A few days later, the day for Wang's departure arrived. Changbai bid his mother farewell in the cool morning. Hualan and Rulan cuddled together, saying tearful goodbyes. Wang was sobbing uncontrollably, but Changbai still said, "Go soon, come back soon!"—Ten years, ten years, how could you leave soon, come back soon?! She was so angry that she gnashed her teeth.
From then on, the Sheng Mansion was run by the two daughters-in-law, with Concubine Xiang solely responsible for Sheng Hong's daily life, and everything was kept in perfect order. Without the people with whom he would bicker daily, and surrounded by docile concubines, Sheng Hong felt a bit lonely. One day, he said to Changbai Youyou, "Your mother isn't a bad person by nature, but I've let her down in some ways over the years."
Hai came to visit Minglan and blurted out the story. Minglan covered her face with a handkerchief and laughed so hard that she fell on the couch.
"The old lady is getting better. She can now walk half a circle around the pond and eat half a bowl of rice at a meal. Your brother said that if this continues, he will be able to take up the position after he finishes his report."
Minglan smiled and said, "This time, let's take all three children with us."
Hai's eyes lit up. This was what made her happiest. But she said, "Your brother wants to educate Quan Ge'er and teach his daughter some manners. He said... Haha, when old people raise children, no matter how clear-headed they are, they can't help but be lenient."
Minglan jokingly said, "Of course, who can compare to my brother? He was born with maturity and steadiness!"
She felt deeply sorry for Changbai's child. With such a father, his childhood must have been miserable. When Gu Tingye came back, she told him about it. Unexpectedly, the man held a different opinion. He stroked Tuanzi's head with his big hand and said, "I've thought about it a long time ago. If our son likes martial arts, that's fine. I can find many good fighters. But if he wants to learn literature... he has to leave it to his uncle."
Minglan was horrified: "How could you do that!" It was not like she had never seen Changbai's severity before. He could even do that to his own mother. He didn't even have to lift a finger. Just the scolding made her want to jump into the river.
Gu Tingye carried his fat son on his shoulders and sighed, "I can't do it myself, so I have to ask others to do it."
Minglan: ...
The heat at this moment was oppressive and suffocating, and Minglan had to be especially careful with the ice. She wished she could tear off her clothes and get naked. Such heat was hard enough for a pregnant woman, and even harder for someone who had just given birth.
In early September, Xiao Shen finally gave birth, after a day and night of agony, to a daughter. It was said that she had nearly lost her life. Minglan was unable to visit, but Madam Zheng did come and bring a gift wrapped in red thread.
"I got this from Guangji Temple a few days ago. I gave it to my sister-in-law, hoping she'd be well and healthy. Then I heard you were pregnant, so I got one for you, too." Madam Zheng looked tired and listless. "But you don't have to wear it, I don't think it's very effective."
"What do you mean?"
Madam Zheng sighed, "This time my sister-in-law has suffered a great sin. The imperial physician said she's ill and it will be difficult for her to have children again. Alas... She's so young, what should we do?"
Minglan was silent for a moment, then advised, "My sister-in-law has always been kind to me. Today, I'm going to ask you to be more reassured. Perhaps it was because of this incident that Sister Shen escaped disaster. Who knows?"
Madam Zheng, a devout Buddhist, sighed, "Never mind, let's just consider this a fateful misfortune." She clasped her hands together and whispered, "This child has had a weak bond with her parents since childhood, and was raised by her brother and sister-in-law. Now I just hope the Buddha will bless her and bring her children greater blessings."
When encountering such a truly noble, tolerant and kind person, Minglan didn't know how to persuade him. After hesitating for a long time, she had to ask someone to bring Tuan Ge'er out and put him on the couch, and perform an S-line toad step.
The little fat boy had an unstable center of gravity, and after staggering a few steps, he would fall like a wild goose on the flat sand, with his buttocks facing downwards. Every time he fell, Pangdun became very angry and would hit the soft couch with his little fat paws. Then he would stand up and continue to move shakily, which made Madam Zheng laugh. She hugged Tuan Ge'er and gave him two big kisses, which was really rare considering her usually serious and solemn temperament.
