"Did she truly say that?" Consort Lin had changed into a half-new stone-blue satin jacket embroidered with white magnolia flowers, a honey-amber teardrop-shaped gold hairpin adorning her head. She reclined against the kang headrest holding a book scroll, though her eyes were fixed on her daughter beside the kang table.
Molan nodded, slowly leaning against the opposite end to rest, her expression unsettled. A glint of admiration flashed in Consort Lin's eyes as she smiled: "To think a sparrow hatched a phoenix egg. With Consort Wei's timid, compliant nature, she actually produced such a daughter. After all, she was taught by Old Madam."
The curtain shifted as a maid entered carrying a gilded cup on a small ebony-carved tea tray. Molan accepted it and took a delicate sip, praising: "This tastes excellent. Those bird's nests sent to Wēiruì Study by Madame last time were small, broken, and completely flavorless." She waved the maid away, set down the cup, and whispered: "Mother, do you think what Minglan said can be trusted?"
Consort Lin smoothed her temple hair and gave a light hum: "Both trustworthy and untrustworthy. I know Old Madam's temperament - in her eyes, no good person comes from wealthy surroundings. If Minglan remains like this in the future, she won't conflict with you. But it's hard to say - look how she's doted on that girl these past few years. She's become more lively, stopped observing vegetarian fasts, her disposition has loosened. Isn't she just afraid she won't live to see the sixth young lady married, desperately preserving her health?"
Molan's heart stirred: "Mother, when Madame sent two people over today, could it be..."
Consort Lin looked at Molan, eyes full of pride: "Truly my daughter, clever and perceptive, understanding with just a hint! Ever since Minglan entered Longevity and Peace Hall, that old woman stopped pretending to be noble. The way she spoils that girl... tsk tsk. New clothes one day, new jewelry the next - hairpins from Cuibao Studio, jade from Liuli Pavilion, silks from Ruihexiang. Poria mushrooms, bird's nests, fat geese and ducks flow into Longevity and Peace Hall like they cost nothing! Anything beyond the household allowance comes from her private savings, completely separate from public accounts, so Madame can't say anything."
Molan recalled Twilight Cang Study's furnishings - though not numerous, each piece exquisitely elegant and antique, clearly having history. Resentment stirred in her heart. Consort Lin grew increasingly agitated as she spoke, disdainfully remarking: "...Hmph, I misjudged her back then, thinking she was truly virtuous and righteous, giving all her property to non-biological sons while retiring to vegetarianism and Buddhist prayers. Who knew she kept reserves! Still putting on that disgusting 'I'm your great benefactor' act daily, feigning poverty to fool people. Had I possessed substantial private savings, who couldn't I have married? If she hadn't hidden things from me back then, why would I have...?!"
This time Molan didn't respond, merely glancing at her angry birth mother and twitching her lips slightly, thinking: Your surname is Lin, Old Madam's is Xu, the household name is Sheng. Should her retirement private savings be taken out for your dowry...?Consort Lin slammed the book shut, straightened up, and sneered, "Hmph, but perhaps it's just as well... Over these years, Madam has long had her eye on the silver Old Madam has spent on Liu Guniang. It's just that Longevity and Peace Hall is guarded by Old Madam like an iron cage—Madam can neither plant her people there nor bribe anyone. She has no clue whether Old Madam has money or how much she has. After turning it over and over, she can only start with Liu Guniang..."
Mo Lan felt an inexplicable thrill upon hearing this and smiled. "Let Madam probe a little. It’s not fair for that little girl to take all the advantages. No matter how much Old Madam dotes on her, she still has to abide by the rules. There’s more than one Sheng daughter in this household—are Rulan and I dead? How can all the gold and silver mountains go to her alone?"
Consort Lin shook her head. "Gold and silver mountains are unlikely. Back when the old master passed away early, he left behind quite a mess to clean up. After Old Madam registered the master under her name, she also fought a fierce lawsuit with San Lao Taiye, which nearly reached the government offices. A significant portion of the family fortune was lost in the process. Later, she returned the remaining assets intact to the master. Even if Old Madam has money, it can’t be much. Just wait and see—with Madam’s greed for money, her domineering and power-grabbing nature will surely provoke Old Madam again sooner or later! Haha..."
Consort Lin leaned against the pillow, laughing for a while before gradually calming down. She turned to Mo Lan with a serious expression. "From now on, don’t confront Liu Guniang head-on. Today, I saw that she’s not someone to be trifled with. If you treat her as a good sister, the master and Old Madam will be pleased. Don’t imitate Rulan, who spends her days beating and scolding people like a nuisance... However, if you can provoke Fifth Sister to clash with her, that would be best."
Mo Lan’s eyes lit up. "Mother is right. Fifth Sister is just like Madam—a firecracker temper, easily ignited and easily fooled!" Then her expression dimmed slightly. "But Eldest Brother is nothing like her. He’s deep-minded and sharp, and he studies so well. Meanwhile, my own brother is a bit too impulsive. Even Zhuang Xiansheng said his scholarship is unstable and that he doesn’t focus on exam preparation, preferring to socialize with those pedantic scholars instead."
