Do you know? Do you know? It should be Green Fat Red Thin Episode 17

  From that day on, from the madam to the servant girls in the mansion, they all showed double respect to Kong Yiniang's training class, and no one dared to be slightly disdainful again; especially Mo Lan, who was almost tucking her tail between her legs. After Kong Yiniang's career education, Sheng Hong temporarily overcame his emotions with reason, sleeping in Wang Shi's room for half a month, making Lin Niang and her daughter sober up. Wang Shi was delighted every day, almost to the point of setting off firecrackers. To say that this time Sheng Hong had made up his mind, at least he wanted to show Kong Yiniang something, with great determination refusing any requests from Lin Niang to meet.

  Lin's aunt saw that the situation was not right, so she finally brought out her ultimate move. She had her son Long Feng hand over a soft green silk to Sheng Hong during his teaching examination, on which was written a melancholic poem in bright red ink: "Every morning I think of you and my heart is about to break, every evening I cry blood and tears like rain". After reading it, Sheng Hong's emotions were stirred up. One night, he couldn't hold back anymore and went to see Lin's aunt.

  Wang was furious when he found out and said: "I'm afraid the concubine is educated!"

  However, after this time, Sheng Hong also realized that he couldn't be too indulgent to Lin Niangniang, and Lin Niangniang also wisely reined in her temper. Mo Lan also became more honest, and under such a good learning atmosphere, Kong Yiniang carefully guided them for over half a month. After the trial results were announced in Changbai County, Kong Yiniang bid farewell and left. Sheng Hong added many boxes of gifts to Kong Yiniang as a token of appreciation, but Kong Yiniang left half behind and returned the rest: "As someone who is already halfway into the ground, bringing so many things, do you think I'm here to rob?"

  In the last few days, Wang Shi expressed her wish that Kong Yiniang would write a letter to her old friends in Beijing, saying some good words for her daughter at home, as a way of creating conditions for Hualan's future life. Unexpectedly, Kong Yiniang smiled and declined: "Big sister is not going to be a guest, she will be living in Beijing for a long time, and over time, whatever reputation she gets will have to be created by herself; if I were to praise big sister to the skies, then the Zhong family would have high expectations, which would be counterproductive."

  The Martian translation of this sentence is: Don't have too high expectations, it's easy to be disappointed if they're too high, and lower ones are more likely to make Hua Lan shine. It's unknown whether Wang understood or not, but she couldn't hide her disappointment, so Kong Yiniang added another sentence: "Big sister is just a living signboard, wait until she has children and stands on her own feet, if I can still jump around, I'll be able to shout for the rest of my sisters." Wang thought of Rulan and thanked her with a smile.

  After Granny Kong left, the girls went back to their daily routine of practicing their skills. Old Lady Sheng took Minglan back to learn reading and writing again, and added a new subject - needlework. Housekeeper Fang temporarily took over as the teacher. Housekeeper Fang was originally a high-ranking maid who came with the family when they married into the household, known for being the best at needlework in the entire household. She excelled in all aspects of needlework, including weaving, sewing, embroidery, making shoes and hats, and knotting. Although she is now old and her eyesight is failing, making it difficult for her to do fine work, teaching Minglan, who was still a beginner, was more than enough.

  According to the living examples of Sheng Lao Tai Tai and Lin Yi Niang, Fang Mama saw that Minglan was quick to learn and read, and was worried that Minglan would also love poetry and dislike needlework. However, Minglan was very cooperative from the start, showing an even more enthusiastic attitude towards learning than reading and recognizing characters. Fang Mama was both surprised and delighted, and immediately brought out her full skills to train Minglan. As a result, Minglan spent the morning studying with Sheng Lao Tai Tai and the afternoon learning needlework with Fang Mama, while Old Lady Yu looked on happily.

  Let Minglan practice her needlework on a small piece of cloth first, sewing straight lines that must be perfectly straight and round curves that must be perfectly round. The stitches should be fine and even, like those produced by a sewing machine, with uniform spacing. This is the foundation, and just practicing this took up a whole month for Minglan. After a month, Housekeeper Fang chose an afternoon when she was free to test Minglan, and barely gave her a passing grade.

  The mother said with some surprise: "Sister is so diligent in learning, why is it that she learns needlework much slower and not as well as reading and writing?"

  Those who have achieved success through unfair means and those who have risen from poverty through their own efforts are naturally different.

  The old lady was also surprised: "You like embroidery so much? You're even more serious and hardworking than when you read books."

  Minglan silently shed tears: Who would have liked a girl who does embroidery? She didn't even play with cross-stitch before, okay?!

