Minglan didn't know about other places, but it was the custom in Youyang that no one was allowed to have sex in the bridal chamber. In addition, the amount of messages received that day was too large, so Pinlan and Minglan went to bed very early.
The new second sister-in-law Kang has a very Korean name - Yoona. When she served tea to the two old ladies and her parents-in-law early the next morning, Minglan observed carefully. As expected, she was gentle, tactful, shy and pleasant. Look again
The second brother next to me, Chang Wu, smiled like a giant Japanese melon. It seemed like we were very harmonious last night.
Both Sheng Wei and Li were very fond of their new daughter-in-law, so they gave her a thick red envelope and a pair of jadeite dragon and phoenix bracelets with excellent water color. Kang Yuner accepted it with a trembling head and a five-phoenix-chaoyang pearl hairpin with a blushing face. Li was worried about the big girl.
The daughter-in-law didn't say anything casual, and only said a few words of "harmony between the sisters-in-law" with a pleasant look.
After saying goodbye, Pinlan secretly told Minglan that the dowry brought by Kang Yuner was not as much as when Shulan married Sun Xiucai. Minglan glanced at Pinlan without any scheming - it seems that the Kang family is really in trouble, no wonder
Both parents are direct descendants of aristocratic families, so Yoona will get married; however, a blessing in disguise is a blessing. Judging from the fact that her elder sister-in-law, Wen, has not had any children for several years, but her parents-in-law and husband still seem to be protective, Yoona is also blessed.
Thinking of this, Minglan couldn't help but sigh, God, why are the few good men she knows in ancient times all collateral blood relatives within three generations? I don't know what her relationship will be like in the future. If she is like a grandson's brother-in-law,
Then she can only choose between Hongxing and Lily, wuwu~~~
Judging from the performance in the next few days, Mrs. Sheng was a good matchmaker this time. Kang Yun'er was modest and polite, respectful to his eldest sister-in-law, and gentle to his sister-in-law. However, he was too reserved and shy at times, but it was not bad with the carefree Chang Wu.
Yoona was very respectful to Mrs. Sheng. One time when serving dishes, she learned that there was an old lady who liked braised arugula. So she kept adding vegetables to the old lady’s plate and came to eat. Sheng Yun joked: “They say the newlyweds have sex.
, the matchmaker has been thrown over the wall, but my niece-in-law has not forgotten the matchmaker at all! She is indeed a good child and never forgets her roots!"
Yoona was so embarrassed that her ears were burning, and she wished she could dive into the ground. The old lady hit Sheng Yun twice hard, and she couldn't help but laugh. Pinlan, who was eating next to her, hated herself for not being there.
, can't get in the way, she especially likes to tease this shy new sister-in-law, Minglan always draws her sword to help, and stops Pinlan from being bullied, but with Changwu chasing after her, Pinlan is unlikely to succeed, the brother and sister often
Fighting in a group.
Mrs. Li was very pleased to see the harmony in her family, but when she thought of her eldest daughter Shulan, she couldn't help but feel sad. She just kept chanting Amitabha in her heart, hoping that her children could be happy and harmonious.
On the seventh day after the wedding, the entire Sheng family went to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors. After the men cut off the sacrificial meat and offered it as offerings, they left and let the women go in to worship. The main project was to introduce Yoona to the Sheng family tablets and to the living clan members. After naturalization
Yoona is considered part of the Sheng family.
The Sheng family got rich late, so they didn't have many ancestors. Minglan was dazed and followed him several times, offering incense and kowtowing. When she was dizzy, she suddenly remembered that just now after Yun'er was written into the family tree, the eldest lady and her grandmother
After chatting a few words with several old female relatives of the clan, the clan leader Sheng Wei added a few more strokes. What did he write?
On the carriage back, Minglan couldn't help but ask Old Mrs. Sheng. Unexpectedly, the old lady casually dropped a bombshell: "If you are recorded in your mother's name, you will be just like Rulan from now on."
Minglan stared, and after a while she stammered: "Why, how come...? Tai, uh, does mother know?" Old Mrs. Sheng glanced at Minglan, her expression unchanged: "I informed her.
"
Minglan was confused and sat blankly in the carriage: the old lady acted cleanly and neatly, without any news beforehand, and downplayed afterwards. Minglan was full of words but didn't know where to start. In the end, she just held her grandmother's arm and shook her back and forth.
