As the parents of an older young man and woman, the potential for preparing for the wedding is unlimited. Sheng Wei and the Kang family worked hard to prepare everything, and the wedding was scheduled for the end of September when the weather was clear and cool, so that the new daughter-in-law could go to the ancestral hall to burn incense to her ancestors at the end of the year; when Sheng Hong received the news, he went to the yamen late that morning and gathered his children together to talk.
Minglan suppressed a yawn and was dragged into the house by Danju. She saw Sheng Hong and Wang Shi sitting on two high-legged chairs made of paulownia wood in the hall, one at the east end and the other at the west end. Their brothers and sisters stood on both sides of the lower part according to their age. Changdong, who was standing at the end on the left, secretly gave her a comforting look. Minglan knew it was okay, so she walked lightly to Rulan's side and stood properly.
Sheng Hong took a sip of hot tea. Wang watched him put down the teacup before saying, "Please all sit down. The master has something to say."
Minglan sat down and looked up at Sheng Hong. He looked happy and said, "Your uncle's family is going to have a wedding. It's a good thing to strengthen the relationship between relatives." As he said this, he stroked his beard and laughed.
No one dared to question Sheng Hong, so they all looked at Minglan. Minglan smiled cooperatively and said, "It's Brother Wu and Cousin Yun'er. My aunt liked my cousin very much after seeing her, saying she was chaste and elegant. The eldest old lady wrote to say that this was all because of the good matchmaking that our old lady arranged. Daddy, did my uncle send any red envelopes for the matchmaker?"
Sheng Hong pointed at Minglan and laughed, "You little girl! You're already a grown-up girl, yet you're still so naughty!"
Wang said proudly, "Speaking of Yun'er's character and family background, there's nothing to fault. My uncle's family is so lucky to have such a daughter-in-law. This is truly fate!"
Molan smiled sweetly: "It's fate, but if you think about it carefully, it's a blessing for my uncle's family to have such a blessing, and it's also because of my father's face."
This sentence was said in a very obscure way. A noble family like Kang family was willing to marry their daughter to the merchant family Sheng Wei, more or less for Sheng Hong's face. Mo Lan's hint hit the spot for Sheng Hong. Sure enough, Sheng Hong didn't say anything after hearing it, but his face became more cheerful. He nodded repeatedly at Mo Lan, his eyes full of appreciation.
Minglan lowered her head and looked at Ruolan who was clenching her fists in her sleeves beside her, and sighed secretly: If Molan was an idol before, she has turned into a real talent in recent years. No matter what her character is in front of Ruolan and Minglan, as long as Sheng Hong is present, she is a gentle and meticulous daughter, caring for her elders and considerate of her younger sister.
Sheng Hong smiled and said, "The eldest old lady wrote to say that she must attend the wedding banquet. If she doesn't go, she will come and invite you personally. I discussed it with the old lady yesterday. We will leave for Youyang at the end of the month. I have official business to attend to and cannot go. My term as prefect will expire at the end of October. Changbai will be going to the capital soon to tidy up the mansion, Changfeng will be preparing for the autumn examination, and Changdong is still too young. Minglan must accompany the old lady. Mo'er, Ru'er, are you willing to go?"
Rulan turned her head and glanced at Minglan. In fact, Minglan was also surprised. Based on the old lady's usual cold and aloof personality, Minglan thought that she would definitely not want to go this time. She was thinking of helping her find an excuse, but she didn't expect that the old lady agreed this time.
Molan glanced at Minglan and smiled, "I would have loved to go to such a happy event, but our family is moving to the capital, and Madam has so much housework to do that she's too busy to handle it all. We'll have to pack our bags and boxes ourselves, and I'll have to help with things for my fifth sister and third brother, too. So, I won't be going. Please ask my sixth sister to congratulate my second brother, Wu, on my behalf."
Minglan agreed with a smile.
Compared to the glamorous world of the capital, Youyang was naturally far inferior, not to mention Qi Heng was there! Rulan also thought of this, and said coldly, "Who wants you to help with the cooking?! If Fourth Sister doesn't want to go, then don't go. Don't make fun of me!"
Wang frowned and looked at Sheng Hong. Sure enough, he was already shouting in a deep voice, "How dare you talk like that? You've been careless since you were a child. Your sister is so kind to help you, but how can you be so ungrateful?! Don't go if you're so rude. You'll be embarrassed!"
