Being forced to split the house, the fifth old man only felt full of humiliation and felt that he had lost all face, so he hid in the study all day long, refusing to see the proud face of "that unscrupulous nephew", and insisted on not showing up until the day of moving after packing up.
~[ ]However, under the boundless resentment, the artistic achievements have skyrocketed. The big characters written with a stroke of the pen are vivid and unrestrained, and a sense of anger is about to come out of the paper. The poems composed impromptu are passionate, heroic, and smooth. This is
This time, he didn't need Qingke to pat him on the back, and he himself could see that the progress was huge.
"...Taibai was frustrated for half of his life and wandered in the mountains and rivers. Huaisu lived in poverty all his life, abandoning the secular world and living in the grass. All the sages from ancient times were like this. Could it be that they really had to suffer their minds and starve their bodies before they could achieve great success...?"
He murmured and wondered whether it was because his life was too comfortable that he had never been able to study and become an official? Could it be that he also had to suffer some hardships in order to achieve something? (You finally found out the truth)
The fifth old man could still express his love for art, but the fourth old man was not so open-minded. He was cursing and scolding people all day long, beating and scolding at every turn, and the whole four rooms seemed to be covered with a layer of black mist.
After being reminded by Aunt Liu, the fourth old man finally had an idea and thought that even if he wanted to leave, he should get some benefits before leaving.
"Lao Wu..." Mr. Si hesitated, "I'm afraid he won't fight with me for a few silver coins."
Aunt Liu was extremely well-maintained. She was almost fifty years old, but she looked like she was still in her thirties. She smiled gracefully, and she came closer and said, "Isn't there an old lady named Wu here? What about Uncle Wu's sex?"
You know, as long as you stir up the flames, don’t worry about the reasons, and you’ll fight even if you don’t fight.”
Aunt Liu had a chance to stand out from the competition in the inner house. As she expected, the fifth old man refused to go at first, but he couldn't stop the fifth old lady from crying about the family's financial difficulties and the difficulty of starting an independent business.
, but had no choice but to agree.
That day, Minglan personally sent Sister Xian back. Mr. Shao saw his daughter coming back with a smile on her face, followed by Sister Rong who was reluctant to leave. Looking at her daughter, who had a rosy complexion and was taller, holding her mother's sleeves,
Chirping and croaking like a little oriole, she kept talking, her heart full of cheerfulness and health. Mrs. Shao had already listened to the message from her grandma who followed her, and knew that her daughter was living a good life in Chengyuan, so she felt very grateful to Minglan. The two sisters-in-law
After holding hands and saying a few words, they stood up.
Minglan left Sister Rong and her son to talk to each other for a while, and then went to sit with Mrs. Shao at Mrs. Zhu's place, caring for Mrs. Zhu who had a bulging belly. Mrs. Tai leaned on the pillow and exchanged a few words.
, but the whole house is in harmony.
"...Your sister-in-law is getting better. Now I don't have to worry about anything except your sister's marriage." The wife sighed worriedly, "You seem to be quite old now, but you still don't have a solution."
Shao had just recovered from a serious illness and whispered softly: "Don't worry, mother, my sister's character and appearance are there, and there are many in the capital. It's just that God is not good, and things happen one after another.
Son, this is the delay."
This was very helpful to the Madam, and her expression became much softer.
"Sister-in-law is right." Mrs. Zhu turned sideways and said warmly, "Mom, please relax. The eldest sister of the Zhongshan Hou family is almost eighteen, and there are also several young ladies from the Korean family, Yan Shangshu's family... Take a closer look.
It seems that my sister is not the only noble lady who has been delayed in the capital in the past two years." The madam's sad face faded and she smiled softly: "You guys can talk to make me happy. It would be great if that's the case. Alas... Minglan,
What do you think?" He looked at Minglan with his eyes.
In the past two or three years, the situation has been changing, sometimes with national filial piety, sometimes with war, and the powerful families in the capital have gone through several ups and downs. There are indeed many young ladies from noble families whose marriages have been delayed; so it seems that Gu Tingcan is not particularly conspicuous at this age for being unmarried.
