After the battle, Wang took Minglan to Shou'an Hall that afternoon to report on the work progress.
"What happened to Ginkgo after you took it back?" Old Lady Sheng changed into a dark blue silk double-breasted jacket embroidered with eight flowers, leaned on the kang by the window, and asked lightly.
Wang frowned and said, "I thought she was diligent, so I assigned her to the Sixth Maid's service. I didn't expect she was such a shameless girl. I've already sent her to the farm." Demotion from a second-class maid, doing light work in the inner house, to doing labor in the farm was a heavy punishment. Wang paused, her brows relaxed, and she took Minglan's hand and patted it gently, "You're too honest. If the maids were naughty, you should have reported it to me earlier. Why do you have to endure it?"
Minglan blushed and said, "Madam, you're so sorry for me that you sent me such a harsh punishment. Actually, that maid named Ginkgo is quite capable, though she's young and naive. The other one, Jiu'er, is quite good. I haven't been able to control her well these days, and the maids in the house are making a big fuss. Only they are still doing their jobs honestly, and I haven't thanked Madam yet."
Only then did Wang feel that she had regained some face, and she smiled at Liu Kunjia who was standing beside her. Liu Kunjia was secretly happy in her heart, because she knew that her daughter was not that good, but she was always happy to hear someone praising her. Seeing Minglan so obedient, Old Lady Sheng who was sitting at the head gave Minglan a sidelong glance as if unintentionally. Minglan received her grandmother's look and smiled bitterly.
Old Madam Sheng lowered her gaze and said, "You're doing very well. You've not only taught Ming a lesson, but also frightened those ignorant people. I feel at ease with you around." It was a rare occasion for the old lady to praise someone. Wang Shi felt proud and said with a smile, "Old Madam, you are too kind. I don't deserve it."
Old Madam Sheng smiled and said, "Minglan has been by my side since she was little, but she hasn't learned the slightest bit of a wife's skills. She only knows how to keep things quiet. She's so cowardly and incompetent, what kind of person is she?!" She glared at Minglan fiercely. Minglan stood up stiffly and said weakly, "My granddaughter won't do that anymore. I will discipline the servants well and not worry Grandmother and Madam."
Wang smiled and said, "That's right. It's understandable that Ming-chan is young and doesn't understand how to manage things. She'll learn it soon enough. There's no need for you to worry." Old Madam Sheng's face lit up with a hint of pleasure. She praised Wang a few more times, then sternly scolded Ming-lan, "The Madam has such a big job to manage, and you're still burdening her! If you don't manage the people in your house well in the future, I'll punish you too!"
Minglan quickly responded and said yes repeatedly. Wang Shi smiled and spoke well of Minglan, and only then did Mrs. Sheng's expression soften.
Liu Kun's wife stood quietly aside, thinking: The old lady is so powerful, and the sixth lady is not simple either; she raised her head slightly to look at the complacent Wang, clenched the handkerchief in her hand, and decided to keep silent.
After Wang's outburst that day, all the maids in the room became as quiet as if their tongues had been suddenly pulled out. The next day, the housemaid brought another ruler, and the girls became even more diligent and efficient. Some of them who were used to playing with Minglan often went in and out with aggrieved faces. Minglan did not comfort them, but just distributed the written "Mucan Zhai Work Behavior Code" and adopted a hierarchical system to let the senior maids convey the code to the younger maids. She took some time every day to let the younger maids study the spirit of the document in groups in the form of discussions. Cuiwei presided over the trial period summary report in half a month, and they urged and encouraged each other to build a beautiful and harmonious Mucan Zhai together.
On that day, after being scolded by Old Madam Sheng, Fang Mama came to tell Minglan that she should eat by herself in Mucangzhai. Except for paying her respects in the morning, she was asked to "tidy up" the house at other times. Minglan immediately felt bitter and resentful. She barely endured for more than half a month. Taking advantage of a sunny morning, she slipped into Mucangzhai with a small bag and tried her best to please the stern-faced Old Madam Sheng. She lingered on the old grandmother for a long time, kneading her shoulders and legs, serving her tea and water, and was very busy and fawning. Old Madam Sheng gradually couldn't hold it anymore. She didn't push away the spoiled little granddaughter in her arms, and her face was still cold.
When Minglan saw that the situation had improved, she quickly took out the tribute. With a flattering smile on her lovely face, she presented the gift: "...Haha, look, grandma, this is the warm hat your granddaughter made for you. It's lined with fine cotton and made of burnt velvet, in the Zhaojun style. Please try it on..."
Old Lady Sheng took a look and saw that the warm hat was small and light, with a bright ginger color and a black border that was a finger wide. It was decorated with elegant longevity patterns with embroidery and velvet. The old lady liked it very much. Before she could say anything, Fang Mama started to moan and praised her, "After all, it's Sixth Miss. She knew that once the snow melted, you would be tired of wearing that big warm hat with burnt fur inside and out, so you sent me this small one. Look at the fine stitching and the flower embroidery. Even the ones made by Tianyi Pavilion can't be as good as this. Come on, old lady, try it..."
