Lady Kelpi Translations

Chapter Forty-Two:
Shulan, Pinlan, Xiulan, Huilan, and Yuelan (plus a character list)

The atmosphere between the Youyang and Sheng families was harmonious and happy. The whole family had similar temperaments from top to bottom, loved to talk and laugh, and treated people generously and warmly. Minglan felt like she was a labor reform prisoner who had been serving many years and suddenly got parole. Her entire body was relaxed.

Minglan and Pinlan really were like birds of a feather, and was able to easily fit in with the family dynamic. She was an action-oriented tomboy, Pinlan was an accomplice with bad ideas, and there was also the kind-hearted Tai Sheng who was accustomed to being bossed around by his cousin. These days, the Sheng family was really lively: Minglan would fish, Pinlan helped by catching worms in the mud, and Tai Sheng was holding a fish basket to the side, nagging at them to ‘be careful where you step’ or ‘don’t go any farther.’ When Pinlan caught sparrows, Minglan helped scatter the grains around with a dustpan, and Taisheng would crouch behind the wall, ready to pull the rope on the stick.

Madam Li had to take care of her family and help prepare for the upcoming marriage, so she asked her daughter-in-law Madam Wen to bring them back. Madam Wen was no match for her sister-in-law Pinlan, however, and Minglan couldn’t manage her, so she turned a blind eye and forgot about it.

“Let them go and play. If they want to play, let them play more. It’s better for them to be lively than for them to be wooden people.” The Eldest Old Madam smiled as she excused the children.

Seeing Madam Li’s embarrassed expression, Old Madam Sheng had wanted to admonish Minglan but, in the blink of an eye, when she saw that Minglan’s face was rosy and her spirit was better than it was when she was at home, she couldn’t bear to. She sighed and said, “You two might not care about it, it’s just that this girl’s family… not restricting her now might lead to hardship in the future. Anyway, please take good care of her. After Brother Wu’s marriage, we can properly teach these little monkeys.”

Minglan and Pinlan were off to the side, having been caught by Madam Li and about to be lectured. They originally were standing, head down and dejected but their expressions turned happy when they heard those words. Madam Li glared at her daughter again.

Old Madam Sheng and Fang Mama were getting older and had been asking Minglan to help Fang Mama manage some things since they were in Dengzhou. They had already been tired from the long journey, so Minglan was asked to sort their luggage and record the gifts that had been given.

The two of them had two days of being carefree before they were put to work. Pinlan was displeased with this, complaining as she followed Minglan. However, seeing how Minglan listened to the reports from all of the servants respectfully and, when she spoke and gave orders, the servants didn’t talk back, Pinlan was greatly impressed.

“I’ve helped my sister-in-law with household affairs. Those servants always loved to cheat and play tricks, they’d also make me suffer. Mother doesn’t stand up for me and just scolds me. What’s your trick to this?” Pinlan asked.

Minglan had never suffered like that before. Playing with Pinlan for the past couple of days let her know what type of temperament her cousin had. “Let me guess,” she said. “Before you began, did you ask how the mamas used to do things?”

“No,” Pinlan denied. “I have already asked Mother and Sister-in-law about the information. Why would I ask the servants?”

“Did you have people around you handle these matters without letting the servants know?” Minglan asked again.

Pinlan nodded. “Those mamas are only respectful in front of Grandmother and Mother, but they never take me seriously. Besides, if something can be done well once, why should it pass through two or three more hands to get done?”

Minglan’s expression clearly said ‘as expected,’ which made Pinlan feel a bit anxious. “Those mamas have a contract in the hands of their master,” she said gently. “How can they have the courage to argue with the daughter of their master? They have to follow established rules as long as nothing goes seriously wrong. Before you do anything in the future, please call the servants in charge to inquire about how you should act. Follow what they say. If you really don’t like it, don’t act on your own or show your intentions in front of them. First, ask your mother or sister-in-law if it’s appropriate and then you can act without hesitation.”

“Mother always scolds me,” Pinlan began to complain. “I’m too lazy to ask her!”

Minglan tugged on Pinlan’s face, flattening the wrinkles on her forehead. “Everything in the mansion has its own rules and regulations,” she said, expression stern. “How do you know that your way is the best way? Eldest Aunt is an old lady, she’ll know if your methods are good or not. It’s always better than if you did something wrong. Most importantly, every errand passed through different hands. If you suddenly come up and take over, how can they be happy with their duties being stripped? They will naturally drag their feet both in the open and in private. If you go to your grandmother or mother in advance, it doesn’t matter how dignified the mama is, they will listen and take you seriously!”

