<h4>Chapter 47: Cousin Xin, Cousin Hun, and Cousin Yun</h4>
Trantor: Iris
Proofread by DragonRider
The atmosphere of Sheng Mansion in Youyang was really pleasing with both the elders and the young amicable, easygoing and hospital. Minn felt free at ease like a person prisoned for years suddenly getting her parole.
She and Pin shared basically the same tastes and got along quite well. The two girls, one a lively hoiden, the other an aplice full of ideas, along with the nice guy, Taisheng who was quite used to be bossed around by his younger cousin, made the atmosphere of Sheng Mansion even more hrious. When Minn went fishing, Pin would dig earthworms while Taisheng carrying the creel aside, chattering anxiously like “Watch your step. It’s slippery.” or “Don’t go any further!” When Pin wanted to catch sparrows, Minn would help to prop up the dustpan with a stick and scatter grain while Taisheng hid behind the wall holding the rope...
Li shi was busy preparing for the wedding, so she asked her daughter-inw, Wen shi to bring them back. However, Wen shi had never been able to discipline her sister-inw, while Minn was not someone she could educate at will, so she simply let them be.
“Just let them y. After all, they are just kids who are supposed to be lively, better than being dull.” First Old Madam Sheng came to their rescue.
Seeing Li shi upset by the girls, Old Madam Sheng had nned to reprimand Minn but gave it up when noticing Minn’s rosy cheeks and high spirit after these days of ying around. So she simply signed, “Nephew’s wife also loves the girls dearly. It’s just the girls would have to suffer if they were not disciplined well at young age. Well, please tolerate these two for a few more days. Educate these two wild girls when Changwu’s wedding ceremony is over.”
Pin, standing at the side with her head buried low, was called here for the lecture. However, hearing that, she immediately beamed with joy, which induced a reproving stare from her dear mother.
Exhausted after the long journey, Old Madam Sheng and Fang Mama asked Minn to tidy up their packages and record the gifts from their rtives as she had long been helping Fang Mama manage household affairs back in Deng Prefecture. Having only enjoyed her day with Minn for two days, Pin was quite frustrated and grumbled with her mouth pouted. However, seeing that all servants, be it the young or the elderly, report matters respectfully, and Minn’s orders were all nicely carried out without any whine or pine, Pin admired Minn with surprise.
“I’ve also helped sister-inw to manage household issues, but the servants always fooled with me and shirked their work, which really upset me. Worse still, mother didn’t even support me and scolded me for not doing my job well...Do you have any knacks for that?” Pin asked with modesty.
How could Minn not know the pain in it? For these days of ying together, she learned a bit about Pin’s personality. So she asked, “Let me guess, my dear sister. Before you start, have you ever asked the mama in charge how she used to handle the matter before?”
“No,” replied Pin. “I’ve already learned everything about the matter from my mother and sister-inw, why bother to ask the maids again?”
Minn continued, “Then I guess you must have had the matter solved directly without notifying the mamas?”
Pin nodded in approval, “Those mamas never take me seriously just because of the dignity that grandma and mother grant to them. Besides, many things can be handled so easily with just one order, why bother to switch it to so many hands?”
Hearing that, Minn immediately put on an unfathomable look. Pin was intrigued and kept nagging for the reason. Minn just smiled, “Servants are bound to masters by the contract. How could they be so daring to challenge their miss? No, they would only choose to obey the established rules to avoid unnecessary errors. When dealing with future matters, you’d better call in the stewardess first and figure out how it’s usually handled before. Keep it the usual way if you can. Only trying a new way when you couldn’t bear to tolerate the old. However, do not act on your own, nor should you let the servants see through your n. Go ask your mother or sister-inw first to see if your method is great.”
Pinined with her face puckered, “Mother is always picking on me, I don’t like asking her for advice.”
