Returning to the Sheng residence in Youyang in the evening, He Hongwen had left a large bundle of wind-dried tangerine peel for Minglan. Finding it sweet and refreshing, Minglan immediately sent half to Pinlan upon her return. Unexpectedly, Pinlan was not in her room, and her maid stammered that the young lady had gone back to her maternal home. Sensing something amiss, Minglan hurried to Shulan’s former quarters. Upon entering the inner chamber, she found Shulan unconscious on the bed, her face streaked with tears and ashen like an old woman’s, while Pinlan paced the room furiously, fists clenched. When Minglan asked what had happened, Pinlan gritted her teeth and explained.
It turned out that Sun Zhigao’s mistress was pregnant. Overjoyed, Sun and his mother rushed to bring her into the household. Though Shulan was gentle by nature, her attendant nurse acted decisively, recognizing the trouble and immediately escorting Shulan back to her maternal home. That afternoon, Sun’s mother stormed in, arrogantly demanding that Shulan allow the mistress to enter. Old Madam stood firm, offering only four words: “Keep the child, remove the mother.” Sun’s mother sneered, flaunted her sleeves, and left in a huff.
Fuming, Pinlan ran out and spent half an hour cursing at a withered willow tree. Minglan, unable to offer much comfort, silently stayed by her side until dusk fell. They returned to the house dejected, only to hear sorrowful weeping and Li Shi’s helpless coaxing from inside.
“…Since the marriage, my mother-in-law said not to disturb my husband’s studies… he spends less than three to five days a month with me… blaming me for being incompetent, I arranged concubines for him… but he found them dull… what am I to do!” Shulan’s fragmented sobs reached Minglan’s ears. Pinlan, naive, only half-understood, but Minglan grasped it all.
Shulan was plain-looking and timid, while Sun Zhigao prided himself as a cultured scholar, disdaining both his wife and bedroom servants. Finally encountering a beautiful, charming, and somewhat talented “marginal” woman, he was naturally captivated.
Minglan sighed softly. This world was always more lenient toward men, and she feared Shulan would suffer this time.
Sure enough, in the following days, the Sheng household was thrown into chaos by several groups: Sun clansmen came to plead, third-branch women came to gawk, and respected village elders attempted mediation. Yet, the consensus remained the same: they urged Shulan to be magnanimous and allow the woman in, arguing that any son born would be under Shulan’s name.
The Sheng family held their ground, but as time passed, rumors spread, criticizing the Sheng daughter for jealousy and intolerance. Sun Zhigao never came to retrieve his wife and instead brought the dancer into his home, treating her inside and out as the rightful lady. Li Shi gradually wavered, but Da Lao Taitai remained steadfast and silent, refusing to speak to anyone who came.
Half a month later, Da Lao Taitai suddenly declared she wanted to meet the dancer. Thinking the Sheng family had relented, Sun’s mother gleefully brought the dancer the next day. To her surprise, Da Lao Taitai silently scrutinized the dancer from head to toe, asked a few questions, then turned and went inside. Before Sun’s mother could react, she was shown the door.One day, Pinlan watched distractedly as Minglan traced embroidery patterns on a bellyband, constantly glancing outside. Suddenly, a young maid hurried in and whispered something in Pinlan's ear. Pinlan immediately sprang up like a released spring, grabbed Minglan's hand, and dashed outside. Minglan nearly stumbled, her embroidery hoop falling to the ground with no time to retrieve it as she was dragged along blindly.
Stumbling and staggering along the way, they wove through flowerbeds and woods until the path grew increasingly narrow. Eventually abandoning proper paths altogether, they trudged through muddy grass, step by uncertain step, into increasingly secluded areas. After circling several main buildings, they arrived at a dimly lit thatched hut.
Minglan finally shook off Pinlan's grip, panting, "I can't walk another step! What on earth are you trying to do?"
Pinlan's flushed little face glowed with excitement: "Ever since Old Madam Sun visited the other day, Grandmother has shut herself in the prayer room for days. She's only spoken with your grandmother, refusing even my mother. I've had people keeping watch. Today, Grandmother suddenly summoned my mother. If I'm right, they're discussing my sister's situation."
Minglan nodded repeatedly, impressed by her cousin's logical reasoning, and asked, "So what does that mean?"
