Volume 3: The Lotus Does Not Spare Its Fragrance, Nor Does It Wait for a Golden House to Recommend Its Splendor Chapter 84

  The weather is gradually warming up, and it's only a few days before Mo Lan's wedding. Ming Lan thought to herself that as good sisters, she should send a gift and take the opportunity to remind Mo Lan what kind of opponent she will be facing in the future.

  As she thought, she called Danju to move out the old lady's gift, a small trunk placed at the head of the bed. Since it was an idle afternoon, Minglan simply closed the doors and windows, took out her personal double-fish key, opened it one grid at a time, and lit up the family heirloom alone.

  Because the jewelry and trinkets she used every day were all stored in a separate huanghuali wood inlaid jewelry box, more than half of this massive ebony cabinet was empty. Minglan pulled out one drawer from the bottom layer, and what met her eyes was a dazzling array of gold, which was the accumulation of years of savings and old unused gold ornaments.

  As an idle ancient rice worm, Minglan's income mainly came from three aspects: one was the rewards given by elders during festivals and holidays, another was the occasional subsidies from Old Madam, and the third was her monthly allowance.

  Among them, the Sheng Wei couple gave the most generous gifts, with a small bag of gold coins every year. Especially during the two trips to the old house in Yangzhou, Minglan even got a big handful. Unfortunately, the jade hairpins were not easy to pawn off. But Aunt Sheng was kind and made nine pairs of small golden pigs for her, each weighing about 2 taels.

  The monthly allowance is basically spent, and the old lady's savings are not much. It's either used to reward Mother Gu for managing the household or to improve the daily lives of the young maids. In this kind of ancient big family, it's hard for the masters to save money, and they're easily criticized as stingy. Minglan is heartbroken but has no choice but to follow local customs.

  She counted the gold for half a day, and Minglan finally chose a pair of mandarin duck gold bangles that she had never worn from her own jewelry box. She asked Danju to weigh them with a steelyard balance, which was about 7 or 8 taels. Thinking it was enough, she also took out three pairs of chubby little golden pigs and a small fish-shaped golden hairpin. She thought that when Yulan got married, she would melt these little pigs and fish and send them to Cuibaozhai to be made into exquisite new jewelry, which would be about right.

  Is she part of the ruling class or something? I remember when Yao Yiyi's best cousin got married, she only spent a month's salary to buy a bottle of EL charm as a gift, and now she's giving away gold?!

  It's really not worth it being a little sister! Minglan fell onto the bed, covering her chest and wailing for half the day.

  On the second day, Minglan asked Danju to pack the golden bangles in a silk embroidered bag and bring two new pieces of fabric. She then left the Musou Study and rushed to the Shanyue Residence. As it was the seventh month with scorching heat, Xiaotao, who was holding an umbrella beside her, was also sweating profusely. Minglan hastened her pace by a few steps.

  The Shanyue residence is now very different from before. The front and back courtyards are strictly guarded by Mother Yan, who keeps a close eye on everyone entering or leaving. Every day, Hai Shi comes to visit Mo Lan and talks to her about etiquette and the proper behavior of a woman, but it's unclear how much of this Mo Lan actually takes in.

  As soon as they entered the inner room, they saw that Mòulán's cheeks were thin and pale, although not as radiant and beautiful as before, but she had a different kind of elegance. She was leaning against a rattan chair wearing a green silk dress, Lùzhǒng hastily took over the things and handed them to Mòulán to look at. Mòulán only flipped through them briefly, without any reaction, and Mínglán started to feel anxious again. Seeing that Mòulán was silent, Lùzhǒng was afraid that Mínglán would be uncomfortable, so she quickly said: "I'll thank Sixth Young Lady on behalf of our young lady, please sit down, I'll go make tea!" Mínglán originally didn't plan to stay long, putting down the things was enough to fulfill her sisterly obligations. She waved her hand and told Lùzhǒng not to bother, just as she was about to leave, Mòulán suddenly sat up straight and said: "Since you're here, sit for a while."

  Minglan turned around and looked at Mo Lan's melancholy face before sitting down on a nearby stool.

  Molan turned her head and said to Ruzhong: "The fruit sent by the elder sister is still there, take them two out to eat some; I'll talk to Sixth Sister." Ruzhong knew that her master wanted to say a few words to Minglan, so she turned around to pull Xiaotao and Lüzhī, but they stood still, looking at Minglan waiting for instructions. Only when Minglan nodded slightly did the three girls go out together.

