Do you know? Do you know? It should be Green Fat Red Thin Episode 18

  That evening, Sheng Hong wanted to have a drink with Sheng Wei, and Wang Shi accompanied Old Lady Sheng for a chat. Before dinner, Cui's mother led Minglan back, with Danju and Xiaotao carrying two large packages of gifts, followed by two rough-looking servant women carrying a trunk between them.

  Old Mrs. Shi pulled Minglan to her side, shaking her like a little girl for half a day, and laughed: "This time our Ming'er has really made a fortune, tell Grandma, what did Eldest Uncle send?"

  Minglan hadn't gotten a clear look just now, and she thought back with her fingers: "There were... gold pieces, silk threads, pearls, bangles, hmm... hairpins, combs too......hmm, and, and..." She tried for half the day but still couldn't recite them all. Old Lady Shen listened with eyes wide open, stretched out a finger to tap Minglan's forehead hard, and scolded with a straight face: "And, and you're this silly little fool!"

  Minglan's face turned red, and everyone burst out laughing together.

  As she spoke, the old lady asked Cuiping to instruct the servant to open the packages and trunks for inspection. There were four pieces of newly produced colored silk from Lake Tai, three pieces of colored brocade from Shu, all with bright and beautiful patterns. Two sets of Wenfang Four Treasures from Huizhou, a pair of agate bangles wrapped in red gold thread, a pair of jade bangles wrapped in silver leaf thread, two pairs of pearl earrings and golden hairpins, a box of round coral beads and a box of colorful glass beads, five rings with new flower patterns, and some other small toys for girls.

  The old lady frowned and said: "This gift is a bit too heavy."

  Wang smiled and said, "Since Eldest Brother has mentioned it, we might as well fill in the gaps for all these years." Then she turned her head and pulled Minglan over: "You silly child, people say you learn characters quickly, but you can't even remember these things? No wonder Old Madame says you're a little fool!"

  Minglan smiled awkwardly, she was better at memorizing numbers and cases. Old Lady Shen heard Wang's words, her eyes seemed to mockingly flash, but she didn't say anything.

  Then Wang said with a smile to the old lady, "We are indeed good children. When we lived with our mother-in-law in the past, whatever she gave us to wear or eat, we never picked and chose, nor did we envy our sisters' things. Like when I lived with her together, everything was available everywhere, but Ming'er didn't even touch anything! No wonder the old lady loves you, you really have style."

  Old Lady Sheng glanced at Wang lightly, and said calmly: "After Hua's marriage, Madam should pay more attention to the remaining three daughters. A girl's family is not good if they are too careless, or else people will look down on them."

  Wang's expression changed instantly, and she looked delighted. But then Old Lady Sheng said something that seemed completely unrelated: "Ming Yatou, after you left, Cai'er had Xiaotao take the bag of goldfish your uncle gave her away. What, did she want to show off in front of her sisters?"

  Minglan widened her eyes and replied: "It's not showing off, I want to share it with my sisters."

  Wang's expression immediately turned somewhat unsightly. Old Lady Sheng smiled inscrutably: "Do your sisters want them?"

  Minglan shook her head, pouting and said: "We suffered together, so naturally the goldfish should be divided together too. I told Xiaotao to bring that ivory scale as well, but big sister refused, saying it was given by uncle to me alone, they had all seen uncle before."

  Old Lady Sheng smiled and said: "Dahui is indeed sensible, this time her nephew has also added a lot of dowry for her, we should be content."

  Wang sighed in relief.

  Minglan sighed secretly, these women in the inner house were full of hooks in every word and sentence, one careless move and you'd be entangled.

  After a while, Old Lady Wang sent over the meal, and Mrs. Wang usually went back to her room to have dinner with her daughters, so she took leave with the maid and left. As soon as they left the courtyard of Rui'an Hall, they quickened their pace and hurried towards Weiruixuan. Before the maid had even opened the curtain of the main house, Mrs. Wang heard Hualan scolding Yulan from inside.

  "How can your eyelids be so shallow? Seeing a few golden hairpins on Minglan, you want to take half of them. Haven't you ever seen gold before?" Hualan's words made Wangshi's eyelids jump.

  "Great Uncle is muddled, you and I are the ones born of the legitimate wife, what's with him taking that little concubine-born daughter as true? Why give her so many gold coins? They should be given to us instead!" Rulan retorted.

