The weather is getting hotter and Molan's wedding is just a few days away. Minglan thinks that since they are sisters after all, should she send a wedding gift and remind Molan what kind of opponents she will face in the future?
While thinking about it, she asked Danju to move out the box given by the old lady and put it on the bedside. Since she had nothing to do in the afternoon, Minglan simply asked them to close the doors and windows, took out her personal Pisces key, opened the compartments one by one, and started to count the belongings by herself.
Because the jewelry and fine items she used on a daily basis were all kept in a rosewood mother-of-pearl jewelry dressing box, this huge ebony crabapple box was actually half empty. Minglan pulled out a compartment from the bottom layer and saw all kinds of glittering gold. This was the gold she had accumulated since she was a child, as well as old gold jewelry that had not been used for several years.
As an ancient idler who did not work, Minglan's income mainly came from three aspects: one was the rewards from the elders during festivals, one was the occasional subsidy from the old lady, and the other was the monthly salary.
Among them, the gifts from Sheng Wei and his wife were the most generous. She received a small bag of gold ingots every year. Especially during her two visits to her hometown in Youyang, Minglan made a lot of money. Unfortunately, the jade and porcelain jewelry were difficult to pawn. It was Aunt Sheng Yun who came forward and made her nine pairs of small golden pigs, each weighing two taels.
There was basically no monthly allowance left, and not much was saved from the old lady's allowance. It was either used to reward the mother who was in charge of the housework, or to improve the daily lives of the maids. Living in such a large ancient family, it was difficult for the master to save money, and it was easy to be accused of being stingy. Although Minglan felt distressed, she had no choice but to adapt to the local customs.
After counting the gold for a long time, Minglan finally picked out a pair of mandarin duck gold bracelets that she had never worn before from her jewelry box. She asked Danju to weigh them on a scale. They were about seven or eight taels, which she thought was quite enough. She also took out three pairs of chubby golden pigs and a handful of small gold fish ingots. She thought that after Rulan got married, she would slaughter these pigs and fish and send them to Cuibaozhai to make them into new and exquisite jewelry, and that would be enough.
After all, she is part of the ruling class. When Yao Yiyi's best cousin got married, she only spent a month's salary to buy a bottle of CHANEL Glamour. Now she is giving gold! Corruption, corruption.
Speaking of which, being a younger sister is really not worth it! Minglan fell on the bed, clutching her chest and sobbing for a long time.
On the second day, Minglan asked Danju to take a brocade bag to put the golden bracelet in, and also took two new pieces of fabric. Then she left Mucangzhai and headed straight for Shanyueju. It was a hot July day, and Xiaotao was sweating even though she was holding an umbrella beside her. Minglan hurriedly took a few quick steps.
Shanyueju is now very different from before. The front and back gates are guarded by the strict mother, and no one can enter or leave easily. Every day, Hai comes to see Molan and talks about etiquette and women's virtues, but I don't know how much Molan can listen to.
Entering the inner room, Minglan saw that Molan's cheeks were thin. Although not as smooth and beautiful as before, she still had a charming look. She was leaning on a rattan chair in a green gauze jacket. Lu Zhong hurriedly took the thing and then turned it over carefully to show Molan. Molan just rolled her eyelids and didn't react. Minglan began to feel distressed again.
Seeing that Molan was silent, Lu Zhong was afraid that Minglan was upset, so she quickly said, "This servant thanks the Sixth Miss on behalf of our lady. Please sit down, Sixth Miss. I will make tea!"
Minglan hadn't originally planned to stay any longer. Putting down her things was her way of showing sisterly love. She waved Luzhong off and was about to leave when Molan, who was leaning lazily, suddenly straightened up and said, "Since you're here, sit down for a while."
Minglan turned around, looked at Molan who looked lonely, and sat down on a round stool beside her.
