Extra three green cicadas
"...At least considering the friendship we have had since childhood, please talk to grandma on my behalf. My brother and I will remember your kindness." A middle-aged woman stood in the corridor, whispering to a neatly dressed housekeeper's wife.
The daughter-in-law whispered, "I don't need to. Second Madam has been busy lately. Otherwise, even if you didn't mention it, she would have remembered it. Think about it, in all these years, with studying and going to school, when has Second Madam ever neglected my eldest brother?"
Although the middle-aged woman was well-dressed with silk and satin all over her body, she looked very timid and said a few embarrassed words when she heard this.
After the two separated, the daughter-in-law turned and walked out of the courtyard. The other daughter-in-law beside her hurried to catch up, muttering, "Cui Chan, you are too kind. If we don't explain this matter, what will happen if the Second Mistress suspects you?"
Cui Chan sighed softly: "Forget it, after all, we grew up together, and it's not easy for her now."
"Humph, it's not easy for her. She didn't think about standing out in the beginning. Isn't she more respectable than us now?"
Cui Chan shook her head and said, "This is not something we should discuss. You should go and do it." The daughter-in-law smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll ask you to do something..." Cui Chan smiled and said, "I won't forget it." The daughter-in-law thanked her repeatedly and left with a smile on her face.
After watching the daughter-in-law leave, Cuichan continued walking towards the main house. The maids and old women she met along the way all hurriedly put down their work and nodded and bowed to greet her.
As soon as Cui Chan stepped into the main room, she heard voices from the inner room. After careful consideration, she realized that it was her mistress and Mrs. Wu from the Sheng family's main house who were talking. She immediately stopped and stood by the door holding her breath.
"...Cousin, please help me. My children have been away from me since they were born." Grandma Wu cried softly and intermittently.
"Don't cry so much! I've tried everything I could to persuade you over the years, but you ignored me and just thought I was trying to scare you. Well, now you've finally provoked the aunt in the main hall to get angry. This matter, to put it bluntly, is a matter between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law in the main house. Not only am I just a married woman, but even my brothers can't interfere. On a more personal note, as a grandmother, I want to personally raise my grandchildren, and who can argue with me?"
Mrs. Wu was not a fool and understood all the reasons, but she still cried sadly: "Mom is angry with me, but, but what can I do? After all, she is my biological mother, cousin..."
"Yes, my cousin is filial and knows how to think about her biological mother. My biological mother is still alone in the ancestral temple in my hometown." The second grandmother suddenly interrupted coldly.
Second Madam Wu knew she had spoken out of turn, and quickly said, "Don't blame me, cousin. I can't speak, I'm stupid! My aunt has always loved me, and my mother has worked so hard for her. I, I really don't know how to make amends." As she spoke, she began to cry again, "My mother has committed serious sins, of course I know that. But that time when I went to see her in the Ministry of Discipline, she was so overworked that she looked like a nobody. She kept crying in front of me, and as a child, how could I bear to see that..."
"I told you not to go, but you insisted."
Second Grandma Wu cried, "Since my grandmother passed away, my uncle and aunt no longer want to take care of my mother, and my brother is being held captive by my sister-in-law. Besides me, who else can I...?"
"So Brother Changwu's promotion actually gave you a chance to visit your mother at the Ministry of Discipline!" Second Madam scoffed, then changed the subject, "Speaking of uncle and aunt, I heard that cousin Wang recently had another son? Aunt has good judgment; the second madam brought in is indeed a blessing to her husband and son."
Second Madam Wu was startled. She looked up and saw her cousin's meaningful gaze. She said in panic, "Cousin, cousin..."
"You should be content. My uncle and aunt have treated you very well. Although they are resentful, they have never taken their anger out on you. Think about Yuan'er. Her parents-in-law are still our uncle and aunt! But you are so greedy, one moment you go to visit your mother, the next you beg the old lady for forgiveness. The old lady rarely returns to Beijing, and you kneel at the door of Shou'an Hall on New Year's Day, crying and begging, which only brings bad luck!"
"Now that the old lady is well, she has asked my aunt to come back. We are all rich and prosperous, and the family is happy. What's more, she is my mother..." Mrs. Wu was about to continue speaking when she was interrupted again.