Rulan's face flushed, but she didn't dare to retort. Fearing another scolding, Wang Shi quickly tried to dissuade her, "Children are ignorant, and it's normal for sisters to quarrel. Master, please speak quickly if you have anything to say. It's getting late, and you still have to go to the yamen."
Sheng Hong glared at Wang, then turned and said gently, "Minglan, you will be the only one accompanying the old lady to Youyang this time. The old lady is old, so you should keep an eye on her along the way!"
Minglan was willing to go out and play. She had never left the house since she came to ancient times. But when she thought about riding in a carriage again, she frowned and said, "Daddy, you got it wrong. I'm the type who gets dizzy when I see a carriage. It's good enough that you don't make the old lady tired of looking after me. How about I walk?" Sheng Hong found Minglan's worried look funny and said with a straight face, "With your short legs, you can run yourself to pieces and still only make it to the full moon banquet!"
The atmosphere in the room relaxed and everyone started laughing. Minglan became even more worried: "Why don't I not go?"
Sheng Hong looked at Minglan's fair and pretty face and felt a surge of affection. He said, "Go! Take this opportunity to meet your relatives and burn incense at the ancestral temple. If your brothers and sisters have any gifts to send, take them with you."
After saying this, Sheng Hong stood up, and his children on both sides followed suit. Wang Shi stepped over to help him adjust his purple brocade ribbon with cloud crane flowers. As Sheng Hong passed Minglan, he reminded her, "Minglan, hurry up and pack up. Don't let the old lady worry about you. Be polite when you go out. When we return to the capital, it will be the New Year, and Daddy will take you to the streets to see the New Year lanterns."
Minglan nodded immediately. Sheng Hong smiled and touched Minglan's head. He turned around and waved to Changbai, then strode out the door. Changbai followed him. Changfeng looked at the backs of the father and son with a lost look.
"Daddy asked big brother to go, I don't know what it is about?" Molan saw that Changfeng was worried, so she pretended to be indifferent and asked casually.
Rulan glanced at her with disdain and said, "If you want to know, go ask daddy." Then she shook her handkerchief and followed Wang into the inner room. Minglan was most afraid of this and hurriedly slipped out the door.
As soon as Rulan entered the inner room, Wang Shi scolded her: "You are really regressing as you grow older. Even if you can't learn the scheming of the fourth girl, at least learn to be obedient and lovable like the sixth girl. Your father has loved her so much in recent years. He often praised her gentleness, kindness and pure heart in front of me. He also often nagged me. Don't let her suffer any injustice in your daily life!"
Rulan snorted coldly: "It's just that I can make a few pairs of shoes and a few purses to please people!"
Wang was even more furious. "Although the shoes are a small matter, they are a token of filial piety. Even when I wear the shoes she gave me, I feel that she put a lot of thought into them. Why don't you do the same? You just keep quarreling with the fourth girl! Your father asked Minglan to go to the ancestral temple to burn incense, just to let the uncles and aunts back home know that the child will be registered under my name!"
Rulan was horrified. "Really? What about Fourth Sister? She also went to the ancestral temple in her early years. Could it be that she also...?"
"I don't know. Let's just deal with it as it happens." Wang sat down on the kang tiredly.
While mother and daughter were agonizing over their situation, Sheng Hong, a man with a flurry of activity, was walking along the garden, talking to Changbai. "I've asked Lai Fu to prepare the boxes of gifts, and your mother will check them out before we leave. I've written a letter to your uncle, Liu Shishu. If nothing unexpected happens, he'll be transferred to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue after his term at the Dali Temple is over. You should also write a letter to Wu Ge'er, explaining to him the details of Lord Liu's preferences, personality, and family. Have him prepare everything early so he can visit us when he returns to the capital."
Changbai nodded, and after a while, he suddenly said, "My uncle is very capable."
After just seven words, Sheng Hong suddenly turned to look at his son, his eyes full of admiration. "It's great that you thought of this. In this world, even among relatives, one should respect another as much as one has done for me. Your uncle is most like your great-grandfather, but with a little help from me, he built such a huge family business from nothing. With two sons, the elder will inherit the family business, and the younger will enter the officialdom. His family will definitely not fail in the future. Bai'er, I only hope that you and Feng'er can look after each other in the officialdom. Dong'er may not be a scholar, but he is quite smart and thoughtful. When he grows up, I will let him go into business and buy property. That way, you three brothers will all be rich and prosperous!"
