The mother and daughter of the Sheng family chatted for more than half an hour. Minglan heard everything she should and shouldn't have heard. Finally, the old lady was tired, and Sheng Yun helped her to rest. Minglan struggled to move her legs, which were numb from kneeling, and slowly backed out. Her legs were numb and aching, and her back was hunched like an old lady. At the same time, she had to be careful not to be seen. Minglan admired herself very much. In this situation, she did not forget to pull the water tank back and to push up the weeds when she crawled out of the dog hole.
Covered in mud and looking miserable, Minglan didn't dare to go back to her room. She sneaked to Pinlan's place and saw the traitor who had abandoned his comrades waiting for her anxiously. As soon as they met, he smiled and tried to please her. He took out the clothes he had prepared and asked Minglan to wash and change.
Minglan went up to her and rubbed her, letting out a sigh of relief before she began to wash. When she undressed, both girls were shocked. Minglan's elbows and knees were red and swollen, and her fair skin was covered with the lines of Buddhist temple tiles, as if stamped with a seal. Pinlan massaged her skin with her own ointment for a long time, then made ginger soup for Minglan to drink to dispel the cold. Even so, the next day, the wounds turned a mottled purple-blue color, like the colored square tiles in the bathroom. Minglan was furious and pulled Pinlan's cheeks apart. Pinlan screamed, but endured it obediently. For several days, she behaved like a little pug, constantly apologizing.
When the bruises on Minglan's knees faded, the eldest lady gathered the elders of the Sun and Sheng families, as well as Elder Dexin, a longtime friend. Finally, she invited Sun's mother and son to the gathering to discuss the matter. Pinlan couldn't sit still for such a grand occasion, so she pleaded with Li for a long time. Li, of course, was unwilling to let her daughter watch the adults quarrel. Instead, the eldest lady said, "She's not young anymore. She should know the hardships of life. She shouldn't be like that delicate flower that can't withstand the wind and waves."
The eldest old lady's philosophy of survival is different from that of her daughter-in-law. She believes that weeds are much better than ornamental orchids. Li couldn't disobey her mother-in-law, so she glared at Pinlan and ignored her. Pinlan immediately went to find Minglan and kept shouting, "Let's go together." Minglan was also very tempted, but she still reported to the old lady Sheng first. Unexpectedly, the grandmother did not stop her, so the two girls happily sneaked around to the compartment in the main hall, "I'm going to kill him!" Pinlan was particularly excited.
When I arrived at the compartment, I found Shulan already sitting there, looking as haggard as a widow.
"It was the old lady who asked us girls to come." Shulan's personal maid said softly. Minglan and Pinlan looked at each other. This time, the old lady was probably going to use some drastic measures to stop Shulan's thoughts at once.
Seeing the servants of the Sheng family coming to invite them respectfully, Sun's mother and son thought that the Sheng family had compromised, so they swaggered over to the door. When they arrived, they saw that half of the room was filled with people. Those sitting there were either local dignitaries or elders of the two families. When they turned around, they saw that the local Tongpan was also there, and two clerks were beside him. Sun Zhigao gradually felt uneasy, but his mother was still unaware of it. She picked a chair at the front and sat down arrogantly.
After everyone had exchanged greetings, Uncle Hu and Changsong invited the magistrate and the two clerks out for tea. Pinlan peered through the crack in the door, then turned back and said softly, "It's a good thing the Third House didn't come, otherwise they would have been a laughing stock."
After a cup of tea, Sheng Wei glanced at everyone in the hall and said with a bow, "I invited all the elders here today to discuss the matter between my daughter and the son-in-law of the Sun family. My family affairs are not going well, so please don't laugh at me."
Seeing this, Sun Zhigao thought to himself, could it be that the Sheng family is relying on their power to force me into submission? Thinking of striking first, he snorted coldly, "Father-in-law, as the saying goes, there are three kinds of unfilial behavior: not having children, and the worst. Zhigao is an unfilial descendant of the Sun family. Now, at the age of twenty-five, he still has no children. Now that my concubine is pregnant, it is a joy for the Sun family, and I should take good care of her. Unexpectedly, she is so jealous and unwilling to tolerate others. Father-in-law is very understanding and should teach her a lesson or two."
Sheng Wei, despite his usual kindness, could not help but feel a surge of anger when he heard him distort the truth. Li Shi saw her husband's face flush purple, and slowly stood up and said, "This is a family matter. As the head of the household, it's not easy for me to speak. So, I, as the mother, will speak." Then she turned to Sun Zhigao and said, "Sir, let me ask you, how many concubines have you taken in in the three years since my daughter married?"
