At the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, the weather in the north is different from that in the south. It is getting drier and cooler. The Sheng family has to cook some sweet soup to moisten the lungs and relieve coughs. Minglan has been sick most of the time since she came here. She is even weaker with the change of weather. She often has dry coughs and wheezing. She asked the doctor to come and only prescribe some nourishing medicine. But Minglan hates the taste of Chinese medicine the most. She misses Chuanbei loquat juice and cough and asthma medicine so much. The more she thinks about it, the more she resists Chinese medicine. She would vomit half of it after drinking a bowl. She is sick all day long and can't muster any strength. Minglan, who used to be strong and had practiced self-defense and fighting skills, is really angry.
After much deliberation and further inquiries about Yuan Wenshao's character and abilities, Sheng Hong and Wang finally decided on him. They then went through the ceremony of accepting the bride price, presented Hua Lan's birth date and horoscope, and then proceeded to the ceremony of asking for her name. Wang's idea was quite remarkable, having invited a highly accomplished monk and a capable Taoist priest to compare the horoscopes. Both the monk and the Taoist priest said that they were destined for a long-lasting marriage, and Wang was finally relieved. Sheng Hong glanced at the incense table in Wang's room: a whisk on the left and a wooden fish on the right, and couldn't help but laugh: "Madam, do you believe in Buddhism or Taoism? Give me an accurate number; it would be more effective if the numbers are right."
Wang knew her husband was teasing her: "I'll worship whichever one works. As long as Hua'er is well, I'll even worship the wall grass."
Sheng Hong's expression darkened. "I know you have a kind heart, a loving mother. I've noticed Ming Er is not doing well lately, so you should be more careful. If you keep coughing like this, you might as well lose your life."
Wang said, "A letter came from the capital yesterday saying that the Duke Zhongqin's mansion will be coming to make the betrothal in the next few days. Hua'er saw that I was so busy that he took over Ming's affairs."
Sheng Hong shook his head: "Hua'er is just a kid, what does he know? It's better for you to ask him yourself."
Wang smiled and said, "Look at what Master said. Miss Hua is no longer a child. If everything goes well, she'll be married either at the end of next year or the beginning of the year after. She'll have to serve her in-laws and husband, and she should learn to take care of others. These past few days, she's given Miss Ming her own share of snow pear soup and almond soup. She's also been staring at Miss Ming every day while she takes her medicine. If she vomits half a bowl, she'll have to add another bowl. Miss Ming is so scared that she doesn't dare to spit out the medicine."
Sheng Hong was greatly relieved and nodded repeatedly: "Good, this is how sisters should behave. Hua'er acts like an elder sister, very good, very good."
Miss Hualan was a strict executive, lacking warmth and possessing authority. If Minglan showed any sign of refusing to take the medicine, she would roll up her sleeves and personally administer it. Minglan broke out in a sweat, her illness almost completely cured. Hualan then forced her to play shuttlecock every day. Like a prisoner under escort, Minglan stood in the yard, under Hualan's supervision, kicking the shuttlecock meticulously. She had to kick thirty times a day, five every three days. Miss Hualan even kept a notebook as Minglan's exercise log, checking off the records daily with a prison guard's look, not allowing her to miss a single kick.
Hualan is a girl who is like an older sister. She has a strong sense of elder sister complex. Unfortunately, none of her brothers and sisters can satisfy her need. Changbai is mature and steady. Hualan is lucky that he doesn't scold her. But Rulan is willful and unruly. Hualan has always been at odds with her. She will talk back if she says something to her. Wang protects her, so she can't really punish Rulan. She doesn't bother to interrupt the two people in Aunt Lin's family. Changdong is too young, so she has never had any chance to act like an older sister.
Minglan has a good temper and is gentle and docile. She will do whatever you ask her to do and won't argue even if you say something to her. She will just look at you timidly with her big watery eyes blinking and occasionally being a little dazed. Hualan is very satisfied with this little sister and likes her almost more than her own sister.
The Zhongqin Marquis's Mansion acted quickly and soon came to propose a small engagement. Because Yuan Wenshao was quite old, they were aiming to get married in the middle of next year. Sheng Hong took out the essays he had written when he took the imperial examination and wrote some vague excuses in the letter. It was not known whether the other party could understand it, but the general meaning was that his daughter was still young and he could not bear to marry her off early. His words sincerely expressed the father's love for his daughter. The Yuan family immediately added a lot of betrothal gifts and invited a ceremonial officer from the Honglu Temple to propose the engagement. Sheng Hong gained enough face and added some dowry. He also set the wedding date for May of the next year. Both families were very satisfied.
Afterwards, Hualan was locked in her boudoir to embroider her dowry and calm down. Minglan breathed a sigh of relief. She had now accumulated to kicking 65 shuttlecocks every day, which made her legs cramp. Now that the guard was locked up, she could return to her life as a pig that ate and slept. Of course, she would be harassed by Rulan from time to time.
