The Story of Ming Lan (知否知否应是绿肥红瘦)

The Story of Ming Lan

Episode 43

Wife, I've taken off my outer clothes.

Look at this huge long leg of mine.

Stop reading.

You won't finish it today. Just continue tomorrow.

This house has so many spies from the marquis manor. How can I not be anxious?

Danju said that a new maidservant today

wanted to enter your inner study to attend to you, but got scolded away by her.

And this Nanny Lai isn't that easy to deal with.

When she was not doing anything, she would go around the garden and would enter any door she sees,

would pull any people she sees and ask around.

I can't really stuff her mouth to shut her up, right? It's better to drive her away as soon as possible.

How come you can't just stuff her mouth and make her leave?

I'll tell Shitou to lock that old woman up tomorrow.

Aren't you oppressing the old and weak?

If that gets out, do you still want you reputation or not?

How about when I go to court tomorrow, I'll leave some guards here.

In the places that you think are very important,

I'll leave two people holding blades to guard there.

Let's see who still dares to randomly touch things.

Looks like that Big Madam Qin is attacking me from two angles at the same time.

Sending me some old crafty servants to add to my trouble on one hand,

and then simultaneously sending some beautiful ones to seduce you. She really gave a lot of thought in this.

Beautiful?

How beautiful?

Of course, they are indeed quite pretty.

How about...tomorrow...

...I'll let them attend to us when we eat and you'll be able to see them.

I'm just joking with you, but look at you.

You got serious with it.

Either way, you're going to take in a concubine in the future, and I'm not jealous.

I'm just worried that those people are inappropriate.

Why are you not jealous?

Even that stepmother of mine, who can really pretend and endure things,

would still argue with my father about such things.

Why are you not jealous?

That jealous of hers must be pretentious too!

In my house, there's this Little Mother Lin of mine. When she gets jealous, it's really so colorful.

Isn't it all just to make their husband think that in their heart,

he is so precious and important?

You little fox! Can't you even pretend?

If you dare take in a concubine,

I'll hit you with a huge pole and drive you out!

I'll never allow you to enter my room.

Okay! Okay!

That's how my good wife should be! Being jealous is good!

Come. Come. Let me read that for you.

I...let me help you! Let me help you! Come...

Thank you, Sister.

- So heavy? - With such a small box,

this is really heavy.

Is this filled with gold and silver?

Not only that. There are a lot of precious gems too.

Outside, there are carts and carts of fabrics.

We have to transport each one of them to the stockroom of the inner house.

I will surely be busy this whole day.

With so many good objects, where did they come from?

Is it Big Madam's dowry?

- Still not done moving them? - You must be joking.

How is that possible? These are all gifts given by other people to General.

Not only these, there are still a lot of outside falling in line and waiting.

They've been placed in a corner. So many things waiting for us.

Big Madam just accepted all of them?

Maybe so. With so many good items being delivered right in front of her,

will she still refuse them? Is she dumb?

Sister, hurry up!

Coming! Coming!

Have you settled down the people sent by the marquis manor?

More or less. I've given them unimportant tasks.

For the important areas, I've placed people that I can trust.

Later, I'll tell Eldest Sister to find me some new ones.

New servants have no foundation.

They will naturally follow my every order.

They won't work for the marquis manor.

Based on my temper, I'll just drive them all back to the marquis manor.

Just blame it on me that I hate all those old servants.

My husband, you're just temporarily dealing with the problem to avert a crisis,

and not completely solving it.

To send them back to the marquis manor

without allowing your aunties and stepmother to say any criticisms,

you can't use force.

Some people in the imperial court might report you as not cultivating private morality,

and being disrespectful to your elders.

Aren't you satisfied yet with how you got taken advantage of before?

My wife...

You've become a military adviser that schemes while inside the comfort of your tent.

Stop being talkative.

Okay.

It's okay now.

Okay already. Quickly go.

Take this!

Do you still need me to guard you?

No need. Quickly go.

I'm going.

A palanquin from the marquis manor?

Big Madam Qin has come?

She most likely is bearing evil intentions.

You few, come over here.

Go to the drill area and inform generals Geng and Duan

that I have some matters in my house and will be delayed. I'll arrive an hour later.

Yes!

- Young Master. - Later, I'll be waiting in the outer courtyard study.

Don't be loud about it and just guard in the inner courtyard.

