Both of them were happy to forget the argument that night. Such was one's nature, such was reality, and since it could not be changed, Gu Tingye could only accept it helplessly. In the days that followed, Minglan remained as virtuous as ever, and Gu Tingye continued to care for the family.
One day, on his way home from government office, he passed by a tavern and caught a whiff of a familiar aroma. In a flash of inspiration, he bought a pair of plump, crystal pork elbows. Wrapped in emerald green lotus leaves, the aroma of ripe, red meat ignited the little boy, who had been drowsy in his nurse's arms, suddenly awoke, his large, distinct black and white eyes fixed on the pork elbows.
Minglan wanted to play a prank, so she held him and tried to gnaw on him with a weird smile on her face. The poor fat boy only had six or seven glutinous rice heads and no front teeth, so how could he gnaw on the slippery skin and flesh?
When Gu Tingye came out of the shower, he saw his son sitting on the recliner with his chubby legs crossed, looking aggrieved and about to cry. His ill-intentioned mother smiled and said, "...You should be reasonable. It's not that I don't want you to eat it, but you can't bite it off yourself..."
Then she laughed herself to pieces, teasing her son, whose face was covered in greasy paint. Turning around, she saw her husband standing a few steps away, and immediately assumed a timid and obedient demeanor. Seeing this, Gu Tingye couldn't help but sigh. He had married such a mole-like wife, and if he dug a handful of dirt to cover his head, he'd feel at peace. He was truly blessed.
The Marquis and his wife had reconciled, and some in the mansion were happy, while others were worried. Mother Cui and Cuiwei were naturally delighted, but Xiaotao was puzzled. That night, she had been waiting outside and vaguely heard their quarrel. She had been anxious, but then the Marquis had crawled into his wife's bed in the middle of the night. Why had his wife been so submissive for the past few days, while the Marquis refused to come home? After such a big fight, she had finally moved back in. Did arguing really work? Wouldn't it be even better to give the man a beating?
Xiao Tao sighed softly: Madam is honest and weak (she thought so), she probably wouldn't dare to hit the Marquis, maybe she could try it in the future.
After the news spread, Qiu Niang came to pay her respects with a somewhat mournful tone. A few days later, she timidly took out two newly made moon-white shirts and said, "It's very hot, so I made a summer dress for Madam and the Marquis. I'm clumsy, so please don't despise me, Madam."
Minglan took the clothes in her hands and examined them carefully. The men's dress was obviously carefully made, and the women's dress was not bad either, soft and smooth. However, the experienced Cuiwei could tell at a glance that it was rushed and the stitching was a bit rushed.
Seeing Qiuniang's deathly appearance, Minglan was furious. This elder sister was probably Wang Baochuan, who firmly believed that after eighteen years of waiting in the cold kiln, she would one day wait for her husband to return, and she would not mind even if he brought back a princess.
Although she asked Gu Tingye to drop the soup bowl that day, she still made the clothes without any hatred or resentment. Unfortunately, before she could sew the sleeves, Gu Tingye moved back to Jiaxiju, so she had to make another one while wiping her tears.
That night, Minglan handed Qiuniang's labor of love to her husband. Gu Tingye held the dress in front of her and shook it, his eyes full of "If you don't want it, I have plenty of people who do." Seeing Minglan pout, he pretended to ask, "Why are you unhappy, Madam?"
Minglan was unhappy, "I'm not afraid of thieves stealing, I'm afraid of thieves thinking about it."
"There are many people who miss Madam." Gu Tingye said lightly.
Minglan was speechless, secretly resentful - this was the result of a showdown.
She was still depressed until the lights went out during the dressing room. Gu Tingye rested his warm arm under her neck and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I was thinking of something mean."
"What is it?"
"If you can't eat it yourself, you will spit in the bowl and not let others eat it."
There was a sudden silence in the tent for two beats. Gu Tingye smiled silently, turned over and pressed on her, put his hand into her underwear, and said in a hoarse voice: "If you eat a few more bites, others will have nothing to eat."
…
However, Gu Tingye never wore that summer dress. He asked Xiaotao to take it away, and its whereabouts are unknown.
Luzhi was in high spirits and went to chat with the maid in Kouxiangyuan. She accidentally let the cat out of the bag. When Qiuniang found out, she hugged her pillow and cried for a long time. Cuiwei learned about this and poked Luzhi's forehead: "What can I say about you? Can't you be more steady?"
