The next morning, after sending the two girls off to school, Minglan ordered breakfast. Mornings were always busy for a young mother, but because her parents had been preoccupied with a fight between goblins the previous night, the little meatball had waited for a long time, and when no one paid any attention to her, she got angry with her belly puffing up, and argued with her wet nurse for most of the night, refusing to go to sleep. As a result, she was actually fast asleep.
Minglan was bored, biting her spoon and poking the fried soft cake in front of her with her chopsticks until it was like a honeycomb. The bowl of porridge in front of her was slightly cold, and she hadn't finished it yet. At this time, someone outside announced that there were guests. Minglan woke up and hurriedly got up.
"...You are such a rare guest, Fifth Sister. I've been looking forward to your arrival. Come and sit down. Since you are a frequent visitor, please don't be so polite."
Minglan looked at the newly renovated Rulan in front of her in surprise. It was early winter and the cold was not yet noticeable, but she was already wearing a bright red silver mouse satin coat with hundreds of butterflies on it. A large red gold hairpin inlaid with rubies was pressed on her intricate double-winged phoenix bun. There were jingling drunken green jade pendants at her ears, and a pair of heavy gold bracelets inlaid with beads hung on her wrists. For a moment, the whole room was filled with the shimmering light of her pearls.
After coming to her senses, Minglan quickly ordered the maids to get tribute tea to entertain the guests.
Rulan pouted lightly: "You are a noble marquis' wife. I dare not ask you to come to my thatched cottage, so I had to come here by yourself." Minglan raised her eyebrows and said with a smile: "Didn't you tell me to come to your place less often last time? You said it would avoid trouble with your mother-in-law and sisters-in-law." Rulan reacted as quickly as before: "I was just being polite, but you took it seriously and are trying to stop me here." Minglan was blunt: "Come on, you swore that you were serious at that time." The two sisters were very familiar with each other in their exchanges.
Hualan rushed out to stop them: "Stop it, you guys! We haven't even sat down yet and you're already bickering! You're all so old, mothers, and yet you're still acting like little girls." She turned to a young wife behind Rulan and said, "Xi Que, hurry up and bring Gui Jie here for her Sixth Aunt to see... And Danju, stop standing there! Hurry and get Tuan Ge'er here. Oh, poor little cousins! They haven't even met each other yet."
Rulan then sat down reluctantly and pointed at Xi Que to bring the child over. Minglan smiled and sat down too.
Compared to Hualan, Ruolan has almost never been to the Gu Mansion. If Minglan goes to visit her, she thinks her own house is too simple and is afraid of being compared, so she doesn't want Minglan to go there too often; but if she is invited to Chengyuan, looking at the magnificent style and rich furnishings of the Marquis' Mansion, she will feel uncomfortable and her throat will feel sour - it's a very subtle and tangled mentality.
Xi Que took the child from the arms of the old woman behind her. The little girl was quite temperamental and said loudly, "I can walk by myself." Xi Que smiled and helped her walk over. She moved unsteadily like a little duck. Although her steps were a little crooked, they were steady. What was rare was that she was not afraid or shy when meeting so many strangers, and she was very confident and at ease.
Today, Ruolan brought her daughter to visit. Minglan was not prepared at all. She smiled and winked at Danju. Danju understood and went into the house to find a brand new bright red purse. She put a warm and precious white jade toad in it. After thinking for a while, she took out a string of small gold ingots and a small lacquered plate with crabapple leaves and went outside.
At this time, Minglan had already carried the little girl to sit on a small stool and was asking gently, "You are so pretty. What's your name?" The little girl had delicate features, a fair and rosy face, and a red bean-sized cinnabar mark on her brow. She sat upright on the stool, looking as cute as a clay doll. She said clearly, "My name is Guijie'er."
Minglan touched her delicate little face, took the thing that Danju held up, and said kindly, "This is for you to play with." The little girl turned her head obediently and tilted her head to look at her mother. Seeing Ruolan nodded, she stretched out a pair of white jade-like hands to take it, and said naively, "Thank you, Sixth Aunt." Her voice was childish and cute. Minglan liked it very much. She asked someone to bring her some snacks, and asked her who she usually played with, what she liked to eat, and what she liked to do. Guijie couldn't organize long sentences well, but her pronunciation was very clear.
"They are cousins after all. This child looks a bit like Zhuang Jie'er, so well-behaved and sensible." Minglan turned her head and sighed.
Hua Lan was blowing on the tea and could not help but sigh, "When girl Zhuang was this old, I had a hard life and her grandmother didn't like me. She was smart because of what she learned. How could she compare to this child? Her parents love her like their own flesh and blood. She is treated with respect and worship in the whole house. Her grandmother and aunt don't dare to look down on her, yet she is still so polite and generous." She shook her head repeatedly as she spoke.
