Early the next morning, after sending the two girls off to school, Minglan ordered breakfast to be served. (·~) A young mother's early morning was very busy, but because her parents were busy fighting fairies last night, the little meat ball waited for a long time and found that there was no breakfast.
The man came to pay attention to himself, his belly was bulging and he was angry. He had been arguing with the wet nurse for most of the night and still refused to sleep, so he fell asleep soundly now.
Suddenly she had a free morning, and Minglan was bored. She bit her spoon and used chopsticks to poke the fried soft cake in front of her into a honeycomb. The porridge bowl in front of her was slightly cold and she hadn't finished eating yet. At this time, a visitor came from outside.
, Minglan finally woke up and quickly got up.
"...It's such a rare visitor, fifth sister, I'm looking forward to your coming; come and sit down, big sister comes here often, so don't be polite."
Minglan looked at the new Rulan in front of her in surprise. It was early winter, and the chill was not yet apparent, but she had already put on a red ermine satin coat with hundreds of butterflies and flowers, and her complicated double-winged phoenix bun was pressed with
A large red gold hairpin inlaid with red Bores, a jingling green emerald hairpin beside her ear, and a pair of heavy gold bracelets inlaid with beads hung on her wrist. For a moment, her pearls were shaking all over the room.
.
After coming to her senses, Minglan quickly ordered the maids to get tribute tea to serve the guests.
Rulan pouted softly: "You are Jingui's Madam Hou. I don't dare to ask you to go to my thatched cottage, so I have to come here myself." Minglan raised her eyebrows and said with a smile: "You didn't ask me to go to you last time.
Where? I said it saves you trouble with your mother-in-law and sisters-in-law." Rulan responded as quickly as before: "I said a few polite words, but you took it seriously and blocked me with words here." Minglan said unceremoniously:
"Put me down, you were serious about your curse at that time." The two sisters were very familiar with each other's moves.
Hua Lan hurriedly came out to stop: "Stop it, we're already starting to argue before we even sit down! How old are you? You're already a mother. You're still like a little girl." She turned to Ru.
A young daughter-in-law behind Lan said, "Magpie, hurry up and bring your sister to show her Sixth Aunt... Over there, Danju, don't be stunned, hurry up and ask someone to bring Brother Tuan."
Oh, what a shame, I haven’t met these little cousins yet."
Ru Lan reluctantly sat down and pointed at the magpie to bring the child over. Ming Lan also sat down with a smile.
Compared with Hua Lan, Ru Lan has almost never been to Gu's house. She thinks her house is simple and simple, and is afraid of being compared, so she doesn't want Minglan to go there more. But invite her to Chengyuan and watch.
The grandeur of the Marquis Mansion and the rich furnishings made her feel uncomfortable and sour in her throat - a very subtle and tangled state of mind.
Magpie took the child from the mother-in-law's arms behind her. The little girl was quite temperamental and said loudly: "I'll go by myself." Magpie smiled and helped her walk over, only to see her swaying and making small noises.
Like a duck, although he walks a little crookedly, his steps are still steady. What is rare is that he is not afraid or shy when meeting many strangers at first sight, and he is calm and generous.
Today, Rulan came to the house with her daughter. Minglan was not prepared. She smiled and winked at Danjue. Danjue understood and went to the house to find a brand new bright red purse and put a warm and precious white jade in it.
Toad, after thinking for a while, he took a bunch of small gold ingots, held them in a small plate filled with begonia paint, and went outside.
At this time, Minglan had already held the little girl and sat on the small stool, and was asking gently: "You are so beautiful, what is your name?" The little girl was born with delicate features, a fair and pink face, and dotted eyebrows.
The red bean-sized Cinnabar Ji, sitting upright on a small stool, was as cute as a clay doll. She could only hear her speak clearly: "My name is your sister."
Minglan touched her cute little face, took what Dan Ju held up, and said kindly: "This is for you to be naughty." The little girl obediently turned her head and tilted her head to look at her mother.
Rulan nodded, then stretched out a pair of small white jade hands to take it, and said naively: "Thank you, Aunt Six." Minglan liked her childish and cute voice, and asked someone to bring her snacks, and asked her about her daily life.
Who is naughty, what do you like to eat, what do you like to do, your sister is not good at organizing long sentences, but her enunciation is very clear.
"They are cousins after all. This child looks a bit like Sister Zhuang. He is well-behaved and sensible." Minglan turned around and sighed.
Hua Lan was blowing the tea and couldn't help but sigh, "When Zhuang Yatou was as old as she was, I had a hard time, and her grandmother didn't want to see her. She has learned her cleverness from birth, how could she be as good as this child? My parents
It hurts like liver, and there are offerings all over the house, and even my grandmother and aunt dare not look down upon it, but they are still so polite and generous." He shook his head repeatedly.
Over there, Ru Lan was holding Brother Tuan in her arms and kissing his little face. When she heard this, she raised her head and said angrily: "Look what the eldest sister said, my mother-in-law is so easy to kill. She will pick some today and rub some tomorrow. Hate it."
You can't scrape more from me. If I hadn't been so careful, I don't know how much would be left... Oh, this little one is still sleeping, and he doesn't even wake up like this."
She herself gave birth to a daughter, so she cared very little about boys. She only felt that Tuan Ge's tough-headed boy was different from the delicate and delicate girl in every way. He was heavy in her hands, like a soft weighing weight, which was both comforting and practical.
Minglan smiled and said: "Last night there was a lot of noise. I didn't sleep for half the night. No, I fell asleep."
Tuan Ge's sleep was good, no matter how much he was hugged, he always slept with his head tilted; Hua Lan stretched her neck and took a few glances, and saw that the fat white baby was sleeping in the dark, swaying around in the bright red swaddling clothes.
I couldn't help but laugh: "This child is quite down-to-earth. My two little ones wake up whenever they move. Mothers say that it's difficult to raise such a boy, so you have to be careful at all times."
In general, there are only a few topics for married women's gatherings, and Minglan is unconventional. After the wet nurse took Brother Tuan down, she asked Xiaotao to take Sister Gui down to play with her. The three sisters closed the door and chatted away.
After half a day of parenting experience and parent gossip. While talking, Minglan looked over closely and saw Rulan's luxurious clothes and rosy complexion. She thought she was living a good life.
However, it is still not as good as Hua Lan.
This mother of three, who is already in her thirties, is getting more and more moisturized, but her skin is shiny, her lips are springy, and the delicate look between her eyebrows is almost ready to appear. They say that she is in her thirties.
A woman's watershed, if this threshold is not passed well, she will quickly wither and develop into aging and dryness. But if she is well adjusted at this time, she will be like a periwinkle flower, and its fragrance will become more and more intense thereafter.
A simple white robe embroidered with indigo flowers, a plain threaded skirt, and no jewelry, made Hualan's whole body look radiant and radiant, surpassing that of Rulan who was covered in jewels.
street.
"...Not just her nose and eyes, this girl looks like her father in every aspect. She can read and recite songs, and she can do it after being taught it twice. Alas, she is smart, but she doesn't follow me at all. It makes people angry and depressed." What should be said.
After everything was said and the conversation was almost finished, Hua Lan interrupted after hearing Ru Lan's proud showoff for the nth time: "Okay, let's not get down to business yet."
Ru Lan was interrupted, but she was not angry. Instead, her face became even more proud, and she said to Minglan, "I'm afraid your brother-in-law will be released." Minglan was startled, and without thinking much, she blurted out: "
But put it in Fujian?" This time it was Ru Lan's turn to be startled: "How do you know?" Ming Lan reacted very quickly, waved her hand and said with a smile: "I heard from Mr. Hou that something big or small happened in Fujian recently.
Due to the corruption case, the emperor dismissed many officials, so I think there will be a lot of vacancies."
Hua Lan glanced at Minglan in surprise: "Brother-in-law, I tell you everything." Minglan retorted with a smile: "Hey, what is there that brother-in-law would hide from my eldest sister?" Hua Lan smiled wildly. He glanced at her: "Naughty!"
Nowadays, the conflict in the officialdom of the Huaihe River has reached a fever pitch. The two factions are fighting on the battlefield, and the sun and the moon are not shining. The general battle practice is that when the main battlefield is temporarily stalemate, cannon fodder will usually be produced nearby. It was recently picked. This was the case with the black-hatted chief envoy to Fujian. He had been an official in Fujian for many years, and his relatives and disciples were widely implicated. The big cannon fodder brought out many small cannon fodders, and the officialdom in southern Fujian was very dusty for a while.
Ru Lan couldn't hide her joy at being able to leave her mother-in-law and be the head of the family freely: "I said we were going to be in Fujian, so I can't miss it, but it doesn't matter, my eldest brother and sister-in-law also came over in that remote place. I gritted my teeth and said, You can get through it too."
Minglan sincerely congratulated her: "It's a great thing to be able to go out for a walk and see the scenery all over the world. Fifth sister, I would like to congratulate you first."
Ru Lan was happy in her heart and accepted it generously. She smiled and said, "Thanks to everyone, I will bring you some local folk rituals from southern Fujian later." She wrinkled her nose playfully and hummed, "Thank you for that." Your brother-in-law has decided, otherwise that old Qian..." Seeing Hua Lan glare over at her, she quickly changed her words: "My mother-in-law still wants to keep me here to serve her!"
Minglan bit her lip lightly and smiled mischievously: "Brother-in-law is very considerate. We haven't given birth yet, so how can we be separated from the fifth sister?" Rulan blushed, feeling shy, and went to beat Minglan with a smile. Hualan He smiled and joked: "Is it okay to have a daughter this time? If it is a brother, either the mother-in-law will leave behind the eldest daughter-in-law, or the grandmother will leave behind the eldest grandchild!"
Ru Lan said in a sweet voice: "When did I feel that your sister is not good? Sister, it is true!"
"Don't tell anyone about this." After laughing for a while, Rulan grabbed Minglan's collar and warned her repeatedly, "I don't know if it works yet. If it doesn't work, it will be a joke later!" Minglan nodded her head. Ru Lan was only willing to let her go after catching the woodpecker. She turned around and glared at her eldest sister, "Eldest sister, don't say anything either! Your brother-in-law said, be careful in everything you do."
Hua Lan deliberately didn't answer, but said with a smile: "Tsk tsk tsk, brother-in-law is so capable. He pinned a grandson under the Five Elements Mountain. My unruly fifth sister is now so obedient?!"
Rulan was extremely embarrassed and was about to pounce on her again. Minglan quickly hugged her arm and repeatedly persuaded: "Ignore elder sister, she is the most hateful. Recently, relying on her good relationship with elder brother-in-law, Let’s make fun of my sisters!” Just kidding, Dan Ju, a real person, brought the tea set to entertain guests this time, but it was the top quality porcelain just produced by Songxi Imperial Kiln. This is the only set in the whole house, which is called Ru Lan Reckless A few of them fell, and she had no time to cry.
Hua Lan saw that her sister was really annoyed, so she smiled and tried to coax her: "Okay, okay, don't be angry, sister. Yesterday, your brother-in-law got some fresh mushrooms from outside the mouth and made them into soup and vegetables. They are all very delicious." I’ll give you a taste later.”
