After Taisheng escorted Old Madam on her journey, Minglan remained immersed in the sorrow of separation when Rulan burst energetically into Twilight Cang Study. Finding Minglan languidly lying on a soft couch, hugging a large bolster in a daze, she went over and patted Minglan’s cheek: “Hey, wake up! Still moping? Alright, alright, you’re the only filial granddaughter—the rest of us are all heartless and ungrateful!”
Minglan lacked the energy to bicker with her and only replied weakly, “Not at all, not at all. My elder sisters grieve in their hearts; it’s just that my own cultivation is insufficient, so my sorrow shows on my face.”
Rulan felt as though she had punched cotton—there was nothing more to say. So she cut straight to the point: “Um… Pinlan sent another letter, right? Quick, tell me, how is that Scholar Sun doing now?”
Minglan rolled her eyes toward the ceiling.
Pinlan’s series of letters essentially revolved around two themes: one was the “Record of the Heartless, Virtueless Scoundrel Abandoning His Wife and His Family’s Decline,” and the other was the “Record of the Full Recovery of the Wronged, Virtuous Lady Sheng Shulan.” Ever since Minglan had inadvertently mentioned it once, Rulan had become a devoted follower of this serialized story.
To recount: back then, after Sun Zhigao exchanged a letter of divorce for half of the dowry, he immediately moved the courtesan—who was "untainted despite emerging from mud"—into the main residence. Meanwhile, Shulan was sent by her family to the village where Sister Gui had married. The place was prosperous, with abundant resources and simple, honest folk. Moreover, since Sister Gui’s father-in-law was the local village head, few people gossiped about it.
Freed from Shulan’s restraints and without the stewards from her dowry to keep an eye on him, Sun Zhigao indulged in debauchery day and night. He frequently hosted lavish banquets at wine houses, inviting a crowd of pretentious scholars to compose poetry and enjoy the company of courtesans, living it up without a care. When the Education Intendant learned of this behavior, he was furious. During a local scholarly gathering to discuss imperial examination essays, he publicly rebuked Sun Zhigao as “devoid of conduct and virtue” and a “disgrace to the literati.” Sun Zhigao returned deeply humiliated and thereafter squandered money even more recklessly.
Old Mrs. Sun, being weak-willed and unsure how to manage the large sum of money, decided to follow others in investing—sometimes in a rouge shop, sometimes in a grain store, and occasionally even lending money at high interest. The industries varied widely, but the outcome was consistently the same: losses. Minglan strongly suspected that Uncle Sheng Wei had secretly added fuel to the fire.
Thus, by the time the extraordinary woman from the brothel gave birth to a son, the Sun family had already declined significantly. However, Sun Zhigao, concerned with face, continued to put on a lavish front. To maintain his comfortable life with servants at his beck and call, he had to gradually sell off family assets. Old Mrs. Sun occasionally urged her son to exercise some restraint, but Sun Zhigao would always retort—wait until I pass the imperial exam, then things will be different.
But the extraordinary woman from the brothel clearly couldn’t wait. One day, when the Sun mother and son returned late from a banquet, they drank a bowl of sobering soup offered to them and both fell into a deep sleep. Upon waking, they discovered that all the family’s valuables, silver notes, and money chests had vanished. Only a “deeply moving” long letter remained, left by the extraordinary woman from the brothel and Old Mrs. Sun’s nephew:It was said that the two had known each other long ago, and the child she bore actually belonged to that nephew. The two had been in love for a long time, their genuine feelings capable of moving heaven and earth. Unfortunately, fate was unkind, keeping the lovers apart. After enduring these difficult days, they could no longer deceive their own hearts and decided to flee together. They begged the "so kind and magnanimous" Madam Sun and the "so noble and great" Sun Zhigao to understand their feelings—oh, and to incidentally understand their act of taking the valuables with them.
After this matter came to light, the Sun mother and son immediately became the laughingstock of Youyang. The sincere lovebirds had left in such a hurry that they hadn’t sold the house, but they had disposed of all the farmlands, estates, and other valuable furnishings. As a result, Sun Zhigao soon found himself in dire straits. The taverns and restaurants in town refused to extend him further credit, and the bookshops and stationery stores came pressing for debts. Faced with nothing but thin porridge and pickled vegetables on the table, the Sun mother and son finally remembered Shulan’s virtues and made inquiries to find her in Cangxiang.