Consort Lin picked up the book from the kang and smiled. "Don’t listen to Zhuang Xiansheng’s nonsense. If he’s so capable, why didn’t he pass the imperial exams himself? They say a brilliant child may not grow into a remarkable adult. I don’t think Eldest Young Master is all that exceptional. There are men in their thirties and forties still taking the exams—how old is your brother? Making more friends now will help him in future official circles."
Mo Lan slowly sipped her bird’s nest soup, somewhat worried. "Making friends or not isn’t the main issue. Eldest Brother is about to take the Spring Examination and might pass in one go. I just hope my brother can also excel in the Autumn Examination two years from now."
Consort Lin suddenly frowned, thinking of those seductive maids in her son’s room, always dressed in bright colors and wearing makeup—they could easily lead her son astray. Perhaps it would be better to...
The day after Yinxing and Jiu’er entered Twilight Cang Study, Old Mrs. Sheng declared: "Madam makes an excellent point. Liu Guniang’s attendants are either too old or too young and hardly useful. I am assigning Cuiwei, a second-rank maid from Longevity and Peace Hall, to serve Liu Guniang. By the time the older maids are due for marriage, the younger ones will be ready to step up."Minglan sat on the wooden bed in the right side chamber, with rows of maids standing below. On one side were the newly arrived Cuiwei, Yinxing, and Jiu'er, while on the other were Danju and Xiaotao. Further down stood several third-class junior maids. Minglan smiled and said, "...I shall rely on all you elder sisters from now on. These few around me grew up with me since childhood, and I haven't properly disciplined them, so they lack etiquette. The three elder sisters are all valued by Old Madam and Madame, so I must trouble you to take on some extra burden. Although our courtyard is small, it has all essential functions, and every action must conform to rules. Sister Cuiwei was personally trained by Mama Fang, so I'll trouble you to look after the younger sisters below from now on."
Cuiwei had a fair, oval face that appeared steady and amiable. She said, "What is the young lady saying? From now on, we'll all be like sisters living in the same courtyard. I'll presume upon Old Madam's authority to act somewhat senior, and I only hope the younger sisters won't dislike me for it." Though her words were addressed to all the maids, her eyes rested particularly on Yinxing and Jiu'er.
Yinxing's pretty oval face was somewhat pale, while Jiu'er kept her head lowered. From the side, one could see her pouting slightly.
Danju glanced at Xiaotao, who still looked simple and honest, then turned to look at Minglan. Seated upright in the position of honor was her small figure - perhaps due to the exhaustion of moving and the sadness of parting from Old Madam, she had grown much thinner after the New Year. Her originally plump, fair face now showed elegant, soft contours, revealing a slender, graceful neck. Her eyes appeared particularly large, deep and tranquil like bottomless pools. What thoughts lay behind such clear, lively eyes?
When they had moved out of Longevity and Peace Hall, Old Madam had certainly noticed the gap in the young lady's attendants. Danju, Xiaotao, and the four "Green" maids were all about the same age as Minglan. Cui Mama had family responsibilities and couldn't stay in the inner residence day and night. So Old Madam had wanted to assign people then - either Cuixi or Cuiwei - but unexpectedly, Minglan had refused.
"...Let's wait first. I'll ask Old Madam for people later - it's not certain yet," Minglan had said, her face showing childish mischief yet with a hint of a wry smile. "We should wait for others to make their move first before we respond."
At the time, only Old Madam and Mama Fang had understood, shaking their heads with similar wry smiles. Danju had been completely confused until now, when she finally understood: Madame was the legal mother of all the young masters and ladies, so intervening in Twilight Cang Study's affairs was perfectly reasonable - even Old Madam couldn't object. Their young lady had anticipated that Madame would send people over and had reserved this countermeasure.
Sure enough, on the first day of paying respects to Madame, people were sent over. As soon as Yinxing and Jiu'er entered Twilight Cang Study, they put on elder sister airs toward the younger Danju. Being sent by Madame, Danju would have had to immediately hand over authority over Minglan's quarters. Fortunately, upon receiving the news, Longevity and Peace Hall promptly assigned Cuiwei, whose age and seniority just happened to be above Yinxing and Jiu'er, and who came from Old Madam's side.
Danju breathed a sigh of relief with some lingering fear. Back in Longevity and Peace Hall, they younger maids had often learned from Cuixi and Cuiwei. Now with familiar guidance, she had nothing to fear. In her heart, admiration for her young lady grew, mingled with increased affection."...Leaving this vacancy is to allow Madam to assign someone suitable; if we had kept Cuixi or Cuiwei at Twilight Cang Study from the start, and Madam sent someone more senior, wouldn't Grandmother have to add more people to suppress them? That would be like mother-in-law and daughter-in-law competing on stage. I hope I'm just being suspicious with a petty heart." Minglan held Old Madam's hand and spoke slowly word by word, her expression frank and sincere, with a somewhat bitter tone.