As she spoke, she took the warm hat and spontaneously tried it on Old Lady Sheng's forehead. She saw that the two sides slowly followed the shape of the skull and spread out towards the back of the head. When the pearl lock at the back closed, it was a perfect fit. Old Lady Sheng reached out and touched it, only to find that it was soft and warm, and felt very comfortable and appropriate. She glanced at Minglan, who was still looking nervous and could only hug her arm and smile ingratiatingly, and her heart softened. She only heard Madam Fang still praising her: "...You can say that the old lady's love for the Sixth Miss is not in vain. Look at what she made, it fits so well. The girl is getting older and her work is getting better and better."
Minglan quickly said modestly, with a flattering look on her face, "No, no, it's mainly because my grandmother has a nice head."
Old Lady Sheng couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. She hugged little Minglan, held her in her arms and patted her twice, cursing, "You're useless!" Minglan immediately clung to her like a sticky candy, hugged her grandmother's neck and acted coquettishly.
Mother Fang breathed a sigh of relief. Old Madam Sheng had been looking very unhappy in the past half month, which made her feel very suffocated. Looking at Old Madam Sheng on the kang asking Minglan how she had eaten and slept in the past half month, Mother Fang quietly stepped down and quickly ordered the kitchen to add some of Minglan's favorite dishes, thinking that Old Madam Sheng had been eating alone these days and had not eaten much.
The sound of waves in Shou'an Hall remained the same, and life returned to normal.
Minglan went to look for her brother Changbai again. He was now busy preparing for the Spring Examination and had some free time only before dinner. Minglan calculated the time and went to wait for him early. As soon as she entered the courtyard, Yanghao, the head maid from Changbai's room, led her in to sit down, and then served tea and snacks. Several maids came in and out without making any sound. Minglan thought that on the way into the courtyard, she didn't see any pretty girl, let alone those who were as beautiful as Ruomei and Ke'er. Even those who were as beautiful as Bisi Luzhi were rare. Minglan once again sighed that her elder brother was really a wonderful person.
Minglan still remembered the time a few years ago when they were choosing a man. Brother Changbai was the first to pick. He didn't prioritize talent or looks, only a few honest and simple women. Wang was frustrated, thinking her son had grown up and needed someone else in the house, so she insisted on picking some pretty women. Brother Changbai, however, said that women with outstanding talent and beauty were often arrogant and prone to causing trouble, disturbing his quiet study, so he refused them. Wang's breath caught in her throat, and she couldn't say something. "Son, these girls are there for you to make trouble. Why should a teenager be so quiet?" She also gave a subtle explanation of the meaning of "tongfang."
Changbai thought about it and agreed with his mother's suggestion, but turned around and asked Liu Kun's family to come forward and say something to the maids. When Wang heard it, it is said that her face turned as red as mung bean paste.
Two successive generations of hostesses in the Sheng Mansion had similar approaches to the issue of concubines. When Old Lady Sheng, the eldest daughter of the Marquis' Mansion, came into the house, she disposed of all of Old Master Sheng's concubines, and no one dared to say anything to her. Later, when Wang came into the house, she followed suit and married off all of Sheng Hong's concubines, and Old Lady Sheng acquiesced. So Changbai asked Mama Liu to say: According to the family tradition of the Sheng family, whether a concubine will be promoted to concubine or not, her future success or failure will all depend on the future mistress.
Wang vomited blood again. Nonsense, who would want to be a concubine until old age if they didn't count on giving birth to children? Seeing her son frowning and glaring like his father, Wang was unable to refute him and really gritted her teeth.
The girls were very depressed. Later, after serving Changbai for a long time, they realized that although this young master was young, he was dignified and steady, and he kept his word. He hated people who were unruly and pretentious the most. Minglan seriously suspected that this was the childhood shadow left by Aunt Lin on Changbai.
As a result, the enthusiasm of those slim-waisted and rosy-faced maids to climb into the young master's bed was greatly reduced. The Changbai courtyard was very harmonious and peaceful. The master and servants were all silent and quiet, and only the sounds of chickens crowing and dogs barking could be heard. There were several times when Danju delivered things for Minglan. As soon as she entered the courtyard, it was quiet and she was so nervous that she didn't even dare to breathe.
——The above information was provided by Xiaotao, and the psychological activities were supplemented by Minglan.
What's even more amazing is that Changbai named the maids in the courtyard as: Yanghao, Langhao, Zihao, Jihao, Zhuhao, Jianhao... Among them, the most beautiful girl sent by Wang was named - Shuxu@@～～!
After knowing this, Xiao Tao said to Ming Lan sincerely, "Thank you, young lady."
Just as he was lost in thought, Changbai came back from school. Seeing Minglan sitting there, he said, "Sixth sister, are you here? Have you finished copying the 'Lady Wei Listening to the Waves' that I gave you last time?"
Minglan remained in the middle with a smile on her face: "Uh... not finished yet, still a little bit left."
