The 72nd time

  That night, Minglan's cheap father and mother came to comfort the wounded. Wang Shi stroked Minglan's small face, her loving gaze almost dripping with water, staring at Minglan made her heart tremble. Sheng Hua was really heartbroken, speaking softly with words of concern. In return, Minglan choked back tears, quietly defending Meilan's behavior, hoping that Sheng Hua wouldn't be too angry and explaining that Meilan wasn't intentionally wrong, it was all just a misunderstanding; Sheng Hua was deeply moved, feeling that his education of his children wasn't entirely a failure, shaking his beard he praised Minglan several times.

  Minglan secretly repents, there is no way out. The leader just likes this kind of gentle and virtuous style, everything is for survival.

  The next day, Wang's family was bedridden with illness and handed over all the household chores to Hai's family. Hai's family first caught the maids who had been pushed around in the twilight hall the day before, each of them beaten twenty times, then Liu Kunjia's leader rushed into their room for a search, and found many gold, silver, and valuables. Hai's family accused them of embezzling their master's property and wanted to send them to the government for investigation. The lower-ranking servants panicked, hastily pushing and blaming each other, pulling out carrots with mud, and suddenly dragged Lin Niang's usually favored maid into the case. Hai's family handled it according to the severity, some were sold as slaves, others were sent away to the countryside.

  In just one short day, the Lin family's residence had a complete change of personnel. Mrs. Lin originally wanted to cry and make a scene, but Hai Shi just smiled and said: "Originally, we also found many improper items in Xia Xianjia's house, but I thought she was the most capable person by your side, so I didn't report it to the old lady." Snow Niang, who was supporting Mrs. Lin on one side, immediately turned pale and knelt down straight away. Mrs. Lin was furious and trembling with rage, but she also didn't dare make another scene.

  "If you want to know, I'll tell you. Lin's house only has Xia Xiangjia and Ma Guizhen left, the rest were all driven out. Third Master's and Fourth Miss' places are still okay, they just drove out a few of the most vicious maids. When I went there, they begged me to help them hide some valuables, afraid that Old Mistress would get angry again and search the place once more. I picked two trustworthy ones from before and took some insignificant things, the rest I didn't bother with; if you think it's not right, Miss, I can return them."

  Minglan snuggled up on the warm kang, propping her arm on the kang table: "That's not necessary, I think Eldest Sister-in-law won't bother us again." Hai Shi's goal was just to consolidate power in the Sheng household, and now that Mo Lan is married off, she wouldn't dare offend anyone. Chang Feng has his parents to keep him in line, so it's not like he needs this eldest sister-in-law to lecture him.

  Just then, someone came to report from outside that it was the swallow by Rulan's side, saying that Minglan would set off the next day and asked Minglan to go over for a chat. Before Minglan could speak, Roumei couldn't help but say: "The fifth young lady has such a big temper, she doesn't even come to see her sister off herself, but instead asks our young lady to go over; what kind of rules are these?"

  Magpie awkwardly said: "Our girls... isn't this catching a cold?" As soon as she finished speaking, Minglan and the others covered their mouths and laughed, while Xiaotao stared blankly and spoke bluntly: "If it's catching a cold, how can we let our girls go? What if they get infected? It's the most inconvenient to have a headache and fever on this road!"

  The magpie was in a dilemma, she was also clever, and hurriedly leaned into Minglan's ear, whispering: "These two days the mansion has been lively, our young lady's heart is like a cat scratching, but can't come out, so let's just pretend to be in pain for us maids, go on a trip."

  Minglan held a mouthful of tea, smiled slightly, and glared at her maids before getting up to ask Yanzhuo to tidy up her clothes. Only then did Jixiao let out a sigh of relief. Danju took out a small white porcelain jar the size of a thumb from inside and stuffed it into Jixiao's sleeve, saying with a smile: "Sister, please don't mind, our young mistress is lenient and allows these little maids to speak recklessly without respect for their elders. This is conch oil, the best thing to apply on your hands and face in this cold weather. If you're not disdainful of it, then take it."

