The 51st time

  Hua Lan left Shou An Tang and went to the Wang family's house. Mrs. Wang had already heated up the kang (a type of bed) and was waiting for her daughter to arrive. As soon as Hua Lan entered, she hastily called out to the maid to bring over a hand warmer. Seeing that there was only Mrs. Wang in the room, Hua Lan asked: "Where's Eldest Sister?"

  Wang led his daughter to sit on the kang and smiled, "You've been playing with them all day." The tables and chairs in their room were moved away, clearing out a space. Several girls were making a ruckus, playing "blind man's bluff". Next to her, accompanying her mother, you let go.

  Hua Lan took the colored ring and handed over the hand warmer, turning to Wang Shi with a smile. "What's wrong? Are you afraid it's another one of Liu Yatou's ideas?" As soon as she came back, Lan Mo was annoyed by the child's mischief.

  Liu Yaotou was also a child who loved to play and have fun with Zhuang Jie. Wang Shi looked at the door and waved her hand, calling all the maids in the house to come out. The last one, Cai Huan, put down the curtain and guarded the door.

  Infinite goodness is in Jinzhong University Town

  Wang walked over to Hualan and sat down, carefully looking at her daughter's face, which was made up as if new, with a few moist eyelashes on top, and softly asked: "Have you told Grandma everything?"

  Hua Lan was exhausted and leaned against Wang Shi, half-closing her eyes and said, "Grandma, I won't be able to hide it from you anyway, so I'll just tell you everything." Wang Shi saw that although her daughter looked weak, her spirit seemed more relaxed than before, and she knew that this conversation had gone wrong. She asked, "What did Grandma say to you?"

  Hua Lan opened her eyes and smiled, saying that Grandmother had seen the world and heard my nonsense, teaching me only two things. First, hurry up and get rid of the burden. Wang Shi listened anxiously and hastily interrupted, saying "Old lady is confused! You've worked so hard to manage these things, how can you say let go and just let go?"

  Hua Lan sighed and said, "I'm willing to give it up, but my grandmother said that even if you manage the Zhongqin Manor well in the future, it's still for someone else. You'll be tired and spend your own money, all for nothing. Besides, my top priority now is to have a son."

  Wang heard this and snorted, "Nonsense! I also know you have to give birth to a son." The old lady's words were like nothing was said.

  Hua Lan Ba was angry with her mother and said, "You're just like you didn't say anything." Her grandmother then gave her some advice, saying that she knew Bai Shi Tan He Lao Furen. He Lao Furen was the wife of Zhang, a doctor from the Imperial Hospital who had learned medicine since childhood. Not only was she skilled in treating women's internal diseases, but as a woman herself, she could also practice medicine and help people. After marrying into the Zhang family, no one knew about her skills anymore. This time, her grandmother asked her to help Hua Lan Ba.

  The Wang family was overjoyed and asked if it was true. Fortunately, the old lady knew the inside story. Although you have a concubine by your side, you don't have a biological child. In the past, for the sake of saving face, you invited doctors with great fanfare, but they were all men, how could they possibly examine her carefully? It's really pitiful for my son.

  Hua Lan's eyes flashed with a hopeful color, and she said with joy: "Grandma also said that this matter must be made public. Only when we invited Old Lady He to come in as a guest did I return, so it was only then that I could get rid of the troublemaker and slowly adjust."

  Mr. Wang joined his hands together and repeatedly chanted the Buddha's name, Amitabha. My great ancestor, Taishang Laojun, this child of mine has hope now. The old lady spoke with the most authority, if she said so, then it must be true. Now that the task of giving birth to a son is at hand, Mr. Wang felt that nothing else was important anymore.

  Hua Lan leaned lazily against Wang's shoulder and said in a soft voice, "You've come to the capital, it's really great; I have someone to rely on now."

