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After sending Wang shi and Minglan away, Hualan changed into a half-old peach color silk cotton padded coat. Then she leaned on the pillow and began to do the needlework on the brick bed by the window. After a short while, she heard sound from the curtains. That was Yuan Wenshao, her husband, stepping into the room. He walked fast to the bed and said to his wife smilingly, "You have sat up again. Why don't you lie down and have a rest?"

"I've lain on the bed for almost half a day. I can't bear it anymore." Hualan acted cutesy and rolled her eyes to him. After that, she put down her needlework basket while getting off the bed to help her husband taking off his clothes. The maid beside them took over his rope and coat while serving Yuan Wenshao to change into casual wear. Then Yuan Wenshao held Hualan to sit back to the brick bed.

He picked up a cup of new tea on the table and took a sip slowly. Since he had just pasted thirty, he had started to grow moustache on his face. With his square face, he looked very stern and solemn as if he was already forty. Hualan glanced at him while missing that clean and pretty face of his husband when they had just got married.

"Have my mother-in-law and sister-in-law already gone?"

"Has General Gu left?"

After the maid had left, they started to talk at the same time. Having been in a trance for a moment, Yuan Wenshao and Hualan looked at each other and burst into laughter together. As they laughed for a long while, Hualan sighed and said with a smile, "I've heard people say that couples always worked in partnership. Now I know what that means!"

Yuan Wenshao also laughed and said, "No wonder! I feel quite well colluding with you, honey!"

"Who's colluding with you!" Hualan blushed and beat his husband with her fists while chuckling. Yuan Wenshao held her hand cheerfully. Having fought in jest for a while, they sat up and started to chat.

"What do you think of the thing happened today?" Yuan Wenshao said slightly while holding his wife in his arms.

Hualan thought of the report from the maid. Although the maid had only watched Minglan and Gu Tingye from a long distance and couldn't hear their conversation, she had still guessed what had happened. At first, Minglan and Gu Tingye had still talked with each other politely. However, afterwards Gu Tingye had said something to irritate Minglan. Then Minglan had run away while crying out of anger. After being deep in thought, Hualan said, "I think their marriage is settled."

"Really? Are you sure?" Yuan Wenshao asked.

Hualan nodded firmly, saying, "Such being the case, if they don't get married, everyone would be humiliated."

Yuan Wenshao was confident in Hualan's capability, so he let out a sign of relief. Seeing his reaction, Hualan put on a gloomy look, saying ashamedly, "It's all my family's fault. Uniting two families by marriage should be a good thing. Now they have caused this awkward situation and even let you get involved."

Yuan Wenshao laughed loudly and waved his hand, comforting his wife, "Don't blame yourself for that. The elders haven't reached to consensus, that's all."

Hualan touched her husband's chest with her bright and tender hands while opening her eyes widely on purpose, saying with a delicate and touching look, "My dad is a scholar who is stubborn about moral principles. After my fourth sister married in Liang family, he feels sorry for Scholar Wen, so my father has always been thinking of marrying my fifth sister in Wen family in order to make up for Scholar Wen. However, my mother believes that the marriage proposal which was brought up by you must be more beneficial to my fifth sister. Moreover, my sixth sister is raised by my grandma so only my grandma could decide who my sixth sister will be betrothed. Well, well, the three elders all have their own intentions. That's why this thing has become so troublesome."

That was not the truth, but Hualan just had to cover it up like that.

Yuan Wenshao held Hualan's hands and said gently with a smile, "It's understandable for my father-in-law to want to keep his promise. As for my mother-in-law, she just wants the best for her own daughter. That's not wrong. And Old Madam Sheng only rejects us because she cares so much about her granddaughter. I understand that. Everyone has his or her own reasons. Why are you still being so sorry?"

Hualan was still frowned and said anxiously, "I'm just afraid that General Gu would be irritated. By then we would become enemies instead of relatives."

"I guess he won't." Yuan Wenshao let go of Hualan's hand and supped the tea. He already stopped knitting his eyebrows and said smilingly, "I was a bit worried before. However... well, according to what I have seen today, their marriage is about to happen. General Gu was in a good mood when he left. He has also asked me to handle it quickly. He would like to give betrothal presents within this year. Also, he mentioned that he wants to hold the wedding in the beginning of next year."

Hualan was a little shocked, "Seriously?!"

Yuan Wenshao nodded slowly with tea in his mouth.

Hualan's gloomy mood disappeared at once. Then she patted her husband and snickered, "What did I tell you? My sixth sister is a gorgeous girl whom no one could compete with. I was certain that General Gu would be satisfied of marrying her! And you, you have had so many scruples at that time!"

Yuan Wenshao giggled, saying, "Fine, fine, fine, my wife is the most intelligent woman in this world."

Hualan was amused by him. Nonetheless, she was still uncertain if Old Madam Sheng would agree to this marriage.

......

Tonight, Old Madam Sheng heard an inconceivable story.

She sat on the brick bed in a daze while Minglan was sobbing on bended knees in front of her. As Old Madam Sheng heard Minglan talking, she felt her head was about to explode, "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?!"

Minglan's face already turned red due to her crying. Then she said, "I, I was afraid of being scolded by you, grandma... I also didn't want you to worry about me..."

At that time, she had just been punished harshly by Old Madam Sheng for standing out for Yanran. It had taken Minglan a hard time to make Old Madam Sheng let it go. Then Gu Tingye had stirred up trouble right after everything had been settled. At that time, Minglan had been scared that she would be rebuked again if she had told her grandma about the matters with Gu Tingye. Moreover, she had never thought that Gu Tingye would get involved in her life over and over again after that.