After seeing Madam Zheng off, Minglan felt thankful for the first time that she was pregnant at this time. Otherwise, what would she say when she went to visit Xiao Shen?
Minglan fanned herself and sighed, she still had not practiced enough.
It was scorching hot, so Rongxian and the others started their summer vacation early. They only had to go to school for one or two days every ten days. Minglan was free at this time, so she taught them some housework so that they would not become the second or third Gu Tingcan, who was only noble but could not manage the household.
They dug out some old account books from the treasury, selecting three or four related to grain purchases. They told the two girls to take turns looking at them, forbidding them from communicating with each other. They were to hand in their results to Minglan ten days later. Xianjie'er found five errors, while Rongjie'er spotted eighteen.
Minglan encouraged them to speak freely while waving her beauty fan.
Rong Jie'er spoke first, pointing out the eighteen errors one by one. "...Because the farm sends us grain, the mansion only buys grain two or three times a year. Yet, the account shows that each time it's more expensive than the last. You might say that the difference in price is due to the different solar terms of spring and summer, but I compared the records from those years and found that even in the same month, each time it's more expensive than the last. There's clearly something fishy going on!"
The more she spoke, the angrier she became, as if she wanted to catch and beat up those servants who had embezzled the money.
Xianjie'er was the next to speak, and the little girl smiled slightly. "I think that we shouldn't be too strict in managing the household. If we punish people with every penny, not even giving away loose change, we might end up losing more than we gain. But..." Her face flushed. "I compared the attached records and saw that those years were 'flood-prone and expensive grain'. I heard people say 'flood disasters last for three years', so that's probably why."
Rong Jie'er blushed immediately: "I... I also read the appendix. It's full of descriptions of various difficulties and excuses. I think it's fake..."
"Have you sought confirmation?" Minglan asked with a smile.
The two girls shook their heads at the same time. How could they verify the almanac which was decades old?
"Well, I'll give you a few more days and see if you can find out anything."
Rong and Xian looked at each other in bewilderment and had no choice but to leave. Ten days later, they came excitedly to look for Minglan.
Xian Jie'er spoke first, not even wiping the beads of sweat from her brow. "I found an old maid sweeping the backyard. Her family used to farm in the area surrounding the capital. She said that thirty-eight years ago, the weather was good and the harvests were abundant, and she had been able to eat steamed buns since she was a child. But it wasn't until she was in her thirties that disaster struck, and she was sold into the government house with her children."
Rong Jie'er was also beaming with excitement. "I borrowed a yearbook from Mr. Xue. It says that although the weather was good and the people were well-fed during those years, Emperor Wu was about to deploy troops and urgently needed grain. As a result, grain prices in the capital and surrounding areas rose significantly. But the following year, Emperor Wu returned victorious, and grain prices went back down."
Minglan smiled and asked them to sit down, and asked Xiaotao to pour tea.
"In other words, the price of grain this year is higher than last year, which is reasonable." Xian Jie'er flipped through the old account book, which was as shaky as a crispy crust. "But in the following years, even though the world was peaceful and the harvest was abundant, the price of grain continued to rise every year. It's really wrong."
Rong Jie'er took a sip of tea and almost got burned. She stammered, "We think it's this. This steward has been doing this for many years. He was honest at first, but later he gained the master's trust and became less cautious."
Conclusion: Even if it is an old item that has been used for a long time, the owner should supervise it from time to time, otherwise it will easily become infested with moths.
Minglan was very impressed with the answer and applauded repeatedly: "My daughter is no longer the ignorant child she was yesterday. Good, well said!"
The two girls felt sweet in their hearts when they were praised. They blushed and lowered their heads, feeling proud and complacent.
Minglan asked Xiaotao to bring out two hairpins that she had prepared earlier and asked them to choose one. One was made of red gold and ruby, with several large pearls hanging down, the rings and pendants jingled and radiated light. The other was made entirely of white jade, warm and clear, with only a finger-sized green gem embedded in the top, which sparkled brightly.
As soon as these two treasures appeared, the room was instantly filled with light, and the two girls stood there in shock.
Minglan used to give them small jewelry, such as small earrings, small rings, etc., mostly for girls to wear on a daily basis, but now these two pieces are so rare and too valuable.