Sun Zhigao's breath was choked, and he snorted in silence. Li continued, "My daughter had been married for less than six months when she arranged three concubines for you, son-in-law. A year later, she bought two more from outside. The next year, she hired a concubine from a decent family and three more concubines. The third year, she hired four or five more. Now, son-in-law, you are twenty-five, and there are already twelve or thirteen people in the house."
Sun Zhigao blushed as Li spilled all her secrets. The elders and clan members around him all looked at him sideways. An uncle, who had a long-standing grudge against Sun Zhigao, said coldly, "No wonder your nephew keeps failing the exams. You've been so busy."
Sun Zhigao was filled with shame and indignation. Seeing her son's embarrassment, his mother quickly said, "It's normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. Besides, my son is planning to have an heir. What do you mean by this, my in-laws?"
Sheng Yun snorted coldly and said, "Is it for the sake of offspring or lust? God knows~~~~~!"
Sun Zhigao was so angry that he almost slammed the table and stood up.
The old patriarch of the Sun family saw that something was not right and quickly stepped out to smooth things over, saying, "Please calm down, dear relatives. A couple fights at the head of the bed and makes up at the foot of the bed. As a family, if you have something to say, why argue?"
Seeing the steps leading down, Sun's mother quickly said, "That's right, don't talk about these nonsense. I won't say that my daughter-in-law is incompetent. Since someone in the room is pregnant, she will accept her in. It will be her blessing to give birth to a boy or a girl."
Mrs. Li's voice was stern. "Today, I have to ask you one question: if my son refuses to marry that woman, what will you do?"
Sun Zhigao stood up suddenly, with a look of pride on his face: "What's the point of coming here if you are not virtuous? Send me a letter of divorce and leave!"
Sheng Wei finally couldn't help but sneered repeatedly: "Well, well, well! - What a son-in-law who reads the books of sages!"
Minglan felt pity and turned to look at Shulan, only to see that her eyes were empty and her body was shaky, supported by the maid. Pinlan gritted her teeth and whispered in Minglan's ear: "If I were a man, I would go out and beat him up!" Minglan looked at Pinlan's mighty appearance and thought: In fact, although you are a woman, your brother-in-law may not be able to beat you.
Seeing that the Sheng family members were silent, Sun Zhigao smiled arrogantly again: "As the saying goes, a husband and wife for a day are bound by a hundred days of grace. If she is willing to be virtuous and take good care of the Sun family's descendants, the Sun family will not lack her for food! Father-in-law and mother-in-law, please think about it carefully." He sat down with a big horse and a golden knife, as if he was sure that the Sheng family would not be willing to part with him as a son-in-law.
Seeing him like this, Li's last bit of hesitation disappeared. She hated him so much that she wanted to kill him. She shouted, "Don't think about it. We can't afford to marry a talented man like you, Sun. But we can't divorce you. We can only divorce you and take back all the dowry!"
Sun's mother and son were shocked. They didn't expect the Sheng family to be so stubborn. They looked at each other in bewilderment. Everyone present was also quite surprised. After being shocked, they all advised them to "don't act on impulse" and "it's better to tear down ten bridges than to destroy a family relationship" and so on.
Sun Zhigao finally came to his senses and shouted, "What do you mean by divorce? For such an unvirtuous and unfilial person, a letter of divorce is too cheap!" Sun's mother quickly added, "Since she married into our Sun family, the dowry naturally bears the Sun surname. Why should she be taken back?!"
Li observed the mother and son's behavior, realizing they had no lingering affection for her diligent and honest daughter. She finally understood the old lady's painstaking efforts, her heart hardened, and she spoke in a high voice, "What do you mean by unvirtuous and unfilial?! How dare you, with your dark hearts, say that? You wanted to be filial and have children, and my daughter didn't stop me. Although my family is in business, we also know the virtues of a woman and filial piety. People say it's okay to marry a man for seven years, but my daughter married you less than six months ago and you're already taking a concubine. And you still call her 'jealous'?! She's been married for three years, and she's slept in your mother's room over twenty days a month, serving tea and water, preparing meals, cooking, going to bed at three in the morning, and getting up at five. She never retaliates when she's scolded or beaten. How can she be considered virtuous?"
