That day was no different from any other.
Ice layers of varying thickness formed on the surface of the lake. After lunch, Minglan, wearing her chubby winter clothes, squatted by the pond, looking at the fat fish swimming freely through the translucent ice. After feeling envious for a while, she returned to Shou'an Hall with an empty fish basket. Although the old lady laughed at her, Minglan did not get angry. She climbed onto the kang with her hands and feet and leaned against the head of the kang to keep warm.
"Why are you fishing in the middle of winter? You're just asking for a cold!" the old lady scolded with her eyes narrowed.
Minglan also squinted her eyes and said lazily, "My sister-in-law has no appetite. She said she wants to eat the spicy and sour fish with scallions that I made last time... But then I thought, winter fish is cold in nature, especially pond fish. The grass is shady and the water is icy. I don't want to get sick from eating it."
The old lady covered Minglan's cold little hand with her own and said leisurely, "Sour boy, spicy girl, I wonder if Brother Bo's wife will give birth to a boy or a girl this time?"
Minglan rubbed her eyes with her fists, as if she was a little sleepy, and said vaguely: "My eldest brother said he wanted a daughter to make up the Chinese character 'good'. My eldest sister-in-law didn't say anything, but I know she still wants a son." One legitimate son is not enough, two are safer.
The old lady smiled gently and said, "Your sister-in-law is a blessed one. It doesn't matter whether it's a man or a woman."
The grandparents chatted intermittently, and when the old and the child were both drowsy from the warmth of the kang, suddenly a sharp cry came from outside. Minglan woke up suddenly, and the old lady also opened her eyes and looked at the brocade curtain at the door. A girl dressed as a maid stumbled in, threw herself in front of the kang, and cried loudly: "Old lady, help me!"
"Little Xijuan'er, what's wrong?" Minglan asked curiously. This girl was a third-class maid serving Rulan.
Little Xijuan had her hair loose, the makeup on her face was smudged, and her face was full of fear: "Old lady, Sixth Miss, please go and save Sister Xi Que, the mistress wants to beat her to death! And our girl, the master wants to find Bai Ling to strangle her! The eldest lady didn't dare to persuade her, and only secretly let me out to find you!" She cried and kowtowed repeatedly.
"What's going on?" The old lady sat up straight and asked sternly, "Didn't Madam and the others go to burn incense?!"
Minglan was afraid that the old lady would get dizzy if she stood up too quickly, so she quickly reached out and gently stroked her back to help her breathe more smoothly.
Early this morning, a new Buddha statue was consecrated at Dahong Temple. As Wang usually donated a generous amount of money for incense and offerings, the old abbot also sent an invitation. Wang then took Rulan to burn incense and pray, and to ask for a marriage fortune.
The old lady kept asking what had happened, but Xiao Xijuan didn't go with them and didn't know what had happened. She cried and begged for a long time but couldn't explain clearly. The old lady wanted to go and see, so Minglan quickly asked Cuiping to pack clothes.
Minglan wanted to go with them, but was kept back by the old lady. Fang Mama consoled her, saying, "Your fifth sister made a mistake, and the master and mistress want to punish her. There will definitely be some verbal conflict when the old lady goes, and it's not good for you as a girl to hear that."
Minglan's heart sank. She was afraid that the matter was a little serious. She couldn't get involved in any scandal involving the boudoir. After nodding to Fang Mama, she sat back on the kang quietly. But she felt itchy, so she waved to Xiaotao to go and find out what was going on. She held a small blue and white jade porcelain hand warmer in her hand, took a pair of thin copper chopsticks and slowly stirred the charcoal fire inside, waiting patiently.
Seeing the charcoal fire in the stove almost burning, Xiao Tao finally ran back panting. Ming Lan jumped up like a spring, put down the hand warmer, grabbed Xiao Tao's arm, and asked repeatedly, "What's wrong? Tell me quickly."
