Episode 99

  It was night, and Sheng Hong stayed in the Wang family's house, having the maid take off his outer garments while listening to Mrs. Wang talk about the visit from the matriarch of the Gu family today.

  "...That lady, so gentle and elegant, not a hint of arrogance, speaking with reason and emotion. Compared to the one from the Wen family, it's like heaven and earth, ah...it's really six younger sister who has good fortune!" Wang Shi took a Junyao cup from Cai Pei's hand, "Here, this is the Gunpowder tea that Lady sent over today, Master please try some."

  Sheng Hong changed into casual clothes and sat on the kang, saying: "Old lady, you're also good at this, don't cut it all off." Don't blame him for speaking harshly, Wang's wife did have a bad record after all.

  Wang's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately scolded: "Look at what Master said, do you think I'm still young and foolish? Half of it was left in Shou'and Hall, and the rest was divided among Master and several brothers and sisters."

  Sheng Hong nodded slightly, took the cup from Wang Shi, and tasted it. A hint of joy appeared on his face as he lightly praised: "Good tea, I'm afraid even the tribute tea isn't this good."

  "Alas, Liu Yaotou doesn't have to worry anymore, but my poor Ruer has to follow a fierce mother-in-law." Wang Shi sat on the other side of the kang, fiddling with the gold and jade ring on her finger, looking worried; sighing like an orchid, while praising Qin Shi's virtue and kindness.

  The more she thought about the benefits of the Gu family's mistress, the more she despised the vulgarity and pettiness of Old Lady Wen. The more she despised Old Lady Wen, the more she felt that Mistress Gu was a good person. Her mind was in disarray, and the more she spoke, the less able she was to control her tongue. Meanwhile, Sheng Hong stood by, sipping his tea without saying a word.

  "Old man, say something!" Wang's wife had been talking to herself for half the day, seeing that her husband was completely ignoring her, she couldn't help but shout, "You don't even worry about Rulan, it seems like our daughter is mine alone!"

  Sheng Hong slowly put down his teacup, turned to face Wang Shi, and Wang Shi also slightly inclined her body, listening attentively. Sheng Hong said: "In the future, when interacting with this lady, you must be more careful and cautious, leaving some room for maneuver... Ah no, leave seven parts of it unsaid, don't reveal everything, and be on your guard, lest you regret it later."

  Wang was greatly surprised and stared, saying: "Why is this? I see that she is a very good person, and Master has never seen her before. How can he speak like this? Is there something to regret?"

  He stroked his short mustache under his nose and shook his head, saying: "No need to see it, I know. You think she's good, then she must be a formidable one."

  Wang's wife felt a surge of anger and loudly asked: "What did you say, sir?!"

  Sheng Hong seemed to be in a good mood, and chuckled: "In the past, when we were in Quanzhou, you and the wife of the prefect almost became sworn sisters. Later, I don't know what happened, but you had a big falling out with her and scolded her for two hours at home. In Dengzhou, you and Princess Pingning got along so well that you almost became sworn brothers. Now? If it weren't for the abbot of Guangji Temple advising against it, you would have made a voodoo doll to curse her! And then there's the aunt from the Kang family - after you two were reunited after a long time apart, you didn't even mention her to me, but instead urged me to help her. Now? You almost flayed her alive... Ha ha, wife, I've figured it out. Whoever you think is good will eventually turn against you, so it's better to be prepared early on!"

  When he finished speaking, Sheng Hong's shoulders shook with laughter, his whiskers fluttering wildly, Wang's face turned bright red with anger, her mouth opening and closing like a carp out of water, but she couldn't think of anything to say in rebuttal. Finally, she could only say indignantly: "You're really in the mood for joking, and you still have the leisure to tease me!"

  These days, Sheng Hong is in high spirits, every night he has either colleagues or peers or superiors inviting him to dinner parties. Everyone openly and secretly has the intention of making connections and socializing, how can Sheng Hong not be happy? The more he thinks about it, the more pleased he becomes. Wang's words make him laugh even more, but he can only put on a straight face, his chest rising and falling as he seethes with anger.

  After laughing for a while, Sheng Hong stood up and asked Wang Shi: "How are the preparations for the marriage of the two girls going?"

