The atmosphere in the Youyang Sheng household was harmonious and joyful. From top to bottom, the family members shared similar temperaments—talkative, cheerful, and generous in their hospitality. Minglan felt like a long-term prisoner suddenly granted parole, her entire being relaxing at once.
Perhaps she and Pinlan were truly kindred spirits, as they hit it off almost immediately. One was a wild, action-oriented girl, the other a partner in crime who specialized in devising mischief, and together with Taisheng—a good-natured soul accustomed to being bossed around by his cousins—they brought a lively commotion to the Sheng household these past few days: When Minglan went fishing, Pinlan would help dig up earthworms, while Taisheng stood by holding the fish basket, fussily reminding them to "watch your step" or "don’t go any further." When Pinlan tried to catch sparrows, Minglan would assist by propping up the winnowing basket and scattering grain, while Taisheng crouched behind the wall, holding the string attached to the prop...
Li Shi, busy managing the household and preparing for the wedding, had no choice but to send her daughter-in-law Wen Shi to fetch them back. However, Wen Shi was no match for her sister-in-law Pinlan to begin with, and Minglan was not in a position to intervene, so she could only turn a blind eye.
"Let them be. They’re just children—let them play while they can. It’s good to have some liveliness; better than being like wooden dolls," Da Lao Taitai interceded with a smile. Old Mrs. Sheng, seeing Li Shi’s troubled expression, had initially intended to reprimand Minglan. But upon noticing how rosy-cheeked and spirited Minglan had become from playing these past few days—even more so than when she was at home—her heart softened. She sighed and said, "It’s not that you don’t care for the children, niece-in-law, but girls... if we don’t discipline them now, they may suffer for it later. Very well, bear with it a little longer. Once Wu Ge’er’s wedding is over, we’ll properly rein in these two little monkeys."
Pinlan and Minglan, who had been hauled in by Li Shi for a scolding, had been standing with dejected expressions. Upon hearing this, their faces lit up with joy, though Li Shi shot her own daughter a stern glare.
Old Mrs. Sheng and Mama Fang, both advanced in years, had already entrusted Minglan with some responsibilities back in Dengzhou. After the long journey, they were exhausted and tasked Minglan with organizing the luggage and transcribing gifts for relatives. Minglan and Pinlan had only been playing for two days before being caught and put to work. Pinlan was deeply disheartened and could only sulk and complain by Minglan’s side. However, watching as maids and elderly servants alike respectfully reported their tasks, with Minglan giving clear orders that were promptly obeyed without a single complaint, Pinlan was thoroughly impressed.
"I’ve helped my sister-in-law manage affairs before, but those servants always try to cut corners and slack off, often causing me trouble. If Mother doesn’t back me up, she even scolds me properly... Is there some trick to this?" Pinlan asked humbly.
Minglan, who had certainly faced her share of difficulties, had come to understand Pinlan’s temperament during their days of play. She replied, "Let me guess, sister: Before handling a task, did you first ask the supervising matrons how it was usually done?"
"No," Pinlan denied outright. "I already asked Mother and Sister-in-law for all the details—why bother with the servants?Minglan pressed further, "Did you directly send your own people to handle the tasks, bypassing those matrons and nannies?""
Pinlan nodded. "Those matrons rely on their status with Old Madam and Madam, and they never take me seriously. Besides, if a task can be done in one go, why bother with second or third-hand complications?"Minglan wore an expression of 'just as I expected' profundity, making Pinlan even more curious. She pressed for answers repeatedly, so Minglan smiled and said, "Those servants have their contracts held by their masters—how would they dare to oppose the young ladies of the house? As long as you 'follow established rules,' you won’t make major mistakes. Before you do anything in the future, first call the stewardesses and ask them in detail how things were done before. If it’s appropriate to follow, then follow. If you really dislike it and want to change the method, don’t make decisions on your own or reveal your intentions in front of the matrons. First, ask Madam or your sisters-in-law whether it’s appropriate, and then act accordingly."
Pinlan frowned, complaining, "Mother always picks on my faults—I can’t be bothered to ask her!"
Minglan firmly pinched Pinlan’s cheeks, pulling her frown into a smooth expression, and said sternly, "The household operates according to established customs. How do you know your method is necessarily better? Da Bomu has years of experience—she can tell at once whether your idea is good or bad, which is better than you making a mistake. That’s the first point. Second, every task handled by someone involves their interests. If you start by cutting off their perks, how could they be happy? They’ll naturally set obstacles for you, openly or covertly. But if you inform Old Madam or Madam in advance, even the most senior and respected matrons wouldn’t dare complain about you, a proper young lady!"
