Chapter 187: The Ways of the World - Moving Forward with Caution, Reflecting as You Go

Chapter 187: The Ways of the World - Moving Forward with Caution, Reflecting as You Go

The next day, Gu Tingye moved to the inner study to sleep. Minglan quietly prepared a jade mat and bedding for him, thoughtfully adding a soft blue-green embroidered mosquito net with ginger yellow crickets, and two white jade wormwood incense burners to ward off insects.

Gu Tingye stood in the side wing of the study, looking at the neat and comprehensive arrangements inside, feeling even more infuriated.

Strictly speaking, this wasn't a typical marital quarrel; it was more like one spouse venting while the other quietly listened, ending with the listener in tears. However, the result followed a common pattern: a fight followed by a cold war.

The most troublesome problem in the world is knowing what the problem is but being unable to solve it. Minglan was at her wit's end facing her husband's fierce expression, demanding her genuine feelings.

If Gu Tingye were an ordinary man, Minglan was confident she could get through this by putting on a show of tears. However, this man was experienced and skilled in reading people. Over the past two years, he had come to understand her character almost completely, making it impossible to deceive him.

If Minglan were to rush over now and express her deep sorrow by saying something like, "I've realized my mistake. Please forgive me. I truly love you," the other party probably wouldn't even lift an eyelid.

Minglan understood the meaning behind Gu Tingye's words that night. But with a relationship as close and as distant as that of a husband and wife, you can't always speak the absolute truth. Otherwise, the first thing she should have said was, "I'm actually from another time." She realized that she had been living too comfortably lately, neglecting the careful attention she used to pay, which had led her to overlook her husband's feelings. That was truly her mistake.

She resolved to reflect on this.

One person wants their partner to understand the root of their mistakes and be honest with them, which is an emotional issue;

The other thinks there's no problem with their feelings, just a need to adjust their approach, which is a technical issue.

The former feels the wife is not sincere and keeps trying to be clever;...

The latter thinks her husband is too troublesome; isn't it better to live a plain and simple life? What's the use of sincerity anyway—can it be eaten?

Gu Tinge refuses to come back on his own, and Ming Lan can't think of a solution, so she continues to manage the household and take care of the children as usual. The couple sits quietly across from each other, finishing their meal. If the man's expression is so bad that it affects his appetite, Ming Lan will eat again later.

Over time, Ming Lan surprisingly finds that this kind of life isn't too hard; if only she could have a few more children. Unfortunately, her husband refuses to come back to sleep.

Seeing this situation, Gu Tinge gets even angrier and becomes even more unwilling to return to their bedroom. However, he misses his son, so he often takes him to the study to sleep at night. He's become quite skilled at putting the child to sleep, so it isn't difficult for him.

If he comes back late, he'll wake Ming Lan in the middle of the night, pushing her awake to take the little one from her bed. Then Ming Lan will suffer from insomnia. If he has an early court session the next day, he'll stuff the sleeping child back into her bed before leaving, waking her up again. Then she'll hold the snoring little bundle, eyes wide open until dawn.

For the little chubby boy, living this life of sleeping with his mother in the first half of the night and with his father in the second half, closing his eyes to see his dad and opening them to see his mom, is completely comfortable. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night and can even play with Gu Tinge for a bit; when he gets tired, he just sleeps soundly until dawn. Touching her son's freshly shaved, plump little head, Ming Lan lets out a weak sigh.

—Do you know that your father has been out at night taking his frustrations out on the world?

During these days of the couple's cold war, there hasn't been a lack of activity in the household.

On the third day of the cold war, Qiu Niang, feeling restless, took a bowl of bird's nest soup to "visit" Gu Tinge in the study. However, she said something that upset him instead, resulting in him throwing the bowl and the soup out the door. Qiu Niang went back and cried for a long time.

On the fifth day of the cold war, Cui Wei heavily punished an old woman who often delivered things to the estate, along with her goddaughter. No one received the usual twenty blows; instead, they were both sent away from the estate.

On the eighth day of the cold war, Wang Shi's family from her maternal side came to the capital.

Wang's uncle had been out on assignment for several years and, with his term now complete, was returning to report back. His family arrived first. Wang Shi had been longing for her family and came early to inform Ming Lan. She said that in a couple of days, once Wang Laotai's family was settled, they would all go to pay respects to the elders. Ming Lan felt troubled for a while and could only hesitantly approach Gu Tinge to tell him, then looked at him with anticipation.