At that time, Danju was at the doorway. Hearing this, her heart raced with fear. Under Old Mrs. Sheng's decades of accumulated authority, even the most favored eldest miss Hualan wouldn't dare speak so directly about everything. Oh, little ancestor, Old Madam isn't just your grandmother alone—some things shouldn't be said so bluntly... Yet unexpectedly, Old Madam wasn't angry at all. Instead, she held Minglan close with tender affection for a long while.
Later, Danju secretly asked Mama Fang whether Old Madam might be displeased. Mama Fang sighed and said: Sixth Miss is truly clever.
Having lived most of her life, Old Madam had seen all kinds of people and knew every sort of cunning scheme. Sixth Miss had been smart and sensible since childhood, yet only before Old Madam did she hold nothing back—whether good or bad, open or hidden, she laid bare all her heartfelt thoughts. This was the trust one only shows to their dearest loved ones. Among all Old Madam's grandchildren, why did she dote so on Sixth Miss? Because only she truly served Old Madam with all her heart.
After hearing this, Danju took it as a serious warning. Wasn't this also true for them as maids?
Yinxing had a gentle disposition—she loved talking, laughing, and gathering information. She often followed Cuiwei's lead in flattering others and was willing to help with work. After two days, she had already blended in with the younger maids. Jiuer had somewhat spoiled temperaments and focused on her own tasks, but she got along quite well with Xiaotao.
"What do you think of Yinxing?" Minglan sat in the right side chamber practicing calligraphy, while Cuiwei and Danju were tidying the bookshelves. Xiaotao, sitting across the kang table winding thread for her, looked up and said: "She seems quite friendly and easy to get along with."
"Silly girl, aren't you afraid of being deceived! Who knows if she's getting close to you with some ulterior motive." Danju turned around and retorted immediately.
"What would she be after? I haven't said a single word about Miss's affairs—I've received plenty of beatings from Mama Fang's ruler." Xiaotao rubbed her palm, still feeling apprehensive.
"After all these years under Mama Fang's discipline, Xiaotao won't easily speak about Miss's matters." Cuiwei walked softly to the doorway, lifted the curtain to check outside, then turned back reassured. "Miss only worries about Yinxing, but are you at ease with Jiuer?"
Minglan smiled: "Think carefully—who is Jiuer's mother? And what is Yinxing's background?"
"She's a maid," Xiaotao jumped off the kang and pushed Cuiwei onto it to sit. After some polite refusal, Cuiwei sat down by the kang's edge.
Jiuer was the youngest daughter of Liu Kun's wife, much doted on at home. Originally she should have entered Weirui Pavilion to serve Rulan as a personal maid. But Rulan had a bad temper, and Jiuer was also willful. If things went wrong, punishing Jiuer would hurt her mother's feelings, while offending Rulan would displease Madam Wang. She absolutely couldn't be sent to Molan, leaving only Minglan as an option.Danju walked over and pulled Xiaotao to sit together on the small stools at the lower end: "Mama Fang often says that the Liu Mama by the madam's side is a sensible one. She probably just wants to find a stable place for Jiuer, not to send her daughter to do those shady deeds. But that Yinxing, having no foundation in the mansion, must do something to report achievements before the madam."
Cuiwei looked at Danju with considerable appreciation, thinking that after all, she was Liu Guniang's confidante. Suddenly, Minglan spoke from the side: "How pitiable the heart of a loving mother under heaven. Jiuer is fortunate to have such a mother."
Danju, being young, was still entirely preoccupied with the issue of how to handle Yinxing. But Cuiwei, already fifteen, blushed slightly and immediately thought: If Liu Mama wanted to climb high, she should have sent her daughter to the eldest young master's side. Yet she sent her to Liu Guniang instead, meaning she doesn't want her daughter to become a concubine. When Jiuer grows up, she can properly find her a respectable family and have her grandly married out from Mucangzhai.
Minglan looked at Cuiwei's thoughtful expression, then at Danju who was like a sister to her, and suddenly understood Yinxing's struggles. Somewhat melancholy, she said: "It's not easy for women to live in this world. Since we're together, in the future I'll do my best to find good placements for you all, just as Old Madam did for Cuiwei."
Cuiwei immediately blushed deeply, but Danju straightened her face and glared at Minglan: "And you call yourself a mistress, teasing your own maids like this! Sister Cuiwei is already betrothed. What you should really do is give her more dowry, to make worthy of Sister Cuiwei coming from Longevity and Peace Hall to assist you!" As she spoke, she cast a sidelong glance at Cuiwei, meaning to tease.
Cuiwei was nodding repeatedly at the first part, thinking Danju was teachable, but when she heard the second part was also meant to tease her, she said resentfully: "Miss, I don't want any other dowry - just give this little wench to my younger brother as a wife!"
Danju flew into a rage and pounced to scratch her. Cuiwei hid behind Minglan, who immediately suffered collateral damage. They all tussled with each other, laughing together in a heap.
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