Over there, Rulan was hugging Tuan Ge'er and kissing his little face non-stop. Upon hearing this, she looked up and said angrily, "Look at what Big Sister said. My mother-in-law is not easy to deal with. Today she picks a little, tomorrow she rubs a little, and she wants to scrape more from me. If I hadn't been so vigilant, who knows how much would have been left... Oh, this kid, he's still sleeping. He won't wake up even after all this time."
Since she herself gave birth to a daughter, she was very fond of boys. She felt that Tuan Ge was chubby and different from the delicate and petite girls in every way. He felt heavy in her arms, like a soft weight, which made her feel both heavy and at ease.
Minglan laughed and said, "Last night was very noisy and I didn't sleep for half the night. Look, I'm sleepy now."
Tuan Ge'er was a good sleeper. No matter how he was carried, he would always sleep with his head tilted to one side. Hua Lan stretched her neck to take a look and saw the plump, white baby sleeping soundly and swaying from side to side in the bright red swaddling clothes. She couldn't help but laugh, "This child is really steady. My two boys wake up at the slightest movement. Mothers all say that such boys are difficult to raise and need to be carefully watched at all times."
Married women usually have a few topics to discuss at gatherings, and Minglan was no exception. After the wet nurse took Tuan'er away, she asked Xiaotao to take Gui'er away to play. The three sisters closed the door and chatted for a long time about childcare and family matters. As they talked, Minglan kept looking over. She saw Rulan dressed in luxurious clothes and with a rosy complexion, thinking she was living a good life.
However, she is still not as good as Hualan.
This mother of three, now in her late thirties, seems increasingly healthy and radiant, her complexion radiant, her lips rosy, and her eyes brimming with delicate charm. It's said that the thirties are a turning point for women; if they don't navigate this hurdle well, they'll quickly wither, becoming old and withered. But if they manage well, they'll blossom like evergreen flowers, their fragrance ever more intense.
A simple jacket with indigo flowers embroidered on a white background, a plain embroidered skirt, and no jewelry, all made Hualan look radiant and brilliant, surpassing Rulan, who was covered in jewels, by several streets.
"...Not just her nose and eyes, this girl is like her father in every way. She can read and recite songs, and she can do it after just two lessons. Alas, she's smart, but she's not a bit like me. It makes me so angry and depressed." They had said everything they needed to say, and when they were almost done chatting, they heard Rulan showing off proudly for the nth time. Hualan interrupted and said, "Alright, let's not get down to business."
Rulan was interrupted, but she wasn't angry. Instead, her face lit up with pride. She turned to Minglan and said, "I'm afraid your brother-in-law will be sent away." Minglan was startled, but without thinking, she blurted out, "But to Fujian?" This time it was Rulan's turn to be surprised: "How did you know?" Minglan reacted quickly, waving her hand and smiling, "I heard from the Marquis that there was a minor corruption case in Fujian recently. The Emperor has dismissed many officials, so I guess there are many vacancies."
Hualan glanced at Minglan in surprise: "Brother-in-law tells you everything." Minglan retorted with a chuckle: "Oh, what would brother-in-law hide from me?" Hualan smiled and glanced at her: "Naughty!"
The conflict in the officialdom of Huaibei and Huainan has now reached a fever pitch, with the two factions battling each other for days and nights. As is customary in battles, when a stalemate develops on the main battlefield, cannon fodder often appears elsewhere. This was the case with the recently deposed Fujian Provincial Governor. He had served in Fujian for many years, and his connections were extensive. The major cannon fodder brought with him many smaller ones, creating a chaotic mess and causing a great deal of chaos in the officialdom of southern Fujian.
Being able to leave her mother-in-law and take charge of the household freely, Rulan couldn't hide her joy. "They said it was about Fujian, so we can't leave it behind. But it doesn't matter. My elder brother and his wife have also come through that remote area. I can make it through if I grit my teeth."
Minglan sincerely congratulated: "It's a great thing to be able to go out and see the scenery of the world. Fifth sister, I would like to congratulate you in advance."
Rulan was delighted and accepted it generously, saying with a smile, "Thanks to everyone, I'll bring you some local customs from southern Fujian later." She wrinkled her nose playfully and snorted, "Thank goodness your brother-in-law has made up his mind, otherwise that old pious man..." Seeing Hualan glaring at her, she quickly changed the subject, "My mother-in-law wants me to stay and serve her!"
