Under the dim light, Aunt Lin's face was shy and tender, and she said gracefully: "Honglang, I am also very happy today. First, because my eldest sister has found a good marriage, and second, because of our Mo'er. Today, many ladies praised Mo'er for being decent and generous, and likable; but...ah..." She sighed softly, dragging out a long string of sadness.
"If you are so happy, why are you sighing?" Sheng Hong felt sleepy and wanted to sleep.
"I wonder if Mo'er will be as blessed as my elder sister in the future. Although all the girls in the mansion are the same now, I'm afraid that when it comes to marriage in the future, people will dislike her because she is not raised by the Madam..." Aunt Lin's voice gradually became lower.
Sheng Hong recalled the difficulties he had faced when he first went to the Wang family to ask for marriage, and sighed, "After all, there is a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children. But as long as I am here, I will not let Mo'er suffer."
Aunt Lin said softly, "I know best how Honglang treats the three of us, mother and daughter. But how can Honglang interfere with the interactions between the female guests of officials and princes? Madam must take the girls out to see the world. This way, Mo'er won't be dragged down by a humble mother like me, and buried in the inner palace, unknown to anyone." Her voice became sad as she spoke.
Sheng Hong pondered for a moment and said, "That makes sense. I'll tell my wife later that when we meet female guests from now on, we shouldn't just bring Rulan along. We need to bring Mo'er and Ming'er as well. If they have good character and good fortune, we can have two more good marriages for the Sheng family in the future."
Aunt Lin leaned on Sheng Hong's arms with a charming look on her face, exclaiming, "My dear husband!" Then, she suddenly became sad again, frowning slightly, "I heard that the maids watching the fun outside said that Hua Jie'er had a dowry of 128 pieces, as well as fields, farms, and many concubines. It was really magnificent. I wonder if Mo'er..."
Sheng Hong was a little confused at first, but after all, he had been brainwashed twice by Madam Kong, so he was a little wary of Aunt Lin's request. After thinking it over, he said, "Regardless of the in-laws, I would treat all my daughters the same. However, the eldest girl was given by the mistress with her own dowry. If you calculate it carefully, Mo'er may not have a dowry as large as the eldest sister."
Aunt Lin said coquettishly, "Honglang has a good temper. Since the lady has married into the family, her dowry is naturally from the Sheng family. Several brothers and sisters call the lady mother, so she can't be too partial!"
Sheng Hong felt a chill in his heart, and his mind began to clear up. He said slowly, "Whether it's right or wrong is another matter. Only those worthless men would always think about a woman's dowry. My brother-in-law was also from a prestigious family with three generations of officials. He used the Wang family's dowry, but now he can't speak in front of my eldest aunt. When I proposed marriage, I made up my mind that I would not touch a single cent of the wife's dowry. I'll leave it all to Changbai. After all, he is also a descendant of the Sheng family."
Aunt Lin became anxious and sat up from the quilt, saying, "What about Feng'er and Mo'er? Could it be that Honglang doesn't care about them anymore? Could it be that as their aunt, I have to make them suffer in the future?" As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears again.
Sheng Hong remembered Madam Kong's advice and said slowly, "Is it my fault that you don't have a generous dowry?"
Aunt Lin choked and looked at Sheng Hong in disbelief. She didn't expect him to speak like that.
Sheng Hong secretly marveled at Madam Kong's foresight. During a casual conversation one day, Madam Kong revealed a cyclical pattern in his relationship with Concubine Lin: she would always begin by wailing about her own wretchedness and pitifulness, and then he would comfort her out of pity. Then, she would become even more pitiful, fearing for her future, sobbing endlessly, and then he would soften his heart and promise her this and that.
At that time, Madam Kong sneered and asked, if Aunt Lin had the same family background and dowry as Madam, would she become Sheng Hong's mistress?
Although Sheng Hong believed that he and Aunt Lin had "true feelings", he was self-aware and would not be so fanciful. So Nanny Kong taught Sheng Hong the sentence he had just said to put an emergency stop to Aunt Lin's various excessive demands, and even prepared the following sentences.
Sheng Hong put on his undershirt and sat up, his voice cold. "Back then, I was afraid you and your son would be bullied, so I forcibly set aside a portion of our ancestral property to support you. This was against the rules, but I did it for you and Brother Feng and Sister Mo. You are already much more respectable than the average concubine, aren't you still dissatisfied?! If you wanted to be on par with the wife of the main house, you shouldn't have become my concubine in the first place."
Aunt Lin almost suffocated after hearing this, and trembled as she said, "Why are you like this, Honglang? I love you sincerely. Even if I were to be the principal wife of another family, I would not want to be your mistress. How can you, how can you..."
Sheng Hong felt a little depressed. He thought Madam Kong was a female Zhuge Liang, even guessing what Aunt Lin would say next. So he responded by saying, "Since you are so sincere to me and willing to be my mistress, why do you complain all the time and ask for this and that from me? Is this what true love really means?"
As they talked, even Sheng Hong himself felt a little disgusted, as if he also felt that Aunt Lin and he were not so "true to each other" anymore.
