NOVEL NEXT After Old Madam Sheng finished questioning all three of her granddaughters, she said that she was tired and sent her children and grandchildren back to their own places. Since their elder needed to rest, even if Sheng Hong wanted to say more on behalf of Molan, he had to hold it in and leave.
The moment they arrived back to their room, before they could even take off their coats and wash their faces, Old Madam Sheng’s Fang mama suddenly came in. Both Sheng Hong and his wife rushed to invite her into the house. Fang mama was someone of great seniority in the household. She spoke concisely and her words were very clear and straightforward; the Old Madam wanted Minglan.
Once the statement was announced, the emotional difference between the Sheng couple was like the difference between heaven and earth. While Wang shi was so delighted that she could barely wait to burn two incense sticks in gratitude to the deities, Sheng Hong was disappointed. He felt that the Old Madam still couldn’t forgive Concubine Lin after all these years.
“Master, the Old Madam has received your filial intentions. Let this old lady here pass her gratitude to you in her place. Madam, I would have to trouble you to help the Sixth Young Lady pack up her things and give me a message when she’s finished, I will send over a few people.”
Fang mama was her usual efficient self and after saying her piece, she bowed and left.
“What is the Old Madam thinking? Aside from Hua’er, Mo’er is the eldest daughter in our family. Naturally, the eldest should take up responsibility. How can we let a sickly and ignorant child go over?” Sheng Hong spread both his arms and let Wang shi undress him. No matter how much he thought about it, Molan was still a more suitable candidate than Minglan. “Not to mention that for the past few days, Molan has stayed by the Old Madam’s side, serving her well. Everyone praises her for her filial piety and thoughtfulness. What is the Old Madam hesitating over?”
Wang shi felt thoroughly invigorated and refreshed. She spoke cheerfully, “It’s the Old Madam who is choosing, even if you think someone else is better, her opinion is the only one that matters. I often try to convince Hua’er to wear more brightly colored clothing, but she still prefers pale and simple colors. Oh, husband, in many matters you must consider the other person’s feelings. You can’t just ignore the Old Madam’s opinions and force the matter. The Old Madam will go along with you to preserve your standing in the household, but she won’t be pleased. You’ll have to let this one go. Does it really matter which child the Old Madam chooses? Aren’t they all your daughters? So, just listen to the Old Madam’s wishes, that way she’ll be happy and you’ll be filial, that would be the best of both worlds, wouldn’t it? Besides, the Old Madam must have seen that Concubine Wei passed too early and that Ming’er is sickly and a little dumb, hence, her kind heart and generosity led her to wish to take care of Minglan.”
Sheng Hong thought that this was a rather more logical explanation and the more he thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed to him. No matter how much he wanted to raise Molan’s status, he couldn’t force the Old Madam to accept her. However, since he and Concubine Lin were in love, and Molan could be counted as the jewel of their love, he must work hard for this jewel.
The next day, when the Old Madam woke up, Fang mama was already by her side with a porcelain bowl decorated with “longevity” in silver, ready to serve her swallow’s nest porridge. It was then that a maid came in from outside to report, “The Master has come.”
After that, she lifted the thick cyan curtains to allow Sheng Hong to enter. Old Madam Sheng shot a glance at him and smiled a little, telling Fang mama to put the bowl of porridge down.
“Why are you here so early in the morning? With the weather so chilly today, might as well stay in bed and sleep more.” Old Madam Sheng said after Sheng Hong had bowed to her and sat down.
Sheng Hong respectfully replied, “Yesterday after Fang mama left, I considered the matter for the entire night and I still do not think that it is fitting for you to take care of Minglan. I know that you have considerable pity and sympathy for Ming’er, but you have not completely recovered from your illness yet. How can I have peace of mind if I burden you with the care of a young helpless child? It’s better to let Mo’er come over, she’s understanding, helpful, and a hard worker. This way you can have someone wait on you, what do you say about it?”