Gu Tinge feigned calmness as he said, "I'll come back early the day after tomorrow, and we'll go together. Tuan Ge'er is too small to go just yet."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Ming Lan had been waiting for him to say this. She hadn't wanted to take Tuan Ge'er over herself, but she also didn't want to seem like the bad person. His words were just what she hoped for. With that thought, she happily walked over to hold his arm and leaned her head against him.

Gu Tinge looked at her for a moment, then turned his head, secretly sighing. She was like a child, sincerely admitting her mistakes, obediently accepting her punishments—adorable and well-behaved. Yet, she didn't truly understand what she did wrong and wasn't willing to correct it.

With her soft, fragrant presence on his shoulder and her bright smile, he found himself liking her even more. Unconsciously, he wrapped his arm around her waist. Suddenly, he thought, pathetically,—this is fine; let's just go on like this. What's the point of being so serious?

On the day after tomorrow, Ming Lan once again invited Shao Shi, who still shook her head, smiling apologetically, "You and Er Di go ahead. When those two young ladies come back from school, the three of us can eat together."

Having grown accustomed to a low-key life under Xiao Qin Shi's influence, and perhaps fully aware of the grievances between the Gu brothers, Shao Shi was very modest in Chengyuan. As a young widow, she had to navigate a lot of gossip. Other than her own family, she rarely ventured out.

Additionally, since she hadn't offered any help on the day Ming Lan gave birth, she felt increasingly apprehensive around Gu Tinge and Ming Lan, becoming even more humble and cautious.

Ming Lan sighed softly and said, "Then I'll leave those two girls in your care, sister-in-law."

In truth, she didn't blame her; how many truly selfless people are there in the world? Most think of themselves first.

After Gu Tinge changed out of his court robes, Ming Lan specifically chose a dark blue Shu brocade robe embroidered with subtle peonies for him. She then took care to dress elegantly herself before the couple headed out.

Although the Wang family's old residence wasn't large, it was located in a better area than the Sheng family's, just half an hour's ride from the imperial city. They arrived quickly. The old servant at the entrance had been waiting with a hanging neck for quite a while, and upon seeing the dark lacquered emblem on the carriage, he recognized it as the Sheng family's son-in-law from the Ningyuan Marquis estate. He hurriedly welcomed the couple inside with great respect.

Upon entering, they noticed that the Sheng family members had already arrived. Elder Madam Sheng was seated beside a white-haired old woman, while Old Master Sheng, Sheng Hong, stood respectfully to the side, chatting with a beaming smile. A circle of people sat or stood around them.

After they approached and bowed in greeting, the old woman quickly raised her hand, telling Ming Lan and Gu Tinge to get up. Elder Madam Sheng smiled and said, "Speaking of which, this is the first time Old Sister has met Liu Yao."

["Liu Yao" (六丫头) refers to one of the younger daughters in the Sheng family, specifically the sixth daughter.]

Wang Shi, standing to the side, shifted her feet uncomfortably, but Old Madam Wang paid no mind. She pulled Ming Lan closer and examined her carefully: "Hmm, indeed a well-mannered child. Old Sister is truly blessed."

This so-called maternal family was one Ming Lan had never met before. Now that she was seeing them for the first time, she turned her head to take a closer look and noticed that although Old Madam Wang was quite elderly, she had a dignified nose and well-defined features, resembling Aunt Kang. It seemed she must have been a beautiful woman in her youth. In comparison, Wang's Aunt looked much less impressive, with a serious demeanor and rarely smiling.

[Wang's aunt refers to the sister of Wang Shi or the wife of Wang Shi's brother.]

Wang Biao, with the given name You, resembled Wang Shi quite a bit—he had a round face with broad features and looked like a sturdy young man. Naturally, there was also Ming Lan's old acquaintance, her cousin Kang Yuan'er, who had married into the Wang family.

At this moment, she was critically scrutinizing Ming Lan's attire with a haughty gaze, taking in everything from the double-ringed turquoise and jade bracelets on her wrists to the white jade hairpin adorned with gold threads on her head. The hairpin was made from seven or eight pieces of mutton-fat white jade held together with red gold threads. Its craftsmanship was exceptional, as it required the jade to be polished to a thinness like cicada wings. It was said to be a lost technique from a previous dynasty.

Kang Yuan'er felt a pang of jealousy in her heart for quite some time but managed to keep her mouth shut.

Ming Lan ignored her and turned to her cousin Yun'er, asking, "Cousin, are you back in the capital?" Sheng Changwu was truly a good husband; one could only wonder what excuse he had used to bring her back from her hometown.