Minglan seemed a little embarrassed and smiled shyly: "I, I don't know. With my sister's appearance, she will definitely get a good marriage. No matter what... I'm just waiting to add makeup to my sister."
Looking at her stupid look, Mr. Shao couldn't help laughing and said with an angry smile: "You kid, why are you blushing when you announce your marriage to our sister? She is a new daughter-in-law after all, and she is thin-skinned." Minglan wanted this effect.
, he lowered his head even more, and his long eyelashes couldn't help but tremble.
Mrs. Tai's eyes flashed, and she smiled calmly. It is a custom for a brother and sister-in-law to add makeup to a sister who is about to get married. Minglan neither said she would help nor how much makeup she would add, so saying this was like saying nothing.
.
Minglan was relieved after seeing Guan. She wanted to run away quickly, but before she could say a few words, the Fourth Old Master and the Fifth Old Master arrived.
The fourth old lady was leading the way, with Aunt Liu supporting him diligently on one side, followed by the not-so-good looking fourth old lady on the other, and behind them was the fifth old lady and his wife who held their heads high. When the madam saw this formation, she frowned slightly.
Immediately she straightened her expression, straightened up and sat upright. (·~) Minglan's heart skipped a beat, and together with Shao and Zhu, they stood up respectfully.
As soon as he came in and saw that she was there, the fifth old lady coughed heavily, her voice full of displeasure. Minglan ignored her, thinking she had a fish bone stuck in her throat; the fourth old lady glared at her with a hateful look.
, Minglan turned her head away, thinking that his eyelids were cramped because he was old, and he was standing motionless. After greetings and saying goodbye to each other, the fourth old man got straight to the point and brought up the financial issues.
"Split up and go home again?" Mrs. Rao had already been mentally prepared, and she couldn't help being shocked when she heard this whimsical suggestion. "Where did my fourth uncle start from talking about this? Didn't my deceased parents-in-law already separate their families?"
The fourth old man pretended to sigh: "Having said that, over the past few decades, we three people have lived and ate together, and it has been a long time. How can we explain the dispute over the bank account clearly? [ ] It would be hurt if we had to separate it clearly.
We have no feelings for each other, so we can just break up and go home. Originally I didn't want to mention it, but now that my family is in a difficult situation, I just have to say it shamelessly."
As soon as he said this, Mr. Zhu, who was always familiar with the general affairs, immediately blushed with anger, and even Mr. Shao, who was unconcerned with the world, was secretly angry. According to the rule that "young wives are not allowed to show their faces often", Minglan lowered her head and stood behind Shao.
, secretly thinking, 'It's finally here', and then waited with bated breath for the war to break out: She had long been curious about Madam Tai's combat effectiveness when she was at full strength, so don't let her down.
Comian, despicable!
The lady's face was expressionless, one hand was pressed on the Kang table, and the other hand was tightly holding a handkerchief. A thin silver ring inlaid with white jade dots and emerald-covered treasures shone faintly between her fingers. She pondered for a moment and turned gently.
Head: "Minglan, please tell me what to do about this matter. Now if we talk about it seriously, you are the mistress of Ningyuan Hou Mansion."
"How old am I? What do I know?" The audience who were waiting to watch the show was unexpectedly pulled onto the stage. Minglan blinked, bowed her head humbly and blessed her. Then she raised her head softly and sighed softly, "When it comes to family planning,
It is difficult, and it is not easy to clear the garden. Alas, in addition to dealing with favors, Zhuang You can't accept any money for a while. In a few days, he will have to build a building to repair the mansion. The money is like running water. Fortunately, the fifth uncle and his wife will send the old marquis
If the property left to the Marquis is returned, it can still be used to deal with emergencies. Fourth uncle, look..."
The fourth old man was afraid that Minglan would mention this. In front of the clan members, they all said that they were keeping the property for Gu Tingye. Now it is even more difficult to be greedy and refuse to give it. He choked for a moment, but fortunately he reacted quickly and immediately turned the gun.