“That won’t be appropriate.” The Old Madam said, shaking her head. “Your intentions may be good, but you didn’t consider every angle. When I was raising Hua’er, my daughter-in-law was so stressed that she lost enough weight in three days that she barely looked the same. Of course she didn’t dare say anything about it, but as someone who’d been a mother herself how could I not understand the turmoil her heart was undergoing? Why else did I allow Concubine Chun (His Biological Mom) to raise you even though you’re recorded under my name? Even though the Madame is all the children’s legitimate mother, but the bonds of blood cannot be washed away. How can I bear to separate Mo’er from Concubine Lin when she’s so young?” She gave Sheng Hong a side eye, “…In any case, you were the one who insisted on the fact that Concubine Lin wouldn’t be able to bear to be separated from her own flesh and blood and refused to let Madame raise Mo’er, why have you changed your mind now?”
Sheng Hong forced a smile onto his face, “Old Madam’s words are correct, but Ming’er…”
The Old Madam calmly took over, “Naturally, Minglan’s current arrangement with Madame is good, but Madam will have to manage the household while preparing for Hua’er’s marriage as well as take care of Ru’er and Changbai. She’s overworked as it is. Besides, she doesn’t have any blood relations to Minglan, and would naturally be too fearful to make any big decisions for her. If Minglan comes to my place, then everyone will benefit.”
Sheng Hong was left speechless, and said with a dry laugh, “The Old Madam is indeed more attentive than me, it’s only unfortunate that Minglan is a child with a slow mind who doesn’t understand anything. If she tires you out then it would be my fault.”
Old Madam Sheng said slowly, “Slow and doesn’t understand anything? …. I doubt that.”
Sheng Hong was curious, “Oh? Please elaborate.”
Old Madam Sheng let out a light sigh and turned her head away. Fang mama saw her movement from the side and came forward with a laugh. “It’s such a pitiful thing to talk about. It happened just when we arrived here in the Deng Prefecture, when Master and Madame brought the children over to pay your respects to the Old Madame. After breakfast, all the other young masters and ladies were led away by mamas and maids except for the Sixth Young Lady. The mama who was supposed to take care of her was just drinking tea, leaving the Young Lady to fend for herself. The Sixth Young Lady was wandering off by herself and found her way into Old Madam’s Buddhist shrine. Upon finding her, I saw that she was kneeling in front of the Guanyin statue kowtowing, it was so pitiful to see how she was afraid to cry loudly, letting out only soft weeping as she held her voice in.”
Guanyin Statue
“Goddess of Mercy”
Old Madam Sheng said in a low voice, “Everyone thinks that she’s a dumb kid, who knew that she understood everything? But she keeps her suffering in her heart, afraid to voice it out loud and all she can do is to secretly weep in front of Buddha.”
Sheng Hong’s heart twisted as he remembered Concubine Wei, and lowered his head to hide his pain.
Old Madam glanced at Sheng Hong and said in a tone of disdain, “I understand, you’ve given most of your heart to Concubine Lin, however Mo’er is a clever girl, and she has her own loving mother. She has nothing to lose even if you worry a little less over her. But think about Minglan, she’s weak and helpless, why don’t you think about Concubine Wei’s early death and care more about Minglan’s situation. She’s the one who truly has no support..”
She left Sheng Hong with no words.
After they sent off Sheng Hong, Fang mama helped Old Madam Sheng up and laid her down to rest on the warmed seat next to the window. Fang mama couldn’t hold it in and said, “Poor Fourth Young Lady, no matter what kind of person Concubine Lin is, she’s a good child.”
Old Madam smiled slightly, “When you’ve been bitten by a snake once, you learn. Now, I am afraid of those clever and precocious girls. Their thoughts are so quick that before I finish one thought, they’ve already planned out everything. It’s easier to raise a dimwitted child, besides, she’s not actually dumb. Didn’t you say that you heard her praying for her mother in front of the Buddha statue? A child who remembers her deceased mother has a good heart. Let her be the one.”
Meanwhile on another side, Wang shi was very relaxed, the situation had played out in her favor. That slut’s plan didn’t work, and Rulan didn’t have to leave her side. She even got to get rid of that stupid girl. The Deng Prefecture was such a good place with great feng shui [1], it was making her prosper! On the second day, she woke up early in the morning and ordered some maids to help Minglan pack up. Her plan was to immediately send her over after greeting the Old Madam.