Minn ttened Pin’s puckered face with a hard pull and exined seriously with a straight face, “Everything in the mansion has its routines. How do you know your way is the best? Aunt is experienced in running the household, so she’d know immediately whether your idea is feasible, better than you doing it the wrong way. More importantly, every servant has its share in the errand when it passes different hands. Now you strip them all off the kickbacks and expect them to pay you respect? No way. It’s only natural that they would do something overtly or covertly to obstruct your work. However, if you let your grandmother or mother know it first, the maids, no matter how elderly or able-minded they are, dare not to use their miss of anything.”
Seeing that Pin was still a bit hesitant, Minn added, “It’s no easy task managing a household. Haven’t you heard of the saying, ‘Three years of running the household, hated even by cats and dogs.’ If you’re sick of the trouble, then stay away from it all. However, if you want to do it well, don’t be afraid of the trifles and difficulties. Now you are still an unmarried girl with your parents and grandma backing you up. By the time when you be a daughter-inw, dealing with your mother- and sisters-inw is indeed a tough task.” There was still some that Minn didn’t speak out. As a daughter of a concubine, she herself would face a harder condition. Rn and Mn were not easy to get along with and Wang shiwould not necessarily back her up. Therefore, she believed that the more things one managed, the more chances of making errors. Only if one did nothing could one actually keep out of all troubles.
What employees like best is less work more money whereas the purpose of the employer is to have employees get less and work more, which applies to all times. No matter howpetent you were as a hostess, troubles would follow if you harmed servants’ vested interest.
Running a household with 100,000 ounces of silver that only required 10,000 was no doubt easy. With lighter work, doubled monthly sry, double pay overtime, annual bonus and three overseas trips a year, as long as the hostess was not aplete idiot, she would be spoken highly of as being kind and beneficent. However, if one had to keep house with only 10,000 ounces of silver that required 100,000, with her husband’s brother buying a concubine using 8,00 ounces of silver this day, her sister-inw having a party for poems spending 5,00 that day, or mother-inw donating 1,000 to the temple asionally, plus nearly one thousand maids or houseboys and a husband who knew nothing about earning money, only a fairying down to earth waspetent as she could turn dust into gold.
Run the house ording to the financial status of the family, no extravagance for unnecessary style nor parsimony when treating the servants. Show some leniency when necessary even when it might mean more expenses buty down strict rules to discipline the servants to make everything in order.
Pin was a clever girl who was just tired of her mother’s harsh teachings, while her sister-inw Wen shi, feeling it inappropriate to meddle too much, never exined in detail. After Minn’s advice, she took quick action to observe how her mother handled domestic affairs, who, having maids counting the trousseaus, rewarding the servants, preparing for the feast...was busying all day long with dozens of maids crowding around her asking questions. Coming to realize how toilsome it was for her mother, Pin was quiet for several days, practicing calligraphy and learning needlework with Minn.
Li shi was quite relived to see her daughter so well-behaved. She was quite surprised when, the other day, she saw Minn’spetency in handling affairs like issuing orders and counting the gifts efficiently with fingers and a few strokes on paper, not even using an abacus! Minn was, after all, just a little girl. But taking a look at her own daughter who kept nagging, “How long will it take? Let’s go and y!” after Minn, Li shi was much worried.
Now just a few dayster, Pin became such a considerate girl. Li shi was delighted but also somewhat sad when noticing her daughter’s low spirit. Stroking softly on Pin’s head, she said gently, “Your sister Minn has always been well-behaved back in her home. Now that she’s here, it’d be great that you can take her for some walk in the gardens. Just don’t go too far.”
By the wedding day, Sheng Mansion took a new look, even servants changed new outfit. Pin led Minn happily over the house for the fun. Amid the lively sounds of gongs and drums came their Brother Changwu, who, riding on a white horse in his groom robe of red, led the wedding procession to the Sheng Mansion.
“Look at second brother! He is so silly, smiling so hard that corners of his mouth are stretched behind his ears,” Pin whispered to Minn, swinging her arm around Minn’s shoulder. Minn nodded repeatedly in approval—Changwuughed like a fool but that was quite understandable.
