Minglan hadn't always been this unmotivated. Back in her day, she had been a model student who embodied the Five Stresses and Four Beauties—diligent and hardworking. She was always among the first to wear the red scarf, join the Young Pioneers, and later the Communist Youth League. Though she never served as class monitor, she was often elected to various committee roles and subject representative positions. As the publicity committee member, her blackboard newspaper won awards; as the organization committee member, she led classmates to visit sick teachers; as the English representative, she directed morning reading sessions; and as the academic committee member, she even successfully organized an assembly-line homework copying operation. Except for that one time in fifth grade when she was removed mid-term as the entertainment committee member, she was generally a well-liked student trusted by both teachers and peers.
But here, Minglan's fortunes had plummeted. When she moved from Madam Wang's quarters to Old Mrs. Sheng's, only Xiaotao—who was even more naive than herself—was willing to accompany her. The other maids, upon hearing they were to go to the Longevity and Peace Hall, either claimed illness, requested leave, or had their families intercede on their behalf. That old nanny had been complaining for days about backaches and being unfit for duty.
"Xiaotao, why are you willing to come with me?" Minglan asked hopefully.
"Was... was not coming an option?"
The vicissitudes of life struck her with a sense of destitute emptiness. Holding Xiaotao's hand, Minglan left in disgrace, feeling this wasn't a failure of her own making. It was like being assigned to a nepotistic family enterprise where, no matter how hard you worked, you remained a second-class citizen. Why bother striving? Ah, better to go see her new workplace.
The main hall of Longevity and Peace Hall consisted of five principal rooms. The central one was called the Ming Hall, flanked sequentially by side chambers and secondary rooms. There were also several verandas at the front and back for maids and matrons to use while on duty—a typical ancient courtyard residence layout. The Ming Hall was somewhat analogous to a modern living room, while the side chambers and secondary rooms served as leisure spaces or bedrooms. The Old Madam herself slept in the left side chamber and had Minglan settled in the left secondary room. Since they were separated by a pearwood carved partition, Minglan's quarters were also called the Pear Blossom Closet.
Mama Fang had just tidied it up last night. The furnishings were simple and plain, entirely in cool tones: slate blue, raven blue, navy blue... Only the warm alcove where Minglan slept featured a bright apricot yellow.
Shortly after settling in, Cuiping, a maid from the Old Madam's room, came to summon Minglan. Minglan followed and saw the Old Madam draped in a thick brocade jacket embroidered with eight clusters of ruyi flowers in black, reclining on the kang. On the kang table lay a scroll of scriptures, several strings of sandalwood prayer beads, and a small white jade chime inlaid with gold cloud patterns.
Spotting Minglan, she beckoned her over. Having paid her respects several times before, Minglan knew the etiquette: she first performed the customary greetings, then instinctively stood beside the kang at a 45-degree angle before the Old Madam, lifting her head to await instructions. Old Mrs. Sheng, amused by her prim, adult-like demeanor, smiled and pulled her onto the kang, saying gently, "You're the fourth child I've raised. The first three had no fate with me—I wonder how you'll fare? Let's have a chat. No need to stand on ceremony; say whatever you wish, and don't worry about making mistakes."
Minglan widened her eyes and nodded. She hadn't planned to lie anyway. Compared to these ancient women who'd spent their entire lives in inner quarters, her meager cunning wasn't even fit to hold their shoes.
"Have you studied any books?" Old Mrs. Sheng asked.Minglan shook her head and whispered, "Elder Sister was supposed to teach me 'Rhythm Enlightenment,' but she had only taught me the first two lines when she was confined to embroider her dowry. Nanny Liu is strict, so Elder Sister couldn't sneak out."
A glimmer of amusement flashed in Old Mrs. Sheng's eyes as she asked, "Can you write?"
Minglan inwardly sighed. She had known how to write in her previous life, but here it was uncertain. Softly, she replied, "Only a few characters."
Old Mrs. Sheng instructed Cuiping to bring paper and brushes for Minglan to demonstrate. The ink was already prepared. Minglan rolled up her short sleeves, extended her small hand, and tremblingly grasped the brush. In her childhood, she had attended two summer courses at a youth center for calligraphy, only to end up with poor handwriting and a proper grip.
Using her five short fingers to "press, hold, hook, support, and resist," she steadied the brush and wrote a crooked character for 'person' on the plain paper, followed by a few other simple characters like 'zhi,' 'ye,' 'bu,' 'yi,' and so on.
Observing Minglan's posture, Old Mrs. Sheng silently praised her. Though young, the child's arm and wrist were correctly positioned—her wrist suspended, arm resting, back straight, and gaze focused. However, due to her small size and lack of strength, the characters were not very elegant. After writing all the two- or three-stroke characters she could recall, Minglan ended with a messy ink blot. Leaning in for a closer look, Old Mrs. Sheng realized it was the complex character 'Sheng.'
"Who taught you to write?" Old Mrs. Sheng asked, recalling that Consort Wei was illiterate.
Sweating profusely, Minglan wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and said, "It was Fifth Sister. She taught me tracing."
