That night, Sheng Hong wanted to have a drink and chat with Sheng Wei, and Wang chatted with Old Madam Sheng for a while. Before dinner, Mother Cui brought Minglan back. Danju and Xiaotao were holding two large bags of gifts, and two servants were carrying a box behind them.
Old Madam Sheng pulled Minglan to her side, rocked her like a little girl for a long time, and said with a smile, "Our Ming girl has struck it rich this time. Tell Grandmother what Uncle sent us."
Minglan hadn't seen it clearly just now. She counted on her little fingers and tried to recall: "There are... gold, satin, beads, bracelets, um... hairpins, hairpins too... um, and, and..." After a long while, she finally couldn't recite it anymore. Old Madam Sheng's eyes rolled back as she listened. She stretched out her finger and tapped Minglan's forehead firmly, scolding with a stern face: "... and, and you, little idiot!"
Minglan's face turned red, and everyone laughed.
As she spoke, the old lady told Cuiping to direct the maid to open the bundles and boxes to take a look - four pieces of the latest Hu satin of various colors, three pieces of Shu brocade of various colors, all of which were extremely bright in luster and colors, two sets of Huizhou's four treasures of the study, a pair of red gold-wrapped agate bracelets, a pair of silver-leaf-wrapped jade bracelets, two pairs of pearl hairpins and gold hairpins, a box each of bright red round coral beads and colorful glass rice beads, five rings of various colors and patterns, and a variety of other girls' gadgets.
Old Madam Sheng frowned and said, "This gift is a bit heavy."
Wang smiled and said, "Uncle said we haven't seen each other for several years, so we might as well catch up." Then she turned and pulled Minglan over and said, "You silly child, they say you have a quick memory, but you can't remember so much? No wonder the old lady calls you a little idiot!"
Minglan giggled awkwardly for a while. She was good at remembering numbers and cases. When Mrs. Sheng heard what Wang said, her eyes flashed with mockery, but she said nothing.
Then Wang smiled at the old lady and said, "Our Ming'er is a kind child. When he first lived with his wife, he never found fault with anything he was given, including clothes and food. He never envied his sisters' things. When Ru'er lived with her, she had food and toys everywhere, but Ming'er never even touched one! No wonder the old lady loves you so much. You are so generous after all."
Old Madam Sheng glanced at Wang and said calmly, "After Hua girl gets married, Madam will have to spend more time and effort to educate the remaining three children. It's not good for a girl to be so superficial, otherwise people will look down on her."
Wang's face immediately lit up with joy, but then Old Madam Sheng said something seemingly completely unrelated: "Ming girl, after you left, Cai'er asked Xiaotao to take the bag of goldfish your uncle gave her. So, did you go and show it off to your sisters?"
Minglan's eyes widened as she replied, "I'm not showing off. I'm sharing this with my sisters."
Wang's expression immediately turned ugly. Old Madam Sheng smiled unpredictably and asked, "Do your sisters want it?"
Minglan shook her head and pouted, "We're all being punished together, so naturally the goldfish should be divided up as well. I asked Xiaotao to take the small ivory scale with her, but Big Sister refused to take it, saying it was given to me by my uncle, and they all had it when they saw him before."
Old Madam Sheng said with satisfaction: "The eldest girl has indeed grown sensible. This time, my nephew has also given her a lot of makeup. We should be content."
Only then did Wang breathe a sigh of relief.
Minglan sighed inwardly. These women in the inner house were full of hooks in their words and deeds, and she would be easily tricked if she was not careful.
After a while, Old Lady Sheng served the meal. Wang usually went back to her room to eat with her daughters, and then she said goodbye and left with the maids and servants. As soon as she left the courtyard of Shou'an Hall, she immediately quickened her pace and hurried to Weiruixuan. Before the maid opened the curtain of the main room, Wang heard Hualan's voice scolding Rulan from inside.
