It's the middle of winter, and the weather is bitingly cold. This kind of coldness is simply cold to the core. Fortunately, the Ruan family's servants had made new coats in advance, which could still withstand the cold winter.
It is said that rich men are poor scholars, which is true, but it is not entirely true to say how rich the men are. Other families don't know, but the Ruan family still lives calculatively.
For example, at noon, the host will have a hot pot with some sweet potato noodles or sorghum rice. The hot pot is just made with some bacon as the base, and some seasonal vegetables such as rapeseed and cabbage on top, and a dish of pickled cucumber and a dish of peanuts on top, which is already great.
The servants each had a bowl of dry rice with a dish of pickled vegetables, and they were considered lucky to have a full meal.
In this way, the Ruan family servants were already grateful. Chuntao said: "When the slaves were at home, have they ever worn such warm new coats? When will they be able to have a full meal? I only look forward to it." Good luck to you, ladies and gentlemen, we can stay in the house and serve you for a long time."
Mi Niang felt very sad when she heard this, but she knew that the servants of the Ruan family were already living better than most people. Not to mention the people who were given up, several people had been frozen to death in the south of the city where they lived, and passers-by had taken it for granted.
The maids cleared the dining table. Mi Niang was planning to write a few words, but the inkstone was frozen, so she had to give up.
At this time, there was a knock on the door. Mi Niang was surprised and asked, "Who is coming to my house in the cold winter?"
Mrs. Ding also shook her head. She had just finished her confinement for more than a month and usually stayed at home, rarely going out, and did not interact with the neighbors.
Zhong replied, "To answer the Second Madam, there is a neatly dressed person outside who looks like a manager. He said the host's surname is Wang and he has sent a greeting card."
Seeing Second Lady Ding handing the invitation to Ruan Jiading, Ruan Jiading smiled and said, "So it's his family."
Mi Niang was puzzled: "Who is Daddy talking about?"
Mrs. Ding also urged, "Sir, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us quickly."
"This is the family of the famous philanthropist Wang. Although he is a commoner, he likes to make friends with scholars. His family is also very rich and generous. His brother from the next room is the governor of the prefecture. I heard that when he returns home to visit his relatives, philanthropist Wang will naturally look for some prestigious people to visit him." Influenced by Mi Niang at the time, Ruan Jiading knew that a good iron must be made with strong tools, so he usually buried himself in his studies and rarely participated in literary gatherings.
But he was a guest of honor of the Li family, a Hanlin scholar, and a distinguished person. He was also from the Ruan family, a second-rank official. Although it was a side branch, it was also from a famous family.
Mi Niang covered her mouth and laughed, "Then go ahead, Dad. If you eat anything good, come back and tell us, and let me have some too."
Ruan Jiading pointed at his daughter and said, "I have tasted the best delicacies before, but all of these are not as good as the pickled pepper your mother made."
Looking again, I saw Second Grandma smiling shyly.
But it is said that Ruan Jiading returned from a banquet at Wang's house. Mi Niang originally wanted to ask his father to tell her about his experiences, but she never expected that his father gave her the invitation.
"Why did Daddy give me the post?" Mi Niang was puzzled.
"Originally, I was chatting with Wang Fuzun (a respectful title for the prefect), but when we were talking about our friendship, I discovered that the two families were related. Wang Fuzun's mother, Lady Wang, is the old duke's sister. So I went into the inner hall to pay her a visit. Because she heard that I had a daughter and that their daughter was holding a poetry meeting, she wrote a note to me." Ruan Jiading was delighted.
Coming from a branch of such a powerful family, it is hard not to feel awkward sometimes, as people with the same surname are not as good as others. Sometimes, one can gain a lot of benefits just by relying on the surname.
Mi Niang agreed at that moment, and Ding Erniang also agreed.
Mi Niang secretly thought that she had not gone out in the past because she was afraid that she would be seen by scoundrels and cause unnecessary disputes, especially since this life was different from her last life. In her last life, she had been hungry for many years, her hair was dry and frizzy, and although she was beautiful, she had scars on her face. It was only later that she was reborn in order to enter the palace.
In this life, she was loved by her parents, her beauty was revealed too early, and coupled with her charming and graceful demeanor, the maids were often stunned and often looked dazed for a while.