  Wang held his daughter in his arms, doting on her, but scolded, "It's all because of your strong personality and not listening to others. If only you had given birth to a son, you would have been well-fed and taken care of, and after so many years, you finally gave birth to a son. You lost the child just a few months ago, and in a hurry, you hastily brought in a concubine, fortunately, you still have some sense, and took a step ahead to let the concubine give birth to a son, which finally shut your mouth."

  Hua Lan's voice was quick with anger, "Sister-in-law is my nephew's wife, naturally closer to me than you. Now that she has no one to rely on, why still put on airs?" Wang Shi patted her daughter's back and smiled, "You know this already, it's good. Your son-in-law is capable, in the future you'll have a good life. For now, don't bother with them, our young master's affairs are important."

  Hua Lan also looked forward to it and hoped so.

  Wang held his daughter and said with a distant look, "Now that your brother is settled down, I just hope you can find a good man to marry too, then I'll have nothing more to ask for."

  Hua Lan raised her head and laughed, drawing out her voice as she said: "You'd better still promise to marry Lan to your nephew. Take advantage of the fact that your aunt is still vigorous and your uncle is good-natured. If you go back on your word, your uncle will definitely laugh his head off."

  The Wang family was furious and wanted to hit Hualan, scolding her: "You're so shameless! You married into the Earl's mansion and you're still trying to climb up? Your uncle is good, but after all, he's not as glorious as your grandfather. And my nephew is old and dull, I'm afraid you'll find him boring."

  Hua Lan dodged Wang's slap, blocking his arm and saying, "Uncle, even if your official position is high, but how can you compare to my maternal grandfather? It's better to be a humble old man." She moved her flower-like intestines. Suddenly, she felt sad and said, "Do you think I'm having a good day? Speaking of it, the Zhongqin Duke's estate is still deserted; if this were a prosperous and noble position, how would they show off? You say I have a good temper, but Hua Lan doesn't agree with me. Moreover, she was born into an ordinary family, so how can she survive in that grand mansion?"

  Wang looked at his daughter's tired face and knew she had an easy time, so he sighed silently. After a while, Hualan smiled and said, "I really didn't expect that Liu Yazi would turn out to be so good. Her manners and speech are also likable. After I've finished my business, I'll take her out to meet people. Maybe we can find a good marriage for her. Grandmother will surely be delighted."

  The Wang family saw the eldest daughter burying herself, but instead of lifting Minglan, she immediately glared and said, "You don't have to worry about it. The old lady has already made up her mind about Minglan's marriage. It's that white stone pond, He Sunzi. And I think there's also your aunt and uncle, and older brother, for this, the old lady specially returned to put Minglan under my name."

  Hua Lan listened to Wang's words and suddenly burst out with three candidates, looking a bit stunned, then smiled and said: "Old lady, what's going on? She has always been fond of reading people, but Auntie and Eldest Uncle are both businesspeople; as for He, it's wrong, although there are many officials in our clan and their positions are high, after all, they are from a big family, can they look down on Minglan?"

  The Wang family also smiled and said, "Who says it's not? When we first proposed to that cheap person, the old lady didn't say much. Now it's Minglan's turn, but she's completely opened up. Is it because she's willing to let Liu'er suffer? Oh, right, that He grandson is biased too.

  Hua Lan's eyebrows rose as she scolded, "You're also confused about competing with Lin Niang? What does she have to do with me? She's just an old lady who's good at taking care of people without money or power, no relatives, and no background. Even if she wanted to marry a rich person, it's not certain that they would look up to her; but as for my mother-in-law, she's our own flesh and blood, with a grandmother above her, a father and brother below her, and a wife and sister beside her, so even if she can be compared to me and Hua Lan, there's still a difference."

  Wang's face turned cold and she said, "What's the point of being so enthusiastic? She came out of the same womb as you!" Hualan spread her hands and smiled mischievously, "No way, I'm the one who stood out from that womb!"

  After finishing, she playfully hid away. Who knew that this time Wang Shi didn't get angry, but instead sighed and said, "Alas, you father-daughter duo have the same temperament. Your old man also used to say so." A few days ago, at Xiangyang Hou's 70th birthday banquet, he even reminded me to bring Minglan along.

