Chapter 175: The Wind Has Passed, the Drum Has Been Broken: Arson, Man Niang, and Chang Ge'er · Part 2
The room was sparsely furnished, with only a table and four stools, another bed, a dressing table with a basin stand, and complete washing utensils. There were tea and snacks on the table, and a basin of ice was placed in the corner. Manniang was sitting on the bed, holding her son, and when she heard the door open, she immediately looked up. Seeing that it was Gu Tingye, she was instantly overjoyed. As she tidied her hair, she stood up and choked out, "Second Young Master!"
Gu Tingye stood there, silently watching her for a moment, then pulled out a chair and sat down.
Manniang quickly pushed her son forward, urging him, "Call Daddy, call quickly." The little boy, timidly, shuffled his feet, constantly glancing at the man in front of him, but hesitated to move forward. Manniang smiled at Gu Tingye and said, "This child is shy. He always wants his father at home, but now he doesn't want to call."
Gu Tingye focused his gaze on the boy for a moment, then softened his voice and asked, "Have you been coughing lately?"
Chang, uneasy, raised his head, looking at his father and then at his mother, and stuttered, "Sometimes I cough, sometimes I don't... Mother tells me to take medicine... The medicine is very bitter..."
Listening to his scattered response, Gu Tingye couldn't help but furrow his brow. The boy was already seven or eight years old, yet he couldn't articulate his words clearly. He turned to Manniang and asked, "Didn't we invite a teacher for him? What is he studying now?"
Manniang's heart panicked, but she reacted quickly, immediately shedding tears and saying, "It's my incompetence. I can barely recognize a few characters, how can I educate him well? I had to pluck up the courage to come and beg Madam to take in the child."
"Nonsense!" Gu Tingye immediately rebuked, "Many illiterate mothers still raise sons who can read. Are you saying that those who passed the imperial examinations don't have mothers who can read?!"
Having long held a position of power and commanded troops, Gu Tingye had already established his authority both inside and outside. With his stern reprimand, Chang shrank back behind Manniang in fear. Gu Tingye frowned even more deeply. "I deliberately chose a scenic and warm village for you. Wasn't Chang supposed to spend more time playing outside? Why is he still so afraid of people?"
Manniang wiped her tears with a handkerchief, sobbing softly, "A child without a father will be bullied outside. He has always been obedient since childhood, so why should he go out and draw attention to himself?!"
Gu Tingye remained silent, simply gazing steadily at Manniang. Seeing her tearful and panting appearance, even with keen eyesight, it was difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood. But he knew the reality was not like this. He had carefully chosen that village. Not to mention the many widows and orphans in the surrounding area due to fathers dying in the military, that property was registered under Chang's name. Who would dare to bully them, mother and son?
But Manniang had this ability; a slight oversight could easily entangle her tears and defenses.
"Come in," he suddenly raised his voice. Haodacheng entered, bowing his head in anticipation of orders.
Gu Tingye said, "Take the child out first and ask the maid to take good care of him." Haodacheng knew that his master wanted to speak alone with Manniang, so he quickly had the maid take Chang away. Chang was reluctant, but Manniang coaxed him for a few moments before he reluctantly left.
The door closed again, leaving only the two of them in the room.
Man Niang stood there with a look of anxiety, and Gu Tingye pointed to a chair. "Please, have a seat."
She slowly sat down.
"Back then..." Gu Tingye showed a tired expression. "Did I ever force you to become my mistress?"
Man Niang was startled, almost standing up again. After a moment, her eyes reddened as she said, "How could you say such a thing, Erlang! If it weren't for your compassion towards my loneliness back then, I wouldn't have known where I would end up. It was my... my own willingness to follow you..."
"The result, however, turned out to be a joke. Your brother never actually abandoned you. It was you who gave him money and asked him to go out and make a living." Gu Tingye sighed bitterly, reminiscing about his youthful arrogance, thinking he was a hero for rescuing a helpless girl from a fire.
"No, no..." Man Niang hurriedly argued, "That's someone's slander! It was clearly my brother who took the money you gave and left me behind. He didn't return until several years later. Erlang, you..."