Mrs. Li thought of her daughter, young but with the gaunt look of an old woman, and she was overcome with grief, practically choking with tears. Everyone else sighed and glared at Sun and her son, some even thinking, "If you don't even let a couple sleep together, how are you going to teach them how to have a son?" What a shrewd and mean mother-in-law.
Being stared at by everyone made Sun's mother look very uncomfortable. Even though she was thick-skinned, she blushed a little. Sun Zhigao sat with his head down in anger, saying nothing. Li was filled with hatred and shouted, "You treat my son so harshly, and you actually want to divorce him and give him a dowry! I tell you, don't even think about it!"
Sun Zhigao sneered, "It's only natural for a man to divorce his wife. How can you stop him?"
Li sneered in response, pulling a piece of paper from her sleeve and holding it up, saying, "You took a prostitute as your concubine, which is disgraceful. This is your whore's old household registration in Qianjin Pavilion. Although you redeemed her, you forgot to burn this old household registration. Humph, she was originally a lowly person. How about I write a letter and send it along with this household registration to your teacher and the Jinling Education Commissioner? I'll also let those scholars who recite poems with you every day see your face. Even if I can't deprive you of your official title, your reputation among the scholars..."
Sun Zhigao's expression really changed this time, but he forced himself to remain calm: "Humph, there are many romantic scholars. The world-famous Four Sons of Yuhang all have confidantes who come from prostitute backgrounds."
Sheng Yun laughed and said, "But they didn't even bring her home, let alone let her into the house to have children."
Sun Zhigao was furious, but he didn't dare to lose his temper. The magistrate was outside. When the head of the Sun family saw the Li family's posture, he knew that they had come prepared. It seemed that today's incident could not be easily exposed. He immediately turned around and advised Sun Zhigao: "In this case, after the woman gives birth to the child, you should give her away. There is no need to give up your wife for a prostitute."
Upon hearing this, Sun Zhigao suddenly transformed into a romantic, tears welling in his eyes: "This is absolutely unacceptable! She, she only sells her art but not her body. She is truly a prostitute!"
Pinlan in the compartment cursed softly: "Bullshit!" Minglan couldn't help but sigh and said: "This is normal, most of the extraordinary women come from brothels, and those from ordinary families are usually decent girls." And these extraordinary women usually meet one or two heroes of the brothel, and perform a touching true love story.
However, Shulan was not as open-minded as Minglan. Upon hearing this, tears finally rolled down her empty eyes and she covered her lips and cried silently.
At this moment, a woman dressed as a housekeeper suddenly came in. She respectfully walked over to Li and handed her a large stack of documents and a bunch of keys. Li took the things, smiled and nodded. When Sun's mother and son saw this person, they immediately exclaimed, "Auntie Bian, why are you here?"
Aunt Bian smiled and said, "I'm just here as the eldest daughter's dowry. I'm a member of the Sheng family, so why shouldn't I come?" Turning to Li, she said, "Madam, here are the land and farm that the young lady brought with her, as well as the deeds to the servants. This is the original dowry list."
The old lady had been planning for so long, so naturally she had taken care of everything. As soon as Sun's mother and son left the house, the people who stayed at the Sun family immediately took action. The burly servants blocked the door, and the housekeeper quickly sorted things out, packed up the boxes, gathered the people, and brought everything that Shulan had brought with her when she got married, including people and things, back to the Sheng family.
Mother Sun jumped three feet high and almost pounced over: "You Sheng Li, you dare to rob our Sun family? Those are all our family's things, come back here! I, I will fight with you!" As she said that, she was about to grab Li's face, but the maid next to her hurriedly stopped her. The maids present were all Li's confidants, and seeing their eldest daughter being humiliated, they were secretly angry. Suddenly, there was a thud, and without knowing what happened, Mother Sun tripped and fell heavily to the ground.
Sun Zhigao went to support her quickly, only to see that his mother had bitten her tongue and was stuttering, unable to speak. Pinlan and Minglan felt very relieved.
Li raised the deed in her hand and snorted coldly, "Here's the dowry list! I didn't take a single needle or thread from your Sun family. I did lose a few thousand taels of silver and a lot of jewelry, but that's fine. Consider it as my son's expenses for living in your house for three years! Humph, if you're not satisfied and want to sue me, I'll accompany you!"
Sun Zhigao was furious and roared, "Once she marries into our family, she'll be a member of our Sun family in life and a ghost of our Sun family in death. Naturally, all her things belong to the Sun family! What's yours or mine, all belong to the Sun family!"
