Minglan lay on the edge of the car and spit out the last mouthful of yellow water, then turned over and fell on the soft mat. The old lady caressed her little face lovingly. However, in just a few days, the baby fat on Minglan's body that had lasted for thousands of years quickly disappeared. Old Lady Sheng never doubted that her chubby granddaughter would grow up to be slim. Unfortunately, she guessed the ending but not the process.
Little Minglan was so carsick that she saw double. She called Fang Mama "Grandma" and said to Old Zhang who was driving, "Mama Cui, why have you grown a beard?" The old lady felt very distressed and held Minglan in her arms and let her sleep on her lap all the way.
After the commotion at Yu Mansion that day, Minglan was confined to her residence by Old Lady Sheng upon returning home. She was also ordered to copy Buddhist scriptures. Old Lady Sheng asked her if she knew she was wrong. Minglan nodded honestly: "I know, I was too ostentatious."
This copying continued until the departure, and Minglan never had the chance to see Yanran again. The Yu Mansion was guarded tightly and no news could get out. The outside world only knew that Yanran was "seriously ill" and her marriage with the Gu family was postponed.
Seeing her grandmother's face as black as the bottom of a pot, Minglan didn't dare to defend herself until she was on the road and saw that the old lady felt sorry for her carsickness and her attitude softened a lot. Then she vomited and stammered in her defense: "...Grandma, think about it, how could your granddaughter be so stupid?"
The old judge who was her immediate superior at the time summed up her years of experience in throwing people into illegal kilns and came to a very mysterious conclusion: some things look very safe, but are actually very dangerous; some things look very dangerous, but are actually very safe.
First, she did good deeds without leaving her name behind. As long as the Yu family's servants didn't go out and make a fuss, Man Niang wouldn't know who was scolding her for a long time. Moreover, this matter was not glorious for the Yu family, so they would definitely keep it secret. Not to mention Ming Lan's performance, even Man Niang's performance would not be leaked by the servants. Moreover, the Sheng family was moving away immediately, while the Yu family was going to retire in Dengzhou. Once they moved to the capital or transferred to another place with Sheng Hong, it would be even less of a problem.
Old Madam Sheng remained calm and said, "Why do you have to force yourself to get involved? Ultimately, this is the Yu family's own business!"
This sentence hit the mark. Minglan's thin, childish face suddenly fell silent. After a while, she sighed softly like a little adult. "As a girl, I must be careful with my words and actions throughout my life, and never quarrel with anyone. But... what's the fun in living like this? Every step I take is a rule, every word I say is a rule. From the moment I open my eyes to the moment I lie down to sleep, I have to consider the consequences of every moment. I really don't like living like this. It's just like getting through life like a wooden man. I want to occasionally... just once in a while, I can do what I want and say what I want... Grandmother, Minglan knows I was wrong."
Minglan crouched in her grandmother's arms, feeling deeply down. It wasn't so much a matter of venting her anger as it was a matter of sympathy. For someone like Yanran, whose grandfather was still alive, her father would sacrifice his daughter's happiness for wealth and glory. But what about her? If her father ever needed to sacrifice his daughter's marriage for personal gain, would Old Lady Sheng be able to make the decision for her? In this world, a girl's fate is as fleeting as a floating duckweed. But, for the sake of a comfortable and honorable life, must she sacrifice all her character and principles, and tolerate flattery, even hypocrisy and cruelty?
Old Madam Sheng fell silent, stroking Minglan's loose bun, which was as delicate as a crow's feather. In fact, Old Madam Yu had later come to the mansion to express her gratitude, praising Minglan's eagerness to help others, her chivalrous nature, and her belief that Yanran was blessed to have such a sister in her life. She knew the matter was not a big deal, but simply wanted to temper Minglan's temper, so that she wouldn't become too sharp and easily hurt herself in the future.
Since Minglan had confessed her guilt, accepted her punishment, and demonstrated a positive attitude towards reform, Madam Sheng lifted the news blackout: Yanran's marriage was a complex matter. Lord Yu, a long-standing phlegm sufferer, had a mouthful of blood mixed with thick phlegm after his outburst that day, a blessing in disguise, as it had opened up his meridians. After recovering, Lord Yu quickly got back to work, arranging a new marriage for Yanran with lightning speed. It was to the family of an old friend of his. It was neither a good match (compared to Hualan) nor a bad match (compared to marrying Gu Er).
