The 88th time

  There are two ways to quickly warm up a friendship: having a common enemy and having a common secret.

  Since that night when Minglan was forced to listen to a segment of the Western Wing, Lan's feelings for her have obviously warmed up. He often grabs Minglan to eat together, do chores together, write together, and even wants to sleep together - this item Minglan strongly disagrees with.

  Minglan sternly warned Rulan, "It's okay to have feelings for each other in your heart, and it's also proper to propose marriage later on. However, you're not allowed to secretly meet again; otherwise, I'll immediately expose you." Unexpectedly, Rulan readily agreed: "Don't worry, Brother Jing is preparing for the imperial examination, who has time for romance?"

  "If he has a husband, wouldn't it be difficult for you to go see him?" Minglan thought this was unthinkable, as if she were a romantic saint.

  Her face was flushed with excitement, but she looked pleased: "A day without seeing you is like three autumns apart."

  Love is indeed great, even Sanzi Jing can't recite it all, but Rulan suddenly brought a book bag, Minglan's eyes turned red for a moment, and she immediately retorted: "Then you'd better pray to the gods and Buddhas, pointing to him that he got first place in this spring exam, otherwise you'll have to wait another three 'autumns'."

  The consequence of this sentence is that, like Lan immediately threw himself into religious activities with great enthusiasm, not only actively responding to Wang's incense and Buddha worship, but also frequently visiting the old lady's Buddhist hall. The old lady wanted to worship alone, but had to make an appointment in advance.

  After the autumn examination, it didn't take long to announce the results. This time, the Sheng family's luck was greatly praised. Not only did Chang Feng and Li Yu both pass, but also three of the five scholars in the academy passed. Both his son and daughter-in-law candidates were so accomplished that Sheng Hong was overjoyed.

  It's said that after Lin Yiniang was sent to the Zhuangzi, Zhang Feng's daily life was no longer his own. Wang Shi firmly advocated that maidservants should be pretty and good-looking, Sheng Hong suspected that Wang Shi had ulterior motives, Hai Shi thought it would be better to suffer first and then enjoy later, while Zhang Bai believed everything relied on self-awareness. After a democratic centralism discussion among the four-person group, they decided to let Zhang Feng receive rewards based on his academic performance.

  Minglan heard that, clapping her thighs in approval, saying that the scholarly family is indeed wiser than the aristocratic family. What's the use of just relying on power? You need to have real deterrent power. If Jia Zheng had done this to Baoyu back then, detaining Xiren and Qingwen so they couldn't get close to him, blocking Baochai and Lin Daiyu from seeing him, and only letting the repulsive Li Mama serve him, would Baoyu have immediately started studying hard and taking exams?

  With pressure comes motivation, Chang Feng strives to be strong, this time he successfully brought back three gentle and beautiful maids. It is said that if he can pass the spring exam, he will be able to restore his right to withdraw a certain amount of silver from the account house. For this, Brother Chang Feng continues to work hard.

  Mo Lan was also very happy and returned to her mother's home to show off, with the focus on encouraging Zhang Feng to continue innovating bravely. Wang Shi, however, began to worry - while it wasn't a problem for an illegitimate child to become successful, what should be done about an illegitimate child who had a past conflict with his legitimate mother?

  "The country holds a grand ceremony to select talents every three years, and those who pass can be appointed as officials. However, only those who become advanced scholars can hold high-ranking positions. In the past, each examination would select several hundred advanced scholars, with some selections having as few as thirty or forty. From there, one must accumulate experience in lower-ranking official positions and gradually advance through the ranks. This process also requires a certain amount of support from one's family. Mothers can rest assured." Ha used her powerful data to thoroughly overwhelm Wang.

  Wang was persuaded.

  Minglan watched with a cold eye, thinking that Old Lady Sheng's temperament was quite interesting. When she was a wife herself, she was more stubborn than a bitter melon, not willing to compromise in the slightest. But when it came to Minglan's marriage, she became very open-minded and easy-going, her thoughts were so active that they were frightening.

  In the second month of the new year, Li Yu moved into Chang Wu's house to prepare for the exam. He would often come to ask Chang Bo for advice on his trial essays. Every time Li Yu came to pay respects to Old Lady Sheng, she would be all smiles and affectionate, asking him this and that, inquiring about his well-being, and Li Yu would also cooperate fully, holding onto her hand with a bashful expression, like a new daughter-in-law.