Molan turned to Lu Zhong and said, "There are still some fruits sent by the eldest sister-in-law. Take them two out to eat some. I want to talk to my sixth sister." Lu Zhong knew that her master wanted to say a few words to Minglan, so she turned around to pull Xiaotao and Luzhi, but they just stood there, looking at Minglan and waiting for instructions. After Minglan nodded, the three girls went out together.
Molan followed them out with her eyes, then turned back, a hint of sarcasm on her lips: "Sixth sister is very clever, she has everyone in the courtyard under control. No matter how many days you are away, the gate is always firmly guarded." Minglan lowered her long eyelashes and said softly: "We are master and servant. They are loyal to me, so I will protect their safety, that's all."
Molan thought of Yunzai, who had been beaten half to death and then sold, and felt a pang of discomfort. After a while, she chuckled and said, "Do you still remember when my eldest sister got married? Back then, our house was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and my eldest sister's room was filled with all kinds of festive items. I was still young then, and I was so jealous, thinking about what my wedding would be like. But now... haha, look at me, I'm afraid my room is not even as good as a widow's."
Minglan looked around. The room was deserted. No sisters or brothers or sisters-in-law came to congratulate her daily, and no mother whispered to her at night about the things to pay attention to after getting married. Minglan was silent for a while, then said, "Fourth sister was not born from Madam's womb." After a pause, she whispered, "Everything is gained, and everything is lost."
Molan's face darkened, and her eyes flashed with that fierce look again. "You think I've already broken off relations with my father and his wife, yet you dare to speak so impertinently! I know that the wife of the Marquis of Yongchang has set her sights on you as her daughter-in-law. If you see that I got there first, you must be very unhappy! How dare you tease me now?!"
Minglan shook her head and said, "It's not easy to marry into a wealthy family. Fourth sister is brave and knowledgeable, so she's not afraid. I'm timid, and if I don't have the skills, I won't take on this job."
Molan was stunned for a moment, then covered her mouth and fell onto the couch laughing. After finally stopping her laughter, she said with a proud look on her face, "Just tell me straight out, there's an amazing cousin in the Yongchang Marquisate! That girl Rulan has already come here to ridicule her! Humph! For a woman, everything in this world is about 'fighting'. Do you think marrying down means you can rest easy?!"
For some reason, a emaciated figure suddenly flashed through Minglan's mind. Her eyes darkened for a moment, but after a moment of thought, her mind cleared. She shook her head and said, "It's different. No matter how much Father loves Concubine Lin, the old lady of the Wang family can send a maid to help, and the uncle of the Wang family can write letters to give advice. No one can surpass the Madam. Even if he's as scoundrel as Mr. Sun, he still has a capable family who can help Sister Shulan escape from her misery and find a good match. But marrying up... that's difficult."
Molan's face flushed red. She knew that according to etiquette, a legitimate daughter should marry better than a concubine's daughter; but she just couldn't swallow this anger. Minglan looked at Molan's changing expression and said softly, "Now, because of your sister's affairs, so many people have suffered. I hope you think it's worth it."
When Molan thought of Aunt Lin, she felt more and more uncomfortable. Her face changed several times. She finally took a breath, raised her neck, and said stubbornly: "Of course it's worth it!" Minglan knew Molan's character well and knew that she must be planning how to turn the situation around in the future.
Looking at Molan's proud expression, Minglan thought of Cao Jinxiu again.
Although Molan looks gentle and delicate, she was raised with great care. The arrogance in her bones that makes her think she is noble cannot be erased. Like Cao Jinxiu, her family was exiled when she was ten years old. The most beautiful years of a girl's youth were buried in the wind and sand of Xiliang. Her skin was rough and yellow, her hands and feet were rough, and her body was weak. The humility that was deep in her bones was truly pitiful.
Minglan felt inexplicably irritated. She didn't know why, but she kept thinking about this bad thing recently. She always had clear and straightforward thinking and never got entangled in trivial matters. If the problem couldn't be solved now, she shouldn't think about it!