As the saying goes, "If you don't return home with rich clothes, it's like going out at night in rich clothes." If you don't show your talent, if you have beauty, if you have to hide your shortcomings and keep a low profile for the sake of your future, isn't that just throwing away food?
The cloaked coat and the skirt with a trousers were all prepared in advance. She wore a small silk blouse with a bright red camellia butterfly pattern on the top, a soft silver gauze lily skirt on the bottom, a gray squirrel cloak with green lotus velvet on the outside, and a string of pearls on her chest.
Her hair was combed into a pile of buns with a half-moon-shaped comb inlaid with coral, tortoise shell and honey wax in the middle, and two small silk flowers adorned the sides of her buns.
Mrs. Ding said happily, "This is what girls should wear when visiting guests."
Her mother was also dressed up today, looking like everyone's grandmother.
Mi Niang really approves of her mother's behavior. She saves money on weekdays in order to spend money wisely. Her family still does needlework to support the family. They also make their own clothes. They use more money to buy a few sets of clothes, which is more convenient than spending it lavishly on weekdays. She doesn't know where to spend the money.
Chuntao and Xilian also put on new clothes, both were red cloth jackets with green satin bodices. They also had their hair in three-braided buns and pinned a few silk flowers in their hair.
A group of people had just boarded the carriage, and soon the carriage sped past the south of the city. The Wang family was in the east of the city, which was the best location in the entire Wuchang area. The Wang family had three villas and gardens here.
The south of the city is mostly occupied by ordinary people, while the east is mostly occupied by wealthy people, so the roads in the east are smoother.
The Wang family was crowded with people today, and the arrangements were very appropriate. When the girl from the Ruan family got off the carriage, someone asked her which family she was from, and then arranged for a sedan chair to come and pick her up.
After getting off the sedan chair, someone waited beside it. After Mi Niang followed Second Madam Ding off the sedan chair, she raised her eyes slightly and noticed that the old woman was a little dazed. Mi Niang smiled at her, and the old woman couldn't help but say, "I have never seen such a beautiful person in my life."
Mi Niang smiled slightly and didn't say anything.
Madam Ding couldn't help but nod. It was best for a girl to be chaste and quiet when she was out, and not to chatter and show no sign of being a lady.
When visiting someone's home, the first thing to do is to pay respects to the elders, especially to Old Madam Wang, who is also a member of the Ruan family, so you have to pay your respects even more.
But when the mother and daughter arrived, the place was already very lively. Miao Niang knew that this was because her family lived in the south of the city, which was far away and covered with ice and snow, so they arrived late.
Mi Niang didn't pay much attention to the scenery. She had been to such businesses before and found that most of them were similar. Many of them were just cosmetic stores. They seemed exquisite at first glance, but after seeing them too many times, they all seemed the same.
Either they imitate the Jiangnan gardens, or they pile up wealth and splendor…
Just as they were thinking, they had already arrived at the warm room, and heard that Old Lady Wang was waiting for them there. The warm room was hung with orangutan felt curtains, and two curtain-making maids hurriedly pulled open the curtains, and Mi Niang followed Second Lady Ding in.
I only heard someone calling out their names: The family of Ruan Ju from Jiangling Prefecture has arrived.
Mrs. Ding and Mi Niang bowed slightly, then looked up and saw that Old Madam Wang had a low nose bridge but high cheekbones. She probably had a narrow face when she was young, but the flesh could not hold up as she got older. She just sat there with a sense of great power.
But as far as Mi Niang knew, she said she was the old duke's sister, but in fact her father's title was a temporary title, which meant it would be lost in one generation. She had an elder brother who married her and then died. She had a half-brother who was in charge of the family, and she and that brother were at loggerheads. Ruan Jiading had heard about this from the elders in the family.
It is said that she looked down on illegitimate children, but she had no choice but to give birth to a concubine's daughter. The current Magistrate Wang is not her biological son.
So Mi Niang felt that it was inappropriate and rude to put on such airs in front of one's own family.
Just like her father's classmate who passed the imperial examination and never wore official uniform when meeting old friends.
"Greetings to the old lady."
Old Madam Wang looked at them and couldn't help laughing: "The relatives don't come here anymore, and our family moved to Gusu a long time ago. We don't recognize many people anymore."
