Do you know? Do you know? Should be green fat red thin

  The next morning, Minglan sat in front of the dressing table, with a fine silk scarf wrapped around her chest. Yancao was helping her wash her face when Danju quietly entered from outside and whispered to Minglan's ear: "At around three o'clock in the morning, Lin Niang was tied up and carried out; it is said that she was sent to one of Old Madame's estates. If she were sent to an estate under Wang Shi's name, I fear she would not live for more than three months."

  Minglan remained calm and asked, "I heard a commotion coming from Lin Qiguang's place all night, what happened?"

  Her face flushed, she glanced at the wild grass beside her and whispered: "After dispersing last night, I heard that Liu's mother brought a bowl of things to send to Huajuan... Miss, and suffered for a whole night, also scolding Lin Niangniang in a shrill voice all night; only came down when it was almost dawn."

  Minglan's expression turned gloomy and she fell silent.

  When going to pay respects to the old lady and Wang's family, Hai Shi was not seen. It is said that she was busy dismissing the people of Lin Qi Ge, from the housekeeper to the young servants, selling and driving away, especially Xia Xiangjia, who was close to Lin Niangniang. It seems that Mo Lan can smoothly roll into Liang Huan's arms, and her family has made great contributions. Hai Shi hated them extremely, and from inside to outside, she swept them clean.

  For several days, Hai Shi had a smile that made people sweat as he began to take action, from the servants in Shan Yue Ju to the cooks and buyers, not one was spared. As a result, Lin Niang's power, which had been entrenched in Sheng Fu for nearly twenty years, dissipated into thin air. Zhang Bai spent his days with a long face, not daring to comment on his elders' mistakes, so he often stared at his own son, who was over a year old, imagining how he would educate him to develop morally, intellectually, physically, and aesthetically in the future. His son was very well-behaved, and as soon as he saw his father's stern face, he would timidly reveal two grains of rice-like teeth and smile foolishly, indicating that he would definitely be very obedient.

  Sheng Hong ran to the old lady's place three times a day, over-smiling and then went to Chang Feng's place for a good scolding, in order to relax his facial muscles; Wang Shi became the second Shang Lin Sao, the difference being that Shang Lin Sao's catchphrase was "my poor Ah Mao", while Wang Shi's opening line was "my poor Ru Er", which she would repeat at least ten times a day.

  Every time she went to pay her respects, Mrs. Wang would pull Rulan's hand and sob for half a day, and gaze at her daughter with eyes full of sorrow. Minglan watched from the side and concluded that attending a leader's memorial service was no different.

  Two days later, Yu Lan finally couldn't bear it anymore and shouted loudly: "I'm not dead yet!" and stormed off.

  The king then turned his head towards Minglan, covering his face with a handkerchief and continuing to grieve: "Good child, you must often go accompany your fifth sister, don't let her think wildly... Don't let her hold needles and thread..."

  Minglan nodded diligently, but she felt that Wang Shi really didn't understand her own daughter. If Rulan was indeed holding a sharp object, the first thing she should do was to remind Mo Lan to hurry up and escape.

  Wang's eyes welled up with tears, the powder on her face could no longer conceal the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She stared blankly at Minglan, her voice low and measured: "You really do look like Lady Wei, but your nose is just like Master's... Do you still remember Lady Wei?"

  Minglan was stunned for a moment and shook her head honestly: "I don't remember." In fact, she had never seen Wei Niang before. When she traveled back in time, Wei Niang had already passed away.

  Wang looked at Minglan's delicate face, her eyes flashing, then leaned back on the kang, against the soft cushion, and only after her back felt much more comfortable did she say slowly: "You have a similar temperament to Wei's mother, honest, easy-going; although you are the older sister, but all these years, it is always you who gives in to her; my child, I've wronged you!"

  Minglan immediately blushed and lowered her head, saying: "As a sister of the family, what's this talk about allowing or not allowing?" She felt that Wang Shi also didn't understand herself.

  Madam Wang pulled Minglan to her side, gently patting her small hand and sighed: "Although you are not born from my belly, over the years I have treated you as if you were my own; I thought that with your looks and temperament, you would be a good match for a noble husband; Alas... but Mo'erye doesn't know etiquette, ruining this good marriage for you."

  Miss Lin still had a red face, and said in a low voice: "Old lady often told me that marriage is predestined by heaven, maybe fourth sister is the one who should have this good marriage. Anyway, we are all daughters of the Sheng family, it's all the same." What does she mean by saying this at this time?

