Lady Kelpi Translations

Chapter Nineteen:
Sheng Hong Became Determined, the Sheng Family was Reorganized, and Minglan Became Literate

Under the dim light, Concubine Lin’s face was coquettish and full of tenderness. “Darling,” she politely said, “today your concubine is very happy. First for Hua’er’s marriage, and second, for our Mo’er. Today, many ladies and wives praised Mo’er for being graceful and restrained. But…” she sighed, dragging out a long string of sadness.

“Since you’re happy, why do you sigh?” Sheng Hong was tired and just wanted to sleep.

“I was thinking about whether Mo’er would have the same good fortune as Hua’er in the future. Although the girls are the same, she is afraid that when she talks about her relatives in the future, people will think she was not raised by the madam.” Concubine Lin’s voice gradually lowered.

Sheng Hong remembered the difficulties he had when he went to the Wang family to ask for marriage. He sighed. “There is a difference between wife and concubine, after all. But I will not wrong Mo’er.”

“I know exactly how you treat the three of us, but how can you intervene between the females of official and noble families? The wife is the one who takes the girls out into the world, so that Mo’er won’t be dragged down by her humble birth mother, and no one will know if she is buried in the inner residence.” Her voice turned mournful.

Sheng Hong pondered for a moment. “That’s reasonable,” he said. “Later, I’ll talk to Madam and tell her that in the future it cannot be just Rulan who is brought out. She needs to bring Mo’er and Ming’er as well. If they have good character and good fortune, the Sheng family can also arrange two more good marriages in the future.”

Concubine Lin charming and leaned into Sheng Hong’s arms. “My good Darling!” she exclaimed. In a flash, she suddenly felt sad again. Her brows knit lightly. “I heard the maids outside say Hua’er has a dowry of one hundred and twenty-eight, as well as properties and fields, and many people who were sent to accompany the house. It’s really impressive. I wonder if Mo’er…”

Sheng Hong was a bit confused, but after being brainwashed twice by Kong Mama, he was a bit cautious about Concubine Lin’s demands. After a moment of thought, he said, “It doesn’t matter who the in-laws will be, my daughters have the same dowry. It was Madam who used her dowry to add to Hua’er’s. After careful calculation, Mo’er may not have such a dowry as her eldest sister.”

“Darling has a good temper,” Concubine Lin groaned. “Since Madam has married, her dowry is also the Sheng family’s. All of your sons and daughters have to call her Mother outside, she cannot be too biased!”

Sheng Hong’s heart cooled and his mind began to clear up. “Only worthless men care about a woman’s dowry all day long,” he said, slowly and leisurely. “My brother-in-law, who was from a prestigious family with three generations of officials, used the dowry of the Wang family. Nowadays, it’s difficult to speak in front of my mother and sister-in-law. When I asked for marriage, I made up my mind that I would not take anything from my wife’s dowry, and I’ll leave it all to Changbai. He’s a descendant of the Sheng family, anyway.”

Concubine Lin hurriedly sat up from the bed. “What about Feng’er and Mo’er? Is it possible that my darling doesn’t care about them? Is it possible that because of me, a concubine, I have to make them suffer in the future?” As she said this, she burst into tears again.

Sheng Hong remembered the education of Kong Mama in his heart. “Is it my fault that you didn’t have a generous dowry?” he asked slowly.

Concubine Lin choked. She looked at Sheng Hong incredulously, not expecting him to speak like that.

Sheng Hong sighed, thinking that Kong Mama had divine knowledge. Once, during a casual conversation, Kong Mama broke down the cycle pattern of his relationship with Concubine Lin. She would cry out about her humble and pitiful origins which made him feel distressed and comfort her. Then Concubine Lin would become more pitiful and terrified of the future, crying endlessly, and he would softly promise her this and that.

At that time, Kong Mama had laughed coldly and asked if Concubine Lin had a family and dowry like that of Madam Wang, would she still be a concubine to Sheng Hong?

