Do you know? Do you know? It should be Green Fat Red Thin Episode 47

  When they came, there were two boats, when they returned, there were six boats. If it were an official visit, the censor would immediately roll up his sleeves and write a memorial to impeach them. Fortunately, Minglan and her grandmother were just visiting relatives. A letter from Beijing said that Sheng Hui's examination results this time were still excellent, and he had been appointed as the Langzhong of the Ministry of Works, in charge of the Qingyi Bureau, with no change in rank, but at least he was now a government official in Beijing.

  Since they were going to settle in the capital, they might as well move all the furniture and things from their old house there to decorate it. With the addition of what Sheng Wei and Er Niu's uncle had sent for food, clothing, and daily necessities, there were dozens of boxes of various brocades, furs, and woolens alone. The luggage was extremely heavy. The grandfather and grandson bid farewell to their relatives and boarded a boat to leave.

  It's actually quite strange that Minglan's father has been trying to pull strings since last year, and with his good performance in office, they thought he could at least get into a popular department like the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of Punishments. The current emperor has been on the throne for over twenty years, and all the palaces and temples that needed to be built have already been completed. Now the Ministry of Works is so idle it's like a retirement home, why would Sheng Hong go there? Minglan asked Old Madame Sheng this question, and she countered with one sentence: "What does Mingyu think herself?"

  Minglan rolled her eyes, Old Lady Shen was an advocate of interactive and inspiring teaching methods. She rarely told Minglan why or what to do, everything had to be figured out by Minglan herself. After some thought, Minglan said: "The Emperor is getting older, the position of the Crown Prince is unclear, now in the capital city it's a time of great turmoil, if we really go to those chaotic places, who knows what kind of trouble we might get into; Father is truly wise."

  The old lady smiled and stroked her granddaughter's hair, nodding gently in approval. The river waves were calm and the boat was stable, only slightly swaying back and forth, making people feel very comfortable. During these days in Yangzhou, Minglan and Pinlan played together every day, but the grandmother and grandson hadn't had a good conversation until they got on the boat.

  "Foolish child, who isn't clever in the imperial court? Especially in the capital, it's all murky. However, some people have greedy thoughts and think they're clever, trying to seize an opportunity to stake a claim on the throne. But palace affairs are so mysterious and unpredictable. It's better if you're as straightforward as your father." Old Lady Sheng leaned against a couch covered with a velvet blanket, chatting leisurely with Minglan. "Just now, when you said goodbye to Pinlan, what did you talk about? Cuiwei said you didn't sleep well last night."

  Minglan thought for a moment and then said honestly, "I'm called Pinlan from now on. Don't scold or yell at Tai Sheng's brother-in-law randomly. Be more gentle and steady, Auntie won't like it." Old Lady Shen glanced at Minglan and said slowly, "You're being overly cautious. Your aunt likes girls who are lively and straightforward, why would she not like that?"

  Minglan sighed and said: "As a niece, I naturally like it; if I were to be a daughter-in-law, it would be hard to say." There is no mother-in-law in the world who likes to see her son become a slave to his wife.

  The old lady frowned and said: "What daughter-in-law? You're just a young girl, don't talk nonsense."

  Minglan hastily said: "What can't I say to my grandmother, and I won't go out to talk about it. Pinlan and Taisheng are a match made in heaven, anyone with eyes can see that."

  The old lady heard this and seemed to be in a good mood, slowly sat up, stared at Minglan with a smile: "Really speaking, Tai Ge is indeed a good child, the family has wealth and shops, and there are no brothers to fight for it. In Yangcheng, many people have set their sights on him; these days, your aunt really dotes on you, many precious things that even Pinlan doesn't dare to give away, I'm afraid they'll all fall into your hands."

  Minglan looked into her grandmother's eyes and said seriously, "Aunt treated me well, mostly thanks to your blessings, Grandmother. I'm not so foolish as to be arrogant. Pinlan and Taisheng have grown up together since childhood... uh, they're childhood sweethearts."

  The old lady felt a slight surprise, and saw that Minglan's eyes were clear and bright, her expression not hesitant in the slightest. The old lady then smiled and said: "You've actually figured it out? You're not stupid after all."

  Minglan felt ashamed. If she hadn't eavesdropped on that day, she would have spent the past few days eating and playing with Pinlan, and wouldn't have come up with this idea.

  The old lady sat up straight, and Minglan quickly handed over a large pillow to support her back. She herself also snuggled into the quilt, and the old lady put her arm around her granddaughter's shoulders, saying: "You've been at your uncle's house for half a month now, you've seen a lot, heard a lot, and experienced different things, what do you think?"

  Minglan leaned against her grandmother's soft belly, lying very comfortably, and lazily said: "At first, I couldn't quite understand it, but now it seems to make sense; when I was at home, I heard that the third house was in a difficult situation, not only did they have to rely on my uncle's family for support everywhere, but also some people who didn't know what was good for them. Later, after seeing the granddaughter, she also looked down on the third house, but it's strange that my uncle's family seemed to be tolerant of them all the time, not only did they often help them out, but also invited them to eat and drink during holidays and festivals, and never forgot to invite them; at that time, I thought, since my aunt didn't treat them well either, why didn't she keep her distance from them?"

