The four maids were all under ten years old, two of them were younger than Minglan, and two were older than Minglan. Their names were: Erya, Zhaodi, Xiaohua and Niuzi. Old Lady Sheng smiled and asked Minglan to rename them. Minglan had experience, as she was the one who named Xiaotao. So the four were simply named "Plum, Lychee, Loquat and Longan". How neat it was to have all the fruits and vegetables in the same color.
Just as he was about to speak, Danju beside him coughed lightly and said with a smile, "The two sisters beside the fourth young lady are named Lu Zhong and Yun Zai. I heard they came from a book. No wonder they sound so nice and elegant."
Xiaotao, who was standing next to Danju, expressed her depression about her name with her eyes. Old Lady Sheng and Mother Fang also teased Minglan with a half-smile on their faces, which made her very upset. It's just a Tang poem, who can't recite it?
Embarrassed, Minglan immediately flipped through a collection of poems and quickly found a poem. "Gao Chan," she said. "Okay, is he as good as Li Bai? He's the Immortal Poet, isn't he?" Minglan stood in the middle with great aura, pointing at the smaller girl: "Your name is Yancao." She pointed at the slender one: "Your name is Bisi." She pointed at the gentle and shy one: "Your name is Qinsang." And finally, the bold and forthright one: "Luzhi."
Danju was the most considerate and immediately stepped forward to join in the fun: "What a nice name, young lady! They sound nice and look good. Besides, the four of them are green, while Xiaotao and I are red. Thank you, young lady, for being so kind to us two stupid people."
As she spoke, she pulled Xiao Tao to join in blessing Ming Lan. Ming Lan regained some of her self-esteem. Xiao Tao was also very happy and joined in cheering: "Yes, sister Danju and I can eat it, but they can't."
Minglan...
Old Madam Sheng immediately fell down on the couch with laughter, watching the children playing happily. The four girls who had just arrived covered their mouths with their hands and giggled softly. Mother Fang sat on a small stool with a smile, thinking with satisfaction: With the arrival of this sixth girl, Shou'an Hall is now a great place.
Old Madam Sheng became increasingly cheerful, perhaps because she felt relieved and in better health. Sheng Hong was very happy and said that it was the right decision to have a child. The old lady now had the strength to take care of the household chores. When the personnel changes in the Sheng Mansion were almost complete, Changbai came back from escorting the bride. Because Sheng Wei and Changwu had to stay in the capital to work, Changbai went home first. Also coming on the same boat was a skinny old gentleman, Zhuang Ru.
Sheng Hong had been inviting Mr. Zhuang to teach at his mansion for years, sending him several cartloads of gifts and writing over a dozen sincere letters. However, Mr. Zhuang's reputation for quality teaching and high student success led to brisk business, so he was never available. A few months ago, Mr. Zhuang celebrated his seventieth birthday. He overindulged at the banquet and drank a few extra drinks, catching a cold that confined him to bed for over a month. The doctor recommended recuperation in a humid climate. Jiangnan was too far, so Dengzhou was just the right place.
Mr. Zhuang felt his frail old bones and decided his life was more important. So, he accepted Sheng Hong's invitation and returned with Changbai, who had come to the capital. They were accompanied by a spirited mistress. Their daughter had married far away in Jinzhong, and their son was working as a clerk or chief clerk in a southern county—it was unclear whether he was a pawnbroker or a chief clerk. Sheng Hong had specially set aside a small garden on the west side of the mansion, which he had renovated over several days for Mr. Zhuang and his wife to live in.
The old couple had only three or four servants accompanying them, but they had twenty or thirty baggage boxes, all of which were heavy. After listening to the report from the gossipy Xiaotao, Minglan sighed: It seems that the tutoring industry in ancient times was also very profitable.
Mr. Zhuang, Sheng Hong originally cared about the studies of his two eldest sons, but after the profound education of Nanny Kong, he felt that good teaching resources should not be wasted, so after respectfully discussing with Mr. Zhuang, he added a tuition fee and included the three girls and the youngest Dongger as auditors.