His in-laws lived far away in Dali, Yunnan. He was from the famous local family, the Duan family, and was the grandson of an unknown number. He was much older than Yanran and was said to be a good person. The reason he had not been able to find a suitable marriage was because he had a leg disease (he broke his leg when he was a child), so he could not enter the officialdom.
This time Lord Yu was determined, and he acted swiftly and decisively, asking his son to send money to prepare the dowry. If he said any more nonsense, he would open the ancestral hall and expel his son from the house. On the day Minglan set off, the Yu family had just held the engagement ceremony with the Duan family.
"...That's fine." Minglan tried to think positively. "Even if I can't become an official, I can still practice medicine, do business, and buy property. There are many things I can do! Treating Sister Yanran well is the most important thing." Thinking that Yanran had finally escaped the trap, Minglan became happy again and clapped her hands, saying, "Now the Ningyuan Marquis will have to look for relatives everywhere again. The matchmakers in the capital are doing good business!"
"No need to look for her anymore." Old Madam Sheng said solemnly, "Master Yu has promised Yanran his daughter to him. She will marry him when she reaches the age of marriage."
Minglan was stunned, and her instinct was extremely indignant. She wanted to run outside with her fists clenched, or curse God. After a while, she felt dizzy and nauseous, so she turned her head and held an empty bowl to continue vomiting.
The wheels of the carriage rolled along as they headed south. The air in the north at the end of August was warm and crisp, and the sky was blue. Minglan's motion sickness was very stubborn, and it always accompanied her. To help Minglan, or perhaps because everyone was relaxed after leaving the house, Fang's mother began to tell Minglan a story: "Girl, don't blame the old lady for punishing you. She did it for your own good. If a woman wants to live a good life, there are many ways to do it."
While the old lady was resting in another carriage, Mother Fang sat in the carriage to look after Minglan, smoothing her blanket and patting her pillows while chattering to her.
Although Fang Mama lacks theoretical ability, she has heard and seen a lot of real cases over the past few decades. According to her experience, the good or bad of a woman's life is nothing more than fate, luck and ability. As long as she has two of the three, she will have a smooth life.
Take Old Madam Yu for example. She was born in a family of great scholars in Shandong in her early years. Her parents were kind and the family rules were strict. She had a very good life. Later, her husband, Yu Ge Lao, was his father's favorite student. When Yu Ge Lao was poor, he was appreciated by his mentor and married his daughter to him. He was very grateful and loved Old Madam Yu all his life. Even after his career went smoothly and he rose to prominence, he did not change his love for his wife and lived with her wholeheartedly until old age. Old Madam Yu's luck was also very good.
In this way, it didn't matter that Madam Yu had zero fighting ability; it could be said that Madam Yu had never experienced any major ups and downs in her life, and she didn't need to be scheming or manipulative, a lucky person like a greenhouse flower. Well, it was also because of this that she couldn't control Yanran, her stepmother, and sometimes even Grand Master Yu had to step in and teach his daughter-in-law a lesson.
"Ah - so what if you have no ability? You can't beat the fact that others are beautiful and marry better!" Mother Fang sighed.
Minglan was fascinated by what she heard; it was even better than storytelling.
"It seems that reincarnation is very important! If the parents are good, then half the battle is won!" Minglan sighed sincerely, saying that Madam Yu's parents were really good at choosing a son-in-law. However, Madam Fang disagreed: "That's not necessarily true. Miss Yanran lost her mother shortly after she was born, and her father is a cruel man. But she has the protection of Lord Yu and the old lady. If she has some ability, she can also establish a family business in the future. I'm just afraid...she will take after Madam Yu!"
"Really?" Minglan rejected the feeble theory and demanded facts.
Mother Fang praised herself very readily, and sounded quite proud of herself.
