Lan Shi’s eyes held a faint smile as she listened to Madam Qin finish speaking.
“Tingxue, tell me, what do you think of Miaoniang?” Lan Shi asked.
Madam Qin considered her words before replying, feeling that Lan Shi’s attitude was somewhat peculiar.
“Gentle and virtuous, organized in her tasks, and knows when to advance and retreat. She is a good girl,” Madam Qin said.
“Not only that, but she is also a girl with breadth of mind and insight. Our A Nian is destined to inherit the Duke’s mansion. His principal wife must be chosen carefully. In the future, she will be the one to manage the entire household. Internally, she must coordinate everything in the mansion, leaving A Nian with no worries. Externally, she must have shrewd methods to deal with the noble families,” Lan Shi said slowly. “She is not bad-looking either. Why wouldn’t A Nian like such a girl? When A Nian was at the mansion, Miaoniang would send him nourishing soups and broths every day, and I heard he accepted them all.”
Lan Shi looked at Madam Qin meaningfully. Madam Qin was not foolish and immediately understood Lan Shi’s intention: she thought Madam Qin was obstructing the marriage.
“Mother, I have been married into the Duke’s mansion for nearly twenty years. You know what kind of person I am best. In this marriage matter, how much hardship I have endured and how many grievances I have swallowed, no one knows better than you, Mother. A Nian is my only son, so naturally, I hope his marriage is smooth, to his satisfaction, and to someone he cherishes,” Madam Qin said, her tone gentle yet firm, almost word by word.
Lan Shi naturally knew Madam Qin’s character. She never deigned to play tricks in front of her. Could it be that she had misunderstood?
“Do you think Miaoniang’s family background is not good?” Lan Shi asked again.
“Family background is merely icing on the cake; I don’t care, and A Nian cares even less. He has always been a sensible child, so I have never worried that he would be deceived by those sweet-talking girls with poor character. Miss Xu is very good, but A Nian has clearly stated that he only regards her as a sister.” Facing Lan Shi, Madam Qin felt a little less confident. After all, Lan Shi genuinely cared for A Nian, and the Miss Xu she had chosen was indeed a good candidate.
Lan Shi took Madam Qin’s hand. “Then tell me, Mother, what kind of girl does A Nian fancy?”
Her words were filled with concern for Gu Sinian, and she no longer spoke of how good Miss Xu Miaoniang was.
Madam Qin finally breathed a sigh of relief and began to tell Lan Shi what Gu Sinian had said.
Lan Shi remained impassive, but inwardly scoffed. A country girl? Even if she didn’t value the woman’s family background and status, the Duke’s mansion could absolutely not take in a country girl. Otherwise, wouldn’t the Duke’s mansion become a laughingstock for everyone in the capital? A country girl, with such a status, wouldn’t even be qualified to be Gu Sinian’s concubine. Madam Qin was becoming more and more unprogressive. She actually agreed to such a matter with A Nian and even ran over to tell her.
“Tingxue, don’t rush this matter. Perhaps A Nian is just having a whim? It’s not that I, as his grandmother, don’t trust A Nian’s judgment, but rather, for a family like ours, if we were to marry a country girl, what do you think…” Lan Shi said with a troubled expression. “Furthermore, Siya’s wife is the beloved daughter of the Minister of Rites. If A Nian were to marry a country girl, could she manage? Don’t tell me you can’t see the calculations behind Lord Lin’s willingness to marry his legitimate daughter to a concubine’s son? Everyone knows that Lord Lin dotes on this beloved daughter the most. If he had no ulterior motives, would he truly be willing to marry his legitimate daughter to a concubine’s son?”
Upon hearing this, Madam Qin hesitated, and her initial support for Gu Sinian began to waver.
Love makes a beauty of the ordinary. Since A Nian fancied that girl, she was naturally perfect in his eyes. But in a place like the Duke’s mansion, without some means, how could one get by? Although she was willing for A Nian to end up with the person he loved, she hoped even more that the person standing beside A Nian could support him, rather than A Nian having to protect her all the time.
If the Duke’s mansion had a simple household without any troublesome matters, she would be happy for A Nian to have a pure affection. But in reality, the Duke’s mansion was a murky pool, full of open and hidden attacks. A simple-minded country girl was truly not suitable for such a place.
“Mother, I have noted what you said. I will talk to A Nian again. But Mother also knows A Nian’s temperament; once he makes a decision, he rarely changes it,” Madam Qin said helplessly. “This matter still depends on A Nian’s decision.”
“Why don’t you tell A Nian to let that country girl be a noble concubine?” Lan Shi suggested. “That would also be an elevation. When marrying a wife, one seeks virtue; when taking a concubine, one seeks beauty. That country girl must have exceptional looks. As a noble concubine, with A Nian’s favor, her life wouldn’t be difficult.”
Madam Qin opened her mouth, but the words of refutation did not come out. She understood that her mother-in-law’s words were hard to fault. After all, the concept of social status was passed down from the older generation.
“I will tell A Nian all these things,” Madam Qin repeated. “Then I will take my leave now, Mother.”
After Madam Qin left Yanniang Courtyard, Lan Shi’s face fell. Wasn’t the marriage of children in every family arranged by parents and matchmakers? She truly doted on A Nian; how could she harm him? This girl Miaoniang was capable in every aspect, and there was nothing to fault in her management and handling of affairs. Most importantly, she had no close relatives, so she wouldn’t implicate the Duke’s mansion in the future, and A Nian wouldn’t have to worry about his father-in-law’s family matters. Unlike her son, who fancied a girl from a small family, and that entire family would latch onto them like stubborn plaster. Now that Dong Ningxin had entered the household, she coaxed her son into her room every day after court, rolling around together in broad daylight without any regard for appearances.
Xu Miaoniang personally entered with a tray. On the dark red carved tray sat white porcelain bowls, and when the lids were lifted, a fresh aroma wafted out.
Skillfully, she poured a small bowl of soup and presented it to Lan Shi with both hands, saying softly, “Old Madam, this is the perfect temperature to drink now, not too hot and not too cold.”
Lan Shi looked at Xu Miaoniang with satisfaction, took the soup bowl, and drank the soup spoonful by spoonful. She had only given birth to Gu Changwei in her life. When she went to the Qin family to propose marriage to Qin Tingxue, she valued the Qin family’s upbringing and Qin Tingxue’s reputation. After marrying, Madam Qin performed her morning greetings and other duties very well, and there were no quarrels between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. However, there was indeed no intimacy between them, let alone Madam Qin cooking anything for her. As for her son’s other woman, she disdained her and naturally wouldn’t deign to have her come before her. Now, the one who had entered the household, she detested even more.
At this moment, with Xu Miaoniang serving her so attentively, Lan Shi felt extremely content.
She had not enjoyed any of her son’s women, but now, she was enjoying the service from her prospective granddaughter-in-law, which also fulfilled a wish of hers.
“Miaoniang, come, sit beside your grandmother.” Lan Shi put down the soup bowl and beckoned Xu Miaoniang over.