  Mo Lan's gaze followed them out the door, then turned back, a hint of sarcasm at the corner of her mouth: "Sixth sister has good skills, all the people in the courtyard are obedient and well-behaved. No matter how many days you go out, the gate is always tightly guarded." Minglan lowered her long eyelashes and said softly: "We are master and servant, they treat me with loyalty, I will also protect them to be safe and sound, that's all."

  Mo Lan thought of Yun Cai, who was beaten to death and then sold, and felt a wave of discomfort in her heart. After a while, she suddenly smiled lightly and said: "Do you still remember the scene when your sister got married? At that time, our family was decorated with lanterns and streamers, and your sister's room was filled with all kinds of festive items. I was young at that time, and I envied it very much, thinking about what my wedding would be like in the future? But now... Hehe, look at me, this place is not even as good as a widow's house."

  Minglan looked around the room, which was quiet and still. No sisters or brothers-in-law came to congratulate her, and at night, her stepmother didn't whisper any words of caution about married life. Minglan fell silent for a moment before speaking: "Fourth sister isn't born from Mother's womb." After a pause, she added in a low voice, "What is gained must be lost."

  Mo Lan's face sank, and a fierce glint reappeared in her eyes: "You're sizing me up right now, and you've already had a falling out with Father and Mother. How dare you speak so presumptuously! I know that the wife of Yongchang Hou has taken a liking to you as a daughter-in-law. If she were to call on me, you would be quick to take advantage of it, wouldn't you? Your heart must not be feeling very pleasant right now! And yet you still dare to come and mock me?"

  Minglan shook her head and said, "A high-ranking family is not that easy to climb into. Fourth sister has courage and wisdom, so she's not afraid. Little sister is timid and doesn't have the guts, so it's better not to take on this task."

  Mo Lan was taken aback, covering her mouth and laughing as she fell onto the couch. After a while, she managed to stop her laughter and said with a proud expression: "You might as well just say it outright! The Yongchang Marquis Manor has a talented young lady who is my cousin! Rulan that maid had already mocked me about this before! Hmph! As women living in this world, where isn't there a 'struggle'?! Can it be that marrying down would make one worry-free?!"

  For some reason, Minglan suddenly had a thin and gaunt figure flash through her mind, and her eyes clouded over for a moment. After thinking about it, she shook her head and said, "It's not the same. Even if Father likes Lin Yiniang, Old Lady Wang can send someone to help with the household chores, and Uncle Wang can write a letter to offer some advice, but no one can surpass Mother; even someone as useless as Sun Xiuren has a capable family that can help Shulan escape her miserable situation and find a good match. But marrying into a higher social class...that's difficult." Mo Lan's face turned bright red with anger, she knew that according to custom, the eldest daughter should marry better than the younger daughters; but she just couldn't swallow this fact. Minglan looked at Mo Lan's changing expression and said softly, "Nowadays, for sister's sake, many people have suffered, I hope you think it's worth it."

  Molan thought of Lin Yiniang, and her heart felt even more distressed. After turning her face a few times, she finally managed to calm down, raised her head, and said stubbornly: "Of course it's worth it!" Minglan knew Molan's temperament and understood that she must be thinking of ways to turn the tables in the future.

  Looking at Mo Lan's proud expression, Ming Lan thought of Cao Jing Xiu again.

  Although Mo Lan looks refined and delicate, she was raised with thousands of doting cares after all. The proud air in her bones that considers herself noble cannot be erased. Like Cao Jinxiu, at the age of ten, her whole family was exiled, and a young girl's most beautiful years were buried in the wind and sand of Xiliang. Her skin is coarse and yellow, her hands and feet are rough, and her body is thin and weak. That kind of humility that penetrates to the bone is truly pitiful.

  Minglan felt a sudden unease in her heart, and recently, for some reason, she couldn't help but think of this messy affair. She was usually clear-headed and decisive, never getting bogged down by trivial matters. If there was no solution to the problem at hand, then it was best not to dwell on it! Minglan looked up, smiling as she gazed at Mo Lan who was still rambling on about her 'great ambitions', unaware that this would be the last time she saw Mo Lan speaking so freely.

  On the eighth of July, Liang Sheng got married. The old lady still only showed her face and then went back to rest in her room. Only Wang Shi came out with a stiff face to take charge, barely managing to prepare 128 sets of dowry. However, if Lin Niang were here, she would have known that one-third of it was just fake after a careful check.

  The Yongchang Marquis's estate seemed to be not very ostentatious, but Mrs. Liang's level of nonsense was obviously much higher than that of the Wang family. As soon as she opened her mouth, a torrent of grand reasoning poured out: "...the national mourning has just ended, and His Majesty has not yet selected the imperial concubines, how can we ministers dare to arrange marriages?"