Xianjie'er was the first to react and quickly declined. Rongjie'er blushed and refused it. Minglan persuaded them gently for a long time, and then they reluctantly approached. They pushed each other again, and finally Xianjie took the white jade and emerald one, while Rongjie took the gold bead and ruby one. That night, the two girls dined at Minglan's place and drank a lot of fruit wine. Then, with red cheeks, they happily returned to their rooms, holding their prizes.
When Shao Shi first saw the white jade hairpin, she was immediately shocked. She looked at it carefully against the light and murmured, "...This is a rare and precious thing." Even among the belongings left by her late husband, there were few that could compare with it.
Xian Jieer said happily: "Aunt said that we are both good children. We not only study hard, but are also smart and studious." She was quite proud of "this is what I earned with my own ability."
Mrs. Shao pondered for a long time, then suddenly said, "It seems your aunt is looking for a husband for Rong Jie'er... After all, she's grown up now. It wouldn't be good to just give her one, so she didn't leave you out either."
Xian Jie'er held her hot little face in her hands for a long time, then shouted, "Oh, Mom, there you go again! You're always imagining nonsense!"
Mrs. Shao embraced her daughter and said lovingly and tenderly, "You silly child, you don't know. Your father wasn't very kind to your second uncle back then. Before he passed away, he was just worried about your second uncle's anger."
"I think my second uncle is doing well." Sister Xian rested her head in her mother's arms.
Mrs. Shao tapped her daughter's nose and jokingly said, "We've only had a meal, and you think your second uncle is fine?"
"Second uncle is not here tonight. He went to the Zheng family to attend the full moon banquet."
Shao shook her head and said, "Who knows if he still holds a grudge against your father. However, your aunt is quite kind..."
The mother and daughter hugged each other for a moment, and Xianjie raised her head: "Mom, is Auntie really going to find a husband for Rongjie?" She really couldn't bear to do that. If Rongjie got married, she would be the only one left.
Shao laughed and said, "How would I know? Mother has never been very knowledgeable. Maybe she's wrong again. Maybe she's just overthinking it."
However, this time Shaw guessed it right.
As the gong sounded at noon, Gu Tingye came back from outside with a faint smell of alcohol. For some unknown reason, he started talking nonsense to Minglan's belly.
"...The Zheng family's daughter is quite good, but she's a little weak. She can't even open her eyes. Unlike our son, when he was one month old, he wasn't afraid of the fierce-looking rough guys at the table. He even scratched Old Geng. Haha..."
Gu Tingye placed his hand on Minglan's belly and laughed unsteadily, "Let's have a daughter this time. She should be fair and small, with big eyes and a pair of dimples at the corners of her mouth..." He pointed at the dimples at the corners of Minglan's mouth, "She should be well-behaved and pretty, and not make trouble like that brat... But she can't be too docile either..."
Minglan listened to him talking nonsense for a long time and rolled her eyes in her heart. Those who knew would think that the silly father was looking forward to seeing his daughter, while those who didn't would think that he was shopping on Taobao. His requests were too specific and comprehensive.
"...In the future, I will choose my son-in-law carefully. If he studies martial arts, he must be the bravest of the three armies! If he studies literature, then..." Gu Tingye was not very clear about the standard of cultural attainments. Just "highly talented" was not enough to satisfy him. Finally, remembering a sentence from Fu Xueqin, he said proudly, "He must pass the imperial examinations! Otherwise, don't even think about marrying my daughter!"
Minglan nearly spit out a mouthful of tea. She slammed the table with one hand and tugged at the man's ear with the other, shouting, "Wake up, Dad! Since the founding of the country, there have only been two people who have achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations (and both were middle-aged men). How long do you want your daughter to wait?"
Gu Tingye rubbed his ears and said with a generous smile: "Then the top three. Regardless of who is the first, second, or third place, it's probably the same... I can accept it."
"What if it's not a girl?" Minglan was already exhausted. "Or she's not pretty, a concubine?"
"How is this possible?"
"What's impossible? Madam Duan is pretty, isn't she? And her second daughter...tsk tsk..." Both the Duan couple look dignified, but who would have thought that this girl would be so ugly.
Gu Tingye was sobered up by the shock—No way, no.