Xiao Tao wiped the sweat from her head with a handkerchief, looking terrified. "The Madam's main courtyard was tightly guarded. I couldn't get in at all. I just asked around outside, and all I knew was..." She swallowed hard, her lips trembling as she spoke. "The Master was really furious this time. When the Madam left, the Master had already put a white silk scarf around Fifth Miss's neck!"
Minglan was shocked. Xiaotao wiped away the cold sweat and continued, "I waited secretly for a long time before I saw the women inside carrying Sister Xi Que out. Oh my god, she was covered in blood, her clothes were soaked, and I didn't know if she was still alive! I couldn't hear any movement inside, and then Madam Liu brought the women to chase them away, so I came back!"
Minglan's heart was pounding, as if a string were being plucked. She suddenly grabbed Xiaotao's wrist and said in a deep voice, "Go find Danju, bring some money with you, and look around our house to see if we have any ointments or medicine for sores. Then you two should go find Xiaoxi Que quickly, give her some money if she needs it, and apply some medicine if she needs it. Just do your best to save her!"
Xiao Tao, realizing the gravity of the situation, immediately left. Ming Lan, suppressing her uneasiness, slowly sat back down, then took a sip from the teacup on the kang table. Little Xi Que was a good girl, and Ming Lan quite liked her for her demeanor. She was loyal and sincere to Ru Lan, often offering counsel and comfort, often helping to conceal the mistakes of the young maids. Ming Lan did not wish for her to die or become disabled.
After a long while, the tea in Minglan's hand had grown cold. The cold porcelain felt like a lump of ice in her hand. Minglan put down the tea bowl and looked at the sun setting outside. There was still no movement. Minglan gradually became discouraged. She waited until it was getting dark before she heard a chaotic sound of footsteps outside.
Hearing the sound of the curtains in the main hall being lifted, Minglan hurried out to see Hai-shi supporting the old lady in. The housekeeper supported the old lady's body and carefully placed her on the warming couch, situating her sideways against the cushions to rest. Minglan was immediately panicked when she saw the old lady's face. Her face was ashen, her breathing was uneven, and her chest was heaving violently, as if she was very angry. Hai-shi, standing beside her, looked apologetic and embarrassed.
"Grandma, what's wrong with you?!" Minglan threw herself on the old lady's knees and tremblingly held her hand. She felt that it was still warm to the touch, and the fingers that held it back were very strong. She felt a little relieved.
The old lady opened her eyes slightly, her eyes still filled with resentment. She softened a little when she saw Minglan: "I'm fine. I just walked a few steps faster and got a little angry." As she spoke, she turned to look at Hai. She saw that her lower abdomen was slightly bulging, and one hand was gently rubbing her lower back, but she stood with her head down and dared not say a word. The old lady's heart softened and she said, "Help your sister-in-law to go to the kang in the second room to rest. She has been standing there for a long time." Minglan nodded and gently helped Hai to the second room.
As soon as they entered the side room, Minglan helped Hai onto the kang, took the old lady's pillow for her to lean on, took out the teapot from the thick cotton-wrapped warming cage on the kang table, poured a cup of tea, and put it into Hai's hand. Hai thanked her and then drank a sip of hot tea. The warmth melted into her body and she felt a little more comfortable.
Seeing that she looked better, Minglan asked anxiously, "Sister-in-law, what happened to Fifth Sister?! Isn't Daddy in the Censorate? Why did he come home so suddenly? Tell me!"
Hai hesitated for a moment, but remembering the argument between Sheng Hong and the old lady just now, she thought there was nothing to hide from Minglan, so she gritted her teeth and told it all in one breath.
Wang and Rulan were making their way up the mountain, enjoying their incense. Seeing Rulan had been much more well-behaved recently, Wang let her walk around the courtyard while she went to speak with the abbot. Suddenly, the maids she had asked to accompany her were sent back by Rulan, who said she had only asked Little Magpie to accompany her for a walk. Wang felt something was amiss and immediately sent for Rulan to be brought back. However, Dahong Temple was far from the quiet and peaceful Guangji Temple. It was bustling with incense and crowded with people, so she couldn't find her for a while.