Pinlan let out an indignant cry and fiercely grabbed Minglan's sleeve: "This concerns my sister's life-and-death matters, and you say 'so what'? Believe me, I'll thrash you! Now I'm going to eavesdrop on their conversation. Are you coming or not?"
Minglan's eyes nearly popped out in astonishment. Proper young ladies shouldn't even inquire about others' private affairs, let alone eavesdrop—though admittedly she'd overheard a few conversations herself, but those were opportunities heaven-sent!
Minglan fretted, "Th-this isn't proper! How can we eavesdrop?" Seeing Pinlan's displeased expression, she quickly added, "Besides, how would you even manage it? Would your grandmother leave the windows open and speak loudly?"
Pinlan waved her arm dismissively: "No worries! There's a dog hole here. When I was little and confined to the prayer room as punishment, I often sneaked out through it—it's very well hidden. Fortunately, Grandmother's talking in the prayer room this time, or I'd be out of ideas. I consider you my true sister! Good sisters share blessings and hardships alike. You've always taken punishments with me before—very loyal! So I won't forget you when there's something good!"
Minglan staggered, nearly collapsing. Was this some kind of joke? Crawling through dog holes and eavescounting—what sort of "blessings" were these to share!
Ignoring Minglan's trembling protests, Pinlan deftly pushed aside overgrown weeds and vines, revealing a foot-wide hole. Glaring threateningly at Minglan, she dragged her toward the opening. Minglan grimaced, waiting until Pinlan entered before rolling up her sleeves and tucking her skirt, crawling forward clumsily like a dog digging in dirt. After a while, Pinlan ahead straightened up and pulled Minglan out. Turning back, Minglan saw the exit was concealed behind a large water vat and weeds.
Pinlan strained to push the vat back into place: "I specifically told them not to fetch water into this vat these past few days."
Then the two girls sneaked furtively across a courtyard, carefully slipping into the inner residence. Pinlan deftly slid through a narrow door into pitch darkness. Crouching down, Minglan awkwardly crawled a few steps after Pinlan before squeezing into what seemed like a cabinet-like space.Pinlan leaned close to Minglan's ear, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum: "This is the hidden room behind the shrine. Don't worry, the chamber is spacious."
Minglan gradually grew uneasy, realizing how rash she had been today. She could only reach out and pinch Pinlan in response. They waited crouched for a while until suddenly they heard the sound of a curtain being lifted, followed by Li Shi dismissing the servants. It seemed the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sat quite far from the shrine.
Then Li Shi spoke softly: "Old Madam, you... summoned your daughter-in-law here. Could it be...?"
Da Lao Taitai replied: "I've pondered this for days and have made up my mind. Let Shulan seek a divorce."
Minglan started violently, sensing Pinlan's breathing grow heavier in the darkness. They heard Li Shi weeping quietly: "Old Madam, please reconsider. Shulan is still young—how will she live out the rest of her days?"
After a long pause, Da Lao Taitai's voice came, dry and emotionless: "Do you think I want this? I've turned it over in my mind, thinking day and night for several days, and there's truly no other way. Precisely because she's still young, we must settle this quickly so she might still have good days ahead."
As Li Shi sobbed softly, Da Lao Taitai continued: "A woman's life depends on three men: her father, her husband, and her son. You've seen how that Sun mother and son behave—with such a mother-in-law and such a man, how could Shulan endure a lifetime? If she had a child, she might endure relying on her son, but now she has nothing to fall back on. When you, I, and her father close our eyes forever, her brother and sister-in-law will always be one step removed. Tell me, how will she live then?"
Li Shi couldn't contain herself and cried out: "My poor Shulan! I'm the one who ruined her! I was blind and foolish back then, taken in by that wretched Sun scoundrel! I thought since his family was poor, he'd treat Shulan well out of gratitude for our generosity to him and his mother. Who could have known... who could have known he'd turn out to be worse than beasts!"
Da Lao Taitai sighed: "I couldn't bear it either. I originally wanted to wait and see what that little beast would do. But you've seen it yourself—Shulan has been back at her parents' home all these days, and he hasn't even come to see her once! I've lost all hope. Now while his wife's elders are still alive and well, he dares to treat Shulan so contemptuously. What would happen if he actually obtained an official position? Enough, enough. You must see things clearly too—don't pin your hopes on him anymore."
