Minglan watched coldly and saw that Mother You still knew what was right and wrong. She had been taking care of Minglan's daily life these past few days and had not touched any money or valuables. However... maybe it was because she had stayed in the farm outside for too long or because Aunt Wei had always lacked discipline, but Mother You behaved a little domineeringly. She beat people and scolded dogs every few days, and scolded them when she found something wrong. Except for Cuiwei, who was given the responsibility by the old lady, all the others from Danju on down had been scolded. Ruomei and Luzhi had bad tempers and they almost fought several times.
Minglan did not say anything, but secretly took note. On this day, the little maid in the yard was lazy and did not do her duty according to the regulations, so Mother You pulled her ear and scolded her in the yard for a long time. She scolded and beat her at the same time, and the whole yard was in chaos. Minglan was sitting in the inner room reading a book without saying a word. Cuiwei, who was standing by, could not bear it and wanted to stop her, but was stopped by Minglan with a look.
Minglan flipped through three pages, then waited until Mother You had finished scolding her before sending Xiaotao to fetch help. Mother You lifted the curtain and entered the room. Minglan was seated upright on the kang, Cuiwei was embroidering at the corner, and Danju was tidying up at the desk. Mother You saw Minglan's indifferent expression and felt a little uneasy. After serving her for the past few days, she knew that this Sixth Young Lady was a man of her own ideas and difficult to control. She smiled, but Minglan didn't wait for her to speak, turning to say, "Xiaotao, make me some hot tea for dinner. Mother, please sit down."
Mother You pulled a stool and sat in a corner, then asked with a smile, "What did you call me for, young lady?"
Minglan smiled warmly and said, "Mom has been here for a few days now, and she has done her best to discipline me. But there is one thing I feel is inappropriate. I treat you as my own family, so I will tell you directly. Please don't be angry, Mom."
Mother You's heart sank, and she curled her lips: "Young lady, please speak."
Minglan put down the scroll, clasped her delicate white fingers together, and spoke in a gentle tone, her demeanor relaxed. "Mother, seeing that the little girl is being naughty, it's good to give her some guidance and discipline, but every time Mother gets angry, the whole yard becomes a mess, and everyone knows about it, which is not good."
Mother You was dissatisfied and stood up to refute, "Young girl, you are young and soft-hearted, you don't know the severity of this. This little hoof is kind-hearted, lazy and slacking off all day long. Slight words are useless, so you must teach him a lesson!"
Minglan raised an eyebrow, her eyes flashing as she shot back, "Mom, you're wrong. Although I'm young, I know the saying 'don't air your dirty laundry in public.' Although we're all family, we all manage our own little plots of land. Which little girl in the courtyard isn't naughty? But everyone else takes her in and slowly disciplines her. Who's like you, Mom? You're so eager to make a big fuss about it that the whole world knows about it. Those who know think you're capable, but those who don't think our little courtyard is in turmoil!"
Mother You was startled. She knew Minglan was right, but she couldn't bear the humiliation of being scolded by Minglan in front of the three maids. She grumbled unconvincedly, "It's only mother who scolds the young lady. How could the young lady scold her? I'm so good, I've only been here for a few days and I've already offended the young lady."
Minglan, with her sharp ears, heard it and chuckled softly, saying, "Yes, I shouldn't have said that to Mom. Well, I'll go back to the old lady and Fang Mama and let them talk to Mom properly."
As she was about to get up, Mother You immediately dropped her tea bowl, hurriedly held Minglan down, and forced a smile, saying, "Don't worry, young lady. It's just that I'm confused. If you have anything to say, just say it. Why bother to come to the old lady and disturb her peace?" When they were at the farm outside, Mother You had heard that the sixth young lady had been doted on by the old lady since she was a child and was raised in her arms. She knew that she came in through Wang's connections and might not have been favored by the old lady. Now she had been in there for only a few days and she was making trouble. It was not good, so she immediately gave in.