Seeing that her eldest sister had given in, Rulan relaxed angrily, but Minglan remembered something and wondered: "Hey, didn't my eldest brother-in-law just follow the chief registrar of Taipu Temple to pick horses for the Wucheng Army and Horses Division a few days ago? Have you gone? Are you back so soon?" Three days ago, Hua Lan came to her like a young woman in love and lamented the "pain of separation between husband and wife."
"It's nothing. Your brother-in-law came back last night." Hua Lan tried her best to act as if she didn't care. This time, the ignorant Ru Rulan also sensed that something was wrong: "Is the ranch of Taipu Temple very close to the capital?"
Hua Lan smiled sweetly, her fair face seemed to be stained with a layer of rouge, and said softly: "There are a few traders from outside the country doing business there. Your eldest brother-in-law saw that the mushrooms were of very high quality, so he bought some and sent them back.
"
Minglan knew in her heart that she deliberately made a strange sound: "Just ask a boy to escort you back. Why bother to go there yourself?"
"I said the same thing, but your brother-in-law..." Hua Lan was shy and proud at the same time, but she was born to be upright and said everything openly. "He drove his horse here all night. He didn't say anything.
After saying a few words, I had to run back quickly for fear of missing my errand." As she spoke, she herself laughed.
"How long have you been traveling for just a few hours just to see you?" Rulan said in disbelief, "Brother-in-law has never seen you?"
Hua Lan's voice seemed to be floating in the clouds, so soft that it was almost inaudible: "He said, suddenly, he wanted to see me..."
As Minglan, who has heard a lot about it, she is calmly holding a cup of tea and looking at the roof - Hualan is indeed the daughter of the Wang family, and her show-off nature cannot be eradicated. In addition, when middle-aged people fall in love, it is like a fire in an old house.
Out of control, the couple, who had been married for ten years, suddenly fell in love. This is a relatively rare sporadic large-scale fire.
Ru Lan saw this for the first time, and she was dumbfounded. When Wang complained to her younger daughter about her eldest daughter's misdeeds a few times before, she still thought Wang was being unreasonable, but now she finally understood. In other words, Hua Lan's current situation
爱的旁若无人,天上地下,难分难舍的模样,确蛮欠揍的.
"Your brother-in-law and I are also a loving couple. We are not like my sister. It's so embarrassing!" Ru Lan thought for a while and then asked doubtfully, "Then you still give your brother-in-law a child?"
Hua Lan glanced over and said, "Your brother-in-law often has to run out of town. It's freezing cold and there's no one to heat the food and bring hot water. Is that okay? I can rest assured if you choose someone who is honest and responsible and follows you to wait on you on the road. As everyone
Are you as jealous as you? As soon as I heard that my brother-in-law wanted to close the house, I ran out to cry in the rain with my stomach raised. It’s thanks to your strong body that nothing happened!"
"Oh, there's still this thing?!" Minglan became energetic and the gossip came!
Ru Lan became angry: "Don't listen to her nonsense!"
The three sisters talked and pushed, pushed and pulled, and laughed for a long time. Minglan invited the Shaw family out again, arranged a table, served some good wine, and the four girls ate and laughed together until noon.
Halfway through, Hua Lan and Ru Lan stood up to say goodbye. Sister Gui was already so sleepy that she lay on Magpie's back, rubbing her eyes with her fists.
As soon as the sisters got into the car, Hua Lan hurriedly leaned on the mat. She was happy these days, but she had drunk a lot. Now the wine was getting stronger and she started chattering: "Sister, listen to my sister. Turn around and follow me.
When your brother-in-law takes up a job outside, you must abide by your duties and don't dictate matters in official matters. You were still young at that time, and you didn't know that your mother suffered a big loss from this. She listened to other people's good words and took advantage of them.
Forcing dad to do this and that..."
Ru Lan leaned against the wall of the car, swaying gently to the rhythm of the swaying wheels, as if she had fallen asleep: "Don't worry, sister, I won't follow my mother's old path." These words were very soft, and she didn't know how beautiful they were.
Did Lan hear it?
…
The Shao family had been alone and lonely for a long time, but suddenly it became lively. Hualan Rulan was cheerful and talkative again. She enjoyed the meal very well. She kept mumbling, "You girls from the Sheng family really have nothing to say. I often invite you here."
Sit, sit, and so on.
Minglan smiled and walked back with the half-drunk Shao to let go of the drunkenness. Then she returned to her room, only to see Brother Tuan lying on the kang with his eyes wide open, looking very sober. Minglan wanted to pretend
Tsukuru didn't see her and quickly turned around to take a nap, but the little meatball's eyes were very bright. When he saw his mother, he immediately squirmed and opened his little arms to hug her.
Minglan hugged her son and lay down on the bed together. The smell of alcohol all over her body could not get rid of the little meat ball. She had no choice but to tease him while patting him: "You don't sleep when I tell you to sleep, and you fall asleep when you shouldn't."
Shen. It’s rare that your fifth aunt is here, but you didn’t even open your eyes. Now that mom is tired, you’re really tired... My little cousin is pretty, isn’t she? She’s so well-behaved, but you’re the only one who’s disobedient..."
Thinking of the private conversation between the sisters just now, her thoughts slowly dispersed.
Maybe Hualan was the normal idea of an ancient noblewoman. She would give her husband a concubine to help serve her husband, which not only enriches her reputation but also shows her style. These days, asking for several concubines is like buying a car, giving her prestige and prestige.
Many men don’t have a car worth 100,000 yuan, and they are too embarrassed to go out to meet people. As long as they don’t stand out and don’t cause trouble, it’s completely innocuous. For example, Mrs. Zheng, and General Zheng are also a rare harmonious couple, but there is still something in the room.
There are two or three concubines and three or five concubines.
There is something special about the Sheng family.
Due to the huge turmoil caused by Ms. Lin in the Sheng family, the female family members of the Sheng family have a strong defense against concubines. Hualan has now asked Hualan to clean up all the women that Mrs. Yuan had forced her into.
Jing, what can be left behind is either defective products that are purely decorative, or those that she can firmly control.
But Ru Lan and Hua Lan were different. Before and after she was born, it was when Aunt Lin was in trouble in the Sheng family. Her mother gnashed her teeth like a witch every day, and she also had a concubine who was about the same age as herself.
Sister, her beauty and talent surpass her in everything, she has a father who loves her, and she has a favored biological mother, which has almost taken away all the glory that belongs to her, the legitimate daughter.
No one knows how hurt she was when she was little. Today, the three sisters gathered together, laughing and chatting, and it was extremely comfortable, but no one mentioned a word about Mo Lan, including Minglan herself; they were willing to forget, but they could not forgive easily.
.
But Rulan was also lucky. After many obstacles and criticisms in her early years, she finally learned to restrain her temper and - think. The girl in the Wen family had been serving Wen Yanjing since she was a child. When Rulan became pregnant,
, Old Mrs. Wen proposed to take the girl as her mistress on the grounds that her son had no one to serve her, which was quite natural.
But Rulan suddenly woke up and realized that this was absolutely not possible. Even if the Lord had never had love for this girl who had been serving her since she was a child, her love for her since she was a child was still very objective. The point is, it was difficult for her to completely control her.
Rulan was calmer than ever before, instead of making a fuss, she sent out mourning soldiers.
From Mrs. Wang, Ru Lan learned that the power of her natal family can intimidate anyone, even mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, but it can never be used to force her husband; and from Aunt Lin, she learned to show weakness, talk about feelings, and must talk about feelings.
Crying in the rain, she is just a jealous and confused little girl. She is deeply in love with her husband and can't help herself. She is afraid that her husband will change his heart and she doesn't know what to do. She has forgotten all the rules and ethics and can only hide in the rain like a child.
Secretly crying.
As expected, Wen Yanjing was greatly moved. He felt deeply that he was lucky enough to live up to his deep love and kindness. The next day, he personally married the girl. After that, Lian Rulan selected someone from among his dowry girls to be his wife.
, he didn’t touch it either.
Rulan won a great victory in this battle. In her husband's mind, she was a loving and virtuous wife. Although she was sad in every way, because she felt sorry for her husband and no one was taking care of her, she forced herself to endure the pain and provide for her husband's children;
In my eyes, isn't this just giving her husband a child? How can she be considered a jealous wife?
Old Mrs. Wen had some objections to the appearance of the new Tongfang. The mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law who went to the Sheng family as dowries were not vegetarians either - taking concubines was, firstly, for the purpose of procreating heirs, and secondly, to serve the Lord, and health and kindness were the best.
, What should I do if I want someone who is beautiful and flirtatious and can charm men? Why not go to a brothel and pick one? I don’t know what the old lady is worried about if the eldest young master’s desire to study and enterprising is distracted!
The Wen family was originally a farming and simple family. Rumors spread to the family, and even the old grandmothers and uncles and aunts were indignant and dissatisfied (is it easy for the family to become a scholar), and they all said that the old lady Wen was old and confused. The old lady Wen was angry.
It didn't work, but it could only be stopped.
And for a married woman whose body is being held captive, the lives of her parents and brothers are all in Ru Lan's hands. Are you afraid that she will cause some trouble?!
After so many years of bumping into each other, I remember the reckless girl who blushed and clenched her fists, but could never defeat the smart concubine, and the clumsy girl who only knew how to be domineering and show off. Now, she also understands and knows how to use scheming.
Already.
Minglan felt a little sad, as if the most innocent part of her was gradually lost.
In a patriarchal society, men formulate rules and regulations and constrain them into a complicated mold. If women want to survive in it and live well, they must give up the original appearance given to them by God. Polished step by step, tempered again and again, either smooth or smooth.
Coquettishness, sophistication, or amorous feelings, twist yourself into a shape that suits this mold.
After thinking about it, Minglan suddenly smiled.
Classmate Baoyu must have disagreed with his resentment for women. As a man, he refused to assimilate, so he could only become a monk. Think about it, in this world, not only women are like this, how can men do whatever they want?
Gu Tingye also cut off the fiery and willful Erlang and became the Gu Hou he is today.
There is also the gentle and handsome boy who likes to make bookmarks with flower petals and smile at himself in the continuous spring rain. I heard that he will soon be a father. Now he is acting more sophisticated and is highly appreciated by several elders.
At this time, when he passes under the branches of weeping flowers, he probably won't even stop for a step; he cuts off the restless, hesitant, and hesitant parts; he decisively brushes off the petals falling on his shoulders, and moves forward firmly.
The officialdom is as bad as the Shura Road, with demons and demons running rampant everywhere. If you walk naked through the fire of purgatory, you will either be burned to ashes or refined into steel...
He woke up in a daze, and in front of him was Gu Tingye's hazel face. The ridges at the corners of his eyebrows were as sharp as the cold moon, and he was as solemn as ink. He didn't know when he came in, and he knelt on the ground with one leg and his arms.
Half-circling himself, he stared quietly with deep eyes.
"Did you drink?" The man's voice was deep, like the knocking sound of his grandmother's agarwood fish when he was a child.
Minglan nodded, her head was still dizzy, and she turned her head intuitively, only to see that the little meatball was tired, her little arms were spread out in a surrender position, and she was sleeping soundly. She even kicked off a thick sock, revealing her fat body.
Fat little feet.
"What did you dream about? Are you crying so sadly?" His fingertips brushed her face, feeling wet.