At first, Sun Zhigao tried to put on airs, claiming he was condescending to take Shulan back. However, when they arrived, they discovered that not only had Shulan remarried, but she was also heavily pregnant. Shulan’s new husband was from a wealthy family in a neighboring village, with both property and land. The new brother-in-law was an amiable and honest man. This time, Sheng Wei and Li Shi had carefully vetted his character, held their ground firmly, and happily married off their daughter.
The Sun mother and son stared dumbfounded at Shulan’s prominent belly. In his anger, Sun Zhigao likely said some harsh words, but Shulan was no longer the naive girl of the past. She sneered and mercilessly ridiculed them. Sister Gui was even harsher, directly pointing out Sun Zhigao’s critical flaw—"Maybe it’s you who can’t have children! You should go see a doctor and stop wasting other girls’ youth, blah blah blah."
Sun Zhigao was so humiliated and enraged he nearly wished for death. At that moment, a group of tough and straightforward country men arrived. They wasted no words and directly set upon him with carrying poles, beating Sun Zhigao severely before driving him away.
The latest news was that Shulan had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl, while Sun Zhigao had become a frequent visitor to the pawnshop.
Rulan left a table littered with melon seed shells, feeling quite unsatisfied with this outcome and equally displeased with Minglan’s lackluster narration. Minglan, also somewhat annoyed, picked up the account book Old Madam had left for her and began studying it carefully.
Question 1: One mu of average dry land costs about five taels of silver, while paddy fields cost double. Premium paddy fields, however, can sell for up to twenty taels. If I had one thousand taels of silver, how should I invest it?
Answer: It depends on the circumstances and policies.
Question 2: The family originally had ten households of accompanying servants. Over three generations, the servants have multiplied and now rely on seniority to act arrogantly, making them practically useless. Meanwhile, household expenses are gradually increasing. How should we reduce them?
Answer: Best strategy—family planning and strict discipline. Middle strategy—release them. Worst strategy—sell them.
Question 3: The family has a large population, with the men not engaged in productive work. Monthly allowances and expenses exceed income. What to do?
Answer: Divide the family estate and let each support themselves.
Question 4: The parents-in-law are muddle-headed, favor other branches of the family, and refuse to divide the estate. Sisters-in-law are greedy, brothers-in-law are lecherous, there’s a huge deficit in the common funds, the husband dotes on his concubine and neglects his wife, the natal family is indifferent to whether you live or die, and there’s no way out—neither heaven nor earth offers an escape.
Answer: …Try reincarnating.The accounts reflected not just income and expenses, but also complex interpersonal relationships and varying degrees of closeness, all tangled into a complete mess. After reviewing them all day, Minglan felt a splitting headache. Large families were truly exhausting—each branch had its own schemes, and some problems simply had no solutions. They could only be dragged out slowly until daughters-in-law became mothers-in-law themselves, passing the baton to the next generation to continue the endless cycle.
"Miss," Danju lifted the curtain and entered, smiling as she reported, "Someone from Madam Wang's quarters has come to summon you. They say there are new spring clothes and hair ornaments, and they invite the young ladies to go choose."
Minglan then rose from the couch. As Danju helped her straighten her clothes and hair, she asked, "How have things been in the courtyard these past few days?"
Danju paused briefly before replying in a low voice, "Not as good as when Old Madam was here. A few young maids have been spreading idle gossip."
Minglan smiled faintly and instructed, "No need to deliberately scold them. Just keep a closer watch." Danju looked puzzled. Minglan's lips curved slightly, "People in the inner courtyard find it easy to share prosperity but hard to endure hardship together. Let's observe for now."
Previously, to regulate Minglan's health, Old Madam had been extremely meticulous about her food and daily needs. Daytime snacks—cream pastries, cheese, steamed rice flour cakes—were rotated regularly. Nighttime supples included bird's nest congee with rock sugar, golden thread red date soup—whatever was best was served to her. This had made Minglan's skin smooth and radiant with a rosy glow, and even the young maids had benefited. Now everything had to follow the common standards.
Danju understood and her expression turned serious: "In the past, you treated them with such generosity. If they start complaining at the first sign of change, they deserve condemnation! Miss, I'll keep watch."
Xiaotao supported Minglan as they arrived at Madam Wang's quarters. They saw Madam Wang reclining on a Xiangfei couch, chatting and laughing with Liu Kun's wife. Two square tables pushed together in the middle were covered with neatly folded new silk garments and embroidered jackets, their brilliant colors and patterns quite eye-catching. Mo Lan and Rulan stood beside the tables, eyeing these items. When they saw Minglan arrive, they both glared at her.