  The old lady patted Minglan's small hand and said, "Do you understand now?"

  "Uh-huh." Minglan leaned against her grandmother's belly, feeling comfortable, and said: "Be strict with oneself and lenient with others. Everyone in the Yang family knows that the eldest uncle's house is good, they all know that the third branch is not. No matter what happens, everyone will think it's the third branch's fault."

  The old lady nodded in satisfaction, pinched her granddaughter's face and smiled: "You've been lazy and disliked socializing since you were young, I was worried that your temperament would become too aloof. Now seeing that you also understand worldly affairs, I'm very happy. Ming Yuer, remember, even if the third house is not doing well, there are still three old masters around, after all, they are close relatives within two generations. If we really don't care about them and only think of our own wealth and glory without helping them, wouldn't people say that we're ashamed of being poor and loving to be rich? Many merchant families have unjust reputations, but your uncle is a proud man in the county town, it's worth spending some silver to support the third house and let them live a good life, so as to gain a good reputation for our descendants."

  Minglan knew that the old lady was teaching her, so she listened carefully and interjected: "On the day when Shulan sister left, I and Pinlan were both furious, the Sun family mother and son are so despicable, why leave half of the dowry with them? Later, thinking about it, if we really wanted all the dowry back, the Sun family would rather die than separate, how could they be willing to write a divorce letter? This is also a way to break fortune and avoid disaster."

  Old Mrs. Shen gently stroked Minglan's soft hair and said slowly, "Yes, who wouldn't be angry with that family? But there's no way around it. A barefoot person isn't afraid of wearing shoes. Divorce is not easy to discuss, after all, you need a reason. The man has no virtue, the mother-in-law has no good deeds, these are not things that can be brought up in conversation. My old sister-in-law is very cunning, she uses emotions, reasoning, money and benefits to persuade, and threats to coerce. This kind of thing should be handled quickly and decisively, settled in one day, and then immediately send Shulan out the door. Once the gossip dies down, it will be fine."

  Minglan nodded repeatedly, suddenly sprang up and pouted: "Can the Sun family be so hateful, it makes one's teeth itch, can't just let it go like this?"

  "Little girl, you have a big temper!" Old Lady Sheng said with a smile, "Your great aunt isn't someone to be trifled with either, but for the time being, she can't do anything about it. On the surface, she also has to pretend to be nice and get along with other members of the Sun family; just wait until later. But I think that the mother and son of the Sun family are both muddle-headed and greedy, perhaps they won't need anyone else's help to bring themselves down."

  Minglan said with a smile, "Pinlan has promised me that as soon as Sun Xiucai has a story, he will write to me immediately. At that time, I will read it to Grandmother." Old Lady Shen scolded, "You naughty little girl, you like to stir up trouble and cause a commotion, you're really something! This time you've had enough fun with Pinlan, I haven't restrained you at all. When we get back home, you must be more subdued."

  Minglan hugged her grandmother's arm and sincerely promised, "Grandma, don't worry, this time I've seen the world and learned a lot about human relationships and social etiquette. When I get back, I'll be good and not let you worry."

  The old lady fondly hugged her little granddaughter and said slowly: "With someone to worry about, the days are also good to pass."

  Arrived at the Beijing-Tianjin crossing, got off the boat and took a carriage, all the way along the official road to rush to the capital city. As soon as I arrived at the gate of the capital city, there were servants from the Sheng family waiting for me. After changing into the carriages from the mansion, they continued on their way.

  In the capital, officials gather like clouds and nobles fill the land. Housing prices are not cheaper than in the imperial city of Yao Yiyi's time, and ancient times were even more particular. In addition to money, identity is also required, especially for those golden areas near the Imperial City. If one's profession is not noble or their background is not clean, they will not be allowed to live there no matter how much money they have.

  For example, even if a usurer or a small boss of a meat factory were to bring the Titanic full of money, it would not be enough. The Sheng family was originally from a merchant background and had no chance, but several decades ago, when Mr. Sheng's son passed the imperial examination, he took advantage of his reputation and wealth to buy a large mansion with four or five courtyards outside Tai'an Gate. The location is mid-to-upper level, adjacent to Linqingfang, where scholars gather, and on the left is a residential area for half of the officials. He also took the opportunity to buy a garden behind the mansion when his son married the daughter of a marquis, and after connecting them, they became a single piece of property.

  Many of Sheng Hong's colleagues from the same year or department came from ordinary families and relied on imperial examinations to become officials, so they could only afford houses in the suburbs or alleys outside the city. Sheng Hong became one of the few officials at his level who owned a garden residence; Minglan once again lamented that birth was very important.

  "When Old Master Hou found out that Old Master had such a house, he felt that it wasn't a poor family without any background or foundation, and only then did he reluctantly agree to the marriage." Housekeeper Fang whispered to Minglan.

  Minglan sighed and looked up at the sky: "It's true that a man needs to have a house in order to get married."