Do you know? Do you know? It should be episode 50 of Green Fat Red Thin

  Minglan coldly observed that her mother-in-law seemed to know something was amiss these past few days, only warmly taking care of Minglan's food and daily life without ever interfering with the household chores or managing the family's wealth. However... it was unclear whether it was because she had been living in the outer courtyard for too long or if Wei niangniang was originally lacking in discipline, but You mama's behavior was somewhat overbearing, scolding people and dogs every three to five days, and whenever she found fault with someone, she would scold them harshly. Except for Cuiwei, who was given special treatment by the old lady and thus not dared to be disobeyed, all the others, from Danju down to Qingzhi, had been trained through beatings. If she clashed with Lüzhī a few times, it almost came to blows.

  Minglan didn't say a word, but silently took note of this day. In the courtyard, Xiaoyu was caught slacking off and not following the rules by You Mama, who pinched her ear and scolded her for half a day while hitting and chasing her around the courtyard, causing a commotion with chickens flying and dogs jumping. Minglan sat inside reading a book without saying a word. Qingyu couldn't bear to watch and wanted to intervene, but was stopped by Minglan's subtle gesture.

  Minglan turned over three pages of the book and waited for her mother to scold her fill before calling out to Xiaotao to summon someone. Madam You lifted the curtain and entered, seeing Minglan sitting properly on the kang with Cuiwei sitting at the corner doing embroidery, while Dangju was tidying up the desk. Madam You noticed that Minglan's expression was calm but slightly uneasy, knowing from serving her these past few days that this Sixth Lady was not one to be trifled with. Before she could even open her mouth, Minglan spoke first: "Xiaotao, make some hot tea for Mother, please sit down."

  Yu's mother pulled over a stool and sat down at the edge, then asked: "What did you call me for?"

  "Mother, I've been here for several days and have done everything you told me to do, but there's one thing that doesn't feel right. As your daughter, I'll speak my mind directly - please don't be angry with me."

  Yu's mother nodded slightly and pulled at the corner of her mouth: "Please speak, daughter."

  Minglan put down the book and gently grasped her slender fingers, speaking slowly and calmly: "Mother saw that Xiao Yutou was being taught and guided by one or two people, but Mother's outbursts made a big commotion in the whole courtyard, with chickens flying and dogs jumping, making everyone know about it."

  Yu's mother stood up straight and retorted, "You young and naive don't know the severity of this! This little brat is always lazy and cunning, speaking nonsense every day. Unless we give her a good scare, she won't behave!"

  "Mother, your words are wrong. Although I'm young, I also know the six words 'family shame must not be made public'. We're all family members, but we each have our own responsibilities; which courtyard doesn't have a little servant girl who's being slowly taught and guided? But you, Mother, would rather beat drums and announce it to the whole world! Do you think my courtyard is so unpeaceful?"

  Yu's mother was shocked to hear Minglan say that Li Ke had scolded her in front of three older maids. She couldn't put down her face and muttered, "Others only have mothers who scold their daughters, but I've never heard of a daughter teaching her mother a lesson. This old wife of mine has been spoiled for several days and has already provoked her mother's dislike."

  Minglan's sharp ears picked up a soft voice saying, "Alright, I shouldn't have said that about Mother. I'll go back and let Old Madam and Aunt Lin speak to Mother."

  Saying so, Yu's mother was about to get up when she immediately put down her tea bowl and hastily pressed Minglan down, forcing a smile on her face: "Don't be like this, old lady, you're being foolish. If you have something to say, just say it, why bother shouting in front of the old lady and disturbing her peace." When Yu's mother was outside in the village, she had already heard that this Sixth Lady was extremely favored by the old lady, having been spoiled since childhood. She knew that she herself was walking on thin ice, having entered through the Wang family door, and it was uncertain whether she would gain the old lady's favor. Now, after only a few days of entering, things had already escalated to this point, so she immediately softened her tone.