  Wang furrowed his brow, suddenly gaining spirit and raised his voice: "Foolish child, you don't know that those few times when the Madame of Yongchang Hou came to our house, she had her eyes on you!"

  Minglan lowered her head even more, stuttering: "It's the mistress who has raised Minglan, Fourth Sister... also has benefits, I... I may not be as close to Fourth Sister as I am to Fifth Sister, but I can see some of it." She was not good at acting out affectionate scenes, and emotional control was a bit difficult. Should she be more enthusiastic? She shouldn't show too much sisterly love to Molan, or else Wang would be unhappy.

  Minglan stood with her head down, her face flushed red, and her two small hands entwined together in distress. From time to time, she would glance up at Wang Shi like a little bird. Wang Shi was filled with regret and leaned back against the cushion again, her heart growing more and more resentful of Mo Lan. If this obedient Minglan were to enter the Yongchang Marquis's household, wouldn't that be wonderful?!

  Actually, Minglan truly sympathized with Wang Shi. Wang Shi was not the best mother-in-law, but she wasn't the worst either. Although she had never shown concern for Minglan, she also never harbored deep hatred or plotted to harm her stepchildren in secret. Little Changlong, who grew up by her side, although treated poorly, at least lived a good life and didn't become twisted.

  So, Minglan still listened to Wang's words and went to Taoran House. She saw Rulan sitting in front of the mirror with her hair down, a copper mirror embedded in the carved pear wood frame reflecting the girl's youthful face, which was as lovely as a spring morning. Xiao Jiyu stood beside her, holding a small brush dipped in fragrant osmanthus oil to gently and evenly apply it to Rulan's hair, softly kneading it.

  Minglan arrived, and Xiaojue turned around with a smile: "Sixth sister quickly come take a look, our young lady's hair has improved greatly; thanks to the osmanthus oil Sixth sister sent over, our young lady finds it extremely effective."

  Ruolan heard this and was displeased, coldly humming a sound: "If there's no such thing, then I'm just a straw?"

  Xiao Xi Que still smiled and said with a smile: "Hey, my girl, Liu Gu Niang is a guest, don't I have to praise the guest? If you're not afraid of being shy, from now on, I'll definitely praise you first!" Rulan pouted.

  Minglan sat aside, watching Xiaojixi coaxing Rulan on one side and subtly flattering herself on the other, while also serving tea to the little maid, her hands couldn't stop moving. Minglan couldn't help but praise Liu Kun's family for not letting their daughter be Rulan's personal maid, but instead choosing this maid, who indeed had a good temperament and vision. The old lady of the Wang family sent such a person, it was really a pity for Wangshi, unfortunately she was now being bullied, poor mothers' hearts are all the same.

  After sending away the maidservants, Ruolan immediately said in a huff: "You don't have to keep an eye on me all the time, I'm fine!"

  "Isn't Fifth Sister angry at all?" Minglan munched on a fresh, bright red date, saying somewhat vaguely, "Fourth Sister can be let off, but you, Yuan'er's cousin, aren't you angry? You're so unperturbed, it's making Mother anxious instead." If Rulan really had a big outburst of temper, Madame Wang might have put her mind at ease, but since things were the opposite, it naturally caused Madame Wang to feel uneasy.

  Like an orchid, she raised her neck and let out a "ha" from her throat, gathered her hair and sat down beside Minglan, coldly laughing repeatedly: "You haven't seen your aunt before, thinking you're so fierce, only your paternal grandmother can still suppress you. In the past when we were in Dengzhou, I had to follow my mother to my paternal grandparents' house every year, tsk tsk, and saw many things. My uncle dotes on me, but what use is that? Look at older sister, her husband is not bad either, knows how to be considerate of his wife, and the old master is a good person too, but there are still many concubines in the house. Hmph! If the mother-in-law wants to make things difficult for the daughter-in-law, it's as easy as Zhu Bajie eating ginseng fruit, but if the daughter-in-law wants to defy the mother-in-law, that's hard! Mother hasn't suffered at the hands of her mother-in-law before, how would she know?!"

  Minglan was shocked, and after three days of separation, she would be looking at a completely different person. Unbeknownst to her, the once reckless and brainless Rulan had become clear-headed; on the other hand, she herself had only grown taller but not wiser, truly foolish. Minglan felt deeply ashamed.