Just when I was getting anxious, Rulan came back by herself and said that she had just taken a walk in the woods in the back garden.
"Isn't everything okay?" Minglan basically guessed what Rulan had done, and her anxious heart slowly settled down.
Unexpectedly, Hai smiled bitterly and shook her head, saying, "It's good that you're okay! When the Madam saw Fifth Sister return safely, she realized she had been too suspicious. She took her sister to eat a vegetarian meal before going down the mountain and returning home. But when she got home, she found that the master had left the government office early and was sitting in the house waiting. When he saw Madam and Fifth Sister, he slapped her in the face without saying a word!"
"Why is this happening?!" Minglan's heart was in her throat again.
Hai put down her teacup and sighed, "So it turns out that Fifth Sister, she, she, she's already had feelings for that scholar, Mr. Wen Yanjing. They agreed to meet at Dahong Temple and only exchanged a few words, but fate has truly been unfortunate! Who knew that today, General Gu would also be attending a memorial service for his deceased mother?"
Minglan's eyes almost popped out of her head: "He, he...saw Fifth Sister?!"
Hai's heart was filled with anxiety. She shook her head and said, "This is just bad luck! General Gu was too busy with official duties to go in person. Besides, he's never met Fifth Sister, so even if he had, he wouldn't have known. It was a woman from General Gu's mansion. She was ordered to perform a ritual to bring good fortune. When she came out to give the young novice monk robes and caps, she saw us from afar. But she had only seen us when she came to give us gifts!"
Minglan froze on the kang, unwilling to move, and at a loss for words. Hai sighed and continued, "I believe Mother went back and reported this to General Gu. At noon, a servant went to the Censorate to ask to see Father-in-law, and Father-in-law immediately returned home! ... After repeated questioning, Fifth Sister simply said that she had been prepared to obey, and that this was her last visit to see Minister Wen."
Minglan almost fainted after hearing the whole story. She finally managed to utter, "...Fifth sister is so careless!"
Hai sighed quietly without saying anything. She actually agreed with Minglan. Since Ruolan had also decided to break up, it would be fine as long as it was kept secret. But her future husband's family had to see her tearfully saying goodbye. What bad luck!
"...What should we do now?" Minglan asked weakly after a while. Suddenly, she noticed that Hai's eyes were evasive, as if she couldn't meet her eyes. Minglan felt strange and asked several times in a row before Hai stammered, "Just now, General Gu sent a letter..."
Before she could finish her words, there was a flurry of footsteps outside the main hall, and Cuiping announced, "The master and his wife are here."
Minglan glanced at the uneasy Hai, then pricked up her ears to listen outside. She heard Sheng Hong whisper something, then Wang's sobs, and then the old lady flew into a rage, cursing, "Don't even think about it! You're a father, and you can come up with such an idea!"
Her voice was angry and sharp. Minglan had never heard the old lady so angry before. She slowly got off the kang and stood next to the thick golden-brown cloud-patterned brocade door curtain, listening to the noise outside.
Sheng Hong said anxiously, "Mother, listen to your son. This is the only way! These days, no one in the mansion has said anything. No one has ever said clearly who will be betrothed to the Gu family. The eldest brother-in-law has only said it is Hua'er's sister. My wife and I have never had a good talk with Gu Erlang so far, let alone who he will be betrothed to. I guess Gu Tingye doesn't know either. The person who came to deliver the message was also very vague. It didn't seem like he was coming to accuse him, but rather to remind him. In this case, let's just go with the flow. After all, Minglan has long been recorded as the legitimate daughter. Otherwise, this marriage will become an enmity. My son was so anxious at the time that he sent a letter saying that Ru'er was originally going to be betrothed to Wen Yanjing, and Minglan was the one who was going to marry into the Gu family..."
There was a crisp sound of "pa" (smack), probably a tea bowl being damaged. The old lady's voice trembled with anger: "You wishful thinking! You two can't teach your daughter well, and you're always violating morals. In the end, others have to deal with it. I risked my reputation last time, and this time you're plotting against Ming girl! I tell you, dream on!"