Luzhi said stubbornly, "Madam used to treat her well, but she just had a few words with the Marquis a while ago, and she rushed to get close to him. I won't be happy unless I make her suffer a little!"
In July, on the day of Danju's wedding, Minglan specially invited Xiaotao, Luzhi and Cuixiu to go to a banquet. After the girls came back, they talked a lot about how festive and joyous it was, how to beat drums and gongs and set off firecrackers, and how bright and colorful the wedding dresses and pearl hairpins were... Cuiwei's ears were filled with laughter, and the maids in the room were either envious or amazed, and they chattered for most of the day before they quieted down.
After everyone had left, Bisi said quietly, "Sister Danju has found a good home, but I wonder what our future will hold."
Luzhi glanced at her and said, "Madam has her own ideas. But... you like to think about things for yourself so much, you must have thought about it a long time ago!" Although it was a big one, she still couldn't stand Bisi's lazy and gluttonous nature.
Bisi blushed immediately, "What the hell are you talking about!"
Within three or four days, Danju brought her new husband to the Marquis's residence to kowtow. Seeing her rosy face and the shyness and joy between her brows, Minglan felt relieved and said, "You must send me happy eggs next year." The house was crowded with her former sisters, and their laughter was endless. Danju was so embarrassed that she almost crawled into the ground. In the end, she was almost helped out of the door by her husband.
There were probably more auspicious dates these days, and Tingying, the daughter of the fourth house, was also getting married. The Fourth Old Lady, fearing any delays, wanted to hold the wedding within the year. Minglan ordered a headpiece inlaid with emerald and red gold from Cuibaozhai, along with three hundred taels of silver as a dowry, a respectable sum. Because Tingying was marrying outside the capital, her eldest brother, Tingxuan, had to personally escort her. Fortunately, her husband's home wasn't far away, and the round trip could be made in two weeks.
Now that her only child is married, the Fourth Old Lady has been crying non-stop. Minglan has no choice but to go visit her. In the process, she sees the disheveled and emaciated Concubine Liu, and the well-cared-for Fourth Old Master - he knows everything, but cannot move.
Minglan couldn't feel any sympathy. She had lived a romantic life for most of her life, and it was time to pay the price.
It's not just this family whose fortunes have changed, there are also two women, one has gotten better and the other has gotten worse. Minglan seriously suspects that the two of them have incompatible horoscopes - before, it was Madam Zhang who always asked Minglan to go and comfort Zhang, but now it is Madam Zheng who often asks her to talk to little Shen.
Zhang cheered herself up and now takes charge of the household, raising her children carefully, and living a happy life. However, little Shen has never recovered from the low-pressure period that the Shen family had recently experienced. Her belly is getting bigger and bigger, but she is getting thinner and thinner. She is also listless, depressed, and anxious all day long, which makes people feel uneasy.
"How can she be like this?" After everyone fell asleep, Minglan walked out the door and whispered.
Madam Zheng sighed, "A while ago, there was a rumor somewhere that the Emperor was going to depose the Empress and also remove the Emperor's uncle. This child was so scared that he cried several times a day and kept talking nonsense..."
Minglan remained silent. She knew that the young Shen was worried that if the Shen family failed, the Zheng family would abandon her. With such a low level of mental strength, she still dared to compete with the Zhang family girl. She was really asking for trouble.
Before Minglan could even sigh, the aftermath of Zhang Chen's incident had already spread to her family.
Ever since Shen Congxing was confined for reflection, the task that was originally his fell on Gu Tingye again. By the way, he also had to share some of the affairs of the old Duke Zhang. From time to time, he stayed outside for several days, sometimes three to five days, sometimes seven to eight days. Sometimes he went to the western suburbs camp, sometimes to the Ordnance Department, and sometimes he had to go to the horse farm camp outside the city.
"Mrs. Zhong came to visit today. She said she envied the Marquis's busy life." Minglan packed her clothes, one by one, and asked, "Is General Zhong free?"
Gu Tingye sat in front of the mirror and tied his hair. "It takes a thousand days to raise an army, but only one day to use it. Once you use it, you won't be able to rest."
"I would rather the Marquis be busy on weekdays and not go to war."