Seeing that Pinlan was still hesitant, Minglan decided to give her another piece of advice. “Being a steward in family is not easy. Have you ever heard of the saying ‘three years of managing a household and even the cats and dogs are annoyed by you?’ If you’re afraid of things, just don’t interfere. If you want to manage things, you can’t be afraid of trouble or difficulties. You still have family supporting you. When you get married, you’ll have to face your mother-in-law and sisters-in-law and that’ll be a difficult task!”

There were some things that Minglan couldn’t say. As a concubine-born, she was in a more difficult situation than Pinlan. Rulan and Molan were not easy to get along with and she couldn’t be sure that Madam Wang would necessarily support her.

In Minglan’s view, doing more and making fewer mistakes was the only way to survive.

The desire of employees was to work less and earn more, while the goal of the employers was to make employees work more and earn less. This contradiction was the same throughout history. No matter how skilled you were as a leader, as long as it harmed the vested interests of others, it’s inevitable that you’ll be looked down on.

Using a hundred thousand taels of silver in a home worth ten thousand taels of silver allowed servants to do less work and double their monthly income. They’d receive double pay during holidays and bonuses at the end of the year. As long as the madam wasn’t excessively incompetent or naïve, she generally would be praised as benevolent, compassionate, and kind.

Using ten thousand taels of silver in a home worth one hundred thousand is the opposite. Today, the eldest uncle could purchase a concubine worth eight-hundred taels. Tomorrow, the younger sister-in-law will open a poetry gathering worth five-hundred taels. The day after, their ancestors will donate one thousand taels. The family had thousands of servants and maids, and the men couldn’t earn money. They could get out of this situation if an immortal descended to earth and turned stones into silver.

The normal practice was to use a reasonable amount of money to build a reasonable-sized home. Don’t be extravagant or ostentatious. Don’t be overly demanding or too meticulous with the servants. When loose, let it be loose. It didn’t matter if some leaked through the fingers. On this basis, strict family rules, a standardized behavior of servants, teaching and regulating the etiquette of those servants, and ensuring a clean family atmosphere were the best blessings.

Pinlan was actually very intelligent. It was just Madam Li wasn’t able to teach her properly and she wasn’t as clear as how Minglan had been. Her sister-in-law, Madam Wen, added another layer of difficulty when explaining things. Pinlan thought carefully about this and felt it was quite reasonable. She then went to shadow her mother to see how she worked. She saw her mother directing people to collect dowries, reward servants, and setting up beds and preparing meals. There were more than ten women gathered around her every day asking questions and all busy. Pinlan realized that her mother was actually very hard working, so she obediently followed Minglan to do her daily homework. She copied calligraphy and embroidery, honestly working for several days.

Madam Li breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her daughter’s temper began to mellow out. The day before yesterday, she saw that Minglan was commanding her servants to count chests and luggage or had them organize things very quickly. She also saw that she didn’t even use an abacus when she was counting, and could make two strokes on the ledger without fooling around. What an amazing girl! Madam Li was taken aback. She looked at her daughter who was following Minglan and shouting at her, “Come on, let’s go play!” She couldn’t help but feel worried.

Now that Pinlan was somewhat sensible, Madam Li felt relieved. As she looked at Pinlan’s disheartened expression, she felt heartbroken and rubbed her daughter’s hair. “Your younger sister is used to having very strict rules at home,” she said. “Now that she has come here, as long as you don’t get out of line, you can take her out to play in the garden. That’s also good.”

The day of the wedding arrived. The Sheng mansion was newly decorated and even the servants were dressed in newly made long coats and robes. Pinlan ran around with Minglan, watching the excitement. Amidst the sound of gongs and drums, Changwu, dressed in a bright red robe, rode a tall white horse to welcome the wedding sedan chair.

“My second brother is really useless. Look at him smiling! The corners of his mouth are even behind his ears!” Pinlan whispered. Minglan nodded her head. Changwu was smiling like a fool but, given what today was, it was forgivable.

Due to the fact that Eldest Old Madam didn’t allow concubines, in order to avoid any mistakes during adolescence, boys got married early. Changwu started talking about marriage at the age of fifteen, but there were thistles and thorns, and all the stablemen, cooks, and carriage drivers came to propose marriages. Eldest Old Madam and Madam Li, however, had high expectations and refused to accept a lower-ranked daughter-in-law. Therefore, Changwu wasn’t able to find a wife until he was twenty-one-years-old. How could he not be happy?