  The magpie smiled all over her face: "It's said that Liu Gu Niang is the most gentle to the maids, I'm a thick-skinned one, so I won't be polite."

  Minglan followed the joyful magpie around Shan Yueju and walked for a while before arriving at Tao Ran Tang. After entering the house, she saw Rulan lying on the bed with a rosy complexion, still bandaged on her forehead. As soon as she saw Minglan, she exclaimed loudly: "Why did you come so late? Do I need to invite you three or four times? Didn't you say it was just a slap in the face? Could it be that your leg is also broken?"

  Minglan glared and said: "It seems that Fifth Sister's illness is severe. I'd better leave, if I get sick, I won't be able to leave."

  Rulan immediately let out a cry, afraid that Minglan would really leave. Jiyu smiled and pushed Minglan forward, repeatedly apologizing: "Miss, you've come, don't tease our miss anymore." Then she turned to Rulan and said, "You too, Miss. Just now I went to the twilight pavilion, Sixth Miss is busy with her injuries, it's already good that she can come." Rulan puffed out her cheeks and didn't speak.

  Minglan unwillingly sat down beside Rulan's bed, her face stern: "No choice, the lightly wounded can't compare to the seriously ill, so I have to come!"

  Yu Lan was delighted, and turned Minglan's face around, examining it carefully from top to bottom, left to right. "I knew your complexion looked strange," she said with a click of her tongue. "You've applied powder, haven't you? And look, the fingerprint is still there!"

  Minglan sighed and said: "It's not good to run around with a slap in the face, so I'd better put on makeup."

  Ru Lan said angrily: "Elder sister-in-law is indeed formidable, but her heart is also too soft. They dare to be so presumptuous towards the mistress, and she doesn't even punish them severely. They still get to eat and drink well, what's the point of giving that room face?"

  Minglan thought for a moment and said lightly: "Elder sister-in-law is kind, this is a good thing; besides... she also has her own concerns."

  If you can't finish the matter with one blow, it's better not to strike at all, or you'll end up getting hurt. Today, Lin Niang didn't get kicked out of the house, and she's still Sheng Zong's concubine. If Sheng Zong goes to her place and spends the night there, who knows what might happen? Leaving some room for maneuvering, even if Lin Niang wants to file a complaint, she won't be able to say much. Sheng Zong will think that this daughter-in-law is kind-hearted and not petty.

  Ruolan sighed softly and frowned: "It's really annoying to be like this, if you like it, just say you like it, if you don't like it, just say you don't like it, why pretend?"

  Minglan touched the strip of cloth on her forehead and let out a soft sigh. Rulan suddenly became happy again, pulling Minglan along and saying: "This time you go, bring me some osmanthus oil too, the colorless kind. After using it for over a year, look at my hair, it's much better now."

  Ming Lan was tongue-tied, pointing at Ruolan and saying: "This time I went because..., Aunt and Eldest Aunt didn't even have time to cry, how can you still care about your hair?! I don't have the face to ask for it!"

  As usual, Rulan was being unreasonable and demanding, wanting whatever she pleased. When Minglan didn't comply, she immediately became displeased, her eyes flashing with annoyance. Suddenly, she caught sight of Minglan's face again, and her gaze shifted as she said, "It's just a few bottles of oil, after all. You want me to tell you something delightful? I'll share something that will surely make you happy."

  Actually, Minglan still had a few bottles in her hand, but she couldn't stand Rulan's selfish attitude of only thinking about herself. Minglan heard this and asked strangely: "What pleasant thing?"

  Like an orchid, she leaned in with a mysterious face and whispered: "Do you know what kind of person Fourth Sister is marrying?" Minglan shook her head, how would she know, there was no human search engine here.

  "It's said that Wen Ju's family is poor, her father passed away when she was young, her mother is cruel and her brother is useless! Her personality is also wishy-washy, the only good thing about her is that she's 'honest'! Let's see how she'll endure the mistreatment of her mother-in-law and younger brother-in-law!"

  "It can't be that bad, right? Father always has good taste." Minglan said calmly.