Madam Wang knew Minglan was always a step slower in everything. Being late to kneel and pay respects was one thing, but she always arrived last when items were being distributed, ending up with the leftovers. This way, nobody could complain. Madam Wang put down her tea bowl and picked up a black lacquer mother-of-pearl inlaid small box from the side table, instructing Liu Kun's wife to bring it over. She smiled and said, "These are new designs from Cuibao Studio. Your eldest sister ordered them before the New Year. She thought they looked fresh and bright, so she sent them over. You sisters can choose among yourselves."
Liu Kun's wife had already opened the box and placed it beside the silk fabrics on the table. The interior gleamed with pearls and jade, gold and jewels shining brilliantly. Minglan looked up and saw three hair ornaments arranged side by side in the box: one lavender glass inlaid with mandarin duck flower tassel hairpin, one bat-patterned Nan pearl trembling branch gold hairpin, and one honey-colored crystal hairpin. They were indeed novel in style, translucent and bright.
The three Lan sisters looked at each other. Rulan pursed her lips and said, "Fourth sister should choose first. Father often says age order should be respected.Mo Lan smiled faintly and stepped forward directly, looking left and right before finally taking the most dazzling gold pearl hairpin. Rulan suddenly chuckled softly and turned to Minglan, "Sixth sister, in 'Kong Rong Giving Up Pears,' was it the older brother yielding to the younger brother, or the younger brother yielding to the older brother?"Minglan found herself in a dilemma, neither able to answer nor refuse, so she forced a bitter smile and said, "Fourth Sister, you know exactly how little knowledge I possess. Please don’t put me on the spot."
Rulan shot her a disdainful glance before turning to Molan. "Father often praises Fourth Sister as the most learned among us. What do you think, Fourth Sister?"
Molan’s pretty face flushed crimson with embarrassment. She managed a strained smile and replied, "If you fancy this hairpin, just say so. Why bring up literary allusions? We’re sisters—do you think I’d compete with you for it?"
Rulan drawled leisurely, "The hairpin itself matters little. I merely wished to learn some principles from you."
"Then you choose first!" Molan set down the gold-beaded hairpin, her lowered eyes brimming with resentment.
Rulan sneered, "Since you’ve already made your choice, how could I possibly snatch what you love? Otherwise, Father would scold me again."
Seeing Rulan’s relentless attitude, Minglan frowned slightly and glanced toward Madam Wang. She noticed the matriarch engrossed in conversation with Liu Kun’s wife, not even sparing a glance their way as if completely unaware of the tension. Minglan lowered her head—she understood.
This year, the old emperor had graciously opened the imperial examinations. Many of Sheng Hong’s colleagues and former classmates had sons participating, yet Changfeng hadn’t even passed the provincial level, forced to watch this rare opportunity slip away. Recently, Sheng Hong had been finding fault with Changfeng’s every move. On the examination day, half the Censorate officials were discussing their sons’ participation, leaving Sheng Hong deeply displeased. He returned home grim-faced and went straight to Changfeng’s study, determined to lecture his son thoroughly to ensure he would pass the provincial examination next autumn and the metropolitan examination the following spring.
But upon reaching the door, he heard flirtatious laughter between a man and woman inside. Sheng Hong kicked the door open to find his son smiling flirtatiously while holding a jade brush, poised over the bare arms of a slender, beautiful maid. With her sleeves rolled up, Changfeng was writing provocative verses across her snow-white, delicate inner arms.
Sheng Hong’s sharp eyes immediately caught the licentious lines: "Jade bones and icy flesh exude rich fragrance, untie your belt and disrobe to await your taste." Rage erupted within him. He flew into a temper without another word, had Changfeng tightly bound, and administered family law. The beating reduced this elegant young master to weeping and begging for mercy. Consort Lin rushed over to plead, kneeling on the ground in desperate entreaty.
Furious, Sheng Hong publicly rebuked the mother and son before the entire household, shouting that they were "hopeless incompetents."
Consort Lin felt wronged. Hadn’t she tried to discipline her son properly? But as a concubine, her authority was illegitimate and insufficient. Her son seldom obeyed her discipline, and she feared strictness would damage their relationship—after all, she depended on him for her future livelihood.