She was born into a poor peasant family. Her father was seriously ill and she had never had a full meal before she was seven years old. Her mother had no choice but to sell her to a boy and later to the mansion of Marquis Yongyi. Her life was really not good.
However, after entering the Marquis's residence, she was diligent and honest, and was soon chosen to be a maidservant beside the Marquis's daughter. Then, with her tireless learning, she mastered writing, accounting, embroidery, and household management, and served her master wholeheartedly without any second thoughts. Finally, she was promoted to the first-class maidservant beside Miss Xu. Later, after being married into the Sheng Mansion as a dowry, she was married to a steward at the behest of the old lady. The couple left their official positions and went out to make a living. Later, they had many children and grandchildren, and the family was prosperous. One son passed the imperial examination and opened a private school, another opened several shops, and another bought land and became a small landlord.
"Mom is so lucky! Good people are really rewarded." Minglan became more energetic as she listened.
Mother Fang smiled and waved her hand, "Being a good person isn't enough. When I knew I was going to be sold, I worked day and night and saved up a few quid to give to that man, begging him to sell me to a good family. I was lucky to meet such a kind man, which is why I met the old lady. It was because I was willing to endure hardship and work hard in the mansion that I won the favor of the old marquis' wife. Finally, it was because I urged my husband to go out and make a living that we have a good life for our children and grandchildren. I am serving the old lady now, taking it one day at a time, chatting with her and keeping her entertained. When I can no longer work, I will return home to hug my grandchildren!"
After she lost her husband in middle age, she saw that her children had all started their own families, and she couldn't bear to see Old Madam Sheng alone, so she went back to work in the Sheng Mansion, saying that she wanted to fulfill the master-servant relationship. Her children and grandchildren were very filial, and they would come to ask her to go back to enjoy a peaceful life during the holidays, but Mama Fang just refused.
Minglan was amazed. She was truly a living example of success and hard work! She looked at Fang's mother with a bit of admiration. Although she was born in misfortune, luck + ability = a successful life, too.
Actually, Mother Fang was not a talkative person and usually spoke with great discretion. But this time, she kept nagging for several days in a row. Minglan knew that she was talking to herself. She was just unlucky when she was born. Her father didn't love her, her mother died early, and she was a concubine's daughter. However, she was lucky and was loved by her grandmother, but this was not enough. She still needed to work hard on her own.
The enthusiastic support from the audience gave Mother Fang great encouragement. She told some stories every day, and told Minglan the old stories and anecdotes she knew as a serial story. When she was telling the stories, she asked Danju to guard the door outside the car and no one was allowed to enter. She told some parts in detail and made comments occasionally, while some parts were obscure and Minglan had to understand them on her own.
Under Minglan's repeated questioning, Fang Mama finally sighed and said, "...Everyone says our old lady is so powerful, trying to stop her husband from taking a concubine, threatening to beat him up and kill him all day long. But... alas, isn't the girl's father a good person? This is why the old lady suffers. She has a reputation for being powerful, but in reality, she couldn't be kinder! She has an upright heart, but she only knows how to argue with the old master, but she doesn't guard against the despicable tactics of those mean servants, and her own son died young... That's why she's heartbroken."
Talking about the past, Fang Mama sighed, tears streaming down her face. She then pulled Minglan aside and said, "The old lady was angry that you stood up for yourself in the Yu family, and it was out of good intentions. You know, a girl should be strong in her heart. Showing it on the outside will only bring harm. Not only will it lead to slander, but it may not be effective! The stronger you are, the harder it is to show it on your face!"
"I really know I was wrong." Minglan whispered. This time, she really admitted her mistake.
Seeing that Minglan understood the old lady's painstaking efforts, Fang Mama cheered up again and enthusiastically told Minglan a typical story: "That young lady, hey... she's an old lady now. Her family background and appearance are not outstanding, and her husband is not as talented as your grandfather. If you say she is a playboy, she has been watching men for many years and has no illegitimate children! I heard that her husband is now old, and the concubines are long gone. Instead, the old couple is very happy."
Minglan was very envious. Perhaps because of the gossip behind her back, a few days later, Minglan met this role model who was enthusiastically pursued by Fang Mama.