Seeing Pinlan still hesitant, Minglan added one last piece of advice: "Managing a household is never easy. Haven’t you heard the saying, 'After three years in charge, even the cats and dogs resent you'? If you’re afraid of trouble, you might as well not get involved. But if you want to manage, you can’t fear annoyance or difficulty. Right now, you still have your parents and grandmother to back you up. Think of those married women dealing with mothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and young sisters—that’s when it’s truly hard!"
Some things Minglan left unsaid. As a concubine-born daughter, she had it even harder than Pinlan. Rulan and Molan were no pushovers, and Madam Wang might not necessarily support her.
In Minglan’s view, the more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes. To avoid mistakes entirely, you simply do nothing.
Employees wish to work less and earn more, while employers aim to make them work more and earn less—this contradiction is the same across time. No matter how skilled a mistress is at handling people, if she threatens others’ vested interests, she’s bound to face resentment.
If you manage a household worth ten thousand taels as if it had a hundred thousand, with lighter workloads for servants, doubled monthly wages, double pay on holidays, year-end bonuses, and three overseas trips a year, as long as the mistress isn’t overly incompetent or deceived, she’ll likely be praised as 'compassionate and benevolent.' But if you manage a household worth a hundred thousand as if it had only ten thousand, with your elder brother buying an eight-hundred-tael concubine today, your younger sisters starting a five-hundred-tael poetry club tomorrow, and the family matriarch donating a thousand taels for incense the day after, all while supporting hundreds of servants and maids, and the men aren’t earning—well, only the Seven Fairies descending to earth could manage that household. After all, they’re immortals who can turn stones into silver notes.
The sensible approach is to manage a household of reasonable scale with reasonable funds—avoid extravagance and wasteful displays, but don’t be overly harsh or nitpick the servants’ accounts. Be lenient when appropriate, and don’t fret over minor leaks. On this foundation, enforce strict household rules, standardize servant conduct, and teach them to observe propriety. If you can maintain an orderly and dignified household atmosphere, that’s already the best outcome.In truth, Pinlan was quite intelligent, but previously, Li Shi had not taught her effectively, and her words were not as persuasive as Minglan's. Her sister-in-law, Wen Shi, being one step removed, could not speak too directly. After carefully considering Minglan's advice, Pinlan found it reasonable. Upon returning home, she began observing her mother managing household affairs—directing servants to pack the dowry, distributing rewards to the maids, preparing beds and arranging banquets. Every day, a dozen or so matrons surrounded her with endless questions, keeping her as busy as a spinning wheel. Suddenly realizing her mother's hardships, Pinlan obediently joined Minglan in their daily routines: practicing calligraphy and embroidery. She remained well-behaved for several consecutive days.
Seeing her daughter settle down, Li Shi breathed a sigh of relief. A few days prior, she had watched Minglan efficiently direct servants in inventorying trunks and organizing items. The girl didn't even need an abacus for calculations—just a few scratches on paper with her fingers, and everything was clear. How could such a young child be so capable? Li Shi was astonished. Then, glancing at her own daughter trailing behind Minglan, whining, "Aren't we done yet? Let's go play!" she couldn't help but worry inwardly.
Now, witnessing Pinlan's growing maturity, Li Shi felt deeply relieved. Yet, seeing her daughter's dejected expression, her heart ached. She gently stroked Pinlan's hair and said, "Your cousin Minglan follows strict rules at home. Since she's visiting us, as long as you don't overstep, it's fine to take her for walks in the garden."
On the wedding day, the Sheng residence was adorned anew, with even the maids dressed in newly made long jackets and vests. Pinlan tugged Minglan along, dashing about to enjoy the festivities. Amid the clamor of gongs and drums, they saw Changwu, clad in a bright red wedding robe, riding a tall white horse as he escorted the bridal sedan.
"Second Brother is so hopeless! Look at his grin—it stretches all the way to his ears!" Pinlan whispered to Minglan, who nodded in agreement. Today, Changwu did indeed resemble a foolish melon with his beaming smile, but he deserved to be excused.
As Da Lao Taitai forbade concubines, to prevent adolescent boys from straying, sons were married off early. Changwu's matchmaking had begun at fifteen, fraught with obstacles—grooms, cooks, and coachmen all proposed as potential matches. Yet Da Lao Taitai and Li Shi had high standards, refusing to settle for a daughter-in-law from a lower social standing. Thus, it wasn't until he turned twenty-one that Changwu finally secured a wife. No wonder he was overjoyed!