Changbai looked at his father's high-spirited profile and coughed lightly: "When the old lady goes to Youyang this time, I'm afraid she will meet the third old master again. The eldest old lady... is also very impressive."
Sheng Hong looked at his eldest son, who had a serious face, with some resentment. If Chang Feng were here, he would definitely cheer loudly and respond positively to his plan, maybe even clap his hands twice. But Chang Bai was completely uninterested. However, it happened that he relied on this eldest son the most. Thinking of this, he sighed and said, "The third old master's family has become increasingly impoverished in recent years. He goes to your uncle every day to beg for money. Seeing that Song Ge'er and his wife have no children, he also instigated the elders to adopt his grandson. Now that Wu Ge'er is getting married, he will definitely make a fuss again. The eldest old lady is embarrassed by the face of the clan members, so she can't go too far. Only your grandmother, with her high status and bad temper, can suppress this third old master!"
Sheng Hong said this with a wry smile. Chang Bai raised his eyebrows and stopped talking.
…
Minglan had almost packed her boxes and cages, and she thought about saying goodbye to her good friend. It would be fine if someone else sent a message, but Hong Qingyu was two years younger than her, the most mischievous and naughty, and was her steadfast fishing friend, so she wrote a letter to explain. After asking the old lady for permission, she decided to go and say goodbye to Yanran in person. The old lady knew that Minglan was carsick, so she asked Fang Mama to prepare her own blue wool sedan chair with four curtains, and go to say goodbye to Yanran in person.
When they were just fifty meters away from Yu Mansion, Minglan felt something was wrong. She lifted the curtain slightly and saw that the door of Yu Mansion was closed. There were many people gathered at the door pointing and talking. Minglan vaguely heard a few words like "...Chen Shimei...abandoned his wife and children...bullies others with his power..." Minglan immediately ordered Madam Cui, who was standing outside, to ask the sedan chair to go around to the back door.
The maidservant at the Yu residence was already familiar with the Sheng family's carriages and sedan chairs, but today she looked embarrassed, unsure whether to let Minglan in. Just as they were at a stalemate, Yanran's nurse hurried over and ushered Minglan in, whispering in her trembling voice, "...Ms. Ming treats our daughter even better than a sister. I won't hide it from you, but this morning, a woman, whose name I don't know, came to our gate with her two children, kneeling and kowtowing. She said she wanted to see our daughter and the old master and mistress, and if they didn't let her, she would bang her head against the door and die!... Oh, what should we do? Why is our daughter so miserable..."
Minglan listened to her nonsense and thought for a moment before she understood. She hesitated and said, "That woman... is she the second son of Ningyuan Marquis Gu...?"
The nurse was so anxious that tears were about to fall. She covered her face with a handkerchief and said, "What a sin!... What does this have to do with my daughter? The woman kept saying that she wanted to offer tea to the daughter and begged her to have pity on the three of them and give them a legitimate status, otherwise she would kneel down and not get up. The two children's crying was heard by everyone in the house. The old master was so angry that he vomited blood and fainted. The old lady couldn't hold on anymore. And the second master and his family went to Jinan. This, this, this, there is no one who can take charge! Our daughter is weak and can only cry. There is nothing we can do... Oh, Buddha, what a sin this is!"
Minglan's heart tightened, and she quickened her pace to the backyard. Just as she passed the half-moon gate, she saw a group of maids and servants gathered there, whispering, talking, laughing, and discussing. Minglan turned around and ordered the wet nurse, "Go and get the housekeeper who works for your second wife. What's going on here?!"
The wet nurse was startled and suddenly realized what was happening. She ran away quickly. Minglan was familiar with the Yu residence, so she took Xiaotao and Danju and walked straight inside. When she entered the courtyard, she saw a woman in plain clothes kneeling in the middle, hugging a son and a daughter. The mother and her two children were crying non-stop. Minglan slowed down her pace, walked around her, and went straight into the house.
As soon as she entered the room, she saw Old Madam Yu lying on the soft step, breathing weakly. Yanran was sitting weakly beside the couch, her face pale and her expression dazed. When she saw Minglan, she came up and held her hand tightly, muttering with trembling lips, "I'm sorry to make you laugh..." Then she forced herself to cheer up and shouted at the woman, "Get up quickly! I won't accept your tea! Go away!"
