The four little maids were all under ten years old—two younger than Minglan and two older. Their original names were Erya, Zhaodi, Xiaohua, and Niuzi. Old Mrs. Sheng smiled and asked Minglan to give them new names. Minglan had experience in this—Xiaotao’s name had been chosen by her. She thought, why not just name these four "Plum, Lychee, Loquat, and Longan"? A uniform set of fruits would be neat and tidy.
Just as she was about to speak, Danju, standing nearby, coughed lightly and said with a smile, "The two older sisters serving the Fourth Young Lady are named Luzhong and Yunzai. I heard their names come from poetry—no wonder they sound so elegant and refined."
Xiaotao, standing beside Danju, cast a gloomy look at her own name. Old Mrs. Sheng and Mama Fang also wore teasing expressions, as if mocking Minglan, which irritated her. So what if it’s Tang poetry? Who doesn’t know it?
Flustered, Minglan immediately pulled out a poetry collection and quickly found a poem by Gao Chan. Well, Gao Chan was fine, but was he as great as Li Bai? Li Bai was the Poet Immortal! Minglan stood proudly in the center, pointing at the petite girl: "You shall be Yancao." Pointing at the slender one: "You shall be Bisi." Pointing at the gentle and shy one: "You shall be Qinsang." Finally, she pointed at the bold and lively one: "You shall be Lüzhi."
Danju, ever considerate, immediately stepped forward to flatter her: "The names Young Lady has chosen are wonderful—pleasant to hear and elegant to behold. Moreover, these four have 'green' names, while Xiaotao and I have 'red' ones. Thank you, Young Lady, for honoring us two clumsy ones."
She even pulled Xiaotao along to curtsy to Minglan. Minglan regained some of her dignity, and Xiaotao, also pleased, chimed in: "That’s right—Danju and I can be eaten, but they can’t."
Minglan…
Old Mrs. Sheng laughed so hard she nearly collapsed on the couch, delightedly watching the children’s antics. The four newly arrived girls covered their mouths and giggled softly. Mama Fang sat smiling on a small stool, thinking contentedly: Since Sixth Young Lady arrived, Longevity and Peace Hall has truly become a lively place.
Old Mrs. Sheng grew increasingly cheerful day by day. Perhaps because she was in better spirits, her health also improved. Sheng Hong was overjoyed and repeatedly said that adopting a child had been the right decision. Now, Old Madam even had the energy to manage household affairs. Just as the personnel changes in the Sheng residence were nearly settled, Changbai returned from escorting the bride. Since Sheng Wei and Changwu had to stay in the capital to handle matters, Changbai returned alone. Accompanying him on the same boat was a gaunt old gentleman—Zhuang Xiansheng.
Sheng Hong had begun inviting Zhuang Xiansheng to the residence years ago to teach, sending cartloads of gifts and writing more than a dozen earnest letters. However, Zhuang Xiansheng’s teaching reputation was outstanding, with a high success rate among his students, making him highly sought after and consistently unavailable. A few months ago, Zhuang Xiansheng celebrated his seventieth birthday. Overjoyed at the banquet, he drank a few extra cups and unfortunately caught a chill, remaining bedridden for over a month. The physician recommended recuperating in a humid climate. The Jiangnan region was too far, but Dengzhou was just right.
Zhuang Xiansheng felt his frail bones and decided his old life was more important. Thus, he accepted Sheng Hong’s invitation and returned with Changbai, who had been in the capital. Accompanying them was his wife, a woman with a robust voice. Their daughter had long since married far away in Jinzhong, and their son served as a minor official—whether as a registrar or a secretary was unclear—in a southern county. Sheng Hong specially allocated a small garden on the western side of the residence, renovating it promptly for Zhuang Xiansheng and his wife to reside in.The elderly couple traveled with only three or two servants, yet their luggage and trunks numbered twenty to thirty, each one heavy and substantial. After hearing Xiaotao’s gossipy report, Minglan sighed and remarked, "It seems the tutoring profession was quite lucrative even in ancient times."
Sheng Hong had initially hired Zhuang Xiansheng for the education of his two elder sons. However, after Kong Momo’s profound guidance, he felt that such excellent teaching resources should not go to waste. So, after respectfully discussing with Zhuang Xiansheng and adding an additional tuition fee, he included the three girls and the youngest brother, Dong Ge’er, as auditors.