Minglan looked at the exquisitely carved top of the bed and suddenly felt a sense of discomfort for no reason. She turned around, turned her back to him, and whispered: "I forgot..."
Gu Tingye was stunned for a moment, then he hugged her and pressed on the side of her neck, his warm and moist breath hitting her skin: "But you feel unwell?"
Minglan didn't want to talk, she just curled up into a shrimp and said, "No discomfort."
Gu Tingye frowned, stretched out his hand to pull her face, and asked himself: "Your sisters came to have a drink, what did they say to make you unhappy?"
Minglan was so annoyed that she pulled away the big hand on her chin and asked, "What kind of casserole are you making? When you come back drunk, how can I stop asking you questions?"
When she was upset, she never asked about this or that, she only listened quietly or gave advice with gentle words. She was so considerate and considerate.
There was some interest in Gu Tingye's eyes, his arms tightened, and he asked gentle questions repeatedly.
"Did you sisters quarrel?"
"No."
"Did your eldest sister scold you?"
"Master Hou, just ask me to attend the Qing Jing Meeting!"
"Do you want to pay back the money your fifth sister owes you?" There was a smile in the voice.
"You're so naughty!"
When did she cry because someone didn't pay back the money she borrowed? Minglan was so angry that she felt dizzy and swollen with alcohol. Her head became increasingly unclear and she wished she could kick him out of bed!
One was so angry that he was shaking all over, and the other was overjoyed. The little ball of flesh on the corner of the bed still slept in a large shape, with his belly rising and falling. He slept soundly and had no idea what was going on. He was born with a good life.
The couple got into a tantrum until it was time to turn on the lights. Minglan didn't even remember how she ate dinner, so she was thrown to bed in a daze. After all the nonsense, Gu Tingye took Minglan to take a bath, and then she even
I had the strength to hug the little meatball.
In the dead of night, when the bang was played on Chou, Minglan was exhausted and hugged a pillow, watching Gu Tingye next to her playfully with great interest. She had slept too much during the day, but now Brother Tuan was full of energy again, kicking his little feet.
The scene was very lively.
"Why are you crying?" He actually still remembered.
At this moment, Minglan was completely awake, organized her thoughts, and said concisely and concisely: "Sisters are getting older, and they are gradually becoming more diplomatic. It's not like when we were children, we were playing around randomly. That's our true temperament."
Gu Tingye pulled out Er's chubby hand that was about to be inserted into his mouth and said with a smile: "You silly girl, you must be older. Is it possible that you have a true temperament when you were playing around when you were a child?"
He lightly lifted the little meat ball in his arms, raised it in front of Minglan, and said jokingly: "If this little boy gets into trouble in two directions, today he beats the boss's son, and tomorrow he slaps the west's son in the mouth, what do you think?
Is this true temperament?"
The little meat ball giggled happily, revealing the bare pink gums with a few white dots that had just popped out. She had no idea that she was being used as a negative example at this moment. The classic images of those playboys immediately appeared in Minglan's mind, and she wrinkled
She raised her delicate brows: "How can that happen?!"
"It's good that you know." Gu Tingye scratched Minglan's nose, "The so-called true temperament means doing what you should do, doing what you should do, hating evil as much as enmity, and knowing right from wrong. Whenever you act ignorantly, it is also considered true.
Are you horny?"
Minglan was silent for a moment, then whispered: "That's not what I meant, I meant, don't hide it, just do what you want to do..."
"Don't talk nonsense." Gu Tingye interrupted and began to teach him a serious lesson, "When you are born, you are ignorant and ignorant. As you grow older, you learn principles, understand right and wrong, and understand the world. Naturally, you will know that there are many things that cannot be done in this world. At the age of three
A child is curious about other people's delicious food, so he reaches out to grab it, and still finds it interesting. If a seven-foot-old man is tempted by someone's money and silk, he asks for it. Is this his true temperament? He knows that someone is sick and hurts, but he opens his mouth to talk about it.
No scruples?”
If you say that, Ximen Qing is also very sincere, and he is so resolute in stealing his wife. Minglan nodded, feeling a lot more enlightened, and suddenly thought of something, whether to laugh or not: "Then... slap someone in the mouth, no
Could it be the great achievements of the Marquis’s childhood?”
"It's a shame, no reward." Gu Tingye didn't hesitate at all.
So upright and bright, Minglan rolled her eyes in disappointment.
The baby's burst of energy didn't last long. He was held in his father's strong arms and kicked and bumped wildly for a long time. The little meat ball began to feel sleepy. Gu Tingye carefully laid the baby flat on the bed and whispered: "
Teaching by words is not as good as teaching by actions. As elders, you must straighten yourself first, then your children can learn well."
Minglan was startled, and immediately stood in awe of him. The man in front of her suddenly grew taller. Who said that only maternal love is great? Those fathers who quit smoking and drinking early, and worked hard to save money for the sake of their children are also great.
"Don't be too arrogant. Don't take it to heart no matter how sleek and sophisticated the outside world is." Gu Tingye stroked the soft fetal hair of the little meatball, looked up at Minglan, and said firmly, "As long as our family is together, our hearts are in one place.
, it’s better than anything else.”
family.
Minglan's eyes were hot, she lowered her head and hummed softly.
…
It has almost become Minglan's habit to guess the boss's thoughts, but recently she has been a little unsure about Gu Tingye.
He was not necessarily happy when she was docile and submissive; he was not very angry when she lost her temper. Several times, when her words and deeds were clearly impeccable and everything was done, he had a stinking look on her face, as if she owed him two ounces of money and would not pay back;
A few times she would behave unreasonably, but he would be very patient and considerate in guiding her and making her happy.
It's strange. In the past, this man obviously admired her profound righteousness. Could it be that he had changed his taste and no longer liked the virtuous and virtuous type, and started to like the unruly and heavy-handed type? Minglan suddenly felt the importance of keeping pace with the times.
sex.
Time flies so fast, and I see the chills getting worse day by day, and the fire breaks out in the house. Dan Ju asks people to move out the various smoker and warm cages from the warehouse, polishes them one by one, moves them into the house, and wipes the lights himself.
Lan loves to use the small enamel multi-colored hand stove and the white jade hand stove.
The people on needlework have made new winter clothes for the house. The servants, women and handymen all have a thick cotton winter jacket, a thin cotton jacket, and two pairs of thick cotton jackets and trousers. As soon as everyone touches the fragrant and soft cotton and cloth,
Knowing that this was made of the best material, the cost was probably more than two or three ordinary winter coats. The housekeeper of the outer courtyard and the wife of the inner house all had custom-made satin robes from Xiangyunzhai, a famous store in the capital; the maids who served the master, including Lingding
The one in the pavilion had a bright and new satin jacket distributed equally to each of them.
The chief steward, Hao Dacheng, specially came to Jiaxi Residence to express his gratitude: "Brothers asked me to kowtow to Madam. Madam treats us servants kindly. We all remember this in our hearts. We will definitely work harder in the future."
The errands before and after the Chinese New Year are the most lucrative. A few days ago, with a single stroke of silver charcoal, the purchasing office purchased hundreds of kilograms. Minglan paid close attention early, and she lived up to her expectations and caught a few big rats. Maybe they were greedy.
Some of them got benefits or received kickbacks. Among them, there were two who were the most generous. One secretly bought a lot of public goods, and the other designated a few stores to buy. They dared to buy any substandard goods, and their money was as high as the sky.
False report.
The two fathers and grandfathers in charge were both long-term servants of the Gu family. They were confident and dignified. If they were treated with slight indifference, they would clamor to "cry the master". Minglan had set up a net for a long time, and it was they who were waiting for Tu.
The second master tried his best, after checking everything after two or three times, Minglan waved his hand and ordered to fetch the person with a smile.
The little meatball lying on the kang thought something good had happened. His eyes were wide open and bright. Xiaotao hugged him pitifully. He didn't understand his dear mother yet. Back then, Minglan was squatting by the pond, waiting with a smile.
The fat fish took the bait, and it looked exactly like this. Of course, the fish was still eaten, made into soup, braised in braise, and fried...
First, they directly asked for a confession. The first family quickly admitted their mistake and had a good attitude. The family lay on the ground crying and howling for a long time. The old man beat them up with a stick and begged for mercy. Minglan was determined to forgive them generously and
They gave them a lot of 'grace', rewarded them with a sum of money, and then let the whole family go out of the house. The other family was very sharp-tongued, pretending to be honest and pitiful, but in fact they were sophistical, and they even moved the old lady who had served Gu Tingye's grandmother out to seek death.
It was not until Minglan presented the witnesses and material evidence that the family could not defend themselves, and then they softened. Minglan was no longer polite to this kind of unruly slave. New crimes and old mistakes were committed all at once, either selling or punishing, because there were so many people in the capital.
They knew the inside story of the Gu family to some extent. In order to avoid future troubles, Ming Lan was more careful and did not drive them out rashly. They all went to the village.
Both were once powerful stewards. One family was able to open a grocery store and build a few acres of fertile land to make a small wealthy family. However, the other family was robbed to the last bit, and all the belongings in the house were searched. I don’t know what will happen next.
The servants, wives, and servants of the old mansion were all shocked by the two completely different punishments, soft and hard, and they no longer dared to underestimate the young lady in charge.
The colder the weather, the less happy Tuan Ge is. Now he is learning to turn over, his upper body can already turn around, and his legs are kicking hard. His small buttocks are particularly round and plump, and he is falling back heavily, and his face is swollen.
It was red, but in the end I still couldn't turn it over. It was cold now, and it was wrapped tightly. It was so bulging that it looked like a little fat pig, making it difficult to move. The difficulty was doubled, and of course it was even more difficult to turn it over.
The little meat dumpling is quite resilient. He worked hard for a long time today, but the revolution was still only half successful. It happened that Xiao Shen came to visit, carrying a big basket behind him, saying that he wanted Minglan to take a look.
New stuff. It turns out that General Zheng, fearing that his beloved wife would be bored, specially got a puppy that had just been weaned. It was only about the size of a palm, with light yellow fur, reddish spots, soft claws, and even teeth.
There is no sharpness, and the way he shakes his head is very cute.
Although he has short legs and a small body, he rolls very neatly. He rolls once and then twice. Brother Tuan, who was lying on the edge of the kang, was looking at it happily. When he saw this scene, he inexplicably tilted his mouth and said, wow
She let out a cry, crying very sadly, which shocked little Shen. She covered her chest and asked in surprise: "What's wrong with my child?"
Minglan was silent - probably because her self-esteem was hurt.
When Gu Tingye came back in the evening, he found that his child was haggard and depressed, so he asked what was going on. Minglan smiled and learned from him, but unexpectedly, Gu Tingye became angry - how could Xiao Shen do this? It hurts the child's feelings so much.
!She didn’t mean it.
Minglan: ...I was shot in the pit too.
Xiao Shen's retribution came soon.
Because he was startled, he felt chest tightness when he returned home, and he vomited the smell of rice and could not eat anything. The Zheng Mansion invited a doctor to see him, and he was diagnosed to be two or three months pregnant. Little General Zheng was immediately happy to become Maitreya.