  Wang's face turned blue with rage, leaving Caihuan and Caixiu staring at the door as she stormed into the inner room, pointing at Rulan and shouting loudly: "You little wretch, how dare you not shut your mouth! What nonsense are you spouting? Last time Kong Yiniang should have beaten you a few more times!"

  Hua Lan and her sister Ru Lan were sitting on a pair of embroidered stools when they saw Wang Shi enter, and they quickly stood up and curtsied. Wang Shi grasped Ru Lan's arm and said in a low voice, "From now on, don't say anything about being born to a concubine. Have you forgotten your father?"

  As soon as Lan heard this, her heart tightened. She thought to herself, "Yes, Sheng Huan is also a concubine's child." Although she knew she had misspoken, she still didn't want to admit it and said, "In the past, my golden lock was given by Old Madame, there was no share for Lin Daiyu; Fourth Sister's golden lock was even supplemented by Eldest Uncle and Aunt. Isn't that what Mother said? Old Madame hated concubines the most... Even if Eldest Uncle favors Minglan because of Father's face and wants to reward her with some small trinkets, it would be enough. Why did he have to give her a golden lock and a bag of goldfish? It's really spoiling that little girl's temperament! I think her golden lock is even more exquisite than mine!"

  Wang's headache was getting worse, and she sat down on the soft couch. Hualan saw this and came over to pinch Rulan's arm hard, saying in a low voice: "Do you know what? The old lady and our old lady are very close, and at first, the old lady didn't get along with your fourth sister because of her grandmother. Today, she's promoting your sixth sister, also for the sake of her grandmother! If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for not letting grandma raise you back then!"

  The Wang family's eldest daughter looked at her with a loving gaze, then turned to Rulan and whispered: "Your elder sister is right! I just inquired about it, originally your uncle only gave six locks of gold to the sixth girl, but because she was likable, polite and respectful when serving tea, your uncle took out another bag of golden fish. But you? You don't even think about it, every time your uncle comes back, he's always giving things to your sisters, Hua'er is okay, but you just put on airs, lazy with your words, not diligent, with a spoiled and ghostly appearance, nobody likes seeing that!"

  Like an orchid, she had never been scolded by Wang's family like this before. Her small face turned red with anger and she said: "Who wants to be liked by Uncle! Didn't Mother say that if it weren't for Old Lady, Eldest Lady would have been divorced by Eldest Master long ago? If it weren't for Father, where would Uncle's family get so much wealth from? Uncle's family has received such great kindness from our family, taking their things is nothing. Why should I try to please Uncle, giving me things is what he should do!"

  With a sudden movement, Hua Lan stood up and shouted sternly: "What nonsense are you talking about? Shut your mouth immediately, or I'll tear it apart if you say one more word!" Seeing her sister's severe expression and fiery eyes, Lan stuck out her neck and closed her mouth.

  Hua Lan turned to face Wang Shi and scolded, "Mother, how could you? You know that my sister is impulsive, yet you dare to say such things to her? If she were to go out and make a fool of herself one day, Grandmother and Father would skin you alive! And at that time, that Lin person would be even more pleased!"

  The Wang family was suddenly overwhelmed with a splitting headache, supporting his forehead and leaning on the soft couch, with a stroke-like face.

  Hua Lan sat down beside Ru Lan, patiently instructing her younger sister: "Indeed, Father and Grandmother have helped Eldest Uncle a great deal, but now the one being raised by Old Madame is Ming Lan. Father's daughters are not just you and me, and soon I will be getting married and leaving home. By then, I won't be able to remind you of things, so in the future, you must think more for yourself."

  Lan's lips moved, and she put on a strong and stubborn expression. Hua Lan tried to be more patient: "You and I are born of the same mother, even if we quarreled in the past, can't you see that your sister won't harm you? From now on, don't argue with Mo Lan for no reason, that dead girl is always pretending to be innocent, her thoughts are cunning, and you will inevitably suffer. If you don't want to play with her, then just ignore her. If you're bored in the future, go find Liu Mei instead, I think she's not bad, although she's younger than you, but she's more careful and considerate; these days, Old Lady has been treating her like a precious gem, giving her all the good things, and Father has been doting on her too!"

  Ruolan lowered her head, pouted and muttered: "How can they compare to me? They are all born out of wedlock, only by flattering and pretending to be clever can they have a place, I am the one born by my mother."

  Hua Lan paused for a moment with force: "That's right, we are born by the wife, but also have to show the demeanor of the legitimate daughter, don't be inferior to the concubine-born at the end!"