Aunt Lin was speechless, as if she had been hit by a club. She sobbed for a while, organized her words, and then choked with grievance: "If it were for me, I wouldn't say a word, but, but, I have to do this for the children! I know I'm humble, but Brother Feng and Sister Mo are the master's own flesh and blood. I, I'm really worried..."
Sheng Hong said coldly, "If Mo'er marries someone of higher status in the future, I will make an exception and give her a dowry for the sake of the Sheng family's reputation. However, if his in-laws are ordinary, would I let Mo'er's dowry be on par with Hua'er, who married into the Earl's Mansion? And Ru'er and Ming'er, they are also my own flesh and blood! As for Feng'er, a man should be independent in this world, study hard, take the imperial examinations, and establish his own family in the future. Can you rely solely on your grandfather? Back then, my uncle almost squandered all the family property, and most of my eldest brother's current family fortune was earned by himself! Although I am not talented, I didn't rely on the old man for what I have today!"
Aunt Lin wiped her eyes, secretly resentful. Ever since Nanny Kong came, Sheng Hong no longer doted on her and obeyed her as much as before. She had always been submissive and served him. Today, she wanted to take advantage of Sheng Hong's good mood to persuade him to acquire more property in her name so that her two children would not be left behind in the future. However, Sheng Hong seemed to have been prepared. He talked a lot and refused to listen. She couldn't help but feel secretly panicked.
Seeing Aunt Lin's frightened expression and pitiful appearance, Sheng Hong consciously slowed down his tone, "Of course I don't love Feng Ge'er and Mo Jie'er, but after all, there is the order of seniority and illegitimate children. If I break the rules, not only will I be laughed at, but I might even cause trouble for the family."
Sheng Hong suddenly felt that he had been too soft. He remembered Madam Kong's last words and immediately used them on the spot. He said sternly, "You should also take care of yourself. It's because of you who have such thoughts all day long that Sister Mo and the other sisters are fighting for attention. If Brother Feng behaves like this in the future, I will punish you immediately!"
He immediately put on his clothes, got up from the bed, and straightened his appearance. No matter how Aunt Lin called out to him, he walked straight out the door. He only turned back and said one last sentence: "Raise your children well. You will have a good life in the future. I will give you everything I can give you. Don't worry about anything else!"
Aunt Lin was shocked and angry. She was used to being spoiled and could not bring herself to ask Sheng Hong for help. She could only grit her teeth.
Sheng Hong sighed as he walked out. Madam Kong had been around the inner court for years, and she knew the ins and outs of these families best. He knew all the dukes and marquises she'd mentioned that had fallen on hard times and been stripped of their titles; he even knew some of them personally. Family disasters often stemmed from unfilial descendants, which in turn stemmed from poor upbringing. Truly, a fallen phoenix is worse than a chicken. He had witnessed the destitution of those impoverished families in the capital, shocking how they'd all been living on porridge. He'd also witnessed firsthand how his eldest uncle favored concubines over his wife, nearly depleting his vast fortune. If it weren't for his stepmother's support and Sheng Wei's own hard work, that family would have long since fallen on hard times. Sheng Hong shuddered at the thought of all these events.
A cold breeze blew outside, and Sheng Hong calmed himself. Then he realized he'd been worrying too much. After all, Changbai and Changfeng were both diligent and studious. How could they compare to those dandies who indulged in cockfighting, running errands, playing with birds, and admiring flowers? Back when Sheng Hong, led by his uncle, an old friend of his late father, had visited and recognized each person, he'd envied those aristocratic families whose legacy stretched back generations. Such families were known for their strict traditions, their descendants were highly successful, and their success lasted for generations. Even those with titles wouldn't dare look down on them. He wondered if the Sheng family would ever be so blessed in the future.
Sheng Hong sighed. Is it easy to be an official with ideals and ambitions?
…
When Hualan got married, Wang not only gave her a large dowry, but also selected a number of the diligent and honest maids and servants in the mansion to accompany her. Old Madam Sheng originally wanted to reorganize the mansion, so she took this opportunity to rearrange the staff. Originally, Wang was very resistant to this personnel transfer, but when she heard that the staff of Linqi Pavilion would be reduced, she immediately agreed with both hands.
According to feudal hierarchy theory, a concubine's maids and servants should be fewer than a wife's. Sheng Hong was partial to her in the past, but now that he has changed his ways, Lin Qi Pavilion is going to cut its staff. Concubine Lin has made a fuss before, saying that those people are all serving Chang Feng and Mo Lan, so Wang immediately retorted: "What about Bo Ge'er and Ru Jie'er?"
The explanation formula is as follows: Wang Shi + Changbai + Rulan = Aunt Lin + Changfeng + Molan; however, Wang Shi should be greater than Aunt Lin, which means that Changbai + Rulan < Changfeng + Molan; so, Old Lady Sheng said unhappily: This is ridiculous, how can this be possible!
Aunt Lin watched as many of the staff she had arranged for many years were laid off. She was filled with hatred, but she did not dare to resist. In front of the old lady, she could not reason with her; in front of Sheng Hong, she could not be "moved" by his "true feelings"; in front of Wang, she could not compete with him in status. In the end, she could only stay in her own yard, with a gloomy face, and smashed a whole set of tea sets.