  Not only did no one gossip, but also won a lot of praise. Old Lady Sheng couldn't help but use this advanced example to educate Wang Shi again. After learning about Liang's attitude, Wang Shi was delighted for a while, but on the wedding day, when she saw Liang Huan in white horse and red clothes, handsome and heroic with a smile at the corner of his mouth, she immediately became angry again. Liu Kunjia pulled her sleeves several times before Wang Shi's twitching mouth calmed down.

  According to custom, the groom had to be stopped at the door and asked to produce a few red envelopes before being allowed in. Eldest brother-in-law Yuan Wenshao asked Liang Huajian to perform a segment of "The Drunken Swordsman", while Chang Feng asked him to compose a poem on the spot with Xia Tao as the subject. Chang Bai was the easiest to deal with, because he simply didn't speak.

  When Mo Lan returned home for the third time, Wang saw her wearing a bright red dress with peony flowers and golden threads, looking shy and sitting there with Liang Huajian by her side, who also had a gentle attitude. Wang's anger, which she had managed to suppress, flared up again, and she couldn't help but scold Mo Lan: "The Yongchang Marquis' household is not as good as the Sheng household, you can't just do whatever you want! Now that you're married, you must be obedient to your parents-in-law, get along with your brothers- and sisters-in-law, and not speak or act rashly, lest you lose face for the Sheng household!" Then came a long lecture.

  Liu Kun's family was speechless. Lin Niang and her daughter were most skilled at responding to such strong attacks. Indeed, facing Wang's severe scolding, Mo Lan meekly nodded in agreement, but tears welled up in her eyes. When she glanced sideways at Liang Huajian, she seemed about to collapse, weak and helpless. Liang Huajian was deeply moved with pity, and his words and actions became even more protective of Mo Lan.

  Wang's anger doubled! After thinking for a moment, he turned his head and whispered a few words to Cai Pei in a low voice, with a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

  Sheng Hong looked at Liang Huan and thought that he had a bit of a spoiled rich kid's air about him, but otherwise he was passable. Chang Feng was the most delighted, as Liang Huan was his legitimate younger brother-in-law, so he pulled Liang Huan into a long conversation. However, one of them thought Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi were brothers, while the other didn't know the eleven uses of an axe, so they couldn't get along.

  Chang Bai still had nothing to say. "A hasty and unverified conclusion about a person is no better than making no conclusion at all."

  This is what Chang Bai often says, and Ming Lan deeply agrees with it.

  Liang Huan As Mo Lan gave the old lady a bow, she stood up and raised her head to see two elegantly dressed girls standing beside the old lady. The one on the left was passable, but the girl on the right wore a pale rose-pink feather-trimmed jacket with a snow-white silk brocade long gown underneath, and a matching white skirt with embroidered edges. Her hair was simply styled in a low bun, secured with a lotus flower-shaped red agate hairpin. Next to her stood an ebony wood flower stand holding a water jade white porcelain flower basket, filled with several fresh and fragrant summer lotus flowers.

  Li Huan's gaze fell upon her, and he thought the girl was as beautiful as a painting, with an elegance that was hard to put into words. Although she only stood with her head bowed solemnly, her slender figure seemed to make all the clothes and hair ornaments in the room lose their color. In a daze, he heard Wang Shi introduce her one by one: "This is your sixth sister, from now on you are all family..."

  Liang Huan's heart suddenly sank, when the Sheng family came to propose marriage, he agreed to the engagement in one breath. Firstly, Chun Xiu's belly couldn't wait any longer, and secondly, he thought that the fourth daughter of the Sheng family was also a rare beauty. Now, he finally understood the deep meaning in his mother's words at that time - "You must not regret it." Mrs. Liang said so. Mo Lan was very angry, since the three days of visiting relatives, she had been paying respects to her elders, recognizing her brothers and sisters-in-law, except for Hualan who was 'ill' and didn't come, unmarried aunts didn't necessarily have to meet their sister's husband, but Wang Shi acted in such a way, clearly...

  Mo Lan bit her teeth, tilted her head, and smiled sweetly at Liang Huan. Her eyes were full of charm, and her lips were tender and alluring. Liang Huan was taken aback, but felt a little more at ease in his heart. Although she wasn't as beautiful, this kind of charm made up for it. Rulan saw this and curled her lip in disdain. Minglan lowered her head, pretending to be dead, knowing Wang's intention, but couldn't help but give face to Wang.

