A few days after Hongxiao and Qiuniang came, Minglan was shocked to find that there were quite a few people who cared about Gu Tingye's life in bed.
One day, Lai Mama came running in excitedly, first with a mouthful of flattery, praising Minglan like a flower, until Minglan's ears were numb. Then she got to the point: "... Madam, you are young, and I'm afraid you don't know that in a noble family like ours, there are also rules to be observed between wives and concubines. Madam, when you are free, make a schedule and have the master take turns to rest in each room. From now on, everything in the family will be peaceful!"
Minglan was speechless for a long time. This was the first time she was truly angry. She instantly shot a cold gaze at her. Lai Mama's smile froze on her face and she stopped talking in confusion. Seeing Minglan's unfriendly expression, she smiled ingratiatingly, "Madam, please don't blame me for being nosy. I'm also thinking about you, to avoid you being labeled 'jealous'."
Minglan sneered inwardly. Did he really think she knew nothing? How could he bully her so blatantly?! The system of rotating wives and concubines was actually designed to prevent concubines from becoming so obsessed with them that men would favor their concubines over their wives. Simply put, it was a restrictive rule designed to prevent men from favoring a single concubine.
But in fact, not many wealthy families can really implement this set of rules.
Minglan finally managed to soften her icy gaze and put on a faint smile. "I really don't know the rules, but I'm sure Mother knows. I have a few questions. First, did the old Marquis's first wife ever arrange this schedule?"
Mother Lai was immediately stuck. When Daqin was around, let alone concubines or maids, Old Marquis Gu had never even touched a female fly.
Minglan asked again, "Have Madam Bai and the current Madam ever had a fight?"
Mother Lai's throat was choked and she couldn't speak. Not to mention Mrs. Bai, even Mrs. Qin, who was known for her virtuousness, had never been ranked.
Minglan began to sneer: "Then, have my eldest sister-in-law and my younger sister-in-law ever arranged this in their rooms? Has mother tried to persuade them?"
Mother Lai was speechless and stood there, not knowing whether to leave or stay. The expression on her face was uglier than crying.
Minglan said calmly, "It seems that mother only 'looks after' me."
Only then did Lai Mama realize she was in trouble. This young lady was very insightful and had powerful words. She was harder to fool than the average mistress. She was so frightened that she wanted to kneel down. Minglan glanced at her, and Xiaotao suddenly used her powerful Eagle Claw Skill to stop her. Minglan smiled very gently: "Mother is precious. I don't deserve it."
Mother Lai couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, but she couldn't say anything for a while.
After sending them out, Danju was furious: "Madam, we can't let this go. They are too bullying!" Xiaotao quickly came up with a bad idea: "Let's find her fault and punish her severely. It would be best if we could give her a beating to make her stop!"
Minglan's face was sullen, her fists clenched tightly. She didn't know what she was thinking. After a long moment, she uttered a low voice, "She's truly formidable! If I really punish her harshly, I'm afraid it will just be what she wants. The more she wants trouble here, the more I want 'peace and harmony.'"
Danju and Xiaotao looked at each other, puzzled. Minglan looked up and asked, "Has Mama Lai had any arguments or quarrels with anyone during the time she's been here?"
"Of course not?" Xiao Tao said, "Those mothers all rely on their experience serving their elders, and they're so arrogant that they love to criticize others to show off their status! Mother Lai is especially hateful. Because she doesn't have any good skills, she always picks on those who have jobs, which has caused a lot of resentment."
"That's good." Minglan said lightly.
The next afternoon, Minglan promoted Wang Wu's wife from the back garden and asked her to temporarily take charge of planting on a piece of wasteland next to the forest.
Everyone in the mansion was puzzled. How many people had been vying for this lucrative position? How could Wang Wu's wife, known for her stubbornness and unwillingness to curry favor, have gotten it? Minglan had originally intended this position for Cuiwei's husband, but He Youchang, who had just learned the ropes of managing the front yard, resigned. Minglan couldn't find a suitable candidate, so she had put it off until now.
"Wang Wu's wife is here to express her gratitude." Cuiwei came in and reported.
Minglan waved her hand and asked, "Are you sure she is the most suitable one?"
"Mother Cui and I have been observing her from a distance. She's considered the best of the bunch," Cui Wei nodded. "She's sharp-tongued and straightforward, but also quite understanding and clever. I've asked around, and she's quite popular in the mansion. Most of the arguments she's had with Mother Lai are about defending someone. But I've only known her for a short time, so I can't say for sure what other flaws she might have."
"How can she be perfect?" Minglan smiled bitterly. "I'm just borrowing her temporarily. If she does well, I'll give her the job. If not, I can kidnap her at any time."