He buried his head on his grandmother's body and whispered: "Thank you, grandma, for taking the trouble."
Old Mrs. Sheng half-closed her eyes and only uttered one sentence: "...nonsense."
The azure velvet brocade car roof swayed slightly, and Minglan looked up quietly. She knew that children can only be considered legitimate children if they are written in the name of the original wife. In fact, this is just a more pleasant name. None of her relatives and friends knew that she was a concubine.
But she was finally able to be decent when she got married.
Minglan suddenly laughed to herself. Rulan wanted to call her a 'little wife' but she couldn't... Minglan was startled. She pulled her grandmother's sleeve and asked softly: "What about the fourth sister? She is also included in the list."
Is it in your wife’s name?”
Mrs. Sheng didn't open her eyes, but said calmly: "If you don't fight with Ru Lan, Mo Lan...it's up to her to make her own destiny."
Minglan seemed to understand and thought, it seems that even if she is recorded in Wang's name, it does not mean that she is really on an equal footing with Rulan. She is still one level behind Rulan. If there is a conflict of interest between her and Rulan, then
…
Minglan smiled bitterly, it turned out to be a copycat version, but it was better than nothing.
Another half month later, Changwu was about to return to Beijing to be appointed as the governor of Zhongweiwei. Although Li was reluctant to let go of his son, he also knew how many people had fought to get the official position. Thanks to Sheng Hong's many efforts, it was only possible.
Kang Yun'er was uneasy, fearing that her mother-in-law would tell her to stay. How could Changwu survive alone in the colorful world of Beijing? She was afraid that when the couple saw each other again, she would spend a few hours thinking about her mother's grievances.
Thinking of this, Yoona felt chills in her heart, so she had to serve her parents-in-law more respectfully and thoughtfully. She got up early and went to bed late, and was humble in everything, which made the whole family like her even more.
One day when I went to pay my respects to Mrs. Sheng, Mrs. Li couldn't help sighing when she talked about this: "Brother wants to move forward, and I, as a mother, can't stop him. I'm sorry that he left his parents at a young age. When he returns,
I need to ask my aunt to look after me a little more when I get to Beijing."
Yoon'er stood aside, a thin line of sweat broke out on her forehead. Mrs. Li looked back at her and said slowly: "Brother Wu's daughter-in-law has only entered the house a few days ago. I'm not at ease. I want to stay with Duo Tiao.
What do you think about these days, Yoona?"
Yoona's heart felt cold and her eyes were hot, but she still forced a smile: "With mother's guidance, it's not too late for my wife to be happy."
Minglan, who had been taking a nap on her grandmother's body, woke up a little now and couldn't help but interjected: "Auntie, let the second sister-in-law go to Beijing with her brother." Mrs. Li said deliberately: "Why is this?"
Minglan said embarrassedly: "Well, I can't bear to let go of my new sister-in-law." This reason was too weak and no one believed it. Minglan added in a low voice: "Well... In fact, Brother Wu is even more reluctant to let go."
Yoona's face turned red with embarrassment. Although she knew Minglan was just talking like a child, she was grateful in her heart and secretly expressed her gratitude with her eyes.
A few days later, the doctor found out that the eldest daughter-in-law Wen was three months pregnant. Sheng Wei and Li were overjoyed. They said that it was Yoona who brought good luck. Wen believed it after hearing this and was very grateful to her brother.
The daughter-in-law and the sister-in-law held hands and talked for a long time.
In fact, Mrs. Li is not mean to her mother-in-law, but she is afraid that Yoona, who is from an official family, will be pampered without the control of her parents-in-law. With the support of Mrs. Wang in the capital, her son will be despised. Now that she thinks about it, she can forget it.
The daughter-in-law was just called back. Yoona was almost in tears, but she didn't dare to show off. She just obeyed Li's instructions and took care of her husband in the capital. A few days later, she followed Changwu to the capital.
The Sheng Mansion gradually became quieter, and one day the autumn wind gradually subsided and the sun became warm. After breakfast, Old Mrs. Sheng suddenly said to Minglan: "Ming Ya'er, let's go to the city with my grandmother for a walk."
Minglan is standing in front of the table cutting cloth, Danjue is picking up a ruler and comparing, Cuiwei is flipping through a few pattern books, and Xiaotao is looking at the tea stove. In the past few days, Pinlan was caught by her aunt to look at the account books, and Minglan was empty
When he came down, he planned to make a child's bellyband for the lobby sister-in-law Wen Shi. Hearing this, he raised his head and said without reacting: "Going to the city? Aren't we in the city?"