  Infinite goodness is in Jinzhong University Town

  Hua Lan was shocked and suddenly realized that Father had a point, it made sense to have a good relationship with the family, it would be helpful in the future, but if Mo Yu married well, wouldn't that make that cheap person even more pleased?

  The mother and daughter exchanged a look, both thinking the same thing. How could Wang expect to take action? But Lan was not yet married, and she feared that if she were to make a move, it would ruin her reputation as a respectable young woman.

  That night, Yuan Shao finished his official duties and came to the Sheng Mansion to pay respects to Old Lady Sheng. Then he chatted with his father-in-law and three brothers-in-law of different ages. As a clever person and a military officer from the Yuanyou tribe, it was originally difficult for him to get along with officials from the Qingliu stream. But Sheng Hong gave his children in marriage to both sides, so Yuan Shao had a good relationship with both the clear and muddy streams.

  Wang's family saw the excitement and invited his sister, Kang's couple, to join in. There were also Zhang Yu and Xiao Fu couples, so they opened two big tables.

  Men outside the hall were clinking cups and chatting about the relationships between officials, lively and harmonious. Next door, a women's seating area was set up. Minglan listened carefully to the voices from outside, gaining some insight. In ancient times, it was indeed the case that clans and societies valued reading and taking imperial examinations to rise through the ranks, and even Confucian scholars were meticulous about their relationships with teachers and friends, complex and intricate human relationships, no less so in modern times.

  Minglan remembers reading in a magazine that most future political leaders are trained by a few top universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge. If you throw a bomb at a large gathering of alumni from these schools, you can basically take out all the British politicians at once.

  Although the official positions of those outside are high, the highest is also Sheng Hui's fifth product, but the combined strength of the clan is also small.

  The whole family gathered, Wang's tenth was overjoyed and drank a few more cups, his face flushed with excitement. Next to him, Mrs. Kang looked a bit haggard, but compared to herself, she had many more years of experience. Looking at Yun'er's rosy complexion, she felt a little comforted that the new marriage had added some beauty to her life. Although this marriage was a mistake, she repeatedly toasted the old lady with several cups. The old lady surprisingly drank them down quickly and then called for Housekeeper Mom to help her back to rest.

  Zhuang's little face was as red as rouge, and she played hide-and-seek with Minglan for the whole afternoon. She became more lively and sat next to Minglan during dinner. Hualan saw her daughter being cheerful and talkative, which made her even happier.

  Minglan was exhausted, she deeply understood that a small thing that looked harmless could be high-maintenance when it acted out, and now she desperately wanted to get rid of this little burden.

  In the evening, after the banquet, Old Mrs. Shi was afraid that Minglan would catch a cold after drinking and blowing wind, so she personally took Minglan to Shou'andang to sleep. After drinking a bowl of sobering soup and another bowl of ginger soup, Minglan felt much more comfortable and let people help her wash and undress. Finally, with a full stomach, she leaned against her grandmother's arm and fell asleep. After lying down for a while, she knew why she hadn't fallen asleep immediately, but instead had some spirit. The two of them chatted together.

  I saw Uncle Kang for the first time, and he was just like his brother, but far inferior to Father. Minglan recalled the scene when she asked after his health and bowed her head earlier, and thought that Uncle Kang should be as elegant and refined as Xueyan's husband, but now Xueyan's husband still looked dignified and majestic, while Uncle Kang had a dissipated look from excessive drinking and womanizing, with a cloudy expression and an arrogant attitude.

  The old lady sighed and said, "Your father knew the warmth and coldness of human relationships when he was young, so he has more precautions in mind. But your uncle is the only child in the middle, spoiled by Mrs. Kang, and didn't say anything further."

  A mother's overindulgence can spoil her child.

  Aunt Kang gave birth to a good and big baby. Minglan thought of that pale and beautiful woman, who suddenly moved her head and leaned against the old lady's side, and asked: "Why did you marry her back then?"