Old Mrs. Sheng laughed, "Taught you tracing? More likely, she had you write for her so she could go off and play."
Minglan blushed and fell silent, thinking to herself how sharp these ancient women were.
"And who taught you this 'Sheng' character? It wasn't in the tracing copy, was it?" Old Mrs. Sheng pointed at the indistinguishable ink blot.
Minglan thought for a moment, "It's everywhere at home—on lanterns, seals, and... on Elder Sister's dowry chests."
Old Mrs. Sheng nodded in satisfaction and reached out to touch Minglan's cheek. Frowning immediately, she noted that children of this age usually had chubby cheeks if well-fed, but Minglan's face had no flesh to pinch. Sternly, she said, "From now on, while you're with me, you must eat well and take your medicine properly. No excuses."
Feeling the need to defend herself, Minglan whispered, "I do eat, and I never leave food uneaten. I just don't gain weight."
Old Mrs. Sheng's eyes warmed, but she maintained a stern expression, "I've heard you often vomit your medicine."
Minglan felt wronged, fiddling with the hem of her clothes as she softly argued, "I don't mean to vomit, but my stomach doesn't listen to me. There's nothing I can do about it. Anyone who's vomited knows that!"
The amusement in Old Mrs. Sheng's eyes deepened as she gently pulled Minglan's hand away and smoothed her clothes. Calmly, she said, "Not only does your stomach not listen to you, but I suspect your maids don't either. I heard only one little maid came with you this time?"Old Mrs. Sheng had been lonely for a long time. Today, she found herself smiling repeatedly and couldn't resist teasing, "I heard my elder sister say that water flows downward, but people should strive upward. No matter where I go, few would willingly follow me."
"Then why are you willing to come here? I'm a vegetarian—there's no meat to eat here," the old madam asked.
"Not eating meat doesn't matter. What's important is being able to eat in peace," Minglan shook her head emphatically.
Her childish voice carried a lingering melancholy. The old madam gazed at the little girl for a moment, then also shook her head, holding Minglan close as she sighed, "You're nothing but skin and bones. Better eat some meat."
What the old madam truly thought was: they were alike.
Old Mrs. Sheng assigned Minglan a new nanny, Cui Mama, who had a round, cheerful face. Though not talkative, she appeared kind and gentle when holding Minglan. Noting that both Minglan and her maid Xiaotao seemed rather simple-minded, the old madam also gave Minglan one of her own young maids, Danju. The moment Danju arrived, Xiaotao immediately felt inferior by comparison. Though only a year older than Minglan, Danju was steady and meticulous, attending to Minglan's needs with thorough care. Xiaotao had been bought from outside, while Danju was born into the household—her parents managed manors and fields outside, but with too many children to watch over, she had entered the estate at a young age. Later, Mama Fang noticed her and selected her to serve in the Longevity and Peace Hall.
Having come from a marquis' household, Old Mrs. Sheng lived simply but maintained strict rules, with every word and action following set protocols. The young maids and older women here appeared more earnest than those elsewhere. Minglan, possessing an adult's soul, naturally didn't act mischievously. As soon as Cui Mama took charge, she told Mama Fang that Liu Guniang had a gentle temperament and was easy to serve.
Before bedtime, Danju would warm the bedding with a hot-water bottle. After Cui Mama changed Minglan into sleepwear, she'd carry her directly into the cozy bed, gently patting and soothing her to sleep. If Minglan grew thirsty at night or needed to use the chamber pot, a single call would bring someone to attend her. The next morning, upon opening her eyes, a warm towel would be ready, along with a lukewarm cup of golden-thread red date tea kept warm in a heated container. After lightly pressing the towel to her forehead and cheeks to wake up, Cui Mama would hold the drowsy Minglan to drink the tea, then wash her face, dress her, and comb her hair. Meanwhile, young Danju would assist with fastening clothes, buttoning, putting on socks, and shoes before they went to pay respects to Old Mrs. Sheng.
The entire sequence flowed smoothly and naturally, without any awkwardness. Xiaotao watched in stunned silence, unable to intervene at all. Even as Minglan stood before the old madam's kang to perform the greeting rites, she hadn't fully snapped out of her daze, only feeling the warmth in her stomach and the thick clothing that made rising early in winter not the least bit unpleasant.
Good heavens, after so long in this world, this was the first time Minglan had experienced such luxury without lifting a finger. Corruption! Decadence! Minglan deeply repented her degenerate lifestyle.
After paying respects to the old madam, she drew Minglan onto the kang to keep warm while waiting for the others to arrive. Before long, Madam Wang arrived with the children, though Molan and Changfeng were absent, reportedly ill. Madam Wang wore a concerned expression, but Minglan stole a glance and saw that the old madam's demeanor remained completely unchanged."Both falling ill at the same time—could it be a cold? This illness spreads most easily. I've already sent for the physician, and I only pray to the Buddha that both children will be fine," Madam Wang said with concern.