In the midst of the busying crowd, Hualan sat on the heated stone bed with an air of authority, while little Minglan sat on a short stool and listened to her older sister’s instructions. Don’t secretly take naps, don’t be lazy and avoid exercise, don’t be late to pay your respects in the morning, don’t be bullied… Minglan replied to all of Hualan’s instructions word for word. She was already a little bit daze in the morning, however, Hualan wouldn’t stop nagging at her as if she was Monk Tang reciting Buddhist scriptures. Minglan was bewildered, Hualan was only a teenage girl, but she was wack; Hualan was even more of a nagger than the resident supervisor of Minglan’s dorm.
Monk Tang with Mr. Horse
He’s a well known buddhist monk.
“Did you hear any of that? What are you thinking about everyday with that spacey expression on your face?” Hualan’s slim finger poked Minglan’s forehead.
Minglan startled into awareness and sighed as she remarked, “What a lucky person, to be taken care of by someone like Eldest Sister.”
“Who?” Hualan couldn’t understand what Minglan was talking about.
“My brother-in-law.” Minglan widened her eyes in an effort to look as spaced out and innocent as possible.
The maids busying about the room all covered their mouths to giggle secretly at that. Hualan’s face and ears flushed and she wanted to scold Minglan in rage, but she also wanted to rush out of the room in embarrassment. At this, Minglan innocently blinked her wide eyes at her, using her body language to say, wassup, I didn’t say anything wrong.
Wang shi was in very high spirits facing the good news that Molan wasn’t chosen by the Old Madam. This led to her being extremely generous to Minglan as she gave away things swiftly to showcase herself as a proper and loving legitimate mother. She gave Minglan more than a dozen fabrics of the best material to take to the Old Madam; there were satin cloth, woolen cloth, burnished leather, light silk, thin silk, chinese silk and so on. Since these were taken directly from Hualan’s dowry, they were all of the highest quality. She even gave Minglan some of the newly wrought jewelry intended for Rulan, and hung them all over her.
After paying her respect, Minglan was led to see her new room by a mama, followed by an energetic and hopping Rulan. Meanwhile, Wang shi and Hualan stayed to converse with Old Madam Sheng. It was as if Lady Wang was a salesman who delivered her product and now she was afraid of Old Madam Sheng returning her delivery; she was praising Minglan non-stop, talking about how Minglan was honest, respectful, and well-behaved.
Wang shi was so over the top that Hualan couldn’t sit still any longer and said, laughingly, “Look at this, Old Madam, Madam’s so afraid that you wouldn’t want Sixth Younger Sister that she wouldn’t stop complimenting her.”
Everyone in the room laughed, masters and maids alike. Old Madam Sheng loved Hualan’s quick witted tongue, and laughingly said, “You little rascal, how dare you tease your mother! Be careful or she’ll confiscate all your dowry, then you’ll have nowhere to cry to.”
Hualan’s face darkened with a blush again, then she turned her body away and stopped speaking.
Wang shi’s face was full of laughter as she said, “The Old Madam is correct, my biggest fear is that this rascal’s been spoiled so much at home, that she’d be a laughingstock in her husband’s home.”
Old Madam Sheng turned towards Wang shi and seriously said , “I was just going to talk about this. Ever since Hualan’s marriage was decided, I’ve written a letter to one of my old friends in the capital who’s also a momo [2] to introduce the etiquette. She is one of those that comes from the palace, who has good character and understands all the rules and customs. I invited her over to our household so that she can teach the Girl Hua some etiquette. I hope Madame won’t blame me for being a busybody.”
Overjoyed, Wang shi leapt to her feet and gave the Old Madam a deep gratitude filled bow, then replied with tears in her voice, “Thank goodness Old Madam thought so far head! I was also worried about this, if she was marrying into a normal official family then there would be no complications, but her husband’s family has a title. Even if our family counts as upper class, those nobles have so many rules and etiquette, how are common people supposed to find out what those rules are? And it’s not just about the household of the Earl, but she’ll have to deal with other families of high statuses, and Hua’er has such a blunt personality that I’m so worried she’ll be looked down upon because of her ignorance! The Old Madam has truly solved one of my most pressing problems today, I’ll kowtow to Old Madam to thank you! Come here, Hua’er, come and kowtow to the Old Madam!”