Pinlan gripped Minglan's wrist tightly. Minglan winced in pain but understood Pinlan's feelings perfectly well, though she unceremoniously pinched her back.
Li Shi lamented: "It's not that I can't bear to part with that little beast, but I fear it will damage the family's reputation. If we break openly with them and they refuse to settle properly, insisting on divorcing her instead, what shall we do?"Da Lao Taitai sneered a few times, her voice deepening: 'That Sun fellow has been flattered these past years and has long forgotten his place.'" He thinks people respect him for his own merits. Hmph! He never weighs himself properly—it's seventy percent money and thirty percent hype. Are we supposed to fear his family now? If they want a private settlement, we have the manpower. If they want public proceedings, we have the money. Even if they want to go to court, do we lack connections in official circles? If he's willing to part amicably with Shulan through mutual divorce, we'll leave half her dowry with his family. Otherwise, hmph! We'll return the Sun family to exactly what they were before!"After hearing this, Li Shi fell silent for a moment, seemingly still hesitating. Da Lao Taitai continued, "Originally, I thought no matter which of the younger ones gave birth to a child, Shu could just take it under her name. But you've seen that wretched woman—seductive, silver-tongued, skilled in flattery and scheming. Do you think she's someone easy to deal with? If she bears a son in the future, Shu will be devoured by her, flesh and bone!"
Li Shi said nothing, but her sobbing gradually ceased. Minglan sensed she was wavering. Da Lao Taitai let out a long sigh, her voice filled with sorrow, "Daughter-in-law, you haven't experienced what I went through. Back then, that wretched woman controlled the entire household, and I had nowhere to turn for help. My eldest daughter—just a common cold, one dose of medicine could have saved her—was slowly tormented to death! It was then that I hardened my heart and took your husband and Yun to hide in the countryside. Fortunately, your second aunt lent a hand, stopping your father-in-law from writing the letter of divorce. We three endured all kinds of hardships in the countryside, barely managing to survive until now..."
Her voice seemed to choke up. Minglan felt a pang of heartache, thinking of Da Lao Taitai's gaunt face, etched with wrinkles far beyond her years, each one concealing untold suffering and grief. Beside her, Pinlan seemed to be gritting her teeth softly.
Li Shi whispered, "I understand Old Madam's words. Shu is my own flesh and blood; seeing her suffer feels like a knife twisting in my heart. But... but... I'm only afraid it might harm Pin'er. She's grown now—what if people reject her because of this?"
Suddenly, Minglan felt a gust of wind beside her. Pinlan could no longer hold back. She gently pushed Minglan into the inner corner of the compartment, scrambled out from the hidden space, flung open the thick curtain, and declared loudly, "I'm not afraid! Let Sister divorce! I'd rather never marry in my life than let Sister suffer in the Sun family!"
Minglan lay sprawled on the ground in a dog-eared posture, feeling every strand of her hair stand on end. She was terrified out of her wits, inwardly cursing Pinlan a hundred times for being such a fool. Her hands and feet turned icy with fear. If they were caught... well, probably nothing would happen to her. Minglan forced herself to calm down and remained motionless, still lying there like a dog.
Luckily, she was tucked away in the inner corner of the wooden compartment, separated by a curtain and tassels. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law didn't notice there was another person inside, only startled by Pinlan's sudden appearance. Then Li Shi began scolding Pinlan furiously, and Pinlan retorted—of course, she didn't mention there was someone else inside. Li Shi and Da Lao Taitai never imagined there were two listeners.
Then it seemed Pinlan was slapped, but she remained unyielding, not shedding a tear. She knelt with a thud and proclaimed loudly, "Fate is determined by heaven! If I am destined for happiness, it won't matter if Sister divorces. But if Sister lives in misery, even being an immortal would bring me no joy!" She then kowtowed repeatedly, pleading with Li Shi.
In her panic, Minglan didn't catch everything clearly. In the end, it seemed mother and daughter embraced each other, weeping bitterly.By the time Minglan had steadied her nerves, Li Shi had already left with Pinlan, seemingly determined to confront the Sun family head-on. Minglan lay hidden, her back drenched in cold sweat. The outside was eerily quiet, so she dared not make a sound, praying fervently in her heart that Da Lao Taitai would skip her sutra chanting today and return to rest soon, allowing her to slip away unnoticed.