On the eve of the school term, Sheng Hong and Madam Wang summoned their children for instructions. Starting with Changbai and Changfeng, Sheng Hong began with the usual discourse on governing the world and benefiting the people, concluding with the importance of bringing honor to the family lineage. In between, he sprinkled in a few words about loyalty to the sovereign and love for the country. The two elder boys bowed their heads and acknowledged his words.
"Zhuang Xiansheng is a scholar of exceptional learning. Though he is advanced in years, he is renowned for his sharp intellect and quick wit. With over a decade of experience in teaching and nurturing students, he is most knowledgeable about the methods of imperial examinations. You must seek his guidance earnestly and not slack off! Do not flaunt your minor achievements or reputations arrogantly. If I find out, I will break your bones immediately!"
This was Sheng Hong’s concluding remark, delivered with stern severity. According to Confucian principles, a father should never show his sons a pleasant countenance—it would be best to beat them three times a day. However, toward daughters, who would eventually become part of another family, he could afford to be somewhat gentler. When Sheng Hong turned to his three daughters, his expression softened considerably:
"Although girls need not acquire vast literary knowledge, understanding principles is of utmost importance in conducting oneself in society. It is beneficial to learn more about reasoning, so as not to appear petty and be laughed at in the future. I have already discussed with Zhuang Xiansheng: from now on, the three of you will attend the family school in the mornings. You need not attend the afternoon sessions on eight-legged essays and examination techniques."
As Sheng Hong spoke these words, Madam Wang’s face turned somewhat green. She herself was illiterate, let alone versed in matters of prose or poetry. In the early days of their marriage, it was tolerable, but as time passed, Sheng Hong could not help feeling frustrated. He prided himself on being cultured and refined, so when he sighed at the moon, lamenting, "The moon has its phases of waxing and waning," he did not necessarily expect his wife to immediately respond with, "People have their joys and sorrows, partings and reunions," but he at least hoped she would understand he was reflecting on the impermanence of life, rather than irrelevantly retorting, "Today isn’t the fifteenth, of course the moon isn’t full!"
Over time, Madam Wang naturally became aware of her own lack of refinement in this regard. Consequently, she later actively advocated for her daughters to study. Hualan was fine, but Rulan was exactly like her in temperament—clever in other respects, yet utterly detesting books. She had only managed to learn a few characters under daily coercion, far from matching Mo Lan, who spent her days reciting poetry and composing verses. Thinking of this, Madam Wang composed her expression and said:
"Your father is right. It’s not about learning impractical things like poetry and songs, but about grasping principles that truly matter. In the future, when you manage households and affairs, you will carry yourselves with dignity!" Mo Lan lowered her head further, while Rulan breathed a sigh of relief.
Sheng Hong felt there was nothing wrong with what Madam Wang said and remained silent. Suddenly recalling something, he added, "From now on, when you attend school, the three of you must not wear those large gold lockets." Turning to Madam Wang, he continued, "Scholars of his kind often regard gold and silver as vulgar objects. The three gold lockets given by your elder brother are particularly dazzling. They may be suitable for social visits, but wearing them to meet the teacher would be too ostentatious."Madam Wang nodded and said, "Then don't wear it." After a moment's thought, she added to the girls, "Since you three sisters will be meeting guests together, it wouldn't be proper for each of you to dress differently. Didn't Old Madam have three gold necklace sets with pendant ornaments made the other day? You can each hang your own Jade Lock on them. They say jade is the gentleman among stones—Zhuang Xiansheng will surely appreciate it."
Sheng Hong was pleased: "Madam is right, this is very good... But, does Ming'er have a jade?" As he spoke, he looked at Minglan with a somewhat apologetic gaze.
Madam Wang smiled: "Ming Yatou hasn't been with me for long, and I've been neglectful. Fortunately, Old Madam is thoughtful—she specifically found a piece of high-quality jade from her own quarters and had it sent to Cuibao Zhai to be carved by the master craftsman himself. I think it's excellent—the jade has a warm color, smooth texture, and the craftsmanship is both exquisite and beautiful. It looks even better than those of the fourth and fifth girls. I say, after all, she is Old Madam—anything she produces is generally good!"