  Minglan saw that her mother was being reasonable, so she didn't continue to argue and instead snuggled back into the warm bed, holding a copper hand warmer with a soft voice saying: "Mother's teachings for us are indeed good, but also have their downsides. When the little maids make mistakes, Mother remembers them and waits until later to slowly teach them a lesson. If they should be scolded, she scolds; if they should be beaten, I have a ruler here; if they should be fined, she calls Jiu'er to inform Liu Mama, and that's it. At my age, I shouldn't be arguing with children, making myself look disrespected, right? Today, when I spoke with Mother, I didn't shout loudly for the whole courtyard to know."

  Actually, in most cases, the wet nurse is loyal to her master because they are all selected by the madam and their future is in the madam's hands. The son may become a young master, and the daughter may become a maid, so their interests are tied together. For example, Mo Lan's wet nurse was Lin Yiniang, and Rulan's wet nurse was Wang Shi, who accompanied her to the house. Only this Yu mother is an exception, and her family background is not clear. Minglan only knows roughly about it, so her loyalty is greatly discounted. Well, it doesn't matter, people are small-minded, and Langzhong's wet nurse was a temporary worker, who was dismissed after finishing breastfeeding. Thinking about it, it's not bad either.

  Yu's mother's face turned alternately pale and red as she said, "This Sixth Lady is really fierce. She seizes on the slightest mistake and lectures with clear logic, yet her attitude is gentle and elegant, making it impossible for anyone to refute her. Yu's mother forced herself to respond: "Yes, I'll be more careful from now on and change my ways."

  Saying that, she awkwardly made a few more polite remarks. Minglan smiled and followed up with some flattering words, making Mrs. You feel pleased. As they chatted, Mrs. You suddenly said: "I heard that you had a new grandson yesterday, what wonderful news!" Mrs. You was taken aback for a moment before responding: "It's not something to be happy about, just another mouth to feed."

  Minglan looked at Yu's mother and said: "Take five taels of silver, wrap it in a red envelope and give it to Mother. Add some auspicious words, after all, you are the first grandson."

  Yu's mother took the red envelope and said "thank you" a million times, but her heart was racing wildly. It wasn't that she had never seen money before, it was just that she finally realized Minglan was not the same as Wei's wife from back then. She absolutely wasn't someone who could be bullied around like a ball of dough.

  After Xiaotao sent Yu's mom out the door, Danju finally looked up from her busy household chores and said: "Mom said that in the end, she was really shaken by what you said." Minglan smiled wryly, picked up a cup of hot tea and took a sip before saying: "In the end, she is still your mom, so it's only natural to be more considerate; besides, she didn't scold you entirely without reason."

  Danju knew that Minglan was thinking deeply, lowering her head and not speaking. Minglan remembered the troubles in her own courtyard and couldn't help but sigh as she put down her tea cup and said to Danju: "Speaking of which, you also have your own problems, always being too gentle and honest, letting them take advantage of you. I know you and Yanzao are close, not mentioning serious matters, but with Auntie Cui around in the past, these two months I've only gone out a few times and they've become even more lazy and sloppy. The other day, when the candles were lit, they actually ran off without a single one staying behind! Such a big mistake, you also let it pass. It's true that Cuimiao scolded them a few times, but think about it, Cuimiao can only stay here for a few more days before she gets married and leaves."

  I was sitting on the kang doing embroidery when Cui Wei couldn't help but scold: "Mother said what's the point of bringing me into this?"

  Minglan said with a straight face, "You can put away the dowry that Old Lady has already prepared for you. I won't let you go empty-handed after accompanying me all these years. Besides, I've also prepared another gift for you, but I have a bad memory, so remind me when you're leaving, or I might forget." Cuimiao's face had long been thickened by teasing over the years and she didn't bother to be shy anymore, only wrinkling her nose at Minglan and lowering her head to continue embroidering flowers on the handkerchief.