Minglan bit her lip and said with a mischievous smile, "Brother-in-law is so thoughtful. How can we separate our fifth sister from our son when he's not even born yet?" Rulan blushed shyly and went to hit Minglan with a smile. Hualan smiled and joked, "Do you think it's better to have a daughter now? If it was a boy, either the mother-in-law would insist on keeping the eldest daughter-in-law, or the grandmother would insist on keeping the eldest grandson!"
Ru Lan said in a delicate voice, "When did I ever think your sister was bad? Sister, you are such a jerk!"
"Don't tell anyone about this." After laughing and joking for a while, Rulan grabbed Minglan's collar and repeatedly warned her, "We don't know if it will work yet. If it doesn't, you'll be laughed at later!" Minglan nodded her head like a woodpecker before Rulan let her go. She turned around and glared at her elder sister, "Don't tell anyone either! Your brother-in-law said you should be careful in everything you do."
Hua Lan deliberately didn't answer, but instead said with a joking smile: "Tsk tsk tsk, my brother-in-law is really capable. He pressed the Monkey King under the Five Elements Mountain. My unruly fifth sister is so obedient now?!"
Ruolan was so embarrassed and angry that she was about to rush over again. Minglan quickly hugged her arms and coaxed her, "Don't pay attention to your elder sister. She is the most hateful. Recently, she has been taking advantage of her close relationship with your elder brother-in-law to make fun of your younger sisters!" Just kidding, Danju, who is so simple-minded, served the tea set for the guests this time. It was the top-grade precious porcelain just produced by the Songxi Imperial Kiln. There was only this set in the whole mansion. If Ruolan was so reckless as to drop a few of them, she would have no place to cry.
Seeing that her sister was really angry, Hua Lan smiled and tried to comfort her: "Okay, don't be angry, sister. Yesterday your brother-in-law got some fresh mushrooms from outside the city. They are delicious when made into soup or dishes. I'll give them to you to try later."
Seeing her elder sister give in, Rulan relaxed reluctantly. However, Minglan remembered something and asked suspiciously, "Hey, didn't my eldest brother-in-law just go with the chief clerk of the Imperial Household Department to pick horses for the Five Cities Army a few days ago? He's back so soon?" Just three days ago, Hualan came running to her with a look of amorous desire and lamented the "pain of separation from husband and wife."
"Nothing, your brother-in-law went home last night." Hualan tried her best to act nonchalant. This time, Rulan, who was naive, also heard something was wrong: "Is the ranch at Taipu Temple very close to the capital?"
Hua Lan smiled sweetly, her fair face stained with rouge, and she said softly, "There are a few merchants from outside the city doing business there. Your brother-in-law saw that the mushrooms were of excellent quality, so he bought some and sent them back."
Minglan understood what was going on and deliberately said in a strange tone, "Just ask a servant to escort it back. Why bother going all this way yourself?"
"I said so too, but your brother-in-law..." Hua Lan was both shy and proud, but she was born with an open and honest character and said everything frankly, "He rode his horse here all night long. He didn't say a few words and had to rush back in a hurry, for fear of missing the job." As she spoke, she laughed.
"I've traveled for hours just to see you?" Rulan was puzzled. "Brother-in-law has never seen you?"
Hua Lan's voice seemed to float in the clouds, so soft that it was almost inaudible: "He said that suddenly he wanted to see me..."
Minglan, having heard so much, calmly held her teacup and gazed at the rooftops. Hualan was indeed Wang's daughter, her flaunting nature undying. Furthermore, love in middle age is like a fire in an old house; once it's out of control, it's out of control. This couple, married for over a decade, suddenly fell head over heels in love, a rare, occasional, major fire.
如兰却是头一次见识，瞠目结舌的不行，前几次王氏跟小女儿抱怨大女儿的种种不肖时，她还觉着王氏无理取闹，这下她算是明白了。话说，华兰眼下这幅爱的旁若无人，天上地下，难分难舍的模样，确蛮欠揍的。
"Your brother-in-law and I are a loving couple, but we're not like your sister. It's so embarrassing!" Rulan thought for a moment and then asked doubtfully, "Then why are you still taking a concubine to your brother-in-law?"
Hua Lan glanced over and said, "Your brother-in-law often has to travel outside. It's freezing cold, and there's no one to heat up the food or bring hot water. How can I do that? I'd feel at ease if I could pick someone honest and dutiful to accompany him on the road. Do you think everyone is as jealous as you? When you heard that your brother-in-law wanted to take a concubine, you ran out crying in the rain with your belly bulging. Fortunately, you're strong enough that nothing happened!"
"Oh, there is such a thing?!" Minglan was very excited, gossip came!
Rulan was furious: "Don't listen to her nonsense!"