"How can you be so short-sighted? You see Minglan has so many gold ingots and you want to share half of them. Have you never seen gold before?!" Wang's eyelids jumped when she heard Hualan's voice.
"Uncle is confused. You and I are the wife's children. He takes the concubine's daughter seriously. Why should he give her so many gold ingots? They should all be given to us!" Rulan retorted.
Wang's veins bulged at what she heard. She asked Cai Huan and Cai Pei to remain at the door and rushed into the inner room. Pointing at Ru Lan, she shouted, "Shut up, you little bitch! What nonsense are you talking about? Madam Kong should have spanked you a few more times!"
The sisters Hualan and Rulan were sitting on a pair of embroidered crabapple cushions. When they saw Wang come in, they quickly stood up and bowed. Wang grabbed Rulan and said in a deep voice, "Don't ever say that I'm a concubine's daughter again. Have you forgotten your father?"
Rulan's heart suddenly tightened. That's right, Sheng Hong was also a concubine's son. Although she knew she had said the wrong thing, she still refused to accept it. She said, "The gold lockets that my eldest sister and I had were given by the eldest old lady. Concubine Lin had no share in them. Fourth sister's gold locket was given by my uncle and aunt. Didn't mother say that? The eldest old lady hates concubines the most. ... Even if my uncle is looking down on Minglan for my father's sake and giving her some small gifts would be enough. Why is he giving her a gold locket on the left and a bag of goldfish on the right? He's only going to spoil that little girl! I think her gold locket is even more exquisite than mine!"
Wang had a terrible headache and sat down on the couch. Seeing this, Hualan came over and twisted Rulan's arm hard, whispering, "What do you know? The eldest old lady is the best friend of our old lady. Back then, the eldest old lady disliked the fourth sister because of grandmother, and today she's praising the sixth sister because of grandmother! If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for not letting the old lady raise you!"
Wang looked at her eldest daughter lovingly, then turned to Rulan and said, "Your eldest sister is right! I just found out. Originally, your uncle only gave the sixth girl a gold lock. It was because the sixth girl was so likable and served tea and greeted her in a proper and filial manner that your uncle took out a bag of goldfish. But what about you? Don't you think about it? Your uncle always gives you sisters gifts every time he comes home. Hua'er is okay, but every time you see your uncle, he just pretends to be a young lady. He's lazy with words, not attentive, and looks like a spoiled ghost. No one likes him!"
Rulan had never been scolded like this by Wang before. Her face flushed red as she angrily said, "Who wants Uncle to like me? Didn't Mother say that if it weren't for the old lady, she would have been divorced by the old master long ago. If it weren't for my father, how could Uncle have such a huge fortune? Uncle's family has received such a great favor from our family. No matter how much we give them, it's not enough. Why should I please Uncle? He should give me things!"
With a swish, Hualan stood up and shouted sternly: "What nonsense are you talking about? Shut up! If you say another word, I will tear your mouth apart!" Seeing her sister's stern face and anger in her eyes, Rulan stiffened her neck and shut her mouth.
Hua Lan turned to Wang and scolded her, "Mother, you're such a fool! You know my sister is so reckless, yet you dare say such things to her? If she ever gets carried away and starts making up stories, Grandmother and Father will definitely skin you alive! That Lin guy will be even more proud then!"
Wang's head suddenly felt as big as a bucket. She leaned on the couch, holding her forehead, looking like she had suffered a stroke.
Hualan sat down next to Rulan and patiently instructed her younger sister, "It's true that father and grandmother have helped uncle a lot, but now it's Minglan who's being raised by the old lady, and father has more daughters than just you and me. I'll be married soon, and I won't be able to give you any advice then. Ru'er, you have to think more on your own in the future."
