As summer turned to autumn, the northern regions, unlike the south, grew increasingly dry and cool. The Sheng residence inevitably brewed sweet soups to moisten the lungs and relieve coughs. Since arriving here, Minglan had spent most of her time ill, and the changing weather left her even weaker. She often suffered from dry coughs and breathlessness. The physicians prescribed only tonic medicines, but Minglan detested the taste of traditional remedies. She yearned desperately for loquat syrup and cough relief liquid, and the more she thought of them, the more she resisted the herbal brews. For every bowl she drank, she would vomit half, leaving her frail and listless all day. The once robust Minglan, who had even practiced self-defense techniques, was utterly exasperated.
After careful deliberation and inquiries into Yuanwenshao’s character and abilities, Sheng Hong and Madam Wang finally settled on him as a match. They proceeded with the betrothal gift ceremony and sent Hualan’s birth details for the name inquiry ceremony. Madam Wang’s approach was peculiar: she separately consulted an eminent Buddhist monk and a respected Taoist priest to assess the compatibility of the birth characters. Both affirmed it was a union destined for lasting harmony, easing Madam Wang’s concerns. Noticing a dust whisk on the left and a wooden fish on the right of the incense table in her room, Sheng Hong couldn’t help but chuckle, “My dear, are you placing your faith in Buddhism or Taoism? Decide on one—it might be more effective to focus your devotion.”
Madam Wang knew her husband was teasing. “I’ll worship whichever proves effective. For Hualan’s sake, I’d even bow to weeds by the wall.”
Sheng Hong’s expression turned serious. “I know you have a mother’s heart and mean well. Lately, I’ve noticed Minglan is unwell—do keep a closer eye on her. If this coughing persists, she might lose her life.”
Madam Wang replied, “Yesterday’s letter from the capital said the Zhongqin Earl’s household will soon come for the preliminary engagement. Seeing how busy I am, Hualan has taken charge of Ming Yatou’s matters.”
Sheng Hong shook his head. “What does a child like Hualan know? It’s safer for you to oversee it yourself.”
Madam Wang laughed. “How can you say that? Hualan is no child. If all goes smoothly, she’ll be married by next year or the year after. She must learn to care for others, as she’ll soon serve her in-laws and husband. These days, she’s been giving her own portions of snow pear soup and almond soup to Ming Yatou, and she watches like a hawk to ensure she takes her medicine. If Minglan vomits half a bowl, Hualan makes her drink another—so fiercely that Minglan is too scared to spit it out.”
Sheng Hong felt deeply comforted and nodded repeatedly. “Good, this is how sisters should be. Hualan shows the dignity of an elder sister—excellent.”
Miss Hualan was a strict enforcer, more authoritative than gentle. If Minglan showed the slightest reluctance to take her medicine, Hualan would roll up her sleeves as if to force it down, startling Minglan into a sweat that oddly sped her recovery. Hualan also made her kick shuttlecocks daily. Like a prisoner under guard, Minglan stood in the courtyard and kicked precisely under Hualan’s supervision—thirty kicks a day, increasing by five every three days. Hualan even kept a log of Minglan’s exercises, marking it off with the sternness of a jailer, allowing not a single kick to be missed.Hualan was a girl with strong elder sister instincts, but unfortunately her own siblings couldn't satisfy this need of hers. Changbai was mature and steady by nature - Hualan would be grateful if she wasn't lectured by him instead. Rulan was willful and difficult, stubborn and unruly. Hualan had never gotten along with her - if scolded once, Rulan would talk back three times. With Madam Wang protecting her, Hualan couldn't actually punish Rulan. As for Consort Lin's two children, she disdained to interfere with them, and Changdong was still too young. So she never had much opportunity to play the elder sister role.
Minglan had a docile and gentle temperament, doing whatever she was told without argument. When scolded, she wouldn't talk back but would just look at you with wide, sparkling eyes, occasionally spacing out. Hualan was quite satisfied with this little sister, almost liking her more than her own sister.