  Wang said with a gloomy face: "Rulan has already passed the literary examination, and after the list is announced at the beginning of the year, whether Wenxiang Gong passes or not, the wedding date will be set for the end of February; Ming Yatou can't be worse than Rulan as a younger sister, so we plan to set it around early March."

  Sheng Hong nodded slightly, suddenly thought of something, and said to his wife: "Since the new year has begun, we should hold a happy event. This time during the New Year, let's be more frugal and not too ostentatious, lest we attract attention; secondly..." He paused for a moment, looked serious and told Wang Shi: "After the New Year, you will hand over the household chores to your daughter-in-law, and then go to Fengtian."

  "Wang was surprised and asked: 'What's going on in Fengtian?'"

  Sheng Hong fell silent for a moment before sighing softly, "You go to Fengtian, apologize to your mother-in-law in person, and also inform the two maids about their marriage arrangements."

  Wang thought of her own mother, and her heart felt a pang of suffocation. She said in a stifled voice: "I'm afraid Mother is still angry with me. I've already made amends many times, and people say that mothers and daughters don't hold grudges overnight. But Mother is too heartless."

  With a stern expression, he advised Wang: "Last time's matter was indeed our fault, no wonder Mother-in-law was angry. All these years, Mother-in-law and Brother-in-law have been helping us, but you treated your own mother's family so lightly. As the eldest son of the Wang family, how could they not be offended? Now that the two families have already settled the marriage, let bygones be bygones, we can't stay estranged forever. This time when you go back, make a good apology, if Mother-in-law is in a good mood and her body is comfortable, invite her to come over and stay for a few days, it'll be lively."

  Sheng Hong had great respect for his mother-in-law. When he first went to the Wang family to propose, Old Master Wang did not approve of him because he was a son born out of wedlock and had no family background to rely on. It was actually Old Mistress Wang who took a liking to Sheng Hong at first sight and said that he was kind and would definitely have a bright future ahead of him. This was why she agreed to marry her second daughter off to him, and as a result, Sheng Hong always remembered the kindness shown by Old Mistress Wang.

  The Wang family's eyes turned red, thinking of the kindness and love of her mother over the decades. After marriage, she encountered a crisis with Lin's wife, and Old Lady Wang came to help by sending people and advising her. Her tears slowly flowed down: "It's all my fault for being unfilial, Mother is so worried about me, but I still made it difficult for her in front of my sister-in-law!" She quickly wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, turned around and smiled: "I'll listen to Father this time, I'll personally go apologize and kowtow, at worst, Mother will just scold me and hit me with a board!"

  Sheng Hong saw this and sighed with a smile: "This is it! Ah... Adding flowers to brocade is easy, but sending charcoal in the snow is difficult. These days, I've been thinking of the kindness of the Yue family back then while watching those who come to curry favor with me. Now that my family's situation has improved, how can we forget our roots?"

  Wang's heart was moved, looking at her husband's eyes which were full of tenderness, his voice seemed to be filled with excitement: "Mother didn't misjudge you after all, you're a sentimental person."

  That's the good part, now it's time for the bad. Sheng Hong was an old hand at navigating official circles and was well-versed in conversation skills. He picked up his tea cup and took another sip before asking: "Now that both daughters are getting married, how much dowry do you plan to prepare for each of them?"

  When it came to this topic, Wang's face stiffened, and she lifted the warm quilt on the kang, picked up the teapot, and refilled Sheng Xiang's tea bowl with water. Her movements were slow and dragging: "Isn't it already agreed upon? Just follow the old rules, that's all. Whatever amount is due, just give that much." Seeing Sheng Xiang still staring at her, Wang knew she couldn't be vague, so she reluctantly said: "To be honest, Yu'er should get more, first because of Yu'er's noble status, and secondly..." Wang bit her lip, "Yu'er has suffered a lot in her marriage, so naturally we need to prepare more for her dowry."

  "Nonsense!" Sheng Hong shouted without hesitation, slapping his palm on the kang, causing some water to spill from the tea bowl that had just been filled.

  Wang retorted, "Ming's daughter has already gotten such a noble husband, what more is there to be dissatisfied with!"