Seeing that Mother You was so understanding, Minglan didn't pursue the matter further. She settled back into the kang mattress and settled comfortably. She took the enameled copper hand warmer to keep warm and said softly, "Mother, your intentions in disciplining the younger ones are good, but there are also cases where good intentions lead to bad consequences. If the little girls make mistakes, Mother will take note of them and teach them a lesson later. If they deserve a scolding, I'll scold them. If they deserve a spanking, I have a ruler here. If they deserve a fine, just have Jiuer inform Mother Liu. Mother is old, why would she get so angry with a child? It would be disrespectful, wouldn't it? When I spoke to Mother today, I didn't shout so that everyone in the yard would know."
In fact, in most cases, wet nurses are loyal to the brothers and sisters they raise. They are all selected by the mistress, and the future of their families is in the hands of the mistress. The son may become the young master's servant in the future, and the daughter may become the young lady's maid. The interests are all tied together. For example, Molan's wet nurse is Aunt Lin's nanny, and Rulan's wet nurse is Wang's companion. Only herself... This mother You came halfway, and Minglan only knew her family background roughly, so her loyalty was greatly reduced. Well, no matter, Changdong's wet nurse was a temporary worker, and she was dismissed after feeding. Think about it, she is not bad.
Mother You's face flushed red and blue, thinking to herself that this Sixth Young Lady was quite formidable. She would lecture her in a clear and methodical manner whenever she saw a small mistake. However, she was so gentle and dignified, leaving her speechless. Mother You forced a smile and replied, "Young Lady, you're right. I'll save the trouble. I'll just change it."
After saying this, he made a few awkward remarks to smooth things over. Minglan smiled sweetly and casually followed up with a few remarks, giving Mother You face and letting her off the hook. Suddenly, she said, "I heard that Mom had a grandson yesterday. It's really a cause for celebration." Mother You was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's not really a happy occasion, it's just one more mouth to feed."
Minglan smiled at Mother You, then turned and said, "Danju, take five taels of silver and give it to Mom as a red envelope. It'll add some joy to the occasion. After all, this is Mom's first grandson."
Mother You took the red envelope and thanked her profusely, but her heart was beating wildly. It was not that she had never seen money before, but she finally realized that Minglan was not the Concubine Wei of the past. She was definitely not someone who could be manipulated by anyone.
After Xiaotao escorted Mother You out, Danju finally looked up from her busy housework and said with a smile, "Young lady, you're so right. You've finally impressed Mother." Minglan rolled her eyes, took a sip of her hot tea, and said, "She's Mother after all. She's more thoughtful and knowledgeable. You should still respect her. Besides, she wasn't completely wrong in scolding you."
Danju knew what Minglan meant and lowered her head in embarrassment. Minglan couldn't help but feel a headache when she thought of her own yard. She sighed and put down her teacup, then said to Danju, "You're also to blame. You've been so kind and honest that you let them get ahead of you. I know you and Yancao are from the same family, so I can't say anything harsh. It was fine before when Mama Cui was around, but these past two months, I've only been away for a few times, and they've become even more lazy. The other day, even with candles and a charcoal stove burning in the room, none of them were left. You just laughed it off for such a big mistake. Cuiwei had to come out and scare us a little, but think about it, Cuiwei can only stay with us for a few more days. She's going to get married after the New Year."
Cuiwei, who was curled up on the kang embroidering, couldn't help but say angrily, "Just say what you want to say, young lady, why do you have to involve me?"
Minglan turned around and said seriously, "Don't worry, the old lady has already prepared your share of dowry. You have been with me for these few years, and I won't let you come here in vain. I have prepared another share for you, but I forget very easily. When you go out later, you must remind me, lest I forget." Cuiwei had become thick-skinned due to the teasing in recent years. She was too lazy to be shy. She just wrinkled her nose at Minglan and lowered her head to embroider on the embroidery frame.
Danju was embarrassed by what she said. She lowered her head and stammered, "I said a few words to them, and they said I was climbing up the social ladder and looking down on my sisters."