Danju, standing by the doorway, peered carefully, then turned and whispered, "Don't worry, Madam. Didn't we look at the files last night? Although Wang Wu's wife hasn't tended the land herself, her husband has done farm work on the farm. The others, while capable of farm work, love to gossip and seem a bit tactless."
Minglan nodded, her mind made up. "Cuiwei, tell her not to come and thank you. Just say two things to her. First, do your job well and don't give anyone any leverage over me. I'm watching. Second..." Minglan smiled faintly. "Mother Lai is an elder in the Marquis's mansion. She has a very good temper and is very kind. Tell her to 'respect me well.' Don't say anything else."
Cuiwei's eyes lit up, and she nodded immediately and left. Danju also seemed to understand. Only Xiaotao, who was piecing together scraps of brocade cloth on the kang table, was stunned: "Is this possible?"
Minglan said slowly, "If you're really smart, you should understand. From today on, don't mention this matter again. Even when you see Lai Mama, be polite and don't argue. Just report to me if you have any news!"
The two girls responded solemnly at the same time.
Cuiwei has good vision, and Wang Wu’s wife is indeed a smart person.
While taking care of her chores, she also picked quarrels with Lai Mama, without wasting time on either and knew her limits very well. Some of the smart people in the house gradually saw through the trick, and those who used to give in to and avoid Lai Mama could no longer tolerate it. Whenever there was trouble, a large group of people would rush up to bully Lai Mama, and they would ridicule her for everything from her men drinking and gambling to her eldest daughter marrying a fat and wealthy old man, and so on.
Mother Lai was trembling with anger, but she was helpless. One person couldn't stand up to the crowd, and even if she enlisted the help of Diao Mama, she was still outnumbered. Her wailing couldn't outlast the other's voice, and if they did fight, it would only result in an ugly scene with messy hair and grease-covered sweat. Besides, Mother Lai was old, and her face often turned purple with anger, she would choke and her hands and feet would tremble.
At this time, Minglan would go to invite a doctor with great fanfare, comfort the maids with good medicine, invest a lot of money, and then "earnestly" reprimand the quarreling maids, and punish the ones who were more serious to show that she was "controlling the scale of the conflict."
Wait until Mrs. Lai recovers and repeat the above process again.
When Minglan went to pay her respects to the Taifu for the third time, the Taifu couldn't help but ask, "Is Lai Mama doing well with you?"
"Okay." Minglan smiled sweetly, "Mother Lai is someone you've used before, so how could she be wrong?"
"But why did I hear... that she often quarreled with others?" the lady hesitated.
Minglan smiled and said, "That's not the case! It's just that Lai Ma is very strict with her subordinates and she's a little strict with them, so she can't help but scold them." Then Minglan suddenly said, "If there's something wrong, then Lai Ma really does have some."
The lady's eyes flickered, and she asked calmly, "What's the matter?"
Minglan whispered uneasily, "It's all my fault that I didn't take good care of Lai Mama. She's old, but I always bother her to take care of this and that, which made her sick. We've already asked two doctors, one is old doctor Zhang Shiji from Xuancaotang in the south of the city, and the other is doctor Li Chong recommended by Madam Xiao Zheng. They all said that the old lady couldn't bear the hard work and was a little angry. Alas... why is this happening? If something really happens to her, how can I face you?" Minglan apologized in a low voice again and again.
The lady-in-waiting was startled, and her expression flashed away for a moment. However, Mrs. Shao saw that Minglan was blaming herself very much, so she said gently, "Don't take it too seriously, sister-in-law. I know both doctors well. Their medical skills and ethics are excellent. Mother Lai is very lucky. Besides, as a steward, it's natural to be bullied. Even I have my mother-in-law to look after me, and my sister-in-law and sisters-in-law to support me. I also suffered a lot of bullying from the people below me!"
The lady-in-law had a kind look on her face and smiled, saying, "Your sister-in-law is right. Don't take it to heart." She then soothed Minglan with kind words and then asked tentatively, "If Lai Mama is really of no use, how about I give you a few more people..."
"Look at what you're saying!" Minglan's expression brightened, and she pretended to be angry and joked, "I have so many helpers, and Rong Jie'er and the others are so worry-free. The mothers have been helping me for almost two months. Even if I'm not very capable, can I still manage my own little business?! If I keep begging you for this and that every day, people who don't know me will think my family can't teach their daughter well. I won't be able to face people anymore!"
"You girl!" The old lady seemed to be very amused and pointed at Minglan and laughed. Mrs. Shao also covered her lips with her sleeves. Zhu laughed the happiest, but her eyes kept glancing at the old lady.
…
"No quarrel at all?" Mrs. Xuan said in a low voice.