  Sheng Hong raised his voice and sneered: "I wonder if that noble son-in-law was found by you for Ming Yatou? Or did Ruer give it to her own sister?" Wang Shi immediately became speechless.

  Sheng Hong glared at Wang Shi several times, waved his sleeve, and only then discovered that half of his sleeve was soaked with tea water. He wrung out his sleeve, composed himself, and scolded: "This marriage was something Old Lady was not willing to agree to in the first place. You didn't teach your daughter well, allowing Ruyi to do such shameless things, and when there's no way to explain it, you use Mingyu as a scapegoat. Do you still have the nerve to say that?!"

  Every time this matter is brought up, Sheng Hong can't help but scold Wang Shi with a mixture of guns and sticks. After all, for an official who prides himself on his moral integrity, having his own daughter secretly meet with another man is like slapping him in the face. And every time this happens, Wang Shi can only listen quietly, no matter what, teaching daughters is also a mother's responsibility.

  As soon as Sheng Hong thought of Ru Lan and Wen Yan Jing, he felt nauseous like swallowing a fly. He couldn't help but scold Wang Shi again, and after venting some anger, he returned to the topic: "I'm going to make things clear with you! This time, whether openly or secretly, including the house you gave to Ru Er the other day, you must provide dowries for both maids that are equally generous!"

  Wang's lips moved a few times without speaking, but his face was indignant.

  Sheng Hong stood up, looking at Wang Shi's reluctant expression, and said in a deep voice: "Since you married into the Sheng family, have I ever had any idea of taking away your dowry? You want to leave it all to your three children, and I didn't say a word. But think with your conscience, did your sister have such good luck? Where did her dowry go over the years?! Not to mention Kang brother's extravagant spending, but also that house full of illegitimate sons and daughters, which one of their marriages wasn't relying on your sister's dowry?! Did Auntie from the Kang family ever cry and complain everywhere?"

  Compared to Kang's mother-in-law, Wang's luck was indeed good, but she couldn't say a word.

  Sheng Hong saw that she seemed to have relaxed, and stared at her tightly: "Mo Er and Tong Ge don't need to be said, but Ming Ya is on your account! Therefore, no matter how much you prepare for Ru Lan, Ming Ya must have the same amount! If you want to blame someone, it's because you yourself taught your daughter without a plan, and almost dragged down the family with disaster! This matter, you can discuss with your mother-in-law, see if she agrees with you! When you sisters got married, my family was far less prominent and wealthy than the Kang family, could it be that your mother-in-law differentiated between your dowries?"

  Wang was so distressed that he couldn't speak, and lay listlessly on the kang, twisting a handkerchief into a mess.

  She coldly gazed at Wang's expression, and slowly added another sentence: "Not only that, but you are also not allowed to ask about the dowry given by Old Lady to Minglan!"

  Wang's heart tightened, and she suddenly looked up at her husband, her face indignant: "What's the meaning of this? I dare not disobey the old master's orders, so the dowry for the two girls should be the same! But they are both the old lady's granddaughters! Can there be any distinction between them?"

  Sheng Hong's cold words: "Although the old lady has let it be known clearly, each maid will receive a dowry of 1,500 taels of silver, but when Hua Lan got married, she received far more than that! Do you think I don't know?"

  Wang retorted: "But Hua'er was raised by the old lady, after all!" She suddenly stopped herself from continuing, but it was clear that Minglan had been even more spoiled by the old lady.

  Sheng Hong gazed at Wang Shi, her eyes unable to conceal her disappointment, and said slowly: "The old lady has raised me for a lifetime, and for my future she has accompanied me on many occasions. Now that she has those personal belongings and silver left over, she can give them to whoever she wants, no one should have any regrets!"

  Wang thought to himself, anyway it was all a matter of giving it to one of his own flesh and blood, so he didn't mind.

  Sheng Hong glared at Wang Shi, took a deep breath and continued: "The old lady is someone who values relationships, she raised Hua Er and Ming Yu, wanting to give them more is only natural; now we've gone against her wishes, insisting on using Ming Lan as a substitute for the jar, if the old lady wants to give Ming Yu something, you can't even utter half a sentence of complaint! If not...