The woman raised her head. Her face was beautiful and pitiful. Her hair was stained with blood, probably from knocking herself down. Her eyes were red with tears. "From now on, you will be my mistress. If you don't tolerate me, where will we, mother and son, find shelter? If you don't tolerate me today, the three of us, mother and son, would rather die here! Can you bear to watch us die?"
Yanran had always been thin-skinned and soft-hearted. After hearing what Minglan said, she was speechless. She felt even more ashamed under Minglan's gaze and weakly shouted, "Get up first. I, I won't let you die..."
Minglan rolled her eyes. Lord Yu was a strict disciplinarian, never taking a concubine. Old Madam Yu had lived a peaceful life until now, and her daughter-in-law didn't dare disobey him. Yanran had grown up under the care of her grandparents, and the two of them had probably never seen anything like this, so their resilience was naturally weaker. If Wang, Rulan, or Molan were here, hehe... Minglan suddenly missed the fierce fighting spirit of those three women. Seeing Old Madam Yu breathing heavily, Minglan gritted her teeth and leaned close to her ear, saying, "Please forgive me, Madam, but I'm going too far."
Madam Yu opened her eyes a little and saw that it was Minglan. She understood what was going on, but she couldn't muster the strength. She could only gasp for air and say, "Just like my own granddaughter, go... go and support that incompetent girl of mine!"
Minglan stood at the door, looking at the woman at the bottom of the stairs, and a clear voice rang out: "Who is kneeling? If you want my sister to drink your tea, you must tell me your name!"
The woman raised her head slightly. Seeing the servants around her being very respectful to Minglan, she assumed she was the daughter of the second branch of the Yu family. She stopped crying and said, "My name is Manniang, and these are my two poor children!"
Minglan's expression was gentle as she smiled and said, "Taking a concubine is not something the mistress should just drink a cup of tea for. As the saying goes, troubles arise from within the family when there's unrest in the house. Even ordinary families would ask about a concubine's background. Moreover, the Ningyuan Marquis is from a prestigious and prestigious family in the imperial capital. If my sister doesn't even know your background and casually drinks your cup of tea, wouldn't it make people laugh at the Yu family for being so unruly?!"
The voice was clear and coherent, and everyone nodded in agreement. Man Niang was startled and looked at Minglan in surprise. Then the maid brought a soft stool for Minglan. Minglan sat down gracefully and asked with a smile, "Now, I want to ask you a few questions on behalf of my grandmother and my sister. Only after I understand clearly can I drink your tea! I wonder if you want to answer while kneeling or standing?"
Seeing Minglan's demeanor, the maids around her gradually stopped talking. Looking at the mother and her two children as if they were a joke, Man Niang gritted her teeth, stood up, and whispered, "Just ask the young lady."
A maid brought a tray to Minglan. Minglan calmly picked up the teacup and drank a sip. She asked kindly, "I wonder if you care about the people in the mansion?" Manniang lowered her head and said sullenly, "...No."
Minglan smiled inwardly and asked, "Oh, then you must be from an outside family. I wonder how your parents and brothers are doing? What do they do for a living?"
Man Niang's pale face suddenly turned blue. Her lips trembled as she spoke incoherently, "...I, I don't have any parents. I only have one brother who runs a small business..."
"What business?" Minglan pressed on, and the maids around her waited with wide eyes.
"At...the Caoyun Wharf." Man Niang's voice was almost inaudible.
Minglan was about to say that being a dockworker was a legitimate profession when a maid beside the old lady leaned over and said something. Minglan frowned and asked, "What's your connection to the Liuxi Troupe?"
Man Niang's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "My brother used to work there as a handyman."
Minglan suddenly realized what was going on. She knew that the women a playboy like Gu Er could meet were either from brothels or opera houses. She said in embarrassment, "This is difficult! I'm afraid my sister can't make the decision. Why don't you go and ask the Gu family yourself?"
Man Niang knelt down again with a thud, tears streaming down her face as she kowtowed repeatedly. "The Gu family despised my lowly background and refused to accept me. I have no other choice... I can only beg you, young lady, to have mercy on me. My children are growing up, and I have to naturalize them!"
Minglan looked at the two children, only three or two years old, who were ignorant and naive. She felt a little pity in her heart, so she tentatively said, "Even if the Gu family doesn't recognize you, they will still want this child, right? I'm just afraid that you will be wronged."
Man Niang was terrified and cried out, "Are you going to separate us mother and son? Look at this beautiful girl, but she has such a cruel heart! If she leaves my child, I, I'd rather die..."