My parents, brothers and sister-in-law also breathed a sigh of relief. Little Shen's heart, which had been hung for many years, finally settled down. She turned her hands to the sky and bowed several times. The news was spread to the palace, and the queen gave a lot of gifts.
It was a lot of fun to send nuns and imperial doctors.
But it's not all a good thing. When Ming Lan went to see her, Xiao Shen told her with a hint of melancholy: Her petunias was taken away because she was afraid it would be bad for pregnant women, and now she has become her little niece (Rong Xian's classmate)
My pet dog has been renamed Baoju (someone was shocked).
Later I learned that it turned out to be a hug. Hug chrysanthemum - Minglan was silent for a long time, it might as well be morning glory.
The twelfth lunar month is coming, and the heavy snow as soft as goose feathers is falling one after another, covering the capital with crystal white snow. Occasionally, it clears up one day. Minglan asks people to release a few chickens and ducks, and she hugs Brother Tuan and stands under the eaves, laughing.
The fruit forms two rows of bamboo leaves and plum blossoms on the snow.
In the silver-covered imperial capital, some families were happy and others were sad. Liu Zhengjie, the captain of the Town and Fu Division, personally led the guards and used hundreds of kilograms of oil cannons to blast open the ice at the Beijing-Tianjin Ferry and allow the fleets from the Huaihe River and Huaihe River to dock.
, and then personally escorted the convoy all the way to Beijing.
There were a total of forty large ships packed into two hundred silver carts, carrying nearly eight million taels of silver. The convoy stretched for dozens of miles. When the first cart arrived at the Ministry of Household Affairs, the last cart had not yet entered the city gate - the entire
The capital was in a state of excitement.
In the Lianghuai salt case, the emperor won a great victory. The imperial envoys were very aggressive and took off dozens of black hats at once. Nearly a hundred salt merchants were implicated. Not only did they collect all this year's salt tax money and two losses from last year, they also returned
Many old and major cases were opened. When the spring of the following year comes, the emperor will appoint another special case to try, and it is expected that a lot of money will be dug out. When the emperor governs the country, his life is similar to that of ordinary people. If he has money in his hands, he will be determined in his heart.
, whether it is replenishing the arsenal or rectifying the administration, you will have confidence.
Gu Tingye received the edict in advance a month ago, and as soon as the money is allocated, he can resume military operations and make up for the missing pay.
The emperor held a grand banquet for all his ministers and was very ambitious, determined to achieve great results next year. The civil and military officials of the court praised their merits. The queen summoned the royal ladies of the third rank and above in the capital to come to the palace for the banquet, and all the respectful ladies and gentlemen below the third rank, etc.
Each has his own reward. ~
The house was full of powerful family members, and many of them came to make friends with Minglan. Some wanted to socialize, and others wanted to make friends. This meal made my stomach hurt. Fortunately, the British princess-in-law took care of Minglan, so she could cope with it smoothly.
"Looking at your age, I'm afraid you are younger than my daughter, but it's not easy to lead a family." The British father-in-law's face was fair and his speech was gentle and dignified. "I asked someone to do the pickling of green plums.
I made it, and my girl ate it very well, it was appetizing and comfortable, and I haven’t thanked you yet."
Minglan said gently: "It's what I like to eat. I don't know if Sister Zhang is used to it."
The British princess smiled slightly, and there was a sense of nobility in her behavior: "If you are free, you can often go to the Weibei Marquis Mansion for a walk. My girl is dull and doesn't like to talk, but she is serious-minded and is afraid of being annoying.
You can explain it to me; well, speaking of it, Gu Hou and my uncle are close friends, so you and my girl should be as close as sisters."
Minglan's scalp was numb after hearing this, so she had to accept everything. No matter how stupid she was, she could still hear the subtext of the British father-in-law: I heard that you and Xiao Shen are very close, could you please help mediate with their sister-in-law, Okai?
The next day was a royal family banquet, so there were no foreign ministers and female family members to attend. However, Xiao Shen later reported that Empress Dowager Shotoku smiled very reluctantly.
"Hahaha, the emperor's position is getting more and more stable, how can she laugh!" Mr. Gongsun laughed loudly, blowing on his sparse beard and shaking it, interspersed with a few gentle coughs. One day before winter, this
The old man's old habit relapsed, and he imitated Ji Kang and sang and danced bare-chested. As a result, the wind and cold entered his body, and he has been lingering on his bed to this day.
Gu Tingye sat in front of the bed, frowning slightly: "The Emperor is blessed with great blessings... Sir, please take care of your body and mind in the future. You are not too young. If there is any good or bad thing, why don't we regret it."
Gongsun Baishi covered his lips with his fist, laughing and coughing: "Zhonghuai has become more and more boring since he got old! How many years have passed in life, and we sing over wine. When you marched to Anhui, the weather was unbearably hot, so you took the lead and jumped into the Baimao River.
Taking a bath, the young wives and eldest girls from several villages along the river..." He stopped mid-sentence and glanced at Ming Lan, who was filtering the concoction at the table. The old man stopped talking with a guilty conscience. Gu Tingye also coughed slightly, a little
Not very comfortable.
It was such a spectacular scene to see hundreds of young and middle-aged people bathing naked in the open air. Minglan laughed secretly, but pretended not to understand. She blew gently on the medicine bowl and changed the topic: "The Emperor is very blessed.
Oh my God, I have pity on the imperial envoy. Even we women and other Taoist families have heard that everyone outside is trying to get involved with him."
Gu Tingye said: "He is also an angry scholar. He has turned the Lianghuai officialdom into chaos. He will take the third and fourth grade officials at will, beheading their heads and ransacking their homes. The king of heaven is not afraid, but his methods are a bit excessive and offend the public."
.”
Gongsun Baishi squinted his eyes, shook his head and said: "When the late emperor was in power, he sent several groups of people to check the salt affairs, but it was peaceful and drizzle. I don't want to offend more people, so what will happen? The official circles of the two Huaihe Rivers are intertwined and have long been rotten.
It's a quagmire, and he has to give an explanation to the emperor before the year, how can he break this corruption without resorting to thunderbolt means."
Gu Tingye smiled bitterly: "How could I not know this? The last time I went to Lianghuai, there were dead soldiers who dared to intercept and kill the imperial envoys in broad daylight. Alas, it's just a pity for the loyal ministers..." The implication was quite a bit sad.
"You think he is Dong Anyu, but I think he is the master Fuyan. He may be a little smarter." Gongsun Baishi stroked his beard and said with a smile, "He was just a small official. He didn't show up in the imperial examination and his knowledge was not outstanding. He was not outstanding in the court.
Zhongquan has no foundation and partial ambitions, so how should he stand out - he can only use dangerous tactics! He knows that this mission is extremely risky and will offend many people. He also knows that he will be impeached afterwards; this person is betting on the emperor.
The Holy Will of the Heart!”
Gu Tingye thought for a moment and then understood: "As long as the emperor remembers his grievances and remembers his loyalty, there is no need to worry about the hopelessness of his recovery." Now that he has a strong nature, he will have to be quiet for a while. As long as his official career goes smoothly, he will be promoted to several levels.
Not nothing.
Minglan was so engrossed in listening that she didn't even realize that the medicine bowl in her hand was hot, so she interrupted: "Sir, what if that gentleman is truly loyal to the country and does not care about personal honor, disgrace, life or death?" She felt that there was something wrong with her words.
This made the old man burst out laughing.
There was a touch of self-mockery between Gu Tingye's brows, and he said warmly: "So what if it is, so what if it isn't." For a person in officialdom, it is too naive to blindly think the best of others.
Gongsun Baishi smiled and waved his hands repeatedly. He coughed and said with a smile: "Madam, you are upright and upright. It was us who read the book crookedly and fell into the lower class."
Ming Lan blushed and walked over slowly holding the medicine bowl: "Sir, please stop teasing me and please take the medicine first."
"Excuse me, madam." The old man had a grimace, as if he had sacrificed his life heroically. He raised his neck and drank the medicine bowl, until his face wrinkled into a walnut kernel. Gu Tingye greeted his nephew and stood up to hold a bowl of water for him to rinse his mouth.
The three of them chatted for a while, urging Old Man Gongsun to lie down and rest, and the couple said goodbye. There was white snow outside, and they walked slowly along the corridor. Gu Tingye was silent for a long time, and suddenly said: "There is something
I'm afraid I need you to do it."
Minglan turned her head to listen, and Gu Tingye continued: "Mr. Gongsun is over fifty years old, but his knees are still empty. Let's choose a girl who is attentive and good at giving birth to be our concubine."
"Is this... the Marquis thought of it himself?" Minglan blinked, but it didn't sound like it.
Gu Tingye sighed slightly and said: "Sir, you are open-minded and never take things like having no heirs to your heart... It's my wife who has sent me a letter."
Gongsun Baishi and his wife once had a wife. Unfortunately, they died early. The eldest brother died young, leaving a weak widow and a bunch of young nieces and nephews. Therefore, Mrs. Gongsun had to take over the housework and hold multiple jobs. She had to serve
The parents-in-law must take care of the widowed sister-in-law, educate their nephews and nieces, and are not allowed to leave home to be with their husbands.
Mrs. Gongsun suggested several times that her husband take concubines outside so that he could continue his career. However, Gongsun, who was not yet an old man at that time, had already begun to travel around the world and rarely stayed in one place for a long time. Of course, she did not care about having children. This time she met her husband.
Following Gu Tingye to Beijing, he seemed to want to settle down, but he was afraid that he would cause trouble if he tried to stop him, so he simply asked Gongsun Meng to bring a letter directly to Gu Tingye, asking him to find a candidate for him.
"Even if you want to take a concubine, it's up to the master's wife to choose one by herself and send her to the capital." Minglan said quietly.
Gu Tingye smiled slightly: "The letter only said that there are no outstanding talents in the countryside, and I am afraid that the husband will not like it. Later I will ask the husband if there is any maid he is currently serving that he likes. It must be in line with the husband's heart."
"
Minglan is embarrassed, I feel like a pimp, a bad old man who likes to run naked and idolize idols, and still be picky!
Gu Tingye went to lobby the next day. At first, the old man was not willing. His wish was to be a peerless elegant guest with a plum wife and a crane, and he did not want to be burdened with a family. However, Gu Tingye persevered and knocked a few words from time to time, starting from his mistress' pity to
There are three ways to be unfilial, and the old man gradually became interested. From Gu Tingye's point of view, Xiaorouduan was probably more martial than philanthropic. If he had a child of his own, wouldn't it be a great sense of accomplishment to start from the Enlightenment? At that moment, he agreed half-heartedly.
It was already the middle of the twelfth lunar month, and Mr. Xue was preparing to return to his hometown to celebrate the New Year. Minglan went there in advance to deliver New Year gifts and asked the two girls to wish him a happy new year. After returning, Minglan announced that he would have a winter vacation and that he could stop studying for the time being.
The two girls ran away cheering.
Qiuniang chased after her nervously, like a thoughtful hen protecting her chicks: "Run slowly, run slowly, there is still snow outside, be careful!"
Minglan smiled slightly. She finally understood why Gu Tingye said that Qiu Niang was not bad. Miss Fengxian occasionally played some tricks, such as singing in the middle of the night, pretending to be sick and dying, etc., but Qiu Niang only had two tricks in total, doing needlework,
Block the road.