  It's not nonsense, after all, it's only one step from a scholar to a jinshi. If the family is well-off and the person is outstanding, there are many officials and nobles in the capital, and there are many legitimate and illegitimate daughters. Can a fourth-rank official's illegitimate daughter be chosen? Not to mention Wen Yanjing, even Li Yu, if he really opened up his search for relatives in Beijing, wouldn't he find someone better than the Sheng family? It's just that the Li family is afraid of finding someone with unknown roots, and then having a big attitude and being arrogant, causing trouble for the wife's family and making the daughter-in-law proud and unruly, which would be a loss.

  As Lan saw Minglan not resonating with herself, she was quite disappointed and pulled a long face, throwing a tantrum. Minglan smiled and coaxed: "Alright, I'll definitely help you get that osmanthus oil!"

  On the second day, early in the morning, Chang Yu led six or seven large carts to pick up people. Sheng Hong urged Chang Yu a few words, and Rong'er was already pregnant, now about five or six months along. Wang Shi pulled her niece's hand and said many things to pay attention to. After a while of instructing, Minglan and Zhang Jing finally bid farewell to their parents. Hai Shi sent them off all the way to the door, then secretly stuffed a silver note into Minglan's hand, and then sincerely told Chang Yu and Rong'er: "I haven't gone back to my hometown since I got married, this time I should have gone, but there are so many things at home that can't be left behind, so I've troubled the sixth sister and fourth brother, second uncle and Rong'er's sister. Please don't take offense when you see my elder brother and his wife, and be sure to apologize for me."

  Chang Wu nodded in agreement, and Ming Lan also nodded in response. With a childish smile, she said: "Uncle and Aunt are the best, they just got angry for a moment, but when they see their white and chubby second grandson again, their anger will disappear."

  The people around all laughed, Hai shook his head and scolded with a smile: "This child!" Yun'er blushed and covered her face with a handkerchief, laughing. Chang Yu was originally full of worries, but also lost in laughter after hearing this.

  All the way, the horse's hooves were clattering, Zhang Tong had wanted to ride a horse with Zhang Yu, but was driven back, and had no choice but to sit in the carriage with Minglan and stick his neck out, Yun'er sat on the carriage and felt a bit uncomfortable at first, but as Minglan and her brother chatted and laughed, she also opened up.

  Chang Yu had been away from home since he was a child, traveling everywhere, and was very skilled at arranging his accommodations. Along the way, he would rest and eat at inns, never missing a night's lodging. Yuran watched with cold eyes, but didn't see Minglan giving any orders to the servants. The maidservants made the bed, lit the stove to warm the kang, tidied up the dressing table and clothes, while the older servant woman brought hot water and food, washed the cups and bowls, and served dinner. Although there were no elders present, everything was in order; if there were any disputes or conflicts with other noble guests who had come to stay at the same inn, Minglan would calm them down with gentle words, telling the servants to give way a little, add some more silver, and smooth things over.

  Once, Green Branch got into a few words with a servant of an official's family who came to lodge together. He returned, huffing and puffing: "He's just a participant in government affairs, pretending to be the son of a marquis, putting on airs as if he were the king himself!"

  "What a solution! You girls are just capable of this. One mountain is always higher than another, and only by sending our Green Branch girl into the palace to serve Empress Dowager will we be able to get ahead no matter how we try!"

  The green branch turned red, and at this time, the little peach returned from outside with a proud smile, saying that another group of Shangshu's family members had arrived, and they were also related to Lian Guogong. The servant of the policy-making house immediately retreated the upper room; afterwards, Minglan was even more careful and strict in managing the lower-ranking servants, not allowing them to cause trouble; whenever the girls went out, they would be followed by sturdy family guards.

  After watching for several days, Yuner couldn't help but say to her husband one night: "I wonder why my aunt always wanted Minglan to marry well. Look at her, she's like a little doll, doing things clearly and without any confusion, with a straightforward temperament. I feel inferior to her, born with such an appearance, and no brothers of the same parents; if she were born in Madame's belly, alas, it would also be fate." Changyu hugged his wife and laughed: "Nonsense, I think you're the best."