Gu Tingye interrupted her with a wave of his hand, saying indifferently, "Three people said it. Your brother, your stepmother, and the maid who used to be by your side. During the two years when you claimed to have no news from your brother, you still exchanged items with each other regularly."
Man Niang's face turned pale, not expecting him to uncover even this. Gu Tingye looked at her, surprisingly calm in his demeanor. "When Yan Hong died, I told you that I wouldn't condemn anyone based on empty talk. Besides, it's you."
He was not willing to believe that he had misjudged someone, that he had been living in lies for years, that he had been played like a fool by others. When his father accused Man Niang, when everyone said she had ulterior motives, he defended her time and time again, vouching for her character and temperament. But in the end, he was completely wrong. What a humiliation!
"What did I promise you?" Gu Tingye continued to question, his gaze sharp as needles, pinning Man Niang to her seat, pinning the lies to the truth. "Did I ever say I would marry you? Did I deceive you?"
Sweat trickled down Man Niang's forehead, ruining the makeup she had just applied.
"At the beginning, I told you that I couldn't give you a proper status. You said, as long as you could stay by my side, you were willing even without a name or status." Recalling their initial conversations, every word seemed absurd now. She laughed at herself for believing it all, for truly thinking she had found a genuine confidante. "Later, when we had Rong'er and Chang'er, you said, not for yourself, but for the sake of the children, you begged to enter the mansion as a concubine. I, fearing for your safety, learned that Miss Yu from the Yu family was a virtuous woman, so I asked my father to propose. Who knew..."
Gu Tingye chuckled self-deprecatingly and said to Man Niang, "You still looked down on it."
"Liang'er!" Man Niang called out in sorrow, throwing herself at Gu Tingye's feet and clinging tightly to his legs, tears streaming down her face as she looked up at him. "Going to the Yu family, that was a moment of confusion for me. I was afraid, afraid that Miss Yu wouldn't accept me, and that's why I lost my senses!"
"You've never been confused."
Gu Tingye didn't even raise a finger, just looked down coldly. "Step by step, move by move, you've calculated everything clearly. In the end, I fell for your scheme, defying my father and leaving home. If not for my suspicions of you, if not for what happened to Yan Hong, I would have followed your plan and run away with you. Then would I have made you my wife, wouldn't I?" Each word was like a sharp sword, leaving Man Niang speechless.
"...Then, what's wrong with that?"
A strange gleam appeared in Man Niang's eyes as she gently nuzzled against Gu Tingye's knees, her voice soft and melodious like a chant. "Back then, everyone in the Marquis's Mansion bullied you. Only I treated Liang'er sincerely. I don't care about the wealth and luxury of the Marquis's Mansion, I only want Liang'er. Let's leave here far behind, and start our own life together. Liang'er has plenty of talent. By then, the four of us will live harmoniously and happily, like immortal couples. What's wrong with that?"
"Well said." Gu Tingye looked at Man Niang resting on his lap, gently lifting her head with his hand. "Your plan is ingenious. But have you ever asked me if I'm willing to live such a life?"
Man Niang's breathing suddenly became rapid, her gaze starting to evade Gu Tingye's. He turned her face, staring at her intently, and said each word seriously, "Today I will make it clear to you. Not once did I ever consider marrying you."
Even at the happiest moments between them in the past, his greatest wish was simply to treat this poor woman well, so that she could live a comfortable life free from oppression.
Man Niang's pupils dilated, her mouth opened and closed several times, her nostrils flared and contracted. Suddenly, she screamed, "You don't want to marry me? Then who do you want to marry? Those mediocre women who only care about trivial matters and consider themselves noble?"
Gu Tingye listened and actually smiled, "You're right. I do want to marry such mediocre women. Women who can be good wives and mothers, manage the household properly, take care of the family, handle social interactions, and are kind and ordinary. Not extraordinary women like you!"
The sarcasm in his words was evident, and Man Niang choked up, almost suffocating. Hatred welled up in her heart, and she felt like tearing out her heart to bleed. She struggled to swallow a breath of air, took a deep breath, and sat down heavily on the ground, lamenting, "You just see me as old and worthless now. Your new wife is young and beautiful, so you've changed your heart. Why say so much? Men in this world are often fickle. I pity myself, for I gave you my whole heart, only to end up in such a situation."