: "What did my niece say? Now that your husband is the head of the Hou Mansion, didn't Brother Yu make it clear about his property before he died? Isn't the money enough? I say, sister-in-law, you can do it at your fingertips.
It’s too tight.”
Mrs. Tai glanced at Minglan thoughtfully and said slowly: "We will talk about this later. Minglan, please talk about today's matter first."
Minglan raised her eyebrows. She didn't intend to go to the house to collect debts. They were shameless, and she wanted to be shameless. However, the debt collection power that she wanted to keep forever could be used more often in the future, which was good.
She took a few steps forward, stood still politely, and said with a smile: "I have been in the Gu family for less than a year. How can I know the inside story of the old past? There must be a reason for my fourth uncle to say this... Could it be that my deceased father-in-law once
Did you borrow money from your two uncles?"
She first glanced at the Fourth Old Master, then turned her head slightly to face the two sisters-in-law Shao and Zhu.
The fourth old man was suffocated and refused to speak. Shao said with a cold face: "As far as I know, no."
Zhu was furious and said bluntly: "Not only that, but as far as I know, my father took three or four pieces of silver to give to his fourth uncle, and each time he gave no less than five thousand taels."
Minglan gasped, her expression and voice matched perfectly, and she said in surprise: "Really?!" Then she looked straight at the Fourth Old Master with an expression of disbelief.
After being told the truth, the fourth old man couldn't hold his face anymore. He became angry and shouted at Mr. Zhu: "What do you have to do with the elders talking?! There are so many entanglements in the Gu family's decades-old affairs! You are the only one
What do you know after being here for a few years?!" He turned around and said, "Lao Wu, look, it's true that people have left. It's only been a few years since my eldest brother left, so people don't take us two brothers seriously!
Yesterday you refused to come out of trouble. Look, if you don't teach us a lesson, we will have no place to stand."
The fifth old man had a sullen face, slapped the armrest, and reprimanded: "My nephew and wife, Wei, you are also out here, why are you so unruly! Didn't I see that none of your sister-in-laws came? This is something that you juniors can interrupt.
?”
Zhu's eyes turned red, and she stood aside holding her belly.【叶*】【*】
The fifth old lady picked the lid of the bowl with her pointed fingertips and said in a strange tone: "My nephew-in-law, don't blame your uncle for speaking mercilessly. There are too many things going on in the Gu family. These twenty
Over the years, during festivals, entertaining guests, weddings and weddings, the three rooms have all been credited to the same account, not to mention that there is money flowing between the rooms. How long have you been here, what do you know!"
The madam suppressed her anger, but her eyes became darker.
Minglan saw Zhu's pale face and couldn't bear it, so she said: "My brothers and sisters are pregnant and can't stand for a long time. Why don't we go back to the house and have a rest." After saying this, she wanted to help Zhu go away, as the flames of war would not spread to her. It would be best if
If you can get away, find a secluded place to watch the show.
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Tai added softly: "Su Xin, accompany her and sit down at the back. Just listen. Minglan, come and sit next to me. Now you two are the heads of the Hou Mansion. You two."
Uncle, you are right."
The fourth old man snorted coldly, the fifth old man turned his head proudly and said nothing. Minglan twisted her fingers and moved to sit on the stool next to the madam, thinking that she was unlucky. Shao helped Zhu sit behind the screen.
.
The madam turned her cold eyes to the fifth old lady: "I came in earlier than the fifth younger siblings. According to what the fifth younger siblings said just now, don't I have the right to speak?"
After all, she has been a sister-in-law for many years, and her prestige is still there. The fifth old lady forced a smile: "...what did my sister-in-law say? If you can't say it, who else can."
"That's the case, then I'll say it. Make it clear once and for all, and save yourself from having to worry about it all later." Mrs. Taifu pointed out something. A look of scorn on the face of the fifth old man made the fourth old man even angrier. Minglan quickly pricked up her ears.
.
"The Gu family has been divided into two families in our generation. The first time we were separated, before I entered the house, my parents called the clan elders to help divide the families. All the necessary documents were prepared. Because the old Marquis knew how to do it.