——Isn’t Youyang a county town? Isn’t it a rural area?
Old Mrs. Sheng said with a smile: "Silly child, you will know what a city is when you enter Jinling. Let's go back to our house and have a look. We haven't been back in these years. Many of the old things that are no longer needed have to be regulated. They are not all rotten."
The light is gone."
When the old lady Sheng split up her family, she left a house for each of her three sons. Because the second son had completed the transformation from a merchant to a scholar, the old lady put the second son's house in Jinling before marrying the lady of the Hou family.
Old Mrs. Sheng and Minglan got on the carriage together, taking half of the maids and women with them. Sheng Wei was worried that they wouldn't be able to take care of them, so he sent seven or eight stout housemaids to them. They prepared the carriage and drove slowly towards Jinling.
, as soon as they entered the gate of Jinling City, Minglan felt that the bustle and bustle outside the car was unusual, but it was difficult for our lady to open the car curtain and look outside when she went out. Minglan could only imitate the martial arts master, squatting in the car and listening to the wind to distinguish sounds.
, relying on the shouting outside to judge what is on the street.
Old Mrs. Sheng felt itchy when she saw Minglan acting like a squeaky little squirrel. She resisted not turning over the curtain. She just pressed her little face against the car wall and listened carefully. She felt it was funny in her heart, but deliberately did not point it out.
, just let her endure it.
When they arrived at Shengzhai, Danju helped Minglan get out of the car, and then Minglan turned around and helped her grandmother get out of the car. A dozen old servants had already been greeted at the door of the house. An old man-like steward came forward and knelt down to salute, and said loudly:
"Young men are here to welcome the old lady and the sixth girl back home!" Then the row of servants and servants behind them all knelt down and kowtowed, and the shouts were also very uniform.
Mrs. Sheng nodded and seemed satisfied. She waved her hand and everyone stood up. Then, supported by Minglan, a group of people filed into the house. The steward was very excited when he saw the old lady and kept talking along the way:
"I haven't seen my master for many years. The old slave is very happy. This house is empty and looks like nothing. Does the old lady want to sit on the bamboo boat and walk around the house to see? Oh, this is Miss Six!"
I’ve never seen this before, it’s just like a pearl flower and jade tree, it’s so majestic!”
Old Mrs. Sheng also smiled and said: "No one lives in this house. It's still there even if it's deserted. There's no need to look around. You and I are trustworthy. Your boy has to work as an errand around Brother Bai."
When the old steward heard that his grandson had been appreciated by his master, he looked happy and happily welcomed everyone to sit down in the main hall. The steward asked the servants of the house to kowtow to Old Mrs. Sheng one by one. Minglan received many compliments and her ears were ringing.
There was a buzzing sound, and I didn’t even remember who it was. After working on it for a long time, it finally stopped.
Mrs. Sheng took Minglan to the inner hall, turned around a few rooms, and then around the back of the warehouse, and finally came to a secluded and deserted room. Fang's mother was already waiting there. Mrs. Sheng saw her and said lightly: "
Did everything come out?"
Fang's mother answered respectfully, and then went out with Cuiwei Danjue and other maids and women, leaving only her grandfather and grandson in the house.
Minglan was confused by these actions. Seeing her grandmother's mysterious posture, she seemed to want to explain something. When she turned around, she saw Old Mrs. Sheng sitting on an old wooden chair in the middle, and then pointed to seven or eight neatly arranged chairs on the ground.
He picked up the box and said to Minglan: "These were your grandmother's dowry." He raised the corner of his mouth slightly, seeming to be sarcastic, and added half a sentence, "These are the only ones left."
Minglan stared blankly at these boxes. Old Mrs. Sheng motioned for her to open them. Minglan walked over and opened the unlocked boxes one by one. Then a musty smell came to her nose, and Minglan coughed. Ah, this young man
It has been said that it has not been opened for thirty years! I don’t know if it is infected with bad bacteria or mold. I reluctantly opened my eyes and looked. It was dark and full of dust. Some of them were even hung with spider webs. I could only vaguely see what they were.
Porcelain, bronze, antiques, etc., the last two small boxes were wrapped more tightly, and there seemed to be an iron box inside the heavy mahogany box.