Minglan lowered her head, sighing inwardly: Oh women, women, must you always speak with hidden meanings? Would you die without them?
The hidden meaning wasn't deep, and everyone understood. The boys were fine, but Rulan immediately shot over two probing glances, and Molan, who had been looking down, also raised her head to look at her. Sheng Hong understood Madam Wang's implication and said impassively, "As the legal mother, you should have been more concerned about the girls' matters. Now Old Madam has to make up for your neglect—this really shouldn't be."Seeing Madam Wang biting her lip with defiance in her eyes, Sheng Hong added: "Well, since Ming Yatou is being raised at Old Madam's place anyway, we'll just have to trouble her more.""
The couple exchanged a series of meaningful looks before calm returned.
Minglan silently supplemented for them—
Sheng Hong's subtext was: As the legal wife, all the children should be your responsibility. Do you have any right to favor some over others?
Madam Wang's inner thoughts were: Damn it, she didn't come from my womb and wasn't raised by me since childhood. Why should I spend money, effort, and care on her? Not giving them hardship is already me being saintly enough; but why is your mother acting the same way too?
Sheng Hong's concluding statement: Forget it, you don't have to raise the child anyway—let each find their own mother. Minglan's birth mother is dead, so she can rely on her grandmother. Don't say anymore about it.
Finally, Sheng Hong said a few words to Changdong. The child was only four or five years old. His birth mother, Concubine Xiang, was originally Madam Wang's maid and still depended on the main household for livelihood. The son was considered to be raised before Madam Wang. This little boy had always been timid and withdrawn—neither legitimate nor favored—but Madam Wang hadn't made life difficult for the mother and son, merely neglecting them completely.
When leaving, Minglan saw Concubine Xiang waiting at the door—humble, obedient, respectful, and low-key. When she saw Changdong come out, she happily went up to him and gently led the little boy away. Minglan suddenly felt: Compared to the deceased Consort Wei, she was rather fortunate.
...
After Hualan married, Rulan moved into Weirui Pavilion. After Sheng Hong finished his lecture, Rulan returned to her boudoir with a gloomy face, kicked over a small blackwood round stool with a marble top, then threw herself on the bed and fiercely tore at her brocade silk pillow. When Madam Wang followed her in, she saw this scene and scolded: "You wretched girl, what madness is this again?!"Rulan sprang up abruptly and declared loudly, "I can accept that Fourth Sister snatched my Jade Lock—that just shows Consort Lin's cunning. But why should even that little Minglan surpass me? Am I inferior to a concubine's child?"
Madam Wang grabbed her daughter's arm and pulled her down to sit on the edge of the bed, tapping her forehead and scolding, "Didn't your father later compensate you with another Jade Lock? Its jade quality surpasses Mo Lan's—you ungrateful child! Minglan's was given by Old Madam. You yourself refused to go to Longevity and Peace Hall—who can you blame?"
Rulan said resentfully, "I'm the legitimate daughter! Regardless of whether I curry favor with Grandmother, she should value me most. Yet after just a few days of being charmed by Minglan, she can't even distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate branches, still talking all day about rules and etiquette—how ridiculous! A mere concubine-born girl should just be given some food to eat, yet she's treated like a precious young lady! I've heard that in other families, illegitimate daughters are used like maids—sold or beaten at will, never pampered like this!"
Madam Wang was furious. Liu Kun's wife, standing nearby, smilingly handed her a cup of tea while dismissing the young maids and cleaning up the mess on the floor. She said, "Young Lady, you're still young and don't understand. Only those merchants and peasant families with no sense of propriety treat illegitimate daughters as less than human. The more noble the family, the more equally they treat all young ladies! Young ladies are delicate guests—who knows what might happen when they marry someday? When Madam was in her maiden home, she had two distant cousins—one legitimate, one illegitimate. That family also raised them both as young ladies. When arranging marriages, the legitimate one married into a powerful, wealthy family, while the illegitimate one married a poor scholar. But heaven is unpredictable—who could have known that the powerful family would later decline, while the poor scholar's official career flourished, and his family prospered? The illegitimate daughter was kind-hearted and, remembering past affection, often supported her maiden family and her legitimate sister's family. Eventually, she even helped arrange marriages for her legitimate sister's children."