  Yuner smiled and hit her husband.

  After traveling for several more days, they finally arrived at the river crossing dock. Changgui had already hired a two-story red camphor wood boat with a tar-coated hull. Then Yuanni called Minglan to get off the carriage and onto the boat together. No matter how robust her body was, after all, she had been traveling for many days, and as soon as she boarded the boat, Yuanni lay down to rest and take care of her pregnancy. Minglan chatted with her for a while, and when she saw that she had fallen asleep, she quietly left.

  The boat was indeed more stable than the carriage, and Rong'er was able to fall asleep. Unlike the previous few days when she couldn't sleep soundly, over the next few days, Minglan kept a close eye on Rong'er as she took her medicine and rested, chatting with her to alleviate her boredom, while also coaxing Changfeng back from the ship's railings and resuming his studies.

  "At first, when we traveled from Quanzhou to Dengzhou, whether on land or water, big brother was always holding a book; can you say that you yourself have even touched a book in the past few days?" Minglan cited an advanced model as an example.

  Chang Dong worked hard again, after all, it was the first time he had been so free, with Wang Shi and Xiang Niang not around, Chang Yu and his wife didn't bother him much, so he gradually got rid of his mischievous nature, and when Ming Lan said something to him, he hung his head and went back to reading.

  Yu'ni smiled lightly and said, "Sixth sister is so formidable, she will definitely urge her husband to make progress." Minglan rolled her eyes and retorted, "You can say that now, but when the child in your belly is born, won't you be anxious for him to study hard and become a top scholar?"

  Yu'er pretended to be angry and went to hit Minglan, but she was actually very happy in her heart, hoping to give birth to a boy at once.

  After several days, the waves were calm and the boat was stable. The north wind filled the sails, making them bulge, and the water flowed rapidly, speeding up the boat. They stopped one after another at Shizhou, Jining, Shangzhou, and Huaiyin. Zhang Yu was delighted to tell everyone that with such a good wind, they would arrive in about three or four days.

  That evening, the wind stopped and the waves were calm. Zhang Yu decided to anchor the boat in the middle of the water and rest for a night. They also got some fresh fish from the fishermen on the shore and had a hot pot dinner together with his siblings. Yuan Er just smiled and accompanied them, eating some fish porridge. Zhang Yu's three siblings finished five or six baskets of fish and shrimp in one breath, including steamed, salted, braised, and roasted ones. The whole boat was filled with the smell of fish, shrimp, and crab, especially Ming Lan, who seemed to have a vendetta against the river crabs and ate them with all her might. Yuan Er was worried that she couldn't take it and forcibly took some away from her. Only then did Ming Lan reluctantly stop eating. Zhang Yu held the eight pieces of crab meat and stared blankly at them.

  Eating crab should drink some Huangjiu to drive out the cold, Changyu drank a little drunk, and then went to bed early with his wife. The young maids also ate half-drunk and fell asleep one after another. Minglan, however, called Xiaozhangtong to her own room. As soon as they entered the house, Minglan suddenly changed her expression and carefully closed the doors and windows.

  Xiao Zhangdong didn't understand, but honestly followed Minglan to sit on the innermost stool. Only then did he see Minglan speak seriously: "These past few days I've been busy and couldn't find a chance to talk; fortunately you don't like eating crab, so you also haven't had any wine. Now that we're alone, let's discuss the matters I wanted you to investigate."

  Chang Dong suddenly paused, knowing what Ming Lan was asking. He had actually been holding it in his heart for a long time and wanted to say it at the Sheng manor, but then the incident with Mo Lan happened. Later, he hastily got on the carriage, and all along the way, there were always people around; Ming Lan was very cautious and never dared to say an extra word outside, so she ordered Chang Dong not to mention it.

  About half a year ago, Minglan learned from Qian Mama's words that Wang Shi had discussed marriage with Pingning Junzhu and Yongchang Houfu at the banquet in the Qi Guo Gong Fu. After that, Minglan secretly took it to heart, and vaguely guessed that Wang Shi wanted to form an alliance between the Qi and Liang families.