Old Mrs. Sheng's eyes were deep, as if she was remembering many past events, and she said quietly: "It turns out there were dozens of boxes of fine materials, including silks, satins, brocades, velvets, and leathers. I burned them all. Some of them were turned into money by me.
It costs money to clear things up, but it's hard to let your father walk into the officialdom empty-handed. When he came from the Marquis' Mansion, this was all he had left... I'll give it to you."
Minglan had just recovered from her cough, and almost choked again. She quickly replied: "Grandma's things must be passed on to my brother. Haha, just give me some money." Don't be kidding, if she gets married with these things, she won't
If she was strangled to death by Mrs. Wang, even Brother Changbai might not treat her well.
Old Mrs. Sheng didn't seem to hear, and kept talking to herself: "Sisters, except for your father's dowry, I will give each of you a thousand taels of silver as usual. Brothers are different, so if your eldest brother marries his wife, I will give you a thousand taels of silver."
Five hundred taels, the two of us can each give 800 taels. I have stayed in the Sheng family all my life, and your grandfather's kindness towards me has been settled, but these boxes have nothing to do with the Sheng family.
"
The language was plain, as if she was explaining the funeral affairs. Minglan felt sad. She must know that the total of Yu Yanran's dowry was only 1,500 taels of silver. This was because Mr. Yu Ge took pity on her and married her far away to subsidize her. Of course, this was from another perspective.
On the one hand, it also reflects that Mr. Yu Ge is very honest and Mr. Yu is very stingy.
Minglan went over and pulled her grandmother's sleeve and gently persuaded: "Grandma, give it to your brother. He is our eldest son's direct grandson." It took a long time for Mrs. Sheng to come back to her senses and look at Minglan with a strange look in her eyes.
It was shocking, so he slowly said: "I can't say this box is priceless, but it is enough for you to have a worry-free life. Do you really not want it?"
Minglan sighed and simply said: "To be honest, everyone likes good things, but no matter how big the head is or what the hat is, it's me. If I don't snatch it, it's useless. These precious things are
It's quite luxurious to be placed in the eldest sister's husband's house, how can I afford it? And..." Minglan couldn't continue under her grandmother's interested eyes, and ended: "In short, my granddaughter is still young, if she has good luck, she will do it.
Live a good life, forget about these bronze antiques."
In these ancient times, money is really not everything. Without the corresponding ability and protection from family background, wealthy merchants can easily be blackmailed and extorted by the government or powerful people. Sheng Wei is getting richer and richer without any setbacks. He just has a cousin who is an official, Youyang Qipin
The county magistrate has been living in harmony with the Sheng family for several terms. Why does the Li family still want their son to study and become an official? Their family already has enough money, and it is the same reason; if they offend the Wang family and Chang Bai because of these boxes of things, then
It's really not worth the gain.
Mrs. Sheng looked at Minglan amusedly: "Who said that these seven or eight boxes are all given to you?"
Minglan paused, okay, she was too complacent, so she had to smile awkwardly. Mrs. Sheng pointed to the last two boxes and said, "Those are for you. They are jade jewelry that I have used. No matter how big your head is, I will wear them."
No matter how big your hat is, my grandmother knows that she won't let you go beyond the rules." Then she said in a soft voice, "You have a bright mind and are not greedy for money. Grandma is very happy. I gave you these items in vain. Neither are those boxes.
For your big brother, grandma has other plans in the future, and you can see the world today, but the antiques from the previous dynasty are here."
Minglan turned to Mrs. Sheng to please her and whispered: "How can I understand? Grandma, tell me."
The old lady glared at her and reluctantly pulled her granddaughter to the box and told her the origin and name one by one. Minglan listened and suddenly said: "Why don't grandma keep these two boxes for herself?"
The old lady was really surprised this time and looked at her granddaughter. Minglan hesitated for a while and finally said: "Father, mother, brothers and sisters are naturally very filial! But grandma must leave some money for herself, so in her hands
I don’t have to panic when I have enough food…”
In fact, what she wanted to say was that a thousand sons are worth less than a penny in hand, not to mention that you are not a relative. This is what a clerk who has been working in the civil court for many years said from the bottom of his heart.
The old lady's heart moved and she said softly: "Good boy, don't worry, grandma's coffin is thick."
