Legend of Concubine's Daughter Minglan 知否知否 应是绿肥红瘦

C17 - First Uncle Sheng Pays a Visit and Minglan Makes a Fortune

After that chaotic day, the Madame and the young misses to the maids in the household redouble their respect for Governess Kong's training class. No one dare to have the slightest irreverence for her, especially Molan who practically hid her tail. After going through Governess Kong's education class, Sheng Hong's rationality prevailed against his emotions for the time being. He slept at Wang Shi's for half a month continuously, letting Concubine Lin, mother and daughter to clear their mind. Spring was on Wang Shi's face everyday, she was so happy that she nearly set off firecrackers. Have to say, Sheng Hong was determined, at least showing Governess Kong something and resolutely rejected Concubine Lin's request to see him.

Concubine Lin saw that the situation is not right and finally used the ultimate move. Taking advantage of the time when Sheng Hong tutors Changfeng, she made her son hand over a soft green fabric. On it she wrote a poem of grief using gorgeous cinnabar. What 'thinking about the lord till the heart breaks in the morning, crying tears of blood as if it was rain in the evening'. After Sheng Hong read it and suddenly had a myriad of tender feelings. On a certain day, in the middle of the night, he finally could not resist and went to see Concubine Lin.

After Wang Shi found out, she got very angry "Just afraid that little concubine has culture!"

But after this lesson, Sheng Hong realised that he cannot overly indulge Concubine Lin and Concubine Lin cleverly exercised restraint over the limelight. Molan was also the same and became well-behaved. Governess Kong then gave detailed instructions for more than half month, until Changbai successfully pa.s.sed the county examinations and Governess Kong said goodbye. Sheng Hong added many chests as payment, Governess kept half and returned the remaining half "A person who is half buried, others would think I looted it bringing along this many things, others will think I looted it."

In the last few days, Wang Shi tactfully expressed that she hopes Governess Kong to write a letter to her old friends in the capital. To praise her daughter, as a consideration to be building a qualification for Hualan's days ahead. Unexpectedly Governess Kong declined with a smile "First Young Lady is not going there to be a guest, she is to stay in the capital for a long time. With time, whatever reputation is all created by one. If I were to praise First Young Lady to the skies, the household of Count Zhongqin will have high expectations and that would not be a.s.suring."

After Governess Kong left, the girls returned to their usual routine. Old Madame Sheng caught Minglan to read and study again and added a new subject- needlework with Mama Fang as the temporary instructor. Mama Fang is a first class maid who accompanied as part of the dowry. She has a reputation as the number one in needlework in the Marquis household, perfect in everything such as weaving, sewing, embroidery, shoes and hats, plaiting. Although she is old and her vision dimmed and the needlework is not as meticulous but she has enough to spare when t

eaching a rookie like Minglan.

Based on these two living examples, Old Madame Sheng and Concubine Lin, who understood literature without much explanation, Mama Fang became very worried that Minglan is also only fond of poetry and dislikes the needle. Who knows Minglan was very cooperative from the start and was more enthusiastic in learning the needlework than learning to read. Mama Fang was shocked and also happy, she immediately took out all her skills to train Minglan. Thus Minglan will learn to read with Old Madame Sheng in the morning and in the afternoon, she will learn from Mama Fang about needlework and the Old Madame will happily watch from the side.

She let Minglan practice st.i.tching on a small cloth, first st.i.tching narrowly, perfectly straight for the straight and round as a ball for the round ones. The needle must be fine, as if it was like stepping on a sewing machine. The gap must be well-distributed and completely identical. These were the fundamentals, the practicing alone used up a month of Minglan's month. A month later, Mama Fang picked a bright afternoon for Minglan to take an exam. She barely pa.s.sed.