My son was guarding the border, so my father and mother were always in control of my father's share of the property. That year my father passed away, and my mother saw that she was no longer in good health. Fortunately, the emperor was kind and kind and summoned the old marquis back to the capital. I followed him to the capital.
, Dafang took over the property from his mother with his own hands. Up to this time, the property of our third family was still clearly detailed. Am I wrong in what I said?"
The fourth old man was angry and said nothing. The fifth old man said in a low voice: "That's what my sister-in-law said."
The madam sat up straight, her eyes were solemn, and continued: "Later, before my mother passed away, she called us to the bedside and told us personally that after she passed away, my father's share of the three houses would be divided equally; and her dowry and body would be divided equally.
Give all your money to the old Marquis. We heard this with our own ears! But the fourth uncle was not convinced and did not tell her when my mother was here. After her death, he insisted that her mother was ill and confused at the time, and what she said cannot be taken seriously;
I found some married ladies to come to the mourning hall and have a quarrel! Isn’t this true?"
The fifth old man's face became even more ashamed and he stopped talking; but the fourth old man frowned and retorted: "At that time, my mother was so sick that she couldn't even recognize people, so what she said couldn't be taken seriously! We are all children of the same mother.
Why are you so partial!"
The wife spoke sharply and said: "It doesn't matter whether you are confused or not, or partial or partial; but in order to keep the kindness of your brothers and sisters, your eldest brother divided what your mother left behind on the spot. You all have a share, but the eldest brother has a share."
Not a penny is missing! I lied even a word!"
Minglan was dumbfounded when she heard this. How could a younger brother have such a magical brother? He really has accumulated eight generations of character.
At this moment, even the fifth old lady lowered her head and stopped talking, but the fourth old lady still frowned and said loudly: "That was what the eldest brother wanted. My sister-in-law was not happy, why didn't she say anything at the time! Besides, in the end, I and I
Lao Wu didn’t fall far behind either!”
The lady smiled sarcastically: "How could I disobey your eldest brother's wishes when you marry and obey your husband? Besides, those seven aunts and eight aunts were summoned by your fourth uncle, so you can't blame anyone."
The fourth old man was frozen there, speechless. Aunt Liu carefully pulled his sleeve, and he sat down angrily.
After a while, the only sound in the room was the sound of the fourth old man breathing out his big nostrils.
A touch of sadness slowly appeared on Mrs. Tai's plain face, and she said sadly: "Although the private accounts of our three households are separated, those who work in the house as errands, sweep, sew, or work overnight, regardless of their status, have returned.
Regardless of the house, everyone comes to the big house to receive their monthly payment. Over the years, clothes for all seasons, carriages, horses and servants, as well as food and drink, are all provided by the big house! How many years have you been eating out, Fourth Uncle?
As for wine, Uncle Wu bought calligraphy and painting, paid the bill at the restaurant and left, and your elder brother paid for it in one lump sum afterwards."
Minglan was so surprised that she could hardly close her mouth from ear to ear. She couldn't hide it anyway, so she didn't hide it anymore. This time the surprise was real.
The fourth old man's face seemed to be stained with a layer of wine lees, whether from anger or shame. But the fifth old man's face was as surprised as Minglan's. He immediately turned his head to look at the fifth old lady and stood up in a daze: "I'm with you."
The calligraphy and painting shop clearly made it clear, why did you...?"
In full view of everyone, the fifth old lady blushed and did not dare to look directly into her husband's eyes. She only lowered her head and pulled the handkerchief.
The fifth old man seemed to understand. He sighed and slumped down on his chair.
"Just now, the five younger brothers and sisters said that festivals, hospitality, weddings and weddings, and favors are all the same thing. Would you like to ask you to take a look at the accounts to see which house suffered the loss and which house took advantage! Not to mention that over the years, I have run errands for several nephews.
, Take favors, who paid for them!" The madam became more and more courageous as she fought, and her aura was so fierce and threatening that the fifth-fang couple never dared to raise their heads again.