Many of the servants left in the mansion were old ladies who used to stay with them. The old lady wanted to talk to them, but she was afraid that Minglan would be bored, so she sent her to go for a walk in the garden. Minglan pouted: "I don't like to go to the garden."
." She wanted to go shopping.
Old Mrs. Sheng gave her a small abacus with a straight face: "Then practice, you can't even win a hundred sons, be careful if you marry someone in the future, your family will be ruined." Minglan looked at her grandmother with resentment and weighed it.
After a while, he said painfully: "Then I'd better go to the garden."
I've been to elementary school, junior high school and high school Mathematical Olympiad classes, okay? The basic skill is mental arithmetic!
Minglan walked around half of the lake without any interest, then sat on a white stone under a withered yellow willow tree, holding her cheeks with her hands, staring at the lake in a daze: The water of Jinling Lake is clear and very different from Shandong.
Minglan's wrinkled and bitter face was reflected in her face. Minglan suddenly became childish, picked up a handful of stones, and threw them into the lake one by one.
Even the dowry was prepared. It seemed that my grandmother already knew about her marriage, but she refused to let her ask. No matter how much she hurt her, no matter how coaxed she was by Minglan, Mrs. Sheng always refused to let Minglan participate in discussing the marriage. Listen.
She said that she was the one who had the idea for her marriage back then, but...she secretly saw the newly minted beauty groom at the Hairpin Banquet, and heard him recite two lines of poetry. She fell in love on the spot, defied her parents who loved her, married into the Sheng family, and fell in love a few years after the wedding.
Indifferent love makes the couple turn against each other.
It sounds like a story. It is true that the saying that art comes from life is well-founded, but she is a rational legal practitioner. She will not fall in love at first sight and then marry randomly! Minglan is very sad and continues to throw pebbles. She is really
I want to know who Ana will be in her future.
"Sister Minglan." A clear young voice said.
Minglan looked up blankly and looked around randomly, only to see a handsome young man standing by the lake. He was walking towards this side. Seeing Minglan's dumbfounded look, He Hongwen smiled and said as he walked: "Sister, you don't know me.
Is it done?”
Minglan smiled brightly, stood up and said playfully: "Brother Hongwen, my little sister is so polite!"
He Hongwen walked to Minglan three steps and stopped, cupping his hands and bowing: "Today my grandma brought me to visit rashly. It's rude and disrespectful."
Minglan saw He Hongwen wearing plain clothes and a filial piety scarf, and she calmed down and said, "Your great-grandfather's funeral, my grandmother and I wanted to go, but..." He Hongwen quickly waved his hands and said with a gentle smile: "You are here to have a wedding banquet, and
When you stay at my uncle's house, it's always bad when things go wrong, so it's right that you don't come."
Minglan whispered: "Mrs. He must be very sad."
He Hongwen came over, looked at Minglan, and said kindly: "Grandma is open-minded and often says that everyone has life and death, and this is the way of heaven. My great-grandfather was already Gao Jie, and he passed away in his sleep. It is considered a joyful loss. What is the fear of death?"
Minglan was startled for a moment, then nodded and said, "What Mrs. He said makes perfect sense. I'm not afraid of death, I'm just afraid that my life won't be happy."
He Hongwen listened and said with a smile: "I'm not afraid of death, I'm just afraid that I won't live long."
Minglan finally laughed. When He Hongwen saw her smiling, he asked: "Why is sister Shicai looking so sad? Did you get too few red envelopes at your cousin's wedding banquet?"
Minglan shook her head and said with a grimace: "I don't know how to make an abacus. Grandma said I would ruin the family." Of course she couldn't say that she was worried about a blind marriage, so she had to say it casually.
He Hongwen laughed: "What's the matter? When I was a kid, I scooped up ginseng paste and fed it to the goldfish. I spent a lot of money. The goldfish also rolled their eyes. My father chased after me and told me that I was a prodigal." Thinking of his late father, Hongwen's face darkened.
.
Minglan shook her head: "My uncle made a mistake in his training. This is not a prodigal, this is a quackery! Our mistakes are completely different. Please don't drag me into the water."
He Hongwen snorted and couldn't help but smile, pointing at Minglan and shaking his head repeatedly. The young man was gentle and calm, with a warm and hearty smile. The scenery of lakes and mountains, and the autumn wind blowing a faint fragrance of grass leaves, made Minglan suddenly feel relaxed.