After being hit with bad luck several times, she finally understood that Gu Tingye really had no interest in her, so she had no choice but to accept her fate, gradually gave up thinking about her, and turned to Sister Rong. If Qiuniang treats others sincerely, she will be sincere.
, sewing clothes and making shoes for Sister Rong, accompanying her in writing, memorizing and doing homework, teaching her step by step how to be beautiful, and turning over tricks to dress the little girl up beautifully. Care for her, love her, their hearts are made of flesh, and over time, the two of them
There is a bit of a real mother-daughter vibe.
The girl was finally able to carry it, so after the red ribbon left, Minglan took the initiative to treat her as her aunt. She also bought several banquets and asked her to invite her friends to celebrate. At noon that day, Sister Rong specially
I rushed back just to offer Qiuniang three glasses of wine, and used the monthly money I had saved to give Qiuniang a heavy gold hairpin, and handed it to her in person. Qiuniang suddenly burst into tears.
Aunt Qiu, who was beside Shao, was always close to her. She held her shoulders and whispered: "Sister, I am a conscientious person who will think of you well. Don't worry, with her here, you will be reliable for the rest of your life."
.”
Minglan was very happy when this news reached her ears. If possible, she would be willing to treat these unfortunate women well.
But at the moment, she had other worries. She always felt that it was inhumane to let a young girl be an old man's concubine. She struggled for a few days and still resisted. Unexpectedly, after telling Cui's mother about this, she was
The other party laughed three times in a row.
"What are you thinking, madam? It's not like forcing a good girl to become a prostitute. There is nothing you can't bear. Mr. Gongsun is a very good scholar and a good character. He is not very old and his mistress is not around. As long as he gives birth to a son, he will be counted as the legitimate son from now on.
The husband's family property belongs to him, isn't it better than marrying a servant? Just wait and see, wait and see, when some news is released, how many girls want to climb this high branch." Cui's mother said bluntly.
Minglan was stunned for a moment, then she remembered that Gongsun Baishi was about the same age as her father, but that face with dry wrinkles was far different from the handsome middle-aged man Sheng Hong.
According to this suggestion, Minglan went to the small courtyard where Mr. Gongsun lived to spread some rumors. According to Cui's mother, if she didn't want to be a concubine, she would try to avoid this situation as much as possible. If she was willing, she would double the time to go there.
Come forward.
The results were gratifying. Although not everyone followed suit, there were a few who were obviously much more attentive. It is worth mentioning that among them there were two or three young wives who had no men. They were especially refined, fat but not greasy, and coquettish but not coquettish.
.
The facts are before her eyes, and Minglan has no choice but to admit that these days, being a concubine is a very legitimate profession. She relies on her capital to earn a living and is paid according to her abilities. Okay, then let's find someone who is willing to work with us and achieve good things. I don't know what Gongsun is.
What kind of taste does the old man like? This pimp is really hard to pull, and Minglan has no experience at all. At this moment, she is complaining that the old man Gongsun has always been too cautious. If he and a little girl have already cooked a pot of rice, now he just
Isn’t it convenient to just make up the ticket?
After struggling for two or three days, Minglan gradually made up her mind. The granddaughter of Mrs. Pan who was married is now serving tea and water in the old man Gongsun's courtyard. She is honest and pretty. She is the caretaker of Lin's sister-in-law Jin. Her fourth girl read it when she was young.
After a few days of writing, she was the most considerate; there was also Lian’s mother’s eldest niece, who was calm, considerate, and pretty. These were all nonsense. The point was that Cui’s mother had already gone to inquire about them, and she was willing to do all of them.
When Minglan was biting her lip and thinking, she heard a soft crunching sound. Danju looked worried and knocked over the tea cup on the kang table for the fourth time. The small pink tureen with purple gold threads rolled around.
The tea was spilled.
"What's wrong with you today? You're so distracted. I asked you and you didn't tell me." Minglan sighed and looked at Danjue hurriedly cleaning up. "Just tell me what you have to say. In front of me, you have nothing to hide."
.”
Danju took out a handkerchief from her waist, kept wiping the water on the Kang table, hesitated for a long time, and finally faltered: "Then... madam, are you... busy with Mr. Gongsun's concubinage?"
Ming Lan nodded and was about to make a joke when she saw Danju's face glowing with embarrassment and she could not suppress her shyness. A strange thought suddenly occurred in her mind and she said in shock: "Do you want to recommend yourself?"
Danju was stunned for a moment, and was about to ask what "self-recommendation" meant when she heard a crisp and calm voice coming from outside the door - "It's not her, it's me!" Then the curtain was lifted, and a slim and pretty girl walked in.
Who is it if it’s not Ruomei?!
Minglan frowned and said in a deep voice: "Have you forgotten the rules? Who told you to listen to the corner!" Danju hurriedly knelt down and said repeatedly: "It's all my fault, she...she...I asked her to come...
"She was already upset, and now she was even more incoherent. Ruomei on the side remained calm, knelt down gently, and said loudly: "Madam, if you want to blame me, just blame me. It was me who pestered Sister Danju and begged her to speak for me.
Yes; please just listen to what I have to say, madam, and I will go get the prototype later."
Minglan squinted her eyes and looked at her. After a moment, she said, "Say."
"Thank you, Madam." Ruomei kowtowed slightly, raised her head and said, "It's just a word, I...I..." She gritted her teeth, "I am willing to serve Mr. Gongsun!"
Minglan's face slowly darkened, and then she raised her hand slightly. Danju, whose face was already as red as a pig's liver, immediately dodged out, leaving the two of them alone in the room.
"Why is this?" Minglan's tone was rare and serious, "I still remember that you said you would never be a concubine."
Ruomei knelt straight on the ground, her Wenxiu face was frighteningly pale, and her dark eyes seemed to have two fires burning: "This servant admires Mr. Gongsun's character and admires his knowledge. I am willing to be your slave and maid with him, cattle and horses."
Life." He said, and kowtowed heavily, "I hope Madam will make it happen."
Minglan held the armrest of the chair and said hesitantly: "Did you know that I have already been planning a life-long affair for you guys?"
You must know that the future of a maid married to a mistress is completely different from that of an ordinary maid. The ordinary maid, even if she is serving by the Shaw family, can at most marry a motivated young boy or a manager's son.
Ruomei tried her best to suppress the trembling in her voice, "I know how well Madam treats us. I have broken my promise and am willing to lose my life and suffer God's punishment. I only ask Madam to fulfill my wish."
The room fell silent, and the only sound was the crackling charcoal fire in the purple-gold copper stove. After a long time, Minglan said: "Listen to me two things first, and then make a decision."
Ruomei looked up at her, her eyes full of hope as she waited. Minglan looked at her and continued: "Sir's wife is virtuous and kind. She has worked hard and suffered a lot for the Gongsun family. Unfortunately, she has been separated from her husband for half her life.
And I have nothing at my knees. Therefore, until the candidate is decided, first of all, I will send the new aunt's body deed to the husband's hometown and hand it over to the wife."
Minglan could almost feel Ruomei taking a breath, and she continued: "Secondly, I heard from Master Meng that his eldest brother is about to ask for a wife. In a few years, when his grandson's daughter-in-law comes in, she may go to Beijing to reunite with her husband and his wife.
"When the baby is born, it's okay to be a girl. My brother will definitely be raised by his wife..."
If her eyebrows and forehead are tightened, and there are bursts of pain, she has a crystal belly and a clear mind. How can she not understand?
She is the dowry maid of Mrs. Gu Hou. The first point mentioned just now should be because Minglan is afraid that she will take advantage of the power of the Marquis Mansion and will not pay attention to the mistress who came from the country in the future; and the second point should be Gongsun.
The husband is ashamed of his wife and is afraid that his children will disrespect his aunt's mother in the future.
She suddenly smiled bitterly. Compared to Dan Ju and others, she could say that Yu Minglan was the least helpful and the least affectionate. Only Minglan was kind to her. How could she not know that the sky was high and the earth was high? Even though she had risked her life to ask for it, it turned out that
She also had some hopes, thinking that with Minglan's generosity, she might be able to let her go and give her a serious and honorable show - she was a little worried about the gain and loss for the moment.
"Madam, I understand what you mean." Ruomei almost bit her lip until it bled, with a stubborn look on her face, "I will respect your husband's wife, and will never dare to be disrespectful! If you exceed your limits, may the sky thunder and strike!"
Hearing her tone, Minglan knew that it would be useless to say anything further: "I know what you are thinking, you... just go down first."
Ruomei kowtowed heavily again and walked out of the door backwards. After a while, Danjue quietly moved into the room, with a look of shame on his face, mumbling not knowing what to say.
Minglan glanced at her: "She refuses to tell me the truth. Tell me, is she sincere?"
Danju breathed a sigh of relief and said quickly: "Don't worry, she is really willing! We all thought she was interested in some scholar from the outer courtyard, but in fact she doesn't like them at all!"
"Mr. Gongsun can be her father." Minglan laughed, "Then she likes him?"
Danju looked confused: "Ruomei once said... that Mr. Gongsun was like her deceased loving father, kind and warm..." In fact, she didn't understand at all.
Minglan somewhat understood, and didn't want to say anything more. Since Ruomei wanted to marry, let's get married. According to the few times he sent things and messages, it seemed that Mr. Gongsun had a high opinion of Ruomei, either.
good.
After Gu Tingye returned home, Minglan told him about the matter, and Gu Tingye heard it interestingly.
Although Mr. Gongsun was a man of great talent and knowledge, his appearance was unattractive, with his sparse beard, half-bald forehead, and looming age spots—how could true love come so easily?
Minglan was also very sad, feeling that her spiritual practice was still shallow and she was not calm enough.
Because Mr. Gongsun had not yet recovered, he scheduled the concubine ceremony in the spring of the following year, and a pear blossom pressed against the begonia. The wedding was not completed, but his life was lost. Gu Tingye suggested that Ruomei should be sent there first, because there was a caring person.
After serving the soup carefully, he felt more at ease. So Ruomei was like a happy bird, with a red face, flapping its wings, and flew away happily.
"What exactly does she like about Mr. Gongsun?" Xiao Tao was puzzled.
Minglan found it interesting and asked instead of answering: "Don't talk about Ruomei, just talk about yourself. Have you ever thought about what you like?"
"I have thought about it." Xiao Tao nodded and said something very honestly, "My mother often said that the butcher Yao at the entrance of the village was a good family, and told me that I would definitely marry a butcher in the future. Every time I kill a pig, I can earn half a catty.
Get into the water." His tone was firm and ambitious.
Minglan almost choked on her tea.
…
Amidst the sound of firecrackers, Xiao Rouduan ushered in the first New Year in his life. Gu Tingye stood outside with his son in his arms. The ear-splitting rumble broke through the silence of the night, and the colorful fireworks filled the sky, decorating the night sky like daylight.
Brother Tuan was not frightened at all, and even danced excitedly. This Chinese New Year, Gu Tingye decided to make it a grand event. Not only did the house be decorated with colorful clothes and red, but he also gave double monthly coins to all the servants in the house.
In the past year, those who have done well will be rewarded twice as much.
Minglan exchanged three or four baskets full of copper coins and gave them to the children in the house as lucky money. Each of them had a handful, and no one was in vain.