A purple and white crown with gold threads draped over her shoulders, Gu Tingye tilted his head and smiled at her. He believed her words came from the heart. Before leaving, he hugged her and kissed her again and again. Actually, without dwelling on it, living like this for the rest of his life seemed pretty good.
Gradually, Minglan began to get used to the days of managing the Marquis' Mansion alone. In her free time, she would visit General Zheng's Mansion and Madam Xuan's house every now and then, and occasionally go to the Prince's Mansion to check things out. Her life was quite fulfilling.
When she came back from outside that day, she saw Cuiwei waiting at the door of Jiaxiju with her neck raised. When she saw her, she hurried over and said, "Madam, you are finally back. The old lady is here."
Minglan was surprised and delighted. She walked quickly into the room and saw a spirited old woman sitting in the middle of the room, teasing Tuan Ge'er who was held by Cui Mama. She was holding a jade toad hanging on a red silk thread, shaking it in her hand. Tuan Ge'er stretched out his little hand and tried to grab it. When he touched it, he giggled excitedly, and when he didn't, he frowned angrily, which made the old woman smile happily.
Minglan threw herself at the old lady's legs and said coquettishly, "Grandma, did you come to see me today specially? You haven't seen me for a long time, you must have missed me."
Old Madam Sheng poked her forehead with a finger and said, "I miss you so much!" Then she hung the jade toad around Tuan'er's neck and said to Madam Cui, "Replace the silk thread with a red string and tie it tightly. Be careful not to let Tuan'er swallow it."
"Grandma, such a precious thing..." After marrying Gu Tingye for these years, she has seen many good things and her eyesight has greatly improved. This jade toad is warm and emerald green, crystal clear and flawless, which is obviously a rare and good thing.
"Shut up," said Old Lady Sheng sternly. "As your great-grandmother, I'm giving things to my brother. What does it have to do with you?" She then said to Mama Cui and Cuiwei, "You two go down first. I need to have a few words with this little rascal."
Minglan giggled a few times and sat aside obediently. Mother Cui suppressed her laughter and agreed, then carried Tuan Ge'er out. Seeing that the door was closed, Mrs. Sheng turned around and said, "Tell me honestly, are you angry with your son-in-law?"
"...Grandma, where did you hear this?" Minglan was speechless.
Old Madam Sheng's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot: "You said that your son-in-law doesn't sleep in the same room with you anymore?"
"You came back early from bed!" Minglan said in a hurry.
Old Madam Sheng took a deep breath. "So, there was a quarrel? Did the son-in-law move out?"
Minglan blushed and stammered, "What couple doesn't quarrel? But..." She couldn't help but raise her voice, "He moved back here more than half a month ago." Where did the source of this information come from? Why is it so delayed?!
Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she hurriedly asked, "Could it be that Aunt Kang told Grandmother?"
Old Madam Sheng was annoyed: "It's your worthless wife! But her sister is also indispensable." After breathing a sigh of relief, the old lady asked suspiciously, "How did this get out?"
Minglan looked gloomy. "It's the colorful ring that Madam gave me. I kept it at the farm, thinking that if nothing happened, I'd return it to her parents this year so they could get married. But she bribed a maid in my house and is constantly trying to find out about it."
"This bitch!" Old Madam Sheng said angrily, slapping the armrest heavily. "What are you going to do with her?"
Minglan hesitated, "I haven't...thought about it yet..." In fact, she was not good at punishing others with cruelty.
"Leave her to me." Old Madam Sheng said solemnly, "I'll find a good place for her."
Minglan waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no. I should learn how to deal with servants. After all, she was sent by the Madam. It would be embarrassing for the Madam if Grandmother took care of her herself."
Old Madam Sheng said, "She never looks happy. After your eldest sister-in-law came back, I handed the household affairs over to her. Don't even mention how ugly your wife's face was. It's not that I don't trust her, but now that the Wang family has returned, the two sisters are getting closer and closer, and I can't say anything..." After a pause, she stamped her foot and said, "Humph, sooner or later, bad things will happen!"
Minglan said helplessly, "Without Aunt Kang, Madam is actually fine."
"Who says it's not!" Old Madam Sheng cried angrily, "He's only learned some sinister tricks. I don't know what instigated him a while ago, but he actually made Dong'er's aunt kneel in the scorching sun for an hour!"
Minglan was shocked: "Why is this happening? Concubine Xiang has always been honest and obedient." It has been more than ten years. Wang didn't get angry when Concubine Xiang was young and beautiful, so why is she making a fuss now?