The day before school started, Sheng Hong and Wang called their children to their side to give them some instructions, starting with Changbai and Changfeng. As usual, Sheng Hong started with talking about managing the country and benefiting the people, and ended with talking about bringing honor to the ancestors, and interspersed a few sentences about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism in between. The two big boys nodded in agreement.
"Mr. Zhuang is extremely knowledgeable. Although he's a bit older, he's renowned for his wit and quick thinking. He's taught for over a decade and understands the art of the imperial examinations. You must diligently seek his guidance and not slack off! Do not rely on your modest achievements and talent to become arrogant. If I find out, I'll break your bones!"
This was Sheng Hong's closing remark, a harsh reprimand. According to Confucianism, a father should not be displeased with his sons, and it would be best to spank them three times a day. However, he could be more lenient with his daughters, who would eventually become family members. When Sheng Hong turned to his three daughters, his expression was much more positive. "Although girls don't need to be erudite, it is most important for them to be sensible in dealing with others. It is also good to understand some principles, so that you won't be laughed at for being petty in the future. I have agreed with Mr. Zhuang that from now on, the three of you will go to the private school in the mornings, and you won't have to go in the afternoons when we teach you about eight-legged essays and exam preparation."
When Sheng Hong said this, Wang's face turned green. She herself was illiterate, and she had no idea about wet and dry. It was fine when they were newly married, but as time went by, Sheng Hong couldn't help feeling depressed. He prided himself on being a romantic and elegant man, so when he sighed to the moon, "The moon waxes and wanes," even if he didn't expect his wife to immediately respond, "People have joys and sorrows, separations and reunions," he hoped that she could understand that her husband was lamenting the impermanence of life, instead of saying something irrelevant, "Today is not the fifteenth day of the lunar month, so of course the moon is not round!"
As time went by, Wang naturally realized that she was a nuisance in this regard, so she actively advocated for her daughters to study. Hualan was okay, but Ruolan was exactly like her. She was smart in other aspects, but she hated books. She was forced to learn a few words every day, and she could not compare with Molan who recited poems and wrote essays all day long. Thinking of this, Wang's expression restrained and said, "Your father is right. He doesn't want you to learn poetry and songs, which are empty things. But you should learn some principles. That's the serious thing. In the future, you will have some style when you manage the family!" Molan lowered her head, and Ruolan breathed a sigh of relief.
Sheng Hong felt that there was nothing wrong with what Wang said, so he kept silent. Suddenly, he remembered something and said, "From now on, when you go to school, you three should not wear those big gold lockets." Turning to Wang, he said, "Scholars like them always think that gold and silver are just trivial things. The three gold lockets that my eldest brother gave me are especially dazzling. They are fine for meeting guests, but they will definitely show off when they see the teacher."
Wang nodded and said, "Then don't wear them." After a moment's thought, she said to the girls, "You three sisters are meeting people together, so it's not appropriate to dress up separately. Didn't the old lady make three gold necklaces the other day? Put on your jade lockets. They say jade is the noblest stone. Mr. Zhuang will surely like it."
Sheng Hong was very satisfied: "Madam is right, this is very good;... But, will there be a jade tomorrow?" He looked at Minglan with an apologetic look.
Wang smiled and said, "Ming girl was with me for a short time, and I neglected her. But it was the old lady who was so thoughtful and found a piece of top-quality jade from her own room. She sent it to Cuibaozhai and asked the head craftsman to carve it himself. I think it's excellent. The jade color is warm and rich, the texture is smooth, and the craftsmanship is delicate and beautiful. It looks better than the fourth and fifth girls'. After all, she is the old lady, and the things she produces are always good!"
Minglan lowered her head and sighed: Women, women, will you die if you don’t hide some mystery in your words?
The secret wasn't too profound, and everyone understood. The boys were fine, but Rulan immediately sent two inquiring glances her way. Molan, who had been lowering her head, also looked up at her. Sheng Hong knew what Wang meant, and said calmly, "You're the legitimate mother, and you should have taken more care of the maids' affairs. Now you're asking the old lady to make up for your negligence. That's really not right." Seeing Wang biting her lip and looking dissatisfied, Sheng Hong added, "Well, since Ming is being raised by the old lady anyway, I'll have to trouble you a little more."