She had been like a guilty kid. The adult had already forgiven the thing she had done. However, the new consequence of her mistake had shown up again. Thus, she just hadn't dared to mention that. As a result, all the things she had been covered up now came back to her.

Old Madam Sheng understood Minglan's childish thought. So she only sighed and said, "How can you be so silly!"

Actually, Minglan was not silly at all. She had managed to cover up her relation with Gu Tingye well and no one had ever found out about that.

Right now, Old Madam Sheng's mind was in a whirl. She couldn't bear to see her granddaughter still kneeling on the ground, so she pulled Minglan up. Then Old Madam Sheng held Minglan in her arms while patting her softly, "... It's not your fault. That Gu Tingye is such a cunning man!"

Minglan was still crying, even her nose turned red now. She nodded constantly and thought, 'How can I beat that foxy Gu Tingye! He simply just sneaked up on me!"

Old Madam Sheng leaned back slowly while gently closing her eyes. Now there were only the sound of Minglan's fitful crying and the mild cracking sound of the charcoal burning in the Fu Shou patterned purple copper stove being left in the room.

After Minglan had wiped away the tears on her face slowly, she saw Old Madam Sheng still remaining silent. Then Minglan pulled Old Madam Sheng's sleeve gently, asking, "... Grandma... What can we do now?"

Old Madam Sheng opened her eyes and took a glance at Minglan's face, asking back in a soft voice, "Minglan, what did you think when Gu Tingye confessed everything to you?"

Minglan put on an awkward expression on her face. Having decided to tell the truth this time, she said with her lightly red face, "... At the beginning, I was a bit pleased with myself. I never thought that someone would put so much effort in pursuing me. However, after that, I just became more and more furious. How I wished I could slap him on the face... Later on, I was worried. This man is so... scheming... What can I do?"

To put it bluntly, having a powerful husband was a mixed blessing. If he could support his wife, it would be the best. If he chose to turn against his wife, nothing good would happen.

Old Madam Sheng agreed to Minglan's words a lot because Minglan's thoughts sounded so real. However, after Old Madam Sheng had nodded, she seemed to want to close her eyes and have a rest again. Then Minglan came over to shake Old Madam Sheng's arm, asking in a hurry, "Grandma, say something. What do you think?"

Old Madam Sheng opened her eyes all of a sudden with light shooting from her eyes and said in a cold voice, "Go find your father. Tell him that I already agreed to this marriage!"

Minglan was shocked. Then she hesitated, "So... that's it?" So they just surrendered like this?

"Or what?" Old Madam Sheng showed a fierce look on her face with irony hanging up on the corner of her mouth and then snorted, "That Gu Tingye really has plotted a nice scheme! He tricked us to walk into his trap step by step! What else can we do?! Other people might still think that our family will take a great advantage in this! Well, now Gu Tingye and all the people who helped him in this can sleep well."

Minglan felt sorry for her grandma, so she only twiddled the corner of her clothes without speaking. Old Madam Sheng then continued with an ironical smile, "That's not so bad! A guy who racked his brains to get you is better than the one who didn't treasure your admiration!"

Hearing that, Minglan raised up her head surprisingly. She knew which person Old Madam Sheng had just referred to. So she tried to sound out Old Madam Sheng's intention nervously, "Then... should I talk to He..."

"There's nothing you need to say to him!" Old Madam Sheng glared at Minglan suddenly and said to her with stern words, "I'll tell He family this and you don't need to show up! Don't see any of the people in He family except for my sister!... Huh! Now they can offer money to their poor relatives as much as they want, no one would stand in their way now! It's not like He family is your only choice! Now we'll let everyone know that the lady from Sheng family is more popular than they have thought!"

Seeing her grandma's proud look, Minglan swallowed her saliva. After a short moment of being surprised, Minglan finally understood her grandma's feeling. Old Madam Sheng was actually a very proud person. Maybe... Old Madam Sheng had been tired of He's family issues for a long time. And she had only tried her best to restrain herself.

After Old Madam Sheng set her mind at rest and took a few deep breath, she leaned on the cushion and said calmly, "Let's decide Rulan and Scholar Wen's marriage date first. Then that Gu Tingye can come here to give betrothal presents. Also, tell Madam (Wang shi) to prepare for you ladies' wedding quickly. This time I'll present you an abundant dowry. Don't worry, no one would dare to interfere with my decision!... Well, it's just living your life in another place. Girl, keep a cool head, do not let yourself be wronged by anyone! You have to treat yourself nice!"

Hearing Old Madam Sheng's words, Minglan fell silent. After she had asked Cuiping to invite Sheng Hong over, she walked back to the House of Clear Dusk quietly. As soon as she arrived, she sat in front of the desk in a trance. Suddenly, she stood up and told Danju to prepare the ink for her. In the meantime, Minglan unfolded a large piece of white paper. She dipped the ink with a writing brush and then wrote swiftly while holding her breath as if dragon and snake were following her writing brush. There were three huge words on the paper—— Ignorance is bliss.

"That's awesome!" Xiaotao applauded joyfully, praising, "Nice handwriting, my lady!... But, what is that supposed to mean?"

Minglan put down the writing brush and said gently, "That is to say, I'll pretend not to have seen you eating Danju's hidden candy."

After saying that, Minglan entered her bedroom elegantly. Meanwhile, Xiaotao froze and tried to run away at once. But Danju had no plan to let her get away.

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