  It turned out that Danju was said to be too proud and couldn't bear the shame, stuttering and saying: "I just said a few words to them and they said I'm putting on airs and looking down on my younger sisters."

  Minglan turned back to continue her education work: "In this house, apart from Xiaotao, who has been with me for the longest time, not to mention Cuimiao holding a pair of them and the old lady's heavy burden, which one can surpass you? If you don't want them to call you mom, then you should discipline them. If something happens and they disturb Old Madam and the old lady, who can escape? Our courtyard has rules, follow the order and hold on to the norms. One says one, who else can say what?"

  Actually, Minglan's thinking is very simple: work should match the position and salary. As a senior maid, apart from taking care of Xiao, a large part of her responsibility is to manage the other maids. The former, Danju, has done well, while the latter, Minglan, is clearly not qualified.

  Tangerine's face turned white, standing there stupidly. Cui Wei sighed and said that she was also a child born at home, knowing the affairs of Tangerine's family. Her father had passed away early, her mother had remarried and given birth to many children, and her stepfather did not welcome her. Her biological mother did not protect her either. Before the age of five or six, she was like a wild child, with no one taking care of her. Fortunately, she had an aunt who took pity on her and sent her from the villa to the inner house, where she finally lived a relatively stable life.

  Cui Wei put down the needlework and pulled Dan Ju to the front of the kang, saying softly: "Sister, I know you're a honest person, but can't you also think about Mother? She's getting older, and every time there's even the slightest wind or rumor, she goes to Old Lady's place to ask for help. If it's always like this, won't people talk about our mother? Now those two..."

  "Look, the Mountain Moon House and the Tao Ran Pavilion are nearby. If you all live close together, you can keep an eye on each other. Just now when I brought things back for the young girls, I clearly wrote their names on them, but they didn't follow the rules and snatched them away in a disorderly manner. This is tolerable, but if something goes missing or gets stolen in the future, what will we do then? Should we ask Mother to mediate or have the housekeeper deal with it? That would be truly troublesome. Now, you mustn't provoke Mother again and should be more careful. You need to show some authority, otherwise, the old lady would replace you as the mistress of the household. If it weren't for your mother's intervention all these years, the old lady would have already chosen one of those girls to serve her."

  Minglan admired how Cuiwei thought that Fang's mother was really good at training talents. Cuiwei's words were thorough and pointed out the severity of the relationship and its consequences. As a result, Danju's face gradually became serious and solemn, nodding repeatedly as he listened to Cuiwei's guidance, his expression unusually stern and solemn, as if he could directly declare his allegiance to the party with a raised fist.

  Although Minglan has not mixed with the company, she also knows that in management, ideas are layered and responsibilities are implemented. Not letting a CEO check how many times an employee is late or leaves early. Several times, Minglan wanted to rush out and yell, but she endured it. Yelling at people is not her job, only when making decisions and arbitrating does she need to show up.

  "Big sister." Little Peach rushed in, panting and said: "It's not just Big Nai Nai anymore; Old Madame has called all of us to go over there."

  Ming Lan finally reacted with surprise and said: "This is too much! The old lady has been looking forward to it."

  The maid's hands and feet moved faster than her mouth, immediately finding a pair of crimson velvet sheepskin boots with gold trim from inside to help Minglan put them on. Cuiwei was busy getting down from the kang and searching for something in the large lacquered wooden cabinet, finally producing a light red fox-fur-trimmed cloak with silver-gray mouse fur lining. She opened the hand warmer and added some fire, stirring up the flames. The three maids were busy helping Minglan get ready, and finally Cuiwei hesitated for a moment before choosing the snow hat to put on Minglan's head. Cuiwei stayed behind to keep an eye on things while Minglan took Xiao Tao and Danju straight to Shou'antang.

  Actually, Old Lady Sheng returned to the manor on the second day, but unfortunately, her mother-in-law, Madame Zhongqin, fell ill. As a daughter-in-law, she couldn't just leave and go back to her natal home, so it dragged on until today.