The Zhongqin Earl's household acted quite quickly, soon coming to arrange the preliminary engagement. Since Yuanwenshao was truly not young anymore, they hoped to complete the marriage by mid-next year. Sheng Hong adopted the formal writing style from his imperial examination days, filling his letter with obscure rhetoric. It was unclear whether the recipients could understand it, but the general meaning was that his daughter was still young and he couldn't bear to marry her off early. The letter earnestly expressed a loving father's affection for his daughter. The Yuan family immediately increased the betrothal gifts substantially and even invited an official from the Court of State Ceremonial to deliver them. Having gained both practical benefits and face, Sheng Hong appropriately increased the dowry and set the wedding date for May next year. Both families were quite satisfied.
After this, Hualan was confined to her room to embroider her trousseau and calm her temperament. Minglan breathed a sigh of relief - she had accumulated a daily requirement of kicking the shuttlecock 65 times, making her legs cramp. Now that her supervisor was confined, she could return to her little pig life of eating and sleeping, though she still suffered occasional harassment from Rulan.
The weather gradually turned colder. While spring, summer and autumn were tolerable, the difference between northern and southern climates became immediately apparent with winter's arrival. Each household started burning their under-floor heating systems, with various earthen beds, brick beds, and exquisite wooden beds - sleeping furniture that combined wide, comfortable beds with heated platforms. Being originally from the south, Minglan never knew ancient northern regions had such warm and comfortable heated beds. Probably due to the shuttlecock kicking, Minglan didn't catch cold or fall sick despite the severe weather, though others did.
Old Madam Sheng was after all advanced in years, and having migrated too far between north and south, she suffered some acclimatization issues. After autumn began, she started coughing. Being naturally authoritative, the maids and servants in her household didn't dare force her to take medicine or kick shuttlecocks, so the root of her illness was never eradicated. When winter came, she periodically ran low fevers, until one day she suddenly burned with high fever, nearly falling unconscious. The doctor who examined her said it was quite critical - elderly people most feared this kind of fierce cold ailment, as improper treatment could lead to passing away. This thoroughly frightened Sheng Hong and his wife.
If Old Madam Sheng passed away, Sheng Hong would have to observe mourning, and Hualan would have to observe filial piety. Yuanwenshao was already twenty - how could he wait? Sheng Hong and his wife immediately recognized the seriousness of the situation and united wholeheartedly, taking turns day and night to care for Old Madam Sheng. They carefully scrutinized every prescription and personally tasted every bowl of medicine, nearly exhausting themselves to sickness. However, this display of filial devotion earned praise from all the officials and gentry in Dengzhou, an unexpected positive outcome.A few days later, Old Mrs. Sheng finally broke her fever and regained her breath, essentially saving her life. Sheng Hong and his wife dared not relax, promptly sending various nourishing medicines from the storeroom to Longevity and Peace Hall. To Minglan, no matter how precious the tonic, it was still traditional medicine—the taste couldn't be much better—so she secretly sympathized with Old Mrs. Sheng. Before she had sympathized for two days, news suddenly came from Longevity and Peace Hall that Old Mrs. Sheng, feeling lonely in her old age, wanted to raise a girl by her side to alleviate the solitude.
As soon as the news spread, some were happy, others worried. Let's start with the happy ones.
"Why should I go? Everyone says Old Madam is eccentric and cold, hardly speaking a word all year. Her room is shabby with nothing good. Besides, Old Madam has never favored you—I won't go seeking trouble." Mo Lan nestled in the bed warmer on the kang, draped in a gilded gray squirrel fur coat, holding a horizontal gold-gourd filigree enamel hand warmer. Despite her young age, she already carried an air of elegance and grace.
Consort Lin looked at her daughter with both pride and worry: "My dear, how could I bear to let you suffer? But we must plan for the future. Have you seen how your eldest sister Hualan is preparing for marriage? Truly, one daughter is sought by a hundred families—what grandeur! In a few years when you come of age, who knows what it will be like?"