Minglan looked up and smiled at Molan who was still chattering about her "lofty ambitions", but she didn't know that this was the last time Minglan saw Molan speak so freely.
…
On the eighth day of the seventh month, Liang Sheng got married. As usual, the old lady only showed up and then went back to the house to rest. Only Wang came out with a stiff face to make arrangements. She managed to pack up 128 loads of dowry. However, if Aunt Lin was there, she would have known with a careful check that one-third of it was just fake.
The Yongchang Marquisate didn't seem to be interested in extravagance, but Madam Liang's deception skills were clearly much better than Wang's. She started with a lecture: "...The national mourning has just ended, and His Majesty hasn't yet selected concubines. How can we, the ministers, arrange a wedding in such a grand manner?"
Not only did no one gossip about it, it also won a lot of praise. Old Mrs. Sheng couldn't help but use this advanced example to educate Wang.
After Wang learned about Mrs. Liang's attitude, she was happy for a while. However, on the wedding day, when she saw Liang Han in red clothes and a white horse, looking handsome and heroic with a smile on his face, she immediately became angry again. Liu Kun pulled her several times under his sleeves, and Wang's twitching mouth finally relaxed.
According to custom, the groom has to be stopped at the door and knock out a few red envelopes before the ceremony counts. The eldest brother-in-law Yuan Wenshao asked Liang Han to perform a sword dance of "Song of the Wine", Chang Feng asked him to write a poem on the spot with Xia Tao as the theme, and Chang Bai had better speak, because he doesn't speak at all.
When Molan came back home after three days, Wang saw Molan sitting there shyly in a red feathered and golden gauze jacket with pomegranate blossoms all over it. Liang Han next to her was also very friendly. Wang's anger, which she had suppressed with great difficulty, rose again. She could not help but frown and scolded Molan: "...The Yongchang Marquis' Mansion is not as good as the Sheng Family, but you can't help but act like a spoiled child! Now that you are married, you must be filial to your parents-in-law, and be friendly to your brothers and sisters-in-law. You must not speak or act rashly, and bring shame to the Sheng Family!" Then she started a long scolding.
The Liu Kun family was speechless. Aunt Lin and her daughter were best at dealing with this kind of strong attack. As expected, in the face of Wang's series of harsh words, Molan lowered her head and responded, but there was a slight light in her eyes. When she glanced at Liang Han, she looked so weak that she seemed to be about to fall down. Liang Han felt very distressed, and protected Molan in his words and actions.
Wang was doubly furious! After thinking for a moment, she turned around and whispered a few words to Cai Pei, a hint of a smile on her face.
Sheng Hong thought that Liang Han had some playboy habits, but otherwise he was acceptable. Chang Feng was very happy because Liang Han was his real brother-in-law, so he pulled Liang Han aside and talked to him endlessly. However, one of them thought that Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi were brothers, while the other did not know the eleven uses of an axe, so they could not agree at all.
Changbai remained silent. "If you make hasty judgments about someone without checking, it's better not to make any judgments at all."
This is what Changbai often said, and Minglan agreed with it.
Liang Han followed Molan in bowing to the old lady. When he stood up and looked up, he saw two well-dressed girls standing beside the old lady. The one on the left was fine, but the girl on the right was wearing a light rose pink feather gauze double-breasted bodice, a snow lotus-colored satin long jacket underneath, and a lace skirt of the same color. Her hair was simply tied up in a side bun and pinned with a lotus-shaped red agate hairpin. On the ebony flower table beside her was a water jade white porcelain flower vase with a few fresh and fragrant summer lotus in it.
When Liang Han's eyes met her, he felt that the girl had beautiful features and eyebrows, and was indescribably beautiful. Although she just stood with her head lowered solemnly, her graceful presence made all the other people in the room seem to lose their color.
In a daze, I heard Wang identify them one by one: "...This is your sixth sister. We are all family from now on..."