A young daughter-in-law dressed as a woman came in and said, "Not only is there no quarreling, there are bursts of laughter in the house. It's quite harmonious."
Mrs. Xuan glanced at the tightly closed doors and windows, let out a long sigh, and praised: "My cousins are really amazing. Auntie has met her match. If it weren't for Mama Tian secretly reporting to me, I would have really thought that nothing happened to them."
The daughter-in-law seemed to have been in a hurry just now. She kept wiping her sweat with a handkerchief and whispered, "The area around Chengyuan is like an iron fence. It's hard to find out easily. Fortunately, you thought it was strange that Lai Mama hired a doctor, so you asked someone to ask Tian Mama."
"My sister-in-law is too cautious. Even if some words leak out, so what?" Madam Xuan smiled and narrowed her eyes. "She is so thoughtful and considerate. Now everyone outside praises her for her kindness and generosity, and for treating the old servant well!"
"If I were to blame my mother, I would just break up with her and make a scene! It's better than being bullied like this. I heard that she went to apologize, but Madam Ye blocked her way!" said the daughter-in-law.
"What do you know?! How can we explain the reasons behind this?" Madam Xuan glared at her and laughed, "Could it be that Madam Lai came to the Marquis' Mansion to complain, saying that Madam Ye got angry because she advised her to rotate wives and concubines, and then instigated the servants to make her angry? Haha, if she said that, Madam Lai's reputation would be ruined for several lifetimes."
"Good girl, teach me, how do you say this?" the daughter-in-law asked curiously.
Madam Xuan lowered her voice even more. "Look at our house. Which room has the wives and concubines taking turns? Sister-in-law Yang is like a widow. Even if she wants to schedule a date, the man has to be willing to be close to her." She laughed so hard that she covered her voice. "My mother-in-law, Aunt Wu, is already old. There are also old concubines in each room and those who have fallen out of favor. How can the date be scheduled? If Mama Lai tells others about this, will they take it seriously? Or not? If they take it seriously, they will be happy, but it will cause a big uproar in the house!"
"So that's how it is. My daughter is really smart!" The daughter-in-law put on an air of admiration and flattered her, "Even if you set a date, our son-in-law won't go."
Madam Xuan was beaming with joy, very pleased: "Besides, the young couple is now happily married, and if Mama Lai not only seeks trouble but also goes out to make a fuss, people won't say a word against my sister-in-law, but will instead blame Mama Lai for picking on the weak. All the ladies in the mansion didn't try to persuade her, but only tried to 'persuade' a new daughter-in-law? They haven't even given birth to a legitimate son yet, and they're already making room for a concubine? If that's the case, my eldest aunt won't be able to explain herself. Haha, she gave birth to the person. Since she won't say anything, I can only watch her act and let her get a good reputation."
The daughter-in-law smiled apologetically and said, "So, Mother Lai is finished?"
"If she's smart, she'll just hide away and not show up, and maybe this matter will fade away. Otherwise, haha, didn't my sister-in-law say that Mom was given to her by the Dowager? Unless she's committed some 'big sin', she should be treated with respect."
The daughter-in-law nodded repeatedly and began to flatter him. Mrs. Xuan was so happy that she murmured, "...Auntie's trick has failed. I wonder how my sister-in-law will deal with those two little ones."
Minglan's sisters-in-law were very foresighted. There were some things that Minglan could not ignore, because Chengyuan had been very lively recently.
In ancient times, if a concubine was not favored, it was not easy for her to see a man. From the first day of paying her respects, Minglan made it clear that she had followed her grandmother in worshipping Buddha since she was a child and was used to a quiet life. Therefore, every time she paid her respects, after asking the necessary questions and saying the necessary things, Minglan would serve tea and send the guests off; therefore, they usually could not wait for Gu Tingye to return home from court.
So far, Gu Tingye has no intention of sleeping with them, and Minglan will naturally not go to such lengths to help pimp. They can neither call him and say, "Hey, honey, are you tired of staying with your wife? Come to my bed and have fun." Nor can they wait at the door of the company and flirt with him in a seductive way, saying, "Sweetheart, I have a surprise for you."
If Rong Jie'er was a boy, Qiu Niang and Hong Xiao could take the opportunity of Gu Tingye testing their son's homework to meet a man - of course, whether Gu Tingye has enough knowledge is another matter.
After a few days, there was no chance to meet the men, so the two women felt resentful.
Hong Xiao was somewhat sensible. She knew that she was not liked by Gu Tingye, so she hid in the house, thinking all day about how to get Rong Jie'er to talk more. But Qiu Niang couldn't stand it anymore. She ran to the intersection of Jiaxiju to wait. She had blocked Gu Tingye twice. Unfortunately, the servants on both sides were too ignorant. They opened their four ignorant eyes wide and stared at her. How could Qiu Niang express her feelings?
