It was evening when they returned to the Sheng residence in Yuyang. He Hongwen had left a large bag of herbal dried tangerine peel for Minglan. Minglan savored the sweet and refreshing flavor and immediately gave half to Pinlan. However, Pinlan wasn't home. The maid mumbled, "The eldest daughter has gone back to her parents' home." Minglan immediately sensed something was amiss and hurried back to Shulan's former residence. Upon entering the inner room, she saw Shulan's face, tear-stained and pale, as she lay unconscious on the bed like an old woman. Pinlan paced the room furiously, her fists clenched. Minglan hurriedly inquired what was wrong, and Pinlan gritted her teeth as she explained the situation.
It turned out that Sun Zhigao's concubine was pregnant. The Sun mother and son were overjoyed and hurried to take the concubine into the house. Shulan was weak in nature, but her mother was quite decisive. When she saw that something was wrong, she immediately took Shulan back to her parents' home.
In the afternoon, Sun's mother came rushing to the house, arrogantly demanding that Shulan let the concubine in. Old Madam Sheng refused to budge, saying only four words: "Keep the son, get rid of the mother." Sun's mother sneered a few times, waved her sleeves, and left.
Pinlan was so angry that she ran out and cursed at a withered willow tree for half an hour. Minglan was unable to say anything to persuade her and could only accompany her silently. It was not until dark that Pinlan and Minglan returned to the house dejectedly. As soon as she reached the door, she heard a sad cry and Li's helpless coaxing voice coming from inside.
"...Since we got married, my mother-in-law said that I should not disturb my husband from studying. In a month... less than three or five days,... she complained that I was incompetent, so I took a concubine for him,... but he found those concubines boring... What should I do?" Shulan's crying flashed into Minglan's ears intermittently. Pinlan was naive and didn't quite understand, but Minglan understood it all.
Shulan is ordinary in appearance, honest and cowardly. Sun Zhigao considers himself a talented scholar, and he looks down on all his wives and concubines. He finally meets a beautiful, charming and talented "marginal" woman, and naturally he is fascinated by her.
Minglan sighed softly. This world is always more tolerant towards men. She is afraid that Shulan will suffer this time.
Sure enough, in the next few days, the Sheng Mansion was in chaos due to several groups of people. There were members of the Sun family who came to plead for mercy, there were also women from the third house who came to watch the fun, and there were also elders with good reputations in the village who came to mediate. But in the end, the main opinion was the same: ask Shulan to be magnanimous and let the woman marry in, and even if a boy was born, the child would be under Shulan's name.
The Sheng family never gave in. As time went on, rumors began to spread outside. People wentssip about the Sheng family's daughter and accused her of being jealous and intolerant. Sun Zhigao never came to pick up his wife, and he even brought the dancer home and flattered her like the main wife. Li gradually couldn't bear it anymore, but the old lady was the only one who remained as tough and silent as a rock, keeping silent no matter what anyone said.
Half a month later, the eldest lady suddenly announced that she wanted to meet the dancer. Sun's mother, believing the Sheng family could no longer hold out, happily brought the dancer home the next day. Unexpectedly, the eldest lady remained silent, simply sizing the dancer up and down for a long time, asking a few questions before turning back into the house. Before Sun's mother could react, she was escorted out the door.
One day, Pinlan was absent-mindedly watching Minglan drawing patterns on her bellyband, and kept looking outside. Suddenly, a little maid ran in quickly and said something in Pinlan's ear. Pinlan immediately jumped up like a spring, pulled Minglan and ran out like the wind. Minglan was almost dragged down, and the embroidery frame fell to the ground without her time to pick it up. She ran after her without thinking.
I stumbled along the way, through the flowers and through the woods, and felt that the road was getting narrower and narrower. Later, I simply gave up the main path and walked on the grass and mud, taking one deep step and one shallow step, going further and further away. I walked around several rooms of the main house and came to a dark thatched house.
Minglan finally shook off Pinlan's hand and panted, "I can't walk anymore. What on earth are you going to do?"
Pinlan's rosy little face lit up with excitement. "After Old Lady Sun came that day, Grandmother has been shutting herself away in the Buddhist temple for several days. She's only spoken a few words to your grandmother and won't even see my mother. I've had people guarding her, and today Grandmother suddenly asked my mother to go see her. If I'm right, they want to discuss my sister's matter."
