Pinlan took the lead and strode in, followed closely by Minglan. As they entered the inner room, they saw a bustling room full of female relatives, wives, grandmothers, young wives, and older girls, all sitting or standing, the room full of splendor and brilliance. The Third Lady, who was sitting nearby, saw Minglan come in and clapped her hands on her thigh, laughing, "Oh, it's true! Speak of the devil! Here comes the real boss!"
Minglan pretended not to hear anything and just followed Pinlan forward to pay her respects to the elders one by one, then respectfully stood next to Old Madam Sheng who was sitting at the head of the table. The old woman sitting next to her cousin Shulan was her mother-in-law. She was wearing an ochre-red embroidered jacket, with five or six large jeweled hairpins and a few velvet roses stuck in her hair. Her neck and wrists were full of ornaments, and she was covered in gold and silver, so bright that it dazzled people's eyes.
Ever since Minglan entered, Sun's mother had been sizing her up and down. For a long moment, a smile spread across her wrinkled face. She finally said, "The other day, I heard the Third Madam speak of this child, and I thought she was wonderful. Seeing her today, I see she's truly a lady from a wealthy family. Wow, what a beautiful girl!" Then, smiling at the two old ladies at the table above, she said, "My nephew is about the same age and looks as this child. On this auspicious day, let's make a marriage even closer. What do you think, my in-laws?"
After he finished speaking, he looked straight at the other person, waiting for the other person to reply. Most of the women in the room stopped talking and looked over here.
Minglan sneered in her heart. Generally speaking, people would not propose marriage so directly for fear of rejection. But Mr. Sun's mother was really shameless. She actually proposed marriage directly in front of the wives of the prominent families in half of the county. How could they refuse?
Well, actually Minglan didn’t like the way Sun’s mother looked at her, as if she was picking eggs in the market.
Old Madam Sheng stirred the tea leaves back and forth with the lid of her tea bowl without saying a word. The eldest old lady frowned and was about to say a few words to calm down when Sheng Yun interrupted her: "Oh, madam, you really know how to joke. Your nephew is almost twenty years old, and how old is my little niece? Can you say they are of the same age and appearance? Oh, no, no." Grandma Sun's face was a little unhappy: "What's the big deal about being a few years older? Just put some people in the house first, so that they can take good care of the daughter-in-law when she comes home."
The expressions of the women in the room varied. Some were amused, some were surprised, some shook their heads, and most were contemptuous and simply lowered their heads to whisper with the people next to them. Minglan also admired this scholar's mother very much. The daughter-in-law had not been mentioned yet, but the people in the room had already been put on the table. This grandson's mother was either deliberately looking for trouble, or she really didn't care. Ignorance is fearless.
But she couldn't say openly that no one was allowed in the house, otherwise she would be accused of being jealous. Sheng Yun rolled her eyes and said with a smile, "My dear wife, you are choosing a wife for your niece, so I have to choose a son-in-law for my niece. Our Sheng family has some face. My cousin is an official of high rank, not to mention my nephew, who is an appointed Hanlin! My dear wife, what is your nephew's reason for wanting a wife? Is it because of his official title, or because of his farmland and shops? Marrying a man means having clothes to wear and food to eat. Please tell me a thing or two."
Sheng Yun spoke quickly and crisply, and she was famous in the county for her straightforward personality. What she said was half true and half false, and everyone in the room laughed. Everyone knew that Sun's mother's nephew had lost both his parents at an early age, and he had just been living with his aunt. He was idle most of the time, and he only liked Sun's mother with his mouth.
But ever since her son passed the imperial examination, Sun's mother felt that she came from a family of scholars and that ordinary people would look down on her. She insisted on marrying her nephew off to a good wife. She had annoyed the prominent families in the county, but they had never been rude to her for the sake of the Sheng family. After being rejected several times, Sun's mother felt a little discouraged. A few days ago, she heard the third wife talking about Minglan, and she became interested again. She felt that although Minglan came from an official family, she was just a concubine's daughter, and it would be a great honor for her to propose marriage. However, the two old ladies remained silent and just kept her silent, and Sheng Yun was so cruel and ruthless that every word she said was heartbreaking. Sun's mother frowned and said, "Although my nephew has no fame or wealth, he was born to the first wife!"
Pinlan's face flushed red, her eyes almost spitting fire, and she unconsciously grasped Minglan's hand under her sleeve, pinching it so hard that it almost drew blood. Minglan lowered her head and used her other hand to pat her gently - Li was also a concubine's daughter.
When Sheng Wei got married, Master Sheng almost squandered all the family fortune. Fortunately, Grandpa Li was a kind-hearted man and still remembered the friendship they had when they made a fortune together, so he decided to marry his granddaughter to him. However, his son and daughter-in-law were not happy about it and intervened to replace him with a daughter born out of wedlock. Who would have thought that thirty years later, things have changed so much, and now the Li family has the best marriage, with a husband who can make money and is devoted to him. On the contrary, the legitimate daughter who was replaced did not marry well, and they must be regretting it.