Minglan also met Taisheng's father, Uncle Hu, whose given name was Erniu. Minglan had assumed that if there was an Erniu (Second Ox), there must be a Daniú (First Ox). But that wasn't the case. Rumor had it that on the eve of his birth, the Hu family's old madam dreamed of someone gifting them two oxen, hence naming her son Erniu. Uncle Hu was a kind man, diligently assisting his brother-in-law, Sheng Wei, with the busy preparations.
However, Minglan did not take much of a liking to Shulan's husband, Sun Zhigao. Though he possessed delicate features, his eyes seemed to rest on his forehead, exuding an air of arrogance. Later, she learned that this brother-in-law Sun was a renowned child prodigy in Youyang, having passed the imperial examination at the tender age of twelve to become a xiucai. Yet... he remained a xiucai to this day. Upon discovering that Old Mrs. Sheng hailed from a marquis household and her descendants had all entered officialdom through imperial examinations, his attitude swiftly shifted from arrogance to obsequiousness.
Young ladies were not supposed to appear in public, so they could neither attend the wedding ceremony nor mingle with the male guests. Pinlan repeatedly attempted to break through the crowd to catch a glimpse of the excitement upfront, but Minglan thwarted each attempt, instead dragging her to the rear garden to admire the newly decorated flowering trees. Aware of Pinlan's restless nature, Li Shi, despite her busy schedule, sent someone to summon her daughter to the inner hall to keep Old Madam and the other female relatives company."Have all the young ladies from the third branch arrived?" Pinlan asked. The maid smiled and replied, "They're all here, even Lady Xiulan and Lady Yuelan from the neighboring county have come." Pinlan's face immediately darkened as she flatly refused, "Then I'm not going!"
The maid said anxiously, "Miss, that won't do. The mistress has given orders..." Minglan saw the young maid was so flustered she was sweating, and said, "You go ahead. We'll be right there."
The maid knew that although Miss Minglan hadn't been here long, she got along extremely well with her young mistress and could often persuade Pinlan. She repeatedly expressed her thanks and left reassured.
Pinlan glared at Minglan, "Why did you promise that? I'm not going." Minglan said coolly, "It makes no difference to me, but Da Bomu is worried about you and will definitely send someone to fetch you. After repeated invitations, it will just be a matter of whether you go willingly or are forced to go."
Remembering how formidable her mother could be, Pinlan felt disheartened and said, "I really don't want to see those people from the third branch! Apart from Sister Xiulan who's somewhat better, you've seen Huilan yourself, and there's also Sister Yuelan who's born of a concubine - well, there's no need to even mention her."
Minglan took Pinlan's hand and slowly walked toward the main hall, asking questions along the way to distract her: "What deep-seated grudge makes you remember them so bitterly?"
Unconsciously following Minglan forward, Pinlan said indignantly, "You've been living away all this time, so you don't know how annoying those people from the third branch are! When we were young, Third Aunt claimed financial difficulties and said girls needed to be raised delicately, so she forcibly sent her three daughters to our house. My elder sister and I suffered plenty at their hands! Sister Xiulan only looked out for herself, which was bad enough, but that Yuelan - hmph! During festivals when gifts were distributed, she would always make a scene. Either she would snatch my clothes or steal my sister's hairpins. When I complained, she would shamelessly cry everywhere, saying we were bullying her!"
"She even stole things?" Minglan was genuinely surprised.
Recalling past events, Pinlan was filled with anger: "It wasn't stealing - it was outright robbery! Whenever no one was in my elder sister's room, she would go in and rummage through things herself, taking whatever was nice and wearing it, never returning it! My elder sister was honest and never said anything about her, so she became even more brazen. Several times she even dared to go into my mother's room and rummage around. At first, Mother tolerated it, saying they were just some jewelry and that girls love to dress up when they grow up, so let her be. It wasn't until later when she discovered several land deeds were missing, including the deed to this ancestral residence, that Mother became alarmed."
"What happened then? Did you get the deeds back?" Minglan asked with mischievous curiosity.
This question excited Pinlan, who said triumphantly, "At that time, she was just two months away from getting married. She thought that since she was already engaged, her natal family wouldn't dare to discipline her. But my mother first went to the third branch and politely brought her over, then sent someone to tell the in-laws that Sister Yuelan had caught a cold and the wedding would be postponed for six months. Then she locked up Sister Yuelan and refused to release her no matter how much the third branch protested. But the third branch didn't dare to make too much of a fuss, afraid that if it escalated, the engagement might be broken off. Haha, Sister Yuelan was locked up for dozens of days and wasn't released until she handed over the deeds. It turned out she hadn't even told Third Uncle, hiding them secretly in her undergarments, planning to take them to her husband's family!"Pinlan spoke with animated expressions, but Minglan’s jaw dropped in astonishment, inwardly raising a thumbs-up—truly, the unassuming ones are the most formidable! Who would have thought that round-faced, amiable Da Bomu could be so ruthless!
