With the red cotton flowers gone, the red leaves breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Yuan asked, "What do you think of what Hongmian just said?"
Hongye said, "Although she was defending herself, there is some merit to her words, but coming from her mouth, I don't really want to hear it."
To say something like that shows some magnanimity.
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "It's good that you think that way. She is indeed a smart person, but she is not steady and doesn't know when to advance or retreat. With more training, she might still be useful."
The implication is that they will likely have to rely on red cotton for their work in the future.
Hongye asked, "Why not choose someone who possesses both virtue and talent?"
Qin Yuan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Everyone thinks they are virtuous and talented, but those who employ people find it hard to find even one of them. There are only a few like Hongmian in the whole mansion. If everyone in the mansion is harmonious, many things will accumulate and become chronic problems. By the time they are discovered, it will be too late."
Hongye whispered to Cuiming in private, and Cuiming replied, "We shouldn't interfere with how Miss uses people. No matter how capable we are, how much can we manage? Besides, what Hongmian said isn't without reason. Now that we've already fallen out with her, how can Miss trust us to use people? Otherwise, the servants in the manor will have to listen to us, and they might be resentful without us knowing. The mistress of this manor is Miss, not the two of us."
Hongye was taken aback and said, "I thought that as long as we treated them well, we would all be the same in the long run."
Cui Ming sneered, "Fine, just because you're going to marry a servant boy doesn't mean it's all the same. Let me tell you, just live your life as it comes, Miss is still worried about you."
"What are you worried about?" Hongye asked. "I've already changed for the better, and I will never let these things trouble my mind."
Cuiming said, "Think about it carefully. Although Hongmian was the one who caused trouble, Sixteen's family was able to arrange this marriage so easily... Miss is worried that you will have trouble after marrying Sixteen, but she is also afraid that you are determined to marry Gu Sixteen, so she only talked to me privately. You and I have the advantage of growing up with Miss, and we can ask Miss for support when we have grievances, but we must be reasonable. Once you become someone's daughter-in-law, filial piety will be paramount, and Miss may not be able to interfere in many things. You should think it through."
Hongye paused for a moment, then said, "If it's not good, I won't marry him."
Her hands gripped the handkerchief tightly, creating many wrinkles.
Cui Ming knew exactly what she was thinking, so she said, "I'm just giving you a heads-up. Gu Shiliu has been with the Marquis in the north for many years and is highly valued. He's not the type to be easily manipulated. It's just that his family arranged the marriage for him without informing him, which shows they're used to being forceful. If that's really the case, just let it go. Isn't there still Shiyi waiting for you? I'm telling you all this so you won't rush headlong into it without considering whether you'll be comfortable in the future. If you end up suffering later, no one else can help you."
Hongye lowered her head and sobbed, "I now realize how incompetent I am. If it weren't for this, I wouldn't have known..."
The tears I shed this time were filled with deep regret and indescribable sadness.
Cuiming smiled and said, "You're only allowed to cry once. A girl who cries all the time will cry away her good fortune. After you're done crying, think carefully about how to take the next step. To be honest, Hongmian is stronger than you. She hasn't shed a single tear yet, and I admire her."
Hongye defiantly turned her head away, sniffed, and said, "Am I not even as good as her?"
Cuiming stood up and said, "Alright then, you're not allowed to cry about this anymore. I don't know about others, but you and I grew up together, and we know how capable you are."
From then on, Hongye seemed like a different person, becoming cautious and careful, and asking more questions about everything, just like Cuiming.
After resolving the lawsuit in Wutong Garden, Qin Yuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, Old Madam Gu sent someone to invite her to the main room for a talk.
Qin Yuan dared not delay, so she put down her work and went to the main room.
As soon as you enter the courtyard, you see the corridor is packed with people.
"What's going on?" Qin Yuan was startled.
The old woman guarding the gate said, "These are all the servants who attend to the ladies on the back street."
Qin Yuan then realized that all the matriarchs from various branches of the clan had come, so she hurriedly said, "Is the old lady gathering the clan members to discuss the regulations? I should invite Accountant Wan over."
The old woman guarding the gate hurriedly asked, "Madam, shall I send someone to deliver a message?"
Qin Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll trouble you."
"No trouble at all, no trouble at all," the old woman said with a wide smile.
Upon entering the house, it was indeed packed with people. The older folks sat next to Old Madam Gu, and so on, until they reached the threshold. There were also many people standing behind them.
This is far more female relatives than the funeral of Madam Gu Liu.
Qin Yuan has a good memory, but she couldn't remember the names of more than half of them.
"It's Lady Hou."
"Your third son's wife is here."
"The young master's wife has arrived."
Everyone greeted her, and Qin Yuan could only smile and bow in greeting before standing behind Old Madam Gu with her head slightly lowered.
"Mother, your daughter-in-law has already sent someone to invite Accountant Wan. He needs to explain the procedures in detail."
Madam Gu smiled and said, "No need, no need. Just tell me what's good about our method. You can explain it yourself. If Accountant Wan explains it in too much detail, I won't remember it. When they go back, we can whisper in their ear and let the men in their families do the accounting."
Qin Yuan looked at her with admiration: "It has to be Mother."
Madam Gu smiled smugly: "You can learn slowly from her in the future."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted and laughed, making others envious.
The daughter-in-law envied Qin Yuan for being so favored in front of her mother-in-law, while the mother-in-law envied Old Madam Gu for having such a smart, capable, and beautiful daughter-in-law.
Madam Gu looked around at everyone and said with a smile, "My daughter-in-law is here too. You've all met her. Now let's hear what she has to say about this plan."
“We haven’t even had a proper chat with our new daughter-in-law yet. We’ve heard that she’s very good at managing the household and has kept the Marquis’s mansion in perfect order. After my daughter-in-law met her, she was so angry that her teeth ached for several days. She said she didn’t know how she could find someone like her for her son.”
An elderly woman, much older than Madam Gu, with gray hair adorned with jewels and wearing a Xiangyun silk jacket, smiled and waved to Qin Yuan, inviting her to come closer for a better look.
Madam Gu quickly grabbed Qin Yuan's hand and scolded with a laugh, "You can look, but why did you have to pull her so close to see? Did you try to snatch her?"
Qin Yuan stopped and smiled slightly.
The old woman glared at her: "You invited me here today just to show off your daughter-in-law? And now you're unhappy? You old woman, you're so dishonest. If I had a granddaughter-in-law like that, I'd take her out every day. You two are just cooped up at home like you're hiding a treasure."
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