Liang Han's heart suddenly sank. When the Sheng family came to propose marriage, he agreed without hesitation. Firstly, Chun Ge's stomach couldn't wait any longer, and secondly, he felt that the fourth daughter of the Sheng family was also a rare and beautiful woman. Now, he finally understood the deep meaning in his mother's eyes at that time - "Don't regret it." Mrs. Liang said.
Molan was very angry. She had always been in the family for three days and had to pay respects to her elders and meet her brothers-in-law. Except for Hualan's mother-in-law who was "sick" and didn't come, an unmarried sister-in-law was not required to come out to see her brother-in-law. But Wang's behavior was clearly...
Molan gritted her teeth, tilted her head, and smiled sweetly at Liang Han, her eyes full of charm and her lips tenderly raised. Liang Han was stunned, but felt a little better; although her looks were not as good, her charm made up for it; Rulan saw it and pursed her lips in contempt, Minglan lowered her head desperately, she knew what Wang meant, but she had to give Wang face, so she had to pretend to be dead.
After the greetings, the men and women sat down to eat separately, and after the meal there was tea and snacks. Molan wanted to brag about the wealth and grandeur of the Yongchang Marquis' Mansion, but Wang and the two Lans had no intention of asking her about the mansion. Even if she wanted to start a conversation, she would be interrupted by Ruolan as soon as she opened her mouth. The specific case is as follows.
Molan gently fanned her rosy face with a handkerchief, seeming to be very hot: "...It's really hot today. Fortunately, the cellar in the mansion is big enough, so even if we use ice every day..."
"The cheese that Sister Lian sent last time was really delicious. I felt like it was made from goat's milk. What do you think, Sixth Sister?" Rulan looked at Minglan with interest.
"Uh... I can't taste it." This is the truth.
Later on, Rulan simply took over the show, chattering and joking with Wang and Minglan, but had nothing to do with the protagonist who was returning home after three visits. Molan was so angry that her pretty face turned pale, but Hai couldn't stand it anymore, so she smiled and asked Molan if she was doing well, which made the atmosphere quieter.
This behavior was unreasonable. At night, Hai went to Taoran Pavilion to persuade Rulan, but unexpectedly Minglan was there too.
"Fifth sister wanted to learn needlework, so she asked me to come and look after her." Minglan was actually very tired; probably because the girl had grown up, Ruolan gradually became interested in needlework, and often asked Minglan for guidance. "Teaching others to embroider is much more tiring than doing it yourself." Minglan rubbed her eyes, complaining, and secretly added in her heart - especially since the students are not very smart.
Hai saw that Minglan looked a little depressed, and knowing Ruolan's impatient temper, she felt a little sorry for her, so she asked them to take a break first, and then talked to Ruolan.
"Fifth sister, listen to what your sister-in-law has to say. After all, she is your sister. Now that she is married, you don't see her often. Why don't you treat her well? If outsiders find out, won't they laugh at our family? Besides, Miss Mo is marrying into the Marquis's Mansion. The sisters may have someone to rely on in the future. Think about it?" Hai was indeed acting like the eldest sister-in-law, and her advice was earnest.
Unexpectedly, Rulan didn't appreciate it at all. Instead, she argued confidently, "How would outsiders know about the affairs between us sisters? Unless Molan told them herself. Sister-in-law, the feud between me and Fourth Sister hasn't been going on for a day or two. She hates me, and I'm tired of seeing her. Sister-in-law, think about it carefully. Even if I get along well with her from now on, will she not say bad things about me outside? Will she help me when I'm in trouble? It's good enough if she doesn't step on me! Forget it, I still rely on my father, mother, elder brother, and sister-in-law."
Hai was choked, but after thinking about it carefully, she felt that there was nothing wrong with it. Minglan, who was holding the needle and thread frame beside her, felt even more sympathetic and felt very happy. If she was reborn as a legitimate daughter, with a powerful mother and brother, maybe she would be like this too.
Hai was speechless for a moment, then gave a bitter smile: "The other sisters-in-law won't say anything more, but from now on, outside, in front of everyone, you still have to behave as you should, so as not to give people a chance to talk."
