Xiaotao who stood beside her blinked, thinking that this lady from the Kang family must have been terrified by Aunt Kang. If Kang Zhao’er had witnessed how great a life Concubine Lin had used to have, she would know that there were certain people making a success of their concubines’ lives.

Hearing that, the look on Minglan’s face turned cold. She stood up sternly and stared at Kang Zhao’er, “Are you serious?”

Overly excited, Kang Zhao’er muttered in a trance, “Yes…”

Minglan pushed her away slowly and walked a few steps with her hands supporting her belly. At last, she stopped in front of Kang Zhao’er and put her hand on the latter’s sweaty forehead. Minglan said with a flat tone, “Fine. Let me be meddling this one time. I’ll give you a dowry. From now on, you should get on with your life. If your mother is fortunate, perhaps you two can unite with each other someday.”

After saying that, she asked Lv Zhi and another two maids to bring Zhao’er who was still in a daze out of the room.

After they had left, Mama Cui couldn’t help but speak, “Madam, you…”

Minglan waved her hands softly to stop Mama Cui from saying anything and said with a wry smile, “I’m not afraid of fighting them, and I have plenty of methods. It would be much simpler if Zhao’er’s fate was none of my concern. However… God cares for every living creature, so I told her to choose by herself.”

Mama Cui seemed to understand her a bit. Then she asked in a low voice, “So, you were just testing her just now, Madam.”

“If she looks forward to marrying into this family and enjoy a wealthy life from now on, I’ll send her to my second cousin, saying that ‘The beautiful story of Ehuang and Nvying has lasted from the ancient times. Since my aunt has this plan, Zhao’er could become my second cousin’s second wife. Then Zhao’er and her sister could marry to the same man. That will be a much told tale too.’ After that, I’ll do whatever I want to do and don’t need to care if Zhao’er wants to die or not.”

Having sat down slowly, Minglan moved her body tardily with tiredness on her face, “That would be easier. Too bad that Zhao’er is a good girl. I couldn’t bear seeing her going back to the Kang family and being tortured by Aunt Kang.”

A kind person as Mama Cui was, she couldn’t help but sigh, “Alas, that’s a poor girl. It’s all the Kang’s fault.”

“My grandmother always said that a drip of water could save a life and a small help might completely change a person. I’ll consider this as doing a good deed for my child.”

Minglan stroked her swollen belly with an affectionate look on her face. She’ll use her savings to buy Kang Zhao’er’s dowry. She hoped that the first money she had saved through managing the household industriously and carefully could be used on a meaningful thing and help a self-respecting girl start a new life.

Having been in a trance for a short while, Minglan came back to her sense and ordered Mama Cui and Danju with a serious look, “Tell everyone not to discuss about anything about Zhao’er. Dressed her in a maid’s clothes. After you sent her out of this mansion, we should still pretend that she is here. We’ll discuss about the details later. The most important thing is keeping everyone’s mouth shut.”

Danju and Mama Cui agreed seriously.

Outside the House of Auspiciousness, a few young maids peeked behind the trees and flowers. Until it got darker, a maid ran to the Lily Garden. After she sped in to the room, she whispered something to Mama Xiang’s ears. Then, Mama Xiang brought the maid to the inner room to report.

“How did it go?” Old Madam Qin sat up from the bed with piercing gaze.

The young maid said in a low voice, “The doors are strictly guarded there. We only got some news until dinner. It was said that Lady Kang made a great scene. However, someone already found a pair of scissors in her. Now she was locked in the room and under guard.”

Old Madan Qin showed a scary smile on her face, “It’s not like she has to use these scissors. Bumping her head on the pillar or the ground are both feasible.”

Mama Xiang sent the young maid out. When she came back, she happened to hear Old Madam Qin chuckling on the Arhat bed while muttering to herself, “I should thank Momo Chang. If she hasn’t enraged the Kang’s people with those curses and made Master Kang feel so humiliated, Kang Wang shi(Aunt Kang) wouldn’t have taken the risk of doing this.”

“Madam, lately you have been so tired. You should rest for a few days now.” Mama Xiang smiled while holding the cushion steady for Old Madam Qin.

Old Madam Qin, having taken off her coat, suddenly asked, “Hasn’t Tingye’s wife done anything after Lady Kang had made such a disturbance?” Mama Xiang thought for a second and said, “Nothing, but there was a coach heading to the Sheng family just now.” Old Madam Qin laughed out loud at once, “I thought that she was so capable. It turned out she still had to find helpers in her parents’ family!”

…

Bang!

A teacup was smashed on the ground with a thud, and the broken pieces went flying. The thick fluid in the cup wet the rust red felt carpet. The maids and servants in the hall all lowered their heads and held their breaths.

