<h4>Chapter 115: Mn Gets Married (2)</h4>
Trantor: Iris
Proofread by DragonRider
ording to traditional customs, the bridegroom would be stopped at the gate until he gave some red packets containing money to his brothers-inw and fulfilled their requests. Eldest Brother-inw Yuan Wenshao asked Liang Han to dance with a sword ording to the military music, Bringing in the Wine. Changfeng asked him topose a poem about summer peach. Changbai was the kindest of the three because he didn’t utter a single word.
On the third day, Mn returned to the Sheng Mansion to visit her legal parents. She wore a bright red muslin coat with patterns of pomegranate flowers and sat in the chair with a shy smile. Liang Han sitting beside her seemed gentle with her. Seeing that they seemed devoted to each other, Wang shi was burning with anger in her heart and couldn’t resist lecturing Mn with a straight face, “... Marquis Yongchang Household is a noble family. After marriage, you can’t lose your temper or do as you wish. You should show filial obedience to your parents-inw and get on well with brothers-inw and sisters-inw. Don’t talk nonsense or act recklessly. And don’t bring shame on the Sheng family.” Then Wang shi gave Mn a long lecture.
Liu Kun’s wife felt helpless. Concubine Lin and Mn was very capable of dealing with the verbal aggression. As expected, in the face of Wang shi‘s criticism, Mn lowered her head and pretended to be obedient. Then she looked at Liang Han with watery eyes as if she was wronged and about to fall down at any time because of her private grief. Liang Han was full of sympathy for her and subconsciously defended her.
Wang shi became angrier. After thinking for a while, she turned around and whispered a few words to Caipei as she slowly twisted her lips into a meaningful smile.
Sheng Hong was satisfied with Liang Han though the young man had some habits of yboys. Changfeng was the happiest person in the room because he was d to have Liang Han as his brother-inw. He took Liang Han’s hand and passionately chatted with him. But the two of them couldn’tmunicate effectively with each other because one mistakenly thought that Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi were brothers and the other didn’t know the eleven uses of Fuyue.
T/N note:
Fuyue: arge, axe-shaped weapon in ancient times.
Changbai kept silent. He often said, “Don’t judge a person on the basis of first impression. We should not jump to conclusions unless we have made intensive and thorough investigations.” Minn thought it quite right.
Liang Han followed Mn to kowtow to Old Madam Sheng. When he stood up and raised her head, he saw two well-dressed girls standing beside Old Madam Sheng. The girl on the left was unattractive to him. But the girl on the right attracted his attention. She wore a white satin gown and a white brocade skirt. Her outerwear was a light pink double-breasted sleeveless over-dress. She had twisted her ck hair into a bun and pinned it with a red agate lotus-shaped hairpin. There were some fresh lotuses in a white porcin flower vase on an ebony table beside her. The lotuses sent forth a delicate fragrance.
Liang Han gawked at her and felt that she was as pretty as a picture and had the air of nobility. Although she just stood here with her head bowed, she paled the others with her beauty.
In a trance, he heard Wang shi talking, “... This is your sixth sister. From now on, we’re family...”
Liang Han heart suddenly sank. When Old Madam Sheng hade to propose the marriage, he readily agreed. For one thing, Chunge had been pregnant for several months and couldn’t wait any longer; for another, he thought that the Fourth Lady of the Sheng family was a beautiful girl of fine, delicate features. Madam Liang had said to him, “I hope you won’t regret it.” Now he finally understood the meaning in her words.
Mn was angry at Wang shi‘s behaviors. From ancient times to the present, a bride would return to her parents’ home with her husband on the third day after the wedding. The newly married couple should kowtow to elders and the bridegroom should greet his brothers-inw and sisters-inw. Hun’s mother-inw refused toe here on pretext of illness. There was no need to ask the unmarried sisters toe here and meet their new brother-inw. But Wang shipurposely sent her maids to bring Minn and Rn over here. Obviously, she wanted to...
Mn gritted her teeth to hold back her rage before she twisted her head sideways and smiled gently at Liang Han. She cast a coquettish nce at him, her rosy lips slightly open as if to utter some honeyed words. Liang Han was dazed for a while, and then felt a bit morefortable. Although Mn was not as pretty as Minn, she was a charming woman. Seeing what Mn had done, Rn curled up her lips with contempt. Minn kept her head bowed from beginning to end. She knew Wang shi‘s intentions and had to do her legal mother the favor though she was unwilling.
After the exchange of conventional greetings, the men and the women sat at different tables for a meal. After dinner, they drank tea and ate pastries. Mn wanted to show off the wealth and extravagance of Marquis Yongchang Household but Wang shi, Rn and Minn had no intention of asking her about Marquis Yongchang Household. So she had to take the initiative in talking about her married life in order to show off her happiness, but Rn soon interrupted her. The conversation was as follows.