Even the fourth old man did not dare to answer this question. He was not as noble as the fifth old man and his wife. He knew some accounts and general affairs, but he was afraid that the more he got involved, the more he would find that the fourth and fifth houses were making unreasonable troubles.
The Madam's eyes were straight and solemn.
In this scene, she seems to be an upright and positive character, selfless, benevolent and charitable, generous, and does good deeds without leaving her name behind; while the group of people headed by the Fourth Old Master played very disgraceful supporting roles, greedy for money and mean,
He is shameless, has taken advantage of his kind brother and sister-in-law for decades, and is still ungrateful.
Minglan almost applauded.
Madam Tai must have endured these guys for a long time, remembering every detail in her mind. However, she was invincible and endured all the resentment and dissatisfaction in order to establish a good image in front of her holy father and husband. In fact, Minglan
I admire this kind of person very much. When the disadvantage cannot be changed, he will never be stubborn and resist it. He will only wait for the opportunity to take advantage of the situation as much as possible.
Since she couldn't get rid of these precious brothers, she simply turned waste into treasure, tried to make the most of this situation, took a long-term view, and used them to remove the real thorn in her side. As long as her biological son could inherit the title, then it would be time to settle the score.
She should settle accounts and kick them away. Anyway, she has accumulated enough leverage with these two treasures to really show it off. She has enough reason to say it.
At this point in the battle, the victory or defeat was basically clear. Only the fourth old man was still resisting. He stood up in a hurry, his eyes were bloodshot, and roared: "I just saw today that my sister-in-law is such a hero among women. Speaking of which,
One set after another! It was so disrespectful in the past! Don’t forget what my mother said when she held the hands of our three brothers in front of my mother’s hospital bed. The eldest brother personally promised to take good care of me and Lao Wu! What? Now?
Now that eldest brother is gone, you’ve turned your back on me? You’ve shown your true colors!”
This time even Ming Lan laughed, and two clear sneers came out from behind the screen. I guess Shaw and Zhu couldn't help it either.
The madam couldn't hide her sarcasm, her eyes showed deep resentment and disgust, and she said coldly: "Mother wants to give the eldest brother more money, and the fourth uncle said that the mother is sick and confused, but the mother wants the eldest brother to take care of the two."
My younger brother, my fourth uncle remembers it very well. It was all what my mother said before she died. Why is it that the first sentence is confusing but the next sentence is not? My fourth uncle has such a good memory and ability."
Minglan sighed secretly: This old grandmother of the Gu family is quite understanding, but it is a pity that her motherly heart is so unworthy that she was left to the dogs to chew.
No matter how thick-skinned the fourth old man was, he couldn't stand it anymore. He was so angry that he was shaking all over. After sitting down, he punched the coffee table next to him, almost knocking off a tea bowl.
Seeing that the situation was not right, the fourth old lady quickly spoke and apologized: "I know that my sister-in-law has suffered all these years and has worried so much about us useless people. His fourth uncle has been worried about Brother Bing's affairs these days.
I'm annoyed, so I have a bad tone, so don't take it personally, sister-in-law. But having said that, I can't write two characters "Gu" in one sentence. Now that we are going to separate, it's really difficult. I would like to ask my sister-in-law to help me a little bit."
What a skill! Minglan admired and glanced at the fourth old lady. She was also a master.
Unexpectedly, these words made the Madam very sad. She said with red eyes: "What the fourth aunt said is ridiculous. The two uncles are both great men, and the following nephews are also legitimate."
Years, after all these years, the fourth and fifth bedrooms have only been in the big house, and they are still here to torment us orphans and widowed mothers. Will my life be easy in the future?!"
This sentence is so profound. Everyone knows that the relationship between Gu Tingye and his wife has always been lukewarm. Minglan is a bit hot-tempered, so she can only resolutely dare not speak out, so as not to cause trouble.