After several rounds of this, Qiu Niang's classic "husband-waiting rock" look caught the eye of many, and rumors began to spread. The women in the inner courtyard merely cursed her inwardly, calling her "slutty" and offering a few sneers. But a few unscrupulous bachelors in the outer courtyard started to speak harshly, saying things like, "You're craving a man, aren't you?", "You're almost thirty, you're like a wolf and a tiger," and "If the master doesn't go and enjoy her, I'm afraid he'll have to find another way."
There's no way around it, men who can't get married are always more imaginative.
Not many people heard the vulgar words in the outer courtyard, so it took several days for them to reach the inner courtyard.
When Qiuniang found out, she burst into tears and almost wanted to commit suicide. Danju hurried to report it. Minglan was furious and ordered an investigation on the spot. She found out the people who spread the rumors and punished them severely. She sold two of them who were already unruly. The rest were deprived of their silver and rice for two months, tied up and beaten with twenty boards.
When everyone saw how powerful Minglan was, they all realized how powerful she was, and even in the outer courtyard they did not dare to spread rumors about their master's family affairs.
After punishing the servants, Minglan immediately brought Qiuniang to question her.
Qiu Niang knew she had embarrassed herself, so she fell to her knees, begging for mercy and admitting her fault. Ming Lan said coldly, "How many times has the master praised you in front of me, saying that you are kind, polite, and considerate. You've only been here for a few days, and you've already caused such a scene. Where did you learn this bad habit?!"
Qiu Niang kowtowed repeatedly, tears streaming down her face: "I was lost in thought for a moment. I haven't seen you for many years, and I miss you so much..."
"Whether you care about me or not is none of my business." Minglan interrupted her solemnly and said directly, "But have you ever thought about it; now that the master is in a high position, so many people are watching him. If even a little bit of these filthy words were to spread out of the gate of Chengyuan, wouldn't others laugh at the master for not keeping his house in order?! He actually allowed a concubine to chase after him all over the house and chase after a man!" How hungry she must be.
Qiu Niang collapsed on the ground crying. Ming Lan said decisively, "You don't have to come to pay your respects yet. Xiao Tao, give her a copy of the Heart Sutra. Go back and copy it a hundred times. Come back when you've finished!"
Looking at Qiu Niang's aggrieved back, Ming Lan was furious. She had never had the virtue of covering up someone's mistakes, so that night she told Gu Tingye the whole story, sighing, "It's also my fault for not managing the household well. If I were in the Sheng family, no matter what happened in the inner courtyard, who would dare to spread it to the outer courtyard?! Is it anyone else's place to discuss the master's right and wrong?! Only now do I understand why my grandmother said that my wife is a good housekeeper. Alas... it's really not easy."
In the past, she had somewhat looked down on Wang, but now that she was in charge of the household, she began to admire Wang's abilities.
"It's none of your business!" Gu Tingye said with a sullen face, "You've only been in charge for a few days. No matter how capable you are, you can't achieve it overnight! Just punish her harshly and give her a good shake." After a pause, he said lightly, "Qiu Niang is becoming more and more ignorant."
His voice was calm, but Minglan knew he was truly angry. She walked over and gently placed her head on the man's shoulder, saying softly, "It's not a big deal. Everyone makes mistakes. She knows she was wrong this time, and she'll be fine in the future."
Gu Tingye held Minglan in his arms, gently stroking her loosened long hair. The room was silent for a long time before he smiled faintly, scratched Minglan's nose, and teased, "Why are you copying Buddhist scriptures? Shouldn't you be copying "Rules for Women" or something like that?"
Minglan said proudly, "I've thought about this a long time ago. If anyone asks, I'll just say that Qiuniang has been influenced by me and has also become interested in Buddhism, and I'm currently giving her some enlightenment! This will prevent anyone from bringing up the gossip in our mansion."
Gu Tingye was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. His chest shook with laughter, and his dark eyes were full of smiles. He rested his forehead against Minglan's head and said seriously, "The Heart Sutra has too few words, and you didn't even ask for a thicker copy! Fu Qinran has a copy of half a set of the Tripitaka. That kid copied it hard to practice calligraphy back then. I'll borrow it for you later! Borrow the whole set!"
Minglan gasped, "Husband, do you know how many volumes, scrolls, and characters are in the entire Tripitaka?"
Gu Tingye was ignorant and fearless, and said calmly: "I don't know." He only knew that this set of scriptures seemed very powerful.
Minglan was speechless and decided to help Comrade Gu learn how to read. She sighed, "Let's put it this way. If Qiu Niang kept writing every day and lived to be seventy or eighty without blurring her eyes or shaking her hands, she would have enough time to copy until she was buried."
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