The Legend of Concubine's Daughter Minglan

Chapter 31

"Did she really say that?" Concubine Lin had changed her attire, wearing a half-new, dark blue brocade jacket embroidered with orchid. On her hair was a waterdrop-shaped pure gold hairpin mounted with beeswax. She leaned against the bed board, holding a book while her eyes fixing on her daughter next to the tea table.

Molan nodded, slowly leaning to the other side to rest, but looked uncertain. Concubine Lin's eyes shimmered with a bit appreciation. She smiled, "I didn't expect a sparrow should lay phenix eggs. A person as cowardly and timid as Concubine Wei should have such a smart daughter. Old Madam indeed has her way of fostering girls."

When the curtain moved, a maid came in holding a small tea tray of black pear wood with gilding cup on it. Molan received it and took a sip, praising, "This tastes good! The cubilose Madam sent to the Luxuriant Pavilion is small and broken and tastes very insipid." Then she ordered the girl out. Putting down the cup, she said in a low voice, "Mother, do you think we can believe what Minglan said?"

Concubine Lin smoothed her hair on the temples and snorted, "Yes, we can but that also depends. I know Old Madam's temper. In her eyes, rich families cannot raise noble people. If Minglan also thinks the same way in the future, she then will pose no threat to you, but this is not certain. Judging by what happened these years, Old Madam spoils the girl so awfully that she should be active again and no longer abstain from meat! Even her temper turns vibrant. Afraid of not able to live until sixth young lady gets married, she tries all means to maintain healthy."

Molan was reminded of something and said, "Mother, today Madam sent two maids over there, is it...."

Concubine Lin looked at Molan, eyes fully of pride, "This is my child. How clever you are to know the implication by a little hint! Since Minglan moved to the Hall of Peaceful Ages, the old woman never pretends to be lofty and spoiled the girl to such an extent... Making new clothes this day, and forging new jewelries the next. Jade Treasure House's hairpins, Glaze Pavilion's jades, Auspicious and Peace's silk, fuling, cubilose, gooses, ducks were all taken to the Hall of Peaceful Ages as if they were free of charge. The expend not covered by monthly allowance is paid by herself and never gets involved with public account, so Madam cannot make any comment about it."

Molan thought of the decoration in the House of Clear Dusk. Though there weren't too many pieces, all were delicate and antique, the value of which could be figured out by a single glance. She could not help but be grudging and envious. Concubine Lin also got more irritated while listing everything, so she smirked, "Hum, I really misjudged her, thinking she is a benevolent and chaste woman who gave all the businesses to a son not of her own and retired to practice abstinence from meat and pray to Buddhas. How can I know she has saved cards and keeps put on an ugly air of my great benefactor? But for her pretending to be poor, I might have had a rich dowry and married to whoever I want. If she hadn't hidden it from me, I wouldn't have to..."

This time, Molan didn't reply. Looking at her angry birth mother, she only stretched the corners of her mouth and said to herself, "Your family name is Lin while Old Madam's is Xv, the Mansion is Sheng. Why would Old Madam take out her own money to make your dowry?"

Concubine Lin cast down the book, straightened her shoulder and sneered, "Hem. Anyway, it is good that...In these years, Old Madam's extravagance on sixth young lady has caught Madam's attention. However, the Hall of Peace Ages is tightly guarded like a prison that Madam can neither allocate her hands there nor buy off the servants, so Madam has no idea whether Old Madam possesses a fortune or how much she owns. Thinking from all perspectives, sixth young lady might be a starter..."

Hearing this, Molan was delighted somehow. She smiled, "It'd be nice that Madam probes into it or the girl would be able to take all the advantages. No matter how dear Old Madam loves her, she has to observe the rules of the Mansion. There is more than one young lady whose family name is Sheng. Me and Rulan are not dead. The great wealth like silver and gold mountains shouldn't be exclusive to her alone!"