I only heard Second Grandma Ding laugh and say, "We are young, and many people don't recognize us either! It was only the other day when our Second Master told us about this origin that I learned about it."
At this moment, Old Lady Wang seemed to have just seen Mi Niang: "You are such a pretty girl. You have instantly outshined my granddaughters."
Mi Niang said hurriedly: "Thank you for your compliment."
Then several girls from the Wang family gathered around and greeted each other. The one in the lead was the cousin of Mr. Wang, the great philanthropist. It was she who organized the poetry reading. She had a round face and a very versatile look, and her temperament was somewhat similar to Ji Chunfang.
The other three were all daughters of Magistrate Wang, and could be considered Old Madam Wang's direct granddaughters. In this poetry gathering, these three had the most honorable status.
After greeting them, Mi Niang sat down. She heard someone outside say that Mrs. Guan had arrived. This caught Mi Niang's attention because this person was Li Guan's childhood sweetheart, Guan Huiqing.
Guan Huiqing was dressed very simply and elegantly, just like the three daughters of Magistrate Wang, all of whom were very plain.
She looked very lonely and frail, but she was still very polite and performed politely as soon as she entered the door.
"Now that most people have arrived, let's start the poetry club." Miss Wang said with a smile.
Then everyone went to the Wang family's glass greenhouse. Although it was snowing outside, the flowers in the greenhouse were in full bloom.
It would have been fine if Mi Niang hadn't come, but she came just to surprise everyone. As for whether to let go or not, she really hadn't thought about it.
Therefore, she didn't care much about the girls who attended the meeting. She didn't care about others, but others cared a lot about her.
The eldest daughter of Magistrate Wang also said to her two younger sisters: "We are also the ones who have hired teachers at home, so we must not lose to others."
Unlike her elder sisters, her younger sister Wang Erniang was a legitimate daughter who always loved to compete. She was not well educated and was lazy, so when she heard her elder sister say this, she snorted coldly: "Sister, you are usually very interested in these poems and songs, but you don't know that grandmother and mother always say that a daughter's main job is to manage the household, so these things are just for fun, and what does it matter if you lose."
Then he turned to his sister and said, "Third girl, what do you think?"
Seeing that the girl was only focused on eating, with her cheeks puffed up, Wang Erniang said unhappily, "You should use your brain and stop thinking about eating all the time. Look at that Miss Ruan just now, she is the same age as you, and she won a great deal of applause as soon as she entered the house, and she is just the daughter of a groom."
Wang Sanniang did nothing, just smiled. She only saw the jealousy on her second sister's face.
After Wang Erniang left, Sanniang's maid said, "Miss, I heard that Guan Daru's daughter has always liked poetry and calligraphy, and Miss Ruan's mother just said that she can also write and paint... You see..."
But Wang Sanniang shook her head and said, "Why should I be so popular? Love and romance are not as important as daily necessities. My second sister just said that a woman should know the rules first, and then manage her household and needlework. Everything else is fake. The Ruan family has no money at home, but they are learning those empty things."
After saying this, she secretly thought that Miss Guan was too thin to give birth, and Miss Ruan had a look that was clearly a disaster for beauty, and she was not pretending to be magnanimous. Even if she was an outstanding poet, she was too frivolous. Who would like her?
"Let's write a quatrain and a lyric on the theme of plum blossoms."
When Mi Niang heard this, she thought it was too easy. She had worked very hard to write good poems in the past, and now she often asked her father for advice and was very hardworking.
You don't have to think about it, just write it.
Guan Huiqing felt uncomfortable looking at Mi Niang's leisurely appearance. She just knew that she was Madam Li's female disciple, which reminded her of Li Guan.
If Doctor Guan succeeds in the exam, he will definitely have a higher status in the Li family. I don't know if he will come to propose to me by then.
Just as I was thinking about it, I saw Miss Ruan saying to Sister Wang Shan, "This string of pearls was given to me by Madam Li when I became her teacher."
Wang Shanjie was named Shanjie because her father was a kind man named Wang.
Guan Huiqing felt heartbroken when she heard this, as she had never received anything from Madam Li.
