The family division dispute in the Yongchang Marquis' Mansion lasted for more than half a month until the eldest master of the Liang family returned to Beijing in early February. As soon as he finished reporting to the Ministry of War, he hurried home. He first knelt down in front of his stepmother with tears in his eyes, begging for forgiveness. Then, in front of the clan members, he denounced his wife for being ignorant and stupid. To add to the atmosphere, he slapped Grandma Liang on the spot. Then he told his three brothers about his late father's good wish that brothers and sisters would work together for the sustainable development of the family.
Finally, under the gratified gazes of the elders, the four brothers hugged each other and cried bitterly, Mrs. Liang's mouth twitched, and the four daughters-in-law stood stupidly by, each thinking about their own things (after all, they were young and their expressions could not be transformed well), and the show ended.
... "So, we won't split up the family anymore?" Minglan was both amused and confused.
Liu sighed and nodded, then hesitated, "Sixth sister, tell me, Master Liang... really doesn't know what Grandmother has done?"
Before Minglan could speak, Hualan spat lightly and said disdainfully, "How could it be possible? It's just an act! No wonder everyone says that Boss Liang is so capable, so flexible, so shrewd and decisive. But I don't know why he does such a treacherous thing. It's really ridiculous!"
Minglan pondered for a moment, then carefully speculated, "In my opinion, Master Liang originally hoped to inherit the title through merit, but he was suddenly met with a cold shoulder. Seeing this hopeless, he began to feel resentful. He also thought that his brothers were less capable, and the influence of the Marquisate was not as great as before. He thought it would be better to establish his own family and avoid being entangled in other matters. So he told the eldest lady in his letter that he intended to split the family."
Liu and Hualan nodded and urged Minglan to continue.
"The matter of dividing the family was originally an idea that came to the eldest master of the Liang family out of resentment and anger after he lost his title, and he didn't think it through. Who knew that the eldest lady would jump to conclusions and had already had this idea in mind, so she really started to divide the family. I never thought..." Minglan smiled sarcastically and didn't say anything else.
"I never thought that the arrogant Aunt Liang, who never cared about mundane affairs before, would become so powerful now," Hua Lan continued with a smile. "She brought in relatives, strengthened her momentum, and argued that they were discussing dividing the family less than a hundred days after their father's death. This was a slap in the face. Uncle Liang suddenly realized that things were not going well and hurriedly stopped. Humph, poor Aunt Liang's face was ruined by the self-torture trick!"
Liu listened to the two sisters' analysis. Although she had not witnessed the whole story herself, she knew that most of what she and Second Madam Liang had revealed to her privately was true. She couldn't help but sigh that the children of the Sheng family were so smart and clever, but she had to deal with the two dumbest ones. Her husband was okay, as he was willing to listen to her advice, but that sister-in-law... Alas.
Since I know my eldest brother is disloyal, the division of the family property is inevitable sooner or later. The real thing is to persuade my husband to make progress. After the three-year mourning period is over, quickly give birth to a son, and the overall situation will be settled. But the concubine surnamed Wan can't have any more children. She only has a maid. What's the point of doting on her? Why bother to argue with her! She really has a smart face but a stupid mind.
Just when he was racking his brains and having a headache, he heard bursts of childish laughter coming from outside. It turned out that Minglan asked Xiaotao to open half of the window to disperse the charcoal smoke.
It was still chilly at this time, and the courtyard of Jiaxiju was quite spacious. Lvzhi led several young maids to clean up the snow. The thin ice on the ground had not melted yet, and the girls were laughing and playing, picking up thin ice from the ground to stuff each other's collars and cuffs, or pushing each other and sliding around, swaying unsteadily. Fortunately, they were all dressed warmly and plump, so they were not hurt. Their faces were all flushed with excitement.
The three people in the room were watching with great interest. After a while, Minglan felt a little cold and asked Xiaotao to close the window.
Hua Lan turned back and smiled, "Come to think of it, my fourth brother was born around that time. I remember that year, I was still playing in the yard, braving the wind, when someone came and said, 'Big sister, you have a new brother.' Before I could think much about it, the wet nurse next to me started nagging, saying, 'Stop being naughty and be more dignified.'"
Minglan half-hid her handkerchief and chuckled, "I heard from Fang Mama that big sister was very naughty when she was little, and the old lady and Daddy and his wife all doted on her, and couldn't bear to scold her, which made the old nanny very worried... So every time there was a new child in the family, she would talk about this for days, hoping that God would have mercy on big sister and suddenly find the heart to set an example for her younger siblings!"
Liu Shi also laughed when she heard this: "I really didn't expect this. Big sister is now dignified and elegant, taking care of her husband and children. Everyone outside praises her. She really should let that wet nurse see her."
