The 42nd

  The Yu family's atmosphere is warm and beautiful, with everyone from top to bottom having similar temperaments, loving to talk and laugh, treating people generously and warmly. Minglan was like a prisoner who had been serving his sentence for many years and suddenly received parole, her whole person relaxed.

  It seems that Minglan and Pinlan really hit it off, almost instantly clicking, one being an action-oriented tomboy, the other coming up with stinky ideas to help, plus Tai Sheng who is used to being bossed around by his cousin, these past few days at the Shi household have been quite lively: when Minglan goes fishing, Pinlan helps catch loaches, Tai Sheng stands on the side holding the fish basket, clucking away 'be careful not to slip' or 'don't go any further'; when Pinlan catches sparrows, Minglan helps hold the bamboo sieve to scatter millet, Tai Sheng crouches behind the wall pulling on the string...

  The Li family had to prepare for the wedding, so they could only ask their daughter-in-law, Madame Wen, to go and fetch them back. However, Madame Wen was no match for Xiangling, and Minglan couldn't intervene, so she just turned a blind eye.

  "Let them be, little ones, go and play for a while, it's good to get angry sometimes, not like wooden people. The old lady smiled and mediated, Sheng Lao Tai looked at Li Shi with a difficult expression, originally wanting to scold Minglan, but seeing that Minglan had been playing with rosy cheeks and better spirits than when she was at home, couldn't bear it, so sighed: "How can the niece not care about the children? It's just this girl's family... Now they're not restricted, in the future they'll probably suffer. Never mind, niece, you take care of them for now, after Guo Er's wedding, we'll deal with these two little monkeys properly."

  Beside them, Pinlan Minglan was being lectured by Lady Li, originally hanging her head in dejection, but upon hearing the words, she had a joyful expression on her face. Lady Li glared at her own daughter again.

  Mrs. Sheng and Housekeeper Wang were both old, and had been calling on Minglan to help with some matters since they were in Dengzhou. This time, after the long journey, they were already tired, so they called Minglan to pack her luggage and write letters to give gifts to their relatives. Minglan and Pinlan had just finished writing a couple of letters and were about to post them on Baidu Tieba when they were caught up in doing chores. Pinlan was very depressed, but could only follow along, muttering complaints under her breath. However, seeing that the young maids and old wives all respectfully reported back to Minglan, who gave orders and prohibitions with a single word, and those servant women didn't even dare to utter half a complaint, Pinlan was extremely impressed.

  "I also helped my sister-in-law with the household chores, but that lazy servant always tried to deceive and cheat me, making me suffer every time. My mother didn't take my side, instead she scolded me... Is there any trick to this?" Pinlan asked with a humble attitude.

  Minglan had never suffered before, and in the past few days of playing with Pinlan, she knew her temper a little, so she said: "I'll come to guess for my sister? When you do something before, did you ask the housekeeper mother what it was like before?"

  "No." Pinlan flatly denied, "I've asked both Mother and Sister-in-law about the cause and effect beforehand, and also asked others what to do?"

  Minglan asked again: "Did you directly ask someone beside you to handle it and bypass those mothers?"

  Pinlan nodded: "Those mothers rely on having some dignity in front of the old lady and the madam, and never put me in their eyes. Moreover, one thing is clearly okay once, why bother going through so much trouble?"

  Minglan's face showed a profound expression of "as expected", and Pinlan felt even more itchy, asking one question after another. Minglan then smiled and said: "Those servants all have their bodies contracted to the master of the house, how dare they argue with the young lady? As long as they 'follow the rules' there won't be any big mistakes. From now on, before you do anything, first call the housekeeper to ask in detail how things were done before. If it's convenient, just follow along, if you really don't like it and want to change something, don't take matters into your own hands, and don't show your intentions in front of the servants. First find Madame or Auntie to ask if it's proper, then act, it won't be too late."

  Pinlan scrunched up her face and complained: "Mother always finds fault with me, so I don't even want to ask her!"

  Minglan pulled Pinlan's face, flattening her scrunched up expression, and said sternly: "In the manor, everything has its own rules. How do you know that your child will definitely be good? Eldest maternal aunt is experienced in such matters, whether your child is good or not, she'll know as soon as she hears about it. It's better than doing something wrong. Firstly, when a task is handed over to someone, there's always some connection involved. You came and immediately took away their benefits, how can they be happy about that? Of course, they'll secretly undermine you. If you had informed the old lady and the madam beforehand, even if it was just a hint from an elderly aunt or nanny, telling you as a proper young mistress..."