The three sisters talked, pushed, pulled, and laughed for a long time. Minglan then invited Shao Shi to come out, prepared a table of food, and poured some good wine. The four girls ate and laughed together until half past noon, when Hualan and Rulan got up to say goodbye. Guijie was so sleepy that she lay on the back of Xi Que, rubbing her eyes with her little fists.
As soon as the sisters got in the car, Hualan quickly leaned back on the cushion. She had been happy these past few days and had drunk quite a bit. Now that she was drunk, she started to ramble: "Sister, listen to me. When you and your brother-in-law take up your post outside, you must do your duty and stop interfering in official business. You were young then and didn't know that mother suffered a great loss because of this. You listened to other people's flattery, took advantage of them, and forced father to do this and that..."
Rulan leaned against the wall of the car, swaying gently with the rhythm of the shaking wheels, as if she had fallen asleep: "Don't worry, sister, I won't follow my mother's old path." The words were very soft, and I don't know if Hualan heard it.
…
The Shao family had been lonely and desolate for a long time, but suddenly it became lively. Hualan Rulan was cheerful and talkative, so she enjoyed the dinner very much. She kept muttering, "The girls from your Sheng family are really amazing. I invite you to come and visit us often."
Minglan smiled and accompanied the half-drunk Shao all the way back to get rid of the smell of alcohol. When she returned to her own room, she saw Tuan Ge'er lying on the kang with his eyes wide open, looking very sober. Minglan wanted to pretend that she didn't see it and quickly turned around to take a nap, but the little meat ball's eyes were very bright. When he saw his mother, he immediately babbled and opened his little arms to ask for a hug.
Minglan held her son and lay down on the bed. Even the reek of alcohol couldn't get rid of the little boy, so she had to pat him and tease him: "You didn't sleep when I told you to, and you slept soundly when you shouldn't have. It's rare that your fifth aunt came, and you didn't even open your eyes. Now that your mother is tired, you're more lively... Is my little cousin pretty? She's so well-behaved, and it's just you, a little bastard, who doesn't listen..."
Thinking of the private conversation between the sisters just now, her thoughts slowly drifted away.
Perhaps Hualan was the idealistic woman of the ancient world. Taking a concubine to serve her husband was both a way to enhance her reputation and enhance her status. These days, acquiring a few concubines was like buying a car. A respectable man would be embarrassed to go out without a car worth over a hundred thousand yuan. As long as they stayed out of the spotlight and didn't cause trouble, it wouldn't matter at all. For example, Madam Zheng and General Zheng were a rare harmonious couple, yet they still had two or three concubines and three or five illegitimate children.
The Sheng family is a little special.
Because of the huge uproar that Ms. Lin had stirred up within the Sheng family, the women of the Sheng family were inherently wary of concubines. Hua Lan had completely eliminated all the women that Madam Yuan had initially forced her into the family. The only ones left were either substandard items, purely for show, or those she could firmly control.
But Rulan and Hualan are different. Around the time of her birth, Aunt Lin was having everything she wanted in the Sheng family; her biological mother was gritting her teeth like a witch every day; and she had a half-sister who was about the same age as her, who was more beautiful and talented than her. She was loved by her father and had a favored mother, who almost took away all the glory that belonged to her as a legitimate daughter.
No one knew how hurt the little girl had been. Today, the three sisters gathered together, laughing and chatting, feeling extremely comfortable, but no one mentioned Molan at all, including Minglan herself; they were willing to forget, but they could not easily forgive.
But Rulan was also fortunate. After repeated setbacks and criticism in her youth, she finally learned to control her temper and—in addition—to think. The maid from the Wen family had served Wen Yanjing since she was a child. When Rulan became pregnant, Old Lady Wen, citing her son's lack of care, proposed taking the maid in as a concubine. This was a logical decision.
But Rulan suddenly woke up and immediately realized that this was absolutely impossible. Even if her master had never developed any romantic feelings for a maid like her, the affection they had for her since childhood was still very significant. The key point was that she was difficult to completely control.
Rulan was calmer than ever before. She did not make a fuss, but played the role of a pitiful soldier.
From Wang, Rulan learned that the power of her natal family can intimidate anyone, even her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law, but it can never be used to force her husband; and from Aunt Lin, she learned to show weakness and to talk about feelings. She must talk about feelings.
Crying in the rain, she was just a jealous and confused little woman, deeply in love with her husband and unable to extricate herself. She was afraid that her husband would change his mind, and she didn't know what to do. She forgot all the rules and etiquette, and could only hide in the rain and cry like a child.
Wen Yanjing was indeed deeply moved. He felt that he was lucky to have been married off and would never let down such deep affection. The next day, he personally arranged for the girl to marry off. After that, he even didn't touch Ruolan, who chose a maid from her dowry as his concubine.
