, Sheng Hong would be filled with passion, and he would stand up for her with righteous indignation, or scold Wang, or give Lin a lot of benefits.
Minglan concluded: Every Baihua needs one or more righteous and upright people who can easily be "moved" by the Baihua's various compromises or deep understanding of justice, and then go forward to defeat the evil forces.
In fact, Minglan felt that Aunt Lin was not capable enough. The most she could do was to coax Sheng Hong into fighting for her. A truly top-notch concubine could even "move" the original wife's own children to stand against their own mother and speak up for the mistress who destroyed her family. What a great skill this was.
In short, Baihua's fighting style determines that they must hide behind and need the help of some "righteous people". If they personally go into battle and fight with their fangs and claws, they are no longer called Baihua, but man-eating grass.
So at this moment Minglan fell into an inexplicable excitement. She knew that there would be many troubles waiting for her in the next few days, but she was still looking forward to it happily. She was very curious about how the "wise and optimistic" lady would behave when there was no one around her to rely on.
One day after the funeral, Gu Tingye, holding the family division deed from that year, said casually to the assembled crowd, "I wonder when my fourth and fifth uncles will move. If you need help, just let me know and I'll be happy to help."
Having been feeling frustrated recently, the Fifth Old Master immediately became furious: "Are you going to kick me out now?!"
Gu Tingye didn't even bother to say anything. He just stood up and left with Minglan, who was pretending to be honest beside him.
As the saying goes, great waves wash away the sands; only at this critical moment can one see each person's true nature.
Facing Gu Tingye's arrogance, the Fifth Old Master, who still had a bit of scholarly pride, was the most resolute. He immediately insisted on moving without saying a word, and even said a few blunt words, "Even if you want me to stay, I still don't want to." The Fifth Old Lady was extremely anxious, and after trying to persuade him many times, she failed, so she had to delay time by saying, "The house has been uninhabited for many years, and it still needs some time to renovate."
Gu Tingyang had been frightened in the imperial prison, and after returning home, he hid in his room, drinking and having fun with his beautiful concubines and maids, and refused to come out again. As usual, Mrs. Yang shrank her neck and did not say a word. Since they disagreed, Gu Tingdi and his wife had no choice but to drag their feet and arrange to move.
Minglan smiled and turned, "See what I said? I was right. Uncle Wu is truly noble, but Aunt Wu is a complete scoundrel." Gu Tingye replied, "When I married Sister Yang, I said that Uncle Wu, though unsophisticated, was a man of integrity and a true gentleman. Aunt Wu, on the other hand, was a bit too much of a spoiled child."
Minglan agreed greatly and couldn't help asking, "Who said something so clear?"
Gu Tingye's face darkened, and after a while, he said faintly, "It's the old man."
Compared to the chaos in the fifth room, the fourth room was unusually peaceful. The fourth old master lay in bed groaning and 'recuperating', as if he had not heard what Gu Tingye said that day. Everyone in the room, from top to bottom, was silent.
Minglan pursed her lips, feeling contempt in her heart, but did not comment.
After half a month, the lady gradually "recovered from her illness" and went from house to house, trying to persuade and appease people everywhere, sincerely trying to keep the two families. She also said to herself that what Gu Tingye said that day was just talk, and everyone should not take it seriously.
He brought up the matter when Minglan came to pay her respects.
"Now that Yu'er has been out for a hundred days, it's no problem to start construction. The emperor also gave us the land between Chengyuan and the Marquis' Mansion. When do you and Ye'er plan to demolish the wall and merge the mansion?"
Minglan understood and smiled, "The ground and the wall are there, they can't run away. There's no rush."
The lady's eyes flickered as she slowly turned the beads on her wrist. "It's not urgent, it's not urgent, but we have to have a schedule. It's not good to put it off day by day. After all, we are family. What's the point of putting a wall between us?"
Minglan covered her sleeves with a chuckle. "Look at what you're saying. Jinling, Qingcheng, and the capital are separated by more than just a wall. Aren't we all family? Blood ties are natural. When it matters, we all contribute. Whether we are family or not is not just a wall. You're worrying too much."