"Okay, let's get down to business... I didn't want to talk about it right now, but since the Marquis has mentioned it, I'll just say it." Minglan shook him vigorously. "I don't know where your little girl is right now. Your eldest daughter should be worried about her."
"...Sister Rong?" After a while, Gu Tingye finally realized, "How old is she?"
"It's eleven now, and it will be twelve after the New Year." Minglan complained in her heart, how old is the 'small, fair-skinned daughter with big eyes' that she just praised so much?
Gu Tingye was stunned for a while: "That's... a bit early, right?"
"What do you mean early? Do you think a son-in-law is like the vegetables planted in the backyard? You can just pick one whenever you want one." Minglan complained, "It's so hard to find a good in-law. It will take a few years, won't it?"
She counted on her fingers like a matchmaker, "If we start looking now, we'll have to wait a few years to settle down, prepare for the wedding, and go through the six rituals. This is still a marriage close by. If we marry far away, we'll definitely have to go and see what the in-laws are like..."
Especially since Rong Jie'er had an awkward background, it would have been simpler if she had been born as a maid. But it was even more difficult for her to find a suitable family because she was neither up nor down.
"...You can think about her like this, I can't compare to you." Gu Tingye spoke his true feelings very honestly.
Minglan whispered, "Even when my grandmother was poisoned, I never thought of doing anything to my aunt's children." Transferring a crime was not in line with the most basic spirit of the law, even though she only remembered a few articles now.
"Then, what should we do about this matter? Please give me some advice, madam." Gu Tingye bowed and asked for advice, smiling like a spring breeze.
Minglan was very excited. She was bored during her pregnancy and was so idle that she almost grew hair.
She pulled out a few sheets of paper from beside the bed and read them with a jolly voice, "It's not that difficult. You can go to a colleague's house for a drink, or compete in a martial arts competition on the training ground, or set up a battle formation on the sand table, or if you hear about a remarkable young man in a relative's family, just keep an eye out."
"Don't be a fighter like that! You should either train yourself to be able to strike back and forth with ease, or find someone who doesn't know how to fight. A half-baked fighter like that will definitely hit your wife hard in the future!"
"You must be in good health. You can't be a widow at a young age. It doesn't mean you have to be as strong as an ox. You should look at other people's figures more often, feel their bones more often, and ask their elders if they are long-lived."
"The family background must be neither too high nor too low. If it's too high, you'll suffer if you marry into the family; if it's too low, you'll feel wronged. Your Majesty will decide on the specific size. The key to success lies in one's heart."
"It's best to have a small family, but if there are many, then there must be good family traditions, harmony, and peace. Harmony is the most important thing in life at home."
"Scholars, in particular, must inquire thoroughly. Most of those who are righteous are butchers, and scholars are the most treacherous. Even if they appear gentle, respectful, frugal, and modest, who knows what evil they may harbor? Those who, having achieved a little fame, become arrogant and conceited are the most despicable! Ahem, my Lord, you don't know, but I used to have a truly despicable cousin-in-law... Never mind, I won't talk about him!"
"There are still two jars of Bamboo Leaf Green in the library. Lord Liu Zhengjie likes it, right? I'll send it over later. I'd like to ask him to help check his background. I wonder if he's a Chen Shimei who's cheating on me and already has a wife at home..."
"Madam, are you done?" Gu Tingye looked at his wife, whose face was flushed and inexplicably excited.
"Uh, well, there's a little bit left, about three and a half bars."
Gu Tingye was amused: "Madam, please take your time. How about some tea first?"
Minglan pushed aside her teacup, her voice resoundingly powerful: "You must not be like Sister Tingcan, who, feeling that she was a rare treasure, let her guard down and sit back and relax. You must guard against arrogance and impatience! Things in the world are unpredictable, and nothing can be guaranteed until the moment of worshipping heaven and earth. You must research from many sources and look for candidates. If one thing doesn't work, there are others to fill in. Family background, family traditions, parents-in-law, sisters-in-law, character and talent—none of these can be ascertained in a day... So you must plan ahead! If you make a mistake in marrying off your daughter, how can the others be any better? As the saying goes, only by winning the first battle can you maintain your momentum and win every battle!"
Gu Tingye: ...
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