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

C163. Men Are from Mars (2)

Minglan was reminded of something and thought, 'So that's what it is all about, I already knew about it.'

Old Madam Qin nodded with a smile. Then she nodded her head to Mama Xiang. After Mama Xiang had left, Old Madam Qin turned around and said, "Since you have already thought of that, I won't babble about it anymore. Alas... I have planned to tell Minglan this a few days later when she settled down. But now you two are going to leave right away, so I have to say it out now."

Gu Tingye stood up and bowed to Old Madam Qin and Madam Shao, saying in a heavy voice, "I did this absurd thing because I was too young and ignorant. I'm so grateful to you, my sister-in-law, for having looked after Rongjie'er over the two years."

Madam Shao rose to her feet hastily and returned his obeisance, saying, "We are families, don't regard me as an outsider. Rongjie'er is a good girl. She and Xianjie'er have got along well. As a matter of fact, I never really helped that much. Hongshao was the one who took care of Rongjie'er.

Gu Tingye put on a sullen look again and sat down. Before he could say anything, he saw the curtains being lifted. Mama Xiang led two women who dressed like madams into the room. A little girl was walked in the middle of them.

After the two women had gone down on their knees, they stood there with their head lowered and their hands drooping.

Minglan looked over carefully. The woman on the left who wore a apricot slanting long coat with Ruyi pattern edge was around eighteen or nineteen with a pretty oval face, two almond eyes and peachy cheeks. The long-faced beautiful woman on the right who seemed a bit older around twenty-seven to twenty-eight was wearing a creamy yellow, double-breasted coat with Ruyi pattern edges. The little girl in the middle was around seven or eight. She was in a light red camlet coat with dark red edges. Although the girl looked thin and weak with a timid look on her face, it was still clear to be seen that she had a fine look like that Manniang.

Old Madam Qin said to the girl gently, "Rongjie'er, come to see your father and your mother."

That little girl glimpsed at Madam Shao and found the latter nodding lightly. Then after she stepped forward tremblingly, she knelt down and kowtowed on the ground, calling, "... father."

Gu Tingye looked at this girl with a complicated look on her face while nodding his head.

"And your mother?" Old Madam Qin smiled and reminded Rongjie'er.

Being timid-looking, Rongjie'er peeked at Minglan and bit her lips without saying a word. Minglan really wanted to voice her opinions, so she looked to Gu Tingye. However, he only waved his hand and said to Rongjie'er, "You can call her Madam."

Everyone there changed the looks on their faces. Madam Shao couldn't help but say, "It's better to call her mother. Rongjie'er, just say it!"

However, Rongjie'er just couldn't utter that word. The women on the right opened her mouth a few times, but when she looked at the woman on the left, she shut her mouth again. Gu Tingye didn't mind about the others but only looked at Rongjie'er straightly and said, "If you don't want to call her mother, just call her madam."

Rongjie'er, with a stubborn look on her face, blurted out the word, "Madam!'

Madam Shao showed a regretful look on her face and stopped saying anything. Zhu shi was drinking her tea with her head lowered. Old Madam Qin looked at Minglan with a very meaningful look. Meanwhile, Minglan felt herself wronged because after all, she was the one who hadn't said a word from the beginning.

At the moment, a servant who came from the side led Rongjie'er to sit down on the small chair by one side and gave her some snacks. After that, Old Madam Qin pointed to the two women while introducing to Minglan, "They are the concubines of Tingye. This one is Concubine Gong, she has attended to Rongjie'er over the two years. And this is Qiuniang. She was the maid of Tingye since his childhood and later became his concubine."