The old lady panted heavily and continued, "Your good wife never thinks of Ming girl when it comes to good things. When a noble comes to ask about her, she agrees to marry Rulan without even asking! Now that something has happened, she thinks of Ming girl! One is selfish and only cares about her daughter, while the other is greedy and only thinks about fame and fortune. What a black-hearted couple! Do you think I'm dead?"
With a muffled sound, Sheng Hong seemed to kneel down heavily. Wang Shi started to cry softly, wailing, "Old Madam, you are really wronging your daughter-in-law by saying this. Although Ming girl is not my child, she has been just like Rulan for more than ten years. I have never treated her badly. Now that Ru girl has made such a mistake, I regret not bringing her to you to learn the rules! Old Madam, even if you don't want to look at it, you should do it for Hua'er's sake. She has a hard time in her husband's family. It's all thanks to your son-in-law's sympathy. If this matter can't be resolved today, and General Gu resents your son-in-law, what will Hua'er do? You raised her, you can't just love Ming girl!"
The old lady seemed to hesitate for a moment, then she scolded again: "After all, Hua girl gave birth to a son and was married to a man in a formal ceremony. Can you still ask her to come back? Do you want my sister to sacrifice her whole life to make her life easier?! You and your wife may find it amusing, but I don't care!"
Sheng Hong shouted, "Grandma, what do you think we should do now? I'm really at my wit's end! I wanted to strangle that evil creature to death, at least to restore the family's reputation. At worst, I'll just let this matter go and let people laugh at me. It's all my fault for not raising my daughter well. I can't blame anyone else for what I've done, but that General Gu..." Sheng Hong seemed to choke up, "A few days ago, I heard that Gu Erlang had asked General Bo and Earl Zhongqin to be matchmakers, and they were about to exchange engagement letters. If I give up now, how will the Gu family let it go?"
Minglan could not hear the rest of the words clearly. She only felt a roar in her ears, as if something had enveloped her hearing. After the shock, she felt numb and dazed. She slowly walked to Hai and asked softly, "Is Gu Tingye really willing to marry me?"
Hai nodded with difficulty: "Yes, the letter said that he, Gu Tingye, is willing to form a friendly relationship with the Sheng family, and it also added that the girls raised by the old lady are always good." In her opinion, this sentence was a bit harsh, as if it was hinting at something; she believed that Sheng Hong had also seen it.
The old lady was notorious for jealousy in her early years, but her fortunes took a sharp turn for the better later. After Old Master Sheng passed away, she would rather break up with her natal family than support her husband's family. She became a widow at a young age, used her dowry to pave the way for her illegitimate son, and married a daughter-in-law to manage the household. Eventually, the Sheng family became prosperous today. Decades later, more people praised the old lady's noble and upright character.
Hai also felt sorry for Minglan and the old lady. Recently, she knew that the marriage with the He family was almost settled, and they were just waiting for Ruolan to get married so that the He family would come to ask for the engagement letter. Who knew... Hai couldn't help but sigh, but saw that Minglan still looked incredulous, with her neck tilted back in a daze. After a while, she couldn't help but ask again: "Sister-in-law, did Gu Tingye really say that he was willing to marry me?" There was no grievance in her tone, but rather a bit of unbelievable meaning.
Hai confirmed it again: "It is true."
Minglan's mind was blank. She bit her lip and tilted her head in thought for a long time. She remembered Gu Tingye's cold and sarcastic face, his inquisitive temper, and his fiery and icy temper... Minglan thought she was overthinking it. Had she learned to be so self-indulgent after coming to ancient times? But after a while, she felt that her guess was indeed very reasonable.
Outside, she heard the old lady's angry curses and Sheng Hong and Wang's constant pleading. Minglan slowly sat down on the small stool, sighing, her mouth open, her mind confused, and she held her face in a daze.
Grandma, Master, Madam, and the unlucky little Rulan, I thought, maybe we have been tricked.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