Gu Tingye couldn't help but laugh again. He often thought that if Man Niang were a man, she would be a tricky character. Every time he resolved to speak firmly and decisively, she always managed to steer the conversation away, preventing it from continuing.
"A heart? Haha, for the sake of your heart, I have always felt guilty towards you, considering you in everything." Gu Tingye stood up, hands behind his back, facing the window. "But these years, upon reflection, if I hadn't intervened back then, what would your situation be?"
Man Niang covered her face with a handkerchief, her heart filled with anxiety. If it weren't for Gu Tingye's assistance back then, the situation for her and her siblings would have been unbearable.
"For you, I've schemed many times, wanting to give you and your son a better life; I've defied elders several times, even missing the chance to see my father for the last time." Gu Tingye paced slowly in the room, then stopped in front of Man Niang. "I've done right by you, I've always done right by you."
In those early days in the jianghu, no matter how tight his finances were, he would rather live frugally himself and save money to send to the capital for Man Niang and her son's expenses. And now, he could finally say these words with confidence.
As Gu Tingye's voice grew colder, Man Niang realized the situation was not good. She needed to come up with a way to salvage the situation, so she pleaded with a sorrowful tone, "I was wrong about what happened back then. I only hope that, for the sake of the children, you'll have mercy on them... Oh, Rong Jie... She hasn't seen Chang Ge in a long time. They've always been close since childhood. How can we separate them?"
"They've been apart for so many years, and they seem to be doing just fine," Gu Tingye said indifferently. "Besides, Rong Jie has a younger brother now."
Man Niang suddenly looked up. "The new wife... has given birth to a... son?"
A hint of hostility flashed in Gu Tingye's eyes. "Contrary to your wishes, both mother and son are well."
Man Niang, as if drained of strength, suddenly stood up and clung tightly to Gu Tingye's legs, crying out, "Now that you have a legitimate son, do you no longer care about poor Chang Ge?! Have you forgotten that when he was young, you also held him and kissed him?!"
Gu Tingye remained expressionless, his voice cold and hard. "I did want him, have you forgotten? Before marrying Lady Sheng, I discussed with you in a friendly manner about bringing Chang Er here. Minglan would have treated him well, and I would have taught him well. But you refused to budge, have you forgotten that?"
"Even if the newcomer replaces the old, you can't forcibly separate us, mother and son!" Man Niang cried hoarsely. "If Lady Sheng is so kind-hearted, why can't she accept me?"
"It's because I don't trust you," Gu Tingye said icily. "You've already made me a widower once, do you want me to become one again? What's your purpose in entering the mansion this time? Daring to confront the Lady with the child in your arms, thinking I wouldn't see through your intentions!"
Man Niang had nothing to say but to cry, "It's truly Lady Sheng who wanted to burn me alive!"
"It was Lady Qin who wanted to burn you!" Gu Tingye interrupted sharply. If he hadn't set fire to the Tingwei Courtyard, Lady Qin would have been too busy to attend to them, and they might have been burned alive. "You clearly saw Lady Qin bringing people to fetch firewood, yet at this moment, you still try to shift the blame onto others. You truly have a wicked heart!"
"Er Lang! Er Lang!" Man Niang tugged at Gu Tingye's robe hem, pleading bitterly, "I admit I'm not good, but Chang Er is your own flesh and blood after all. Can you bear to let him wander outside? I don't need to enter the mansion, just let Chang Er return to his roots. I only ask to see him once a month, no, once a year, or even not at all!"
"No." Gu Tingye turned away, decisively refusing, "Now that you've caused such a scene, how can I trust Minglan to raise Chang'er properly?" He also didn't trust Chang'er himself. A seven or eight-year-old boy could easily become unruly, and he himself, at the age of seven, had already thrown thistles into the Tingwei's bed. Moreover, Chang'er's temperament was already half-formed, and if there was any resentment, it might have been planted. As he grew older, the danger would be closer to home. To be blunt, he wouldn't risk his legitimate son.
