November arrived, and the wind was as cold as a knife, making every breath white. Minglan began to feel lazy again, clinging to the warm kang and refusing to move. Cuiping came to call her to Shou'an Hall. Minglan whimpered in pain, and Danju coaxed her off the kang and put on a thick fur coat. Only then did Minglan stop shivering. When she arrived at Shou'an Hall, she saw the old lady sitting upright on the kang, her knees covered by a thick, thick, python-lined blanket. In her hand, she held a piece of paper, her expression a little dazed.
Minglan immediately put away her laziness, walked forward, took a cup of warm ginseng tea from Cuimei, slowly placed it on the kang table, and whispered, "Grandma, what's wrong?"
The old lady finally came to her senses, with a puzzled look in her eyes. She handed over the paper in her hand and said, "The He family sent this early in the morning. Take a look for yourself."
Minglan tried her best to get close to the warm kang, unfolded the letter, and read it carefully.
The letter was written by Old Madam He and seemed to be written in a hurry. It first said that the Cao family could no longer stay in the capital and would soon leave Beijing and return to their hometown. Then it said that Cao Jinxiu had attempted suicide, but after being rescued, she told the truth. It turned out that when she was a concubine in Liangzhou, the wife of that family forced her to drink safflower soup, and she could no longer have children. She didn't tell anyone because she was afraid of making her family sad.
Now Madam He is going to rush over to find out what is going on and will come to explain in the afternoon.
Minglan slowly put down the letter, her mind racing. Old Madam Sheng slowly leaned back against the pillow at the head of the kang, holding a celadon peach and double phoenix heater in her hands. "Ming'er, what do you think...what do you think about this?"
Minglan sat down beside the old lady, choosing her words carefully. "Nothing else matters, except these two: one, the Cao family is leaving the capital, and the other, my cousin is afraid she won't be able to have children."
The old lady closed her eyes and nodded slowly: "Exactly. In this way, things have changed again."
Cao Jinxiu is infertile, which means it is difficult for her to find a suitable family to marry. The only suitable family she can find is a widower with children. If she is from a wealthy family, a widowed daughter who has no children and returns to her parents' home to be widowed can also remarry. But given the current situation of the Cao family, there is no widower with good character for her to marry. In this case, only the He family can take care of her.
However, if it was a concubine who was infertile, what threat would Yu Zhengfang still pose? In addition, the Cao family had to return to their hometown, so such a concubine was basically just a decoration.
When the grandfather and grandson thought of this, they couldn't help but feel moved.
The old lady put down the heater, gently took the ginseng tea, and slowly used the lid of the bowl to stir the ginseng slices: "This time... we can't give in easily. No matter what the He family says, we will let it go for now." Minglan nodded slowly.
After lunch, the grandparents took a short rest. At the beginning of the second quarter of the afternoon, Mrs. He came hurriedly. She seemed to be in a hurry and kept drinking warm tea. Mrs. Sheng was anxious in her heart, but her face remained calm. Minglan hid in the inner room as usual and listened carefully through the curtain.
After a few pleasantries, Mrs. Sheng said, "Take a good rest before you talk. Who's chasing you from behind?!"
Madam He glared and said, "Who? It's that little enemy of mine! This time, for your sweet little girl, he's offended your mother, your aunt, your relatives—everyone! He's been ruthless!"
"Don't hide what you say, hurry up." He just said he wouldn't rush, but now he is rushing.
Madam He put down her teacup, took a deep breath, and then faced Madam Sheng and said slowly, "I've always sympathized with my daughter-in-law, a young widow and frail. Over the years, I've rarely been strict with her. Even when the Cao family caused such a mess, I didn't push her too hard. I just wanted to slowly dispel the idea. Who knew that this time, my filial grandson would go all out! After he returned from your house that time, he actually went to the study to look for his grandfather. My old man only likes to write and never bothered to deal with matters in the inner chambers. This time, Hong'er told him the whole story and even begged his grandfather to submit a petition to the government office to expel the Cao family from the capital!"
Old Madam Rao Sheng had seen a lot, but she was also shocked. She was stunned for a long time before she calmed down: "How can this be... Hong'er is such a filial son! How could he hide this from his mother..."
Madam He was so thirsty from what she had said that she took another sip of tea before she continued, "That's not all! A few days ago, the government office investigated and issued a notice ordering the Cao family to return to their hometown next month, otherwise they would be punished even more severely! The concubine of the Cao family came here crying and begging, but the government office has already issued the official document, what can my family do! My daughter-in-law lost her appetite for a few days and finally went to beg the old man. The old man only endured it until now because of me and Hongwen. Now, seeing that my daughter-in-law still doesn't repent, he pointed at her nose and cursed her, saying directly, 'You are a member of my He family, not the surname Cao! The Cao family is corrupt and has committed crimes. We are helping them out of the relationship, but they are even taking advantage of us. They are causing trouble for the He family all day long. This ungrateful person should have been expelled long ago! If you really care about the Cao family, I will give you a letter of divorce and let you go to live with the Cao family.' The daughter-in-law fainted at that moment and dared not say a word after waking up!"