Minglan also met Taisheng’s father. He was Uncle Hu and his name was Er Niu. Minglan thought that since there was an Er Niu, there must also be a Da Niu who was older than him. That wasn’t the case. It was said that that on the eve of giving birth to her son, Uncle Hu’s mother had dreamed that someone had given her two cows for free. She then named her son Er Niu. Uncle Niu was very kind and was following Uncle Sheng Wei with business.
[This is a cute little wordplay. Er means two and Niu means cow/ox. Da means ‘big’ but in reference to family members it’s read as ‘eldest.’ So Minglan thought that because his name was Er Niu (Second Cow), there had to be an older brother Da Niu (Eldest Cow).]

Minglan did not like Cousin Shulan’s husband, Sun Zhigao, very much, however. He had a handsome face, but his eyes were as if they were up on his forehead with how haughty an expression he wore. Later on, she found out that this cousin-in-law was a famous prodigy in Youyang. At the age of twelve, he became a scholar. However, he still held the same position. When he found out that Old Madam Sheng had come from a Marquis’s mansion, and that her children and grandchildren were all in official positions, he immediately switched from arrogance to deference.

The girls in the family were unable to be seen in public, so they could neither watch the ceremony nor could they walk among the guests. Pinlan had tried several times to sneak out to go and watch the excitement, but was stopped by Minglan. Instead, she had been dragged to the back courtyard to see the newly planted trees and flowers. Madam Li knew Pinlan’s nature and, amidst her busy schedule, sent someone to call her daughter to the courtyard to accompany Old Madam and the females of the family to talk.

“Have all the ladies from the Third House arrived?” Pinlan asked.

“They’re all here,” her maid smiled. “Even Aunt Xiulan and Aunt Yuelan from the next county over are here.”

Pinlan’s face immediately sank and she balked, “Then I’m not going!”

“Miss, this isn’t possible,” the maid said. “Madam has instructed…”

Minglan saw that the young maid was beginning to sweat so she said, “You go first, we’ll be right there.”

The young maid knew that although Miss Minglan hadn’t been there long, she had a strong affinity with her own young mistress and often advised Pinlan. She repeatedly thanked her and left with peace of mind.

Pinlan glared at Minglan. “What do you know? I won’t go.”

“I don’t care, but Auntie doesn’t trust you,” Minglan said coolly. “She will find someone to come and catch you. You’ll coax and plead but, in the end, it’s the difference between giving a toast and receiving punishment.”

Pinlan couldn’t help but feel disheartened as she remembered her mother’s strength. “I really don’t want to see them!” she said. “Sister Xiulan isn’t bad. But you’ve seen Huilan, and there’s also an illegitimate sister named Yuelan. Oh, let’s not talk about her.”

Minglan slowly pulled Pinlan towards the main hall. As they walked, she continued to ask questions to divert Pinlan’s attention. “How can there be such a deep hatred? Are you remembering it right?”

Pinlan unconsciously followed Minglan. Angered, she said, “You’ve been living out of town this whole time so you don’t know what type of annoying ghosts those in the Third House are! When I was a child, Third Aunt complained about her difficult family situation and also said that their daughters needed to be supported. So, she forced my three cousins to come to my house. My eldest sister and I suffered so much from them! Sister Xiulan only worries about protecting her self-interests. Yuelan always makes a big fuss over dividing things during holidays and festivals. She’ll steal my clothes or my sister’s hairpins. When I go to report it, she cries and cries and says we bully her!”

“She still takes things?” Minglan didn’t expect that.

Remembering the past, Pinlan had a belly full of anger. “What stealing? It’s daylight robbery! Whenever there is no one in my elder sister’s room, she goes in and rummages through things on her own. She’ll put on the good things and never returns them! Eldest Sister is honest and never tells on her, so she’s become more and more reckless. There have been several times where she even dares to rummage through Mother’s room! At first, she endured it and said that it was just some jewelry. Then she realized there were a few missing land deeds, including the deed to the ancestral home. It made Mother so anxious.”

“Did the deed get returned?” Minglan probed, wickedly interested.

The question excited Pinlan and she became immensely satisfied. “At the time, she was almost two months away from getting married. She relied heavily on her future husband’s family and Third Aunt didn’t dare to punish her. Unexpectedly, Mother went to the Third House to first politely pick her up. She then sent someone to tell her future in-laws that Sister Yuelan had contracted an illness and the wedding had to be postponed for six months. She then locked Sister Yuelan up! No matter how much noise the Third House made, she wasn’t let go. The Third House also didn’t dare to make this matter public because they were afraid that if they did, they would be expelled from the family. Sister Yuelan was only released when she handed over the deed. She didn’t even tell Third Uncle. She secretly hid it in her own pocket and wanted to bring it to her husband’s family!”