As he said this, he knocked his head heavily on the ground, and the maid beside him hurriedly tried to pull him back.
Minglan began to sneer in her heart, and her tone gradually hardened: "Young lady, you are really calculating. You know that the Gu family will not tolerate you, so you want my sister to be an unfilial daughter-in-law. You haven't even entered the family yet, and you are already disobeying the elders!"
Man Niang's eyes flickered, and then she lowered her head and said sadly, "Young lady, please be kind and have mercy on me! Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. The lives of the three of us, mother and children, are in your hands! In the future, your sister and I will share a husband. I will be respectful and obedient, and will only follow your sister's orders. These two children of mine are your sister's children..."
Before she could finish her words, Yanran's faint sobbing could be heard from the inner room. Old Madam Yu gasped, "Drive her out! Drive her out! Cancel the engagement! Cancel the engagement!..." Her voice was so low that it could not be heard from outside. Only Minglan, who was standing at the door, noticed it and stood up, shouting, "Shut up!"
The girl's voice was shrill and high-pitched, suddenly making everyone in the courtyard stunned. Minglan stood up and walked to the top of the stairs. She looked down at Man Niang and said coldly, "What do you mean by sharing a husband? There is no matchmaker or engagement. What does my sister have to do with the Gu family? If you keep talking nonsense, I will slap you in the face!"
Man Niang was stunned. She had never imagined that this flower-like pretty girl could be so terrifying when she was furious. One moment she was so gentle and kind, and the next she turned her face and refused to recognize anyone. She felt a little scared, but then she looked at the people around her and mustered up her courage. She shouted, "If the girl doesn't let me live, then none of us will live!"
As she said this, she picked up her children and rushed to the wall to rub their heads, but was immediately stopped by the maids around her. Then she burst into tears and the two children were also frightened and screamed and cried. For a while, there was a loud cry of "Mother, children, ah!" and the scene was chaotic.
At this time, the wet nurse finally arrived with the housekeeper. Seeing this scene, she immediately ordered everyone to disperse, and then ordered two sturdy maids to hold Man Niang up, one on each side. Man Niang was panicked and dared not cry anymore. Minglan waved her hand gently, looked at them coldly, and said in a clear and slow voice: "Although your family background is low, it is not a big deal. You can live a peaceful life if you marry an ordinary person. But you know that your family background is difficult to be accepted by a wealthy and prestigious family, and you know that the Gu Mansion will not tolerate you. Why did you become someone's concubine? Since you are a concubine, why come here to cry and wail like you want to die? "I want to live! Could it be that you were forced into this situation? ... Humph, you asked my sister to accept you, a person who is not tolerated by the Gu family, and made my sister unfilial; you scared the whole Yu family into chaos and attracted people to point fingers, and made my sister unjust; you kept talking about mistress and concubines, and my sister, who is as innocent as gold and jade, has been ruined by you for no reason! - You and my sister have no relatives, and you came here so thoughtlessly, making my sister unfilial and unjust, and ruining her reputation. Today, I will slap you out!"
Minglan scolded so convincingly that even the maidservants who had felt pity for Manniang just now looked at her with disdain. Manniang saw that the situation had turned and was about to argue again, but Minglan spoke first: "Now you have two choices. One is to get out on your own and the Yu family will take you back to the capital. The other is to have your mouth gagged, your hands and feet tied, and then be carried out through the back door and thrown onto a boat back to the capital! You choose one!" The housekeeper was very smart. When she heard this, she immediately asked someone to get the ropes and straps.
Man Niang's pretty face changed color several times. She bit her lower lip and looked at Ming Lan tenderly and pitifully. She was about to say a few more words: "Miss, I..."
Minglan interrupted her again, looking down at her and saying coldly, "You just need to say yes or no! Mom, are the ropes ready?"
The latter sentence was addressed to the housekeeper, who immediately responded, "Everything is ready! It's just the young lady who gives the order!" Several sturdy old women nearby were also ready to go, and they would take action as soon as the order was given.
Man Niang stared at Ming Lan, and Ming Lan looked back at him without fear. She had witnessed Wang's mother and daughter and Aunt Lin's mother and daughter exchanging skills and competing on the same stage for many years, so today's scene really couldn't scare her.
The two looked at each other for a long time. Man Niang felt dejected and stood up with her two children, and asked the maid to take her out.
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