Minglan turned around and continued her teaching: "In this house, besides Xiaotao, she's the one who's lived with me the longest. Not to mention Cuiwei getting double the monthly allowance, but who among the others can surpass you in terms of monthly allowance and the old lady's favor? If you don't want them to ask their mother for punishment, you have to discipline them. It's fine if nothing happens, but if something goes wrong and alarms the mistress and the old lady, who can escape? Our courtyard has its own rules. If you follow the rules and speak your mind, who can say anything to you?"
In fact, Minglan's idea is very simple. The work should be commensurate with the position and salary. As the head maid, in addition to taking care of the young lady, a large part of her responsibility is to control the other maids. Danju did a good job in the former, but the latter was obviously unqualified.
Danju's face turned pale and she stood there blankly. Cuiwei sighed. She was also a child born in a family and knew Danju's family affairs. Her father died early and her mother remarried and gave birth to many children. Her stepfather didn't like her and her biological mother didn't protect her. Before she was five or six years old, she was like a wild child with no one to take care of her. Finally, her aunt couldn't bear it and used her connections to send her from the farm to the inner house, so that she could live a stable life.
Cuiwei put down the embroidery frame, pulled Danju to the kang, and said softly: "Sister, I know you are an honest person, but you should also think about the girl. She is growing up. It is not good to go to the old lady for help every time there is a little trouble. If you do this every time, won't people laugh at our girl? Now those two——"
Cuiwei pointed in the direction of Shanyueju and Taoran Pavilion and whispered, "They live close by, but they're all watching us. When the young lady first came back, she brought things for the little maids, clearly dividing them up with written notes, but they just ignored the rules and started grabbing and making a scene. That's fine, but if there's a theft or something happening in the future, what's going to happen? Should the young lady be asked to personally settle the case, or should the housekeeper deal with the sisters? That would really damage the relationship. And now that there's a tough housekeeper here, we have to be even more careful. My sister, you better show some dignity and authority, or the old lady will be the first to replace you. The young lady doesn't absolutely need you, but if the young lady hadn't taken a liking to you over the years, the old lady would have picked the best one out of the other girls and given it to you."
Minglan looked at Cuiwei with admiration and thought that Mother Fang was really good at training talents. Cuiwei's words were thoughtful and she pointed out both the seriousness and the consequences. Sure enough, Danju's face gradually showed enthusiasm. He nodded seriously and listened to Cuiwei's instructions with an extremely solemn and serious expression. If he had stood up with the sickle and hammer chess pieces at the back, he could have directly sworn in to join the party.
Although Minglan had never worked in a business, she knew that the core idea of management was to pass on responsibilities layer by layer and implement them. It was not possible for a CEO to check whether employees were late or leaving early. There were several times when Minglan wanted to rush out and yell, but she managed to hold back. Yelling at people was not her job. She was only required to step forward when making decisions or arbitration.
"Miss, Miss." Xiao Tao came in from outside, jumping and running. When she came to Minglan, she gasped, "Miss, oh no, the eldest aunt is here. The old lady wants all the girls to come over."
Minglan finally reacted and said in surprise, "Big sister is here, this is great, the old lady is looking forward to it."
Danju was quicker than she could talk. She immediately pulled out a pair of snow-proof fuchsia gilded sheepskin boots and squatted down to help Minglan put them on. Cuiwei hurried off the kang and found a crane cloak lined with light red feather yarn and silver-grey squirrel fur from the mother-of-pearl lacquered wooden cabinet in the inner room. Xiaotao lit a hand warmer and added some charcoal to the fire, stirring it up. The three maids busied themselves getting Minglan ready. Cuiwei hesitated for a moment between the snow hat and the large gold hairpin, but finally chose the snow hat for Minglan. Cuiwei stayed behind to look after the house while Minglan, Xiaotao, and Danju headed straight for Shou'an Hall.
In fact, Hualan was going to come the day after Old Lady Sheng returned home, but unfortunately her mother-in-law, the wife of the Earl of Zhongqin, fell ill, and it was not convenient for her as a daughter-in-law to go to her parents' home right away, so the visit was delayed until today.