Kang Yun'er glanced at Aunt Kang ahead, then stepped forward to take Ming Lan's hand, her face full of shame as she whispered, "Dear sister, about that incident from last year... it was all my mother's fault. Please don't take it to heart."

Ming Lan smiled slightly and changed the subject, asking, "Why isn't Brother Wu here today?"

Yun'er replied, "He's been assigned to the western outskirts camp lately and can only come back once every half month." Seeing that Ming Lan didn't want to continue the conversation, Yun'er felt very sad, knowing that Ming Lan was still upset. But no matter how wrong her mother was, she was still her mother.

"Fifth Sister can't come either," Ming Lan added. She understood Yun'er's concerns, but she didn't plan to forgive Aunt Kang just because of Yun'er. Instead, she shifted the topic again, saying, "Recently, a relative from the Wen family passed away, and she went to the countryside to pay her respects." Wen Yanjing's official position had essentially been decided, and recently, like Lan had been very obedient to her in-laws, fearing that any unexpected events might prevent her from returning.

Old Madam Wang said gently to Gu Tinge, "I'm being presumptuous, calling the marquis my son-in-law. After all, you'll be family now."

Gu Tinge turned slightly in his seat, gently embracing her with both hands: "Old Madam, may you be well."

Old Madam Wang felt a slight displeasure. Just earlier, during the greetings, Gu Tinge had called Elder Madam Sheng "Grandmother," but referred to her as "Old Madam," clearly keeping his distance. She glanced over and noticed her daughter-in-law's gaze flicker, then look at her eldest daughter.

Aunt Kang was standing there, visibly angry.

Old Madam Wang sighed inwardly. She naturally knew about the entanglements between her eldest daughter and the marquis's family. Since Ming Lan entered, she hadn't even addressed Gu Tinge and the marquis as "Aunt" once. She truly didn't understand her daughter—these relatives, who were not connected by blood, should be treated with extra courtesy; otherwise, why would they bother to acknowledge you?

On the other side, Sheng Hong was in high spirits and laughed, "May I ask, Mother-in-law, when will my brother-in-law return?"

When he had gone to the Wang family to seek a marriage, everyone had looked down on him, but this mother-in-law had treated him very kindly. Uncle Wang was a good man as well, and in those early years of his career, he had taken special care to guide him.

Sure! Here's the translation:

Old Madam Wang looked affectionately at her satisfied son-in-law: "At most, it'll be a month—at the quickest, half a month. He has to finish up the matters at hand before he can leave. I was just thinking of you all; it's been so many years since I've seen my sister, so I came early."

Elder Madam Sheng smiled and said, "Speaking of which, Baige and his wife will soon be back in the capital to report for duty. We should all have a family reunion meal then."

Wang's aunt's eyes flickered, and she said with concern, "It's worth mentioning that Baige is truly impressive; at such a young age, he's already a local official, while my You'er is still studying. By the way, wasn't it said that his wife was expecting? Has she given birth yet?"

Elder Madam Sheng was even more delighted: "She gave birth on the second day of the third month, and both mother and child are well."

Wang Shi was also very happy, unable to resist boasting, "The women who came back with the news all said it was a big, healthy boy—he eats well, sleeps well, and is quite strong! There's even a lucky birthmark on his chest, which means he'll be clever and prosperous for life!"

Wang's aunt joined in the merriment, laughing, "Congratulations, Elder Madam, and to you, Auntie! Another grandson—your family is truly blessed with many children and grandchildren." Although she meant no offense, both Kang Yuan'er and Aunt Kang were already feeling restless.

At this moment, Hualan entered from the doorway, smoothing down her rolled-up sleeves as she walked, with a group of children following behind her. She said, "…Now that you've had your fruit, you must behave properly…" Looking up, she smiled and said, "Oh, Sixth Sister, Brother-in-law, you're here."

"Greetings, Elder Sister," Minglan greeted with a smile. Gu Tingye also stood up and bowed, "How is Brother-in-law doing?"

"All is well, the family is doing fine," Hualan replied.

Minglan made a point to talk about happy things: "I've heard that the horse ranch outside the city has been thriving these past few years. Quite a few people are waiting for your husband's horses now."

"Oh, him!" Hualan waved her hand, unable to hide her pride. "These days, he leaves early in the morning and only returns in the middle of the night. The house is far from quiet; people are visiting every day."

Wang's aunt pointed and laughed, "No wonder you came early today—you're here to escape the commotion!"

Hualan, laughing flatteringly, leaned towards her and said, "Oh dear, from morning till now, I've been helping Auntie with moving and lifting. Have I had a single moment to rest? Even if there's no merit, there's hard work. Auntie, are you afraid I'll ask for wages?"

