Legend of Concubine's Daughter Minglan

Chapter 228: Momo Chang and Her Affairs (1)

Translator: Iris

That night, Minglan didn’t sleep very well. As she was half-awake, she felt someone was staring at her. When she opened her eyes in a daze, she found Gu Tingye leaning slightly to her side and gazing at her. Minglan, as drowsy as she was, only murmured, “Why don’t you sleep?” After a long while, Gu Tingye said gently, “Go back to sleep, honey, you have been so tired lately.”

His soft tone exposed his tender affection, and even a bit guilty to her.

The girl’s long eyelashes suddenly shivered.

She truly was tired.

It was very tired to manage such a big family. The social engagement was tiring. Guarding against others’ schemes was tiring. She had to weigh her words every time she wanted to say something and considered the things she wanted to do over and over again. She was afraid of being reproached and criticized. She was more afraid that her faults would bring troubles to him. If things continued like this, she might go mad someday.

Long long time ago, she had sworn in front of the Buddha that she would live a good life.

Every day, no matter how busy she was, she would make time to have a rest, admire the beautiful flowers, read books, play chess, draw pictures, embroider the Brokeback Mountain pattern which amused her a lot on the cloth and recite the Buddha Texts when facing the clear and beautiful scenery. Those beautiful verses in the poems and those books which recorded the magnificent mountains and rivers could comfort her mind like the cool breeze blowing over the mountains.

Every day, she smiled and begged for the Buddha’s mercy. She only wanted peace, joy and a clear mind.

Everyone said that she was a lucky girl- But at least the man beside her knew about her tiredness and difficulties.

Minglan approached to the man and wriggled into his arms like a little puppy. The midnight of the early summer was cold, it seemed she could only find warmness in the man’s arms.

In the morning, after the breakfast, the three persons who lived in the House of Cardamon Fragrance came to give their obeisance as usual.

Qiuniang’s eyes were swollen like large walnuts, clearly she had cried for the whole night and was still in a dispirited state. Hongxiao spoke smilingly like she used to be as if nothing had happened. As for Rong, thanks to these days nourishing meals, she finally looked better than before. However, she still only uttered one single word or simple phrases at one time.

Minglan chatted with them genially. Normally, she would speak three sentences to each of them and then let them speak freely. Hongxiao played the leading role in the conversations most of the time. However, Minglan said something more today.

“Momo Chang will arrive this afternoon. Tell Mama Hua to bring Rong here then.”

Qiuniang moved her lips but didn’t say anything. Rong also raised her head slightly. Hongxiao put on a joyful look, saying, “Is Momo Chang really coming? I’ve already heard Master talking about this Momo. Since she also lives in the capital now, I guess we can see her very often in the future.” She seemed to be looking forward to Momo Chang’s arrival.

Minglan took a glance at Hongxiao and held her tea cup up, saying, “Master said that Momo Chang had taken care of Rong Before. So he wanted Rong to meet Momo Chang.”

Qiuniang’s face got paler and paler hearing that. Rong, with her head lowered, seemed to have remembered something. Hongxiao got dazed for a second but changed the subject right away with a beaming smile. After this woman spoken freely for five minutes, Minglan dismissed all of them.

After they left, Minglan raised her head to look at the beams with carvings in a daze. Momo Chang, truly was a remarkable woman.

After Momo Chang’s first daughter had died, she had gone to work in the Bai family as a wet nurse. Due to her diligent and considerate work, Old Master Bai had proposed to keep her as well as her husband in the mansion. However, she had refused that right away even though she had known how many benefits that offer would bring. As Old Master Bai had made a career for himself, Momo Chang had been more and more valued in the family due to her loyalty. After Bai family had got richer and richer, when Lady Bai had been about to get married, lots of the servants had competed to follow Madam Bai to Marquis Ningyuan’s mansion in order to enjoy a wealthy life. However, Momo Chang had not been among those servants. She had gone back to her hometown to manage her own family.

After Gu Tingye had made rapid achievement in his career, Momo Chang also hadn’t rushed to attach herself to him. Instead, she had made up her mind to be a plain citizen. When Gu Tingye had moved to the Cheng Manor, she had come to help put things straight at his request. After Sir Gongsun had come back from the south, she had gone back to her home again.

Also, this time she had also specified that she would come only in the afternoon.

This was worth pondering. In the ancient times, most of the guests only came in the morning. Minglan tried to guess Momo Chang’s intention: First, it would be likely for Momo Chang to run into Gu Tingye if she came in the afternoon. Second, if she came in the morning, she would have to stay here for lunch.

No matter how much Gu Tingye respected Momo Chang as an elder, she had used to be the wet nurse in Bai family, which meant that she should be considered as a servant. For that reason, she refused to eat on the same table with her master and madam. However, she was not willing to lower herself by saying that she couldn’t eat with her master and madam as their servant. Therefore, she had decided to come in the afternoon.

This elder stuck strictly to the rules, but was very self-respecting.

About two quarters past the Wei Hour (1 p.m.), Minglan woke up from the afternoon nap and started to wash her face. As she was doing her makeup, someone came in to report, “Momo Chang and her families arrived.” Minglan ordered Cuixiu to fetch Rong in the House of Cardamon Fragrance. Then she finished dressing herself and went to wait in the flower hall. After a short while, Liao Yong’s wife led Momo Chang and her families into the hall.

The one who walked ahead was a grey-haired old woman. She wore a dark green Beizi in brocade with black velvet edges which were two-fingers wide. Her wrinkled face had no expressions at all. The middle-aged woman behind her seemed around forty and was wearing a rust red long coat in satin embroidered with round patterns in dark threads. Following the women were a boy and a girl. The girl who was in an apricot coat embroidered with entangled floral branch patterns was about fifteen or sixteen. The boy beside her who seemed around ten years old wore a light-colored scholar robe.

Minglan was quite familiar with the boy’s outfit. Changdong usually wore the same style of clothes but only in better material and embroidery.

Minglan, having stood up slowly, stepped forward smilingly and gave obeisance to Momo Chang, “Momo, I’m so glad you are here. I’ve been expecting you for a long time. Master has mentioned about you for so many times.”

Momo Chang turned slightly sideways to avoid Minglan’s obeisance. In the meantime, she bent her knees and gave a formal obeisance to Minglan while saying seriously, “It’s an honor to meet you, Madam.”

As saying this, Momo Chang was also sizing Minglan up. She found the young madam in front of her looking extremely gorgeous and charming in the light purple coat in gauze embroidered with lotus branch pattern. A Ruyi hairpin inlaid with suet-jade was anchored in Minglan’s Wuo Duo style hair bun, looking just like the dewdrop in the morning. While they were talking, Minglan was gentle to everyone with a kind look in her eyes, seeming noble and unsullied.

To conclude, Momo Chang was impressed by Minglan inwardly on their first meeting.