Thinking of her childish childhood, Hualan shook her head and smiled bitterly, "I can't say I was dignified and elegant. Alas, my nanny was originally my grandmother's, and she took care of me for many years. Now that she is old, she went back to enjoy the blessings of her children and grandchildren a long time ago." She pointed at Minglan and said to Liu, "This girl has been honest since she was young. She eats when she is told to eat and sleeps when she is told to sleep. She never makes trouble. Unlike my fifth sister, she is like a firecracker and will not stop for a while. Alas, in the blink of an eye..." She clicked her tongue a few times, sighing that time flies, and asked about Changdong's marriage.
Liu smiled and said, "I've been so busy lately that I've lost myself. I was just about to talk about this. Sixth sister, please tell them that the master is very satisfied, but there's still the old lady above us, and we haven't reported it to the elders yet. I sent someone to inquire a few days ago. We just need to wait for the old lady's reply, and then we can go and propose marriage."
Minglan also laughed and said, "It doesn't matter if we wait for a few days. Everyone is busy during the first month of the year. I'm afraid they won't have time to take care of it." Old Man Sheng never spares any effort in saving face, and no one can find any fault with him.
After sending Hualan and Liu away, just as she was about to ask the wet nurse to come over and play with her brother, Che Sanniang came in, swaying her plump hips. As soon as she sat down, she couldn't wait to say, "The madam asked me to find a husband for Miss Fengxian, and I'm getting somewhere."
Minglan was quite surprised: "So fast?" Then she laughed and said, "Sister, you are really capable!"
Che Sanniang couldn't hide her pride, and said with a smile without any self-deprecation, "Well, without this little ability, how can I eat this bowl of rice?"
Listening to her story, Minglan learned that the man's surname was Guo, and he was a wealthy family in a town in a remote county. The couple were both very capable and had accumulated a fortune of hundreds of hectares of fertile land. The wife was five or six years older than her husband and was already 50 years old this year. Her eldest son got married last year.
Guo's wife is old and her looks have faded. She wants to marry a pretty girl to serve her husband, but there are few neat maids in small places. A daughter of a criminal like Fengxian is the best. She is easier to control than a concubine from a good family, and more well-behaved than a prostitute.
"As long as Madam nods, we can send the person over in the next few days," said Che Sanniang.
Minglan was eager to get it over with quickly, so she turned around and asked Cuiwei to ask Fengxian.
After half a day, Fengxian came with a blush on her face, and stood in front of the hall with her flowery steps. Minglan patiently listened to her sighing about her life for half a cup of tea, and then she shyly asked, "Is there anything better?"
Minglan said with a straight face, "Yes, a few village heads came to deliver New Year's goods before the New Year, and they said there were still dozens of strong men without wives."
Fengxian saw that she looked unhappy and quickly replied that she was willing to marry him. Minglan then calmed down and spoke to her in a friendly manner, but Fengxian blushed again and asked, "How is the husband?"
Minglan: ...
Fengxian: Well, Madam, how much dowry do you plan to give me?
Minglan: ...
Fengxian: The journey is long, and it is inconvenient to transport other belongings, so just bring the silver.
Minglan: ...
The woman sent by the sinister enemy was well-fed and well-dressed, and a husband was found for her. In the end, a dowry was also given to her. Minglan was silent for a long time, and she really couldn't tolerate herself for having degenerated into a saint.
Before she was sent to marry, she refused to see Ms. Fengxian again and was only willing to give twenty taels of silver as a dowry, but she could take away the jewelry that the Gan family had given her. Before leaving, Luzhi very boldly searched out a pair of small Ru kiln official blue and white jade phoenix revolving vases and another purple glaze gold-painted hand warmer with jade pendants from the pile of clothes in Fengxian's luggage.
Che Sanniang also wiped her sweat: "I originally thought she was a delicate and talented woman."
Minglan sighed inwardly. Being a talented woman came at a price. Take, for example, her beloved sister-in-law, Miss Tingcan. She'd been silent since her marriage, and the strict discipline of the Princess's residence made it impossible to find out anything about her. It was only Little Shen, who had heard some anecdotes from Madam Zheng, who had teased Minglan, saying, "Your sister-in-law really loves to be in the spotlight. The daughter of the Han family led several young ladies in a poetry gathering, and she won first place."
Zhang also mentioned occasionally that, as if to help the new bride adapt quickly, the princess sent a nanny to teach her the rules in the second month after the wedding, and added another one six months later, and two more after a year.
Other mothers-in-law like to insert concubines into their sons' courtyards, but this princess keeps inserting nannies. It's really interesting.
This is the power of the royal family. When you make a living in the princess's mansion, if people are happy, they will say "there are no taboos in our family life", but if they are unhappy, they will ask you to study for 13 semesters, a total of 250 credits, or even delay your graduation, making you feel uncomfortable.
Times are tough, and a talented woman is not as successful as a landlady.
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