Minglan nodded repeatedly, feeling that her cousin had a very logical and analytical mind, so she asked, "So what?"
Pinlan screamed strangely and grabbed Minglan's sleeve fiercely. "My sister's life and death are at stake, and you actually said 'so what'? Believe it or not, I'll beat you up! Now I want to go listen to them talk, do you want to come?"
Minglan was so surprised that her eyes almost popped out of her head. As a so-called lady from a noble family, she shouldn't even pry into other people's private matters, let alone eavesdrop. Well, although she had eavesdropped a few times, they were all sent to her by God!
Minglan said anxiously, "This, this is not good, right? How can you eavesdrop?" Seeing Pinlan's uneasy expression, she quickly added, "Besides, how could you eavesdrop? Would your grandmother tell anyone out loud with the window open?"
Pinlan waved her arm and said, "Don't worry, there's a dog hole here. When I was a kid, I used to sneak out when I was punished in the Buddhist temple. It's very hidden. Luckily, my grandmother was there to talk to me this time, otherwise I really wouldn't have been able to do anything. I treat you as my sister. Good sisters share happiness and hardship. You always got punished with me the last few times, and you're very loyal, so I won't forget you when something good happens to you!"
Minglan staggered and almost fell down. Are you kidding me? Climbing through a dog hole and eavesdropping are not considered sharing happiness together!
Pinlan ignored Minglan's trembling protests, and swiftly pulled aside the overgrown weeds and vines, revealing a hole more than a foot wide. She threatened Minglan with her eyes, then dragged her over and stuffed her into the dog hole. Minglan made a bitter face, and after Pinlan went in, she rolled up her sleeves and tucked up her skirt, moving forward like a dog chewing mud. After a while, Pinlan in front straightened up and pulled Minglan out of the dog hole. Minglan turned around and saw that the hole she had just come out of was blocked by a large water tank and weeds.
Pinlan struggled to carry the water tank back: "I specifically told them not to draw water from this tank these days."
Then the two girls sneaked through a yard and carefully slipped into the inner house. Pinlan slipped into a narrow door as if she was familiar with the place. Then it was pitch black. Pinlan squatted down, and Minglan clumsily followed Pinlan and crawled a few steps, then lay down in a place that looked like a cabinet.
Pinlan leaned close to Minglan's ear and said in a mosquito-like voice, "This is the room behind the Buddha shrine. Don't worry, this room is very big."
Minglan gradually became nervous, feeling that she had been really rude today. She just reached out and pinched Pinlan. They lay there waiting for a while, and suddenly heard the sound of a curtain being lifted, and then the sound of Li dismissing the people around her. It seemed that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were sitting far away from the Buddhist shrine.
Then Li said softly, "Old Madam, you, you... asked your daughter-in-law to come, could it be...?"
The eldest old lady said, "I have thought about it for several days and have made up my mind. Let Shulan divorce me."
Minglan was startled. In the darkness, she could sense Pinlan's breathing becoming heavier. Then, she heard Li's soft sobs, "Old Madam, please think about it. Shulan is still young. How... is she going to live the rest of her life?"
After a long while, the old lady's voice was heard, dry and calm: "Why would I want to? I've been thinking about it for days and nights, but there's really no way. It's time to find out while she's still young. Maybe there will be a better life in the future."
Li sobbed softly. The eldest old lady said, "A woman's life depends on three men: her father, her husband, and her son. You've seen the character of the Sun family mother and son. How can Shulan survive with a mother-in-law like that and a man like that? If she had a son, it would be fine. She could always rely on her son to get through it, but now she doesn't even have anyone to rely on. When you, me, and her father pass away, her brother and sister-in-law will always be a layer of distance between them. How do you think she will live in the future?!"
Mrs. Li couldn't help crying out loud, "My poor Shu'er, it's all my fault. I was blinded by greed and fell for that killer named Sun! I thought his family was poor and that he would treat Shu'er well because of how well we treated them. Who could have known... who could have known... that he was worse than a pig or a dog!"