  This guy's heart is absolutely open, and he can see Minglan's shadow through the screen. While talking to the old lady, he can still glance at the gap towards the screen and throw eye signals.

  "Grandma! Look, look! He's been sneaking glances at me!" As soon as Li Yu left, Minglan ran out from behind the screen and tugged on the old lady's sleeve to report, "This guy is not a good person!"

  The old lady sipped a mouthful of tea slowly and said, "When people are young, they miss their parents; when they know what is good and beautiful, they miss the prime of youth. This is human nature." She gently put down the teacup cover and looked at Minglan, "Your aunt has inquired about it, the Li family's door is clean and upright, and there are no concubines in Yuke's house. When he was studying in Songshan, he was also very honest and never messed around with those self-proclaimed romantic classmates."

  "So what?"

  Nothing much, just an old man's casual inquiry.

  Just as they were speaking, the He family arrived with a new batch of posts. Old Mrs. He invited them to taste the freshly brewed silver bud tea. The old lady raised an eyebrow in disapproval, and Minglan pouted her mouth. This time when they returned to the He residence, the weather was cooler, but both the grandmother and granddaughter had lost interest, sitting stiffly on either side of a small wooden table inlaid with lacquer in the carriage.

  Upon arriving at the He residence, they went straight to the main hall of the inner courtyard. Mrs. He the Second was sitting with Old Lady He at the head of the table. As soon as Old Lady Shen entered, Mrs. He the Second immediately invited her and her grandson to sit down. No sooner had Old Lady Shen sat down than she rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Where's the tea? Didn't you invite me over for a tea tasting?" Old Lady He had also been in a bad mood lately, so she rolled her eyes in response and said, "What's the hurry? New tea is best brewed fresh. We'll get to it eventually! I've even prepared a few packages for you to take back with you."

  Two old friends stared at each other for half a day, and after thinking about it, they also found it funny. With He Ertao's wife interjecting with a few jokes, the atmosphere relaxed. He Ertao's wife apologized and had tea and refreshments served to both hosts and guests before leaving. The two old men only exchanged a few words before asking about He Mu. He Lao Furen sighed: "Ever since... that time, she has never stopped being ill, lying in bed every day." Sheng Lao Taotai also let out a sigh.

  At this moment, a maid came in and reported that Mrs. He was bedridden and couldn't see guests, nor did she dare to trouble the elders to move around. She just missed Minglan very much and wanted to call her over for a chat. Old Lady Shen looked at Mrs. He, but saw that she shook her head helplessly. Then she looked at Minglan, who nodded slightly without making a sound. After some thought, Old Lady Shen let her go.

  As soon as Minglan and her maid walked out the door, Old Madame Sheng immediately fell into a rage, facing Old Madame He and saying: "What exactly do you mean? Let me tell you first, if you want to bully my family's Ming'er, forget it!"

  Madam He's face was weak, and she sighed: "It's been decades, do you still remember me? I'm most annoyed by this kind of nonsense. No mistake, relatives should help each other, but the silver has been given, the house has been found, and it's also promised that we will help Cao's brothers in the future, what else do you want?! The He family is the He family, the Cao family is the Cao family, can't we just take care of the Cao family's old and young, eat, drink, live, and travel, to be considered as having done our best?" Madam He was somewhat agitated, took a few deep breaths, and continued: "To say it again, if Cao's uncle was implicated, wrongly accused, and exiled to Liangzhou, I wouldn't say anything. But he... humph, wasn't happy when taking the silver!"

  The two of them could become close friends in the boudoir, also because they had similar personalities, both being straightforward and frank. After hearing this, Old Lady Sheng felt much more at ease, holding onto Old Madame He's hand and saying softly: "Old sister, I know you're not that kind of person, it's just... Ah, I myself have suffered before, and truly don't want Mingyu to go through the same thing."