"I know that's your mother. Everyone knows that's your mother!" Second Mistress' voice was filled with sarcasm. "I don't bother to talk about that old lawsuit anymore. The old lady is fine. That's because she was blessed. It's a foregone conclusion that your aunt has evil intentions. The friendship between the first and second branches of our Sheng family has lasted for many years. It's better than that between brothers who have separated. This friendship must continue. Your uncle and aunt will never let the two branches have any grudges because of you! You better understand. No matter how much you are right, you can only choose one side. Don't expect everyone to understand and accommodate you! You are smart and know what to do!"
After saying this, Second Madam seemed tired and wanted to send the guest away. Second Madam Wu had no choice but to wipe away her tears and walked out of the door sobbing. Cuichan quickly stepped back a few steps and stood at the main door, holding up the curtain with one hand and kneeling to salute.
After seeing off Second Lady Wu, Cui Chan slowly entered the inner room and saw the mistress sitting on the kang with a bad look on her face. As soon as she saw her, she said, "Why did you come back just now? You kept me waiting for so long."
Cuichan knew her mistress's temper, so she stood in front of the kang with a smile and said, "Oh my, my Second Madam, the masters are talking inside, and I can't rush in to answer them. It's a pity that I have to run a long way and still have to wait outside."
Second Mistress was amused by her excellent singing and acting, and her expression lightened up a little.
Cui Chan observed her expression and said with a smile, "If you ask me, it's because Second Madam is too kind and tolerant. That's why Second Madam Wu keeps coming to her house to complain. If it were someone else, they would either turn her away or scold her outright."
Second Madam was a cheerful woman, her tempers coming and going quickly. Upon hearing this, she smiled and sighed, "I just feel pity for my cousin Yun'er. Over the years, she has been kind to the elderly and the weak, giving out porridge and rice, and doing a lot of good deeds. Alas... a white phoenix flew out of the black crow's nest, what's going on..."
Cui Chan asked cautiously, "This time...what happened to Second Madam Wu...?"
Second Madam snorted coldly, "My cousin's wife from the Kang family was getting so annoyed with her that she said, 'If we want to release someone from the Shenjie Division, only the Marquis of the Gu family can do it. Why don't you ask Marquis Gu's wife?' My cousin took it seriously and actually pricked her finger, wrote a letter in blood, and wanted to send it to Shu. Fortunately, the housekeeper that my aunt left in the capital was clever and stopped her. When the news got back to my hometown in Youyang, it scared my uncle to death. If this letter had really been sent out, my sixth sister would have been fine, but my brother-in-law would have thought it was the intention of the Changwu brothers!"
Cui Chan was also shocked: "Second Madam Wu is so bold."
"Hmph!" Second Madam looked at her with a look of resentment. "When the incident first happened, I advised her to be more clear-headed and not to gamble herself against the entire Second House. No one in the First House would bet on her. Four years ago, my aunt detained her in her hometown for a whole year. After she came back, I tried to persuade her not to cry endlessly, but my aunt was already furious. Last year, she knelt at the door of Shou'an Hall. My aunt was so angry that she fell ill. Two months later, she brought in a concubine from a good family. Alas, she never changes her ways. I'm too lazy to waste my words on her."
Seeing that her mistress was so angry that her mouth was dry, Cuichan silently poured her a bowl of warm tea and handed it to her.
"Actually, I knew about this a long time ago." Second Madam drank her tea, took a deep breath, and then slowly said, "My aunt originally wanted to call my cousin back home and never let her go. She wanted to make that good concubine her second wife and help Brother Wu arrange things for her. Fortunately, Brother Wu took pity on her and persuaded my aunt that 'this is not right', so my cousin was saved."
Cui Chan sat on the kang, gently patting Second Madam's legs, and said softly, "Grandma, don't be angry. In my opinion, the eldest lady of the main house asked Second Madam Wu to send her children back, not necessarily to punish them. Let alone our old lady's kindness to the first house, after all, the main house is a merchant family, and they only have one Second Master Wu who is an official, and he is a military officer. But how many people are there in our family, both civil and military? In this generation, our two houses are still as close as one family, but if Second Madam Wu continues like this, and she takes the children to the Shenjiesi from time to time to see the suffering grandmother of the Kang family, and learns from her words and deeds, won't her brothers and sisters secretly bear a grudge when they grow up!"