As the First Old Madam Sheng didn’t allow the boys to take concubines, sons of Sheng Family all married at a young age to avoid adolescence mistakes. However, Changwu had some bad luck in his marriage. Starting from when he was fifteen, First Old Madam Sheng and Li shi had been trying to find him a good match, causing girls of all backgrounds, even that of horse keeper, cook or carter, to try their luck. But First Old Madam Sheng and Li shi were not willing to lower their standards of choosing inws, so Changwu waited till he was 21 to finally get married. Therefore, Changbai couldn’t be more delighted.
Minn also met Taisheng’s father, her uncle-inw, whose formal name was Er’niu, a name that led Minn to the spection that he must have an elder brother named Da’niu. However, that was not the case. The reason why he got the name was his mother once dreamt of someone gifting them two bulls before delivery. This Uncle-Bull was quite amicable, helping out day and night after his brother-inw, Sheng Wei.
[T/N: Er’niu 二牛/èr niú/, literally means two bulls. In Chinese, 二 has two meanings, either second or two. While Da（大）means big or eldest as in 大哥–eldest brother. So Minn originally thought that since her uncle-inw was named second Niu, then he might have an elder brother named Eldest Niu.]
However, Minn didn’t like her cousin Shn’s husband, Sun Zhigao, who, though with fine features, was quite arrogant as if his eyes grew higher on his forehead. Sheter learned that he was once the noted child prodigy in Youyang, a Xiucai passing the Child Examinations at the young age of 12...but still a Xiucai till this day, who immediately changed his attitude from arrogance to respect after learning that Old Madam Sheng was a daughter of a marquis and her descendants were all officials.
Unmarried girls were not supposed to see the guests, so they were not allowed to attend the wedding ceremony or greet the guests. Pin tried many times to breach the servants to the front hall to enjoy the celebration but was stopped by Minn, who instead dragged her over to the backyard to appreciate the newly crafted flower trees. Li shi knew her daughter well and in her busy schedule had servant bring Pin to the back hall to apany First Old Madam Sheng and the female guests.
“Aredies of third uncle all here?” asked Pin.
“Yes, mydy, so are the marrieddy Xin and Yun from the neighboring county,” replied the servant girl with a smile.
Hearing that, Pin immediately pulled a long face and refused, “Then I’ll not go.”
The servant girl said with a worried tone, “That’s not appropriate, mydy. Madam has ordered...”
Minn came to the rescue after seeing the servant girl’s anxiety, “You may leave for your duty now, I’ll be there with your youngdy.”
The young maid knew that her youngdy was on good terms with Minn, who could often persuade herdy despite their short time together. So she left after some words of gratitude.
Pin stared at Minn andined, “Why you promise her that? I won’t got.”
“It doesn’t matter for me. However, aunt knows you well. Fearing that you may make trouble, she would certainly have maids remind and even escort you there. It’s just a matter of time,” reminded Minn with a casual tone.
Recalling her mother’s tough temper, Pin was in dismay, “I’m sick of the girls of third uncle. Sister Xin is okay, but Hun, who you’ve met before, is intolerable. The most notorious one is the concubine-born Yun...”
Leading Pin to the main hall, Minn asked as they walked slowly, “What’s all the grudge about? What happened?”
Pin unwittingly followed Minn and grumbled, “You may not know how brazen they are! When I was still a little girl, third aunt pushed her three daughters here, iming that girls should be brought up in wealthy family yet she herself was financially disadvantaged. Since the three girls came, I and big sister suffered much. Sister Xin only tried to protect herself, which was understandable. Yun, however, stirred trouble every time when there was something good to distribute on festivals, robbing my robes and stealing my sister’s hairpins. If I reported to mother, she would go crying shamelessly everywhere dering that we mistreated her!”
“She steals?” Minn was astonished.
Infuriated by her unhappy memories, Pin fumed, “More of tant robbing! Yun would seize every opportunity to rummage in big sister’s house when there was no one present, picking the best ones without returning back. Big sister was too lenient to ever me her, so Yun went insolent to even steal in mother’s room! Mother tolerated her for several times, thinking what she took were just some jewels and it was only natural for girls to dress up as they grew up. However, Yun went too far to even take title deeds of somends and this ancestral mansion. Mother was furious!”