The lady was stunned for a moment, then forced a smile and said, "That's true." After a pause, her face was full of worry again, "There is one more thing. Your fourth uncle and fifth uncle made a mistake in the past. Now the situation has changed, and it's time to hang up the plaque of the Marquis' Mansion. These past few days, I often dreamed of Ye'er's father at night, and I felt a little uneasy. Now it's up to us to rely on Ye'er's ability to restore the reputation of our family. Otherwise, otherwise... I won't be able to see their father in the underworld in the future!" As she spoke, tears flashed in her eyes.
The elder's state of mind was quite touching, but Minglan looked out the window and said slowly, "Is that the old marquis's wish? I don't think so. Didn't anyone take his dying wish seriously?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the lady's expression suddenly changed.
Gu Tingye was never one to swallow his anger. This time, he not only pleaded for mercy on behalf of the Marquis' Mansion, but also had to arrange the funeral for Gu Tingyu. He was so angry and frustrated that he couldn't vent his anger. After the guests left, he simply revealed the whole thing in front of the Jinling and Qingcheng people to vent his anger.
The uncles who had been entrusted with the task were filled with shame and indignation, especially the eldest cousin of the Qingcheng branch, who launched into a tirade on the spot: "When you asked us to hand over the letter, we made all sorts of excuses, saying that we were looking after the property for our nephew Tingye to prevent him from wasting it. Even if our nephew Tingye was absurd and ignorant before, he has become quite successful after becoming a military commander. Why are you still hiding it from us?"
The fourth and fifth rooms were embarrassed and didn't dare to answer. Only Gu Tingyang yelled recklessly: "Uncle was already terminally ill at the time. Who knows if he was in a clear mind? What if he was just getting senile and confused..."
Before he could finish his words, he was met with a look of contempt, and then he was slapped loudly in the face by the Fifth Old Master.
Under the public scrutiny, even the Taifu's stainless steel-like reputation began to fray, even though she had already returned a third of her estate. A sharp-tongued cousin from Jinling, a sister-in-law of the same generation, often compared to the "virtuous and loving" Taifu, finally saw an opportunity to taunt her, "You really think she's a rare stepmother!"
After hearing this, Gu Tingye was very happy and didn't even pay much attention to the fact that the fifth old master later returned the one-third of the property.
Only the fourth old master was thick-skinned and not afraid of the boiling water, and continued to pretend to be stupid.
The lady's expression changed for a moment, and she said sternly, "No matter what, we have to set a date!"
Minglan slowly shifted the tea leaves and said, "You're right, but the Marquis said that breaking ground is no small matter. He wants to personally supervise the work when he's free. He's very busy now, so it won't be too late to talk about it in a few years when he's free."
The old lady gasped, "A few years? Are you kidding me?" Then she flew into a rage, "Where is the face of our Gu family?"
Minglan continued in her calm voice, "Don't worry. The Marquis said this time the construction will be extensive, not just demolishing the wall. The Marquis's Mansion has been around for several generations, and some of the buildings are old. We might as well take this opportunity to renovate the front wall and some other areas."
The lady's eyes flickered. "So, are we going to start construction on the two uncles' houses?"
"I don't know either. I have to listen to the craftsman." Minglan pretended to be confused.
The lady looked at Minglan for a long time with a stern look in her eyes.
Minglan smiled gently and kindly, "Even the imperial edict says 'All matters concerning the combined government offices must be handled with discretion'. Why should you worry? Besides, we're right next door, only half an incense stick of walking time away. If there's anything going on here, just send someone to pass on the message."
The lady's face was uncertain, but Minglan looked at her brightly without showing any strange expression.
"...You're right. There's really no rush."
She stopped talking too much, relaxed her expression, and leaned back on Luohan's bed, chatting about family matters. Minglan also stopped talking and listened to her chat very cooperatively.
This time it passed like this, but Minglan was alert: this bone is very hard, be careful of your teeth.
After that, Minglan lived her life as usual, occasionally checking on Shao's health, bringing some snacks and toys to entertain Xianjie, then managing the household, checking Rongjie'er's homework, politely declining invitations to banquets from other mansions, and staying at home in mourning.
At the beginning of August, they bid farewell to Cai Changbai and his wife with tears. Because they were worried about the lack of medical care and medicine in the poor mountains and remote areas, they left their son and daughter behind. Quan Ge'er stayed in Shou'an Hall to be taught by the old lady, and the little girl was taken care of by Wang.
The official reason was that the old lady was too old to bear the heavy burden, so Wang shared some of the burden.