  The education system has a big feature, for example, learning Olympiad mathematics, piano or painting is to add points, reading books well is to take the XX University exam, taking the XX University exam is to find a good job and make a lot of money. This sounds good, it's clear goals and direct action, but it also sounds bad, it's utilitarianism; as Minglan who came from there, after learning "Qianziwen", she began to think about a question.

  As a lady in confinement, she excels in poetry, lyrics, zither, chess, calligraphy and painting. What's the use of all these? She can't make a living by reading books because she can't take the imperial examination. Is it just to gain fame as a talented woman among the nobility?

  As the eldest daughter-in-law, Sheng Lao Tai Tai would naturally say: "Refine your temperament, cultivate your mind and nurture your character, and you will be a glory to our family in the entire capital city."

  But Minglan is not a legitimate daughter, and the Sheng family is not a marquis house, she can't enter that kind of top-level aristocratic social circle.

  And Lin Yiniang would say: On my road to success, poetry, music, chess, calligraphy and painting have given me a lot of help.

  But Minglan doesn't want to be a young wife either.

  Until one day, when Housekeeper Fang casually mentioned that a mediocre embroidery piece from Ruyi Zhai could sell for two or three taels of silver, Minglan suddenly found the best direction to strive for - whether it was reading books too well or managing finances too carefully, both might be criticized by this society. Only women's needlework is safe and secure, can gain a good reputation, and in case of an emergency, it can also serve as a skill to rely on.

  Minglan slightly polished her idea and replied to her grandmother: "Embroidery is a practical skill that can be used to make warm hats for you, Grandma, shoes for Father, embroidered sachets for Mother and sister, and even sew handkerchiefs for my brothers."

  The old lady was so moved that her eyes were hot, and she hugged Minglan in her arms for a long time: "Good child, it's hard for you!"

  Minglan's words were like a refreshing rain, and Old Lady Shen understood them to mean: Reading books only benefits oneself, but embroidery can benefit the whole family. Her granddaughter was so young yet already knew how to care for her family.

  To make learning more interesting, Old Lady Sheng drew a few simple plum blossoms for Minglan to embroider. Minglan embroidered diligently and had just finished half of one blossom when the spring plum blossoms fell off and peach blossoms began to bloom. Housekeeper Fang sighed and decided to add a few strokes to the pattern, letting Minglan turn it into a peach blossom instead.

  "Plum blossoms and peach blossoms are different, how can they be exchanged?" Minglan protested softly.

  "It's all right, the difference isn't much," Old Lady Sheng comforted her.

  Minglan: ……

  By April, when the peach blossoms were in full bloom, a letter arrived from the Zhongqinbo Mansion in Beijing, saying that Yuan Wenshao would set out to welcome his bride at the end of the month. Counting the days, it wouldn't be long before he arrived in Dengzhou. On this side, Sheng Hong's elder brother Sheng Wei had also arrived. Originally, Hualan's wedding should have been attended by her uncle, but now that Wang Yan was an official, he couldn't leave his post at will. Only Sheng Wei, who handled the family business, could move freely. This time, he brought his second son Changwu to congratulate them and would later accompany Changbai to escort Hualan to Beijing.

  When Sheng Wei accompanied Sheng Xiang to Rui'an Hall, Minglan was sitting beside the kang table reciting "The Love of Lotus": "Among the flowers of water and land, those that can be loved are very numerous... I alone love lotus for its ability to emerge from muddy water unsoiled, to wash in clear ripples without becoming seductive, to be straight inside and out, not sprawling or branching, fragrant as it rises, pure and clean...". The childish voice was clear and loud, the little girl shook her head and swayed back and forth, with a silly expression that was adorable. Old Mrs. Sheng sat upright on the kang, listening with a smile, her eyes full of warm joy.

  Sheng Wei's heart skipped a beat, and seeing Old Lady Sheng in high spirits, with a rosy complexion, she looked even more vibrant than two years ago. He glanced sideways at Minglan, only to see her bright and clear black eyes, like polished lacquer, immediately getting down from the kang and standing obediently beside him. Seeing how well-mannered and understanding she was, Sheng Wei couldn't help but feel a liking for her, his mind made up even more firmly.

  After paying respects to Old Lady Sheng, Sheng Wei smiled and pulled Minglan over, saying: "You must be the sixth daughter, I've met all your sisters except you. Last time you came back home, you were ill, but now you're better." He had a square-shaped face with a weathered complexion, looking like he was in his fifties although he was only a few years older than Sheng Hong. His expression was very kind and gentle.

  Minglan held up a pair of chubby little fists, came up in a square and paid her respects, asking in a similar tone: "All the nieces are fine, thank you, Uncle, for your concern. Uncle is well, Uncle has come from afar, it's really tiring."