The weather gradually turned colder. It was fine in spring, summer, and autumn, but with the arrival of winter, the climate differences between the north and the south became immediately apparent. Every room began to heat its floors with underground heating systems. There were various earthen and brick kangs, as well as exquisitely crafted wooden kangs—a combination of a spacious, comfortable bed and a kang. Minglan, a southerner, had never known that such warm and comfortable kang beds existed in the ancient north. Perhaps it was thanks to her shuttlecock kicking that Minglan didn't catch a cold or get sick despite the cold weather, but others did.
After all, Old Lady Sheng was old, and she had migrated too far from north to south, so she was somewhat not used to the climate there. She started coughing in the autumn. She had always been dignified, and the maids and servants in the house did not dare to force her to take medicine or play shuttlecock, so the root of the disease had not been cured. She would have a low fever from time to time in winter. One day, she suddenly had a burning sensation all over her body and almost fainted. The doctor who came to see her said that her condition was very serious. The old lady was most afraid of this kind of severe cold, and if she was not careful, she might die. This scared Sheng Hong and his wife.
If Madam Sheng died, Sheng Hong would have to observe mourning, and Hua Lan would have to observe a period of mourning. Yuan Wenshao, already twenty years old, couldn't afford to wait. Sheng Hong and his wife immediately realized the seriousness of the situation and worked together, taking turns caring for Madam Sheng day and night. They meticulously considered every prescription and tasted every bowl of medicine themselves, nearly falling ill from exhaustion. However, their devotion to their husband and wife earned them praise from officials and gentry throughout Dengzhou, a seemingly unexpected blessing.
A few days later, Mrs. Sheng's fever finally subsided and she recovered, having been saved. Sheng Hong and his wife didn't dare to relax and immediately sent all kinds of nourishing medicines from the storeroom to Shou'an Hall. To Minglan, no matter how expensive the tonic was, it was still Chinese medicine, and its taste was not much better. She couldn't help but secretly sympathize with Mrs. Sheng. But within two days, news suddenly came from Shou'an Hall that Mrs. Sheng was old and lonely, and wanted to keep a girl by her side to alleviate her loneliness.
As soon as the news came out, some were happy and some were sad. Let’s talk about the happy ones first.
"Why did mother ask me to go? People say that the old lady has a bad temper and a cold personality, and she hardly says a word all year round. The room is very simple and there is nothing good in it. Besides, the old lady has never liked you, so I won't go and make myself bored." Molan was curled up in the quilt on the kang, wearing a chestnut squirrel fur coat with gold dots, and holding a horizontal golden gourd cloisonné enamel hand warmer in her arms. She was beautiful and elegant at a young age.
Aunt Lin looked at her daughter with a mixture of pride and worry. "My dear child, how could I bear to see you suffer? But we have to make plans for the future. Have you seen how your elder sister Hualan is preparing for her wedding? It's truly a glorious occasion, with so many families courting her. I wonder what it will be like for you in a few years when you reach marriage age?"
"What's going on?" Molan bowed slightly, her tone still as gentle as ever. "Mother, please stop talking about legitimate and illegitimate children. Father has already said that he will never wrong me in the future. He will treat my elder sister the same way, and he will treat me the same way. I will have a glorious life in my own right. Besides, you have the property in your hands, so what do I have to be afraid of?"
"My son, what do you know? The reason why your sister Hualan is so successful today is, first, your father is an official with a good reputation and smooth social interactions; second, our family has some assets, unlike those poor officials who have no assets; third, that girl Hua is a legitimate daughter, and she has an uncle with a family of scholars for generations. How can you compare with the last advantage? Besides, you are only a few months younger than that girl Ru, and you will probably be married off together in the future. How can a good family leave you there then?" Aunt Lin took the heater from her daughter's hand, opened it, and used the copper hairpin at hand to stir the charcoal fire inside, then covered it and handed it back.
Even though Molan was known for her precocious intelligence, she couldn't help but blush when she heard this: "What are you talking about, motherfucker? How old is your daughter and you're saying this?"
Aunt Lin cupped her daughter's hands, a stern look in her delicate features as she spoke in a deep voice, "I never regret what I did back then. Being a concubine, offending the old lady, being disliked by the Madam—I'm not afraid of any of that. Your brother is a young man after all. Regardless of whether he's born legitimate or illegitimate, he'll always get a share of the family fortune and have a place to stand in the future. I'm only worried about you."
Molan whispered, "Don't take it to heart, Mom. Father loves me so much. I'm the only one left among the girls besides my eldest sister. He will never treat me badly in the future..."
"But it wasn't very kind!" Aunt Lin interrupted her daughter, leaning back against the large, autumn-fragrance-colored, golden-money python quilt, closing her eyes and speaking slowly. "You're seven now, and it's time for you to understand things. Your grandfather ruined the family when I was seven, and I haven't had a single decent day since then. Your grandmother didn't plan anything, and she lived entirely on pawning. She always lamented that she couldn't marry into a respectable family. We were little sisters playing together, but some were lavishly dressed in wealth and splendor, while others were destitute and destitute, even unloved by their own families. At least she did one good thing before she died: she sent me to the Sheng Mansion."