Although there were fewer people during the Chinese New Year this time than last year, Gu Tingye was obviously in a much better mood. He stood in the ancestral hall and burned incense for dozens of memorial tablets with his own hands. Four large tables were combined into one, and sixteen full banquets were placed on them, which was grand.
After Shao left, he shunned everyone. He dragged Minglan with one hand and held the ball with the other. He stood for a long time facing the memorial tablets of the old Marquis and Bai, and then came out.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, I paid my respects to my parents-in-law, and on the second day of the Lunar New Year, I paid my respects to my in-laws. It was a long way to go back to Shaw’s natal family, so Minglan went to say goodbye to her early in the morning before going out with her husband and children. Brother Tuan was very excited in the arms of his wet nurse.
The round head wanted to look out of the car curtain, but Sister Rong's face turned pale. At this time, she always felt that she was redundant. Minglan comforted her with kind words: "Remember my aunt? She was very kind to you. Come on.
I gave you a small gold necklace back. She also has a girl who is about the same age as Sister Xian. You can be naughty with her later."
Sister Rong nodded firmly.
In fact, she was worrying too much.
As the best aunt to marry, any maid dared to neglect the concubine brought by Minglan, the entire Sheng family might look down upon Sister Rong. There is only one Wang family, but today she has two daughters and many
My grandson wants to see her and has no time to pay attention to her.
The four sons-in-law came together to pay New Year's greetings. Sheng Hong looked very happy, stroking his beard and smiling, showing that he was really happy. Mrs. Sheng, who was above her, also had a rosy face, but Wang's eyes looked at Gu Tingye a little complicated. If she
How nice would it be to have a biological son-in-law?
After the New Year's greetings, New Year's money will be given out, and the Hualan family is the most profitable, getting three shares. Xiaotuan also got a lot of money this time. Minglan raised his two small meat fists and gave them to the elders like a puppy.
Bowing, everyone looked at it interestingly and laughed.
Sheng Hong gave a long lecture, and when it came to "a happy family, a prosperous family", Wang finally couldn't help it, and turned to Minglan with a straight face: "Among the other girls, you are the only one who doesn't have a mother-in-law by your side. Don't rely on your mother-in-law."
If you are in charge of your own household and are not controlled by your elders, you will do whatever you want; if you mess up the etiquette, I will scold you even if others don't tell you."
Minglan smiled bitterly in her heart and didn't bother to argue, but Wang became more and more energetic: "There is no old man around to give any advice. It seems that you are relaxed and comfortable, but in fact you are not decent. How old is Ming girl? What can you know?
How can such a big family manage this? It will be a joke..."
He scolded her in front of everyone. Gu Tingye suppressed his smile. Hua Lan took a closer look and knew it was wrong. Just when he was about to interrupt, he heard a soft sound. It turned out to be the old lady who put her hand on the coffee table and the one on her wrist. The prayer beads were knocking against the table. Sheng Hong turned around and saw his mother-in-law looking unhappy. He quickly interrupted Wang: "What are you talking about? When did this girl make a joke?" Then he smiled and said to Gu Tingye: "Your mother-in-law is worried. Fate, I think too much."
Mrs. Wang gritted her teeth and secretly resented it. Then she glanced at Mo Lan and smiled pretending to be concerned: "Girl Mo, you sisters have been married for all these years, and now you are the only one who is still alive. I really feel worried."
Mo Lan stood at the far side, raised her head quietly, and smiled politely: "Mrs. Lao is worried, but my daughter does not agree with what she said. As long as they are the flesh and blood of my husband, they are not my children."
Sheng Hong felt that his daughter understood the righteousness and nodded repeatedly. Wang was pushed back and said with a smile: "Having said that, it is better to be a direct child. I say, uncle, don't neglect my girl." ah."
Liang Han on the side couldn't stand still, with a look of surprise on his face. Mo Lan smiled calmly: "What did you say, madam? My husband treats his daughter very well. It is indeed my daughter's fortune. As for the children..." She He glanced at Liang Han slightly and said in a low voice, "It's probably because my daughter is unlucky." Liang Han was grateful and looked at his wife with pity.
Before Wang could say anything else, Sheng Hong slammed the table and said in a deep voice: "You still have to finish it. It's a wonderful New Year, but you must cause some unpleasantness!" Wang's eyes turned red, and he said again: Wen Yanjing retorted, knowing that his father-in-law and mother-in-law had been at odds for a long time, so he hurriedly came out to smooth things over and said with a smile: "Mother-in-law loves her daughter, and she always dislikes her son-in-law. Don't blame my father-in-law; it's just as rare as mine. He is a good son-in-law, but his mother-in-law often criticizes him."
Ru Lan pursed her lips and smiled angrily: "It's so shameless. Who do you think is a good son-in-law? You're just bragging."
Everyone laughed, and Mrs. Wang calmed down, and Sheng Hong also let out a breath. The old lady looked at her coldly and said lightly: "I am used to being pure. You have kowtowed on your head and said New Year's greetings. This is it. Just go out."
Sheng Hong quickly stood up and apologized, saying that he was unfilial. After everyone came out of Shou'an Hall, Sheng Hong led his four sons-in-law to the outer courtyard, while the female relatives went to the inner hall to have tea.
As soon as Hua Lan sat down, he called Sister Zhuang and Sister Rong to meet each other. The two girls bowed to each other with their hands folded. When they looked up, one was naturally delicate, dignified and sweet, and the other had thick eyebrows and big eyes, full of heroic spirit. The two of them immediately fell in love. , they sat next to each other and talked.
Sister Zhuang is more mature than other girls and is very friendly and kind to others. When Sister Rong talked about what happened in Xue's class, she was very fascinated and listened with gusto. The two of them talked more and more. They became more and more speculative, and after a while, they walked hand in hand to the courtyard. The remaining children were led by Liu Kun's family to the side room to play.
Mrs. Liu stood aside with her pregnant belly, serving tea and snacks to Mrs. Wang and her four aunts. Minglan couldn't bear it and said, "Sister-in-law, please sit down quickly, you are pregnant."
Mrs. Wang curled her lips and said, "Who hasn't given birth to a baby yet? It's so precious. It doesn't matter if you stand for a while longer."
Minglan turned around and asked in surprise: "When my wife was pregnant, did she often stand and serve her grandmother?" Her eyes were sincere and respectful.
Wang was choked and couldn't speak. Hua Lan looked up to the sky and sighed. Although this was her own mother, she really didn't want to help her. Ming Lan didn't take advantage of the victory and only glanced at Mo Lan strangely.
, she didn’t help Liu either.
It was Mrs. Liu who came out to save the situation with a smile: "The doctor said, it's good to stand and walk around, just don't overdo it. By the way, I was just about to thank Sixth Sister. I ate the fish you sent last time.
Okay. With this, how many bowls of rice can I eat?"
Minglan leaned forward and said with a smile: "I only remembered it when my grandmother said that my sister-in-law wanted to eat some heavy seafood. People in the south dry it themselves, and the flavor is quite delicious. If my sister-in-law likes it, I still have it at my place."
"Why don't you give it to me?" Ru Lan tilted her head, a little unhappy.
Ming Lan turned her head and rolled her eyes: "Come on! You couldn't smell anything at that time. My poor brother-in-law didn't dare to grind ink in the room because of you. If I really sent Yu Yu over there, you wouldn't be able to smell it at all."
Wash the whole house!"
Ru Lan smiled sweetly and didn't say anything back.
After saying a few words, Mrs. Wang became extremely frustrated. She wanted to scold Ms. Liu, but she had already mastered her skills, so she pretended not to have heard of her. She wanted to scold Mo Lan, because she was highly skilled and could hardly get any advantage. She wanted to scold Ming Lan,
Hua Lan was protective again. She lost her temper and dragged Hua Lan Rulan to the back room to talk privately.
After watching the mother and daughter leave, Mrs. Liu turned around with a smile and said: "You two sisters, why don't you come and sit at my place? My parents' family has sent me some good tea. You can try it. If you like it, bring some."
go back."
Ming Lan smiled and said that being respectful is worse than obeying orders, and stood up to follow. Mo Lan raised the corner of his lips and followed.
Due to some knowable reasons, Minglan often went to Changbai's house when she was a child to give her a pair of shoes and a book or something, but she had never been to Changfeng's courtyard. When she saw her today, she felt that everything was different inside and out.
The appearance is elegant and dignified, the scenery is grand, and there is no pretense. I don't know whether it is Chang Feng's good taste or the credit of Liu. When the three of them went there, they happened to bump into Chang Feng coming back from outside; because Liu was pregnant, he
Today I had to go to my father-in-law's house to pay New Year greetings. After kowtowing, we had a conversation and then came back.
"How are your parents?" Ms. Liu looked at her husband with a smile.
Chang Feng habitually went to help Liu and made her sit down: "Everything is good. Mom's cold has recovered. She chatted with me for two cups of tea without coughing. Daddy wanted to catch me playing chess, so it's a shame.
Your eldest brother-in-law came to the rescue and I was able to escape."
"Daddy is the same. With that stinky chess basket, he still likes to ask his uncle to teach him tricks." Liu's voice suddenly changed, it was playful and gentle, and it was soothing like the spring breeze blowing on your face.
Ming Lan turned to look at Mo Lan, her expression was not very good.
"If I hadn't promised you to come back earlier, it wouldn't hurt to play a few tricks with dad." Chang Feng was as gentle and considerate as ever, but something seemed to have changed, and Minglan couldn't tell.
Chang Feng turned around and said: "Fourth sister, sixth sister, you are here."
Mo Lan snorted softly: "You just saw it, and you thought you only had a wife in your eyes."
"What are you talking about?" Chang Feng smiled, not feeling dissatisfied.
"Since my brother and sister-in-law are here, it's just right. I have something to say." Mo Lan suddenly became serious, looked at Chang Feng, and said slowly, "Now my father is more and more satisfied with my brother, and the old lady also likes my sister-in-law. That's it.
, brother and sister-in-law, why don’t you think of a way to bring aunt back? Is it possible that brother only cares about his own comfort and ignores aunt’s life and death?”
Chang Feng blushed deeply and was speechless. He looked towards his wife for help. Liu Shi smiled calmly: "Looking at what the fourth sister said, it seems that your brother is a ruthless and unjust person."
Already."
Mo Lan snorted coldly and turned away: "I didn't say that. But my aunt gave birth to us brothers and sisters, how can I forget? I am a married woman and have no law, but my brother is a man, why can't I do anything?!
"
Every word was so threatening that Chang Feng was speechless and could only go to see his wife.
"My husband is a man, but because he is a man, he knows better what to do and what not to do! The fourth sister has read poetry and books, how come she doesn't even understand this truth?" Mrs. Liu stood up, holding her belly.
It has a kind of majesty of its own.
"It's true that my aunt is grateful to my husband, but above my aunt, there are also the old lady, the master and his wife. Is it possible that as an aunt, I will neglect my filial piety to the old lady, the master and my wife?!" Liu talked about it
Talking about it, he argued loudly, "Since I entered the Sheng family, I have sent clothes and food to the village every season, and visitors have always reciprocated. Although my aunt's life is a little lonely, she has not endured hardship! How can I ignore my aunt?
The theory of life and death?"