  Like Orchid bluntly took the peeled orange slices from Minglan's hand and stuffed them into her own mouth, then said: "Besides, my cousin Wang has been timid and obedient since childhood, I've always looked down on him! Humph, Aunt thought she had picked up a treasure, just like Yuan'er's temper...Humph, wait and see, there will be bitter consequences later!" The more she talked, the more excited she became, and again put an orange in Minglan's hand, gesturing for her to continue peeling.

  Minglan suddenly understood Rulan, they were actually very similar. In the entire Sheng household where dark clouds loomed, only these two sisters had a peculiar and discordant sense of relaxation. Although their reputation was tarnished, on another hand, they also successfully got rid of their undesirable marriage partners.

  She was so absorbed in thought that Minglan peeled the tangerine and put the pulp into her own mouth, giving the peel to Rulan.

  ……

  After a few more days, the old lady chose a fine morning and went to the Yongchang Marquis's residence with only Housekeeper Fang. Wang Shi had originally expressed her willingness to go together, but the old lady looked at her for a moment and casually dropped a sentence: "Whether it's shameful or not, it's better for me to go alone; also leaving you some room for maneuver."

  Although the old lady should have gone down to propose marriage, she was proud for a lifetime. As soon as she thought of this matter, she felt like swallowing a fly. These days, she looked at everyone with a stern face, and Wang Shi shrunk her neck and didn't dare to speak.

  The Yongchang Marquis's residence was within the Imperial City, and it took more than a whole day to make a round trip. It wasn't until late in the afternoon that Old Madame returned. As soon as Wang Shi heard the news, she hastily rushed over from the main house. Just as she stepped into the doorway of Shou'an Hall, she saw Minglan holding a bowl of warm bird's nest congee, serving Old Madame by her bedside: "I've asked Cuiping to set out lunch, you should have some congee first to fill your stomach."

  The old lady was obviously tired, but still glared at her: "What time is it and you haven't eaten yet? Have you become an immortal? It's easy to raise these flesh of yours, do you think I'm easy?! Minglan was scolded until her scalp felt numb, and she mischievously stuck out her tongue.

  Madam Wang composed herself, walked in slowly, and bowed her head to greet them. Minglan also got down from the kang and greeted Madam Wang with a bow, then invited Madam Wang to sit down. Seeing that Madam Wang was fidgeting restlessly, looking like she wanted to ask something but didn't dare, Minglan cleared her throat and asked carefully: "Grandmother, how is...?" Madam Wang looked at Minglan with great satisfaction, pleased with her cleverness.

  The old lady nodded to Minglan and said directly to Wang, "The 25th of this month is a good day. The wife of Yongchang Hou will come to finalize the engagement. You'd better prepare well... Here, this is Liang's red envelope for the engagement, you take it and combine it with Mo's." As she spoke, she took out a large red envelope with gold trim from her sleeve and handed it to Wang. The old lady seemed to have thought of something, and her mouth curved into a sarcastic smile, "At this time, even if the eight characters are not compatible, there is nothing much to say."

  Wang held the letter, his chin almost dropping down, staring at the old lady in surprise with a 45-degree angle, his lips moving as if wanting to ask about the process, but he couldn't open his mouth. Minglan was also eager to ask, when unexpectedly the old lady said to her: "Tell them to put the meal in the right wing room, then go to the next room and find me two pills of Ge Cao Dan."

  The implication is that the next topic is not suitable for young people, and it's not good for unmarried girls to be present. However, they are just in the next room, so what the old lady means is: you can eavesdrop, but don't let me know.

  This was the art of speaking in ancient times, Minglan touched her nose and retreated very obediently.

  Seeing Minglan's figure disappear behind the curtain, Wang Shi finally said in a low voice: "It's all because the daughter-in-law is useless and made the old lady suffer; ...to say it, it's all because the daughter-in-law didn't take good care of the family! Mo Yan is really foolish, how can she do such a muddled thing, and not even think about it carefully!" As she spoke, she took out her handkerchief again to wipe away tears.

  Next door, Minglan disagreed with Wang's views. After Hualan got married, Molan became the eldest girl in the house. She and her mother grasped Sheng Hong's reputation in the Sheng household, while grasping Wang and Old Madame was about the marriage prospects of Rulan and Minglan, forcing the whole family to run for Molan's marriage. The Liang Huang incident seemed impulsive and reckless, but it was actually a well-thought-out plan by Lin Shi and Molan. Although Lin Shi ended up being cannon fodder, they achieved their goal in the end.