The eldest old lady sighed and said, "I couldn't bear it either. I wanted to wait and see what that little beast would do. You saw it too. It's been so long since Shu girl returned to her parents' home, and he didn't even come to see her! I'm really discouraged. Now that his wife's elders are all alive, he dares to treat Shu girl so badly. If he really gets a job in the future, what will happen! Forget it, just be more careful and don't count on him anymore."
Pinlan grabbed Minglan's wrist tightly, and Minglan felt pain. She understood Pinlan's feelings very well, but she twisted it back without any hesitation.
Mrs. Li said sadly, "It's not that I can't bear to part with that little bastard, but I'm afraid it will ruin our family's reputation. If things fall out, what should I do if his family refuses to settle things amicably and insists on divorcing me?"
The eldest old lady sneered a few times and said in a deep voice: "The Sun family has been flattered for these years and has long forgotten their highness. He thinks that others flatter him because of his face. Humph, he doesn't even consider himself. He is only 70% money and 30% instigation. Now, do we still fear him with our family? If you want to settle privately, we have the manpower. If you want to settle publicly, we have the money. Even if you want to sue, don't we have people in the officialdom?! If he is willing to part ways with Shulan in an amicable manner, he will leave half of the dowry to his family. Otherwise, humph, they will be treated the same as they were before!"
After hearing this, Li was silent for a while, still hesitant. The eldest old lady continued, "I originally thought that no matter which of the younger ones gave birth to a boy or a girl, I could just pass Shu'er off to my own name. But you've seen that bitch too. She's alluring, eloquent, flattering, and scheming. Do you think she's an easy woman to deal with? If she gives birth to a son, Shu'er will be swallowed up by her skin and bones!"
Li fell silent, but her sobs gradually subsided. Minglan felt that she was wavering. The old lady sighed deeply and said miserably, "My daughter-in-law, you haven't been through what I did. That bitch controlled the whole family. It was really hopeless. My eldest sister only had a cold, and a dose of medicine could have saved her life, but she was tortured to death! That's why I made up my mind and took your husband and Yun girl to hide in the countryside. Fortunately, your second aunt helped and stopped your father-in-law from writing a letter of divorce. The three of us, mother and son, suffered all kinds of hardships in the countryside. It was with great difficulty that we finally made it out..."
She seemed to choke up as she spoke, and Minglan felt sad, thinking of the wrinkles on the old lady's withered face that were far more severe than her age, each of which concealed so much pain and sorrow. Pinlan beside her seemed to be gnashing her teeth gently.
Li said softly, "I don't need to worry about what the old lady said. Shu girl is my flesh and blood. Seeing her suffer, I feel like a knife is cutting my heart. But...but...I'm afraid, I'm afraid of delaying Pin'er. She's grown up now. What if she doesn't want her because of this?"
Minglan suddenly felt a gust of wind beside her. Pinlan could no longer hold back and gently pushed Minglan to the inner corner. She slipped out of the compartment and pulled aside the thick curtain. She shouted, "I'm not afraid. Let me divorce you! Even if I never marry, I won't let you suffer in the Sun family!"
Minglan was lying on the ground in the posture of a dog chewing mud. She felt every hair on her body stand on end. She was so scared that her soul was out of her body. She cursed Pinlan, a pig, a hundred times in her heart. Her hands and feet were cold with fear. If she was caught... well, I guess they wouldn't do anything to her. Minglan forced herself to calm down and continued to lie motionless like a dog.
Fortunately, she was hiding in the inner corner of the wooden compartment, separated by a layer of curtains and a layer of tassels. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law did not notice that there was another person inside. They were only startled by Pinlan who suddenly came out. Then Li angrily scolded Pinlan, and Pinlan retorted. Of course, she would not say that there was another person inside, and Li and the old lady did not expect that there would be two listeners.
Then Pinlan seemed to be slapped in the face, but she was strong-willed and did not cry. She knelt down with a thud and declared loudly: "A person's fate is determined by heaven. If I am blessed, it doesn't matter if my sister and I get divorced. If my sister has to live a hard life, it will be boring even if I become a god!" Then she kowtowed repeatedly and begged Li.
Minglan was so frightened that she couldn't hear clearly. In the end, it seemed that the mother and daughter hugged each other and cried bitterly.