Wang's aunt pretended to think for a moment before saying, "Alright, you can have some fruit later."

Hualan bit her lip, then turned and laughed, "Grandmother has such skills! I wonder where you found this aunt. Tsk tsk, with such a capable daughter-in-law, the Wang family must be thriving day by day!"

The women in the room laughed until they bent over, with Old Madam Wang especially delighted. She pointed at Hualan, laughing and scolding, "You little monkey! Even the elders are fair game for your teasing! Quickly, call your father to beat you!"

Even the few men couldn't help but chuckle, while Elder Madam Sheng, as well as Wang Shi and Sheng Hong, looked at Hualan with affectionate eyes. Only Aunt Kang and her daughter Kang Yuan'er had uncertain expressions. They saw Zhuang Jie standing gracefully next to Hui Jie, while Guo'er and Shi'er leaned affectionately against Old Madam Wang.

Aunt Kang suddenly turned to Ming Lan and asked, "Today is such a joyous occasion; why didn't you bring your boy over?"

Ming Lan was slightly taken aback. She felt extreme disdain for Aunt Kang but put on a troubled expression as she looked at Gu Tingye.

Gu Tingye replied for her, "The child is still young; once he's a bit older, we'll bring him out."

Aunt Kang displayed a cold smile, and Kang Yun'er noticed something was off and worriedly tugged at her mother's sleeve. However, Aunt Kang refused to back down: "The marquis's son is precious…"

"Whose child isn't precious?" Old Madam Wang suddenly interjected, "A child under a year old, what's the point of bringing him out?" She then scolded, "You've had a few children yourself; don't you understand this basic reasoning?!"

Aunt Kang unwillingly fell silent.

Ming Lan stood at the back, watching Old Madam Wang with cold eyes—having lived far away for many years, yet she knew so much about the child's age.

After everyone finished lunch, they began to take their leave. Aunt Kang claimed that she had no elder to rely on and would stay with her mother for a few days, while Kang's uncle waved his sleeve and left. Wang Shi also intended to leave in the same manner but was pulled away by Sheng Hong. Old Madam Wang said she wanted to take a nap, instructed Wang's aunt to go about her business, and then went into the inner room with Aunt Kang, dismissing the others to finally discuss private matters.

"You really need to change this terrible habit of yours!" Old Madam Wang sighed. "You know very well that Gu Hou is on the rise now; why bother provoking that girl?"

Aunt Kang disdainfully pouted, "What's the big deal? She's just the daughter of a lowly maid…"

"Shut your mouth!" Old Madam Wang scolded. "It doesn't matter how she was born. Right now, she holds a higher position than you and is more prominent. You need to show her respect and courtesy; otherwise, you'll be the one to suffer!"

Aunt Kang was unconvinced: "It's just that she's young and beautiful now. Once Gu Hou stops doting on her, she'll be in for a rough time! But… heh, that's coming soon. Recently, that lowly girl and Gu Hou have had a falling out; Gu Hou has even moved to the study to sleep. Just look at today—clearly, they're not as close as before…" She chuckled while saying this.

Unexpectedly, Old Madam Wang was unfazed and rebuked, "I told you to stop spreading gossip, but you never listen. Where did you hear that? Gu Hou isn't close to her—does that mean he's close to you?! What are you so pleased about? Didn't you notice how Gu Hou looked at you today? What exactly have you done to make her look down on you like that?"

Aunt Kang pressed her lips together, unwilling to reveal her past conspiracy with Xiao Qin, only feeling a slight regret.

Although the maid Caihuan had been sent to the countryside as punishment, she had managed to connect with a servant in the household whose adopted daughter worked in the outer courtyard of Jiaxi Residence. Once Caihuan received the news, she quickly reported it back. Unfortunately, after just one message was sent, the head of the estate became suspicious.

And then that line was cut off.

Aunt Kang suspected that Minglan had already suspected her and was deliberately waiting, otherwise, how could it have been so coincidental?

Old Madam Wang suddenly remembered something and said, "I heard that a illegitimate daughter from your family has become a concubine for Prince Anyang? That old prince is already seventy this year, and that child is only in her teens. How could you be so ruthless?"

This time, Aunt Kang genuinely laughed: "Mother, this time it's not me. It's your good son-in-law who has taken a fancy to the idea of connecting with Prince Anyang; I merely gave a suggestion."

"Aren't you afraid that girl will become favored and then turn against you?!"

Aunt Kang laughed proudly, "That girl's mother and brother are both in my hands; what do I have to fear!"