To her dismay, after what felt like the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Da Lao Taitai showed no intention of leaving. Minglan could only hear the rhythmic clicking of prayer beads. Her knees grew numb, and as her sweat cooled, chills ran through her body. Just as she was silently lamenting her plight, Sheng Yun arrived.
Mother and daughter were both straightforward people. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they got straight to the point. Sheng Yun asked, "Has Mother settled matters with Sister-in-law?"
Da Lao Taitai remained silent. Minglan guessed she must have nodded in response. Then Sheng Yun continued, "Sister-in-law was misguided from the start, disliking our reliance on Cousin's family—all because Madam Wang gave her a few disdainful looks! So what? Even her own mother-in-law dares she slight, let alone us merchants. Besides, Second Aunt and Cousin have always been good to us, never hesitating to offer help and support. Our two branches have always maintained mutual respect—what's wrong with that? But Sister-in-law insisted on wanting an official in her own family, which is how the Sun family became so spoiled!... Enough, enough, I'll say no more. Mother, when do you plan to act?"
Da Lao Taitai sighed. "Everything is prepared. It will happen within the next two or three days. After it's over, have Shulan stay with you. Teach her properly—if a woman is weak and lacks self-respect, she'll be looked down upon everywhere! If you think it suitable, you could also send her to the in-laws of our Guijie in Cangxiang. The mother-in-law there is an old acquaintance of mine, a truly good person who would never treat her with disrespect. Let Shulan relax in the countryside for a while."
Sheng Yun seemed to snort. "Shu'er was fine as a child—bold and straightforward, climbing hills and herding cattle with our Guijie. Then Sister-in-law forced her into this mold of a 'proper lady,' and look what happened—she turned useless! See how our Guijie is doing: her in-laws and husband are decent folks, she gets along warmly with her parents-in-law and sister-in-law, and her life couldn't be better!"
Her tone was full of pride. Da Lao Taitai chuckled lightly. "That's because she's blessed with fertility. That family had nine generations of single heirs, with few descendants. Guijie gave birth to three sons in four years after marrying in, and now she's pregnant again. Of course they treat her like a goddess! But you must remind her not to become arrogant, lest she suffer later."
Seeing she had cheered her mother up, Sheng Yun shared a few more amusing stories about her eldest daughter before suddenly asking, "Oh, Mother... wait, has Second Aunt been informed about this matter?"
Da Lao Taitai replied, "What a foolish question! Do you think we absolutely needed to invite her here? Although Third Brother has been reckless, we've tolerated it all these years—do you think we can't handle him?! Ever since that little beast took a mistress, I've had this in mind. This time, your Second Aunt brought a letter from your cousin to the County Magistrate. Moreover, Jinling is her maiden home, with connections everywhere. Let's see how that little beast thinks he can defy heaven!"
Sheng Yun said bitterly, "Hmph, those scoundrels from the Sun family—let's see how they strut after Shulan breaks free! Ah, speaking of which, Second Aunt is truly kind."Da Lao Taitai seemed to hum in acknowledgment, saying: "This is how it should be between relatives. When we stand firm with our own resources, we can uphold the propriety expected by your Second Aunt's family. Relatives should treat each other well—you help me, I help you. Your sister-in-law just can’t grasp this point. And stop playing dumb with me! Do you think I don’t know that your Second Aunt’s visit isn’t just for Ming Yatou’s household registration? What scheming are you up to? Be careful, or your sister-in-law will hold a grudge against you!"
A crisp sound of porcelain echoed as Sheng Yun seemed to leisurely pour a cup of tea: "I know what you’re planning. First, hurry and get Wu Ge’er married, then send him far away to the capital. That leaves only Pinlan, who’s just twelve or thirteen—too young to discuss marriage. Use this time to quickly arrange Shulan’s divorce. After a few years, when everyone has forgotten, Pinlan’s marriage prospects won’t be affected. Even if they are, it doesn’t matter—there’s always our Taisheng!"