By the time Minglan calmed down, Li had already taken Pinlan away, and seemed determined to fight with the Sun family. Minglan lay inside with cold sweat on her back. It was very quiet outside, so she didn't dare to make a sound. She prayed countless times in her heart, hoping that the old lady didn't want to chant the sutras today and would go back to rest quickly so that she could slip away.
Unexpectedly, she lay there for more than a cup of tea, and the old lady showed no intention of leaving. She only heard the sound of her rosary beads. Minglan felt her knees were numb, her sweat turned cold, and her body was shivering. She could only secretly groan. At this time, Sheng Yun came.
Both mother and daughter were straightforward people. After a few pleasantries, they got straight to the point. Sheng Yun asked, "Have mother and sister-in-law agreed?"
The eldest old lady didn't say anything. Minglan guessed that she nodded, and then she heard Sheng Yun say, "It was my sister-in-law who was wrong at the beginning. She didn't like to rely on my cousin's family all the time. It's just that Sister-in-law Wang gave her a cold shoulder a few times! So what? She even dared to disrespect her own mother-in-law, let alone us who are in business. Besides, Second Aunt and my cousin are good people. They have always helped and supported us. What's wrong with our two families going back and forth? But my sister-in-law insisted on having an official of her own, so she indulged the Sun family like this! ...Okay, okay, I won't say anymore. Mother, when are you going to take action?"
The eldest old lady sighed and said, "Everything is ready. It will only take a few days. After the matter is settled, let Shu-ya live with you. You can talk to her properly. A woman who is cowardly and unwilling to make progress will be looked down upon wherever she goes! If you think it's suitable, you can also send her to the home of Gui-jie'er's husband in Cangxiang. The mother-in-law there is an old acquaintance of mine and she is a very kind person. She will definitely not give Shu-ya any disapproval. It would be good for Shu-ya to relax in the countryside."
Sheng Yun seemed to snort. "Shu'er was fine when she was little. She climbed mountains and herded cattle with my Guijie. She was bold and outgoing. But later on, she forced her sister-in-law to become so restrained. She tried to learn to be a lady from a noble family. Now, she has learned nothing! Look at my Guijie. Her parents-in-law and son-in-law are kind people. Her parents-in-law and sister-in-law are all very affectionate. Her life is so beautiful!"
There was a hint of satisfaction in her words as the old lady chuckled softly, "That's because she's pregnant. That family has been a single-line family for nine generations, and there are very few descendants. Gui Jie'er has given birth to three boys in four years since she got married, and now she's pregnant with another. That family must be worshipping her like a goddess. But you should also remind her not to be disrespectful, or she will suffer in the future!"
Seeing that she had amused her mother, Sheng Yun told a few more jokes about her eldest daughter, then suddenly asked, "Oh, mother... Oh, by the way, has Second Aunt been informed about this?"
The eldest old lady said, "Nonsense! You think we have to invite her this time? Even though the third child has been acting recklessly, we've been tolerant all these years. Can't we control him?! Ever since that little bastard took a mistress, I've had this idea. This time, your second aunt brought a letter from your cousin to the county magistrate. Jinling is her mother's hometown, and she has many old friends there. I don't think that little bastard can make a big fuss!"
Sheng Yun said hatefully, "Humph, those bastards from the Sun family, wait until Shulan gets away, and see if they can still show off? Well, speaking of which, Second Aunt is a really nice person."
The eldest old lady seemed to hum a sigh and said, "That's how it should be with relatives. We have the capital to make our own way, and we are worthy of the courtesy of your second aunt's family. Relatives should be friendly and friendly. You help me a little and I help you a little. Your sister-in-law just doesn't understand this. Also, stop playing dumb! Do you think I don't know that your second aunt is willing to come this time, not just to help Ming girl get naturalized? What are you thinking? Be careful that your sister-in-law will be angry with you!"
There was a crisp sound of porcelain, and Sheng Yun seemed to be slowly pouring a cup of tea: "I know what you are planning; let Wu Ge'er get married first, and then send him far away to the capital. That will leave only Pinlan. She is only twelve or thirteen, so it is too early to discuss marriage. Take this opportunity to quickly get Shulan divorced. After a few years, when everyone has forgotten about it, it won't be too late for Pinlan to get married. Even if there is a delay, it doesn't matter. Don't we still have Taisheng!"