  He slapped the kang several times, shaking Wang's mother. He said sternly: "You've been married to the Sheng family for many years, and you've been unfilial and disobedient to your mother-in-law, and unvirtuous and unchaste as a concubine. You're tolerating your wrongdoings just because of your mother-in-law's and brother-in-law's faces. Do you think I'm completely unaware? Besides, weren't you innocent when Wei Shi died back then?"

  Wang's body shook violently, her face as pale as a dead person. Since she had become deeply devoted to Buddhism and heard the masters talk about it often, she began to truly believe in the concept of cause-and-effect retribution. Moreover, Lin Niang had already suffered retribution, living a hard life on the farm, and Mo Lan's days at the Liang household were not easy either. She wondered where her own share of sin would fall next?

  She died with an ashen face and said in a low voice: "Everything depends on you, sir."

  Although Wang was a bit narrow-minded and not very generous, she was still straightforward. Once she agreed to something, she would stick to it.

  On the second day, she went to entrust her daughter-in-law with household chores: "... At the beginning of the year, I will go out. These days I want to prepare dowry for you and your two sisters. You take care of the family more, when preparing for the New Year's gift, if there is anything unclear, come ask me, after I leave, ask the old lady. Now that you are pregnant, if you feel uncomfortable or don't want to move around, just go find Lan'er to help."

  Hai had long been in charge of most household chores, and was familiar with them. She naturally didn't dare to disobey, but seeing Wang's red-rimmed eyes, she secretly suspected something; In the following days, when Hai heard that Wang wanted to open the warehouse, take out the accumulated silk, satin and precious wood, and divide it into two equal shares, she immediately understood what was going on.

  Hai was quick-witted and immediately said to Wang, "Now that the two sisters are married, it wouldn't be good for me as their sister-in-law to return empty-handed. I'll give them some dowry later, as a token of my and their brother's goodwill."

  Wang hastily stopped her, her math was good, and she was still clear about this calculation. If Hai's dowry wasn't touched, it would all belong to her own grandchildren in the future. If she wanted to give a share to Rulan, she would definitely not be able to leave out Minglan. Now, every time she counted her wealth and dowry, she felt a sharp pain in her heart, how could she bear to bleed again?

  "The Hanlin Academy is a place of hardship, and the children are still young. You will have many places to spend money in the future! Don't worry about it, I'll take care of your sisters' dowries, it's not like we can't afford it. Besides, our family doesn't bother with wives' dowries!" Wang Shi tightly grasped Hai Shi's hand, interrupting her daughter-in-law's thoughts.

  Although that's what she said, Hai knew in her heart and after discussing with Bo Ge, she still prepared many precious and exquisite jewelry for the two Lan sisters.

  ……

  Dowry is an eternal topic, always involving mother-in-law, daughter-in-law and younger sister-in-law. Compared to the warmth and goodness of the Sheng family, the Yuan family looks very unattractive.

  The main hall of the Zhongqin ancestral temple was bright and clean, with all four doors and windows tightly closed. The floor was littered with fine porcelain shards, tea had spilled everywhere, and a faint tea fragrance wafted through the air. The overturned incense burner released a wisp of sandalwood scent, blending with the tea to create an indescribable aroma.

  Old Master Yuan's face turned iron-green, and he pointed at his wife, who was standing below him, shaking all over: "You, you, how dare you think of it?! You actually thought of using your daughter-in-law's dowry to make up for the shortfall! Have you lost your mind?!"

  Madam Yuan glanced at Yuan Wenshao beside her, her face couldn't be pulled down, and she said stubbornly: "She married into our family, so she's one of us! What dowry or no dowry, everything is surnamed Yuan now! If the mother-in-law wants it, she should obediently hand it over. How dare she have the nerve to report to a man?! What kind of upbringing does she have?!"

  With a loud slap, Old Master Yuan slapped the table, causing everyone's heart to skip a beat. He shook his beard and shouted: "Shut up! You still have the face to mention your daughter-in-law? In these decades, not to mention your dowry, how much of the Yuan family's money did you take to support your natal family and the Zhang family? Don't you ever think that they are all surnamed Yuan?"