Although Sheng Hong believe that he and Concubine Lin had ‘true feelings,’ he had not lost his self-knowledge and was not so whimsical, so Kong Mama taught Sheng Hong the sentence he had just said. It was used to put the brakes on Concubine Lin’s overstepping demands, and even prepared the next few sentences.

Sheng Hong sat up and pulled on his middle coat, his voice cooling down. “In the beginning, I was afraid that you and the children would be bullied, so I set aside a piece of my estate to give to you, a concubine. This was already against the rules, but I still did it for you, Feng’er and Mo’er. You are already much more respectable than the average concubine, aren’t you satisfied?! If you wanted to be on par with a main wife, you shouldn’t have become my concubine in the first place.”

Concubine Lin held her breath and trembled as she listened. “Why is it that you are like this?” she asked. “I am truly in love with you, even if I could be the madam of another house, I would still be your concubine. How, how…”

Sheng Hong felt depressed in his heart. Kong Mama indeed had divine knowledge. He had guessed what Concubine Lin would say next, so he followed suit. “Since you are sincere with me and willing to be a concubine, why do you complain all the time and often ask this or that from me? Is this the case of a sincere heart?”

As he spoke, even Sheng Hong himself became a little tired of this. He felt as if the feelings between himself and Concubine Lin were not so sincere.

Concubine Lin was dumbfounded, as if she had been hit in the face with a stick. After crying for a while and organizing her thoughts, she choked out with grievance, “If it were for myself, I wouldn’t say a word. But I have to do it for the children! I know I am humble, but Feng’er and Mo’er are your flesh and blood. I am really worried…”

“In the future, if Mo’er manages to climb up the social ladder I will make an exception and add to the dowry for the sake of the Sheng family’s face. But if she marries into a normal family, I can’t possibly let Mo’er’s dowry be comparable to Hua’er’s. She married into the house of an earl! And Ru’er and Ming’er, they are also my flesh and blood! As for Feng’er, a man should be self-reliant and study to become an official so that he can establish his own family in the future. He can’t just rely on his ancestors. My eldest uncle almost tossed away the family fortune, and most of my eldest brother’s family business was earned by himself! Although I’m not talented, I am not dependent on my ancestors!” Sheng Hong said coldly.

Concubine Lin wiped her eyes, feeling a deep hatred in her heart. Since the arrival of Kong Mama, Sheng Hong had not been as fond of her as before. He had always been submissive and obedient to her. Today, she intended to take advantage of Sheng Hong’s joy to persuade him to buy more property under his own name, and in the future, her own children would not be inferior to others. However, it seemed that Sheng Hong had been prepared, saying things one by one, and she couldn’t help but panic in her heart.

Sheng Hong saw Concubine’s fearful expression and consciously softened his tone. “How could I not love Feng’er and Mo’er? But in the end, if I mess up the rules, I will not only be a source of ridicule, but also might cause trouble for the family.”

Sheng Hong suddenly felt that he was too soft. He remembered Kong Mama’s last words and immediately used them. “You should also mind your own business. It’s because you are thinking like this all day long that you are causing Mo’er to fight with her sisters. If in the future, Feng’er also becomes ungrateful, I will immediately send you away!”

As he spoke, he got up out of bed and began to dress himself. No matter how Concubine Lin shouted behind him, he walked straight towards the door, only to turn around and say, “Raise your children well and there will be a good life with you in the future. I’ve given this to you, don’t worry about the rest!”

Concubine Lin was filled with shock and anger. She was so used to being spoiled that she couldn’t lower her pride for a moment to beg for Sheng Hong. She could only grit her teeth.

As Sheng Hong walked out, he sighed. Kong Mama had been in the inner residences for many years, and she knew the details of these families the most. He knew about the several fallen households she had mentioned, and even knew some of them. Family misfortunes were often caused by unworthy children and grandchildren, and the unworthy children and grandchildren were caused by the bastards of the tutors. The fallen phoenix was not as good as the chicken. He was shocked to see those down-and-out families eating porridge for the whole family. He had also seen with his own eyes how his uncle doted on his concubine and killed his wife. The property of the family was almost exhausted. If it wasn’t for the support of his aunt and Sheng Wei’s hard work, the house might have been in ruins for a long time. Thinking about that made his heart jump.