Pinlan’s expression was full of excitement. Minglan’s mouth popped open and her heart gave a big thumb’s up. As expected, a sage presented herself as an ordinary person! She didn’t expect that the round faced and friendly aunt to use such a ruthless method!

Pinlan was caught up in the conversation and continued to speak. “And Huilan, we had a few fights when we were kids. Look at this scar! It was five years ago when she pushed me onto a stone and knocked me down. Fortunately, I used my arm to protect myself or else my face would have been like this!” She rolled up her sleeve and moved her arm in front of Minglan. There was a big scar, twisted like a peach-colored centipede.

“Afterwards, she was sent back to her own home,” Pinlan said resentfully. “They’re all white-eyed wolves!”

Huilan and Pinlan were three years apart, how could she even resort to such a ruthless move? Minglan looked at the scar, which was about five or six inches long. She could imagine how painful it must have been for Pinlan when she was eight or nine years old. She helped Pinlan roll down her sleeves and comforted her. “I often hear Eldest Old Madam talk about Sister Xiulan, saying she is a good person. She assists her husband and educates the children, and husband and wife are harmonious. That shows that Uncle and Aunt didn’t raise her for nothing!”

Pinlan finally smiled. “It was my mother who did a good thing! That year, Sister Xiulan cried and ran to my house during the night. She kowtowed until she was bleeding. She begged my parents not to let Third Uncle marry her to an unscrupulous old man who was widowed. Mother easily saved her, and even made the decision to marry her to her current husband. He’s been able to progress in the Imperial Examination since he became a scholar. It was also my father who went to ease the relationship and asked him to be a tutor in the neighboring county.”

“Uncle and Aunt are really good people,” Minglan said, nodding repeatedly. “They were so willing to stand up for their niece, right? By the way, why doesn’t Uncle also give his brother-in-law and grandson lessons to educate them?”

Pinlan snorted coldly. “When my brother-in-law was young, he was once told by a fortune teller that he had the fate to become a prime minister, and he made up his mind to become a jinshi in the second rank. How could he submit to such an eight or nine-rank official? He refused my father’s kindness several times. Hmph, he shouldn’t be so ignorant and ambitious!”
[Jinshi is the highest candidate for the Imperial Examination.]

Minglan couldn’t help but smile as she listened to Pinlan’s roasting. If Pinlan was born in modern times, she could start a thread on Tianya Club called ‘八一八 My Outrageous Cousin, Cousin-in-law, Uncle, and Aunt.’ It would be so melodramatic and carefree that it would definitely catch on fire!
[Tianya Club is one of the most popular internet forums in China.]

The two girls had reached the front door of the main room as Pinlan’s speech came to an end. A servant girl was there and stretched her neck out. Seeing them coming, she was overjoyed and hurried to meet them. “Good! You finally came. Eldest Old Madam has asked for you several times. If you don’t go in, she will send someone to look for you again.”

“What are you talking about? Isn’t this coming?” After confiding in her past grievances, Pinlan felt much happier. She pulled Minglan and walked inside. As soon as the maid serving by the door lifted the curtain, a strange woman’s voice came out, “…just promise your Minglan to my nephew!”

Pinlan was taken aback and reflexively turned her head to turn to look at Minglan. She was surprised to see she actually looked calm. She smiled and said, “What did you say when Aunt punished you with copying books last time? Oh, stretch your neck out and you’ll get a knife, shrink your head in and you’ll get a knife. Alright, let’s go in!”
[Pinlan is saying that no matter what, you’re going to die either way.]

…

Character List

Respected Ancestor Sheng + some official’s daughter had three sons.

Arranged in Order of Age:

Eldest House: Eldest Old Master and Eldest Old Madam

Sheng Hong: (eldest daughter deceased)

TN: This is not Minglan’s father. 

Sheng Wei + Madam Li had Shulan, Changsong, Changwu, and Pinlan.

Sheng Yun + Hu Er Niu had Hu Guijie and Hu Taisheng

Second House: Second Eldest Master (ranked third in the national examinations) + Old Madam Sheng (Madam Xu, Daughter of Marquis Yongyi’s household)

Sheng Hong (concubine-born) + Madam Wang had Hualan, Changbai, and Rulan

+ Concubine Lin = Changfeng, Molan

+ Concubine Wei = Minglan

+ Concubine Xiang = Changdong

Third House: Third Old Master (who tried to seize Sheng Hong’s inheritance in the first place) + Third Old Madam (deceased)

Sheng Zhou + Third Madam = Xiulan (concubine-born), Huilan, Changliang, the rest will be added later.

PS: Most of the characters are made of soy sauce. When everyone is confused, they just sit in the right seat.

Next Chapter: Happiness is indeed something that can be obtained through comparison