Second Grandma clapped her hands on her thigh and said, "You've hit the nail on the head! I was worried about this, too. Fortunately, my uncle and aunt understood and took the children home to raise them while they were still young. But this time, Brother Changwu has already promised Auntie that if it happens again, he'll send his wife back home and find another wife."
She sighed and continued, "A vicious person like my aunt must never be allowed to come out. I heard that she curses our whole family every day. Well, come to think of it, it was the old lady who arranged Yuner's marriage. I wonder if she still remembers the old lady's kindness."
After talking for a long time, Second Mistress saw that Cuichan was silent for a long time and could not help laughing and said, "What's wrong with you? You suddenly became mute."
Cuichan endured it again and again, but finally said it out loud: "After listening to grandma talking about conscience, I don't know whether I should pass on a message for someone."
Second Madam thought for a moment, her expression darkening as she replied, "Yun'er is soft-hearted, and you are too. What did she ask you to tell me?"
Cui Chan smiled bitterly and said, "Mrs. Song said that my eldest brother is growing up and it's obvious that he is not good at studying. He likes to wield swords and guns. Our master doesn't have the skills to do that. Can you please find a sword and stick master for him, Grandma?"
Second Mistress snorted coldly: "She is quite disgusting and dares to say anything."
Cuichan stood quietly by the side, without saying a word.
Although she was now Second Mistress's most trusted servant, originally, Concubine Song was Second Mistress's personal maid, raised by her since childhood. Other women might be happy to give their maids to their husbands, but Second Mistress had grown up watching Concubine Lin's domineering ways, and deep down, she didn't believe in harmonious relationships between wives and concubines. Therefore, even when Second Mistress was anxious and angry, she didn't set her sights on them.
Who would have thought that when Aunt Song saw that Second Mistress was injured when giving birth to the eldest daughter, she had a different idea - since there would be no legitimate son, then the eldest son born out of wedlock must be the most precious, and she took the initiative to offer to "share the worries for the mistress"... After that, although Second Mistress said nothing and everything was as usual, Cui Chan knew that she was sad.
The Second Mistress's original idea was to find a second or third-rate maid who had the indentures of her parents and brothers in her hands. After all, she was the one who would give birth to the Second Master's eldest son, so it would not be good to get too close to her. If it went well, everyone would be happy. If it didn't, she would be arrogant because of her son, and if they had to fall out, it would not hurt the friendship they had since childhood.
Cuichan often thought, if even she could see through Second Mistress's thoughts, how could Concubine Song not know? Yet she continued to say, "Others are worried, not as close as me and Grandma. The boy I gave birth to is no different from the one born from Grandma's belly."
When the eldest son was just born, the second wife was relieved, and Concubine Song seemed very proud. However, man proposes, God disposes. Later, the second wife recovered and gave birth to legitimate sons one after another. The couple became more and more loving.
As a result, the existence of the eldest son from a concubine became embarrassing, and Concubine Song became more and more uneasy.
After a while, the Second Grandma said quietly, "Tell me the truth, have I treated them and their son unfairly over the years?"
Cui Chan whispered, "God is my conscience. It was Concubine Song who hurt Grandma first. Grandma has done her justice. They were both promoted from maids to concubines. Look at how our Concubine Xiang and the Sixth Young Master eat, wear, and spend their money... They should be content."
Tears flickered in Second Mistress's eyes, but quickly disappeared. She took her hand and sobbed, "Thank goodness the old lady gave you to me before I got married. You encouraged and comforted me every day during the most difficult time, and I was able to get through it."
Cui Chan said sincerely, "The old lady said it long ago. Grandma is kind and warm-hearted. I will never go wrong if I follow her."
The master and servant talked and laughed for a while, and Cui Chan suddenly remembered something: "Oh, grandma hasn't asked me how the errand is going."
Second Madam rubbed her forehead and bit her lip, scolding with a smile, "It's all your fault. I told you to talk so much, and you've ended up talking all over the place. Come on, tell me, didn't I tell you to deliver the ginseng this morning? How's Fourth Sister? Has she given birth yet?"