  Mrs. Yuan was choked with anger, her eyes flashing fiercely at her husband in front of their son, and she burst out: "I'm doing this all for the sake of our daughter! The Shoushan Bo household has so many brothers, if our daughter doesn't have a thick dowry, how will she be able to hold her head up when facing her sisters-in-law?! You're always doting on your son's wife, but think about your own daughter too, we only have this one daughter!"

  Mrs. Yuan initially pretended to cry, but thinking of her daughter, she couldn't help but burst into real tears. The more she spoke, the more heartbroken she became, and immediately shouted in a loud voice: "This cheap woman! I'll go tear her mouth now! She dares to instigate my son to disobey me! A daughter-in-law who doesn't listen to her mother-in-law's words is still thinking of rebelling!" She turned around and rushed towards Yuan Wenshao, clenching her fists to beat him. While beating him, she cried and scolded: "Why is my life so bitter? I worked hard to raise you, but now that you have a wife, you've forgotten about your mother! All I wanted was some dowry for your sister, but you went to tell your father on me! You're such an ungrateful son, it's better if I had beaten you to death!"

  Yuan Wenshao didn't dare to push his mother away, so he dodged and took a few blows. Yuan Bo was furious and strode forward in two big steps, pulling open the door of the room where his wife was crying, and slapped her once.

  Bang!

  Madam Yuan's face was slapped heavily, she couldn't believe it and covered her own face, staring at Old Husband: "You...you actually did that in front of our son......I'm going to die!"

  She was crying and shouting, about to rush over, when Old Master Yuan pulled her back with force, throwing Madame Yuan to the ground. He said coldly, "Do you still remember what Old Lady said when she passed away?"

  Yuan Wenshao was confused, but Mrs. Yuan suddenly became quiet, and a look of horror appeared on her face.

  "Your mother once said in front of your elder sister and me that you are foolish, greedy, and forgetful of the greater good when you see small benefits. You are not worthy to be a daughter-in-law, but unfortunately, you already have children with my son. Before she passed away, Mother asked me to write down a divorce letter, which she personally signed at the back. She said that it was truly fortunate for our family to regain their noble status, and we cannot afford any mistakes. If you are incorrigible and bring shame to our family, then we don't need to consider your three years of mourning as a widow, and we can simply divorce you! That divorce letter is still locked in the ancestral hall on the worship table!"

  Yuan Wenshao was shocked, he had never heard of this before. Mrs. Yuan stopped crying and trembled like a sieve. Mr. Yuan's eyes showed a hint of disgust and scolded: "Look at yourself, can you be the mistress of the Yuan family?! Since I married two daughters-in-law, I have been tolerant of you for the sake of your face as a mother-in-law, but you are becoming more and more overbearing!"

  Mrs. Yuan was so frightened that her face turned pale, and Yuan Wenshao slowly helped his mother up and sat down in a chair beside him. In fact, he knew in his heart that this divorce letter was mainly to intimidate, and if they really divorced, it would not look good for the face of the Zhongqinbofu family.

  The room was silent, only the sound of Mrs. Yuan's quiet sobbing and Old Master Yuan's heavy breathing could be heard. Suddenly, the door to the hall burst open, and in rushed Yuan Wenyin with tears streaming down her face. Seeing the room in disarray, her father's anger causing his whole body to shake, and her mother covering her face in despair, she let out a loud wail and fell to her knees, kowtowing to both her parents. Yuan Wenshao thought something was amiss and swiftly closed the door.

  Yuan Wenyi's face was covered in tears, and she choked back a sob: "Big sister has already told you everything, it's all my fault for being unfilial, causing father and mother to quarrel over me!"

  Yuan Bo was always fond of his daughter, seeing her like this, he silently sat down and coldly snorted: "She's quick to spread the word! She doesn't have any other skills, just a mouth that's good at talking about others' strengths and weaknesses!"

  Madam Yuan, upon hearing that her husband had ill intentions towards their niece, hastily rushed over and hugged her daughter, crying: "My poor Yan'er, your uncle is so cruel!"

  Yuan Wenshao's face showed a look of discontent, and he couldn't help but say: "Mother! If it were someone else, that would be fine. But you bring up the dowry estate of Hualan, which has tens of hectares of good land in the suburbs of Beijing. Moreover, the Sheng family is right next door now. If there's any change in this land, won't they know about it?! You're making it so that I, your son, can't hold my head up high in front of my in-laws in the future! And how will Hualan be able to return to her parents' home in the future?!"