It's better to expose someone's shortcomings than to expose their own. The Sheng family had grown prosperous over the years, and no one mentioned Li's background anymore. Sun's mother's words were too much. Silence fell over the room, and everyone looked at the Sheng family and their aunt, Mrs. Zhu, who was sipping tea beside them. The eldest wife, Mrs. Li, who had remained silent, stared at Sun's mother with a cold look in her eyes. She said quietly, "There's a proper order of seniority. Minglan has several older sisters. In terms of age, Third Uncle's daughter, Hui, is a better match for my nephew."
The Third Madam was gloating just now, but suddenly the gun turned around and she was stabbed. She hurriedly waved her hands: "No, no, how can this be?! My family doesn't want a poor lazy boy who likes to eat and do nothing..." She stopped talking suddenly. The Third Madam saw that Sun's mother was glaring at her. If it weren't for the public watching, Sun's mother would probably hit her with the same posture as when she raked the fields. However, the women in the house all knew what the Third Madam meant. They all covered their mouths and laughed, and shot sarcastic looks at Sun's mother and the Third Madam, making their faces red.
Pinlan was very happy and finally let go of Minglan's hand. Minglan also felt relieved, so she pulled Pinlan and quietly stepped back a few steps, moved away from the crowd, and stood behind the flower grid to take a breath.
At this time, a beautiful young woman sitting next to the third wife chuckled and said, "Mother, don't be so hasty to refuse. Your grandson's husband has a good reputation. Maybe the wife of the in-laws will look down on your sister!"
Mother Sun's expression eased a little, and she snorted coldly: "That's right, Third Madam is worrying too much~~~~~!" She deliberately dragged out the lingering sound. Third Madam was so angry that she was shaking all over. Huilan, who was standing behind her, was extremely embarrassed. She lowered her head and bit her lip, tightly grasping a handkerchief and twisting it, and glared at the beautiful young woman fiercely. The young woman didn't care at all and didn't even look at her. Everyone in the room chuckled.
There were too many people just now, and Minglan didn't remember them all. Pinlan quickly explained: "The one sitting next to Third Aunt in bright red is Sister Yuelan, and the one sitting next to her with a good temper is Sister Xiulan."
Minglan said "Oh", the legitimate mother, legitimate sister and concubine's daughter, as expected... The saying "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" probably doesn't work on Yuelan.
Huilan saw the women around her laughing and pointing, and it seemed that they were pointing at her. She blushed and stamped her feet, and finally couldn't bear it anymore, turned around and ran out. Xiulan saw her sister's rude behavior, so she apologized and followed her out. Yuelan was impatient to sit with the third wife, so she stood up and walked over to Pinlan and Minglan, touching Minglan's clothes and hair in a familiar way, and said with a smile: "What a beautiful sister, I like her the moment I see her."
Minglan had also met female relatives in Dengzhou, but she had never seen anyone come up and touch her like this. She just turned her body to the side. Pinlan looked at her coldly without saying a word. Yuelan didn't feel uncomfortable when she saw that the two sisters ignored her, and just talked to herself. Pinlan was annoyed with her, so she pouted and turned away to get some tea and snacks.
As Yuelan spoke, she stared at the flower-shaped ornaments on Minglan's braids, which were made of pearls and gold thread. The gold thread was exquisite and beautiful, and the pearls were round and crystal clear, obviously valuable. She was very envious and touched them. She said, "Sister, I have never seen such large pearls! Second uncle is an official, and I must be used to wealth and luxury. Why don't you lend them to me for a few days? I can wear them and show off to my husband's family!"
Minglan opened her eyes in surprise. Is he... asking her for something?
She suddenly missed Molan. No matter how cunning she was, at least her tactics were of a higher standard. Molan couldn't be so desperate as to ask for something from her cousin, a young woman she had just met. Before Minglan could even speak, Yuelan had already taken action, quickly pulling the Huasheng from Minglan's hair. She examined it carefully in her hands, feeling satisfied with it. She turned back to Minglan and smiled, "Thank you, sister. I'll return it to you later." Then she thrust it into her own hair, leaving Minglan stunned.
At this time, Pinlan returned with tea and fruit. Just then, she heard the last sentence and was fuming. She approached Yuelan from behind and suddenly, with force, snatched the Huasheng from her hand and stuffed it back into Minglan's hand. She sneered, "Sister Yue, are you borrowing it or robbing it? Minglan hasn't agreed yet and you're already doing it! Everyone says your brother-in-law is rich, and you're still jealous of your sister's things?! How can a sister behave like this?"