"What will it be like?" Mo Lan shifted slightly, her tone still refined. "Mother, don't talk about legitimate or illegitimate birth anymore. Father has long said he won't let me be wronged. He'll treat me just as he did eldest sister—I'll have splendid days ahead. Besides, you have assets in hand—what do I have to fear?"
"My child, what do you know? Your sister Hualan's grandeur today comes from three things: first, your father's smooth official career, his good reputation, and smooth social interactions; second, our family has some wealth, unlike those impoverished petty officials; third, that Hualan is legitimate—she has maternal relatives from generations of officials. How can you compare to that last point? Moreover, you and Ru Yatou are only months apart—you'll likely be considered for marriage together. What good families will be left for you then?" Consort Lin took the hand warmer from her daughter, opened it, stirred the charcoal inside with a nearby copper hairpin, then handed it back after closing it.
Though Mo Lan had always been precocious, she couldn't help blushing at these words: "What nonsense are you saying, Mother? How old am I that you speak of this?"
Consort Lin clasped her daughter's small hands, her delicate brows sharpening with intensity as she said gravely: "I've never regretted what happened back then. Becoming a concubine, offending Old Madam, being rejected by the wife—I fear none of it. Your brother, after all, is a young master—legitimate or not, he'll inherit some family property and eventually establish himself. It's you I worry about most."
Mo Lan whispered: "Don't take it to heart, Mother. Father dotes on me so—among the girls, only eldest sister ranks above me. He won't treat me poorly in the future..."“But it can’t be that generous!” Consort Lin interrupted her daughter, leaning back into the pile of large mattresses with golden coin python patterns on an autumn fragrance background. She closed her eyes and spoke slowly, “You’re seven years old now, and it’s time you understood things. When I was seven, your maternal grandfather’s family fell into ruin. After that, I never had a single decent day. Your maternal grandmother had no foresight and relied entirely on pawning belongings to get by. Back then, she often sighed about how she hadn’t married into a respectable family. The sisters she used to play with—some ended up adorned in gold and silver, living in luxury and wealth, while others fell into destitution, not even welcomed by their own families. Fortunately, before she passed away, she did one thing right: she sent me to the Sheng residence.”
The room was quiet, with only the incense burner on the floor slowly releasing wisps of smoke. Consort Lin drifted into a reverie, recalling the day she first entered the Sheng residence. At that time, although Sheng Hong’s official position wasn’t high, the Old Master Sheng had amassed a vast fortune for his descendants. The Old Master, a Tanhua graduate, had ensured the Sheng residence was naturally grand and imposing. Such exquisitely beautiful gardens, such lavishly decorated utensils and furnishings, and seasonal clothing of silk and gauze—she had never imagined such a life of wealth and privilege, such a pampered existence. Back then, Sheng Hong was refined, handsome, and scholarly, and she couldn’t help but entertain other thoughts…
MolAN gazed at her mother’s delicate and beautiful face and suddenly spoke up, “Then why did you insist on becoming a concubine? Wouldn’t it have been better to marry properly outside as a legitimate wife? Now there’s gossip everywhere, saying you… saying you willingly…”
Consort Lin abruptly opened her eyes and stared intently at her. MolAN immediately lowered her head, too frightened to speak. After a moment, Consort Lin shifted her gaze and said slowly, “You’re grown now, and it’s time you understood… The Old Madam is good in every way, except for one thing—she loves to ramble on about ‘how easy it is to find priceless treasures, but how rare it is to find a true lover.’ They say ‘poverty-stricken couples mourn everything.’ The Old Madam, born as the legitimate daughter of a marquis’ household, has no idea of the hardships faced by poor families outside. A stipend scholar earns only six or seven dou of rice and one or two strings of cash per month. Even the head maid in our residence receives a monthly allowance of eight qian of silver. The jacket you’re wearing alone is worth fifty or sixty taels of silver. The fine silver-thread charcoal burning in your hand-warmer costs two taels of silver per catty. With your daily expenses for food and clothing, how many stipend scholars would it take to support you?”