Sheng Yun laughed out loud, pointing and saying, "Although I'm not a scholar, I've heard of the saying 'seeing carved railings makes one think of a fine horse'. Since my niece has caught your eye so much, why do you keep her things? Isn't it true that seeing things reminds you of her? Oh, could it be..." Sheng Yun stretched out his voice, a look of sudden enlightenment on his face, "Could it be that our Youyang's greatest talent is reluctant to part with his money?! Tsk tsk, this is so tacky."
Sun Zhigao was blocked, his neck was thick and red, and his face was almost distorted. Everyone in the hall tried to persuade him, but he didn't stop for a while. At this time, the old lady who had been silent for a long time suddenly spoke: "Dear fellow villagers, please listen to what I have to say."
Everyone gradually quieted down, and the old lady said slowly in a hoarse voice: "Our Sheng family has been in Youyang for several generations. Counting from the old grandfather, we have been on good terms with every family for generations. It's not that I, the daughter of the Sheng family, am jealous and intolerant, but, but...ah..." The old lady sighed deeply, her expression sad.
A Li family headman bowed and said, "Old Madam, do you have something to hide? Please tell me a little."
The eldest old lady said sadly, "Several decades ago, a prostitute entered our Sheng family. All the uncles and brothers know what happened after that. My eldest daughter, Hong'er, was less than ten years old when she died! Wei'er's father lost everything because of that woman. Even this ancestral home—" The eldest old lady pointed to the roof above her head, "He actually sold it!"
The story of the eldest master favoring his concubine and killing his wife was well-known far and wide. Anyone who was a little older knew about it. The elders present had all been through that experience and witnessed the huge family fortune being pawned off bit by bit. This incident was used as a typical example by countless parents to scold their sons to stay away from brothels.
The eldest lady suddenly played the sympathy card, and Sun's mother and son were immediately confused. They only heard the eldest lady's bleak expression as she continued, "Thanks to the blessings of our ancestors and the support of all the uncles and elders, we mother and son have been able to endure all these years and redeem our ancestral home. I will close my eyes and do my duty to our ancestors in the netherworld. I thank you all here!"
As she spoke, the old lady actually stood up and wanted to salute the elders present. Everyone stood up and stopped her, saying that Sheng Wei had a very good reputation in Youyang. Not only did he provide relief to the elderly and build roads and bridges, but his story of reviving his family business was also very inspiring.
The eldest old lady stood up straight and said resolutely, "On the day we redeem this ancestral house, I swear to heaven that I have no control over the rest of the family, but no one in my branch, male or female, will have anything to do with prostitutes! If I break this oath, I will die a miserable death. After death, I will fall into the eighteen levels of hell, have the Ox-Head and Horse-Face rip out my tongue and plunge me into a frying pan!"
Everyone was shocked by these decisive words, but they understood in their hearts: his family was almost destroyed by a prostitute in the past, and now you ask his daughter and a dancer to call each other sisters, isn't that too much?
After a few words, the atmosphere in the hall had changed. Everyone was on the side of the Sheng family, and no one spoke for the Sun family. The Sun family members could only sit in silence. Sun's mother and son also began to panic secretly. With this big hat put on them, they were very passive.
At this time, the old lady suddenly softened her voice and sighed slowly: "I also know the difficulties of your Sun family. You finally have a successor, how can you bear to let her go? Besides, Zhigao has feelings for that girl; but the girl from my Sheng family cannot live under the same roof with that girl..." Everyone stretched their necks and raised their heads to listen.
Old Madam Sheng said, "Why don't we both compromise and let them divorce? We can leave half of the dowry that Shu brought with her to the Sun family. This will also complete the relationship between our two families. What do you think?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. Clan leader Sun immediately said loudly, "After all, the old lady is very understanding. This is of course the best. The two families must not damage the harmony! Nephew Zhigao, what do you think?"
Minglan was secretly amazed. This old lady usually looked dull and silent, but she didn't expect him to be so extraordinary. Throughout the whole incident, the roles were clearly distributed, the rhythm was properly controlled, the emotions were grasped and the separation was harmonious. She led people in step by step. She wrote, directed and acted in the play herself. She was truly a talent.
Sun Zhigao was still unwilling and felt aggrieved, and his mother refused to give up either. She had been eyeing Shulan's dowry from the very beginning. If it weren't for the powerful maids who came with her, she would have swallowed it all in one gulp. Now she was asked to spit out half of it, how could she feel at ease!