  Mrs. He thought of her own difficulties when she was young and felt a pang of sadness: "How could I not know what you mean? These past few decades have not been easy for me either. It's not that I'm boasting, but my son Hong is truly exceptional in terms of his character and abilities. At a young age, he traveled extensively on his own, following in the footsteps of my brothers and uncles from my mother's side, and experienced many things. In recent years, he has brought back a considerable amount of silver to our home. He knows how to care for others and is filial and considerate. Ever since that year when I mentioned Ming Yu to him, he has been single-mindedly waiting for her. Not only does he not attend external banquets and gatherings, but even at home, he rarely speaks to the maids. Ming Yu is also exceptional, and I often think that if these two children can live a good life together, it would truly be a heavenly match, one that's hard to come by. But alas... Even if she can't become my granddaughter-in-law, I still like this child and wish her well."

  Mrs. He let out a long sigh, and Mrs. Sheng also lamented that in this world, nothing is perfect, how can there be ten perfect things, there must be some shortcomings to make things happen, so she also followed with a long sigh.

  ……

  However, if one were to lament, it would be Old Lady He who lamented the most during this period. As soon as the list was announced, she bluntly told her: "Do you think that among all the young ladies in the world, only your son is worthy of marriage? Look at the young men from the Sheng family's school - they are all well-born and well-educated, any one of them can be a suitable husband for the Sheng family!"

  Mrs. Xue was anxious, fearing that she would lose a good marriage and ruin her son's life; Mrs. Wang refused to give in, and her own sister cried all day, she wasn't one who could make decisions easily, these past few days had exhausted her, thinking it over, she decided to go talk to Minglan first.

  "Good child, Hong Ge has told me everything you meant, don't blame him, it's all my fault!" He Mu lay half-reclined on the bed, with a piece of cloth wrapped around her head, her face was sallow, her eyes were deep black, and her cheeks had sunk deeply, looking extremely haggard. "But... Jin Er, she has no children either, I've always known you're a very good child, just pity her and forgive her!"

  Minglan had expected this to happen, so she wasn't panicked. She simply turned her head to look at He Hongwen standing at the foot of the bed, only to see his eyes filled with apology as he gazed at Minglan. Minglan then turned further to the right, where she saw Aunt Cao sitting on the opposite side of the bed and Cao Jinxiu standing beside her, both mother and daughter having red and swollen eye sockets and pale complexions.

  Aunt Cao didn't even bother with powder this time, and her dark yellow complexion looked particularly coarse. Seeing Minglan's lack of reaction, she walked over to grab Minglan's hand, her voice low and mournful as she begged: "Good girl, I know you're not happy in your heart, but my family's Jin'er really has no other choice, how can we still marry her off to someone else? I'm only asking Brother Hong to take care of her a bit on account of our familial relationship."

  It all boils down to how pitiful Cao Jingyi is, how she will keep her place and never compete with Minglan for favor. Minglan listened to it all but didn't say a word. In the end, He Mu was getting anxious, so Minglan calmly said: "That day I spoke nonsense, when I got back my grandmother had already scolded me. It's just an elder joking around on ordinary days, it doesn't count for anything. What kind of person the He family brother wants to bring into the house has nothing to do with me?"

  Madam He and He Hongwen were both startled at the same time. Madam He suddenly remembered Old Lady He's words, her heart racing wildly for a moment before she leaned back against the headboard, weakly. He Hongwen was also in a state of panic, looking at Minglan with hands and feet that didn't know what to do.

  Aunt Cao got angry and said in a hateful tone: "That's right! When it comes to marrying a daughter-in-law, the mother-in-law is always in charge. Whatever she says goes! It's common for men to have multiple wives and concubines, but my sister was too lenient and let others take advantage of her. Once they enter our household, can Brother Hong still be expected to guard just one woman?"

  Minglan smiled and listened, slowly saying: "What Mrs. Cao said is very reasonable, indeed the situation is pitiful, but Minglan still has a few things that are unclear, may I ask for your guidance?"

  Madam Cao waved her hand in annoyance, and Minglan continued to ask: "Firstly, if it's true as Madam Cao said, then in the future, will your daughter-in-law be treating you as an aunt or as a concubine's mother? If she's just a concubine's mother, the first wife can let her come in and meet their daughter, give her some silver coins, but if the first wife is unhappy, she can simply drive her out without giving her anything."

  As soon as this was said, Cao's aunt's face changed color, and He Mu was also stunned; the difference between these two things is not a bit good or bad, but the distinction inside is quite big.

  Minglan watched them with a calm and leisurely expression, smiling as she said: "Secondly, the so-called concubine, the top is a stand, the bottom is a female, put together, it's a standing woman, serving the male and female masters, half a slave; if Cao's cousin became a concubine, would the future Madame He of the main house be calling her to come and go as a servant, or still the noble aunt and cousin?"