Rulan triumphed decisively in this battle. In her husband's eyes, she was a beloved and virtuous wife. Though deeply distressed, she felt sorry for her husband's lack of care, so she forced herself to endure the pain and take him a concubine. But in the eyes of outsiders, wasn't this simply taking a concubine? How could she be considered a jealous woman?
Old Lady Wen had some issues with the new concubine's appearance. The maids and wives that the Sheng family had brought as dowries were no pushovers either—concubines were taken for the purpose of procreating offspring and serving their masters, and health and kindness were paramount. Why would she want a beautiful, flirtatious woman who could charm men? Why not go to a brothel and pick one? She had interrupted the young master's ambition to study and advance, and I wondered what the old lady was up to!
The Wen family was originally a simple farming clan. When the rumors spread to the clan, even the sisters-in-law, uncles, and aunts were indignant (it was not easy for a clan to have a scholar), and they all said that Mrs. Wen was getting confused. Mrs. Wen was furious, but she could only give up.
And for a concubine whose bond was held in trust, whose parents and brothers' lives were in Rulan's hands, who was afraid of her causing any trouble?!
After so many years of bumps and bruises, the reckless girl in my memory who had a red face and clenched fists but could never beat her smart sister, the clumsy girl who only knew how to act domineeringly, has now realized and knows how to use scheming.
Minglan felt a little melancholy, as if the most innocent part of herself was gradually lost.
In a patriarchal society, men create rules and regulations, constraining women into a complex mold. If women want to survive within this mold, and thrive within it, they must abandon the image God has given them. Through repeated polishing and tempering, they become smooth, coquettish, worldly, and charming, twisting themselves into a shape that fits this mold.
As she thought about it, Minglan suddenly smiled.
Baoyu would certainly disagree with my resentment and my feeling of being injustice for women. As a man, he refused to assimilate, so he could only become a monk. Think about it, in this world, it is not only women who are like this, how can men do whatever they want?
It was because Gu Tingye killed the hot-tempered and willful Erlang that he became the Marquis Gu of today.
There is also the gentle and handsome boy who likes to use flower petals as bookmarks and smiles at himself in the drizzling spring rain. I heard that he is about to become a father. Now he acts more and more experienced and is appreciated by several elders.
At this moment, if he passes by the drooping branches again, he will probably not stop for even a step; he will cut off the naive, hesitant and wavering part of himself; he will decisively brush away the petals falling on his shoulders and walk forward firmly.
The officialdom is like the Shura Road, with demons rampant everywhere. Wade naked through the fires of purgatory, either burning to ashes or tempered into steel...
I woke up in a daze, and saw Gu Tingye's light brown face in front of me. The ridges at the corners of his eyebrows were as sharp as a cold moon, and as solemn as ink. I don't know when he came in. He knelt on one leg on the ground, half-circled his arms around himself, staring at me quietly, with deep eyes.
"Have you had some wine?" The man's voice was deep, like the knocking of my grandmother's agarwood fish when I was a child.
Minglan nodded, her head still dizzy. She turned her head instinctively, only to see that the little meat ball was tired from playing, with its arms spread out in a surrender gesture, and it was sleeping soundly. It had even kicked off one of its thick socks, revealing its chubby little feet.
"What did you dream about? Why are you crying so sadly?" His fingertips brushed across her face, leaving behind a wet feeling.
Minglan looked at the exquisitely carved bedside, and suddenly felt a sense of suffocation for no reason. She turned around, with her back to him, and whispered, "I forgot..."
Gu Tingye was stunned for a moment, then hugged her close to his back, pressing against her neck, his warm and moist breath on her skin: "Are you feeling unwell?"
Minglan didn't want to talk, and curled up like a shrimp: "No discomfort."
Gu Tingye frowned, stretched out his hand to twist her face, and continued to ask: "Your sisters came to drink, what did they say to make you unhappy?"
Perhaps it was the alcohol that made her bolder, Minglan was so annoyed that she pulled the big hand off her chin and got angry: "What are you doing? You came back drunk and I asked you questions endlessly." When he was upset, she never asked any questions, but just listened quietly or gave him gentle advice. How considerate she was.
There was some interest in Gu Tingye's eyes, his arms clasped tighter, and he asked questions in a gentle voice.
"Did you sisters have a quarrel?"
"No."
"Did your eldest sister scold you?"
"My Lord, please ask me to be quiet for a while!"
"Your fifth sister owes you money and she won't pay it back?" The voice was filled with laughter.
"You're so annoying!"