Changbai sat opposite Minglan and started to scold her without even taking a sip of tea: "Diligence makes one proficient in one's work and laziness makes one idle. My sister can't be lazy now that she has moved out of Shou'an Hall. Although you are a girl, you still have to practice your handwriting, otherwise you will be laughed at when you write in the future..." There is also something about studying to gain knowledge, and if you don't know the etiquette, you are almost stupid. He kept talking on and on.
Minglan was very depressed. She didn't understand why her taciturn brother usually said less than three words a day and never scolded Molan and Rulan. But when he started to lecture her, he would talk at length. Last time, he scolded her for half an hour about the Ginkgo incident and she couldn't talk back. If she talked back, she would be scolded even more. She had no choice but to listen attentively with her ears drooped. Xiaotao beside her laughed at her in a very disloyal way.
After finally waiting for Changbai to finish his speech and taking a few sips of tea to moisten his throat, he asked, "Sixth sister, what are you doing here?"
Minglan grumbled to herself, "You finally remembered to ask this?" She pouted and asked Xiaotao to hand over the item—a pair of newly made cotton shoes. "Here, I finally made these. I made the soles half an inch thicker, so they won't be a problem even if it rains in the capital."
Yang Hao quickly took it and handed it to Changbai. He saw that the black upper was thick and soft, with a few pine and cypress trees lightly embroidered on it. It was simple and generous. Changbai accepted it without changing his expression: "Thank you for your trouble, Sixth Sister."
Minglan puffed her cheeks and said, "I'm big brother's maid now. Making shoes is the hardest part. Last time I made those soft clogs, I was exhausted. Look at my hands, they've got so many holes in them!" As she spoke, she stretched out her small hands in front of Changbai. Changbai glanced at her, his face expressionless, and he said nothing. However, he reached out and rubbed Minglan's soft bangs, saying, "Write down anything you like on a piece of paper and have someone send it over. I'll bring it to you from the capital later."
Minglan then smiled and said crisply, "Thank you, big brother."
Yang Hao looked at the shoes back and forth and praised them, "Your craftsmanship is really good. My master likes the shoes you make. He always says they are the most comfortable to wear. I also imitated you and made shoes based on my old ones. Why can't I be as good as yours?"
Minglan shook her head proudly: "This unique skill can only be understood but not explained. The shoes are right there, figure it out yourself."
——In fact, it is not surprising. Everyone has their own walking habits, either leaning forward or backward, or turning outward or inward. The upper of the shoe can show the shape of the foot and the emphasis of force, and the sole can show the force points of the sole and heel. According to this, different soft and hard fabrics can be used in a targeted manner to determine the degree of looseness and tightness. Minglan finally came up with this idea with the same seriousness she had when she carefully compared the clauses in the legal texts back then.
Yang Hao smiled and said, "Okay, I'll think about it carefully." Then he turned around and walked away, holding the shoes.
Minglan figured it was time to go to Shou'an Hall for dinner, so she stood up and tried to leave. Changbai looked at her, considered it, and then asked, "Sixth sister... a few days ago, Brother Qi came back to Dengzhou to attend school. I heard he sent someone to deliver something to you, but you stopped him outside?"
About ten days ago, Qi Heng returned to Dengzhou from the capital with his parents. On the first day of studying at Sheng Mansion, he asked the servant to go to Mucangzhai to give him a gift. Minglan struggled mentally for a long time and firmly refused the sugar-coated bullet. Qi Heng could not rush to her house and pull Minglan's ears, and she felt very uncomfortable holding her breath, so she went to her good friend Changbai to plead for her.
Minglan cleared her throat and said seriously, "The Book of Rites says that boys and girls should not sit at the same table after the age of seven. We sisters are all getting older, so we should avoid suspicion and not casually accept things from men outside our family."
Watching the jade-like little sister speaking profound truths, Changbai moved his lips and said, "...the pair of Wuxi Dafu were imported from the south, and they're not worth much."
Minglan shook her head vigorously. "My two older sisters don't have any, so it doesn't make sense for me to be the only one with one." Then she went on to explain the inappropriate relationship between men and women. Changbai, remembering Qi Heng's complaints and requests, said, "The elder couple looks very much like my younger sisters." After a pause, she added, "They have dimples at the corners of their mouths, too."
Minglan's face was stern and serious as she continued to shake her head, "Brother, please think about me. What should I do if Fourth Sister and Fifth Sister find out? Brother, please study with Brother Qi and explain the whole thing to him."
Changbai's eyes flickered, and he looked at Minglan quietly for a while. He saw that she had emerald eyebrows, red lips, white teeth, and bright eyes. There seemed to be a look of pity in her eyes. After a moment's silence, he slowly nodded: "Yuanruo has never had brothers or sisters since childhood. It's not surprising that he thinks his sister is likable. But now we should avoid suspicion. I'll go talk to him."
Minglan thanked him with a smile, and then took Xiaotao to Shou'an Hall for dinner. Changbai looked at her small body and her slender and graceful back, and suddenly an idea came to his mind: it would be great if Minglan and he were born from the same mother.
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