Minglan looked down at her hands in the inner room. Okay, she should be worried about He's mother's health, but she still felt very happy. Every time she saw He's mother's crying and indecisive face, she felt uncomfortable.
Old Mrs. Sheng was actually very happy, but she couldn't cheer loudly, so she just said a few words of advice softly and expressed her concern for He's mother's health.
Madam He put down her teacup and sighed, "Fortunately, my daughter-in-law didn't know. If she knew it was Hong'er's idea to drive the Cao family out, she'd have done something terrible. For the next few days, the Cao family was in a mess, cleaning up, and they kept coming here to complain about their poverty. I thought it would be a good way to get rid of the plague, so I gave them some money so they could buy some land. But who knew, something went wrong again yesterday!"
Madam He's scalp tingled with annoyance when she thought of this, but she truly loved her grandson, so she simply spilled the beans: "The Cao family was leaving, so they begged and pleaded every day to bring their cousin home, but Hong'er refused. Seeing my daughter-in-law half-dead, I came up with an idea: to have them recuperate at the farm outside the city for a few days before returning! The Cao family couldn't find her, and there was nothing they could do. ... Yesterday, the Cao family suddenly knocked on the door, saying their daughter had attempted suicide. After being rescued from the beam, she confessed the truth: she was infertile, and if Hong'er didn't show mercy, she would die. I was horrified. While telling Hong'er the news, I went to the Cao family to personally feel the daughter's pulse..."
"What's going on?" Old Mrs. Sheng was nervous and her throat was tight.
Madam He shook her head, her expression tinged with pity, but her tone was firm: "I've carefully investigated, and it's true that she can't have children. It's said that during the year she was a concubine, the mistress of that family frequently fed her safflower soup. Not only was the medicine overbearing and ruthless, but she also had a miscarriage during that time. She must have ruined her body!"
Minglan still trusted Madam He's medical skills and character. As she relaxed for a while, she felt an indescribable sour feeling, a little sad, and a little sighed. Only now did Minglan understand the deep despair in Cao Jinxiu's eyes.
Old Madam Sheng was silent for a long time. Old Madam He sighed and continued, "The concubine of the Cao family only then learned about her daughter's true identity and fainted from crying. Later, Hong'er arrived and learned about this. He stood beside me in a daze, thinking for a long time, and finally agreed to let the girl from the Cao family marry in."
Old Madam Sheng wasn't angry this time. Her tone was as soft and helpless as damp gunpowder: "...There's nothing we can do about it. I'm sorry for Hong-ge'er." But Old Madam He interrupted, "It's not over yet!"
Old Mrs. Sheng was puzzled.
Madam He picked up the cooled tea and wanted to drink it, but she immediately asked Madam Sheng to take it away and told the maid to replace it with warm tea. Madam He picked up the tea bowl and moistened her lips, saying, "Hong'er said he is willing to take care of my cousin and ensure she has enough food and drink for the rest of her life, but there is one condition... From now on, he can only help out in emergencies, but he will no longer be considered a proper relative. Aunt Cao was so angry that she slapped Hong'er in the face!"
Old Madam Sheng's eyes lit up, and she immediately straightened her back and relaxed her brows: "Brother Hong, you are so bold!"
He Hongwen probably meant that he just didn't want his wife to have to bear the burden of having a difficult aunt. It would then be difficult for her to handle matters between his wives and concubines, as well as to manage the household finances. However, to Old Lady He's ears, it had another meaning.
Madam He said in a deep voice, "That's a cruel thing to say, but I think it's a good thing. A concubine who can't have children will definitely be loyal to her parents. If the Cao family comes and pretends to be relatives and asks for money every day, how can the He family have peace? Regardless of who Hong'er marries in the future, this matter must be made clear. We can't let a moment of pity bring trouble back to our family. I will immediately ask Hong'er to write down everything in black and white. When the Cao family signs and seals it, when will the cousin enter the He Mansion!"
After finishing the long speech, the grandfather and grandson inside and outside the house fell into silence. Once this written document was signed, they basically had no worries. In fact, the troubles of the Cao family were not difficult to solve.
Seeing that Mrs. Sheng had clearly softened her stance, Madam He didn't press for an answer. After chatting for a while, she stood up to take her leave. Minglan raised the curtains and slowly emerged from the inner room, approaching her grandmother's kang. The two of them sat in silence for a moment. After a long moment, the old lady sighed, "Hong'er..." She couldn't continue, and then turned to Minglan, "Ming'er, what do you say?"
