The Legend of Concubine's Daughter Minglan

Chapter 45

In the afternoon, their aunt Sheng Yun who had been married and fraternal cousin Shulan also returned to meet with Old Madam Sheng. Li shi ordered servants to call up the two girls having fun in Pinlan's room. Pinlan's eldest sister and brother got married respectively long ago and second elder brother Changwu was in the capital. With no company to hang out, Pinlan noodled over Chinese ring puzzle which Minglan had no knowledge of, so she willingly threw in the towel, which made Pinlan quite complacent, who kept nagging about the secrecy of the game while ordering the servant to tidy up her clothes and jewelries.

Danju took from shell inlay jewel case a large pearl hairpin carved into the shape of a red phenix harboring a ruby in its mouth. Minglan bit her teeth, feeling her neck was squeezed by a few inches. Over there a first-level servant was busy with putting on Pinlan's head a heavy pearl hairpin inlayed with butterfly-shaped gems. Pinlan tightened her face and pushed the hairpin away, "I don't want to wear that thing. Last time I wore it, just one morning, my neckache lasted for three days!"

The servant patiently persuaded her, "My young lady, you'd better put it on your head. If the guests are only your lady's aunt and the eldest lady, it's alright you don't wear it, but this time Lady Hui and Third Madam also come over. Look, Lady Minglan has put the jewel on. Hers looks much heavier than ours."

Pinlan, looking up at the big hairpin swinging on Minglan's head, felt better and conceded to put the hairpin on, with a pouting mouth, though.

Taking slow steps towards the main room and turning along the corridor, they saw a girl servant waiting at the door who lifted up door curtain and announced, "Second young lady and lady Minglan are here." Minglan followed Pinlan to enter the room where in the middle sat Old Madam Sheng and First Old Madam Sheng. Li shi, first madam, was sitting on a bench while Wen shi was serving tea and refreshments. Both of them smiled and chatted with several young women dressed in luxurious clothes.

A woman in her forties was seated next to Old Madam Sheng and kept whispering and joking with her. The woman had dark skin but a pair of lively dynamic eyes that didn't match with her age. Seeing a girl that she never met before besides Pinlan, she immediately stood up and pulled over Minglan to check from head to toe. What Minglan impressed her was a fair skin girl with clear eyes and a pair of tiny dimples appearing from time to time near the red corners of her mouth. Her eyes lit up at once, and turned back smiling, "Auntie, this must be my niece Minglan, right? Dear heavens, what a pretty face! Even prettier than the beauty in paintings. It's said that nieces take after aunts. Little wonder that she looks exactly the same with me!"

First Old Madam Sheng pointed at her and smiled, "You shameless thing! On the surface, you are praising Minglan, but in fact, you're praising yourself! Look at you. Even if you lived ten more times, you can't have beautiful appearance like hers!" The woman should stamp her feet like a little child, "Mother! I'm also praising you. I take after you, so when I praise myself, you also have the pride. Why should you debunk me?"

First Old Madam Sheng shook head speechlessly and Old Madam Sheng also burst into laughter and nodded, "Sheng Yun is indeed a filial girl!" All in the room laughed together; even servants snickered behind their hands.

First Old Madam Sheng, pointing at the woman, said to Minglan, "This is your aunt Yun." Then she pointed at a narrow-eyed woman sitting at a bench and introduced, "This is your aunt from your third old master's family." Then at a young bride and a girl standing next and said, "This is your big sister Shulan; that is your cousin Huilan of your third uncle."

Minglan immediately greeted and bowed to every one of them in a polite and well-disciplined manner which gained affection from all in the room. From shoulders to waist to keens to feet, Minglan demonstrated agility and natural grace. First Old Madam liked her so much that she couldn't stop pulling Minglan to have a good chat while others also liked her elegant and descent manner and appreciated her respectful and amiable nature.