Minglan hurried all the way and just entered the main hall, she saw a beautifully dressed woman lying on the old lady's lap and crying softly. The old lady also had a loving look on her face and gently stroked the woman's back. The grandmother and granddaughter had not seen each other for about six or seven years. As soon as they met, they hugged each other and cried bitterly. Wang held a handkerchief on her face to calm her down, but she felt a little sad in her heart. Two months ago, the mother and daughter met again after a long separation, and Hualan didn't cry so sadly.
Molan and Rulan stood aside, chatting and teasing a girl of four or five years old.
Hearing the maid's words as she lifted the curtain, everyone in the room looked up. The woman's face was still wet with tears, and she stood up and said with a smile, "Isn't this Sixth Sister? Come quickly, let me see her."
Danju helped Minglan take off her snow hat and crane cloak. Minglan immediately stepped forward, letting Hualan hold her arm, and said crisply, "Big sister."
Hualan carefully examined Minglan, her eyes filled with amazement. Seeing Minglan's graceful and proper demeanor, she remembered how well-behaved she was as a child, and she liked her even more. She turned around and smiled, "After all, our ancestors knew how to take care of people. When I left, Mingya was just a sickly little cat, but now she's grown into a little beauty."
Minglan also stole a glance at her elder sister whom she had not seen for many years. She was wearing a Sichuan brocade double-breasted jacket with a peony pattern and gold-thread buttons, and a light-colored straight-striped long skirt. She looked luxurious and elegant, and her face was still beautiful, with the charm of a mature woman, but there was a bit of restraint between her brows.
Hualan took an embroidered bag from the hand of a maid beside her and put it into Minglan's hand. She also plucked a red gold flower-shaped hairpin from her temple and inserted it into Minglan's plain bun. She smiled and said, "It's been many years since we last met. This is just a small token of my appreciation. Please don't despise me."
Minglan's eyes blurred, and she couldn't see what the hairpin looked like. She just felt her head sinking, thinking that the gold must be quite heavy. She weighed the brocade bag in her hand and felt what seemed to be a jade pendant. She bowed in thanks, looked up and smiled, "Thank you, big sister. No wonder the fourth and fifth sisters are always looking forward to your visit."
Everyone laughed. Wang pulled Minglan over and pointed at the little girl, saying, "This is your niece, Zhuang Jie'er."
Minglan looked over and saw that the little girl was white, plump and cute. Her eyebrows and eyes resembled Hualan's, but her expression and behavior were completely different. She hid behind the nanny timidly and shyly and refused to come out. Only after hearing Wang's order did she poke her head out halfway and called out in a soft voice, "Sixth Aunt."
The voice was soft and adorable, like a newly weaned animal. Minglan was immediately captivated by it. She squatted down to look Zhuang Jie'er in the eye and said with a smile, "Zhuang Jie'er is so good. Sixth Aunt has prepared something for you."
As she spoke, she took a flat square box from Danju and put it into Zhuang Jie'er's hands. Zhuang Jie'er held the box in her hands blankly, her big eyes blinking with curiosity. Hualan took a few steps forward, squatted down, and opened the box for her daughter.
There were several items neatly arranged in the box: a shiny and exquisite brass nine-link chain, a rattle woven with red dogwood, a palm-sized fat rabbit carved from white jade strung with a red rope, and a pair of plum-shaped emerald jade peace buckles. The jade was crystal clear and obviously of great value. Zhuang Jie'er took the rattle in one hand and shook it, and grabbed the fat white jade rabbit with the other hand. Her fair and tender face was full of smiles, and she looked at Minglan with a much closer look.
Hualan was delighted to see her daughter liked it. She smiled and said to Minglan, "Thank you for taking the trouble, sister. I'm afraid you prepared it a long time ago. Your niece is very lucky, but it's a big expense for you, sister."
Minglan showed the brocade bag in her hand, touched the hairpin on her head, and said seriously, "It's not bad, it's not bad. I thought I had lost money, but I never thought I could make a profit. Big sister will give birth to a big fat nephew for us aunts, then we can really make back our money."