  Jiang Lan still had a hesitant look, and Minglan sent her a sentence: "Being the mistress is not easy, haven't you heard 'being the mistress for three years, even cats and dogs are annoying'? If you're afraid of trouble, then don't interfere. If you want to be in charge, you can't be afraid of annoyance or difficulty. You still have your parents and grandmother backing you up as a young lady now. Those who become daughters-in-law, facing their mothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and younger aunts, are truly difficult!"

  Some things Minglan didn't say, as a concubine's daughter, she had a harder time than Pinlan, and Rulan and Molan were not easy to deal with either, and Wang Shi might not necessarily support her.

  In Minglan's opinion, the more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make. The only way to avoid mistakes is to not do anything at all.

  The wish of the employee is to work less and earn more, while the goal of the employer is to make the employee work more and earn less. This contradiction has been the same since ancient times; no matter how good you are at being a master or a servant, as long as you harm others for your own benefit, you will inevitably be looked down upon.

  If you take 100,000 taels of silver as if it were 10,000 taels, and make the servants' workload lighter, double their monthly salary, pay them double on holidays, give them a bonus at the end of the year, and add three overseas trips per year, as long as the mistress is not extremely foolish or deceived by others, she will generally be praised as "kind and benevolent". But if you take 10,000 taels of silver as if it were 100,000 taels, today the eldest son buys an 800-tael concubine, tomorrow the younger daughter opens a 500-tael poetry club, and the day after tomorrow the ancestors donate 1,000 taels for incense money, and the family supports thousands of servants and maids, but the men don't know how to make money, I'm afraid only the Seven Fairy Maidens descending from heaven can manage the household well - they are goddesses who can turn stones into silver tickets.

  Normally, use reasonable money to maintain a reasonable scale of household, do not be extravagant and wasteful, nor too shabby and stingy. When relaxed, relax, even if a little bit is wasted, it doesn't matter; on this basis, strictly manage the household rules, regulate the behavior of servants, teach them etiquette, and make the family atmosphere harmonious, which is already very auspicious.

  Actually, Pinlan is very clever, but previously Li taught her incorrectly, and not as good as Minglan's words of wisdom. Aunt Wen was also separated by a layer and it wasn't easy to discuss in detail. Pinlan thought carefully and felt that there was reason in this, so after returning home she followed her mother to see how she managed things, seeing her mother directing the servants to pack up the trunks, rewarding the maids, making the bed and preparing seats, every day there were over a dozen women surrounding her asking this and that, busy as could be. Pinlan suddenly felt that her mother was working hard, so obediently followed Minglan's lead in doing her daily lessons: copying letters, embroidery; for several days she was very diligent.

  Mrs. Li saw that her daughter had grown up and let out a sigh of relief. The day before, she had seen Minglan directing the servants to sort out boxes or tidy up things with great efficiency. When it came to calculating accounts, she didn't even use an abacus, but simply used her fingers to scribble two lines on paper and everything was clear. Mrs. Li was shocked, thinking that her daughter was still so young. She turned around to look at the girl who was following behind Minglan, shouting "It's not good yet, let's go play!" and couldn't help but feel secretly worried.

  Nowadays, Pinlan seems to be sensible, and Li's family feels very relieved. However, looking at Pinlan's depressed appearance, she also feels heartbroken. She strokes her daughter's hair and says: "Your younger sister is usually very strict at home, now that she has come to our house, as long as you don't go overboard, it's fine to take her for a walk in the garden."

  This chapter was first published on the same-name Baidu Tieba. On the day of receiving relatives, the Sheng family decorated their house with new decorations, and even the servants changed into new long gowns. Pinlan pulled Minglan to run around and watch the excitement. Amidst the loud drums and music, they saw Brother Chang'an wearing a big red wedding gown riding a tall white horse to welcome the bridal sedan chair.

  "Second Brother is really hopeless, look at him smiling, his mouth corners are stretched all the way to the back of his ears!" Pinlan whispered to Minglan, who nodded in agreement. Today, Changyu indeed smiled like a silly melon, but he was worth forgiving.