The old lady seemed annoyed and shouted, "Who are you acting so weird for? Pinlan is a good match for your Taisheng, it's a close relationship, what's wrong with that? Don't you think she's bad?" Sheng Yun laughed crisply, "Oh, mother, you got it wrong, right? It's not me who thinks she's bad, it's my sister-in-law who thinks she's bad!"
The eldest old lady fell silent. Sheng Yun seemed to be blowing on the hot tea and continued, "To be honest, Pinlan is so wild and unruly that not many people would be willing to marry her. But she is my niece after all. Even if she usually yells at Taisheng, I am willing to marry her and treat her well. But my sister-in-law is so picky. She looks down on your son-in-law because he comes from a farming family and wants to marry Yu Ge'er from the Li family! But the Li family looks down on Pinlan, so she turns around and looks at our Taisheng. Humph, my sister-in-law is so infuriating. No matter how poor our Taisheng is, he still has money and character. In the past few years, for Pinlan, I don't know how many good families who came to propose marriage have been turned down! But my sister-in-law is so good. What do you think of us, Taisheng? If you want it, you take it. If you don't want it, you don't. It's up to her to be picky. This time, I won't give in to her!"
Sheng Yun seemed to be angry as well and slammed the teacup heavily on the table.
The room was silent for a long moment before the eldest old lady softly said, "So you wrote a letter to your second aunt, praising your Taisheng." Sheng Yun admitted bluntly, "That's right! I know my cousin has several girls at home. I can't imagine Sister-in-law Wang's precious daughter, but I can imagine the one raised by my second aunt."
Minglan, listening inside, was terrified and couldn't help but scold Pinlan again: "I told you to eavesdrop and lose your patience! I told you to only listen to the first half! Didn't you hear the second half, which is related to your lifelong happiness? You deserve it! I won't tell you when I get back!"
Over there, the old lady said coldly, "What about now? Your sister-in-law is in a panic and has to put on a fake smile for you every day. Are you happy?"
Sheng Yun chuckled and said, "Well, I originally invited Second Aunt to come because I wanted to put down my sister-in-law's prestige; but later... cough cough, mother, to be honest, I really have thoughts. The child raised by my Second Aunt is really good, not shy and coy, pretending to be a lady from a wealthy family, but very graceful and elegant. Tsk tsk, she is so well-mannered and elegant. Mother, have you seen the way she eats, walks and politely? After all, she was taught by the maids in the palace. Her every move is beautiful and decent, she treats people kindly and gently, and she is also good at needlework and housekeeping... Mother, don't give me that face, don't treat Taisheng as your grandson, treat him as your own grandson. If you were asked to choose a grandson's wife, which one would you choose?"
Minglan felt a little flattered when she heard people praising her like that. Taisheng was a good boy, but, but... woohoo, why, why is he a collateral relative within three generations? Pinlan, are you really going to marry him? The genetics aren't safe.
The old lady seemed speechless again. After a while, she sighed softly and said, "But what about Pinlan?"
Sheng Yun smiled carelessly and said, "Mother, don't take it to heart. This matter hasn't even been decided yet. I like Minglan, but Second Aunt also needs to like Taisheng. Eh? Mother, have you noticed that the Li family's aunt seems to have some feelings for Minglan as well?"
The eldest old lady said angrily, "If you, a monkey, can see it, how can others not see it? It's not just his family. I heard that your second aunt met an old friend in Jinling. There is also a boy in that family. It seems that his character is quite liked by your second aunt."
Sheng Yun wasn't angry at all: "Right! So, let's wait and see what happens in the future. If our Taisheng is lucky enough to be liked by Second Aunt, that would be great. If Second Aunt has other interests, that's fine too. We still have Pinlan! Haha... Isn't this considered a matter of course!"
The eldest old lady scolded, "Aren't you angry now that your second aunt is picking on you, Taisheng?"
Sheng Yun said slowly, "It's different. Second Aunt has been so kind to me. As long as she doesn't cook and eat my Tai Sheng, it's all fine!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