The couple looked at each other for a while, and then calmed down.
Minglan silently added to them -
Sheng Hong's subtext is: As the wife of the main house, you are supposed to take care of all the children. Do you think you are right to favor some over others?
What Wang was thinking was: You bastard, you weren't born from my belly, and you weren't raised by my side since childhood, so why should I waste my money, time and energy? I'm a saint if I don't make them suffer; but why do you try to imitate your mother?
Sheng Hong's closing statement: Forget it, you don't want to raise the child, just let each of them find their own mother. Minglan's biological mother is dead, so she can just rely on her grandmother. Don't waste your time talking nonsense.
Finally, Sheng Hong said a few more words to Changdong. The child was only four or five years old. His biological mother, Concubine Xiang, was originally a maid of Wang Shi. Now she still lived in the main house and raised her son by the madam. The little boy had always been timid and cowardly. He was neither a legitimate son nor favored. Wang Shi did not make things difficult for them, but just ignored them.
When she went out, Minglan saw Concubine Xiang waiting at the door, with her head lowered and her eyes respectful and low-key. When she saw Changdong coming out, she greeted him happily and led the little boy away gently. Minglan suddenly felt that compared to the deceased Concubine Wei, she was still lucky.
…
After Hualan got married, Rulan moved into Weiruixuan. After Sheng Hong finished his lecture, Rulan returned to her boudoir with a gloomy face. She kicked over a small round ebony Ruyi stool with a marble top, then threw herself on the bed and tore at the brocade and satin pillows. When Wang came in later, she saw this scene and cursed, "You stupid girl, what are you doing crazy again?!"
Rulan jumped up and shouted, "Fourth sister stole my jade locket, that's fine, that's Aunt Lin's ability, but why did even that little girl Minglan get ahead of me? I'm not even as good as a little woman!"
Wang grabbed her daughter's arm, pulled her down to sit on the edge of the bed, and tapped her forehead, scolding her, "Didn't your father later give you another jade locket? The color of the jade is only better than Molan's, you ungrateful thing! Minglan's locket was given by the old lady. You don't want to go to Shou'an Hall, who can you blame?"
Rulan said bitterly, "I'm a legitimate daughter. No matter if I try to please Grandmother or not, she always treats me as the most important. Now, after just a few days of coaxing Minglan, she can't even distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate children. She keeps talking about rules and etiquette all day long. It's ridiculous! A little illegitimate girl, just a stutterer, is treated like a rich lady! I heard that illegitimate daughters in other families are treated like servants, beaten and sold at will. How can they be treated like this!"
Wang was furious. Liu Kun's wife, standing nearby, smiled and offered her a cup of tea. She dismissed the maids and cleaned up the mess on the floor, saying, "Young lady, you're young and don't know. Only merchants and farmers who don't know etiquette treat illegitimate daughters as human beings. The more prestigious the family, the more they treat young ladies! You should know that young ladies are delicate guests, and there's always a chance of their future marriages. When Madam was still at her parents' home, she had two distant cousins, one legitimate and one illegitimate. They were treated like young ladies by their families. When it came time for marriage, the legitimate one married into a wealthy family, while the illegitimate one married a poor scholar. But as fate would have it, the wealthy family eventually fell into decline, while the poor scholar enjoyed a successful career and flourished. The illegitimate one was also kind-hearted. Remembering their past affection, she often helped both her parents and her legitimate sister's family. Later, she even helped her legitimate sister's children get married."
Rulan listened angrily and sneered, "Is Madam Liu cursing me to be like that elder sister?"
Wang slapped Rulan on the back and scolded her, "You heartless thing! Madam Liu is one of us, and she only spoke kindly. Madam Liu meant that the richer the family, the less you can tolerate gossip. Unmarried girls are treated the same. But you, on the other hand, are always striving for prestige, yet you have no talent and can't please the master and mistress. If you can't emulate your elder sister, you should at least emulate Minglan!"