When Yuelan saw the thing in her hand, it was snatched back. Her eyebrows immediately raised and she cursed, "I'm talking to Sister Ming, why are you butting in? Bah, you sarcastic thing, be careful you won't get married!" She turned around and smiled at Minglan, "Sister, don't you know that even rich country people like us can't buy good things with money? I just want to borrow it for a few days. Sister, you won't be so stingy!"
Pinlan was about to retort when Minglan pulled her back. Minglan soothed Pinlan with her eyes, turned to Yuelan and smiled, then said seriously, "I'm sorry, I'm stingy, I won't lend it to you."
After saying that, he immediately pulled Pinlan forward. Yuelan stood there speechless. Pinlan helped Minglan put the Huasheng back on her head while she approached the old lady and talked with a smile. Yuelan didn't dare chase her to ask for it again, so she just stamped her feet. Yuelan was used to being greedy for other people's things. She originally wanted to pull out the Huasheng and quickly sit back in the hall. Seeing Minglan's silence just now, she thought she was an honest girl. The little girl was too shy to say anything. She would quickly go home and let the matter pass quietly. She didn't think...
Yuelan returned to the Third Madam in disappointment, only to find out that the opera outside was about to begin. Most of the women in the house were following the First Madam, Mrs. Li, out. Yuelan hurried to follow the Third Madam. Shengyun and the two old ladies wanted to go too, but were stopped by Mother Sun. Aunt Zhu was also listening from the side. Pinlan and Minglan found a pair of stools to sit on and talk.
Sun's mother was gushing over her son, her praise almost uncontrollably: "...The county magistrate insisted on inviting my son Zhi to a drink, saying he wanted him to write a calligraphy piece for a plaque. Oh, Zhier couldn't refuse, so he agreed. In my opinion, it's a real blessing for the county magistrate to have Zhier's calligraphy..."
Pinlan could no longer bear it and whispered in Minglan's ear, "It was clearly my brother-in-law who got drunk and insisted on giving the letter to the county magistrate. And my father had something to tell the magistrate at that drinking party, but my brother-in-law came over and got drunk and talked nonsense for a long time, causing my father to have to apologize to the county magistrate many times!"
Minglan was embarrassed. This Sun's mother was really good. She could even apply for a job at CNN.
Mother Sun was intoxicated with herself for a long time, and finally thought of Old Lady Sheng: "I heard that the old lady's grandson is also a scholar. I wonder how old he was when he passed the imperial examination?" This is Mother Sun's favorite topic, and she never gets tired of talking about it. Even if the other party passed the imperial examination and was older than her son, she would brag about it for a long time.
Old Madam Sheng chuckled, "Fifteen." Sun's mother was very proud: "Oh, that's not as early as our Zhier, but he is still very talented at a young age." Old Madam Sheng said modestly, "I can't say he is very talented, but there were several young scholars aged eleven or twelve in Dengzhou that year."
Mother Sun gave a few dry laughs, "That's nothing. Perhaps the exam was particularly easy that year. Even if all the candidates are scholars, they may not all be talented."
This remark annoyed the aunt, Mrs. Zhu, who was standing beside him. She couldn't help but sarcastically said, "Come to think of it, your brother has passed the imperial examination since he was twelve years old. He must have taken the imperial examination several times, right? Why hasn't he passed yet?"
Sun's mother suppressed her anger and said, "Some people have taken the exam for decades. What are a few years?"
Zhu covered her mouth and chuckled: "You are right, it can take decades."
Mother Sun was furious. Seeing that the women of the Sheng family did not come to her aid, she had no place to vent her anger. She scolded her daughter-in-law Shulan beside her, "Why don't you refill your mother-in-law's tea? You are so tactless. What's the use of you?" Shulan was scolded in public, her face reddening. She lowered her head to pass the message to the maid. Pinlan saw her sister so wronged, her heart ached, but she could not speak, so she clenched her fists. Minglan hurriedly whispered in her ear, "Don't move rashly. Calm down, calm down. Your grandmother knows her limits."
Old Madam Sheng continued to watch the tea leaves floating calmly. The eldest old lady gradually became angry, but did not show it on her face. She just listened quietly.
Mother Sun looked at Shulan walking away with dissatisfaction, pouted her lips, and turned back to say, "Madam, I'm not bragging, but someone with the character and appearance of my daughter Zhi'er is hard to find even with a lantern. Your daughter is so lucky to be able to marry into our family! She's been married for several years and still has no children. If it were any other family, they would have sent her away with a letter of divorce long ago."
Sheng Yun was very protective of her shortcomings. She tried to keep her mouth shut, but finally couldn't hold it in any longer. "Some people wait ten years after getting married to have a baby. In the past four or five years, my niece and her husband have already had several children!"