Rulan pouted and nodded unwillingly. Hai continued to talk a lot, which made Rulan annoyed. She just said she was going to bed in a fit of anger. Minglan took the opportunity to slip away.
Halfway out, Luzhi couldn't help but complain, "Fifth Miss is really something. If she wants to learn needlework, why doesn't she ask someone skilled in needlework to teach her? The eldest lady gets angry and calls the girls over whenever she thinks of them, regardless of day or night, without even considering whether they've gone to bed. What are they treating us girls like?"
Even Danju was a little unhappy: "The biggest fear of sewing is that it will damage your eyes. Even if you want to learn, you should choose the right time."
Minglan was silent for a moment, then lightly scolded, "Stop talking."
Walking through the courtyard, the summer night sky dotted with stars, the surroundings unusually quiet. Minglan took a deep breath, feeling much more at ease. Humans are creatures of comparison. If she constantly compared herself to Hualan and Rulan, she would surely be entering menopause early. Considering the downtrodden Cao Jinxiu, wouldn't she be much better off?! In ancient times, when there were no psychologists, time-traveling women had to learn to build their own mental health.
After a while, Danju said softly, "Looking at the Fourth Aunt's attitude today, it seems that she is living well in the Marquis' Mansion?" Danju thought, if it was really a happy marriage, then it should have been her daughter's.
Green Branch snorted disdainfully and murmured venomously, "Today is nothing. We'll have to wait and see. The newly opened toilet will be bustling for three more days!"
Minglan was embarrassed.
【Author has something to say】
About ancient currency.
I said that the background of this article is fictional and refers to the customs of the Ming and Qing dynasties, but I didn’t expect that there were quite a few differences between the Ming and Qing dynasties in terms of silver and money.
First, I asked Baidu, and she said that generally speaking, the exchange rate in the Ming Dynasty was like this.
One tael of gold = more than ten taels of silver
One tael of silver = one string of copper coins = one string of copper coins = about one thousand coins. PS: It varies slightly depending on the period. For example, in the early Ming Dynasty, the chaos had just ended and people's livelihood was in decline. At that time, gold and silver were more valuable, so one tael of gold could be exchanged for about twenty or thirty taels of silver, and one tael of silver could be exchanged for more than one thousand coins.
But later, with the opening of sea routes, trade flourished. Since ancient China (before the Opium War) was always in a trade deficit position in foreign trade, gold and silver from the West, Southeast Asia and other places continued to flow into China. Therefore, by the middle and late Ming Dynasty (the so-called early stage of the embryonic stage of capitalism), gold and silver were abundant. One tael of gold could only be exchanged for about ten taels or even less of silver, and one tael of silver could only be exchanged for eight or nine hundred copper coins.
Originally I thought I would just take a middle number, which would be fine, but when I flipped through "Dream of the Red Chamber", I immediately became confused again.
…
In the Dream of the Red Chamber, in Chapter 36, Aunt Zhao complained about being short of one hundred coins, and Aunt Feng said that the monthly wages of her two maids were reduced by half, from one hundred coins to five hundred coins each. From this, it can be clearly seen that one hundred coins refers to one thousand coins.
In Chapter 36, Fengjie says that Xiren was originally a servant in the old lady's room, and her monthly salary was one tael of silver. Baoyu did not have a maid who received one tael of silver per month. The seven older maids, including Qingwen and Sheyue, received one hundred coins per month, and the eight younger maids, including Jiahui, received five hundred coins per month. This suggests that the monthly salary of the maids was half and a half.
What does this mean? Just saying one tael of silver can be exchanged for two strings of copper coins?
I didn't give up and looked up the money usage in "Jin Ping Mei" and "Water Margin". The more I read, the more confused I became. I wasted a lot of time. Finally, I decided to just throw everything away and use the decimal system, which is simple and clear.
If you are interested, you can check it out yourself.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