  After the courtesy, the men and women separated to eat, after dinner was tea and snacks. Mo Lan had always wanted to boast about the wealth and grandeur of Yongchang Hou Mansion, but neither Wang Shi nor the two Lanz had any intention of asking her about it, so she took the initiative to speak up, just as she started, she was interrupted by Ruolan.

  "It's really hot today... Fortunately, the Hou Mansion's cellar is large enough, even if we use ice every day..."

  "Last time Lian's sister sent over that cottage cheese, it was really delicious, I thought it was made from goat's milk. What do you think, Sixth Sister?" Rulan looked at Minglan with interest.

  "Hmm... I can't eat anymore." This was the truth. Later on, Rulan took over and chatted with Wang Shi Minglan nonstop, while the main character of the three-day return visit couldn't get a word in edgewise. Molan's pretty face turned pale with anger, but Hai Shi couldn't bear it and smiled as she asked Molan if she was doing well, which managed to cover up the awkward atmosphere. This behavior wasn't reasonable, so that night, Hai Shi went to Tao Ran Hall to advise Rulan, not expecting Minglan to be there too.

  "Eldest Sister wants to learn needlework, so she called me over to take a look." Minglan was actually very tired; it seemed that as girls grew older, they gradually became interested in needlework, and often asked Minglan for guidance. "Teaching others to do embroidery is more tiring than doing it oneself," Minglan said, rubbing her eyes, not without complaining. In her heart, she silently added another sentence - especially when the student was as clever as Eldest Sister.

  Hai looked at Minglan who was a bit down, knowing that Rulan had an impatient temperament, and felt some sympathy for her. He told them to take a break first, then spoke to Rulan.

  "Fifth sister, listen to your sister-in-law's words. After all, she is your own sister, and now that she's married out, you can't see her often anyway. Why not get along well? If outsiders find out, won't they laugh at our family? Moreover, since Mo Yan has married into the Hou household, in the future, sisters will have someone to rely on. Think about it." Hai Shi indeed had the demeanor of an elder sister-in-law, and her words were full of heartfelt advice.

  Who would have thought that Orchid would not only not take the hint, but instead spoke with a clear conscience: "How could outsiders know about our family's sisterly affairs? Unless Orchid herself told them. Eldest Sister-in-law, I and Fourth Sister have had our differences for more than one or two days, she dislikes me, and I'm fed up with seeing her. Even if I were to get along well with her from now on, would she not still speak ill of me outside? Would she help me out when I'm in trouble? Just don't step on my foot again! Forget it, I'll just rely on Father, Mother, and Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law."

  Madam Hai was choked with anger, but after careful consideration, she felt that it wasn't entirely unreasonable. Minglan, who was sewing on the side, had a pang of sadness in her heart and even felt a sense of relief. If she were reborn as a legitimate daughter, with an overbearing mother and brother, perhaps she would also be treated this way.

  Madam Hai was speechless for half a moment, then forced a smile: "Other sisters-in-law shouldn't speak out of turn either. In the future, when we're outside or in front of others, you still need to put on a show, lest we become the subject of gossip."

  Rulan pouted and reluctantly nodded, while Hua Shi continued to ramble on, until Rulan was fed up and pretended to be sleepy, at which point Minglan took the opportunity to slip away. Halfway out, Qingzhi couldn't help but indignantly say: "Fifth Young Mistress is really something, if she wants to learn needlework, why doesn't she call for someone skilled in needlework to teach her? Whenever she gets it into her head, regardless of day or night, she calls the young lady over, without even considering whether they're already asleep or not. Does she think our young lady is at her beck and call?"

  Danju was somewhat unhappy: "Those who do needlework are most afraid of ruining their eyes, even if they want to learn, they should choose the right time." Minglan fell silent for a moment, then lightly scolded: "Don't say that anymore."

  Walking in the courtyard, the summer night sky is dotted with stars, and the surroundings are exceptionally quiet. Minglan took a deep breath, feeling much more comfortable in her heart. Humans are comparative creatures, if she were to constantly compare herself to Hualan, she would have entered menopause early. Thinking of that wretched Cao Jinxiu, wasn't she far superior? In ancient times without psychologists, a transmigrated woman must learn to build up her own mental strength.

  After a while, Danju said softly: "Looking at the attitude of Fourth Aunt today, it seems that she had a good time in the Hou Mansion?" Danju thought to herself, if this was indeed a happy marriage, then this should have been her own daughter's.

  Green Branch snorted disdainfully and said in a low, venomous tone: "Today doesn't count for anything, we'll see about it when the days get longer. The newly opened outhouse is still bustling with activity for three more days!" Minglan was shocked.