"No wonder you're so confident; it turns out you've connected with Prince Anyang."

Old Madam Wang tried to reason with her, but seeing her daughter still stubborn, she couldn't help but feel disheartened and sighed, "Alright, I'm getting old, and I can't manage your affairs anymore. But I need to talk about Yuan'er; after all, it's a significant matter for the Wang family's lineage."

Aunt Kang's heart tightened. Her daughter had yet to bear children, and Wang's aunt had long been dissatisfied. She trembled as she said, "Mother, Yuan'er is your own granddaughter; you can't—"

"You Ge'er is also my own grandson!" Old Madam Wang retorted angrily.

"...Yuan'er has defied her mother-in-law, disrespected her father-in-law, and even dared to hit the maid by my side—she's completely out of control, almost like she wants to stab someone! If she weren't my own granddaughter, do you think I would have tolerated her this long?!"

Old Madam Wang took a deep breath. "One year, I'll wait at most one more year. If Yuan'er still hasn't conceived, your sister-in-law will have to take a secondary wife for You Ge'er. Don't worry, once the child is born, we can put it under Yuan'er's name; it'll be the same."

Aunt Kang screamed, "My big brother-in-law's elder brother is the nephew of the Sheng family's sister-in-law; his wife also hadn't been pregnant for many years, but didn't they wait?! Now they finally have…"

"That's because they have two brothers!" Old Madam Wang pointed out sharply, then spoke earnestly, "But we only have You Ge'er. He's frail; we can't take that risk. If something were to happen, how could I face your deceased father?"

Aunt Kang's sharp teeth nearly bit into her lip, and she finally said fiercely, "Fine, one more year. If it doesn't work, then we'll take a secondary wife, but—" She fixed her gaze on her mother, "The child must go to the mother!"

Old Madam Wang felt a jolt in her heart, looking at her daughter's face that resembled her own, and her heart softened again as she slowly nodded.

...

After returning to the residence, when Gu Tingye saw Minglan enter with a small yellow clay jar, her face filled with childlike delight, he couldn't maintain a cold expression. "Is that a local specialty from Chengde? What's got you so happy?"

Minglan looked up and smiled, "It's auspicious vegetables." Seeing that he didn't quite understand, she added, "It's bracken."

"You like this?" Gu Tingye was surprised.

"It's not for me; it's for Lady Wei Bei, the sister from the Zhang family."

Minglan slowly uncovered the oiled cloth, revealing the salted, tender bracken inside. The saltwater was clear and clean, and she suddenly felt fond of that Aunt Wang. She had just tasted a couple of bites with Xiaotao, and although it was quite salty, it was indeed crunchy and refreshing.

"Usually, bracken is sun-dried, and each family rehydrates it in water before eating. It's good, but unfortunately, it lacks some freshness. This jar of bracken has been pickled, but it looks like it was freshly picked not long ago. If we soak it in spring water to dilute the salt, we can eat it."

Seeing her animatedly talk about it, Gu Tingye couldn't help but smile, "Listening to you makes me crave it."

"There are two jars! Let's keep one for ourselves," Minglan said with a cheerful grin. "How do you want to eat it? I'll prepare it for you. Whether we stew it, stir-fry it—oh no, it's best to eat it cold right now."

Gu Tingye smiled slightly.

She had a cheerful and optimistic aura, full of health and vitality, as if no matter how big the problem was, she could just move on and start anew. Every sunrise brought hope, and every tomorrow held happiness waiting ahead.

"Give me the jar; I'll send it over quickly on horseback!" He suddenly felt younger himself.

Minglan wrinkled her nose and playfully smiled, "Is it an urgent delivery over eight hundred miles? Don't let people laugh at you. Lord, keep your fast horse for yourself. It's still early; I'll take the carriage and talk to Sister Zhang for a bit."

Sister Zhang was about to give birth soon, so she wanted to send some of her favorite foods and offer some encouragement, treating it as the last bit of psychological support before her delivery. It was also a way to repay the kindness Zhang had shown her multiple times.

"Make it a quick trip," Gu Tingye said with a smile in his eyes.

Minglan nodded vigorously, her lips forming two small smiles: "I'll be back just in time for dinner."

The fragrance of the begonia flowers filled the courtyard, and the man sat in a large wicker chair on the porch, cradling the chubby little boy and gently rocking him, smiling as he watched her leave—he could never stay angry with her for long.

Unfortunately, it wasn't until lantern-lighting time that she returned, looking exhausted, with a few faint drops of blood staining the hem of her skirt.