When did she start crying because someone didn't pay back the money they borrowed? Minglan was so angry that she felt dizzy and her head was swollen. The smell of alcohol was rising up, and her mind was getting more and more confused. She wanted to kick him off the bed!
One was shaking with anger, the other was overjoyed. The little meat ball in the corner of the bed was still sleeping in a big letter shape, with his little belly rising and falling, soundly sleeping, completely unaware of what had happened. He was really born with a lucky life.
The couple's quarrel lasted until dusk. Minglan didn't even remember how she had dinner. She was sent to bed in a daze. After a lot of wild play, Gu Tingye took Minglan to take a bath. After that, he actually had the energy to pick up the little girl.
It was late at night and the gong struck the hour of Chou. Minglan was exhausted and hugged a pillow, watching Gu Tingye beside her playing with his son with great interest. He had slept too much during the day, and now Tuan Ge'er was full of energy again, kicking his little feet and making a lot of noise.
"Why are you crying?" He actually still remembered.
Minglan was now fully awake, her thoughts organized, and she spoke succinctly, "Sisters, you've all grown up and become more sophisticated. It's better to be like when we were little, playing around and messing around. That's true nature."
Gu Tingye pulled out his son's chubby hand that was about to reach into his mouth and said with a smile: "Silly girl, you have to grow up. Is it true that playing around as a child is the true nature?"
He lifted the little meatball in his arms lightly, held it in front of Minglan, and said jokingly, "If this kid keeps getting into trouble, beating up the son of the East Family today and slapping the son of the West Family tomorrow, do you think that's his true nature?"
The little chuckled with delight, revealing his bare pink gums dotted with a few newly emerged white spots, completely unaware that he was being used as a negative example. Minglan's mind immediately conjured up classic images of those dandy young men, and she frowned delicately, "How can that be possible?!"
"It's good that you know." Gu Tingye scratched Minglan's upturned nose. "The so-called true nature is to do what should be done, do what should be done, hate evil as an enemy, and distinguish right from wrong. Since when did ignorant nonsense become considered true nature?"
Minglan was silent for a moment, then whispered, "That's not what I meant. I meant, there's no need to hide it. Just do what you want to do..."
"Don't talk nonsense." Gu Tingye interrupted, lecturing seriously, "People are born ignorant. As they grow older, they learn principles, understand right and wrong, and understand the world. Naturally, they realize that there are many things they shouldn't do. A three-year-old child, when he sees someone's delicious food, will reach out and take it, and he still finds it interesting. If a seven-foot-tall man is tempted by someone's money and asks for it, is that his true nature? Knowing that someone is suffering from a hidden illness, but speaking out without hesitation?"
If that were the case, Ximen Qing was quite genuine, and he was so resolute in stealing other people's wives. Minglan nodded, feeling much more relieved. Suddenly, she thought of something, and she was about to laugh: "Then... slapping someone in the face, couldn't that be one of the Marquis's great achievements as a child?"
"Sorry for the poor performance. Thanks for the compliment." Gu Tingye said without hesitation.
So upright, so bright! Minglan rolled her eyes in disappointment.
The baby's burst of energy didn't last long. After kicking and rolling around in his father's strong arms for a while, the little boy began to feel sleepy. Gu Tingye carefully laid his son flat on the bed and said softly, "Words speak louder than words. As an elder, you must first straighten yourselves so that the children can learn well."
Minglan was stunned for a moment, and immediately showed great respect for him. The man in front of her suddenly became taller. Who says that only mother's love is great? Those fathers who quit smoking and drinking early and work hard to save money for their children are also amazing.
"Don't dwell on it. Don't take to heart how smooth and sophisticated people are out there." Gu Tingye stroked the little meatball's soft hair, looked up at Minglan, and said firmly, "As long as our family is together and our hearts are in the same place, that's better than anything else."
A family.
Minglan's eyes were hot, she lowered her head and hummed softly.
…
It has almost become Minglan's habit to guess the boss's thoughts, but recently she has become a little unsure about Gu Tingye.
When she was gentle and docile, he wasn't necessarily happy; when she lost her temper, he wasn't particularly angry. Many times, even when her words and actions were impeccable and she was doing everything right, he would look at her as if she owed him two hundred yuan and didn't pay him back; and when she threw tantrums that bordered on unreasonable, he would instead be very patient and considerate, trying to comfort her and cheer her up.
How strange! This man had clearly admired her for her understanding of the bigger picture. Could it be that his tastes had changed, no longer liking the virtuous type, but now favoring the unruly and strong? Minglan suddenly felt the importance of keeping up with the times.
Time passed quickly, and the temperature was getting colder day by day. Danju started to heat the house with floor heating. She asked people to bring out various incense burners and warming cages from the warehouse, polished them one by one, and brought them into the house. She also personally wiped the colorful enamel hand warmer and white jade hand warmer that Minglan loved to use.