As the cold wind blew outside, Sheng Hong calmed down and felt that he was worrying too much. After all, now that both Changbai and Changfeng were diligent and eager to learn, how could they compare to those boys who participated in cockfighting and ran around playing? When Sheng Hong was taken by his late father’s friend to meet people, he was envious of those noble families with hairpins for generations. Those families had a strict family style, and their descendants had prosperous futures which had not declined for generations. Even those with titles dared not underestimate them, and he didn’t know if the Sheng family could have such a good fortune in the future.

Sheng Hong gave a long sigh. Was it easy to be an ambitious official?

…

When Hualan got married, Madam Wang not only gave a large dowry but also selected many hardworking and honest maids and mamas from the mansion to accompany her. Old Madam Sheng had wanted to reorganize the mansion and took advantage of this opportunity to rearrange and dispatch personnel. Madam Wang had originally been very resistant to this change in staff but upon hearing that Concubine Lin’s personnel would be reduced, she immediately raised her hands in favor.

According to the theory of feudal hierarchy, a concubine should have fewer maidservants and mamas than the main wife. In the past, Sheng Hong was biased, but now Sheng Hong had returned to power. Therefore, Concubine Lin had to cut back. Concubine Lin began to stir up trouble, saying they were all for the benefit of Changfeng and Molan. Madam Wang fired back with, “Then what about Bai’er and Ru’er?”

The formula was as followed: Madam Wang + Changbai + Rulan = Concubine Lin + Changfeng + Molan. However, Madam Wang should be > Concubine Lin, then that is to say, Changbai + Rulan < Changfeng + Molan; so, Old Madam Sheng very unhappily said, “How can this be the most ridiculous thing in the world?”

Concubine Lin watched as the servants around her she had laid out over the years be laid off. Her heart burned with hatred, but she dared not resist. In front of the old woman, she couldn’t reason with; in front of Sheng Hong, she couldn’t ‘move’ his ‘true feelings’; in front of Madam Wang, she couldn’t match status. In the end, she could only stay in her own courtyard, gloomy faced, and smashed an entire tea set.

Like Concubine Lin, there was the Sixth Daughter Minglan who also experienced changes in staff. The Sixth Daughter was unorthodox when faced with such a good thing as hiring people. Her first reaction when she heard the news was, “Why do we need to add people? Cui Mama, Danju, and Xiaotao. The three of them serve me, just one person. I have enough people, and there are others who have things to do, too.”

It was normal for Minglan to think this way. The place she had come from had been facing an economic crisis and among the worldwide layoffs, women were treated like men and men like livestock. Those who could use two would never use two and a half. Old Madam Sheng looked at Minglan’s full cup of tea with a look of hatred and let out a long sigh. She had gone to the Buddhist temple to recite the Heart Sutra twice, restraining herself from pinching her granddaughter to death. Meanwhile, Fang Mama was very considerate in her efforts to make the sixth daughter literate.
[I believe the sutra is the Heart Sutra (Xin Jing 心境) although it was written Qing Xing Mantra (清心咒). It represents the central idea of Buddhism and Zen Buddhism.]

When Old Madam Sheng had been the eldest daughter in Marquis Yongyi’s mansion, she had her own independent courtyard. She had three maids in charge, five first class maids, eight second class maids, eight third class maids, and five or six little girls who ran around to do errands. She had several maids who were responsible for washing, sewing, sweeping, and cleaning, which equaled about ten in total.

Minglan’s mouth popped open as she counted with her fingers, “So, then…there was over thirty people serving Grandmother?”

Fang Mama stroked the half-new maroon colored collar on her body; the fine cotton and silk embroidered with six intricate patterns was very exquisite. “That’s natural,” she stated proudly. “The deceased marquis considered his daughter as precious as gold and jade. Old Madam was one of the best among the ladies in the entire capital at that time.”