Cui Chan smiled and said, "After a whole morning of hard work, Fourth Auntie has given birth to another girl."
Second Mistress exclaimed in surprise, "Why is there another girl? There are already four of them!"
Cuichan also sighed inwardly, four in a row, this really made Tiantian silent.
Fortunately, Fourth Aunt inherited some of her biological mother's true skills. Even though her mother-in-law doesn't like her, she can at least seduce her husband. I just hope that Aunt Lin's ability is reliable so that Fourth Aunt can continue to seduce her husband and have children.
Second Madam sighed for a moment and said weakly, "What kind of thing is this? Sixth sister gave birth to sons one after another, but fourth sister gave birth to a girl with every leg she had."
Cui Chan whispered, "I heard that the first child that Fourth Aunt aborted turned out to be a boy."
The second wife curled her lips and said regretfully, "Not only that, she had another miscarriage two years ago, and it was a fully formed male fetus." Molan's fertility was actually very strong. Her tragedy was that all the babies she miscarried were sons, and all she gave birth to were daughters.
"After so many years, I no longer have any resentment. I just hope that Fourth Sister will be more sensible and stop fighting with the concubines. She should take good care of herself and give birth to a son next time." The Second Wife kept sighing.
Cuichan's eyes were filled with smiles. Over the years, Second Madam had become more and more kind-hearted. Even the grudges she had with Aunt Lin in her early years had gone with the wind. She was wholeheartedly doing good and wanted to accumulate more blessings for her children.
"Fifth Aunt is still the best. She has a daughter and a son, staggered together. Sixth Aunt is envious."
"That's also a troublesome person. Sixth sister envies her, and she also envies Sixth sister."
Second Mistress spat softly, "Sixth Brother-in-law treats Sixth Sister like the apple of his eye. He holds her in his mouth for fear she'll melt, and holds her in his hands for fear she'll fall. He refuses to part with her for even a moment, while Fifth Brother-in-law has to constantly berate her. A while ago, Fifth Sister's superiors gifted her a concubine, and she made a scene. I don't know what's happened to her now."
Cui Chan listened and smiled: "It's not that Fifth Aunt is intolerant, but if Master Wen wants to take a concubine, he has to get her approval. The two we have here are quite good, honest and dutiful."
"She's trying to compete with Sixth Sister!" Second Mistress said, "How can she compare with Sixth Brother-in-law? He's suffered so much in his first half of life and has a very stubborn temper. He hates outsiders interfering in his family affairs."
I remember that year the King of Shu gave two beauties as a gift, and my sixth brother-in-law gave them to the soldiers under him who could not find wives; later he gave four dancers as a gift, and my sixth brother-in-law kept them well fed and well-dressed, and whenever there was a banquet at home, he would call them out to sing and dance. Half of the dignitaries in Shu had seen this, and they praised the King of Shu's palace for its ability to train people, and said that each of them was both beautiful and talented.
Thinking of the girl named Fengxian from the Ningyuan Marquis Mansion, the second wife smiled secretly and shook her head.
Later, the King of Shu got angry and tried to make trouble, but he asked Gu Tingye to file a memorial before him. The third brother Changfeng once explained the gist of this memorial in vivid detail:
Your Majesty, I gave the woman the King of Shu had sent me away, angering him. I know I was wrong. How could I carelessly pass on something gifted by the royal family, even a toilet? So the next time the King of Shu sent me a woman, I kept her and used her regularly. The guests at the banquet praised her, but the King of Shu was displeased again, saying I hadn't learned how to use the woman he had sent me. Your Majesty, now that the King of Shu is controlling how I use the women in his household, will he control how I use the troops under his command in the future?
Your Majesty, I truly do not wish to take a concubine. In my early years, I suffered enough for domestic unrest, leading to the destruction of my family. You know all this. I do not want to take a concubine, but the King of Shu is forcing me to do so. What good will it bring me to the King of Shu? I have been so dedicated to Your Majesty's work that I haven't even had time to teach my youngest son his lessons. If this continues, he will have to be sent to the capital again. Like his older brothers, he will be by the prince's side, with the royal tutor watching over him. I am at ease. Your Majesty, do you think...why not take another one?