Rulan listened angrily and sneered, "Are you cursing me to end up like that legitimate sister, Nurse Liu?"
Madam Wang slapped Rulan's back and scolded, "You foolish child! Nurse Liu is one of us, speaking heartfelt advice. She means that the more prominent the family, the more careful we must be about gossip—all young ladies should be treated equally before marriage. But you! Always competing and striving for superiority, yet lacking the skill to win your father and Old Madam's favor. If you can't emulate your eldest sister, at least learn from Minglan!"
Rulan fell silent, then remembered something and said, "Mother, didn't you say before that Old Madam had nothing worth currying favor for? How come she's giving out gold and jade now? So generous all of a sudden."
Madam Wang also felt frustrated: "Even a wrecked ship has three pounds of nails. I was foolish—I suppose she still has some burial money left."After some thought, she continued persuading her daughter with earnest words: "You're too intolerant, child. Your sixth sister never argues with you, yet you still can't accept her. Worse still, you lack the cunning to navigate these situations—I fear you'll suffer greatly for it someday. But ultimately, why bother competing with them? Like your eldest sister, your status ensures you'll marry better and live more comfortably than them. What's the point of making a fuss now? You'll only earn your father's displeasure. Even if you have to pretend, put on a show of sisterly harmony!"
Rulan seemed somewhat convinced and nodded with difficulty.
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[Author's Note]
Regarding the status of children born to concubines in ancient China, I'd like to clarify: China was a vast nation with diverse social strata. There were aristocratic families like those in Dream of the Red Chamber who raised daughters of concubines (such as the three Spring sisters) with utmost care, as well as households like in Courtyard Full of Fragrance that treated such children as less than human—both were common scenarios.
Officials in ancient times tended to be more cautious due to moral evaluations in their careers, so they rarely favored concubines over wives (unless they wished to ruin their official prospects) or treated children of concubines brutally. Superficial propriety had to be maintained.
Merchant families, however, were far more lax. The poor reputation of merchants in ancient times wasn't unfounded—disorderly rules and ethical decay were indeed prevalent among them. For instance, in Autumn Plum's The Sparrow Perches on the Phoenix Tree, didn't the eldest son of a wealthy merchant family send his half-sister to a county magistrate as a concubine right after their father's death? This act brought disgrace upon their clan.
Of course, since officials and merchants were often intertwined in China, merchant families connected to officials tended to behave better.
...
A reader mentioned Yuan Shikai as an example, which is quite apt. Yuan's case caused a major scandal and even made newspaper headlines. Yet despite his immense power, many traditional scholars still sided with patriarchal norms.
There were exceptions, though. Take Tan Yankai of the late Qing Dynasty: his father was Tan Zhonglin, a renowned viceroy on par with Zhang Zhidong. Though born to a concubine, Tan Yankai was exceptionally talented. During those turbulent times, he served as Military Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, held the positions of Military Governor, Provincial Governor, and Commander-in-Chief of the Hunan Army three times, and was awarded the rank of Senior General and Army Generalissimo. The Tan clan relied heavily on his protection. He was also a celebrated calligrapher—his "Tan Style" is still emulated today. His influence elevated his mother's status within the clan. When she passed away, an incident occurred:
The Tan residence was located behind the clan ancestral hall, and the funeral procession had to pass through it to exit. According to clan rules, a concubine's coffin couldn't be carried through the main gate. Clan members urged Tan Yankai not to break the rule and to use the side gate instead, with some even blocking the entrance. Furious, Tan lay atop his mother's coffin and ordered the bearers to proceed. At the main gate, he shouted: "I, Tan Yankai, am dead! Carry me out for burial!" The clan members fell silent and made way, allowing the coffin to pass through the main gate. This experience with his mother's treatment left Tan deeply resentful of feudal customs, and he vowed never to take a concubine. His wife bore him one son and three daughters before passing away early, entrusting him with their care and asking him not to remarry—a promise Tan faithfully kept.China values the doctrine of the mean, though there are always a few exceptions—let's not be too pedantic about it.
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