  The old lady sat on the ground, fanning the faintly glowing charcoal fire, and scolded Minglan, "You little thing, you're so bold outside, but when you come to my place, you dare to say anything! Is this something you should be asking?" Minglan pouted and rubbed her head against her grandmother's chest, making the old lady laugh with ticklishness.

  When I just went to propose and didn't say which one was the intention of Wang Lao Tai Ye, it meant that you, Kang Yi Niang, looked at him from behind the curtain and chose for yourself. Old Lady Wang said calmly: "Wang Lao Tai Ye and Kang Lao Tai Ye were both high-ranking officials of the previous emperor, two prominent families in the neighborhood at that time; your uncle Kang had just passed the imperial examination and was full of vigor; while our ancestor died early in his official career and didn't have any foundation, she also made a wrong choice."

  Minglan nodded along, but suddenly a thought flashed through her mind and she leaned in to ask, "Grandmother, didn't you want Aunt Kang from the very beginning?"

  King Kang had a good relationship with them and had previously made an oral engagement, but it was not decided which daughter would be married to whom. Generally, everyone knew that the eldest daughter was the most outstanding, but King Kang had raised his younger sister's second daughter since childhood, so there was no surprise when he married his elder daughter to Kang and his second daughter to Sheng, who had a shallower foundation.

  In the dim light, she saw Old Mrs. Shi's expression as she patted Minglan's head, seemingly approving of her. "You're from a good family and you're also talented and beautiful, who would have thought that you'd end up with him?" Moreover, I've also heard that your mother is not only hot-tempered but also ruthless and cunning in handling matters, she can do some really vicious things. That's already quite good. If it weren't for her, we would also be considered harmonious.

  Minglan nodded heavily. Wang's measurement was narrow and she liked to be meticulous in treating others, but also generous. However, she could not come up with such a bad idea as poisoning someone to abort their child or framing them, so she was schemed against by Lin Daiyu back then.

  Your aunt's mother has a kind face and eyes, but her methods are ruthless. How many lives have been lost in your uncle's house? How many concubines have been sold? The old lady said again.

  Minglan didn't rush to respond, and after a moment of silence, she slowly said, "If it's really serious, I'm afraid it will be even more troublesome." Aunt Kang was forced by the officials and had no choice but to bear the name of "jealous evil". Those in the house were also affected, and they couldn't avoid being pointed at as fox spirits who deserved to die. But did that person really have a fault? The world saw many faults in him.

  This is a patriarchal society where some are willing to be treasured and others are forced to become fish, but under the pressure of life, there are only a few lucky ones who can maintain their luster.

  Hehe, it seems my daughter has grown up. The old lady seemed to smile, since you understand that's the best; you should know that if a woman marries a scoundrel, she'll be ruined and remarriage is like a woman's second rebirth.

  Minglan leaned against the old lady's neck, feeling a warmth and softness like sandalwood, and said intimately, "But it's easy to recognize a few words, yet recognizing a person is difficult; many scoundrels wear a disguise."

  The old lady was amused and hugged her little granddaughter, laughing for a while before saying, "Little girl, why does your tone of speaking resemble that of Empress Jing'an? She rarely questioned the palace concubines, only blaming the accounts on the previous emperor." @ Endless goodness in Jin Xuecheng

  Old Lady Sheng spoke again, this time with an unprecedented cold and solemn tone. "However, Ming'er, you must remember that when it comes to that point, it's a matter of life and death; if you only pity others and sacrifice yourself, you will be the one to die! Even Empress Jing'an was killed by her so-called good sister!"

  Ming Lan's head shook slightly.

  She knew that the old lady was also saying that she herself was a pitiful woman who had been wronged by her own flesh and blood, and that it was only when she was in her husband's hands that they finally became enemies.

  Women's war is narrow and most taboo softness.

  In the quiet courtyard, she sighed and lamented, "I'm going to be a fish!"