Rulan's lips moved, her face stubborn and stubborn. Hualan tried to be more patient. "You and I are from the same mother. Even if we've argued in the past, would your sister really harm you? Don't argue with Molan all the time from now on. That damn girl is always pretending and scheming, and you're bound to suffer. At worst, just don't play with her. If you get bored later, go find your sixth sister. I think she's not a bad person. Although she's younger than you, she's much more prudent than you. It's only been a few days, and the old lady treats her like her own flesh and blood, giving her all the good things. Look how much father loves her these days!"
Rulan lowered her head, pouted disapprovingly, and muttered, "How can they compare to me? They are all illegitimate children, and they have to please and be good to have a place in the family. I was born to the wife."
Hua Lan paused for a moment, "Yes, we are the wife's children, but we must also act like legitimate daughters. We don't want to end up being inferior to illegitimate children!"
…
On the third day of May, the weather was sunny and warm, a good time for getting married. The wedding procession came with music and drums. The Sheng Mansion was also decorated with flowers and red dots everywhere, giving it a festive look. Minglan was woken up by Cui Mama early in the morning to get dressed. She had two round butterfly buns on her head, a pair of gold-threaded hair rings inlaid with red coral beads, and a long red satin coat with a cross collar and gold-thread buttons and a magnolia branch. A part of her satin crepe skirt with moon-white cloud pattern peeked out from her knees. She looked in the mirror, smiled with her chubby cheeks, and a small dimple at the corner of her mouth, looking like a festive doll in a New Year picture.
When they went to Weiruixuan, Minglan saw that Molan and Rulan were also dressed in the same festive red clothes, and they both had the gold lockets given by Sheng Wei hung on their chests with thin gold chains. Then they said goodbye to Hualan in turn.
Mo Lan: "I wish big sister a long life of happiness and prosperity, a long life of silkworms, a beautiful full moon, and a happy marriage."
Ru Lan: "Big sister, I wish you a happy marriage. I hope you and your husband will live happily together, grow old together, and have many children and grandchildren."
Minglan: "...The weather in the capital is dry. Big sister, drink more water. It's good for your skin." She really couldn't think of anything else. Couldn't they leave her a few idioms to say?
Hualan looked at Minglan, blinked, and the tears that had been brewing with great difficulty disappeared.
After Wang had given a few more instructions, a nanny whom Minglan had never seen before came out. She was wearing a dark purple bodice with a floral pattern. Hualan looked at her mother, not quite understanding what was going on. Wang's eyes were a little evasive, and she hesitantly said, "Please ask this nanny to explain the etiquette of marriage to our sister."
With that, he led the group out of Weiruixuan. Minglan immediately understood, letting out a soft sigh. "Isn't that just X-education?" Back then, Yao Yiyi's cousin was dispatched to Africa by his employer to expand business. In his haste, he forgot to bring his spiritual nourishment—a full 10GB of X-rays, which he had his younger cousin mail to him. In keeping with her habit of plucking feathers from a passing goose and the meticulous spirit of a legal practitioner, Yao Yiyi carefully read through them from beginning to end.
It was just like the saying goes - if you can't compose poetry even if you read 300 Tang poems by heart, you will be able to write erotic poems; maybe what she said was more profound and clear than that nanny, but seeing that Molan and Rulan both looked ignorant, Minglan didn't want to appear too wise, so she had to play dumb.
At this time, many ladies had already come outside, so Wang was going to entertain the guests and took the three girls with her to meet the guests. Led by their mother, the three girls made a circle in front of the female guests. Their big red coats reflected their snow-white and delicate little faces, as bright as flowers, attracting everyone's admiration. Some reached out to touch them, and others pulled them to look at them carefully and ask questions.
Sheng Hong had been in office in Dengzhou for only a year, and the Sheng Mansion had little contact with the local officials and gentry. The female guests vaguely knew that only one of the three girls was a legitimate child, but the three of them were dressed in the same way, and Wang Shi was not in a position to point it out in public at this busy time, so the ladies had to touch them according to their own interests; those who liked delicate and elegant girls went to see Molan, and those who liked dignified and proud girls went to see Rulan. Everyone saw that Minglan was the youngest and was very cute, with proper manners and generous behavior, but she was small and round, with short hands and feet, and moved in a delicate and childish manner, which made her very likable, and she was the one who was touched by the most people.