Mn fanned her rosy face with a handkerchief as if the room felt very hot. “... It’s really hot today. Fortunately, the cer in Marquis Yongchang Household is big enough to store arge amount of ice. We can use the ice everyday...”
“The curd cheese given by Lian is really delicious. I feel that it’s made from ewe’s milk. Sister Minn, do you think so?” Rn looked at Minn with interest.
“Er... I have no idea about it,” Minn answered honestly.
After that, Rn stole the show and continuously talked with Wang shi and Minn. They chatted andughed. The bride, however, was given the cold shoulder. Mn’s face was livid with anger. Fortunately, Hai shi couldn’t bear to see Mn sitting still in embarrassment, so she asked about Mn’s married life with a smile, which thawed the atmosphere in time.
What Rn had done was unsuitable. In the evening, Hai shi went to the House of Carefree and wanted to give Rn some advice. But she didn’t expect that Minn was also here.
“Sister Rn want to learn needlework. So she asked me to teach her.” In fact, Minn was very tired. Maybe it was because Mn grew older, she gradually became interested in needlework. So she often invited Minn to give her some advice about her needlework. “It’s much more tiring to teach someone to embroider than to do the embroidery myself.” Minn rubbed her eyes and helplessly thought to herself, “To make matters worse, the student is not very clever.”
Minn looked downcast, which aroused Hai shi‘s sympathy. She knew that Minn must have had a hard time teaching Rn because Rn was quick-tempered. Hai shi asked Minn to have a rest and then turned to speak to Rn.
“Sister Rn, please listen to me. Mn is your sister. Now that she has been married, you two will seldom meet in the future. Why not try to get on well with her? If outsiders know that you are in a bad rtionship with her, they willugh at our family. Furthermore, Mn has married into Marquis Yongchang Household. Maybe you will ask her for help in the future. So it’s better to be friendly to her.” As the eldest sister-inw, Hai shi tried her best to persuade Rn.
However, Rn didn’t take Hai shi‘s remarks to heart; instead, she refuted eloquently, “The outsiders won’t know what happened between me and Mn unless Mn tells them. Sister-inw, I have feuded with her for a long time. She hates me and I dislike her too. Even if I try my best to get on well with her, will all previous ill will be removed? Will she stop giving me a bad review in front of outsiders? Will she help me when I get into trouble? No, she won’t. All I’m hoping for is that she won’t kick me when I’m down. So, Sister-inw, I can only rely on the support of my parents, eldest brother and you in the future.”
Hai shi was stunned by Rn’s remarks. After thinking about it carefully, she thought that Mn was quite right. Minn with the embroidery frame in her hands quite approved of Rn’s opinions. ‘If I had been born as the legal daughter and had a capable mother and an aspirant brother, perhaps I would have done the same thing as Rn did,’ she thought.
After a long silence, Hai shi gave a bitter smile and said, “Alright, I will say no more on this matter. But you’d better control yourself in front of outsiders in case of being caught out.”
Rn pouted and nodded unwillingly. Hai shi carried on speaking to Rn. After a while, Rn was tired of listening to her. In a fit of pique, she drove them away on the excuse of being sleepy. Minn finally seized the chance to slip away.
On the way back to the House of Clear Dusk, Luzhi couldn’t helpining, “Why doesn’t Lady Rn ask maids who are skilled in needlework to teach her? Whenever she wanted to do embroidery, she asked Lady Minn to her house at once. Whether day or night, whether ourdy went to bed or not. Does she really treat ourdy as her sister?”
Even Dangju got a bit angry. “Doing embroidery at night is bad for one’s eyes. Even if Lady Rn really wants to learn needlework, she should choose a proper time to consult ourdy.”
Minn kept silent for a few moments before she chided softly, “Don’t say any more.”
They were walking in the courtyard. The sky was spangled with stars. Quiet came over the whole Sheng Mansion. Minn took a deep breath and felt much morefortable. Most people like topare themselves to others. But for Minn, if she oftenpared her living conditions with Hun or Rn’s, she would be overwhelmed with unhappiness. However, when she recalled the poor woman, Cao Jinxiu, she gotfort. There was no psychologist in ancient times. As a time-traveler, Minn should adopt a positive mental attitude.
After a while, Dangju said in a low voice, “Young Madam Mn seems to live well in Marquis Yongchang Household.” Dangju couldn’t help but think to herself, ‘Is it really a good marriage? It should have belonged to mydy but Young Madam Mn stole it.’
Luzhi snorted with disapproval. “It’s too early toe to a conclusion that she will live a good life. After all, a newtrine will be certainly weed by people for at least three days,” she whispered, almost spitting venom from her mouth.
Minn felt embarrassed by the metaphor in Luzhi’s words.