Minglan thought for a moment and immediately asked, “Is that the same with Marquis Yongyi’s Mansion now? Grandmother, you once told me that the generation of Marquis Yongyi’s Mansion had three sisters.”

Fang Mama’s old face was a bit shaky as she hesitated. “…That’s not the case. The Marquis now… is a bit different from what it used to be.” She sighed in her heart, as the Sixth Daughter was always able to accurately grasp the key points.

“Mama, don’t frown,” Minglan said with a smile. “Grandmother had only one sister back then. Now that the Marquis’s Mansion has three sisters, it’s natural that you can’t put on a show.”

“What young mistress said is precisely the reason,” Mama Fang regained her old face, smiling with warm wrinkles as she spoke. “Now that our master is in the sixth rank, he is the governor of the state. He cannot be as flashy as the Marquis was, and there are not many first, second, or third class. However, ladies in the mansion must have a manner that matches their status. Before, Sixth Miss was young and only had two people around her – Danju and Xiaotao. But now she is getting older and it is not a good idea to be as shabby as a small family. Our family will be laughed at if the outside finds out about this. Besides, Fourth and Fifth Miss are like this. However, it is also insurmountable, otherwise it would be a disaster to ask Master to participate in an extravagant expense.”

Fang Mama began to ramble and Minglan nodded along. The next day, the housekeeper led a dozen or so little girls to Shou’an Hall. They were tall, fat, and thin, standing in the hall. Madam Wang sat beside her with a smile, pulling Minglan and saying, “Look for yourself, choose which one you like.”

Minglan turned her head back to look, her eyes meeting the girls. Some of the young girls immediately averted their gaze like rabbits, while some boldly smiled at Minglan to please her. Minglan felt a bit uncomfortable, as if she was picking things at the roadside when she was a child, as if these young girls were not independent people but small things like goldfish and turtles.

The girls’ eyes, whether bold or hesitant, showed a longing expression. After being educated by Fang Mama, Minglan knew that for these girls, once they were selected, they could immediately enter the inner residence and break away from the menial life of doing rough work and wearing common clothes. With good luck, they could have the opportunity to go further in the future. Minglan asked herself, which was more important, a comfortable life or the dignity and freedom of personality?

Minglan was pondering that profound life issue when Old Madam Sheng glanced at her. Seeing that, Fang Mama turned to Madam Wang and said, “Sixth Miss is young and hasn’t seen many people before, how can she pick? It’s better for Old Madam to do it.”

Old Madam Sheng nodded her head in agreement.

The old woman was obviously an old hand at picking people. She carefully asked the housekeeper who brought the girls in: which ones were bought from outside? Which ones were born in the residence? Where did they work before? Where were their parents? What were their personal strengths? The girls had weeded out the unsightly and unhealthy already, and finally, Old Madam Sheng picked four girls.

“With so few, wouldn’t it be a grievance for Sixth Miss?” Madam Wang hurriedly said. “Old Madam should choose a few more. If they are not satisfactory, we can also buy more.” Minglan lowered her head in thought. It was Rulan’s maids who exceeded the quota.

Old Madam Sheng glanced at Madam Wang. “How big your head must be to wear that hat. It’s not easy for Master to stand tall. It doesn’t matter whether you save money or words outside. We women in the inner residence must be more considerate of men.”

Madam Wang looked embarrassed as the older woman responded, she decided in her heart to turn around and ‘show consideration’ to the maids from Molan’s residence.

…

The Story of Minglan is back! I might have to slow down the uploads to two times a week instead of three since I’m not as ahead in chapters as I am with LLTG. Thanks so much for your patience.

I also noticed that Kelly Translations is back online and they have The Story of Minglan almost all of the chapters translated into English. I’m still going to translate it at my own speed, but I know there are some people who want to binge read!

Next Chapter: Rulan’s Injustice