  Aunt Cao glared at Minglan's calm expression, gritting her teeth in anger: "I also have noble concubines in my household! I don't believe it, with my sister and Brother Hong here, who dares to touch a single hair on my daughter?!"

  Minglan smiled lightly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes: "Madam Cao is absolutely right, this is where it gets crucial. Thirdly, no matter how noble a concubine is, she's still just a concubine and can never surpass the mistress of the house. Brother He can say a few more words, glance around less, all depending on his own mood, without any auntie pointing fingers saying he's being cold or neglectful... but now, with Cao cousin having Old Madam He protecting her from above and Auntie backing her from below... haha, Brother He, your future wife is going to have a tough time!"

  He Hongwen's face was extremely unpleasant, her eyes fixed on Minglan. Minglan turned her head away, not looking at her. She had already said what she needed to say, and didn't have that much to repeat the same old things over and over again. The last time in Taohuayuan had exhausted a lot of her impulsiveness, emotions and physical strength were limited after all, it was better to conserve them for good use.

  Minglan faced He Mu with a serious expression, her tone solemn: "Auntie, I also heard what Mrs. Cao said just now, my cousin from the Cao family kept saying she wanted to be a concubine, but... is there such a noble and protected concubine? You will eventually have to find a proper daughter-in-law, have you ever thought about how the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, as well as the legitimate and illegitimate sons should interact in the future?"

  He Mu finally understood, and Cao's mother was furious, jumping up and scolding Minglan loudly: "You little wretch, you might as well say that my Jinger is the root of all troubles in our household! Relying on your good family background, you cheap girl..."

  Aunt!

  He Hongwen suddenly let out a loud roar, interrupting Cao's mother's scolding. The veins on his forehead bulged, and his eyes blazed with anger. Cao's mother was also startled, covering her chest as she stood there. Cao Jinxian's tears welled up in her eyes, streaming down as she choked back sobs. "Eldest brother... don't blame my mother, it's all my fault... I would have been better off dying in Liangzhou, I shouldn't have come back, causing you trouble and Aunt trouble..."

  As she spoke, Cao Jinyu knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, crying her heart out. Her mother also let out a mournful cry and flung herself onto her daughter's body, wailing: "My poor daughter! It was your father and I who wronged you. We thought that when we returned to the capital, your cousin would take care of you, but little did we know that times had changed and people are now eager to climb higher... Who would still care about your life or death? Daughter, it's better for us to die together, all because of this heartless aunt and cousin of yours!"

  The mother and daughter duo wailed loudly, He Mu's face turned pale, and she lay paralyzed on the bed, unable to move. Minglan's expression was as calm as water, slowly standing up a little.

  He Hongwen clenched his fists in anger, his face purpling with rage. Ever since returning to the capital, the Cao family had been coming to find him three times a day. One moment it was Aunt Cao being unwell, the next it was Cao Jinxian fainting, as if they wanted to keep He Hongwen at their house permanently. They would cry and wail, complaining about heaven and earth. If it were an ordinary man, he might have been moved by now. But He Hongwen was a doctor himself, so he knew better. Aunt Cao and his cousin were just suffering from emotional distress and physical weakness.

  He turned his head to look at his frail mother, then looked at Cao's wife who was still crying and scolding there. Suddenly, a strong sense of anger arose in his heart. His family had done so much for the Cao family, but now the Cao family was being unreasonable. He didn't want to, yet they cried and cursed him and his mother as having hearts of wolves and lungs of dogs. What kind of logic was this?!

  Just then, a maid came in to report that Old Lady He and Old Lady Sheng had arrived.

  He Mu struggled to get up and pay her respects, but Sheng Lao Tai Tai hastily pressed her back down, repeatedly urging her to rest well.

  Old Lady He glanced at the mother and daughter of the Cao family on the ground, with a look of displeasure, and shouted to the maid outside: "Change in! You are all dead, hurry up and help Madame get up, what kind of body is this?! Do you want face or not?!"

  It's unclear whether this remark was meant to imply that the maids were shameless or if it was a veiled insult aimed at Aunt Cao. Aunt Cao's face turned red as she slowly got up, covering her face with her hands. Cao Jinxiu also stopped crying, only sobbing quietly.