The needlework had finished making new winter clothing for the mansion. The servants and maids each received a thick cotton winter jacket, a thin fine cotton jacket, and two pairs of thick cotton trousers. The moment they felt the fragrant, soft cotton and cloth, they knew they were made of the finest material, likely costing more than two or three ordinary winter coats. The steward of the outer courtyard and the housekeeper's wife in the inner residence each had a custom-made satin robe from the renowned Xiangyunzhai shop in Beijing. The maids who served the master, including the one in Lingding Pavilion, were also given bright, new satin jackets, according to their respective shares.
The chief steward, Hao Dacheng, came to the Jiaxi Residence specifically to express his gratitude: "The brothers asked me to come and kowtow to the madam. The madam treats us servants very kindly. We all remember her and will definitely work twice as hard in the future."
The jobs around the New Year are the most lucrative. Some time ago, the purchasing department purchased hundreds of kilograms of silver thread and fine charcoal alone. Minglan kept an eye out early on and lived up to everyone's expectations by catching a few rogues. Some of them were greedy for benefits, while others accepted kickbacks. Among them, there were two who were the most generous. One secretly embezzled a lot of public goods, and the other designated several stores to buy them. They dared to bring in any inferior goods, and the money they reported was extremely false.
The two stewards' forefathers were longtime servants of the Gu family, full of confidence and pomp. If they were treated poorly, they would clamor to "cry for the master." Minglan had been laying out her net for a long time, waiting for them. Tu Erye tried his hand at the investigation, and after a few attempts, he had thoroughly investigated the matter. Minglan waved her hand and, with a smile, ordered them to be arrested.
The little meatball, sprawled on the kang, thought something good had happened, its eyes wide open and sparkling. Xiaotao hugged the little ball with pity, but he still didn't understand his beloved mother. Minglan, squatting by the pond, smiling, waiting for a fat fish to bite, was exactly like this. Of course, the fish was still eaten, made into soup, braised, deep-fried...
First, they questioned the family directly. The first family quickly admitted their guilt and pleaded guilty. The whole family, young and old, lay on the ground, howling and wailing for a long time. The elder woman personally beat her son with a stick, begging for mercy. Minglan decided to magnanimously forgive them and showed them a generous "mercy," rewarding them with money and letting the whole family leave the house. The other family was sharp-tongued, pretending to be honest and pitiful, but in fact they were making excuses for their mistakes. They even brought out the old woman who had served Gu Tingye's grandmother to threaten them.
Only after Minglan presented witnesses and evidence, leaving the family with no defense left, did they relent. Minglan was no longer polite to this treacherous slave, and she punished him with both new and old offenses, either selling him off or beating him. Because the capital was a crowded place with many gossipers, and they knew a little about the Gu family's inner workings, Minglan was cautious and didn't hastily expel them. Instead, she sent them all to the farm.
Both had once been powerful stewards, one able to open a grocery store and acquire a few acres of fertile land, becoming a moderately wealthy family. The other, however, had been completely plundered, their property and valuables confiscated, leaving them with no idea of their future. These two starkly different punishments, seemingly soft but ultimately harsh, shocked the servants and maids of the old mansion, making them even more hesitant to underestimate the young mistress of the household.
The colder the weather, the less happy Tuan Ge'er was. He was learning to roll over. His upper body could already twitch, and his legs kicked vigorously, but his little butt was incredibly plump, weighing him down. His face flushed crimson, but he still couldn't roll over. It was cold, and he was bundled up so tightly, bulging like a fat pig. It was difficult to move, which doubled the difficulty, and of course, even harder to roll over.
The little meatball was quite resilient. He toiled tirelessly for a long day, but alas, the revolution was still only half successful. Little Shen had just come to visit, carrying a large basket and saying she wanted to show Minglan something new. General Zheng, fearing his wife would be bored, had specially brought a recently weaned puppy. It was the size of a palm, with pale yellow fur speckled with red, soft paws, and barely any teeth. It wiggled its head adorably.
Despite his short legs and small body, he rolled around very skillfully, one roll after another. Tuan Ge'er, who was lying on the kang, was originally watching with great joy, but when he saw this, his little mouth twisted inexplicably, and he let out a wow, crying very sadly. Little Shen was frightened, and she covered her chest and asked in surprise, "What's wrong with the child?"
Minglan was silent - probably, her self-esteem was hurt.
When Gu Tingye returned home that night, he found his son listless and unhappy, so he asked what was wrong. Minglan smiled and imitated him, but Gu Tingye suddenly became indignant. How could Xiao Shenshi do this? It hurt the child's feelings so much! She didn't mean it.