Mi Niang didn't expect Sister Wang Shan to ask this. She had several necklaces, but she really liked this string of pearls, so she wore it.
"I really envy you, but unfortunately I am learning the guqin, otherwise, I would really like to learn a thing or two from you."
Mi Niang smiled and said, "It's okay, we can play together."
Sister Wang Shan immediately laughed.
Mi Niang was thoughtful. It seemed that the girls in the Wang family had very average education. She just didn't know what they would do with this poetry association.
She soon found out. After she handed in her poems, ladies came over in groups of three or four and looked at the girls' poems.
"Who wrote this poem "Ode to the Plum Blossom"? It's really well written."
"Oh, this was written by the second daughter of the Wang family, right? She is worthy of being the daughter of the prefect, she is different."
…
Mi Niang looked at Wang Er Niang again, who looked extremely surprised. What was there for her to not understand?
They all became supporters, mainly to highlight this Miss Wang Er, just like those candidates who passed the exam, who wanted to be selected by relying on their power, but were afraid of gossip, so they found a few famous talents to serve as foils for them.
But they all have their advantages. Zhang Juzheng's Shen Maoxue and Tang Xianzu at least promised him huge profits, but your Wang family is so anxious that you want to be their stepping stone, without even considering whether you are worthy or not.
In that case, don't blame me.
Mi Niang took a deep breath and stood up again and said, "Madam, this Miss Wang Er clearly used the wrong allusions. How can you say that she wrote the best?"
The lady who had just flattered him blushed slightly and could not help but scold him, "What do you know? Why don't you leave?"
"If we judge sincerely, everyone will accept it. Why cover others' mouths when they are clearly wrong? My father once said that as a human being, we should seek truth from facts. If I am wrong but I don't point it out, and just go with the flow, what is the point of being reborn as a human being?"
She was born with a beautiful face, her words were like gold and jade, and she had an extraordinary demeanor. Her courage was especially admirable, even Guan Huiqing admired her.
Guan Huiqing could of course see that the girls from the Wang family were mediocre in talent and had probably only learned the basics, but Miss Ruan had fresh writing, eulogized the saints in her poems, had beautiful vocabulary in her lyrics, and wrote very well. They were simply not on the same level.
But she didn't dare say it out loud and could only sulk by herself.
Miss Wang blushed, and she only heard Mi Niang say, "If you really want to make friends through poetry, forget it. I have only heard of candidates for the joint exam, but never heard of joint poets."
The lady who was pointed at by Mi Niang immediately said, "Since you said so, I'll take a look at yours."
Mi Niang snorted coldly: "Please do as you please."
Even if the lady wanted to find fault, she couldn't find a single flaw. She trembled and said, "Did you make up the word 'Xiaoxiao' yourself?"
This lady had also received some education at home. She found something a little obscure and pointed it out, and she was quite proud of it.
Mi Niang smiled and said, "This is from the Book of Songs: Nanshan. It's just right. It's really suitable for today."
One lady couldn't stand it any longer and stood up and said, "You are just a little girl, why are you so stubborn?"
Since he cannot surpass himself in knowledge, he wants to surpass himself in virtue.
Mi Niang bowed and said, "I have never heard of admitting defeat even if you have lied. If that is what you said, Madam, then I admit my fault. I am sorry. I am like my father. I have always liked honesty and disliked lying. If you say I want to be strong, then I will be strong."
"Being an official is always a matter of ups and downs. Do you think you can always be invincible? If you are wronged, you probably hope that there will be a righteous justice."
"Unfortunately, you reap what you sow."
The lady was also speechless.
There was one person who applauded her. This person was the wife of the patrol officer sent from Huguang. Mi Niang had met her before at Madam Li's place. Her husband was known for his uprightness, and she herself was jealous of evil.
The young ladies of the Wang family were about to faint. At this time, Mi Niang turned around and saw Old Lady Wang with a sullen face.
Mrs. Ding was also standing behind Old Lady Wang. She had just heard it as well and wanted to interrupt her daughter, but she knew that her daughter was not someone who did not know the seriousness of the matter.
After the wife of Tie Yushi finished speaking, Second Mistress Ding scolded her, "You are a girl, how can you be so impatient when you see something? So what if you let someone win first place? What's right or wrong? Whatever Madam Liao and Madam Sun say is right is right. They are all wives of officials. I think you are going to be punished."