  "Alright, stop crying." The old lady said expressionlessly, "I'm not just doing this for Mò Yuán's sake, but also for the sake of the Shèng family's reputation and the marriages of the younger girls! You'd better stop being so indecisive, I hate seeing people cry and wipe away tears!"

  Wang's tears finally stopped, and she turned to ask: "The old lady said it was all for the sake of the Sheng family's future. I dare to ask the old lady, how did Mrs. Liang agree to this?"

  The old lady sneered coldly: "You've always thought you're clever, but have you ever considered that the eldest son of Yongchang Houfu, even if it's Lao Xiao, can't find a girl from any family? Why would they come to ask for the illegitimate daughter of the Shi family? You're so carefree in letting Ming Yatou meet people, aren't you afraid of getting poisoned by swallowing a pie that fell from the sky?" The words were full of sarcasm.

  Wang's face turned red, knowing that the old lady was going to settle old scores with herself, and she only dared to say softly: "I've heard that the young master of the Liang family is still a decent person, so I thought... since Mrs. Liang likes Minglan, then..."

  The old lady's gaze was as cold as electricity, staring at herself, and Wang couldn't continue speaking.

  The old lady snorted: "Is his character okay? I don't think so. Although I just returned to the capital and didn't have time to ask about Liang Huan's character, but after hearing that one thing from Mo Lan, I knew he wasn't clean when it came to men and women! Even if there really was a young lady in distress, helping her out would be enough, why did he have to hold onto an unmarried woman all the way here? What about the servants?! Hmph, in such a public place, with so many people watching, he's also someone who knows books and reason, but doesn't know that this will ruin the young lady's reputation?"

  After this, Minglan next door couldn't help but praise her. She said that others might be reasonable in some ways, but when it comes to human relationships and worldly affairs, they can't compare to the subtlety of an old person who has seen a lifetime of things. Wang wasn't unable to think of this, but rather she simply hadn't considered it - as long as her daughter didn't marry Liang Pin, then Liang Pin's character was none of her concern.

  Wang's face was somewhat embarrassed, and he forced a few smiles, saying: "After all, it's the old lady, since she has grasped the truth, I think Mrs. Liang won't dare to shirk anymore."

  The old lady put down the white porcelain bowl of swallow's nest congee, heavily thudding it on the kang table, coldly and sarcastically saying: "I just don't believe that such a charming young man would behave himself during the mourning period for the deceased emperor? So I had someone investigate, humph! It turns out that the wife of the eldest son of the Liang family's concubine has a distant cousin from her hometown who came to visit over a year ago and entered Liang Huan's household. Humm, just after the mourning period ended, that cousin's belly started to swell up! It can't be said clearly whether it was conceived during the mourning period or not, but for an ordinary family it would be okay, however the Liang family is a prominent aristocratic family with a high-ranking title; if this gets spread around, even if it can't be confirmed, they will still lose face!"

  The Wang family's spirits lifted, their eyes shining brightly as they stepped forward and said: "So that's how it is! The Liang family has such a large handle to grasp, yet they still dare to look down on others with their noses upturned - are they worthy?! Old lady, in this case, why worry that they won't come to propose marriage?!"

  The old lady looked at Wang's expression and couldn't help but sigh, then comforted herself, thinking that even a not-so-clever daughter-in-law had her own advantages. She sighed and said: "Daughter-in-law, you think it's too easy. That Mrs. Liang originally didn't like that cousin of hers, and was eager to use this handle to give her a bowl of abortion medicine. But Liang Huan refused to agree, insisting on asking for a wife to be brought into the house, so that the cousin could serve tea and enter the door with dignity, and the child wouldn't be born out of wedlock. Speaking of which, the wife of Duke Yongchang wasn't easy either. In recent years, her eldest illegitimate son had achieved great merit in the military, and everyone praised him, including the old duke, who highly valued him. Now that the eldest daughter-in-law was causing trouble, it wasn't easy to handle."

  The Wang family didn't dare to comment lightly this time, and after some thought, he said: "I understand, with all the commotion inside and outside the house, now Mrs. Liang is in a dilemma, wanting to take care of that cousin, but not wanting her son to suffer. Now that Old Lady has come to persuade her kindly, and also has a way to explain it, Mrs. Liang will naturally give in... However, hehe, entering through this door, I don't know if Fourth Young Miss's future days can be good?"

  The old lady thought of Mrs. Liang's pretentious appearance just now, and a burst of anger rose up in her heart. Since Wang was still there gloating over the misfortune, she sternly shouted: "You'd better not be in a hurry to see Mo Ya's joke, quickly think about Ru Ya!"