  The soft and tender voice, yet speaking with a serious tone like a little adult, made everyone in the house laugh. Sheng Wei laughed especially hard, hugging Xiao Minglan who couldn't stop shaking, her small face flushing red with anger, thinking to herself, she had followed all the rules, what was there to laugh about, be serious!

  Sheng Wei felt around in her bosom, pulled out a red cloth package and handed it to Ming Lan: "This is from your paternal great-grandmother, all of your sisters have one, you're the only one missing." Ming Lan looked up at her grandmother and father, saw them nod slightly before accepting it, opened the red cloth and was met with a dazzling golden light.

  This is a heavy, solid gold Ruyi lock. Hurriedly handed over to Old Lady Sheng for her inspection, the old lady smiled and hung the fine chain of the golden lock around Minglan's neck. Minglan immediately felt her neck sink down, weighing several taels, and hastily turned her small body to bow obediently to Sheng Yujuan, saying "Thank you, Grand Aunt, thank you, Great Uncle."

  At this time, Cuiping came in with a small red lacquer tea tray carved with lotus leaves and water lilies. Seeing Minglan coming over, she habitually placed the tea tray in front of Minglan. Minglan took one of the teacups and walked away; Sheng Hong thought that according to habit, Minglan would bring the teacup to his face, but unexpectedly, Minglan's short legs turned halfway and bowed her head, holding the teacup and presenting it directly to Sheng Wei. The second cup was then handed to herself. Next, she saw Minglan tiptoeing over to take down the plate of fresh Shandong dates from the kang table, carefully placing it on Sheng Wei's tea table. Sheng Hong secretly found it amusing and couldn't help but laugh and scold: "This Sixth Girl, having received a gift, is now serving tea and offering dates, has she forgotten her own father?"

  Minglan's face turned red, and she stopped fidgeting with her small body. Her hands and feet were awkward, and she muttered in embarrassment: "This... doesn't exist, probably because... I'm not good at it."

  The old lady and the two brothers, Sheng Wei and Sheng Hu, burst out laughing. Sheng Wei pulled Minglan into his arms and hugged her, seeing her small face tender and white, shy and lovely. He then took out a delicate silk pouch from his body and put it in Minglan's hand, jokingly saying: "Uncle is short of words when eating, here, this is the newly caught 99 small fish, all given to you! I say little Ming, your family's food is too expensive!"

  The old lady almost laughed out tears, pointing and scolding while laughing: "You few monkeys without a sense of propriety!" The surrounding maids and servants also secretly covered their mouths. Minglan quickly picked out over ten thick jujubes from the fruit plate and sent them to Sheng Hui, smiling foolishly as she tried to appease him: "Father, eat, father, this jujube is plump..."

  Sheng Hong smiled and pulled Minglan over, stroking the soft hair of his little daughter, then opened the embroidered pouch in Minglan's hand and picked out a small golden fish-shaped pendant, placing it in Minglan's chubby palm: "Isn't it pretty? Play with it."

  Minglan suddenly took so much gold, she was indeed a bit embarrassed, her small face red and gave Sheng Wei a bow, at this time Wang came, bringing several children except for Hualan, Minglan let out a small sigh of relief, and hurriedly went to pay respects to Wang.

  The Wang family paid their respects to the elderly lady and Sheng Wei, then had the children pay their respects. Minglan noticed a large golden lock on her chest, while Lan's small mouth pouted slightly, and Mo Lan lowered her eyebrows and eyes without any expression. After being educated by Kong Yiniang, the two of them had become much more obedient. Sheng Wei chatted with his niece for a few sentences, while Lan was delicate and Mo Lan was elegant, neither speaking much. Sheng Xiang also didn't have anything to say, but Wang Shi smiled all over her face: "Sister-in-law is too polite, letting Uncle run so far for Hua Lan has already gone beyond what's necessary, and bringing so many things here." She said, turning her head: "And there are your brother's belongings in the study, and sister's are in the Ai Rui Xuan, go get them later."

  The children immediately thanked Sheng Wei, and after a few more words, Ruolan excitedly went to see the gifts. Old Lady Sheng smiled and let her granddaughters go first. After the three girls left, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became quiet. Sheng Wei solemnly faced Chang Bai standing opposite him: "I just heard that Brother Bai has passed the imperial examination, my younger sister is truly blessed."

  Chang Bai bowed his hands and said: "Uncle is overpraising me, I am ignorant, and still need to study more."

  Wang's heart was filled with pride, and he replied: "There is still one more test at the county level before he can be considered a scholar, so don't rush to praise him yet; they say Wu Ge Er is also studying, and in the future, the two brothers will take the exam together."