  Speaking of this, Old Master Yuan became angry again, pointing at Mrs. Yuan and scolding her loudly: "That's the reason! All these years, I didn't know you secretly calculated how much dowry was given to Erniang's family?! The relatives are kind and gentle, so they don't bother us with calculations! Not to mention that the dowry is originally the wife's private property, even if the husband's family needs to turn it over urgently, it's not good to be too excessive! You're good, just short of openly robbing her! Do you still want to save face?!"

  Yuan Bóyé's anger grew as he spoke, and suddenly remembering something, he shouted loudly, "The other day, the two younger brothers from the third house came to me to complain about their troubles. They said that several marriage arrangements had been made for them but were all rejected. It was you who ruined the reputation of our Yuan family! Outsiders are saying that the Yuan family's mother is stingy and only knows how to take advantage of her daughter-in-law's dowry, so who would dare marry into our family?! You still have the face to act like a superior sister in the clan, I'm ashamed for you!"

  He thought of several younger brothers, and a look of guilt flashed across his face. The Yuan family was not very high or low in social status, and it was not easy to find a few suitable marriages. Thinking that he had implicated his clansmen because of his own foolish wife, he became even more furious and scolded a few more sentences.

  Madam Yuan's face was full of grievance. Mrs. Shoushan had always looked down on her, and now she wanted to argue with her in front of everyone to save some dignity for herself.

  Yuan Wenyi's eyes lit up as she realized the crux of the matter, and she knelt down in front of Mrs. Yuan, pleading with a sorrowful tone: "I know you're doing this for my sake, Mother, but think about it... Aunt is a daughter from our family, how could she not be aware of our family's circumstances? Aunt has always doted on me, even if I didn't bring any money when I got married, would Aunt really mistreat me?! If I were to take Second Sister's dowry or the silver equivalent of her dowry with me when I get married, wouldn't that make Aunt look down on me?!... Since Second Sister entered our household, she has treated me like a younger sister, always giving me the best food and clothes first. Mother, by doing things this way, you're actually hurting Second Sister's feelings, isn't that making it difficult for us sisters to get along?!"

  Madam Yuan saw everyone turning against her second daughter-in-law, as if they had a bitter melon in their mouths, unable to utter a single word.

  Yuan Wenshao felt a bit relieved, thinking that this girl was still sensible. Yuan Bogui looked at his daughter with satisfaction and let out a long sigh, remembering that his son had said he had something to do in the evening, so he quickly gave his son a signal. Yuan Wenshao saw it and slowly slipped out along the door frame, but instead of going towards the main gate, he rushed straight to the small courtyard on the west side where Hualan was.

  He stepped into the house and saw Hualan wearing a half-old green-bottomed small flower-embroidered velvet jacket with a quilted lapel, Yuan Wenshao felt a pang of guilt in his heart. He remembered that when Hualan first married him, she had a whole trunk full of brand new clothes, but now... Hualan sat on the edge of the kang, propping her elbow against the kang table, and seeing her husband come in, she asked calmly: "Is it done?"

  Yuan Wenshao nodded.

  Hua Lan sighed and smiled wryly: "Every time it's like this, this time is no exception. A good family must be stirred up; I really want to ask my mother what's wrong with me, why does she always find fault with me? If Mother can't tolerate me, write a divorce letter for me early on, and I'll leave the house myself. Why make me suffer like this?" As she spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks.

  Yuan Wenshao stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his wife, softly comforting her: "What are you talking about? We're going to grow old together, even if you want to leave, I won't let you go!"

  Hualan burst into tears: "It's not that I'm unfilial, I just want to ask, when will this day finally come to an end?! The silver I brought with me as a dowry is long gone, and the good fabrics and things in my trunk have all been taken away by Mother. Now she's suddenly thinking of that estate again! Mother, mother... what do you really want?! Our family isn't struggling to make ends meet, is it?!"

  Hua Lan burst into tears and fell into her husband's arms, wailing. Yuan Wen Shao was also extremely resentful in his heart. In fact, he was very clear about his mother's thoughts. She was just looking at Hua Lan's powerful family background, who not only won the favor of her father-in-law but also received the pampering of her husband. In comparison, his own mother seemed to be suppressed.