The Emperor's Imperial Memorandum to Gu Tingye: The number of tutors for the princes is full, and your family has taken up two spots. Many senior comrades have expressed dissatisfaction. You should keep the remaining child for yourself. PS: Your eldest child is quite good, mature and competent, highly valued by me and the eldest prince. The second child is too quiet, tiring the teachers. When your brother-in-law Sheng Changbai returns to the imperial court next month to take up his official position, he will be returned to him. He deserves careful training.
This is exactly what the emperor was waiting for. He immediately issued an edict to severely reprimand the King of Shu - even the prince should not associate with officials casually. How can you, a vassal king, make friends with high-ranking officials time and time again? What is your intention?
The subtext is, I came to the throne from a vassal king, and I dealt with two vassal kings right after taking the throne. Do you want to follow my example?!
In the following years, the emperor cut off two-thirds of the Shu King's guards, took away his power to make coins and mine in the vassal states, and also bestowed several "Royal Palace Chiefs" on the Shu King's Palace.
Whenever she thought of the letters from her sixth sister sent from afar, Second Grandma wanted to smile, and her heart felt comfortable and warm.
Cuichan glanced sideways and saw that the second wife had a smile on her lips, as if she was thinking of something interesting and had completely forgotten the unpleasantness just now. She felt relieved. Whenever she mentioned the sixth aunt, it would always make the mistress happier.
Seeing this, Cui Chan redoubled her efforts and said with a smile, "Just now when I returned home, I saw Old Getou unloading goods at the side door. He said our master had brought back some things from outside the border. Among them was a wild fox skin with colorful patterns. It was so beautiful that it dazzled me. Old Getou said that our master had forged and peeled the skin himself, and had found a top-notch craftsman from outside the border to have it nitrated. He was preparing to make a new windbreaker for Second Madam for this New Year."
Second Grandma felt sweet in her heart, her cheeks slightly red. "You are an old couple, and have become grandparents. Why are you still making trouble? It makes people laugh at you. It's really important that he returns before the New Year. Nothing else matters."
Cuichan felt relieved when she saw her mistress smiling.
Second Mistress counted the days on her fingers, saying, "Come to think of it, there were quite a few things to do before the New Year. It's time for Shi'er to find a proper teacher. Even if he doesn't want to be as good as Mr. Zhuang, he can't just spend all his time at home studying with the other kids. I'll have to talk to Mrs. Changbai about it. Third brother needs an education. Concubine Song wants to hire a sword and stick master, so we should build a bigger martial arts arena. Maybe the other kids will be interested in learning martial arts in the future. I don't think Shi'er and the others are cut out for studying..."
After thinking for a long time, the Second Mistress suddenly remembered something and instructed Cui Chan, "Oh, don't forget to give one each of those leathers to Madam and Eldest Sister-in-law. Make sure they're presented in a conspicuous manner so they look nice. And give one to Concubine Zhang, but don't make it too conspicuous; it should be something practical and useful. Why didn't Madam say anything today?"
Although the opportunities for direct communication between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had been greatly reduced since the old uncle took away the old wife's housekeeping power and told the daughter-in-law not to pay her respects every day, the mother-in-law would always be like a hound sniffing out the scent when something was delivered, sending people to inquire about the contents, and would be restless to come over to check, fearing that the daughter-in-law would take it all for herself.
In fact, the mother-in-law was originally crying and jumping up and down, asking her son to deliver the things directly to her so that she could distribute them to the daughters-in-law in each room. However, she gave up the idea after being pointed at and scolded by the old uncle.
Cuichan smiled and whispered to Second Mistress, "Last night, Madam had another quarrel with Concubine Zhang. During the fight, she scratched Master's face, and Master slapped her in the face. Madam is now lying on the bed in a rage."
The Second Mistress had no feelings for this mother-in-law. Upon hearing this, she asked in a low voice, "How many days will you be lying in bed this time?"
Cui Chan hesitated for a moment: "How about I go and find out how heavy the slap mark is?" We have to wait until the mark disappears.
Second Grandma gently poked her forehead and said jokingly, "When Madam Fang said you were naughty, she was absolutely right."
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