  Sheng Wei shook his head and smiled: "This won't do, when I was studying, I wasn't as good as your second brother. Your big nephew only looks at account books with spirit, sees those Confucian classics and gets dizzy. Your second nephew can read two books, but is far inferior to Bo Ge'er. I think he still likes dancing with swords and spears. After sending my big niece to the capital for her wedding, I plan to let Wu Ge'er go pay respects to Lu Kui Ru's head teacher, and try walking the path of martial arts."

  Sheng Hong smiled and said, "This is great. Lu Gangzi's martial arts and character are both top-notch. When he took the Wuju exam, we often drank together, and over the years, our interactions have never ceased. I'll write him a letter and have Wugui take it to him, so that he can take care of some things."

  Sheng Wei was overjoyed: "Thanks a lot to Second Brother! Wuzi, hurry up and kowtow to your uncle to thank him!"

  The tall maple standing beside him, looking about the same size as the tall cypress, but with a sturdy build and a broad face, was beaming with joy and enthusiasm. He bowed his head to Sheng Huai, who quickly helped him up: "Big brother is talking nonsense again. If Wu Ge'er makes something of himself in the future, it will be our good fortune too. With brothers from our own family supporting each other in officialdom, that's how our clan can prosper."

  Sheng Wei turned his head to look at Chang Feng, smiling and saying: "Look, your brother Wu Tang is useless, he can only be a martial artist, it seems that you two brothers will have to take the exam together. I've heard that Brother Feng's poetry and literature are excellent, and at such a young age, he already has a reputation for his talent. In the future, he will definitely pass the imperial examination and become a top scholar."

  Chang Feng stood aside with a smile, and only then cupped his hands and said: "Young nephew is ashamed, hoping that in the future he can have half of big brother's knowledge and be content. In the previous dynasty, Zhang Taoyue was 9 years old when he became a child prodigy, young nephew is not talented, planning to try next year."

  Old Mrs. Sheng said seriously: "Although poetry is important, the imperial examination does not only test poetry, you should also spend more effort on your essays. Even if your grandfather was a great poet in his youth, he still had to study hard for his essays first. You can go and read with your older brother." Chang Feng smiled and nodded in agreement.

  After saying a few more words, Old Lady Sheng told her three sons to go and play on their own, while the adults continued chatting.

  After they left, Sheng Wei respectfully said to Old Lady Sheng: "This time my wife also wanted to come, but she was held back by family matters and couldn't get away. I'll kowtow to Second Aunt on her behalf to congratulate her."

  "What's all the fuss about, coming from so far away? My daughter-in-law is in charge of such a big household, how can she come out? We don't need these formalities between our two families. How's your mother's health, is she still well?" Old Lady Sheng asked with a smile.

  Sheng Wei's expression turned somewhat gloomy: "Everything at home is fine, it's just that my mother has been getting lazier lately, and her body isn't as strong as before. She often mentions Auntie Er, and I was thinking that when Auntie has some free time, she could come to our house to stay for a while. But I'm afraid of tiring Auntie out, so Mother doesn't allow me to mention it."

  Old Mrs. Sheng sighed and said, "What's the point of being tired? I got along well with your mother-in-law, and it's not bad for siblings to visit their elder sister; alas...I have great respect for my elder sister-in-law, a weak woman who has endured all these years and finally made a name for herself, but unfortunately, she has become ill due to exhaustion."

  Sheng Wei sincerely said: "At first, we all owed it to Auntie for supporting us mother and son. Nephew's family has today, it's really..."

  The old lady waved her hand repeatedly to stop him from continuing: "Don't mention it again."

  Sheng Hong noticed the atmosphere was heavy, so he wanted to find a lighter topic. He looked at Wang Shi and she caught the signal, immediately understanding. So she smiled: "It's been a long time since I returned to Jinling, I don't know how Song Ge's wife is doing? The last letter said she was pregnant."

  Sheng Wei's expression grew increasingly somber: "What a pity, it was just Little Moon the other day."

  A depressing atmosphere became even heavier, Sheng Hong glared at Wang Shi with an unsatisfied look, but Wang Shi was innocent and didn't know what was going on.

  Alright, it seems that creating a lively atmosphere also requires talent, and Wang clearly still needs to work on it. Sheng Hong was not satisfied with Wang's efforts and decided to take matters into his own hands. He smiled and said: "I wonder how the family of the young master we mentioned last time is doing? Big brother, have you inquired about them? If they're good, I'll have to start preparing gifts as their uncle."

  Sheng Wei's face turned as black as a pot bottom: "Alas, let's not mention it, that young lady from the Zhang family has eloped with Ma Fu!"

  The indoor atmosphere is even more...