  Yuan Wenshao couldn't say anything, could only softly comfort her. Hualan suddenly sat up straight from her husband's arms, with a determined look on her face, and said loudly: "Shao Lang, if it were just me, I would follow you even if we had to eat bran and drink water, and I wouldn't complain at all! But... but..." She burst into tears. "I can only pity the children! They're still so young!"

  Yuan Wenshao watched his wife cry so hard that she was almost dying, and his heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. Hualan cried out: "In the future, this title will be for my brother, looking at mother's attitude, we're afraid we won't get much of the family property; what about those children?! Last time my mother came, she had already started to suspect something, I lied to her saying that pregnant women feel comfortable wearing old clothes, but Zhuang sister's clothes can't fool people! Later, my mother sent two pieces of big red brocade! It's okay for the maternal grandmother to give things to her granddaughter, but if there's anything else, isn't it a slap in the face for the Yuan family?!"

  Yuan Wenshao suddenly became vigilant, his jaw clenched, and a few cold glints shot out from his eyes. He said, "...From now on, don't always follow your mother's words either. If Mother has any more demands, you come tell me! And..." He paused for a moment, then harshly said, "If you're feeling generous, sell those four maidservants of Autumn Girl tomorrow!"

  Hua Lan was shocked and trembled with her voice: "That... that is the token of marriage your mother gave you, it's not good..."

  Yuan Wenshao's eyes hid a hint of anger: "Didn't Mother say that the family is struggling financially and that it's hard to afford sister's wedding? What's the point of raising those few maidservants for nothing? Turn them around and sell them, and you can save some servant girls. Send all the silver money from selling them to Mother! See if she still says there's no money?"

  Hua Lan was overjoyed in her heart, but she didn't dare show it on her face. She stuttered: "Th-this is...is this really okay?"

  "What's wrong with that?! I've long been wary of those frivolous things being unmanageable!" Yuan Wenshao, a military man by origin, was always direct in his speech, and with one slap on the table, the matter was settled.

  Hua Lan wiped away her tears with force, knowing that it was her husband being considerate of her. She leaned into him gently and the couple shared a tender moment for a while. Hua Lan pushed her husband away, smiling: "Isn't Duke Duan hosting a banquet tonight? Shao Lang shouldn't be late, hurry up and go!" As she spoke, she picked up a small but heavy package from the head of the bed and handed it to her husband, saying softly: "Take this."

  Yuan Wenshao took it over and knew at once that it was a full bag of silver, his heart tightened, he sized up Hualan for a moment, then hastily asked: "Where's your gold necklace?"

  Hua Lan smiled: "As a mother, why are you still wearing a golden necklace?"

  Yuan Wenshao knew that the golden necklace was one for each of the Sheng family's daughters, and now Hualan had to pawn it just to make ends meet. He felt even more resentful towards Madame Yuan, and said coldly: "Don't worry! I'll return your dowry to you bit by bit in the future!"

  Hua Lan smiled gently: "Shao Lang is a trustworthy person and has never gone back on his word."

  After bidding farewell to her husband, Hualan smiled and saw Yuan Wenshao out the door. After he had walked far away, the smile at the corner of her mouth slowly froze, and she sat quietly for a while. Then, a young daughter-in-law pushed open the curtain and came in, smiling: "Big sister, brother-in-law has left."

  Hua Lan nodded, and the woman carefully helped Hua Lan lie down on the kang, smoothed out the bedding, and then smiled: "Big sister has won again. In these two years, your husband has always been on your side; if Old Lady knew about it, she would definitely be delighted."

  Hua Lan's expression was cold and calm as she slowly said: "It's been almost ten years, finally something to look forward to. Cui Cui, my legs are a bit sore."

  Cui Cui hastily knelt down beside the bed and gently massaged Hua Lan's calf, while Hua Lan half-closed her eyes and asked: "Have you found out everything?"

  Cuī jiān knew what Huā lán was asking, and said in a low voice: "There's no need to listen secretly, Bó yé's voice is very loud, many people have heard it; Bó yé severely scolded Fū rén for a while, Jiān gū niáng also helped to persuade her, and said... oh, there was also a divorce letter." Then she immediately told Huā lán about the time Yuán bó yé had written a divorce letter.