Li took one look at the mother and son and shouted, "If you refuse, we'll meet at the government office! Drag your whore out and parade her through the streets, so everyone in Youyang County can see the character of the talented Sun!"
Sun Zhigao was a man who cared a lot about his reputation, so he snorted coldly when he heard that: "Let's get a divorce, what do you think I care?" After all, he had half of the dowry in his hands, which was not a small amount.
Sheng Wei frowned and immediately asked the magistrate outside to come in. He explained the situation to the two clerks in a low voice and started writing the document in the court. Then Li took out the dowry list. Sun's mother wanted to take a closer look and pick out some good things, but Sun Zhigao was unwilling to be criticized in front of the magistrate, so he tore the list in half without even looking at it and threw the other half away.
Li continued, "The servants who went to the Sheng family were all family members. We are two families now, and it would be inappropriate to separate them. How about this? I will make up the money, and then I will leave no one behind."
As he spoke, he took out a few silver bills from his sleeve and handed them over. Several elders of the clan standing in the middle glanced at them. Each bill was worth one hundred taels, and there seemed to be four or five of them. They all thought to themselves: The Sheng family is really kind, this silver is enough to buy as many people as they want.
The document was completed, and the magistrate glanced at Sheng Wei and said, "Sign it now." Sun Zhigao stepped forward first, signed his name in a flamboyant manner, and then placed his fingerprint on it. Li Shi hurriedly said, "My daughter is weak, so I will take charge."
At this moment, there was a loud crash. Minglan and Pinlan were both startled and turned around to see that Shulan had stood up at some point. She pushed open the lattice door with both hands and strode out. Pinlan wanted to chase after her, but Minglan dragged her behind the door and she could only look through the crack.
"Shulan, what are you doing out here?" Li asked in a lost voice.
Shulan's face was still wet with tears, but she knelt down in front of her parents and sobbed, "It's all because of my unfilial nature that I made my grandmother, father, and mother worry about me!" Li covered her face and cried silently. Sheng Wei was heartbroken and turned his head away, but the old lady's eyes flashed with relief.
Shulan was seen with her clothes held in a resolute manner and a firm expression. She bowed to everyone in the hall, walked slowly to the desk, took the pen, wrote down her words, and pressed her fingerprints.
Sun Zhigao looked at Shulan's pale face and couldn't help but said contemptuously, "You have no talent or looks, and you are not a good match for me. My family made a mistake in agreeing to your marriage. Now you can go well with her. In the future, marry someone who butchers pigs and farms. You'd better be more virtuous."
This is too much! Li and Sheng Wei were both furious, and even the people around them felt that it was too much.
Sun Zhigao was still laughing. Shulan suddenly turned around, her eyes blazing with anger. She looked at the husband she had once relied on for her life. His face was now so disgusting. She spat hard, spitting heavily on Sun Zhigao's face. Then, looking at the furious man, she said quietly, "You are a lecherous and unethical villain. I feel sick just looking at you for a second."
After saying this, he blessed everyone again and then left. Sun Zhigao hurriedly wiped his face with his sleeves. He heard a light sneer in his ears and hated it to death.
Everyone looked disdainful and said goodbye to Sheng Wei one after another. No one paid any attention to the mother and son of the Sun family. Even the members of the Sun family only bowed to Sun Zhigao. Sun Zhigao felt that he had made a fool of himself in front of the Tongpan today, so he hurried forward to talk to the Tongpan and try to get close to him. Unexpectedly, the Tongpan ignored him, looked at him coldly, then said a few words warmly to Sheng Wei and left.
Sun Zhigao was furious. He turned to his mother and said, "What a powerful and corrupt old official! He was drinking and discussing poetry with me a few days ago, but today he's turned his back on me. When I pass the imperial examination, I'll report him!"
Sheng Yun chuckled, "Oh, how many times have you taken the exam? You haven't even gotten a place as a candidate, and you're still reporting on others! You're really like a toad yawning, what a big mouth!"
Sun Zhigao was so angry that he screamed, but he was no match for Sheng Yun in terms of verbal skills, and was ridiculed several times.
Pinlan had already left the compartment to comfort Shulan, but Minglan was still in the compartment. The two maids who were accompanying her looked at each other and saw Minglan standing there motionless with a thoughtful look on her face, which was a bit strange.
Minglan moved slowly, lowering her head in thought. She now understood a lot of things that had puzzled her these days, as well as her grandmother's good intentions.
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