Qingjie'er was a lovely little girl, the chubby pink baby crawling around with a smile all day long, and she was very lovable, which also soothed Wang's resentful mood. Perhaps it was because she had a place to rest, when Minglan returned to her parents' home one time, she found that Wang had gained weight and become more amiable. She hugged her little granddaughter and was reluctant to let go for a moment.
This is a good thing, conducive to unity and harmony.
These days have been dull and boring, and all recreational activities have stopped. The biggest gain is that Rong Jie'er's poor academic performance, which is as bad as an iceberg in the North Sea, has finally shown signs of melting.
One morning, Minglan tested Rong Jie'er on the third chapter of "Instructions for Women", "Respect and Caution". Rong Jie'er not only recited it all in one breath, but also volunteered hesitantly, saying that she could write it down from memory.
The whole piece was flawless. Though the brushstrokes were still clumsy and stiff, each word was neat and tidy, clearly a testament to her painstaking effort. A few days ago, this little girl had memorized "You Yu Tao Tang" as "Squid Tao Tang." Minglan was both surprised and delighted. Ami Doufu, poor girl, she was practically despairing. At least let the little girl finish studying the "Four Books for Women" before she married off.
Minglan praised her highly on the spot, which made Rong Jie'er's face turn red and she lowered her head in embarrassment. When she took out a pair of exquisite small earrings with crystal plates and rose gold wire buckles from the box as a prize for her, Rong Jie'er tried to suppress her joy and declined, hesitatingly saying: Can you please invite Xian Jie to Chengyuan to stay for two days and have fun?
For the first time, Minglan looked at the child with admiration.
Rong Jie'er was stubborn and restless by nature, and disliked studying. However, it was not easy for her to come to her for her sister's sake. Besides, Minglan also liked sensible and well-behaved girls like Xian Jie'er. Since her father's death, she had endured helplessness and grief at a young age to comfort her widowed mother and strictly discipline the servants in the house, acting like a little adult.
Minglan agreed immediately to take her here to relax, thinking about how to persuade Shao.
Rong Jie'er was overjoyed, and her grades improved dramatically in the next few days. After the little guest came, she was like a thoughtful little host, and every day she took the thin and unhappy Xian Jie'er out to play, sometimes playing chess, sometimes doing patchwork. In ten days, she had solved four nine-link puzzles and added three new seven-piece puzzles. The garden full of blooming summer flowers was intoxicating, and it was their playground.
Minglan was afraid that they would get sunburned if they kept going outside in the hot summer, so she tried to get their attention by focusing on food.
The two sisters went to the pond to pick lotus pods, and then picked out the lotus seeds one by one to make white fungus soup, which was cooled with ice beads and extremely refreshing and delicious. They also picked lotus roots to make rock sugar glutinous rice lotus root slices, and drizzled them with fragrant honey dew, which was quite flavorful... All kinds of summer ice cream can also be sent to the neighboring marquis's mansion as a tribute.
Minglan also built a double swing on a soft patch of grass in Kouxiang Garden, but she specified that it could not be used in the presence of the Sun God. If it violated the rules, it would be immediately dismantled. The girls solemnly agreed. Minglan even had a carpenter build them a large wooden tub, two and a half feet high and five feet square, so they could take a dip inside the house. The ancient girls had never seen such a thing before, and they immediately went wild playing in the water, wearing their bellybands and small clothes, and refused to come out.
As the days went by, Xian Jie'er was still a child after all, and her sorrow did not last long. She gradually became cheerful and a smile appeared on her face. Without the strict rules and constraints of the elders, they were like primary school students on summer vacation, chirping like little sparrows all day long, and the whole Chengyuan suddenly became much more lively.
Children should have playmates.
Minglan was dazed with her chin in her hand, looking at their plumper little faces, slightly tanned, and bright eyes full of health and vitality. She also felt very happy. The little girls, who were not even ten years old, did not need to learn the rules so quickly.
What's more, with Sister Xian around, Sister Rong's grades have improved even better.
The summer was long, and when Minglan and Gu Tingye started to make love again and devoted themselves to the arduous task of making a baby, the lady of the house also resumed her previous activity, actively responding to invitations from various families with her daughter, and often brought Minglan along.
Minglan was very familiar with this kind of visit, as she had attended it before she got married.