Minglan: ...I was shot in the pit too.
Xiao Shen's retribution soon came.
After the shock, she returned home feeling a tightness in her chest, retching and unable to eat. The Zheng family sent for a doctor, who diagnosed her as two or three months pregnant. General Zheng was instantly overjoyed, his parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law all breathed a sigh of relief. Little Shen, whose years of anxiety had finally settled, clasped her hands together and bowed repeatedly to the heavens. When the news reached the palace, the empress bestowed a slew of gifts, dispatched nurses, and dispatched imperial physicians, creating a scene of great excitement.
But it's not all good. When Minglan went to see her, Xiao Shen told her with a little melancholy: her morning glory was taken away because they were worried that it would be bad for pregnant women. Now it has become the pet dog of her little niece (Rongxian's classmate) and has been renamed Baoju (someone was shocked).
Later I learned that it was the same as "抱" (holding) in the arms. "抱菊" (holding chrysanthemum) - Minglan was silent for a long time. It was not as good as the morning glory.
The twelfth lunar month came, and the soft snow like goose feathers fluttered down, covering the capital with a crystal white. One day when the weather cleared up, Minglan asked people to release a few chickens and ducklings, and stood under the eaves holding Tuan Ge'er, watching with a smile. Two rows of bamboo leaves and plum blossoms appeared on the snow.
In the imperial capital clad in silver, some were happy while others were sad. Commandant Liu Zhengjie of the Pacification Division personally led his guards and used an oil cannon weighing hundreds of pounds to blast open the ice at the Beijing-Tianjin ferry, allowing the fleet from Lianghuai to dock. He then personally escorted the convoy all the way to Beijing.
There were a total of forty large ships, loaded with two hundred silver carts and nearly eight million taels of silver. The convoy stretched for dozens of miles. When the front cart arrived at the Ministry of Revenue, the last cart had not yet entered the city gate - the entire capital was in an uproar.
The emperor triumphed in the Lianghuai Salt Case. His imperial envoys, acting with swift action, stripped dozens of officials of their positions and implicated nearly a hundred salt merchants. Not only did they collect this year's salt tax and two sums owed last year, but they also uncovered several older, major cases. The following spring, when the emperor commissioned another special case, he expected to uncover a significant amount of money. The emperor's governance was largely similar to the lives of ordinary people. With money in hand, he felt assured, empowering him to fill the arsenal and rectify the bureaucracy.
Gu Tingye received the imperial edict a month ago. Once the money is allocated, he can re-organize the army and make up for the shortfall in wages.
The emperor held a grand banquet for his ministers. He was ambitious and determined to make great achievements in the next year. All the civil and military officials in the court sang praises to him. The empress summoned all the ladies of the third rank and above in the capital to come to the palace for the banquet, and all the ladies of the third rank and below were also rewarded.
The room was full of noble ladies' wives, many of whom came to make friends with Minglan. She had to entertain them all and make friends with them. She had a stomachache from eating so much. Fortunately, the Duchess of England took good care of Minglan, so she was able to handle it smoothly.
"Looking at your age, I'm afraid you're even younger than my daughter, yet you're expected to take care of a whole family. It's really not easy." The Duchess of England had a fair complexion and spoke in a gentle and dignified manner. "I had someone make the pickled green plums according to the recipe. My daughter enjoyed them very much. They whetted her appetite and made her feel comfortable. She hasn't thanked you yet."
Minglan said gently, "It's my personal favorite. I don't know if Sister Zhang is used to it."
The Duke of Yingguo's wife smiled faintly, her demeanor imbued with an air of nobility. "If you're free, why not visit the Marquis of Weibei's mansion often? My girl is quiet and reserved, but she's quite sincere, so I'm afraid I'll need your help in some consolation. Well, speaking of which, Marquis Gu and my son-in-law are close friends, so you and my girl should be as close as sisters."
Minglan's scalp tingled after hearing this, and she had no choice but to agree to everything. No matter how dumb she was, she could hear the Duke of England's subtext: I heard that you and Xiao Shen are quite close, could you please help mediate between them, okay?
The next day was a royal family banquet, so there was no chance for foreign ministers or female relatives to attend. However, Xiao Shen later reported that Empress Dowager Shengde's smile was very forced.
"Hahaha, the Emperor's position is becoming increasingly secure. How can she possibly laugh?" Mr. Gongsun laughed heartily, his sparse beard trembling with the wind, interspersed with quiet coughs. One day before winter, the old man's old illness recurred. He imitated Ji Kang, singing and dancing shirtless. As a result, he caught a cold and has been bedridden ever since.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