  Hua Lan's eyes sparkled with excitement: "Really?!"

  Cuī chán nodded vigorously, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh: "This time the young mistress has lost face big time! Just wait and see how she'll still dare to put on airs in front of grandma!"

  Hua Lan lay down with a smile, closed her eyes and said slowly: "It's probably going to be quiet for a while this time; it's just what grandma said, being a woman, you have to use your brain to live your life, can't let people bully you, can't just follow your heart and throw tantrums, get angry, or sulk."

  Cui Cui smiled and listened, gently patting her leg. She looked at Hua Lan with a tired face, couldn't help but wipe her eyes with her sleeve, and said in a low voice: "Big sister, it's really not easy for you. Every time we go back, Housekeeper always pulls me to ask about your well-being for half the day."

  Hua Lan thought of Old Lady Sheng, her eyes moistened and she sobbed: "It's all my fault for being unfilial, causing Grandmother to worry about me; this time because of Minglan's matter, she must be angry with me."

  Cui Cui hastily said: "How could that be?! Old Madame's temper is just like this for a moment, and when she sees Sixth Miss is doing well later on, she'll calm down; didn't Madame say last time she came that Old Madame now looks at the family with more favor?"

  She was originally from Shou'antang, and when Hualan got married, Fang's mother personally picked her out as a dowry. Later, she married the manager of Hualan's dowry and is now one of Hualan's most trusted assistants.

  Hua Lan burst into laughter: "That's right! Gu Er Lang is indeed a impatient person, it's only been a few days since the New Year's Eve, and he's already rushing to send gifts to my house, box after box of good materials, not to mention Jiangnan silk, satin and brocade, but also wolf skin, sable, purple fox fur, snow bear, and half-foot-long snow ginseng. My mother's hands were softened when she received them. It seems that he had been preparing early and just waiting for the New Year's Eve!" As she spoke, Hua Lan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

  Cuī chán listened with a sigh of envy, and Zhang opened his mouth: "So many good things, even if the old lady doesn't care about these external things, she should understand the sincerity of Zheng's family."

  Hua Lan nodded and smiled: "Exactly." As she lowered her head, she suddenly saw the half-old clothes on her body, a wave of melancholy.

  Cui Cui stole a glance at Hua Lan's face and knew what she was thinking, so she hurried over and whispered: "Don't take it to heart, big sister. Sixth sister is not yet married, and the water in the Gu family is deep too. Sixth sister will have to deal with many battles in the future, and you'll be suffering too. But you're almost out of this place. Old lady said before, just look at how your husband is, if he's heartless, then save more money for yourself, but if he has a conscience and cares about you, then think only of him and don't be stingy with anything!"

  Hua Lan's spirit lifted, and a smile spread across her face as she pulled Cui Cui's hand into hers. She spoke warmly, "Luckily, Old Lady gave you to me, all these years I've relied on you to comfort me. Well, at least I haven't lost all the dowry! Now that Shi Ge's father knows what's good for him and is willing to hand over the silver to his mother-in-law; as long as he's willing to work together with me, I'm willing to give up a lot of silver. Later, we can plan a few more business ventures, and our lives will be better."

  Cuizhen heard this and smiled slyly, asking: "Isn't Brother-in-law just promoted to be the Deputy Commander of the Five Armies a while ago? Sister has big ambitions, having just eaten from the bowl, she's already thinking about what's in the pot?"

  Hua Lan pointed at Cui Cui's forehead and scolded with a smile: "You little brat, you're here to flirt with the master!" After staring at Cui Cui, she revealed a hint of sadness and sighed softly, "To think about it, I only feel sorry for Old Lady now, but..."

  Hua Lan's eyes sparkled with tears as she said in a low voice, "Being someone's wife is not easy! Especially with a mother-in-law like this, I'm not intentionally trying to scheme against Ming Yatou. Gu Dou's status and appearance are not unworthy of the Sheng family's daughter, even if my own sister were to marry him, I would be willing to let her go. Alas... I just hope that Sixth Sister will have a good life in the future, otherwise, I won't have the face to see Old Lady anymore."