Minglan secretly gave a thumbs-up in her heart. Over the past year, Madam Wang's acting skills had improved; her expression and demeanor were so convincing that anyone unaware would think Changfeng and Sister Mo were her own children.
Old Mrs. Sheng suddenly remarked, "Later, have the master go check on them personally. With both children placed together, illness can easily spread. Feng Ge'er is older now; it might be better to separate them sooner rather than later."
Madam Wang was startled but inwardly pleased. She was surprised because the old madam hadn't concerned herself with such matters for years—why bring it up now? Yet she was delighted that if Old Mrs. Sheng were to put Consort Lin in her place, it would be more proper than if she did it herself. She quickly replied, "You're absolutely right, Old Madam. Feng Ge'er and Sister Mo are the master's favorites. Since they've both fallen ill this time, the master should indeed go see them."
Old Mrs. Sheng gave her a faint glance before lowering her head to sip her tea. Smiling, Madam Wang turned to look at Minglan, who stood neatly to the side in a brand-new peach-red gauze-lined jacket. After exchanging a few pleasantries and asking after her well-being, Minglan shared some thoughts on moving to her new home, while Hualan interjected with a few playful remarks. Everyone had a good laugh before they departed.
After the visitors left, Mama Fang immediately entered with a procession of maids carrying octagonal food boxes. She helped the old madam down from the kang, while Cui Mama led Minglan to the right side room. There, they saw the maids had already laid out breakfast from the food boxes on a black-lacquered, carved hexagonal table. Once the old madam was seated, Cui Mama lifted Minglan onto a round stool. As soon as Minglan sat down and saw the spread on the table, she was taken aback—Could it be? What a leap from rags to riches!
The table was laden with a lavish feast: deep red jujube paste cakes, rich purple yam cakes, a plate of steaming millet cakes dusted with sugar that filled the air with fragrance, crispy golden fried dough twists, small steamed buns kept warm in a steamer, and even a bowl of buckwheat skin wontons sprinkled with cilantro. In front of her was a sweet, sticky porridge made from jujube and japonica rice, accompanied by over a dozen small dishes of various pickles.
Clutching her chopsticks, Minglan felt a bit dazed. Her memory of that frugal breakfast at Longevity and Peace Hall was still vivid. She glanced at the old madam and said softly, "...There's so much."
Without looking up, the old madam began savoring her porridge delicately. Mama Fang, beaming, chimed in, "Yes, the old madam suddenly felt like trying these today." She had advised her for so many years to no avail; now, thanks to Liu Guniang, the old madam was finally willing to stop living such an austere life.
Touched, Minglan looked at the old madam again. Her little mouth moved slightly as she lowered her head, then peeked up at her once more before murmuring quietly, "Thank you, Grandmother. Your granddaughter will eat a lot and gain weight, grow lots of flesh for you."
When the old madam heard the first part, she merely smiled inwardly, but upon hearing the second half, she couldn't help but chuckle. What did she mean by 'grow lots of flesh for you'—was she raising a piglet? Mama Fang even turned away, covering her mouth to laugh.After breakfast, the grandmother and granddaughter returned to the kang. Old Mrs. Sheng brought out a copy of the "Three Character Classic" and asked Minglan to read a few lines to see how many characters she recognized. Minglan took it with great unease, deciding to deliberately perform poorly. She began reading: "Ren zhi dao, sheng mu yang, sheng mu jin, xi mu yuan..."
Old Mrs. Sheng nearly spat out her tea, coughing repeatedly. Startled, Minglan hurried around the kang table to pat the old lady’s back and help her catch her breath. While doing so, she asked with feigned innocence and alarm, "Old Madam, did I read it wrong?"
Old Mrs. Sheng took several deep breaths before recovering. Seeing her granddaughter’s clueless expression, she forced herself to say, "You read... quite well. You just got a few characters wrong. It’s nothing to worry about—you’ll learn gradually."
Out of twelve characters, Minglan had only gotten three right—a 25% accuracy rate. She felt deeply disheartened inwardly, thinking, "How easy is it for a college graduate like me to pretend to be illiterate?"
That day, Minglan wasn’t the only one feeling down. In the evening, after Sheng Hong returned from his official duties, Madam Wang immediately reported Old Mrs. Sheng’s original words along with her own interpretation. Without even changing out of his official robes, Sheng Hong stormed off to Consort Lin’s quarters with a dark expression. After the door closed, no one outside knew exactly what happened inside, but faint sounds of crying, shouting, and the crisp shattering of porcelain could be heard...
About half an hour later, Sheng Hong emerged, his face ashen. When the maids went in to attend to Consort Lin, they found her room in disarray. Consort Lin herself lay collapsed on the kang, weeping as if drenched by a spring rain, nearly fainting from distress.
Upon learning this, Madam Wang felt so invigorated that she gulped down three cups of strong tea in succession. She then lit incense sticks for both the Primordial Heavenly Lord and Buddha, murmuring prayers under her breath. Even knowing that Sheng Hong had gone to sleep in his study did nothing to dampen her high spirits. Thinking, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Madam Wang resolved to be twice as filial to Old Mrs. Sheng from then on.
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