  The old lady seemed as if she hadn't seen all this, and just pulled her granddaughter to her side, smiling: "What's the fuss about, it's so lively."

  Miss Lin's clever past, with a tone of innocence: "Just now, Mrs. Cao said she wanted to call her niece to be a concubine for Mr. He, although it has nothing to do with my daughter, I still listened to it with one ear."

  The old lady glared at Minglan for a moment, then turned to Old Lady He and said: "Look at my granddaughter, she's been coming to your house since childhood, not even considering herself an outsider. She even listens to this kind of thing! If it gets out, won't people laugh at us?"

  "No joke, I've thought of marrying your family's Ming Yuanyuan." Old Lady He smiled all over her face, "However, it's just talk, no engagement or betrothal has been made yet."

  Old Lady Sheng gently patted Old Lady He and said with a smile, "Elder sister is getting more and more absurd, can't even talk about marriage properly?" Then, she turned to Aunt Cao and laughed, "Auntie, don't mind me, I've grown up with Elder Sister since childhood, we're used to talking nonsense, please don't take it seriously."

  Cao's aunt smiled awkwardly, not knowing how to respond. She glanced at He Hongwen beside her, who had lost his soul and was staring blankly at Minglan with his eyes wide open. A surge of anger rose in her chest, and she was about to say a few vicious words when Old Lady Shen spoke up again.

  "...Speaking of which, the concubine is also a lucky one. After the amnesty, she can return to the capital and still has relatives to take care of her." Old Lady Sheng suddenly said this, with a gentle tone and a concerned expression.

  Aunt Cao's heart sank, Old Lady Sheng's words were a stab to the heart. For an official like Cao who had committed a crime, even if he was pardoned, he would still be exiled back to his hometown. It wasn't uncommon for family members of officials who had committed crimes to sneak back into the capital, and as long as no one reported them, they wouldn't get in trouble. But if someone did report them, they would immediately face another round of punishment - either a fine or physical punishment.

  He Lao Furen leaned over, smiling and said: "You're the one who talks nonsense, Cao's family has good fortune, that's because their ancestors accumulated virtue, later on they'll naturally have a smooth sailing life." Sheng Lao Taitai sighed and said: "Yes, accumulating more virtue, heaven will always bless us."

  Two old people sang and harmonized, Aunt Cao was a clever person, how could she not understand the meaning? That is to say, whether Cao Jinxiu's matter succeeded or not, in the future, He Hongwen married whoever, it had nothing to do with the young lady of the Shi family. If she dared to go out and make a fuss, the Shi family also had a way to control her. Moreover, there was no evidence, no witnesses, and no matchmaker, even if the Cao family went out and said something, they would not be able to achieve anything good.

  Madam Cao shut her mouth with a scowl, it seemed she had to accumulate some virtue; suddenly, she changed her mind and thought that Old Lady Sheng's attitude was probably not wanting to form an alliance with the He manor. Madam Cao couldn't help but feel a thrill of joy in her heart.

  "Alright, let's just leave it at that. We've tasted the tea, taken the big and small packages, and also seen your daughter-in-law. We should be going now." Old Lady Sheng looked around and saw that everything was in order, so she wanted to take Minglan away, while Old Madame He also got up with a smile to see off the guests.

  "Aunt!" A loud shout rang out.

  Everyone turned around, and saw He Hongwen standing there, his jaw clenched tightly, as if he had made a very big decision. He stared straight at Aunt Cao and Cao Jinxiu, and said in a deep voice: "Aunt, I absolutely will not marry my cousin! From childhood, I considered her to be my own sister, and in the future, she will still be my own sister!"

  He Hongwen's eyes were bright red, Cao Yima fell to the ground with a thud, Cao Jintou stared at him in disbelief, her face as pale as a dead person. He Lao Furen and Sheng Lao Tai smiled slightly with satisfaction.

  Minglan stood quietly at the door, is this... considered a victory? Why wasn't she happy at all? In the past when Sima Xiangru returned as a prodigal son, didn't Zhuo Wenjun welcome him with open arms? Without beating him up or making him kneel for two nights to scrub the washboard? It's too suffocating.

  Last night's wind was drawn, and I couldn't log in no matter what. This afternoon, I added some words and finished writing this play, making up for everyone's young heart.