Like Aunt Lin, the sixth daughter, Minglan, also suffered a staff change. Faced with such a good thing as adding more people, the sixth daughter was very skeptical. Her first reaction when she heard about the addition of more people was: "Why do we need to add more people? Madam Cui, Danju, and Xiaotao, three of us serve me, and I have enough people. I have people to do other things."
It was normal for Minglan to think this way. The place she came from was in the midst of an economic crisis, with layoffs occurring worldwide. Women were being treated like men and men like animals. Two could be used, but not two and a half. Old Lady Sheng looked at Minglan for a full cup of tea with a look of disappointment on her face, then she sighed deeply and went to the Buddhist temple to recite the Heart Purification Mantra twice, restraining herself from crushing her beloved granddaughter to death. Meanwhile, Mother Fang was considerately teaching the sixth granddaughter literacy.
Back then, when Old Lady Sheng was the eldest daughter in the Marquis Yongyi's mansion, she not only had her own independent courtyard, but was also surrounded by three housekeepers, five first-class maids, eight second-class maids, eight third-class maids, and five or six little boys to run errands. She also had a number of servants who did sewing, washing, and sweeping, which amounted to about ten people.
Minglan counted on her fingers, her mouth opening wider and wider as she counted: "Then, then, doesn't that mean there are more than thirty people serving Grandmother?"
Madam Fang stroked her half-new maroon jacket with a small vertical collar and a double-breasted front. The fine cotton and silk embroidery was exquisitely embroidered with six flower patterns. She said with great pride, "Of course. The late Marquis had only one daughter, so he treated her with the utmost respect. The old lady was one of the most distinguished ladies in the entire capital at that time."
Minglan thought for a moment and immediately asked, "Is it the same now with the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion? I once heard my grandmother say that the Yongyi Marquis's generation had three older sisters."
Mother Fang's old face was a little bit exhausted, and she stammered: "...That's not the case. The current Marquis Yongyi... is a little different from the original one." She sighed in her heart that this sixth girl could always grasp the key points very accurately.
Minglan smiled and said, "Don't frown, mother. Grandmother only had one child back then, but now there are three sisters in the mansion, so naturally we can't have the same ceremony."
"Young lady, that's exactly what you said." Madam Fang's old face finally regained some of its composure, and a warm smile appeared on her face. She said, "Now our master is a sixth-rank official, the prefect of a prefecture. Naturally, we can't have the same pomp and show as the Marquis's mansion. There's no such thing as first, second, or third class. However, the young ladies in the mansion must also have a manner that matches their status. Before, the young lady was still young, and it was fine with only Danju and Xiaotao by her side. Now that the young lady is growing up, it's not good for her to be as shabby as that small family. If it gets out, people will laugh at our family. Besides, the fourth and fifth young ladies are like this. Of course, we can't go beyond that. Otherwise, the censors will report us for extravagance and waste, which will be a disaster."
The housekeeper rambled on, and Minglan nodded relentlessly. The next day, the housekeeper brought a dozen little girls to Shou'an Hall. They were all tall, short, fat, and thin, and stood in the hall. Wang Shi sat nearby, smiling, and took Minglan's hand, saying, "Take a look for yourself and pick out whichever one you like."
Minglan turned her head to look, and her eyes met those girls' slightly. Those little girls immediately retracted their eyes like rabbits, and a few of them were bold enough to smile at Minglan ingratiatingly. Minglan felt a little uncomfortable, as if she was a child picking things at a roadside stall, as if these little girls were not independent people, but just little toys like little goldfish and little turtles.
The girls' gazes, whether bold or timid, revealed eagerness. Having been educated by Fang Mama, Minglan knew that for these girls, once chosen, they would immediately be able to enter the inner chambers, escaping the life of menial labor and cloth-wearing servants. With luck, they could even have the opportunity to advance to a higher level in the future. Minglan asked herself, which was more important, a comfortable life or personal dignity and freedom?
Minglan was pondering profound life questions. Old Madam Sheng glanced at her. Seeing this, Fang Madam turned to Wang and said, "Sixth Miss is young and hasn't met many men yet. How can she choose? Let the old lady do it."
Old Mrs. Sheng nodded in agreement.
The old lady was clearly an expert at selecting women. She meticulously questioned the housekeeper who brought in the girls: Which ones were purchased from outside? Which ones were born at home? Where did they work before? Where were their parents? What were their special skills? She had already eliminated the unsightly and unhealthy girls, and finally, Old Lady Sheng had selected four.
Wang said hurriedly, "There are so few. It would be unfair to the sixth girl. Old Madam, please pick a few more. If these are not to your liking, we can buy a few more." Minglan lowered her head and thought, in fact, Rulan's maids are overstaffed.
Old Madam Sheng glanced at Wang and said, "A hat should fit the size of your head. It's not easy for the master to succeed. It's better to save some money or avoid public gossip. We women in the inner house should be more considerate of men."
Wang's face was embarrassed, and she responded softly. She decided in her heart that she would go back and "be considerate" to the maids on Molan's side as well.
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