Spurred by the conversation, Pinlan continued, “And Huilan—I can’t even count how many fights we had as children. Look, see this scar? Five years ago, she pushed me onto a rock, and I hit my head. Luckily, I broke the fall with my arm, or who knows what would have happened to my face!” She rolled up her sleeve and brought it close for Minglan to see. Sure enough, there was a long, twisted scar the color of peach pink, resembling a centipede.
“After that, she was sent back to her own family,” Pinlan said bitterly. “Hmph! They’re all ungrateful wolves!”
Huilan was a full three years older than Pinlan—how could she have been so vicious? Minglan stared at the five- or six-inch scar, imagining how much it must have hurt the eight- or nine-year-old Pinlan. She gently helped Pinlan lower her sleeve and comforted her, “I often hear Da Lao Taitai speak of Xiulan-jiejie, saying she’s a good one—managing her household, raising children, and living harmoniously with her husband. It seems Da Bomu didn’t raise her for nothing!”
Pinlan finally cracked a smile. “That’s all thanks to my mother’s kindness! That year, Xiulan-jiejie came to our house in the middle of the night, crying so hard she was bleeding from kowtowing, begging my parents not to let Third Uncle marry her off as a remarried wife to some wicked old miser. My mother managed to protect her and even arranged her marriage to her current husband. After Jiefu passed the imperial examination at the county level, he couldn’t advance further. It was my father who pulled strings to get him a position as an instructor in the neighboring county.”
Minglan nodded repeatedly. “Uncle and Aunt are truly good people, willing to stand up for their nieces like that. Ah, by the way, why didn’t Uncle arrange a similar position for Brother-in-law Sun?”
Pinlan snorted coldly. “When my brother-in-law was young, some fortune-teller told him he had the fate of a prime minister. Ever since, he’s been determined to become a top-ranked imperial scholar. How could he stoop to being some low-ranking, poorly paid minor official? He’s rejected my father’s offers several times. Hmph! I hope his ambition isn’t greater than his talent!”
Listening to Pinlan’s complaints, Minglan couldn’t help but smile, thinking that if Pinlan were born in modern times, she could start a thread on Tianya titled “Spilling the Tea on My Ridiculous Cousins, In-Laws, and Relatives”—how delightfully dramatic and sensational it would be! It would surely go viral!
By the time Pinlan finished her story, the two cousins had reached the entrance of the main hall. A maid was craning her neck, waiting anxiously. Spotting them from afar, her face lit up with relief, and she hurried forward to greet them. “Good young ladies, you’ve finally arrived! The Old Madam inside has asked about you several times already. If you hadn’t come soon, she would have sent someone to look for you again.”
“Enough with the nagging! We’re here now!” Having vented her old grievances, Pinlan was in a much brighter mood. She took Minglan’s hand and strode inside. As the maid by the door lifted the curtain, an unfamiliar elderly woman’s voice drifted out from within: “…just betroth your Ming girl to my nephew!”
Pinlan was startled and instinctively turned to look at Minglan, surprised to find her instead looking relieved. Minglan grinned and said, “What did you say last time when Aunt punished you by making you copy texts? Oh, right—whether you stick your neck out or pull it back, it’s still a blow. Well, let’s go in!”
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[Author’s Note]Generally speaking, only those who held the jinshi degree could rise to high-ranking positions of the fourth or fifth grade and above, though there were many exceptions—such as those with powerful family backgrounds or exceptional talent—but these were relatively rare. The most famous example is Hai Rui.
After reading the section about Hai Rui in The Ming Dynasty's Untold Stories, I couldn't help but marvel inwardly: the Hai family’s ancestral graves must have been emitting auspicious smoke. A scholar like Hai Rui, who frequently offended colleagues and superiors and constantly challenged unwritten rules, managed to upset countless people from local to imperial levels—even scolding the emperor in the harshest terms. Yet, after a stint in prison, he emerged unscathed and steadily climbed the ranks, serving as county magistrate, assistant prefect, and eventually rising to positions such as Minister of Revenue, Minister of War, Assistant Minister, and Right Vice Censor-in-Chief. If I recall correctly, he held a second-rank or vice-second-rank position at the time of his death.
I sincerely admire him—Hai Rui’s karma must have been exceptional. But doesn’t this also indirectly suggest that the Ming Dynasty’s bureaucracy might not have been as corrupt as depicted in the History of Ming, which was compiled by Qing Dynasty scholars?
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