Hualan's almond-shaped eyes were filled with laughter. She twisted Minglan's ear and scolded her, laughing, "Little girl, you dare to tease your sister? Are you tired of living? Look at me and I will punish you!" Minglan was hurt by the pinch and quickly took advantage of the opportunity to hide behind the old lady. Everyone in the room laughed, and Wang Shi laughed especially hard. She pointed at Minglan and said, "Why don't you twist her mouth!"
Hualan pinched Minglan twice, then looked over and saw Xiaotao. She said playfully, "Aren't you the one who used to be with Minglan? Is your daughter still playing shuttlecock now?"
Xiao Tao excitedly stepped forward and bowed. In the past, she had been ordered to supervise Minglan's shuttlecock kicking and had received many rewards from Hualan. She had a good impression of this young lady and said with a simple smile, "Hello, Auntie. I'm Xiao Tao. ... Ever since you left home, the Sixth Miss has refused to kick shuttlecock honestly. She keeps putting it off for two days!"
Everyone knew Minglan's habits and laughed heartily. Rulan, who was taking advantage of the situation, saw this and shouted, "Big sister, you don't know that Sixth Sister never goes out except to pay respects. She doesn't go out on rainy days, snowy days, or even when the sun is shining!"
The room erupted in laughter, and everyone started teasing Minglan. Minglan blushed and looked honest, letting them make fun of her. She thought to herself, it's a pity there is no thermometer here, otherwise she wouldn't go out even if the temperature was above 28 degrees and below 15 degrees!
Everyone was in high spirits and sat around the old lady, laughing and chatting about family matters. Hualan seemed to be much more talkative in the past few years. She was very excited when talking about the interesting things she saw and heard in the capital, making everyone laugh. She was even polite to Molan and never ignored her. But Minglan felt that Hualan had gone a little too far and seemed to be hiding something. However, as a half-sister, she couldn't say anything and could only join in the fun and say a few words.
While Hualan was chatting and laughing, she observed her three younger sisters calmly. Molan was as bright and elegant as a bamboo, gentle and delicate, but with a bit of self-admiration. Minglan had beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and was particularly beautiful. Although she was young, she was gentle and lovely, and her words and behavior were very measured. She was close to her eldest sister Ruomu, but had no intention of surpassing Ruolan. She was very likable, and Hualan nodded secretly.
Finally, looking at her own sister, Hualan sighed secretly. Rulan looked a lot like Wang, with an ordinary appearance, but fortunately she had fair skin, bright eyes, a noble and noble bearing, and calm manners, like a legitimate daughter. However... Hualan could not deceive herself. Rulan was a little too flamboyant and not steady and dignified enough.
After talking for a while, Old Lady Sheng gestured to Lady Wang and then looked at Hualan. Lady Wang understood what was going on and stood up with a smile, asking the girls to take Zhuang Jie'er for a walk in the garden. Minglan knew at a glance that the old lady had something private to say to Hualan, so she stood up and asked Danju and Xiaotao to put on her snow hat and cloak, and Molan and Rulan did the same. Wang took the well-dressed Zhuang Jie'er out first, and the three Lans followed. Then the maids and servants slowly left Shou'an Hall in order like a tide.
After everyone had left, Fang Mama and Cuiping closed the doors and windows and carefully stood guard at the door. Hualan felt a little uneasy when she saw Old Madam Sheng doing this, but she still smiled and said, "Grandma, please tell me something. Why do you have to do this?"
Old Madam Sheng didn't respond. She simply pulled Hualan over and carefully examined her complexion and expression, which made Hualan feel uneasy. Then she slowly said, "Big girl, in recent years, you have written to me saying that everything is going well. Today, Grandmother has a question for you, and you must not hide it. How are you doing these days?"
Hua Lan's smile faded, and she forced a smile, "Whatever Grandma said is good."
The old lady closed her eyes, sighed deeply, and hugged Hualan to her side. She sighed and said, "Are you going to hide this from even Grandmother?"
Hua Lan couldn't help but feel confused. She lowered her head and said in a trembling voice, "I don't know whether my life is good or bad."
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