Minglan's little face was touched countless times by these old match girls. Not only could she not cry out for molest, she also had to pretend to be honored to be touched. However, being a child was not all bad. At least Minglan and her friends saw the legendary brother-in-law Yuan Wenshao earlier than the bride.
The groom is twenty years old this year and belongs to the late marriage group. He is healthy and handsome, with a fair face and beard, but he probably shaved it off last night, so only a light blue color is visible on his cheeks. He looks like a crane and a mantis in his bright red wedding dress, with bright eyes and steady manners. Standing next to his father-in-law Sheng Hong, who is in his thirties but gentle and fair-skinned, they look more like peers.
Wang held Yuan Wenshao's hand and looked him up and down for about half an incense stick of time. She didn't let go of his hand until her son-in-law's face became numb. Then she continued to give him some advice such as "please bear with me" for another half an incense stick of time.
After the ceremony, Yuan Wenshao took the bride on board, accompanied by his uncle Sheng Wei and his elder brother Sheng Changbai. Wang cried so hard at the gate of Sheng's house that her three handkerchiefs were wet, and Sheng Hong's eyes were also a little sore.
That day, more than a dozen banquet tables were set up in the Sheng Mansion, and dozens more were added to the famous Hongbin Building in Dengzhou. The party was lively and lively until midnight when the guests finally left. In ancient times, children had no place to participate in nightlife. Minglan had been taken back to Shou'an Hall by her mother. The chubby girl covered her mouth with her hands and yawned continuously. After Danju and Mother Cui put her to bed, Mrs. Sheng and her granddaughter lay in bed together, listening to little Minglan talk about the situation outside the wedding. As they listened, Mrs. Sheng suddenly said, "Ming'er, recite a poem about marriage to Grandmother."
Minglan had recently been studying the Book of Songs. After a moment's thought, she chose the simplest poem and recited it aloud: "The peach tree is young and tender, its blossoms radiant; the son is marrying, a fitting family. The peach tree is young and tender, its fruits abundant; the son is marrying, a fitting family. The peach tree is young and tender, its leaves lush and dense; the son is marrying, a fitting family."
"Ming'er, you recited it really well." In the darkness, Old Madam Sheng seemed to sigh softly, her voice tinged with sadness, as if she were muttering to herself, "Ming'er, you know that when Grandmother was young, her favorite was 'Bai Zhou'. She recited it morning and night. But now I think it's not as good as 'Tao Yao'. If a woman can truly be like a peach tree in her life, blooming brightly with peach blossoms and smoothly bearing abundant peach fruits, that would be a true blessing."
Minglan was so sleepy that she didn't hear what her grandmother said. She vaguely thought she was talking about planting peaches, so she answered in a daze, "...The peach tree is fine. If it doesn't bear peaches, it must be because the soil is bad. Just plant it somewhere else, add soil, fertilizer, and water it again. It will eventually bear fruit. Unless the peach tree dies, you have to keep planting..."
When Mrs. Sheng first heard this, she was stunned, but then she smiled after thinking about it. When she went to see her granddaughter again, she found that the little chubby girl had fallen into a deep sleep. Her little face was white and rosy, her little mouth was pouting, and she was snoring softly. The old lady looked at her granddaughter's sleeping face lovingly and patted her gently.
…
That night, Wang drank a bowl of soothing soup and fell asleep in a daze, full of worry about her daughter. The drunk Sheng Hong was helped to Linqi Pavilion by someone that Aunt Lin had arranged in advance. There, she had prepared sour soup to sober up and a hot towel. After falling asleep, the two of them made love. Aunt Lin saw that Sheng Hong was in a good mood. According to her experience, Sheng Hong was particularly easy to talk to at this moment, so she started to speak as she had prepared.
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