Mo Lan suddenly stood up: "Sister-in-law is so eloquent! What's the difference between staying up all day with such a lifeless spirit and dying?!"
Mrs. Liu smiled softly and looked directly at Mo Lan, "My aunt has done something wrong, and of course she must be punished."
Mo Lan glared angrily: "You -" then turned to glare at Chang Feng, "You!"
Chang Feng shrank slightly. Ms. Liu took a step forward and said softly, "My husband has already told me what happened back then. Alas...it is really inappropriate for my aunt to say something disrespectful. Fourth sister, you are also doing this for me.
As a wife and mother, do you think your aunt did the right thing?"
She slowly stroked her belly and said, "A woman should take her husband as her top priority, and a daughter should obey her father at home. This is a truth that can be explained all over the world. I don't study as much as my fourth sister. I only know that everything between me and my children is
You must always rely on and obey your husband."
When she said this to Mo Lan, Liu's eyes were fixed on Chang Feng. Ming Lan looked sideways and felt that Liu's eyes were full of trust and dependence; even Wu Dalang might feel like a great man if he received this look.
Husband; not to mention someone like Chang Feng who is so compassionate and caring.
Mo Lan's face was gloomy and she glared angrily. After a while, she suddenly became sad: "Sister-in-law understands justice well. Even if my aunt is wrong, this punishment should end. It can't be done. From now on, our mother and I will never see each other again."
"..." She couldn't help crying softly, "Brother, don't you remember how much your aunt loved you when you were a child? Brother is so cruel! Even if she is wrong and bad in every way, we are still her flesh and blood.
Why did you abandon her like this!"
Chang Feng felt uncomfortable because of her crying, and said hurriedly: "Why do you ignore it? Your sister-in-law has already made an agreement with me. Now that the old lady, father and wife are all here, my aunt cannot come back. If one day the family is divided,
, your sister-in-law and I will fulfill our filial piety."
Mo Lan's heart felt cold and she suddenly became furious. For an official family like the Sheng family, they would have to wait for the death of their father and grandson before they could separate the family. However, Sheng Hong had always been in good health, and after a few decades, there was no telling who could outlast whom.
She raised her eyes to look at Mrs. Liu and saw her smiling slightly. Chang Feng was walking beside her, as if a child is attached to and obedient to her mother. Mo Lan suddenly felt angry. "Sister-in-law is really good at taming husbands. Now my brother listens to everything."
Yours! I'm afraid you are more clever than listening to your father!"
This was a bit too much, and Chang Feng's face suddenly darkened: "You also know that I am your brother, is this what you should say to your brother?! There are no rules! It's all my fault that my aunt was doting on me and didn't teach you well!"
This was the first time in Mo Lan's life that she was scolded by her brother. Her eyes turned red and she was about to cry again.
Mrs. Liu slowly moved over and took her husband's hand: "What's wrong with my husband and the fourth sister? The fourth sister was thinking about my aunt, so she spoke a little too hastily, which is true. Okay, hurry up and go to the front. We'll eat later.
Come on, let’s get drunk. Daddy alone can’t handle four uncles, so my husband needs to be in the way.”
"Then it doesn't matter if I'm drunk?" Chang Feng said with a smile.
Mrs. Liu said softly: "When I get back, I'll make hangover soup for my husband."
Chang Feng smiled softly, turned to Minglan and said, "Sixth sister, sit down for a while and talk to your sister-in-law." Finally he glanced at Mo Lan, "Your sister-in-law is pregnant, you should be more sensible, don't mess with her.
Angry!" After saying this, he turned around and left.
Mo Lan almost lost her temper, and with her delicate hands stained with impatiens flower juice, she held on to the handkerchief tightly, wishing she could tear her biological brother and sister-in-law in front of her. She endured it for a long time, and finally ran out angrily, without knowing where she was.
where.
Minglan lowered her head to drink tea, pretending not to notice at all, and only said a few innocuous family matters to Mrs. Liu. Mrs. Liu's speech was very good, and no matter how interesting the conversation was, she never mentioned Chang Feng and Aunt Lin, and just chatted happily about life.
After talking about trivial matters and anecdotes, Minglan excused herself to leave. Mrs. Liu did not hold back, and stood up to see her off with a smile.
The fine gravel road under her feet was all too familiar. Turning left and right, Minglan took three shortcuts to Shouan Hall, and then walked in with great swagger. When she got to the back room, she saw Old Mrs. Sheng sitting on the Kang.
Looking kindly at the sleeping baby.
When she heard someone coming in, she didn't even look back, and still looked at the child: "Look at how deep this nap is... It's not like you. When you were a child, you would wake up even if the wind blew the curtains."
Minglan smiled and walked over to the old lady, nuzzling the old lady like a pug: "This little one is just like his father. As long as he sleeps peacefully, he will be carried away and thrown into the moat."
The old lady slowly turned around, looked at Minglan, and said with a smile: "Have you finished talking?"
"Can't we just say it again? I really wish I could fly here." Minglan also sat on the bedside, resting her head on the old lady's arm, and sighed, "Grandma, I miss you." Then she looked around again, "
Where's Brother Quan? I brought him something."
The old lady put her arms around Minglan and stroked her temples: "I wanted to ask him to stay and wait for you, but Hualan's two brothers stretched their heads and looked at each other at the door, and he couldn't sit still.
I don’t know where those three little ones have gone wild now.”
"Brother Quan, are you obedient?" Minglan pretended to be an elder, "You are not half as obedient as I was when I was young."
The old lady's face could not help but smile: "Brother is no better than a girl. When he could just run away, Fang's mother had to lead three maids to catch him. But when he recited and wrote, his stern face became more serious.
Just like your elder brother."
"I wonder how my eldest brother is doing now?" Although Sheng Hong didn't say anything, looking at the lively family reunion today, it was a pity that the eldest daughter-in-law was missing. Minglan thought of something, "My sister-in-law said in her last letter.
If I'm pregnant, I'll count the days and it's only two months. I can't do anything else. I'm afraid there's a shortage of doctors and medicines, which will be inconvenient."
"I am also worried about this." The old lady frowned slightly, "Your father and I have discussed and prepared to send two capable women there, but the road is not easy to walk, it is remote and difficult to find..."
Minglan put her hands on her hands and smiled and said: "I have thought of this too. I discussed it with Lord Marquis in front of the army. He said that after the new year, the Ministry of War will take a batch of weapons and food to go there. When passing by my brother's place, it is better to ask the family's motorcade to follow.
Let's go together. It's secure and not afraid of getting lost. You can send as many medicinal materials as you want to restock."
"I don't want to bother you, uncle." Although the old lady's tone was light, she was sincerely happy, "You must have had the same idea in your heart, but you just like to pretend and don't want to speak on your own."
"That's because dad is smart. He knows that grandma is afraid of caring about his elder brother more than he does, so he is happy to save this time."
The old lady half-sneered and half-smiled: "When did you lose your wits?"
The grandfather and grandson joked about the head of the Sheng Mansion without any pressure.
"The third brother has married a good wife." As they were chatting, Minglan started talking about what she had just seen. "Just now, the fourth sister talked to the third brother about Aunt Lin again. She said something very powerful, but the third sister-in-law blocked her.
When we got back, the third brother even scolded the fourth sister."
The old lady didn't know whether she was happy or worried. She gently stroked Minglan and sighed: "Your third brother is not a bad person, but he has no idea. He listened to Mrs. Lin at first, but now he listens to my wife. Well, fortunately you
Third sister-in-law is much better than Mrs. Lin."
Minglan rested her head on her grandmother's leg like a cat: "It's not easy to see the fourth sister thinking about Aunt Lin so much."
The old lady was silent for a moment, then said: "There is something..." She paused, "At the beginning of autumn, Mo girl slipped in her fetus."
Minglan was startled and half raised her body in a daze. The old lady said: "Girl Mo is fighting with the aunts and scheming all day long. She doesn't even know she is pregnant... Oh, she is overthinking." Minglan said silently.
After a while, she still didn't say anything, or in other words, she didn't know what to say.
"Years ago, Mo Yatou came to the master and asked for help in her career." The earth dragon in the room was burning brightly, and it was as warm as spring. The old lady's voice was low and slow, like an agarwood stove.
There was a hint of incense in it, "The master was soft-hearted and originally prepared to agree, but it didn't happen in the end."
Minglan leaned back against her pillow again and said quietly: "Dad has always loved the fourth sister. If he didn't agree this time, he must be too weak."
"Every other line is like a mountain. The master's hand can't reach there." The old lady snorted softly, "He came to talk to me several times. I know what he was thinking. He wanted to see if he could ask the sixth uncle to help, but I ignored him.
.”
Minglan smiled bitterly: "Daddy is very nice." No matter how prominent his son-in-law is, he still has to put on a show of dignity.
"Later, Aunt Ju blew some wind, and the master decided to reject Mo Lan." The old lady said.
Minglan didn't remember for a moment: "Aunt Ju?"
"That's Ju Fang who was in Aunt Lin's room that year." The old lady curled her lips slightly, "She has not been able to get pregnant again."
Minglan's heart slowly sank. Mrs. Sheng's words sounded ordinary at first, but they had profound meaning.
Mo Lan urgently wants Aunt Lin to come back. Is it because the mother-daughter love is deep and she is reluctant to let her own mother suffer, or is it because she realizes that not only does no one in her parents' family say good things for her, but there are also people who say bad things, and she can't get any benefits, so she hatched the plan.
?
People's hearts are unpredictable and no one can tell.
"Now it seems that the fifth sister is doing well." Minglan said in a low voice.
Speaking of Ru Lan, the old lady finally put away her cold expression and couldn't help laughing and said: "Our fifth uncle is a wonderful person. Isn't he going to be released this time? Wen's mother wants to keep Ru Lan so that she can have a good marriage.
He set the rules, but he didn't know that his son had already rebelled and secretly came to look for his mother-in-law. As soon as they got together, the wife went to make Wen's family upset. The fifth uncle pretended to be pitiful. Ha, pitiful mother-in-law, how could he dare to show off anymore?
.”
"He's smart enough to ask his wife to be a bad person!" Minglan was speechless.
"Forget it, it's not easy anymore. Just treat Rulan well." This time the old lady was very tolerant and sighed with a smile, "Now it seems that your eldest brother-in-law is also a good person. Alas, you always do that
The husband is mediocre, and he is not too bad at being a son, but he is not bad at being a father. He has good taste in choosing sons-in-law and daughters-in-law."
Minglan thought for a while and couldn't help but laugh: "At first, my father kept saying that Mr. Hou was not a bad person. At least he had seen it with his own eyes. He just didn't swear. But my grandmother just didn't believe it at that time and kept telling my father.
I scolded him a lot."
The old lady had a straight face and scolded: "Who wouldn't tell me that the place they sold to is very, very good!"
Hearing that Sheng Hong's married daughter was compared to human teeth, the grandfather and grandson hugged each other and laughed together. Minglan laughed until she burst into tears. It took a long time before she stopped. Minglan rested her head on the old lady's soft belly and whispered
: "Well, it would be great if you could live at my place."
The old lady patted Minglan gently and said softly: "I am now surrounded by children and grandchildren, and I am full of wealth. If I live at your place, wouldn't I slap your elder brother and your elder brother in the face? Oh, no, no, no." She sighed again.