Rulan remained silent, then thought of something and said, "Didn't mother say that there was nothing to curry favor with the old lady? Why is she so generous with all the gold and jade now?
Wang was also depressed: "Even a rotten boat has three pounds of nails. I was confused. I thought she still had some money for her coffin."
After a moment's thought, he earnestly advised his daughter, "You're too intolerant, child! Your sixth sister never argues with you, yet you can't tolerate her. And you don't have any tact. I'm afraid you'll suffer greatly in the future. But after all, why bother fighting with them? Like your eldest sister, you have that status. You'll definitely marry better and live a more comfortable life than them in the future. Why are you arguing now? You'll only displease your father. Even if you're pretending, at least act like you're a harmonious sister!"
Rulan seemed somewhat convinced and nodded with difficulty.
【Author has something to say】
Regarding the status of illegitimate sons and daughters, what I want to say here is that ancient China was a very large country with all kinds of people. There were wealthy families like the one in "Dream of Red Mansions" who pampered and educated their illegitimate daughters (Three Springs), and there were also families like the one in "Man Ting Fang" who did not treat illegitimate sons and daughters as human beings. This is all very normal.
In ancient times, officials often had more taboos because there was a moral evaluation in the officialdom, so they rarely favored concubines and killed their wives (unless they didn't want to be officials anymore), and they rarely treated illegitimate sons and daughters as pigs and dogs. They had to get away with it for the sake of face.
But the scope of the merchant family is much broader. The low evaluation of merchants in ancient times is not groundless. There are indeed many cases of chaotic rules and broken ethics in merchant families. For example, in Qiu Lizi's "Birds Perched on Wutong Branches", didn't the eldest son of the wealthy merchant family give his concubine's younger sister to the county magistrate as a concubine as soon as the father died? This also led to their family being looked down upon.
Of course, because China has always been a country where officials and businessmen are inseparable, it is better for businessmen to have connections with officials.
…
There is also an example of a bastard's own ability, who personally mentioned Yuan Shikai. This is very correct. The incident involving Yuan Shikai caused a big stir back then and made headlines in newspapers. However, even though Yuan Shikai was extremely powerful, many old scholars still stood on the side of the patriarchal system.
However, there are exceptions. Tan Yankai, a famous figure in the late Qing Dynasty, was the son of Tan Zhonglin, a provincial governor who was as famous as Zhang Zhidong in the late Qing Dynasty. Tan Yankai was also born to a concubine, but he was so outstanding. In that chaotic era, he served as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and served as the governor of Hunan and commander-in-chief of the Hunan Army three times. He was awarded the rank of general and the commander-in-chief of the army. Almost all the members of the Tan clan relied on him for protection. He was also a famous calligrapher. Some people still copy his Tan style today, which affected his mother's status in the clan. Such an incident happened when his mother died.
The Tan residence was located at the rear of the Tan clan ancestral hall, and the coffin had to be carried through the ancestral hall. According to clan rules, concubines could not be buried through the main ancestral hall. Therefore, clan members urged Tan Yankai not to violate clan rules and carry the coffin out through the side door. Some even blocked the main entrance. Seeing this, Tan Yankai was furious. In a rage, he lay down on the coffin lid and ordered the bearers to carry the coffin. When the coffin reached the main ancestral hall, he shouted, "I, Tan Yankai, am dead. Carry me out for funeral!" Seeing this, the clan members looked at each other in bewilderment and fell into silence. They had to make way, allowing the bearers to carry the coffin out through the main ancestral hall. Because of his mother's experience, Tan Yankai was dissatisfied with feudal customs and vowed not to take concubines. Tan's wife gave birth to one son and three daughters, but died young. Before her death, she asked Tan Yankai not to remarry and to raise their children well. Tan was quite faithful to his wife's will.
China emphasizes the doctrine of the mean, and there are always a few exceptions, so don't take it too seriously.
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