  As soon as Minglan entered the main hall, she saw a beautifully dressed woman kneeling in front of Old Madame Wang, sobbing quietly. Old Madame Wang's face was filled with love and affection as she gently stroked the woman's back. The grandmother and granddaughter had not seen each other for six or seven years, and as soon as they met, they burst into tears. Wang Shi held a handkerchief to her face, trying to hold back her emotions, but there was a hint of bitterness in her eyes. Two months ago, when mother and daughter were reunited after a long separation, Hua Lan did not cry like this.

  Mo Lan and Ru Lan stood by, surrounding a four or five year old girl, teasing her with words.

  Upon hearing the curtain being lifted, the people in the hall looked up to see that the woman's face still had tears on it. She stood up and said: "Isn't this Sixth Sister? Quickly let me take a look."

  Danju helped Minglan take off her snow hat and crane cloak. Minglan immediately stepped forward a few steps, letting Hualan hold onto her fragile voice saying: "Elder sister."

  Hua Lan carefully observed the color of surprise in Minglan's eyes, and then looked at Minglan's elegant and dignified demeanor. She thought back to when she was a child, clever and likable, and couldn't help but turn around and say: "After all, our ancestors knew how to raise people. When I left, Ming'er was just a little girl with a small head, like a sick kitten. Now she's become a beautiful young woman."

  Minglan also sneaked a peek, having not seen her for many years. She saw that she was wearing a jacket with golden silk buttons and peony flowers embroidered on Shu brocade, with a pale-colored straight-striped long skirt underneath. Her appearance was still elegant and refined, with a hint of maturity, but there was a sense of restraint in her demeanor.

  Hua Lan took an embroidered pouch from the hand of a maid beside her and stuffed it into Minglan's hands, then casually plucked a crimson gold hairpin from her own hair and inserted it into Minglan's simple bun. She said with a smile, "It's been many years since we last met, so let's just consider this a small token, dear cousin - don't think poorly of me."

  Minglan didn't even get a clear look at the hairpin, but she felt her head getting heavier and thought that the gold was quite heavy. She weighed it in her hand and felt something like a jade pendant inside the silk bag. She bowed to thank him and said, "Thank you, Fourth Master. I've been waiting for this."

  Everyone stood up and Wang's wife pulled Minglan forward, pointing at the little girl: "This is your niece, her name is Zhuang'er."

  Minglan looked over and saw that the little girl was white, plump and lovely, but her demeanor and behavior were completely different. She was timid and shy, hiding behind her mother's back and refusing to come out. Only when Wang heard the order did she poke out half of her head and call out in a soft voice: "Sixth Aunt."

  Her voice was soft and cute, like a newly weaned little animal. Minglan was immediately charmed and squatted down to look at Zhuang'er with a smile, saying: "Zhuang'er is so clever, Sixth Aunt has prepared something for you."

  She took a flat box from Danju's hand and handed it to Zhuang'er. Zhuang'er held the box in her arms, her eyes shining brightly as she watched Hualan walk up, squat down, and open the box for her daughter.

  Only a few things were neatly arranged in the box: a bright and delicate brass nine-linked ring, a brocade red plum blossom drum, a white jade carved palm-sized fat rabbit strung with a red string, a pair of plum-shaped green jade pendants, and a crystal-like jade pendant. The quality was evident and the value was not low. Zhuang'er took the drum in one hand and shook it, while holding the white jade fat rabbit in the other hand, its small face smiling, looking at Minglan with a more intimate gaze.

  Hua Lan was delighted to see her daughter's fondness for Li and said to Minglan, "Sister, you must have prepared early on. Your niece is indeed fortunate, but it's a pity that sister has spent so much."

  Minglan brightened up, patted the brocade bag in her hand and touched the hairpin on her head, saying seriously: "I thought I was at a loss, but unexpectedly I can make a big profit. If I give birth to another fat nephew for us to be aunties, I can really get my money back."