  According to Wang's logic, if there was a good thing that she wouldn't let Mo Lan have cheaply, then it could only be either Ruolan or herself. Based on the ranking of the quality of the husbands-to-be, Minglan reluctantly came to the conclusion: Wang probably wanted to marry her off to Liang Huang.

  Minglan's heart was suspended in mid-air. She had previously been so calm because she trusted Old Madam's judgment. After meeting He Hongwen, she thought he was a good match for her daily life, but now... It wasn't that she didn't trust Wang Shi, it was just that Wang Shi wouldn't consider her marital happiness.

  But marriage is always a matter of parental orders, and at first, Yu Yanran's grandparents were still relatives, and they almost couldn't get past Mr. Yu. If the marriage with the Liang family was really beneficial to the Sheng family, it would be helpful to Sheng Huanglong and even the whole family, and there was no major problem that could be found, then what should Old Lady Sheng say?

  Minglan felt bewildered and helpless for the first time, she had no understanding of that person at all. So, she secretly asked Danju to go to the Zhuangzi to visit her family members and try to find out more about him. However, the maids in the inner courtyard, especially those around the young lady, were very strict in order to prevent private transactions. In one or two attempts, what could be found out? Only that Liang Huan had no major mistakes, had not killed anyone, had no scandals, and had no homosexual tendencies. There was also nothing unusual going on in the mansion.

  Minglan still felt uneasy, and later it was Roumei who reminded her that the school where Changzhong studied had students from both book-loving families and children of noble officials in the capital. It's worth noting that the Liang family has many relatives scattered all over, although they may not be very prominent, but there are quite a few rumors about them. Minglan then asked Changzhong to make some discreet inquiries. Little Changzhong was a straightforward and honest person, and people like him were usually not on their guard against others. He spent half a year slowly gathering information around the circle, and finally got a general idea of what was going on.

  Liang Huan is a straightforward and generous person, doing things in a big way. He is very close to his brothers and friends because of his hot-bloodedness. However, due to the strict management of Yongchang Hou's wife, except for two or three concubines, everything else was clean. But just a few months ago, the Liang Mansion began to become unstable. The reason was that the eldest daughter-in-law of Yongchang Hou brought a girl into the mansion.

  "She is the younger sister of the concubine of the aunt of the first wife of the Liang family, and her name is Chun Xiang."

  Minglan couldn't help but burst out laughing at that moment, it turned out to be "Spring Brother".

  Miss Chunbo was born with a beautiful face, and it's estimated that she also had some skills in her hands. Under the eyelids of Mrs. Liang, she actually had something to do with Liang Huan, so the big madam of the Liang Mansion cried and asked Mrs. Liang for an explanation.

  The wife of the concubine's son's paternal aunt's younger sister's daughter, how can Mrs. Liang look down on this kind of identity? This kind of behavior and relationship is such that even if she were to become a concubine, Mrs. Liang would not be willing. Chun Xiao Miss was very hot-tempered, saying that if the Liang family did not give her an explanation, she would dash her head against the gate of the Yongchang Marquis's residence and sacrifice her life, just to make all the people in the capital know how cruel and unvirtuous the Liang family is.

  After listening to Chang Dong's stuttering speech, Minglan took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair, staring blankly. This was more like it, this was more in line with her concerns. To be honest, she never thought herself to be so precious, worthy of the repeated attention and generous treatment from Madame Yongchang. A legitimate daughter of a marquis marrying a fourth-rank official's illegitimate daughter was already a great favor.

  What was the reason why Madame Yongchang looked at herself with different eyes?

  Minglan slightly turned her head, and against the wall was a simple makeup table made of elm wood. The diamond-shaped mirror on it was polished to be very bright and clear, perfectly reflecting Minglan's face, which shone like a pearl in the moonlight, with a beauty that seemed almost otherworldly. No wonder Molan had been so infatuated that she wanted to scratch her own face.

  This answer is very disappointing, but under her hardware conditions being inherently insufficient, this is probably the most reasonable explanation.

  The next is very good deduction.