The room was silent, save for the slow puffs of smoke from the incense burner on the floor. Aunt Lin was lost in thought, recalling her first day in the Sheng residence: although Sheng Hong held a low position, his great-grandfather had left a large fortune to his descendants, and his grandfather had been a scholar who had won the imperial examination. The Sheng residence was naturally magnificent, with its exquisite gardens, its gilded and silver-painted furniture, and its silk, satin, and gauze garments for all seasons. She had never imagined in her life that such wealth and luxury could exist in the world. And Sheng Hong was so refined, handsome, and refined, and she couldn't help but have other thoughts...
Molan looked at her mother's hazy and beautiful face and suddenly said, "Then why do you have to be a concubine? Wouldn't it be better to marry a wife and become a wife? You're causing gossip everywhere, saying that you... are so self-indulgent..."
Aunt Lin suddenly opened her eyes and looked at her intently. Molan immediately lowered her head, too frightened to speak. Aunt Lin stared at her for a moment, then averted her eyes and said slowly, "You're old enough to understand things. ... The old lady is good in every way, except for one thing: she always likes to harp on about 'it's easy to find priceless treasures, but hard to find true love.' As the saying goes, poor couples suffer from a thousand sorrows. The old lady was born into a family of marquises, so she knows nothing about the hardships of the poor outside. A student on the government stipend earns only six or seven dou of rice and one or two taels of silver a month. The maids in our mansion earn eight qian of silver a month. Just this coat you're wearing is worth fifty or sixty taels. The fine silver charcoal in your hand warmer costs two taels of silver per catty. Add to that your daily food and clothing, how many students on the government stipend would it take to provide for you?"
Beads of sweat broke out on Molan's forehead. Aunt Lin smiled bitterly. "Besides, do children born into poverty necessarily have good character? Back then, I had a cousin who married a poor scholar, hoping for a bright future. However, that scholar, who could only write a few cheesy essays, failed the imperial examinations and was unsuccessful in business. Everything about the family and the household depended on your aunt. She endured all kinds of hardships with her husband, bore him children, and even saved a few acres of land. That year, when the harvest was only slightly better, that poor man wanted to take a concubine. Your aunt refused, and was daily scolded for being unvirtuous. She was almost divorced. She couldn't stand it anymore, so she let the concubine in. But after a few years, she died of anger, leaving her children to be abused. Humph! When that scholar first came to propose marriage, he spoke all sorts of grandiose words, full of sagely virtues, about cherishing your cousin, living in harmony, and treating her with respect... Pah, all empty talk!"
Molan listened intently as Aunt Lin's voice gradually softened, "A woman's life depends on a man. If he's a coward, even the strongest woman can't stand up straight. At that time, I thought, regardless of whether I'm a man of high rank or low rank, my husband must be a man of outstanding character, loyal, talented, and able to provide shelter for the family... Even though I'll be your father's concubine, I won't have to worry about anything. At least I can have a safe life, and my children will have someone to rely on."
The mother and daughter were speechless for a moment. After a while, Aunt Lin chuckled softly, "The old lady originally found me some so-called 'farming and studying families'. She herself was so stubbornly poor, how could she have given me a decent dowry? Pah! After all, I am a daughter of a respectable official family. If I expect to have to eat coarse food, why would I have come to the Sheng Mansion? It's really ridiculous."
"Then why did you let me go to the old lady? Will she keep me?" Molan couldn't help but speak out.
Aunt Lin smiled gently: "Silly child, this is your father praising you! No matter how respectable I am, I am still a concubine. You are not raised by the mistress. If you can stay with the old lady and learn some rules and etiquette, you will be more respectful when you stand out in the future. When it comes to marriage, you will be superior to ordinary concubines. The master said that the old lady should choose a child herself. Actually, think about it, Hualan is going to get married, and Madam Rulan is reluctant to let her go. Minglan is a sickly and weak girl. Several young masters need to study. Who else is left?"
Molan was surprised and delighted: "Father really loves me, but... I'm afraid of the old lady..."
Aunt Lin smoothed her hair, her eyes flickering as she smiled, "I know the old lady. She's a noble and upright person, and she's more inclined to sympathize with the weak. Although a bit arrogant, she's not difficult to serve. Starting tomorrow morning, you'll go to the old lady to pay your respects and serve her. Remember, be careful and gentle, and act apologetic and guilty. Don't call me mother in public anymore, call me aunt. It's okay to say a few insults to me sometimes, but be sweet-mouthed and clever. I think the old lady won't hold it against you. Alas, it's all my fault that you've been in trouble. If you were reborn in the lady's womb, you wouldn't have to try so hard to please that old woman..."
"What are you talking about, mother? I was made of your flesh and blood, how can you talk about getting involved or not?" Molan smiled angrily and snuggled into Aunt Lin's arms. "With you teaching me, I will be able to please the old lady. When I have a respectable reputation in the future, I can also let you enjoy a peaceful life."
Aunt Lin smiled and said, "Good child, when the master is promoted to a higher official in the future, you may be able to marry more respectably than your elder sister. Then there will be great blessings waiting for you."
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