Zhu helped out, saying, "That's right. We have our ancestors and God's blessing on our offspring. We've already got a houseful of concubines. What else do you want?"
Mother Sun sneered and said, "If she is truly virtuous, she should let people in instead of leaving her outside to be laughed at."
The eldest old lady said in a deep voice: "How can a woman of unclean origin enter the family?! Your son-in-law is also a scholar, and you can say such things. Aren't you afraid of dishonoring our ancestors?"
Mother Sun shouted unwillingly, "Your daughter is incompetent, yet you still want to stop your husband from taking a concubine? Are you trying to make our family extinct?"
Pinlan could no longer bear it and could not listen any longer, so she turned around and left. Minglan hurriedly chased after her. Pinlan was in good physical condition but in a bad mood. She held her breath and ran 800 meters in one go. Minglan almost ran herself to death before she caught up with him under a willow tree. She held Pinlan's arm and refused to let go, just gasping for breath.
Pinlan kicked the tree again and again, cursing angrily, "Damn it! My sister is such a good person, how could she have to suffer such a thing! Why? Why?"
Minglan patted her chest and gasped for breath. She could only wait until Pinlan had no more strength to kick before she slowly pulled her to a well-shaded rockery. She picked up a clean stone and sat down with her. Minglan didn't know how to persuade her in such a matter. If she were still a clerk in modern times, she would definitely shout "divorce" in a heroic manner, but here, alas... The two sisters sat quietly for a long time, and suddenly a burst of hurried footsteps and voices came from behind the rockery.
"...Sister, don't leave. Listen to what I have to say!"
"I'm going to the theater. Sister, don't say anything. I don't want to hear it."
—It’s Xiulan and Huilan! Pinlan and Minglan exchanged a quick glance.
As an experienced eavesdropper, Minglan's first reaction was to cover Pinlan's mouth. Unexpectedly, Pinlan was quicker than her and put one hand on her mouth. Then she sat still and listened attentively. Seeing such skillful and smooth movements, Minglan couldn't help but wonder: Could they be a fellow enthusiast?
Xiulan on the other side spoke up - "Marriage is as important to us girls as reincarnation. Sister, please don't be confused! I've heard that young master of that family is rich but lustful. He has many concubines in his teens."
"What can I do? My aunt treats me like a thief and is on guard against me. I can't even see my cousin Taisheng. Now that I'm old, I have to find another way out." Huilan said hatefully.
"Taisheng? Oh, don't even think about it. There are some things you don't know. Back then, my aunt wanted to marry my uncle, but our grandfather forced my uncle to marry her off to another family. He even almost beat my uncle to death. I heard that it was the second old lady who came forward to bail her out. Even if my aunt didn't hold any resentment in her heart, she wouldn't look down on our family." Xiulan said with a melancholy tone.
Pinlan and Minglan glanced at each other. How could such a thing actually happen? Pinlan's eyes were filled with excitement, and Minglan was also full of gossip - it turned out that Uncle Niu and Auntie were in a free love relationship.
There were a few dull sounds, as if stamping feet, and Huilan's voice came through the rockery again: "...Sister, look at the pomp and show of their family today, and then look at what those two girls, Pinlan and Minglan, are wearing and wearing. Just one of them would be worth everything I have! I don't want to live a hard life. If I'm going to marry, I have to marry a rich man!"
"Don't be silly. Marrying a man is not just about having money. Although your brother-in-law's family is poor, they treat me sincerely, and my mother-in-law is also considerate. Now I am taking care of him and a pair of children, which is more satisfying than having delicacies every day! Don't look at Yuelan's wealth. Her husband is a scoundrel. Not only does he pursue women all day long, but he also beats her up whenever he wants. No one in the house, including the concubine with children, takes her seriously. Do you want to live like this? You'd better beg your aunt, and she will make the decision for you." Xiulan said earnestly.
Huilan sneered a few times, "That's because sister has a good fortune. You two were promised to marry at the same time. How did sister Shulan marry? He was also a scholar from a poor family, but he wasn't as kind-hearted as my brother-in-law! He accepted the dowry from his wife, but he was always ordering people around and showing off his power. And he still met that useless Shulan! Humph, forget it, it's safer to be rich..."
After he finished speaking, there was a sound of heavy footsteps, as if he had left Xiulan and walked away. Xiulan hurriedly chased after him, but the sound gradually faded away.
Pinlan slowly let go of Minglan's mouth, a smile on her face, and said slowly: "Sister Ming, I'm suddenly not angry anymore. Come to think of it, no matter what, my sister hasn't been hit by a finger yet."
【Author has something to say】
Huasheng, also known as Huasheng, is a flower-shaped jewelry worn by ancient women. It is usually made into the shape of flowers and plants and inserted into the bun or decorated on the forehead. (Baidu said)
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