Tears rolled down Wang shi’s face as she spoke, and Hualan quickly rushed over, but before she could kneel down, she was stopped by Old Madam Sheng. Old Madam Sheng then called Fang mama to help Madame Sheng up while she held on to her oldest granddaughter.
Earnestly looking at her, her voice thickened as she said, “You’re a fortunate child, your father went above and beyond to look for the perfect match for you. The character and talents of that young man are both dependable, you’ll have your father to look after you and your husband and maiden family to rely on. You’ll have to be obedient and hardworking later on. In a few days when the etiquette momo arrives, learn properly from her about how to compose yourself, about the proper ways of the world. This way, when you arrive at your in-laws you’ll be as respectable as possible. Ah, when I think about it it’s as if just yesterday you were barely larger than a pillow, and now you’re being married off…”
Hualan had been holding herself in, yet the tears still fell down. “Old Madam, please don’t worry. I’ll have a good life, and you must take care of your health so that I can come and see you often.”
Old Madam Sheng saddened, and turned to nod at Fang mama. Fang mama went inside and retrieved a flat wooden box, which looked like it was aged, but the four sides of the box was still beautiful and embedded with gorgeous and dazzling engravings of golden dragons. Fang mama walked with the box towards the heated stone bed and passed it to Old Madam Sheng. Old Madam Sheng then faced Hualan and said, “Your dowry had already been prepared a few years ago at Quan Prefecture. Both your parents have put in all the effort, and there’s nothing missing. This head ornament made from pure gold and decorated with rubies was given to me as a part of my dowry, and now I will give it to you.”
When the box was opened, the entire room was filled with golden light. The gold was sparkling, obviously recently polished, and the rubies glittered, each one of them as big as a thumb and red as fire; they drew in the eyes of anyone who saw them. Even Wang shi, who grew up in a wealthy family, was surprised, what more Hualan who almost stopped breathing at the sight.
Fang mama smiled as she quickly placed the box into Hualan’s hands, “Young Miss, please accept this. The rubies on this were given by the former Marquis who found it in Kievan Rus, the country next to the snowy mountains. He used them to create an entire set of jewelry to give to the Old Madam as a dowry. There are sixteen huge pieces of these rubies that were set into pure gold and made into matching pieces to be worn on the head, the body, and the wrists. Two groups of crafters spent three months to complete this. his set is grand enough to wear into the Palace to see royalty. Young Miss, this contains the Old Madam’s feelings for you, so accept it.”
Hualan immediately became emotional and clung to Old Madam’s lap to start crying, and she kept thanking her while she sobbed. To their side, Wang shi was also wiping away her tears again, but this time, those tears were genuine.
And so it was decided that the Old Madam was to raise the Sixth Young Miss, and the news spread across the household in just one afternoon. The moment Concubine Lin heard it, she smashed a tea cup. Molan sat by her side weeping, her tears rolling ceaselessly down her cheeks. “I told you I didn’t want to go, but you made me try, and now I’ve been made into an embarrassment!”
Their handmaids stood to the side and kept as quiet as they could. The entire Sheng household knew that for the past few days Molan had been serving tirelessly at the side of the Old Madam, and everyone thought that she would be the one chosen. This sudden change of fortune was a huge humiliation.
Concubine Lin stood in the middle of the room, her hairpins and earrings in disarray. Her beautiful face was twisted in a hateful expression, and she said viciously, “Humph! That stupid old crone is destitute and isn’t even related to the Master, who does she think she’s fooling with her higher-than-thou attitude? It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t want you, we’re too good for her! Let’s wait and see how far she can take her cocky attitude!”
[1] Fengshui – a system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of energy (qi), and whose favorable or unfavorable effects are taken into account when siting and designing buildings.
[2] Momo – An experienced female servant (sometimes a retired palace maid – if chinese webnovels are to be believed) specializing in etiquette and conduct.