Seeing that the situation was settled, Mrs. Tai could pay the money and retreat her troops. Unexpectedly, a dark horse came from the side. Aunt Liu saw that everyone was speechless and felt anxious. She immediately jumped out and shouted: "I don't have the right to speak here, but I
After all, I’ve been cooking in this house for decades, so I’m a bit old-fashioned after all.”
She was wearing a hazel red mandarin coat trimmed with two-finger wide ink velvet. She said with a playful smile: "Everything the madam said makes sense. Our room and the fifth room have indeed benefited a lot from you, but doesn't the old marquis know? I
Look, the old Marquis is a very generous person. He seems to have a clear mind, but the younger brother is just taking advantage of the elder brother. The old Marquis is clearly trying to make the two younger brothers have a good life! Since the old Marquis is like this
I mean, Madam, why don’t you obey?”
What he said was both rogue and shameless, but it was also somewhat unreasonable. The fourth old man immediately took the hint, jumped up, and said loudly: "That's right! That's what eldest brother means! There is no difference between our brothers, and eldest brother will never talk to us.
You have a clear sense of scheming. You keep saying that you will marry and obey your husband. If you really care about your relationship with your eldest brother, you should still act as usual!"
Minglan was speechless. She now understood why Gu Tingye never said a word in front of them; facing such scoundrels, only fists and power were probably the most effective. She sighed in her heart, and secretly went to look at the face of the madam: A separate room
If any of the concubines dare to come out to provoke the wife of the principal wife, nine out of ten will be able to reprimand her severely and righteously.
Who knows...
The expression on Mrs. Tai's face changed, her red eyes became moist, and the Iron Lady immediately turned into a watery old white flower.
She threw herself sadly on the kang table, turned to the Fifth Old Master and choked with sobs, saying sadly: "Fifth Uncle, you are the most knowledgeable and reasonable person in the Gu family. You can tell me, over the years, how has your wife been?
I have treated you badly. After all, there is still hard work without credit! Now that I have lost even half a cent, you actually stepped on my face by calling me an unworthy person! I searched all over the capital to find out who is so arrogant as the aunt in the next room.
You are so domineering! My role as the eldest sister-in-law of these decades has been in vain, I might as well just follow your elder brother and be clean!"
The fifth old man couldn't sit still for a long time, and now his face was even hotter and ashamed. He stood up quickly with a flick of his robe, and glared at Aunt Liu and the fourth old man: "It's not appropriate! Which family's rules!"
After all, he was his brother, so he didn't mind scolding him too much. He immediately waved his sleeves and strode away, and the fifth old lady quickly followed.
Minglan watched them leave, then looked back at Madam Tai, and understood in her heart.
Enemies must be treated differently. The fifth old man has a good face, while the fifth old lady has a handle and cannot stand up straight to speak. The people in this house are the ones who can win over, and it is best to fight them off with gentleness. The fourth house is both rogue and shameless.
It needs to be defeated head-on.
Facing such a changeable and tolerant opponent, Minglan was deeply ashamed of her single and rigid tactics.
One-third of the room was empty, and the fourth old man stood there awkwardly. Next to him stood Aunt Liu, who was scolded as a 'thing'.
The wife wiped away her tears, stood up slowly, and said to him calmly: "If Fourth Uncle is dissatisfied, you can call all the elders of the clan to open an ancestral hall, ask everyone to come and discuss the reasons, and open up the accounts and calculate them clearly.
.If the fourth brother really suffers a loss, I will have a lot of money and double it to accompany the fourth uncle! If not..."
She glanced at Minglan and said softly: "It's time to talk about Brother Ye's share of the property that he left with his fourth uncle."
Minglan lowered her head, she was being used as a gun.
The fourth old man choked and gritted his teeth and stared for a long time. Finally, defeated, he shook his head and left unluckily.
After everyone left, there was silence in the room. Slowly, Mrs. Shao helped Mrs. Zhu out. They looked at Mrs. Tai and then at Minglan, with different expressions on their faces.
Minglan looked at Shao, and she was looking over with her eyes, and the two of them looked at each other.
"Well, I'm going to see Sister Rong. Why don't I come with my sister-in-law?"