Since it concerned her sister-in-law's lifelong event, she couldn't refuse, and considered it a way to expand her social circle. Moreover, the scorching summer heat had a somewhat cooling effect on Miss Gu Tingcan's icy, elegant, and proud face. Perhaps the Lady Dowager felt that having Minglan around would demonstrate the harmony within the Gu family.
But it's a pity that even if Minglan is willing to cooperate, Miss Tingcan is still young and can't pretend to be intimate with Minglan. There are many smart women in the other houses who can see the strangeness and alienation between the sisters-in-law in the Gu family. Even if they are not smart, as long as they are not out of touch with the news, they will know that the Gu family has not yet merged and they still live separately.
This is very intriguing.
In fact, Minglan didn't have much chance to speak. This kind of gathering of noble ladies was quite seniority-oriented. Young ladies who hadn't yet gotten married basically didn't talk much. They had to be "gentle, respectful, taciturn and intelligent." As for a young wife like Minglan, who hadn't given birth yet and had just married into the family, she couldn't appear too lively and dashing.
Minglan had no choice but to sit upright, always maintaining a gentle and shy smile, acting as a beautiful bonsai, and occasionally saying a few words to suit the occasion.
The most annoying thing is that some ignorant people always ask questions like "Why are you still living in an open house?" or "Why don't you move into a separate house?"
Every time this happened, the Lady Dowager would sit by her side lovingly, waiting patiently for Minglan's response. It should be said that she was quite popular, and many people asked similar questions, some out of pure curiosity, others...
"Breaking ground and building a house is no small matter. I've thought about consulting a Feng Shui master and a Geomancer, and calculating the almanac to see when is the best time to start." This was Minglan's response at a tea party at the Marquis Zhongjing's mansion.
The old marquis of Zhongjing Marquisate is the elder brother of General Zheng. Although they separated from the family in their early years, the two families have a very good relationship. The Zheng family has always been cautious and has not been involved in court affairs. In addition, there are two brothers, Zheng Jun and Zheng Xiao, who have taken the right leadership path and are highly appreciated by the emperor.
Regardless of what they thought, after hearing Minglan's explanation, most people would not ask any more questions - after all, it was someone else's family matter. However, there were a few who were quick to speak and said with a smile, "Don't bother with that! It's just a wall."
Minglan said with a worried look on her face, "Alas... I know it's too much trouble. But the Marquis is a soldier, fighting for his fame and reputation. I've always been worried about him. Breaking down walls is a big deal, and it depends on luck, so it's always better to be cautious."
Many of the people present were families of military officers, and they felt a sense of empathy when they heard this. Theoretically speaking, the families of military officers who needed to fight in the battlefield would always go to temples more frequently than the families of civil officials.
Even the normally dignified and solemn Madam Zheng nodded slightly in agreement. Comrade Lao Geng's wife, patting her chest, chanted, "Ms. Gu, what you said is true. I recently invited a celestial master to check the feng shui of my house."
Ever since Old Geng came to Beijing, nothing has gone well for his family, so it's no wonder that Mrs. Geng has doubts.
Once the topic was brought up, the women immediately became interested, discussing which Heavenly Master was most effective, which temple was most popular, and which master had profound Buddhist teachings. Minglan lowered her head and secretly confessed: she had not intentionally promoted Feng Shui superstition.
Everyone was talking excitedly, and the lady's face looked gloomy, but she didn't dare to show it.
A truly dignified and respectable lady wouldn't constantly hound people about their family affairs. Occasionally, when there were impoverished folks who were too ignorant, Minglan would either smile, lower her head, and remain silent, not even bothering to speak. Seeing she didn't want to discuss the subject, they would sometimes change the subject. Occasionally, when she encountered one or two who were particularly unreasonable and nagging, Minglan would glance at the host family.
If the host family can solve the problem, that would be the best. If not, she would just have less contact with them in the future. Basically, there is nothing that cannot be solved.
I think no matter how popular the lady is, she doesn't want to offend Gu Tingye's wife too much.
The most embarrassing time was when I went to the Marquis of Dongchang’s Mansion, the wife’s family’s home.
The daughter-in-law from the side branch who came from nowhere kept pestering Minglan and even mocked her for being "procrastinating and making a mountain out of a molehill".
Minglan showed no mercy to this family and immediately fought back with a cold smile: "This sister-in-law is so enthusiastic. The Marquis and I are not anxious about the trivial matters of repairing the house at other people's homes. Why are you so anxious? It's such a busybody. What kind of family's rules are you in!"