Once Big Madam is unable to handle it, immediately tell me and I'll help her out of the situation.

Okay, Young Master. Let's go.

Greetings, Mother-in-law. I should be the one going to the marquis manor to greet you.

I was too busy moving and cleaning up these past days.

Mother-in-law, hope you won't mind.

I know that you were busy moving, so I didn't come for the past few days.

Are the young and old servants that I've sent you useful?

You are considerate of me, so of course, you'll choose the most able people.

I thank you for it.

If they are honest and capable,

how come you're still not giving tasks to Nanny Lai and Nanny Diao?

Could it be because they are old,

so you think they aren't nimble in doing their tasks?

No such thing.

Nanny Diao has a sickly body. I was afraid that she'll tire herself out.

Nanny Lai is a well-experienced servant.

I'm thinking that I should give her an important and honorable job, right?

So I kept weighing things and still unable to decide.

Since you seem to know what to do, I'm at ease.

Or else, if other find out, they might think that I'm a miser.

That what I gave you are old, weak, and disabled servants.

Mother-in-law, you've always had a virtuous reputation.

Who in Bianjing City doesn't know that you have a Bodhisattva-like heart?

Even if anyone will say such words, no one will believe them.

The reputation of a widow isn't really that important.

What's important is the reputation of our Gu Family.

If you lack anything, just send people to get it from me.

Why must you privately accept gifts and hide it from your husband?

What are you saying? No such things.

You still want to hide it from me, is that it?

Since Ye got promoted, people didn't stop from sending him gifts.

You didn't inquire about them and just accepted them all.

If His Majesty asks about this,

won't it be your husband and our Gu Family bearing the brunt?

Although the imposing bearing of our marquis manor

isn't as great as before,

our reputation has always been clean.

Must it get destroyed

in your hands?

I...really didn't accept any gifts.

General said that the current imperial court situation isn't that stable.

If I don't accept all of them, that's being enemies with everyone.

If I nitpick and accept only a few, that's forming alliances or parties.

It's better to just accept them all,

but not open them. He'll just inform His Majesty about it.

The items would be placed in the stock room of the courtyard

and submitted to His Majesty as it is.

This Ye has really grown up.

He actually is this scheming and shrewd.

If I didn't know, I would have thought that

he was just pretending in the past.

Mother-in-law, you mustn't praise him.

If he's really shrewd, he wouldn't have wandered outside for so many years,

unable to pass the civil examination. He had to rely on himself to achieve merit through his sword and spear.

It's really hard for my husband to achieve what he has now.

Although as his wife, I'm indeed a bit dumb,

I do understand the principle of husband and wife being united, of sharing blessings and going through hardships together.

I just say a statement,

and you have ten waiting for me.

Young Master!

- How are things? - Don't worry. She has left.

- She has left? - She has left.

- She didn't cause any trouble? - She didn't.

It's very quiet in the inner courtyard. I especially hid behind a tree to watch them.

That lady from the marquis manor has a face that was this long when she left. It's almost touching the ground.

My stepmother has finally met her match.

My previous act of directly punching my fist on them is really not as good as employing a soft nail tactic.

- Let's go to the drill field. - Let's go.

What are you laughing about?

Young Master, your face earlier

really looked like a hen protecting her chicks.

Get lost!

Don't let me use a small cup. Quickly change it to a huge bowl.

Miss, Big Madam, that is too inappropriate.

I'll just pour you more.

What's wrong with Big Madam?

That old...thing, Nanny Lai,

kept leisurely touring our manor and asking people around, and then she'll report it to the marquis manor.

Or else, how could she have come this fast?

What can we do?

I can't really tie her up, right? Moreover,

without her, there are still other young and old maidservants.

All those sent by the marquis manor are their spies.

I can't really kick all of them out, right?

That Nanny Lai even likes to pretend to be a good person. Always dragging a group of old maidservants for drinks and gambling.

In just a few days, they are already so close with each other.

Everyone is saying that she's very generous and straightforward.

They all they her everything.

She has worked in the marquis manor for decades.

For her to be like that

means she does have skills.

My mother-in-law of mine is also not stupid. How could she send over a useless person?

Since she's here, then she's a thorny porcupine. You can't hit, scold, or drive her away.

Never thought that despite moving out of the marquis manor, it will still be this stuff.

So annoying.

Xiaotao is getting agitated.