Sheng Hong decided to see it through. He ordered Changfeng’s study ransacked, uncovering over a dozen worn "erotic albums" and collections of bawdy poetry, clearly well-studied from frequent review.
Enraged beyond measure, Sheng Hong personally took up the rod and beat Changfeng again before confining him to his quarters. He then summoned the external accounts office, strictly forbidding any unauthorized withdrawals by Changfeng exceeding five taels of silver.
Consort Lin’s influence had rested on two pillars: her own favor and her son’s esteem in Sheng Hong’s eyes. Now her favor had long waned, and her son had fallen into disgrace. The servants, shrewd as crystal, swiftly shifted their allegiance toward Madam Wang.
"What do you want then?" Molan retorted coldly. Never before had she endured such humiliation."I don't want anything special." Rulan deliberately flipped through the clothes on the side with an air of disdain, saying, "But since elder sister insists I choose first, wouldn't that contradict Father's intention? There must be a proper explanation for this. We're sisters from the same family—could it be that one is nobler than the other?"
She drew out her words, looking provocatively at Molan.
Molan bit her lip, knowing Rulan was trying to force her to say the words "distinction between legitimate and illegitimate." In earlier years when Consort Lin's branch was favored, she had often used the "legitimate versus illegitimate" argument to gain much pity and affection from Sheng Hong.
Though times had changed, she still refused to lower her pride. Catching sight of Minglan standing quietly nearby, an idea occurred to her. She smiled and said, "Fifth sister is right. Just as Kong Rong yielded the larger pear to his younger siblings, since that's the case, let Sixth sister choose first."
Minglan glanced at Molan. Well, the slight sympathy she had just felt instantly vanished. Seeing Molan approach to pull her forward, Minglan deftly turned away, avoiding Molan's hand. She had already prepared her words and was about to speak when a sudden announcement came from outside: "The master has returned."
Madam Wang, who had been watching the drama unfold from the side, was taken aback. She glanced at the water clock—it was only the beginning of the Shen hour, not yet time to return from the yamen.
Liu Kun's wife, more alert, immediately helped Madam Wang rise to welcome Sheng Hong. They saw Sheng Hong enter in his official robe and winged cap, his expression seemingly displeased, with several strands of his beard slightly disheveled. He walked straight to the master's chair in the main seat and settled himself. Madam Wang hurriedly ordered tea served and approached with a smile, saying, "You're back, Master. Why so early today?"
Sheng Hong carefully removed his official cap and replied casually, "The special imperial examinations concluded today. Even the Left Censor-in-Chief left early, so the rest of us returned as well." It wasn't good for an official to stand out too much; as long as it didn't involve critical matters of principle, it was better to follow the crowd.
The three Lan sisters stood properly in formation and respectfully bowed to Sheng Hong.
Seeing all three girls present, Sheng Hong nodded slightly. Noticing the table full of clothes and hairpins, he frowned and said, "Didn't Hualan send these over yesterday? Why are you only distributing them today?"
Madam Wang's expression stiffened, and she covered up, saying, "In a few days, the Zhongqin Earl's residence will be holding the full-month celebration for Hualan's son. I thought the young ladies shouldn't appear too plainly dressed, so I added some more clothing materials. That's why I'm distributing them today."
Sheng Hong nodded, then suddenly remembered that when he entered earlier, he had glimpsed Molan and Minglan standing to the side while only Rulan stood by the table. Seeing the open jewelry box still on the table, he glanced at Madam Wang, feeling displeased, and said directly, "Why is Rulan the only one choosing? Have Molan and Minglan received their shares?"
Molan walked gracefully up to Sheng Hong and said with a smile, "I yielded to Fifth sister to choose first."
Sheng Hong, well aware that Rulan shared Madam Wang's temperament and neither was particularly generous, suspected Madam Wang might be mistreating the concubine-born daughters. He immediately shot Rulan a stern look, causing her face to pale.
Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, Minglan quickly stepped forward, tugging at Sheng Hong's sleeve, and said cheerfully, "Father, please settle this for us. Earlier, Fifth sister said that precedence should follow seniority and asked Fourth sister to choose first. But Fourth sister mentioned 'Kong Rong yielding pears' and insisted I choose first. I thought, no matter how you look at it, whether it's Fourth sister or me, Fifth sister never gets to choose first—she's really at a disadvantage. This time, why not let her choose first? What do you think, Father? Wouldn't that be fair?"Sheng Hong had always favored Minglan. Seeing her bright and lovely, and hearing her childish reasoning, he smiled at the three Lan sisters and said, "Good, it pleases me greatly to see you sisters showing such affection for one another."