"...Granddaughter doesn't know, what does grandma say?" Minglan hugged the old lady's arm.
The old lady looked at Minglan's bright face and felt that no boy from any family was worthy of her daughter. After thinking it over again and again, she said cautiously, "This is the best case scenario."
Many scenes flashed through Minglan's mind: Hualan's hidden sorrow, Molan's forced smile, Hai's relief as she watched Yang Hao drink the medicine after each night with her, Wang's troubles over the years, and the open and covert struggles between their brothers and sisters... Then, she slowly nodded.
The He family's advantage didn't lie in their wealth and status, but in their well-balanced and harmonious overall situation. Even a wealthy and prominent family, if faced with a picky mother-in-law, difficult sisters-in-law, and a husband who wasn't always supportive, wouldn't have a good life in the Jade Emperor's Heavenly Palace. And the He family...
Over the years, it has been observed that He's mother has a gentle temper and is easy to talk to. She is also weak and basically unable to move. The new daughter-in-law can take charge of the household as soon as she marries in. The first and second wives of the He family are better off and will not cause trouble. He Hongwen has a rich family property and can earn a lot of money by his own efforts. He is not fickle, is responsible, and is caring. It is obvious that he favors Minglan. When Old Master He retires and leaves Beijing, they will almost be single. At that time, they will close the gate of the courtyard, and the new daughter-in-law can make her own decisions after their daily life.
No need to look at the mother-in-law's face, no need to deal with complicated relatives from all directions, financial independence, and independent living, where can you find such a good thing! And accepting this infertile Cao Jinxiu, He's mother will probably be embarrassed to say anything in front of Minglan in the future; to put it bluntly, He's mother will not have many days left to live.
With all these 'advantages', Cao Jinxiu's existence seemed insignificant. Perhaps... in the future, when He Hongwen went out to earn money, she could drag the gloomy-looking Cao Jinxiu along to play mahjong? Perhaps winning a couple of rounds would help her forget her past misfortunes. Amen!
…
On several occasions, Minglan suspected that she and Rulan had opposite horoscopes. Every time she was happy, Rulan would be in trouble.
That day, Minglan thought that the weather would get colder in a few days and the water would be covered with thick ice. So, after paying her respects to the old lady and Wang Shi, she took her fishing rod and basket with her strong and energetic Xiaotao to the small pond to fish. Perhaps because of the cold weather, the fish in the water were sluggish, and Minglan easily caught seven or eight fat fish. Before leaving the pond, she smiled at the water and said, "Have a good winter vacation. I'll come to visit you again in the spring."
The fish were handed over to the kitchen, and three of the particularly large ones were designated to be made into clay pot fish with fermented black beans, two of the particularly plump ones were made into fish fillets in tomato sauce, and the remaining ones were all filleted and roasted into salt and pepper fish jerky with scallions, and the fish heads were boiled into ginger fish soup. Xiao Tao smiled and stuffed thirty big coins into Aunt An's pocket, repeatedly thanking her for her hard work. Aunt An refused for a long time with a smile on her face, and then patted her chest to guarantee the quality of the cooking.
At this moment, the little magpie in Rulan's room suddenly ran in. It was so cold, but she was sweating profusely. When she saw Minglan, she hurriedly invited Minglan to go to Taoran Ju.
Just then, Aunt An was about to kill the fish. Minglan wanted to get closer to see if there was any fat or roe in the fish's belly. She frowned and said, "Why are you here? Fifth Sister wants to embroider again? Go back and tell her I'm making fish soup with her. Fish improves eyesight, and eating fish before embroidering is even better!"
The little magpie was almost anxious to cry, and kept saying no, but couldn't explain why. Minglan saw that something was wrong and followed him out. Even so, Minglan still went back to her room first, took some soap to wash off the fishy smell on her body, and changed into clean clothes before going to Taoran Pavilion.
Lifting the thick brocade cotton curtain, she saw not a single maid in the room. Only Rulan was lying on the table, weeping. She had already stopped crying, clutching a handkerchief and sobbing. When she saw Minglan coming, she immediately rushed over, grabbed Minglan, and burst into tears. Minglan was startled and pushed Rulan down to the table on the kang, then hurriedly asked, "Fifth sister, what's wrong? What's the big deal? Why are you crying like this? Talk to me slowly... Little magpie, quickly get your daughter a basin of hot water to wash her face!"
The little magpie felt a little relieved and went out as told; Rulan wiped her red nose from crying and started to talk with sobs. It turned out that Cailan had suddenly come to Sheng Mansion just now to talk to the old lady and Wang, and also called her along, and wanted to betroth her to Gu Tingye!
That cousin who was determined to marry the legitimate daughter of the emperor might actually become her brother-in-law?! Minglan's mouth dropped open. She had never known how marvelous the ancient times were. No matter how rich her imagination was, it couldn't keep up with the changes in this world.
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