Man Niang stopped crying, wiped her tears away, and sneered, "You keep mentioning Minglan, as if she's your precious darling now. How can you be sure you haven't misjudged her this time? Maybe she's just putting on an act again!"
Gu Tingye turned around with a smile. "Do you think I'm still the clueless young man from years ago? I investigated you the same way I investigated Minglan. I trust her not because of her words, but because of her actions. If we talk about intelligence, she surpasses you by far. Just look at what she's been doing recently. In fact, she has plenty of ways to deal with those despicable people."
Thinking of Minglan, he couldn't help but feel warmth in his heart. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "It's not that she can't do it, but she chooses not to. Unlike you, she has a moral compass guiding her actions. She knows what is right and what is wrong. Acting as recklessly as you? Hmph."
Even before their marriage, he had thoroughly investigated the Sheng family's household. For Minglan, the most imaginative scheme might involve pretending to cry in front of her father, or perhaps sneakily placing a piece of lard on her sister's seat when no one was looking. While such behavior might seem old-fashioned and trivial, it was honorable and trustworthy, traits that earned full confidence.
As she listened to the man speak, his words were filled with affection. Man Niang felt a mix of jealousy and hatred brewing within her, flames of resentment flickering in her heart. She was about to retort sharply, but Gu Tingye suddenly squatted down and addressed himself, "It was your decision for Changge. You know me well; once spoken, words cannot be taken back. In this lifetime, Changge will never be recorded in the Gu family genealogy. Let him establish his own lineage."
"What... what are you planning to do with us?" Minglan asked in a daze.
Gu Tingye stood up, pondered for a moment, and said, "You can't stay in the capital anymore. I will arrange for someone to send you back to your hometown in Huizhou. There, you can buy land and start anew. I will inform the local officials so that no one will trouble you and your son. As for Changge, he will have to live without me as his father."
"What about me then?" Man Niang's eyes welled up with tears. "Is this how my life ends?"
Gu Tingye's face showed a hint of sarcasm. "Initially, I asked you to give Changge to me and then go and marry someone else. But you said you were too old to marry well, and without your son, you'd have no one to rely on. It was because of that statement that I let Changge stay with you. Now, are you changing your mind again?"
Man Niang lifted her head, gazing blankly at the man. "Are you so repulsed by me? You don't even want to see me anymore."
"To be honest," Gu Tingye looked at her for a moment and calmly replied, "I am afraid of you."
Craftiness, patience, tenacity—Man Niang seemed like the spider demon from old folk tales, spinning webs that were sticky and dense. Once she locked onto a target, she would trap them alive, and they would struggle in vain to break free. If he let her continue entangling him, he felt that killing her might be the only way out. Leaving her was like escaping from the jaws of death.
"Today, I'll leave you with a warning," Gu Tingye walked to the door, then suddenly turned back to look at Man Niang, still sitting on the ground. "If you ever encounter any urgent difficulties, you can send someone to inform me. Chang'er is, after all, my flesh and blood. I won't stand idly by. But if..."
His face was cold as ice, his eyes filled with hostility as he spoke slowly, "If you dare set foot in the capital again, or come to seek me out for any reason, no matter what happens, just once, only once, I will ensure that you never see Chang'er again for the rest of your life!"
He didn't voice the last part, but Man Niang understood him deeply. She knew that if it ever came to that point, after taking Chang'er away, it would be time for him to deal with her.
After saying this, Gu Tingye forcefully opened the door and stepped out, greeted by the dazzling sun overhead and the refreshing breeze from the forest behind the mountain. He took a deep breath and spoke in a solemn tone, "We have an early court session tomorrow. Prepare the carriage and horses."
Haodacheng respectfully replied, "I will obey your orders."
Gu Tingye also glanced sideways, looking in the direction of Xuanzhi Garden, and chuckled coldly, "It's time to deal with them as well."
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Author's Note:
Regarding childbirth, I have no personal experience and have relied solely on information gathered from friends. Unfortunately, modern people are often quite delicate, with many opting for cesarean sections. It's quite rare to find someone who gives birth naturally.
According to one friend, her childbirth process went relatively smoothly, so she didn't experience much pain afterward. However, she was quite exhausted, and with family members around to assist, she simply leaned her head to one side and fell asleep.