He said in a tone, "Not only that, but you must not imitate that frivolous person who always runs to your parents' house. The Marquis is now noble and you are the only one with so many eyes looking at you from inside and outside. You must not let others take the lead in talking about you."
Mouth...it's enough for me to know that you are living a good life. You have to live a good life, have you made a note of it?"
Minglan buried her head in the old lady's arm like an ostrich, feeling extremely reluctant to part with her.
When the banquet was about to start, I didn’t know what Wang and Hualan Rulan said. In addition, Mo Lan, who had cried before, and Minglan, who had just cried, all four daughters had red eyes. With the soothing atmosphere of the female family members inside,
In comparison, the men's table outside was much more lively.
Looking at the glorious table, Sheng Hong was happy and proud. He couldn't help but get excited while holding the wine glass. The fourth son-in-law, Liang Han, had already defeated Chang Feng. He smiled and turned his eyes to the remaining three sons-in-law.
Yuan Wenshao knew Gu Tingye's drinking capacity, so he turned his lips towards the other side with a look that said: Strong man, be a pioneer.
The old man Gu Tingye raised his eyebrows, meaning: You are the boss, you go first.
When Wen Yanjing saw that the situation was not good, he immediately tilted his body, leaned down at the desk and supported his head. His body language explained: This person is drunk and has something to do by himself. In order to enhance his persuasion, he even trembled and moaned.
Afterwards, Gu Tingye said to Minglan, "In all his many years of running around in wine bars, he has rarely heard such realistic moans of pretending to be drunk."
The meal lasted until the end of the feeding period, when the four sons-in-law left one after another in confusion. On the left, Minglan supported her drunken husband, on the right, she led Sister Rong, who was reluctant to leave her new friend, and behind her, the nurse held the ball.
Brother, we just marched back to the Hou Mansion. Everyone was tired that day, so we just slept hard when we got back. We didn't wake up until dark and had some light dinner.
Gu Tingye was still drunk. After washing up, he kissed Minglan's neck. He smiled ambiguously. Minglan was wiping her wet hair. As soon as she made a sound, she was pushed down on the bed and kissed her head-over-heels.
, face, body.
After taking off her clothes, Minglan felt that the man's skin was hot and his breath was hot. For a moment, she felt agitated and lingering. She leaned against him softly. They both felt exhausted and fell into a deep sleep.
It wasn't until the sky got slightly bright that Minglan slowly woke up. She saw her husband lying on his side with his hands on his back, looking at her with gentle and deep eyes. Minglan's cheeks were as cute as a child's when she woke up, and there were still pink sleep marks on them. She looked at her
Rubbing his eyes awkwardly, trying his best to wake up, Gu Tingye felt his chest was soft, and suddenly said in an old voice: "My dear, what are you going to eat today?"
Minglan tilted her head, blinked, and smiled: "Dad, go and plow the two acres of land in the east before you can eat!"
Gu Tingye scolded with a straight face: "What a cruel woman, asking men to do work during the Chinese New Year!"
The two stared at each other for a while, and laughed at the same time. Gu Tingye bit Minglan's earlobe, smiled in her ear: "Let's..."
Before he finished speaking, he heard a rush of footsteps running towards him from outside. The man was in high spirits, but his face suddenly became unhappy.
Across the door, Dan Ju said angrily: "Master Marquis, Madam, Shi, just now, the fifth old master sent someone to report, saying yes, saying that it was Yang Yang who was afraid of death. I asked if we have any old ginseng in our family, how old is it?
The longer the better…”
Gu Tingye and Minglan looked at each other in shock - Gu Tingyang was going to die? What did they say?
At this moment, they didn't care to ask questions. After all, they were cousins who had been separated for more than a year. They couldn't indifferently ignore it. The couple immediately got up, quickly dressed up, and then went out in the dim morning light.
The door.
After driving and riding horses, it took about half an hour to arrive at Mrs. Wu's house. Minglan had a good memory and recognized at a glance that the carriage parked outside should belong to Mrs. Xuan. At this moment, the house of Wufang was already in chaos.
, Mrs. Xuan’s attendant asked someone to lead the way, and then led Gu Tingye and his wife all the way in. When they arrived at the main hall, Gu Tingxuan and his wife were already there.
Looking up, I saw the fifth old man sitting at the top with his hands on his knees. His face was sallow, his expression was withered, and his hair was disheveled. He looked like he had aged ten years. At this moment, Gu Tingxuan was constantly comforting him.
.When he saw Gu Tingye coming, he looked at it dully for a long time, then raised his head slightly, and said nothing in despair.
Gu Tingye and Minglan first came forward to greet them, and then asked: "I have an old ginseng at home. I have asked someone to bring it over. I just hope it can be used." Then he added, "I didn't know it was good.
Brother Yang, why..."
The fifth old man moved his lips but said nothing. Seeing the awkward situation, Gu Tingxuan laughed a few times and came out to explain: "It's also Brother Yang's fault. He made a mistake and angered his uncle. He... asked his uncle to give him a beating..." Among them
He didn't know the reason very well, so he could only explain it to this point.
Mrs. Xuan rolled her eyes and said with a smile: "I'm afraid there's no need for breakfast, and my uncle hasn't even touched the water yet. Why don't we go get some rice porridge. Don't worry, brother Yang will be fine, but my uncle won't be able to bear it anymore."
Come to pull Minglan, Minglan agreed with a smile.
As soon as the two of them walked out of the hall, Mrs. Xuan couldn't wait to talk.
Minglan was not familiar with the five-bedroom mansion, but Mrs. Xuan often came to visit, and there were many servants on both sides who were friendly with each other. In addition, the couple came early today, so Mrs. Xuan quickly asked her close wife-in-law to go out for a walk.
The fifth old lady fell ill, and Mrs. Yang fainted, and Mr. Bing and his wife had to stay inside to take care of them. At this time, the house was not busy, and there was no time to issue a gag order, so Mrs. Xuan quickly found out.
information.
"What's going on? It's really dirty to say it!" Mrs. Xuan lowered her voice, biting her ears as she walked, "...such an unworthy grandson...even the ones in my own father's house are not spared..." It's not the case.
Because of her own scandal, Mrs. Xuan was happy to sell Minglan a favor.
In fact, it's not surprising. It's just that Gu Tingyang's old habit of being lustful and lustful has returned. However, for the past six months, his father has been very tight and he is not allowed to go out for entertainment. The daughter-in-law and maidservants in the house touched it all over, but they found it uninteresting and actually made up their minds.
Hit his father's beautiful maid.
The fifth old man was a scholar, and he always liked elegant things such as red sleeves and perfume. The two maids in the room who served the pen and ink were very beautiful and charming. However, they had very different personalities. One of them was forced to rape by Gu Tingyang, and a few months later,
When she found out she was pregnant, she didn't dare to tell anyone about it, so she had to secretly have an abortion. One of them was nursing a baby, and Gu Tingyang focused on the other one.
I didn't expect this, but she was a strong-willed person. Yesterday, on the second day of the Lunar New Year, Gu Tingyang got drunk and dragged her to rape her. She immediately got angry, with her hair disheveled, her clothes messy, a pair of scissors in her arms, and she rushed to the fifth old man to complain.
, made his words clear in front of everyone, and then stabbed his throat and committed suicide.
During the New Year's Eve celebration, the concubine was not expected to be loved but her blood was spattered on the spot. The fifth old lady was furious on the spot. He tied up Gu Tingyang and wanted to practice his family skills, but was stopped by the fifth old lady. At this time, another concubine got the news and ignored it.
She staggered over and saw her sister-in-law dying unexpectedly. Thinking that the fifth old lady would not let her go, she took the risk and was shaken immediately.
The fifth old man refused to listen to the fifth old lady, so he immediately ordered the tied man to enforce the law and supervise it himself. At the same time, he also had Gu Tingye's personal attendant tied up and beaten to death. After this beating, something really happened.
When Na Chang Sui saw that he was about to die, and heard the fifth old lady crying and cursing beside him, he shouted angrily - You Lian in the old Marquis' house was also forced to commit suicide by Uncle Yang.
of!
"That slave shouted so loudly that the entire courtyard heard it." Mrs. Xuan coughed slightly, looking a little evasive.
The maid named You Lian was given to the old Marquis by the Madam, and it was said that she liked her very much. After she threw herself into the lake, everyone thought it was Gu Tingye who had done something wrong, and the Madam especially cried hard.
It turns out that my son stole his father's wife. Although it was a disobedient and scandalous act, the concubine was the least serious and the heir was the most serious. The crime would not be punishable by death. All he had to do was give him a hard lesson. But the fifth old man respected and loved his deceased eldest brother very much. At this time
Only then did he realize that it was his own evil deeds that had insulted his brother's dignity. Thinking of his deceased brother's kind care in the past, the fifth old man couldn't help but feel regretful.
This time, he went into battle himself, picked up the stick and beat him blindly. Although he was old, his body had been well maintained, and Gu Tingyang had eaten a heavy meal before, and he had been beaten for many years.
Later, he was emptied of wine and sex, and this time he was beaten half to death. He developed a high fever in the middle of the night and was about to die in a moment.
Minglan was stunned when she heard this and didn't react for a long time.
After finding the housekeeper in the house and asking them to prepare for the meal, Minglan slowly walked back to the hall with Mrs. Xuan, and saw the three men still in the same posture as before. The fifth old man sat slumped, and Gu Tingxuan sighed beside him.
Gu Tingye sat alone on the other side, expressionless, like a salt rock sculpture.
To be honest, Minglan was not surprised that Gu Tingyang was unlucky.
As far as she knew, Gu Tingye had been secretly paying attention to Gu Tingyang's scandalous behavior outside, and planned to expose it to the Fifth Old Master one day, but he never thought that it would happen so quickly, without him even having to do it himself.
Everyone sat quietly, except for the occasional inappropriate words from Tingxuan, who would then be glared at by his wife, and he would giggle a few times in embarrassment; there was no earth dragon in the room, only a copper stove in the corner.
There was a weak charcoal fire burning in the room, and the porridge was never delivered. Minglan felt cold and hungry, so she could only endure it.
I don’t know how long I have been sitting there, but the thick cotton curtain was lifted up with great force, bringing in a biting cold wind. A woman with a panic-stricken face rushed in and knelt on the ground with a thud.
...He is gone!"
In the courtyard not far away, there were already loud cries, carried by the wind, as if it was the result that had been predicted, the empty desolation filled the hall, everyone was silent, no one made a sound, and there were only a few sighs.
Minglan looked at Gu Tingye carefully. The man's profile was extremely cold and hard, like the blue-gray sky, with cold lines cut out by a steel blade.
He had long wanted to teach Gu Tingyang a lesson, not only to avenge his father, but also to prevent Gu Tingyang from continuing to mess around outside and ruining his family's reputation - but had he thought about wanting him to die?
After a long time, the fifth old man moved and made a hoarse, dry voice:
"Let's have a funeral."
Buddha said, good and evil will be rewarded in the end.
The author has something to say: I have been delayed for a long time because I have a lot to write, sorry.
We are currently discussing the publication of the simplified version, and hope it will be successful. This will eliminate the need for customized printing and will be more affordable.