When the carriage reached the Beijing-Tianjin ferry, it was time to get off and change boats to continue heading south. Coincidentally, they met people from the He family who were also going to take the boat to Jinling. When old lady He lifted the curtain and looked outside, she saw the mark of the Sheng family's carriage, so she sent someone to identify it. The two old ladies, who had not seen each other for half their lives, hugged each other and talked in tears without the need for blood tests.
Old Mrs. He had black hair, a plump figure, a rosy complexion, and wrinkles on her face, most of which were laugh lines. She smiled whenever she saw anyone and had a cheerful and enthusiastic personality. When she saw Minglan was so beautiful and lovely, she hugged her and kissed her several times, and then gave her a heavy purse as a gift, which was filled with a handful of gold ingots and a pair of white jade peace buckles.
Minglan was stunned at the time. She thought that this old lady should look like Baoyu's mother, but she was unexpectedly a happy and cheerful country old lady. It was said that she was only two years younger than Old Lady Sheng, but now she looked like she was ten years younger.
"Mom, are you sure? She doesn't look like one." Minglan clutched her purse and immediately wavered in her stance. When no one was around, she whispered to Fang Mama. Fang Mama, with a smile on her face, also whispered softly, "If you only pretend to be good but are cruel and despicable at heart, not only will you hurt your integrity, but you'll also be exhausted for the rest of your life. Look at this old lady, she's the real deal! She lives happily and never gets angry. No one can outlast her!"
Old Mrs. He was very humorous and talked a lot. Old Mrs. Sheng laughed continuously after seeing her, so they decided that the two families would take one boat.
"Old sister, I've been waiting for you to say that! I left in such a hurry this time that I didn't book a boat in advance." Old Mrs. He patted her chest, looking relieved. Then she turned and ordered, "Quick, go and call Young Master Hong back. We have a boat! Go and tell him that his grandmother is really capable. She caught an old sister with a boat in no time!"
Everyone in the room burst into laughter. Old Madam Sheng slapped her twice and scolded her, "You're already a grandmother, and you're still so frivolous! Don't let my little granddaughter learn your mischief!"
Minglan had just finished vomiting her last meal and was gradually regaining some energy. She obediently leaned over to listen to her grandmother. Seeing that her grandmother was rarely so happy, she joined in the fun and said, "Grandma, when she's out there, she can usually do the work of two people."
Old Madam He laughed so hard that she leaned back, hugged Minglan and kissed her twice, then said to Old Madam Sheng angrily, "Your child is so good, she looks like my own granddaughter, but my damned boy looks just like you, a hypocrite!"
As they were talking, a maid from the He family came in and reported respectfully, "The Seventh Young Master is back." Old Madam He hurriedly said, "Hurry up and ask him to come in and pay his respects!" The curtain was lifted, and a tall and graceful young man walked in slowly. He bowed his head when he saw someone. Old Madam Sheng hurriedly asked someone to help him up. When he raised his head, Minglan could see his appearance clearly.
The young man was about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a fair face, thin eyebrows and handsome eyes. He was not as handsome as Qi Heng, but he had a strong scholarly air and behaved in a dignified and steady manner. The He family had an aura of wealth, but he was only wearing a plain satin straight-legged suit. Except for a green jade pendant tied with a ruyi ribbon around his waist, he had no other ornaments on his body. After both sides had sent their elders and juniors, they sat down.
"This is your sister from the Sheng family, Xiao Mingya." Old Madam He introduced enthusiastically, casually using the name Minglan's grandmother used to call her. "This is my grandson Hong'er, who is three years older than you."
He Hongwen saw a little girl sitting next to Old Lady Sheng, as delicate and beautiful as a jade doll. She had a charming smile and looked quite naive, but she looked weak and frail. He blurted out, "Sister Xiaoming, don't eat too many plums. They're very harmful to your spleen and stomach."
Minglan was caught off guard by the sudden call. She was stunned for a moment, looking at the box of plums in her hands, then turning to look at her grandmother, then at the young man. Suddenly, she smelled a faint herbal fragrance and said blankly, "This is for you to eat, to relieve your fatigue;...uh, in that case, then don't eat it."
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