Mi Niang almost laughed out loud at her mother's weird tone, but she still had to put on a straight face and said yes.
Mrs. Tie Yushi said, "Your daughter is good. Words reflect one's heart. If everyone knows how to flatter, what will happen to her in the future?" She then said to Mi Niang gently, "If anyone bullies you, just tell me."
Ever since Emperor Longqing came to power, Dayong has used civil officials to control military officials and the small officials to control the big. There were many seventh-rank censors who reported second- and third-rank officials. The patrol case censors were imperial envoys who had small ranks but great power.
Mi Niang nodded: "I don't care. I just hope that a man as upright as my father can be as upright as Tie Yushi in the future and speak for the people of the world."
"Okay, okay." Mrs. Tie Yushi was extremely happy.
All the Wang family members present were speechless. Old Lady Wang thought that she was ignorant of current affairs, Wang Sanniang thought that being too much in the spotlight might not be a good thing, and Guan Huiqing had a vague admiration for her.
"We'll take our leave now." said Mrs. Ding Er.
Madam Wang curled her lips and said, "Go ahead."
She knew in her heart that this was something her daughter-in-law had done to make her daughter famous, but it failed to make her famous and she became a laughing stock. But she also warned the third girl who was kept by her: "It's better not to make a fuss about it."
Miss Wang San nodded: "My granddaughter knows that a tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. I'm afraid she won't be able to find a good family in Huguang." She even pretended to be respectful on the surface, otherwise no family would be willing to marry a rebellious daughter-in-law.
On the way back, Mi Niang said, "As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought in danger. If you do nothing, it will be difficult to achieve anything. If you want to step on me, you have to see if you have the ability."
Second Madam Ding was a little worried: "Mi Niang, you are taking too much risks. If your father wins, we are not afraid. But if your father doesn't win, what should we do?"
"Mom, you are wrong. If it weren't for me today, Dad would have passed the exam based on his talent, but if he wasn't the top, he would have been rejected. With what happened today, they would have had to accept it."
“That’s what fame is.”
Back in the room, Mrs. Ding said to her husband, "What she did really shocked me. What does fame mean? But can we take the words of a young man from the imperial family seriously?"
Ruan Jiading has always been a timid person. When he heard that Mi Niang not only found fault with the prefect's daughter, but also offended Mrs. Sun, the magistrate of Hanyang, and Mrs. Liao, the governor of the mansion, he was even more scared.
He also said: "Even if I have fame, what does it matter? It's just in their palace. Forget it, I will go to the capital and visit Li Xueshi's house when the time comes."
Everyone was waiting to see Mi Niang's joke. Old Lady Wang even snorted coldly, "Tie Yu Shi is only here for a year. He can only protect them for a year. In the future, I'll see what they can do."
Now she doesn't care about what the Ruan family does, she just thinks that the girl from the Ruan family needs to be taught a lesson.
"But...but his father is going to Beijing to take the exam soon..." Mrs. Wang said hesitantly.
If her father became an official, he would have the care of Li Xueshi, which would be more powerful than her grandfather's relationship.
Ruan Jiading was also fighting a desperate battle. He studied until late at night every day and did not dare to slack off in the slightest.
Until the day he set out for the capital, he went to the capital with several young men from Huguang. When people heard his name, they said, "I have heard that Brother Ruan is a loyal and upright person. He is really admirable."
Ruan Jiading was puzzled: "What kind of reputation can I have? It's not worth mentioning."
"Brother Ruan, why are you still being polite to us? Tie Yishi personally praised your knowledge, and Tie Yishi is a person the emperor trusts very much. Moreover, you are not afraid of the prefect..."
After hearing these guys mention this matter, he was speechless. It was clearly his daughter who attacked the prefect's daughter, so how did it become like he was not afraid of the prefect?
Only then did Ruan Jiading understand what his daughter meant by reputation. If you don't have any reputation, as long as your paper is not the best, it is very likely to be "omitted".
But if you have a reputation, the marking officer will have to weigh it, and it will be bad if you cause trouble.
He looked at the rolling river and suddenly felt confident. Just then, a red sun rose from the east.
"What a good sign!"
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