If readers find any inconsistencies in Minglan's childbirth experience, please don't come looking for me!
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Regarding the conclusion of the story, I also want to finish it quickly. I am tired too, but I don't want to leave things unfinished. Therefore, I will ensure that everything that needs to be written is completed.
This story is not about palace intrigue; it's a farming story focusing on emotions and relationships. So, it won't end with a big battle. Do you understand?
Also, Man Niang is actually quite an interesting character in ancient times. As a person from the lower class, she is strong-willed and never considers herself inferior because of her background. She approached Gu Tingye for a relationship on equal terms, and her seemingly pitiful demeanor was just a tactic.
It's hard to say whether she's good or bad. On one hand, she represents modern spirit and challenges feudalism, but on the other hand, she could be seen as delusional.
Old comrade Cao's summary is still good.Despite being of lowly status, one's heart can reach the sky.
Posting this chapter in the middle of the night has stirred up a thousand waves of discussion. People have various opinions, both positive and negative, which is a normal expression of viewpoints. As my friend BaJie says, the fact that so many people are discussing your writing is a positive phenomenon. Let's take joy in that.
Well, I just want to add two sentences here.
In the preceding chapters, it was mentioned that Gao deliberately portrayed Minglan as too compliant, causing everyone to forget an important fact.
Minglan's marriage this time was purely a high-status match. What was her original identity? Just the illegitimate daughter of a fourth-rank civil official. Even if she had excellent personal qualities - beauty, intelligence, and likability - she was still just the illegitimate daughter of a fourth-rank official.
In the capital city, there were plenty of fourth-rank officials. According to the Ming and Qing civil official system, the fourth rank was considered the top rank of the middle rank, with ranks one, two, and three being the top ranks. Yes, Changbai indeed had a promising future, but it had not yet translated into tangible results. How many promising young officials ultimately failed to succeed?
So, even if Qiheng wore the "green hat," Princess Pingning still wouldn't look favorably on Minglan as a daughter-in-law. Because, from a practical standpoint, marrying Minglan wouldn't bring much benefit.
Furthermore, when Gu Er married Minglan, it was undoubtedly a result of his efforts in pursuit of their relationship. However, from a practical perspective, Minglan's marriage this time was purely a case of marrying up — of course, she herself didn't intend to do so.
On one hand, there were plenty of fourth-rank civil officials, while on the other hand, there was a stark contrast with the noble children who held real power and were favored by the emperor. In such a disparate comparison, as the family of the bride, the Sheng family had little confidence. If Lan caused trouble at her in-laws', Wang could rush over and scold, but if Minglan had a dispute with Gu Er, who could stand up for her? Would it be Changbai, Sheng Hong, or Yuan's brother-in-law?
They relied on Gu Er before they even realized it?!
If Minglan and Gu Er were to quarrel, probably everyone except Old Madam Sheng would advise Minglan to endure more and not to provoke this prestigious son-in-law.
This is precisely why Old Madam Sheng always hopes that Minglan can marry into the He family. That's where the logic lies.
And this is also the sad part.
From beginning to end, Minglan was extremely curious about Yanhong, about Manniang, but she never even asked a single question, let alone personally dealt with Manniang.
That woman clearly held a very important place in Gu Er's heart. No matter how Minglan dealt with Manniang, it would leave a bad impression in Gu Er's mind, so she simply pushed away the idea.
In the He family, even before the marriage proposal was made, Old Madam Sheng could go there and show her displeasure. But what about the Gu family? Once married into the Marquis's family, it's as deep as the sea. Even if Gu Er had already driven Manniang away, both on moral and emotional grounds, giving Minglan enough face, if Gu Er went back on his word and brought Manniang into the mansion as a concubine, what could the Sheng family do?
Divorce? Separation? Or perhaps just a letter of repudiation? If things turn sour, it's only Minglan who will suffer.
Maybe the style of Certain Author's writing is quite light-hearted, but observant readers can still discern from between the lines that, in reality, Minglan has been working very hard. She has been carefully managing both the family and her relationships, never daring to show even a hint of arrogance or pride from being favored.
The situation is stronger than the individual, such is reality.