Da Lao Taitai seemed angered, raising her voice: "Who are you making these strange faces for?! Matching Pinlan with your Taisheng would strengthen family ties—what’s wrong with that?! Are you looking down on her?" Sheng Yun let out a clear laugh: "Oh, Mother, you’ve got it backwards! It’s not that I look down on Pinlan—it’s my sister-in-law who looks down on our Taisheng!"
Da Lao Taitai fell silent. Sheng Yun seemed to blow on her hot tea and added: "Truth be told, with Pinlan’s wild and unruly temperament, there aren’t many willing to take her as a daughter-in-law. But she’s still my niece. Even if she usually orders Taisheng around, I’d be willing to welcome her into our home and treat her well. But Eldest Sister-in-law has high standards—she looks down on your son-in-law for being from a farming family and wants to aim for the Li family’s Yu Ge’er! Unfortunately, the Li family doesn’t think much of Pinlan, so she turns back to considering our Taisheng. Hmph! Sister-in-law is too infuriating. Our Taisheng may not be exceptional, but he has both wealth and character. Over the years, for Pinlan’s sake, I’ve turned down many good marriage proposals! And what does Sister-in-law do? Treats our Taisheng like some commodity—take him or leave him, picking and choosing as she pleases? Well, this time I won’t indulge her!"
Sheng Yun seemed to have grown angry too, slamming her teacup heavily on the table.
The room fell into silence for a while before Da Lao Taitai spoke softly: "So you wrote to your Second Aunt, praising your Taisheng lavishly." Sheng Yun admitted frankly: "Exactly! I know Cousin’s family has several daughters. I wouldn’t dare aspire to Madam Wang’s treasured daughter, but the one raised under Second Aunt’s care—surely I can hope for her, can’t I?"
Inside, Minglan listened with trepidation, unable to resist cursing Pinlan again: This is what you get for eavesdropping impatiently! This is what you get for only hearing the first half! You missed the part about your lifelong happiness, didn’t you? Serves you right! I won’t tell you when we go back!
Over there, Da Lao Taitai said coolly: "And now? Your sister-in-law is panicking, smiling apologetically at you every day. Are you satisfied?"Sheng Yun chuckled and said, "Alright, when I invited Second Aunt here initially, I wanted to humble Sister-in-law a bit. But later... ahem, Mother, to be honest with you, I truly started considering it. The child my Second Aunt raised is truly beyond reproach—she doesn’t put on airs like a delicate young lady from a prominent family but carries herself with grace and ease. Tsk tsk, that dignified demeanor in every gesture! Mother, did you notice how she eats, walks, and performs courtesies? After all, she was taught by the palace’s etiquette matrons—every movement is both elegant and proper. She’s warm and amiable toward others, skilled in needlework and household management... Mother, don’t give me that look. Don’t think of Taisheng as your grandson by marriage—think of him as your own grandson. If you were to choose a granddaughter-in-law, which one would you pick?"
Hearing such praise, Minglan felt a bit smug. Taisheng was a good boy, but... sob, why, why was he yet another third-degree collateral relative? Pinlan, are you really going to marry him? It’s genetically risky, you know.
Da Lao Taitai seemed speechless once again. After a moment, she sighed softly and said, "But what about Pinlan?"
Sheng Yun replied breezily, "Mother, don’t take it to heart. This matter is still up in the air. Even if I like Minglan, Second Aunt would have to like Taisheng too. Huh? Mother, have you noticed? Aunt Li from the Li family seems to have some interest in Minglan as well?"
Da Lao Taitai said irritably: "Even you little monkey can see it, how could others miss it? Not just their family—I heard your Second Aunt met an old bosom friend in Jinling. That family also has a young gentleman whose character seems quite pleasing to your Second Aunt."
Sheng Yun wasn’t angry: "Exactly! So let’s just wait and see how things unfold. If our Taisheng is fortunate enough to win Second Aunt’s favor, that would be wonderful. If she has other intentions, it doesn’t matter—there’s still Pinlan! Hehe... Isn’t this what they call ‘fortune’s wheel ever turns’?"
Da Lao Taitai scolded: "Aren’t you upset that your Second Aunt is being picky about your Taisheng now?"
Sheng Yun said leisurely: "It’s different. For all the kindness Second Aunt has shown me, anything goes—as long as she doesn’t boil my Taisheng alive and eat him!"
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