Fine beads of sweat formed on MolAN’s forehead. Consort Lin smiled bitterly and continued, “Besides, are poor scholars necessarily virtuous? Back then, I had a cousin who married a poor scholar, hoping he would achieve success someday. But aside from being able to spout a few pretentious essays, the scholar failed the imperial exams and couldn’t succeed in business. The entire household relied on your cousin to manage everything. She endured all kinds of hardships with her husband, bore him children, and even managed to save up a few acres of land. One year, when the harvest was slightly better, that wretched scholar wanted to take a concubine. When your cousin refused, she was berated daily for being unvirtuous and nearly divorced. Unable to withstand the pressure, she had to allow the concubine into the household. In just a few years, she was driven to her grave, leaving her children to be mistreated. Hah! When that scholar came to propose marriage, he spoke as if flowers fell from his lips, full of lofty words about sage-like virtues—how he would cherish your cousin, how they would be a harmonious couple, treating each other with respect… Bah! It was all empty talk!”Molan listened intently as Consort Lin's voice gradually softened: "A woman's entire life depends on her man. If the man is incompetent, even the strongest woman cannot hold her head high. Back then I thought, regardless of being the primary wife or a concubine, the husband must have outstanding character, value loyalty, possess talent, and be capable of sheltering the family from storms... Following your father, though I'm a concubine, at least I don't have to live in constant fear. I can have a peaceful life, and my children have someone to rely on."
Mother and daughter fell silent for a moment. After a while, Consort Lin chuckled lightly: "The Old Madam originally found me so-called 'farming-scholar families' for marriage prospects. She herself stubbornly clung to poverty—how could she provide me with a respectable dowry? Pah! After all, I'm a proper young lady from an official family. If I were content with coarse food and bitter vegetables, why would I have entered the Sheng residence? Truly ridiculous."
"Then why are you still sending me to the Old Madam? Will she keep me?" Molan couldn't help speaking up.
Consort Lin smiled tenderly: "Silly child, this is your father showing you favor! No matter how dignified I appear, I'm still just a concubine. You weren't raised by the primary wife either. If you can stay by the Old Madam's side to learn proper manners and etiquette, you'll carry yourself with more dignity in the future. When it's time to discuss marriage, you'll naturally rank higher than ordinary concubines. Though your father says he's letting the Old Madam choose a child herself, think about it—Hualan is about to marry, Rulan is cherished by the primary wife, Minglan is a listless sickly child, the young masters need to study—who else remains?"
Molan felt both surprised and delighted: "Father truly dotes on me, but... I'm afraid of the Old Madam..."
Consort Lin smoothed her hair, her eyes sparkling as she smiled: "I still understand the Old Madam's character. She's noble and upright by nature, and prefers to show compassion to the weak. Though somewhat arrogant, she's not difficult to serve. Starting tomorrow morning, go pay respects and attend to the Old Madam. Remember to be careful and gentle, put on an apologetic and remorseful appearance. Never call me 'mother' in front of others—address me as 'Consort Lin.' It doesn't matter if you occasionally criticize me. Keep your words sweet and your movements nimble. I believe the Old Madam won't hold my accounts against you. Ah, when I think about it, I'm the one who's burdened you. If you'd been born from the primary wife's womb, you wouldn't have to desperately curry favor with that old woman..."
"What kind of talk is that, Mother? I'm flesh and blood of yours. How could you speak of burdening me?" Molan chided playfully, nestling into Consort Lin's embrace. "With Mother's guidance, your daughter can naturally please the Old Madam. When I gain dignity in the future, I'll let Mother enjoy some peaceful happiness too."
Consort Lin smiled: "Good child, when your father gets promoted to higher official ranks someday, you might even marry more honorably than your eldest sister. There are tremendous blessings waiting for you then."
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