  Thinking of Orchid, Mrs. Wang couldn't help but redden her eyes again, and tearfully said: "Originally it was fine, but now... The capital's territory is so vast, finding a son-in-law is easy to say, but not easy to do; there are many officials and wealthy people, but some are unknown and have no roots. Now the daughter-in-law has lost her way, please ask the old lady for guidance."

  "Ah, you..." The old lady straightened her back with the help of the armrest and patted Wang's shoulder, sighing, "You were wrong about Rulan. It's not wrong for a son-in-law to be picky, but you can't have your cake and eat it too! This isn't a marriage between families, it's a feud! And what about your good sister!"

  The old lady slapped the armrest heavily, her face filled with anger: "Bai Ge's father has done so much for the Kang family, his son asked for an official position, his daughter got married, which one of them came to our house to ask for help? We're not sincerely thinking for their benefit! She actually dared to secretly flirt with my grandson! Does she think the Sheng family is a fool?! Yuner is fine, but now that she's a member of the Sheng family... from now on..." The old lady pointed at Wang Shi and shouted, "From now on, except during holidays, you'd better not have any dealings with the Kang family!"

  Her own sister-in-law was not on the right path, and Wang's face was also burning with anger. The old lady's words were reasonable, and it was her own daughter who suffered a loss. Wang also followed up with a few words of criticism about Kang's family.

  After scolding, she let out a sigh of relief and the old lady also felt much better. She waved her hand and said: "Alright, now that Brother Bai's wife is helping you manage the household, don't be sick all day long. Hurry up and recover your health so you can help with Erlang's wedding preparations. I'll go around and take a look to see if there are any suitable families. Don't worry, this girl is just at the age of hairpinning, it's not good to rush into things hastily. What's important is that she has a good character!"

  This topic was what Wang Shi loved to hear, and she nodded her head like a garlic press. Seeing that the old lady had intentionally come down, she quickly squatted down and helped her mother-in-law put on her shoes with great filial piety. The old lady held onto Wang Shi's shoulder and put on her shoes, and when Wang Shi lifted up her head, the old lady grasped her wrist, stared into her eyes, and said in a deep voice: "When Yongchang Houfu comes to make the engagement official, you must take good care of me and not cause any trouble. Only if Mo Yaotou enters the door smoothly can past matters be wiped clean! You will have a house full of grandsons and granddaughters in the future, don't ruin your reputation, do you understand?"

  Wang's heart was heavy with anxiety, but thinking of her own flesh and blood, she gritted her teeth and nodded. The old lady relaxed her grip and said soothingly: "You don't have to worry about the dowry. In the past, Master gave Lin Niang's property to me, I divided it equally between Fang Ge and Mo Lan. When Mo Ya leaves, as her grandmother, I will add another 1,000 taels of silver."

  The Wang family's arithmetic is quite good, and after a rough calculation, this dowry is neither too thick nor too thin. It doesn't exceed that of the Hua Lan family, nor would it be embarrassing in front of the Yong Chang Hou Fu. They only need to spend some money on labor and banquets, and they readily agreed.

  The old lady looked at Wang Shi and nodded in agreement, very satisfied: "A few days ago, when Bo Ge's daughter-in-law was dismissed from Lin Qi Ge, she searched for many gold, silver, and silk fabrics from the master to the servants. This time, if Ya Tou is implicated by Mo Lan, let's add them to her dowry."

  Madam Wang still had some tact, and hurriedly put on a smiling face to welcome her, with a honeyed tone: "See what Mother said? Like Rong'er and Minglan getting along every day, how could Rong'er be without Mingyu? The two young ladies are like sisters, each taking half; Mingyu is about to reach the age of hairpinning, she should make several sets of bright new clothes, I'll go to Tianyi Pavilion to place an order later, and also can't lack gold and jewelry for her headdress..."

  I know, I know, I broke my promise, didn't update yesterday, it was really unavoidable.

  After this chapter, the three Lanz will get married soon. The twists and turns in between will all come out in the third volume, and from the fourth volume onwards, it's about their life after marriage. Originally, I was going to update on Saturday, but after writing, I wasn't satisfied, so I deleted several thousand words.

  So I turned off the computer, calmed down and reorganized the outline again. I put it in order on paper and deleted some of the redundant branches to avoid watering down the article.

  A senior once said that from time to time, stop writing and sort out your thoughts, which helps the back write smoothly, I hope everyone understands.