  After the incident, Madame Yongchang made a decisive decision and agreed to let Chunxie become a concubine, but required Liang Huan to marry a first wife first. The two sides were at an impasse for a long time, and Madame Liang was willing to wait, but Miss Chunxie couldn't wait any longer, so Liang Huan had no choice but to agree to marry his first wife first.

  Mrs. Liang was very astute and knew that if she randomly chose a high-born young lady, it would be of no benefit to the matter and might even lead to trouble.

  She already has a legitimate eldest son and a noble-born daughter-in-law, and she doesn't lack good daughters-in-law. She is very clear about her own son, Liang Huan, who can't be said to have a deep affection, but was taken in by a beautiful woman with means. What she needs to do is find a woman more beautiful than Chun Shao, whose demeanor and speech can suppress hers. If she can marry into the family and win back Liang Huan's favor, that would be best; if not, as long as she has him under control in terms of propriety and etiquette, there won't be any major trouble.

  Miss Chunxiao is very beautiful, but Mrs. Liang is picky and can't find one that satisfies her. At this time, Minglan appears in front of her, and her eyes light up. Over the next few months, Mrs. Liang gradually gets to know Minglan and becomes more and more satisfied with her. She comes from a scholarly family, her father and brother are capable, although she is born out of wedlock, but her upbringing and manners are all to Mrs. Liang's liking, so...

  Minglan's heart was very clear, and it was strange that she wasn't very angry. To be honest, the marriage with Liang Huang was a good match for her. If not for "Chun Ge", who would have been worthy of her? Even He Hongwen wasn't someone who had to marry Minglan, but rather it was because of the old friendship between Madame He and her grandmother, and both families thought it was a suitable match.

  Minglan suddenly felt at ease, like a helmsman who didn't know how many dangers lay in the fog ahead, but later scattered and became clear. Even if he knew that there were hidden reefs and shoals ahead, it was much better than the feeling of ignorance before.

  Actually, 'Spring Brother's' problem is not that serious. Looking at Lin Niang's example, for those official aristocratic children, what romance is all short-lived, only family, prospects, and offspring are eternal; The daughter-in-law who married Liang Huan has the support of etiquette, the protection of her mother-in-law, plus some charm, wit, and means, and she will not be afraid that 'Spring Brother' will not fall.

  Unless Liang Huan is the 'fifth brother' type, who has made up his mind to hang himself on a bird, he can only admit that he is unlucky, but the probability of that is very low.

  Chang Dong nervously looked at Ming Lan, although he was young, but because he had not been favored since childhood, he had learned to be cautious with his words and expressions. He knew that this was not good news for Ming Lan. Seeing Ming Lan staring blankly at the top of the house, lost in thought, Chang Dong anxiously pulled on her sleeve. Ming Lan came back to herself, smiled and said to Chang Dong: "Don't worry, after seeing Old Madame, everything will be fine."

  Minglan weighed her own strength and decided that she might not be able to win against Chunxiu Miss, so it's better to give up and let Lady Liang invite someone else. This time, Changzhi has made great contributions, with these materials, I estimate that the old lady will also be able to refuse with a straight back. Wangshi had been hiding the He family matter from Yongchang Houfu, waiting for the old lady to return, she just needs to say that she has already settled her marriage and everything will be peaceful.

  Just then, a loud "boom" sound came from afar, shaking the entire water surface. Minglan shook on her chair before stabilizing herself, and she exchanged a glance with Zhang Dong who was holding onto his chair.

  What happened?

  Alright, I'm on holiday starting this afternoon, going to pack my bags and stay at my wife's place for a few days. The next update will be either on the third or fourth day of the new year. In the past when I wasn't married, I would spend the entire New Year's holiday cooped up in my room surfing the internet without anyone bothering me... sigh.

  Here's wishing you all a happy new year in advance. Wishing everyone a smooth and prosperous Rabbit Year, with good fortune in marriage, career, and love! Bowing to you.

  Thank you everyone for your support over the past few days. If it weren't for all of you, I wouldn't have been able to persist in updating so diligently. I've encountered many things, but they've all passed. I'll fill this pit as soon as possible.