"It's because your fourth brother passed the county exam." Old Madam Sheng took a sip of tea. "Our good concubine said that we should suppress our arrogance as soon as possible, otherwise it will be difficult to control him in the future!"
"This is only the first game, ma'am."
Old Madam Sheng said angrily, "That kid you recommended, Changnian, is actually quite clever and did very well on the test. Just when your father was urging Dong'er to study hard, this happened. Your father is furious!"
The grandfather and grandson were silent for a while and both sighed.
"Don't worry about these troubles. Tell me why you got angry with your son-in-law." The old lady looked kind.
Minglan lowered her head and said embarrassedly, "He thinks I'm not sincere enough."
The old lady was puzzled.
Minglan could only talk about the most important things, then said angrily, "Don't you think this guy is weird? He's just living a good life, but he keeps getting entangled in trivial matters! Do you want me to scold him and find out what he does every day, how many people he has met, and how many things he has experienced?! Isn't this what men hate most?"
Old Madam Sheng laughed so hard she fell backwards, pointing at her and saying, "You, you! You are really ignorant."
Finally stopping laughing, she patted her chest and said, "Nothing in the world can be completely unconventional. You don't have to get to the bottom of things, but at least ask a few questions! Go ask around. Which woman doesn't like to ask questions about her husband and then calls him a 'dead ghost'? You, on the other hand, don't ask questions at all and are always polite. Do you think he's your man, or your superior?"
Minglan wanted to say, you guessed it right, I really thought he was the boss.
After joking for a long time, the old lady was too lazy to bother with these trivial matters of marriage. "Well, now your son-in-law has given you food and shelter. This is your blessing." She frowned and said, "It's just that it's not good for this military officer to be away from home so often."
Minglan shook her head. "It's not easy to marry a civil servant either. They have powerful mothers-in-law."
Old Madam Sheng's smile turned into a sigh: "Miss Ru's temper has improved a lot."
As Wen Yanjing's exile drew near, Old Lady Wen became increasingly preoccupied. Sometimes she'd go to the countryside for the summer, sometimes she'd return to her hometown to visit relatives, often dragging Rulan along. Rulan managed to hold back. Only once did Wang threaten to scare Rulan into following her husband to his post. If she didn't allow Rulan to accompany him to his new post, she'd cause a scene, and she'd certainly ruin her son-in-law's job.
"Fifth sister has grown up." Minglan sighed.
Old Madam Sheng pinched her nose, her eyes full of doting: "You have been sensible since you were young, like a little adult, but now you are growing younger." Suddenly, a sense of sadness flashed in her eyes, and then relief appeared. "It is actually a blessing for a woman to grow younger after getting married."
When life is not going well, one is forced to grow up quickly; when someone is cared for and loved, one becomes naive and innocent. Like Old Madam Yu, even at this age, she still has the temperament of a young lady from the past.
Ming Lan was silent, she understood what he meant.
Since marrying Gu Tingye, she hardly had to please anyone or tolerate anything. She was in charge of the vast mansion, spending money as she pleased and hiring staff as she pleased. She could go out as she pleased or stay in bed as she pleased. Everyone scrambled to curry her favor, and no one bossed her around or gave her a hard time. Once the door to the mansion was closed, there was nothing she couldn't do—Gu Tingye gave her almost all the power and trust.
Of course, she herself was diligent and cautious; but compared to the cautious concubine she once was, her life was much easier. This kind of life, though hard, was also very comfortable.
Thinking of this, I miss the source of the good days even more, and I don’t know what he is doing now.
Minglan was so depressed for two days. One night, just as she had put Tuan'er to bed, Luzhi came in hurriedly, followed by Cuiping, who was already married. When she saw Minglan, she knelt down in tears and said, "Miss, go back and see her quickly. The old lady is dying!"
Minglan's heart seemed to stop for a beat, and she said sternly, "What did you say?"
Cuiping cried, "She was fine before, but she started feeling unwell this afternoon. The old lady didn't want us to call a doctor at first, but as soon as we served the meal, she fainted. Now... now..."
Minglan slumped down on the bed, her heart a tangle of confusion. She had to calm down, calm down… She snapped at Luzhi, “Take my note and go get Doctor Lin! Quick, quick, prepare the carriage and send someone straight to the Sheng Mansion!”
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