The woman was quite aggressive and was about to start a quarrel. To say anything more to such a person would be degrading. Minglan stood up and left without saying a word; she had no intention of making friends with the Qin family anyway.
The wife of the Marquis of Dongchang, the eldest sister-in-law of the Dowager, saw that the situation was not good and immediately came out to smooth things over, thus making the matter clear; the Dowager did not dare to go too far. She wanted to merge the mansions in the hope of helping Tingcan find a respectable marriage. If they really quarreled, it would be counterproductive.
After observing for a period of time, Minglan basically understood the lady's intentions.
Now she has three candidates for her favorite son-in-law. One is the grandson of the Marquis of Zhongjing, who is also the eldest nephew of the Zheng brothers. He is one year older than Gu Tingcan, with a strong body and handsome appearance, and a heroic and enthusiastic personality. Another is the second son of the Marquis of Changxing, and his mother's family is the legitimate daughter of the Liang family, which has two governors and three scholars in the same family. The third is the third son of the Minister Ge, who is young but has already achieved fame.
When a wealthy family marries a daughter-in-law, especially a daughter of a clan member, they would naturally ask about her character and talent.
The Zheng family was asking about Xiao Shenshi, who was somewhat acquainted with Minglan. She immediately asked, "How would she know? They haven't exchanged many words."
"How could that be?" The Zheng family's eldest son's wife was surprised. "I heard that Madam Gu is quite well-behaved and pays respects every three to five days. You also said that she takes care of the widowed sister-in-law and sympathizes with her niece. How come..."
"Sister-in-law, what are you thinking?" Little Shen smiled angrily. "General Gu is quite good. The emperor gave three snow ginsengs in total, one to my eldest brother and one to him. He also gave them to my widow and the old lady for nourishment. What else can we do? After all, she is just my stepmother. It's that Miss Gu Qi. She usually doesn't come out when Minglan goes to pay her respects, and even if she does, she doesn't say much."
The Crown Prince's wife stopped talking.
The Fu family was concerned about their son's future, so they captured their cousin Fu Qinran and asked him about it.
Fu Qinran was silent for a long time before uttering only one sentence: "Erlang and Seventh Miss are siblings... not very familiar with each other."
Madam Fu was still not giving up and asked again, "What is the girl's personality like?"
Fu Qinran said: "He is good at poetry and calligraphy, and he is good at singing and writing."
The question was about character, and he answered with expertise. Those two sentences were enough. Lord Fu and Madam Fu were quite disappointed.
The Ge family seems to prefer the girl from the Jinghai Marquis family, and is currently hesitating halfway.
In fact, in Minglan's opinion, given Gu Tingcan's personality, it would be better for him to find a man with a less prominent family background. That way, if there is a dispute or quarrel, his parents can come to talk to him, or he can find a husband with a better temper who can tolerate Tingcan's arrogance.
After several contacts, the lady could feel the other party's ambiguity and had to settle for the second best.
In fact, in addition to these three families, there are also very good candidates, such as the family of a general, the family of a governor, and a prominent family in a certain place, but they need to marry far away, which is not ideal.
Unfortunately, those families who are not familiar with or have no relationship with the girl often only look at her outward reputation because they cannot know the girl's character for sure. When they know that Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion is now a two-family residence, they are also a little hesitant.
Minglan was still leisurely, but the lady-in-waiting gradually became restless. She went to pay her respects several times, and Minglan could feel the anxiety hidden under her calm appearance. No matter how she hinted, Minglan pretended not to know.
On several occasions, she almost humbled herself and begged Minglan. Her tone was sad and her motherly heart was so kind that it was really unbearable.
For the first time, Minglan discovered that her heart could be very hard. She had no intention of being soft-hearted and just continued to talk about other things with a pleasant face.
Everyone is responsible for their own choices.
If the Madam chose to treat Gu Tingye like that, she should not regret it today; if Gu Tingcan chose to treat Minglan coldly and ignore her, she should not blame herself for not being able to say good things for her, because she really did not "understand" this sister-in-law.
After all, they are not wronged.
Counting on her fingers, she calculated that the time was almost up. Minglan reported to Gu Tingye that the old lady's attitude had softened. Gu Tingye then signaled the elders of the clan to propose a division of the family.
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