Molan gritted her teeth in secret but could not refute him, forcing herself to smile and agree. Rulan also breathed a sigh of relief. Seizing the opportunity, Madam Wang immediately said, "Later, I'll send the things over for you to choose yourselves. Your father needs to rest now."
The three Lan sisters respectfully withdrew.
Watching his three daughters leave, Sheng Hong rose and entered the inner chamber with Madam Wang. He stretched out his arms as she helped him remove his official robe and loosen his belt. "How is Quange? And how is our daughter-in-law?" he asked.
Thinking of her chubby grandson, Madam Wang beamed. "They're both well! The child is still young and shouldn't be exposed to drafts, otherwise I'd have brought him out for you to dote on. Oh, that little one—his arms and legs are so strong!"
Sheng Hong laughed heartily. "Just looking at that child's face, you can tell he's blessed! Strong is good, strong is good!" As the saying goes, a youngest son and eldest grandson are the treasures of old couples. Seeing his grandson's plump little arms waving about, Sheng Hong felt his heart melt and repeatedly instructed Madam Wang to take good care of him.
"Not just Quange—Hualan's Shige is also growing well. When I visited last time, he was already smiling. Oh, how sweetly he smiles, exactly like Hualan when she was little!" Madam Wang sighed with delight. "Now everything is fine. Hualan can finally hold her head high instead of constantly watching her mother-in-law's expressions!"
Sheng Hong truly cherished his eldest daughter. Among all his children, Hualan was the only one he had personally held, put to sleep, and fed as a child. Though as an official he shouldn't speak ill of others, he couldn't help saying, "The old Earl of Zhongqin is quite decent, but my daughter's mother-in-law... has she improved lately?"
Madam Wang snorted coldly. "Hmph! If I hadn't gone to speak with her, she would have planned only two tables for the full-month banquet! Both are her own sons—one had fifty tables of feast, while the other was treated like this. Isn't she afraid people would laugh at her favoritism? My son-in-law is blindly filial, poor Hualan has suffered for it—who knows how much of her dowry has been schemed away! It's only now that you and Brother Bai have been promoted that she's quieted down. Hmph! Has she forgotten how their family was declining back then? That Hualan was willing to marry into their family was already thanks to their ancestors' accumulated virtue!"
Sheng Hong pondered for a moment. "I mentioned it briefly to the old earl the other day. He will restrain my daughter's mother-in-law."
At this point, Sheng Hong suddenly remembered something and asked, "What about Molan's marriage prospects?"
Folding the official robe, Madam Wang frowned and sighed. "It's not that I haven't searched everywhere, but you're never satisfied. The editors in Bai's Hanlin Academy—you found them too poor. Those I inquired about through connections—you said they lacked foundation. If we look among prominent families, then we can only find sons born to concubines. To be honest, it's not that there are no good matches, but while we're selecting sons-in-law, others are selecting daughters-in-law too. What great prospects can Molan, born of a concubine, truly have? How should we search?"
Sheng Hong felt uncomfortable. Actually, he thought those candidates were acceptable enough, but he couldn't withstand Consort Lin's desperate pleas and weeping. Faced with reality, Consort Lin had to lower her head and finally realized that He Hongwen's conditions were truly quite good."Let me make this clear upfront - Mo Lan will be coming of age in a few months. If she continues to be this picky, I won't bother with her anymore. However, while she can afford to delay, Ru Yatou and Ming Yatou cannot wait around. When the time comes, don't blame the younger sisters for not waiting for their elder sister!" Madam Wang laid out her position clearly before Sheng Hong.
Sheng Hong rubbed his temples with a headache. "Old Madam mentioned to me that during her last visit to Youyang, she saw Eldest Sister-in-law's nephew from her maternal family - called Brother Yu. He's diligent in his studies and comes from a well-off family. He sounds quite promising, but we'll have to see if he passes the imperial examination next year."
He still trusted Old Madam's judgment greatly. When she had mentioned this before, she had said with a meaningful smile that the young man rather resembled himself in his youth. Thinking of this, Sheng Hong felt much better - if he's like me, then he must be a talented and handsome promising youth!
Excellent, excellent. If this works out, Mo Lan would be truly fortunate.
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