  Because the old lady did not allow concubines, to avoid young boys making mistakes during puberty, boys all married relatively early. Zhang Yu began discussing marriage at 15 years old, and it was a long and difficult process. All sorts of matchmakers came to join in the excitement, but the old lady and Li Shi had high standards and were not willing to settle for a daughter-in-law from a lower social class. As a result, Zhang Yu did not get married until he was 21 years old, how could he be happy about that!

  Minglan also met Tai Sheng's father, whose name was Er Niu. Minglan had thought that if there was an Er Niu, then there must be a Da Niu as well, but it turned out not to be the case. According to legend, when Hu family's old lady gave birth to her son, she dreamed of someone giving their family two cows for free on the night before, and thus named him Er Niu. Niu aunt was very kind and always followed behind Da Shu (Tai Sheng) busily.

  However, Shulan's sister-in-law Sun Zhi Gao was not very likable to Minglan. He had a clear brow and bright eyes, but his eyes seemed to be on top of his forehead, with an arrogant look. Later, it was learned that this Sun brother-in-law was a famous child prodigy in Yangzhou, who became a Xiucai at the age of 12... But now he is still a Xiucai. Upon learning that Old Lady Sheng came from a marquis's family and her children and grandchildren were all officials through imperial examination, he immediately changed his attitude to be humble.

  The young lady's family was not good at showing off, so she couldn't go to the wedding hall to attend the ceremony, nor could she move around in the outer guest area. Pinlan thought of breaking through the siege several times to go and see the excitement, but was killed by Minglan in the bud, and instead was pulled to the back garden to see the newly planted flower trees. This chapter was first published on Baidu Tieba with the same name. Li Shi clearly understood Pinlan's temperament and sent someone to call her daughter to the back hall to chat with the old lady and the other womenfolk amidst her busy schedule.

  "Have all the young ladies from the three houses arrived?" asked Pinlan. The maid smiled and said, "Everyone has come, including County Magistrate's wife, Xiulan, and his sister-in-law, Yuelan." Pinlan immediately fell silent, flatly refusing: "Then I won't go!"

  The maid hesitated, saying: "Miss, this won't do, the mistress has instructed..." Minglan saw that the little maid was so anxious that she had broken out in a sweat, and said: "You go first, I'll take our miss over right away."

  The little maid knew that although Miss Minglan had not been here for long, she was very compatible with her own young lady, and often gave her some advice, so she thanked her repeatedly and left with peace of mind.

  Pinlan glared at Minglan: "What are you guaranteeing? I'm not going." Minglan said coolly, "I don't care, but Eldest Maternal Aunt won't let you off the hook and will send someone to fetch you. After three or four invitations, it's just a matter of whether you're being polite with wine or being punished with wine."

  Pinlan thought of her own mother's strictness and couldn't help but feel discouraged, saying: "I really don't want to see those three rooms! Except for Sister Xiu Lan, who is still okay, that Hui Lan you have seen, and there is also a concubine-born sister, Yue Lan. Alas, no need to mention it."

  Minglan pulled Pinlan slowly towards the main hall, asking as they walked and diverting Pinlan's attention: "What deep grudge or hatred is there? You're so fixated on it."

  Pinlan unknowingly followed Minglan to the front, saying angrily: "You've always lived abroad and don't know those annoying ghosts in the third house! When we were young, San Aunt said that our family was poor and that girls' families had to be wealthy to raise them, so she forced her three daughters to come to my house. My sister and I didn't suffer less because of them! Xiu Lan only knew how to protect herself, but that was okay. But Yue Lan, humph, every year during festivals when dividing things, she would make a fuss. Either she would snatch my clothes or steal my sister's hairpins. When I reported her, she would cry with a smile on her face everywhere, saying we bullied her!" "She still steals things?" Minglan really hadn't thought of that.

  Pinlan thought of the past, a belly full of anger: "Who is stealing? It's just daylight robbery! As long as there was no one in her elder sister's room, she would go in and rummage through things, pick out what she liked and put it on, and never return it again! Her elder sister was honest and never said anything about her, so she became more and more reckless. Several times, she even dared to enter her mother's room and search, and at first, her mother tolerated it, thinking that they were just some trinkets, and that girls loved to dress up when they grew up, so let her be. It wasn't until later, when she discovered that several deeds were missing, including the deed to their ancestral home, that her mother became anxious."