Intrigued by it, Minn urged, “What happenedter? Did your mother get the title deeds back?”
Excited by the question, Pin replied withcency, “Back then Yun was about to get married in two months. Therefore, she thought that mother wouldn’t dare to touch her in fear of her engagement. However, mother first invited her over with great hospitality, then sent messages to her inws to dy the marriage for half a year as Yun was struck with a heavy disease. After that, mother put her in detention and never yielded not matter how third uncle and aunt pleaded and quarreled. In fact, fearing that it might lead to a break-off of the engagement, third uncle didn’t dare to stir up the trouble. It was not until Yun handed out the title deeds dozens of dayster that mother finally let her out. You know what’s the funnies part? Yun didn’t even tell her n to third uncle, hiding all the title deeds under her underwear so that she could take them to her husband’s family.”
As Pin told the story with excitement, Minn, however, was quite surprised and couldn’t help eximing in heart, “Deep rivers indeed move in silence! Never have I expected that the genial-looking aunt is such a man of decision and means!”
Pin was quite encouraged by Minn’s interest in listening and continued, “Then about Hun, I couldn’t even remember how many times we’ve fought with each other! Look at this scar! She gave it to me by pushing me to a stone five years ago. Luckily that I propped myself up at thest moment or else I would be severely disfigured.” Saying that, Pin immediately drew her sleeve up, exposing a pitch-colored scar that twisted like a chilopod.
“After that, she was immediately sent home,” added Pin furiously. “What an ungrateful thing!”
Hun was three years older than Pin. Hard to imagine how she could do such a cruel thing. Looking at the scar over a dozen centimeters long, Minn could even feel the pain Pin experienced. She pulled down Pin’s sleeve andforted, “I heard from your mother that sister Xin is good natured. She takes good care of her husband and children, enjoying conjugal harmony, which shows that Aunt’s teachings are not wasted.”
Hearing that, Pin finally put on a smile, “That’s because mother offered help. That year Sister Xin ran to my parents by starlight and kowtowed frantically in tears to plead with my parents, hoping them would persuade her father out of the idea of marrying her to a malicious old stingy. Mother fought really hard to save her and managed to marry her to her present husband. However, her husband tried many times to pass the provincial exam but failed, it is father who smoothened the rtions and helped him get his current post of being an official teacher in the neighboring county.”
Minn nodded repeatedly in approval, “Uncle and Aunt are warm-hearted, helping nieces to such. Emmm...but why don’t they help big brother-inw (Sun Zhigao, husband of Shn) to get the same post?”
“Hump! Many years ago, my dear brother-inw learnt from a forteller that he would someday be the prime minister. After that, he is determined and confident that he would pass the provincial and imperial court exam with excellent results. How would he condescend to such a humble post of an official teacher? He has refused father’s offer to help several times. I just hope that his talent can really match his ambition!”
Minn was amused by Pin’sint and couldn’t help wondering, “If Pin is born in modern times and writes a post of ‘Enjoy the show of how freak my cousins, cousin-inws, uncles and aunts are!’ on Tianya BBS, it would no doubt go viral and attract countless readers.”
When Pin finished her speech, they were already at the door of the main hall where stood a servant girl stretching her neck long and waiting. The servant girl was overjoyed to see them and hasted to greet them, “My deardy, you’re finally here. Old Madam has inquired about you many times and is nning to have servant fetch you again.”
“Stop nagging about it! I’m here!” Pin felt much better after pouring all her past grudges out and immediately dragged Minn into the room. The moment when the servant girl lifted the curtain there came an unknown voice of an old woman, “...just marry your Minn to my niece!”
Quite astonished, Pin unwittingly turned to Minn, who somehow breathed a collective sigh of relief and said smilingly, “What did aunt say when she let you transcribe books as punishment? The bad will fall no matter you face it head on or try to dodge it. All right, let’s get in.”