“Did you know about this?” Old Madam Sheng stood sternly on her crutch, with a sullen look on her face.

Wang shi explained for herself at a loss, “How could I… how could I… I know nothing about this.” Wang shi felt herself so wronged.

“It’s all because of your sister! That brutal and cold-blooded woman is nothing like a Madam. She couldn’t win her husband’s love, nor could she govern her children. When she gets free, she would vent her anger on her illegal children. What other abilities does she have except for begging for help from her siblings? That sharp tongued and mean woman should be punished in the ancestral hall!” Old Madam Sheng even wanted to eat Aunt Kang alive, so her words were extremely sharp.

Wang shi found that speech unpleasant to the ears, then she couldn’t help explaining for her sister, “Isn’t Old Madam Qin the one who favors Zhao’er? My sister wasn’t intended to…” The more she spoke, the lighter her voice was. At last, she finally shut up under Old Madam Sheng’s terrifying gaze.

“What the hell are you talking about? You are also a Madam. Which kind of a Madam would send her illegal daughter to be others’ concubines as she wishes as if those girls are the meat on the chopping board?! She disgraced the whole Kang family! No matter how much she detests her illegal daughters, she shouldn’t have ruined them like this! I know what she’s thinking. Now that all of her children had already got married, she thinks that she could do whatever she wants!” Old Madam Sheng thumped on the table hard.

Wang shi’s face turned burning hot hearing those words, but she didn’t know how to argue with that, nor did she dare to retort. However, suddenly Old Madam Sheng changed the subject and glared at Wang shi with a suspicious look, scolding with a loud voice, “Do you really know nothing about this? Don’t tell me that you have colluded with her!” Wang shi waved her hands in a hurry, “Mother, you knows the best, I truly don’t know about this! I always treats Minglan the same as Rulan!”

Old Madam Sheng, having taken a breath, pointed to Wang shi all of a sudden, “You, go find your evil-minded sister and get this straight with her. No matter what plan she has, we’ll never agree to that. If she still want the Sheng family to be her relative, she should give up that idea at once!”

Wang shi was startled, feeling very reluctant to do that, “This, this… is a bit inappropriate. It’s normal for a man to have a concubine. Even if my sister has done it wrong, it is already too late. Maybe we should just go with it…”

Old Madam Sheng stroke the floor with her ebony stick, making the glossy water blue bricks roar a harsh rasping sound. Then she abused, “You just said that you treated Minglan like your blood daughter. If this happens to Hualan and Rulan, will you do the same thing too?”

Wang shi was at a loss for word. Old Madam Sheng squinted her eyes while goggling at Wang shi with a stern look, “Rulan’s mother-in-law tried to find a concubine for Rulan’s husband for a few times. At that time, why did you kick up a fuss in the Wen’s house? Hualan and her husband finally had a few peaceful days to enjoy, then you urged Hualan to deal with her husband’s concubines immediately. Do you think that I am an old fool? If you won’t go, I’ll go by myself and reveal all those evil deeds she has done! Let’s see who’s the tough one!”

“Mother, don’t do that, don’t, I’ll go. I promise you I’ll go!” Wang shi was unable to argue anymore and could only agree with that.

“Then go now!”

Wang shi was astounded, “Now? It’s already dark.”

Old Madam Sheng casted a fierce look to her and scolded, “Every time when your sister needs anything, she would knock on our door even if it is the midnight, not to mention the time now. Now what, she could come to us at any time, but you couldn’t go to her?”

Wang shi could only go. Meanwhile, she also blamed her sister for being so meddlesome and getting her scolded. After she got dressed, she headed to the Kang’s mansion by coach.

The Kang’s mansion was located on the east of the royal city, with a better location, better layout and larger scale than the Sheng’s mansion. The beams were super high and the cornices were side. There were nine hundred and ninety eight bats basso relievos of eighteen kinds carved on the bluestone bricks from the door to the inside, exhibiting the glories of the Kang’s past. Unfortunately, now the lazy servants and empty place showed that the Kang’s family was no longer that prestigious family it had used to be.

A servant led Wang shi to the main yard. Aunt Kang was just about to have dinner, with lots of maids and servants standing besides her. A woman in fine clothes was serving dishes for Aunt Kang.

Aunt Kang had known that Wang shi would come, but just didn’t realize that it would be so fast. She assumed that Minglan must be at her wit’s end in a dither. Thinking of that, Aunt Kang couldn’t help but feel delighted. Wang shi was quick in temper. After Aunt Kang had dismissed the servants, Wang shi poured out the whole thing right away. However, Aunt Kang only blew the tea slowly, saying, “I thought it was something urgent. So this is what you came here for.”