  "Will the contract come back later?" Minglan asked with a mischievous tone.

  This made Pinlan excited, and she said with a smile: "At that time, she was only two months away from getting married. She relied on the fact that she had already been engaged to someone else's family, and her natal family didn't dare to discipline her. Who would have thought that my mother went to the third house first, politely invited her over, then sent someone to tell the other family that Sister Moon Orchid had contracted a cold, and the wedding was postponed for half a year? Then she locked up Sister Moon Orchid, not letting anyone from the third house make any trouble. The third house didn't dare make too much of a fuss either, fearing that if they made a big deal out of it, the other family would call off the engagement. Haha! Sister Moon Orchid was locked up for dozens of days before she handed over the contract and was released; originally, she hadn't even told Third Uncle, secretly hiding it in her own pocket, planning to take it with her when she got married!"

  Pinlan said with flying colors, Minglan opened her mouth wide, and gave a thumbs up in her heart - indeed, true people don't show their faces, unexpectedly that round-faced and gentle aunt was so spicy!

  Pinlan's interest was piqued, and she continued to speak: "And Huilan, I don't know how many times we fought when we were young. Look, look at this scar! It was five years ago that she pushed me onto a rock and I bumped into it. Luckily, I used my arm to support myself, or else my face would have been ruined!" As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeve and held it in front of Minglan's face. Minglan leaned forward to take a look, and indeed, there was a large scar on Pinlan's arm, twisted like a centipede and pinkish-red in color.

  Then she was sent back home. Pinlan said with hatred, "Hmph! All of you are heartless wolves!"

  Huilan and Pinlan were three years apart in age, yet she also went to such great lengths? Minglan looked at the scar about five or six inches long and could imagine how painful it must have been for Pinlan back then. She helped Pinlan put down her sleeve and comforted her, saying: "I often hear Old Madam mention Xiu Lan's sister, saying she was a good person who got along well with her husband and taught their children well. It seems that Eldest Maternal Aunt wasn't entirely useless after all!"

  Pinlan finally cracked a smile: "That's all thanks to my mother's good deeds! That year, Sister Xiulan came crying to our house in the middle of the night, kowtowing until her head was bleeding, begging my parents not to let Third Uncle marry her off to an evil old man as a concubine. My mother managed to save her and even arranged for her to marry her current husband. After Brother-in-law passed the imperial examination, he couldn't get a government position, but it was also thanks to my father's connections that he got a job as a teacher in a neighboring county."

  Minglan nodded repeatedly: "Uncle and Aunt are really good people, willing to stand up for their niece like this. Hmm? By the way, why didn't Uncle give a lesson to Sun-shi's husband as well?"

  Pinlan snorted: "My brother-in-law was once told by a fortune teller that he had the destiny of a prime minister, so he made up his mind to become a top scholar. How could he be willing to settle for such a lowly official position? He refused my father's kindness several times, humph! Don't think that just because you're talented, you don't have lofty ambitions!"

  Listening to Pinlan's complaints, Minglan couldn't help but smile wryly. She thought that if Pinlan were born in modern times, she could post a thread on Tianya titled "818 My Awesome Sisters-in-law and Brother-in-law", how thrilling and bloody it would be, definitely a hit!

  As soon as the two sisters reached the entrance of the main house, a maid who had been stretching her neck to wait for them finally saw them from afar and rushed out to greet them: "Good girls, you've finally arrived! The old lady inside has asked about you several times already. If you hadn't come now, she would have sent someone to look for you again."

  "What's all the fuss about? It's not like it hasn't come yet!" Having poured out her grievances of past years, Pinlan felt much more cheerful and pulled Minglan along to walk inside. Just as they were about to enter, a strange old female voice came from inside: "Just arrange for your family's Miss Ming to marry my nephew, then!"

  Pinlan was taken aback and reflexively turned to look at Minglan, surprised to find that she seemed to have let out a sigh of relief instead. All she heard was her saying with a smile: "What did you say when Auntie asked you to copy books as punishment? Ah, stretching one's neck is a knife cut, shrinking one's neck is also a knife cut. Alright, let's go in!"