  Hua Lan pinched Minglan's ear and scolded, "You little brat, are you tired of living? Look at me dealing with you!" Minglan was in pain and quickly hid behind Old Madame. The crowd, especially Wang Shi, shouted, "Don't pinch her mouth!"

  Hua Lan pinched Minglan twice, looked over and saw Xiao Tao, then mischievously said: "Aren't you the one who was following Minglan earlier? Is your mother kicking a shuttlecock now?"

  Xiao Tao hurriedly stepped forward and curtsied. In the past, she had been ordered to supervise Minglan playing shuttlecock and had received many rewards from her. With a sense of nostalgia, she said: "Madam, I'm Xiao Tao... After you left the house, Sixth Lady refused to play shuttlecock honestly, procrastinating every day!"

  Everyone knows that Minglan is a big joke, and she has a habit of kicking people when they're down. As soon as she saw this situation, she hurriedly said loudly: "Big Brother, you don't know that Sixth Sister normally doesn't go out except to pay respects, and there are three things she won't do: she won't go out on rainy days, she won't go out on snowy days, and when the sun is high, she also won't go out!"

  Everyone in the Li family teased Minglan, who blushed and looked innocent. Let them tease her as they pleased. It's a pity there was no thermometer here; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone out if it were above 28 degrees or below 15 degrees!

  Everyone was delighted and sat around the old lady, chatting and laughing about family matters. These past few years, Hualan had been quite talkative, sharing many interesting stories and anecdotes from her time in Beijing, captivating everyone's attention without pause. Even though she didn't neglect Molan, Minglan couldn't help but feel that Hualan was being a bit too much, trying to hide something. But as just a younger sister, she didn't say anything, only chiming in occasionally with a few words to join in the fun.

  Hua Lan quietly observed her three sisters, each with their own unique qualities. Mo Lan was like a refined and elegant orchid, gentle and delicate. Ming Lan had eyes as beautiful as a painting, and was exceptionally lovely and outstanding. Although young, she exuded warmth and charm, speaking and acting with poise and propriety, being both affectionate and respectful to her elders without being overly familiar. Yu Lan was very likable, and Hua Lan nodded in silent approval.

  Finally, she looked at her younger sister Hualan and secretly sighed that Rulan was beautiful, but Wang's appearance was ordinary, although her skin was white and bright, and she had a rich and noble demeanor, with a composed and elegant bearing, just like a legitimate daughter. However... Hualan couldn't deceive herself, after all, Rulan was a bit too showy and not steady and dignified enough.

  Mrs. Shou spoke for a while, then nodded slightly at Wang Shi and looked around before calling the girls to take Zhuang Er to stroll in the garden. Minglan knew that Mrs. Shou had private matters to discuss with Hualan, so she stood up and let Danju, Xiaotao, and others help her put on her snow hat and large cape. Lan'er and Rulan did the same. Wang Shi led Zhuang Er out first, followed by the three Lans, and a crowd of maidservants slowly exited Shou'an Hall in an orderly manner.

  After everyone had dispersed, Fang's mother and Cui Ping closed the doors and windows, and Xiao Shou stood guard at the door. Hua Lan saw Old Lady Sheng doing this and felt a bit uneasy, saying: "Ancestor, if you have something to say to me, why must it be like this?"

  The old lady didn't respond, but instead pulled Hualan closer to examine her complexion and expression. After a while, she slowly asked: "Dà yī tóu (big girl), you've been saying in your letters that everything has been going smoothly these few years. Today, I'm asking you one thing, don't hide it from me - how have you really been living?"

  Hua Lan's face was somewhat unbearable, and she said strongly: "What did Grandmother say?"

  The old lady sighed and put her arm around Hualan, saying: "You even want to deceive your grandmother?"

  Hua Lan couldn't help but lower her head and tremble with a low voice: "I don't know how I'll spend my days either."