Chapter 206: A Visit to Mother (3)Translator: Antonia
After the tableware was taken away, aunt Li pointed at the two shy girls, Wanruo and Wanru, teasing, “Madam, looked at the second and third lady. They are so bashful that they dare not to look up when there is a guest. They are far worse than lady Qianxue.”
Hearing this comparison, Mrs. Jia instantly pulled her face and scolded, “Unruly! How could you compare concubine’s daughters with a legal lady? Besides, in the future, Qianxue will be a madam of a super family. You’re so bold to compare her with your own useless daughters!”
Jiang stood up, indignant, “Although the second and third ladies are your daughters, they are ladies after all. How could you, a concubine, to discuss things about ladies? What do you have in mind?”
She was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Jia mansion and naturally talked with authority.
Aunt Li was scared and kneeled down, saying hurriedly, “I just admire so Miss. Mo’s beauty and elegance much that I said something offensive without thinking. Please do forgive me, Miss. Mo.”
The atmospherics in the room instantly became tense. Everyone’s eyes unconsciously turned to Mo Qianxue.
Mo Qianxue picked up the teacup, blew away the tea leaves floating on the water, took a sip, and said slowly, “Don’t say so, aunt.” At this time, it would be her fault whether she forgave her or not.
If she blamed her, then she would be accused of putting on airs. If not, she was belittling herself.
Seeing that Mo Qianxue didn’t show irritation, Mrs. Jia found it improper for a concubine aunt to kneel to her daughter and reprimanded, “What are you doing? Just get up and thank Miss. Mo for her lenience.”
“Thank you, Miss. Mo.” Aunt Li stood up, but her mouth wasn’t shut.
Instead, she smiled, “I was thinking, Miss. Mo is distinguished and needs considerate people to take care of you. Although the servants are capable, they may overlook something anyway.
Why not let Wanruo and Wanru go to serve you at the Founder mansion? They are not clever but they can do domestic chores. At least they have softer hands than the servants. I hope they could follow you early so that they could learn how to be a lady like you. What do you think?
The words sounded very nice on the surface.
Yet, when thought upon carefully, the words were disgusting.
As soon as aunt Li finished, the two girls flushed.
At this point, if Mo Qianxue still didn’t understand what she meant, those novels and TV series were merely a waste of time.
Around fifteen was a proper age for marriage.
She claimed to let them learn from her, but in fact, it would be taking them back to the Founder mansion first. Then, when she got married and moved to the Ning mansion, they would follow her as dowry girls.
A convention of bringing concubines for the husband among ancient big and noble families.
A noble lady marrying to a high-ranked family, if having too many sisters, would always bring with her a few sisters who were daughters of concubines to help her.
Based on her identity as a legal wife, as long as she moved in, they became her husband’s concubines, and respected concubines.
The respected concubines of a super-family master were no lesser than ordinary imperial concubines.
Certainly, Mo Qianxue was unhappy because they were already trying to tuck people to her before she got married. She looked to Mrs. Jia, wanting to know whether it was Mrs. Jia’s plan or aunt Li’s own willful proposition.
Mrs. Jia also looked shocked. Obviously, she didn’t know it beforehand. Yet, she didn’t seem to object to it and pondered.
Mo Qianxue indifferently picked the teacup and sipped tea. As long as it wasn’t Mrs. Jia’s plan and calculation, she didn’t care what others thought.
Mo Qianxue didn’t say anything, while Mrs. Jia was in contemplation. The scene became colder.
Jiang and Yao bowed their heads and held the teacups at the same time, all ears.
Aunt Zhang looked a little jealous. This aunt Li always had some means to make madam very happy and had managed to give birth to two children in a row. Yet, two daughters.
After the wave of jealousy, she began to lament for her back luck.
No matter how good a scholar was in character or learning, he was of humble origin, with merely a few houses, acres of land and some servants. How could he be comparable with nobilities? If her daughter hadn’t been engaged, now she would be the best candidate.
Aunt Li was quite nervous and looked at Mrs. Jia expectantly. As long as Mrs. Jia agreed, certainly Miss. Mo wouldn’t have an opinion.
Wanhua sat there, calm and motionless, as if she had heard nothing.
Wanruo and Wanru subconsciously took a grip on nervously twisted their handkerchiefs. After a while of pondering, Mrs. Jia looked serious, supposedly having made up her mind, “Actually, aunt Li’s words make some sense.” Mo Qianxue couldn’t agree but knew that she was of good intention. For a time, she just didn’t find proper words to turn her down.
Seeing Mo Qianxue was silent, Mrs. Jia understood. She herself was a wife. Since ancient times, no wives liked concubines.
Wives and concubines, and their daughters were born to be opponents. No one liked each other.
However, even if they didn’t like each other, it didn’t mean they couldn’t live together. It was never heard of that a master didn’t take concubines, let alone a super-family master.
Qianxue didn’t have mother, and the Founder mansion knew little about this kind of things because the Founder was a loyal man. Hence, Mrs. Jia felt dutiful to remind her daughter in this regard.
Thinking of this, she tried best to soften her tone and persuaded, “Qianxue, don’t think too much. I’m not tucking people onto you. It’s just you’re a only child and stands at odds against the Mo clan. In the future, when you move into the Ning mansion, you’ll have no sisters to help you, even if you’ve saved the life of master Ning. How long could his gratitude last?
These two girls were brought up under my watch. Even though they couldn’t achieve great things, they have a mild temperament, and I know them well…” It meant that they were easy to handle.
A third person couldn’t understand a couple’s relationship. From Mrs. Jia’s viewpoint, this arrangement was a way to maintain her status and his affection. She was totally thinking for Mo Qianxue’s sake. Every noble lady got married, taking with her either her sisters or pretty servant girls as dowry girls.
However, it was impossible for her to understand that Mo Qianxue didn’t need it, and Ning Shaoqing wouldn’t allow either.
Mo Qianxue didn’t reply yet, and nanny Mo’s expression changed, obviously persuaded by Mrs. Jia’s words. She gently pushed Mo Qianxue in secrecy, “Mrs. Jia’s kindness…”
In addition, although nanny Mo heard Chuyi told her that Mr. Ning had said that he would only marry their lady.
However, in fact, she didn’t believe that, at least not entirely.
Men like Mo Tianfang had long been extinct in this world.
Besides, they were two different cases. When Mo Tianfang married Feng Qingyu, everyone believed that he was out of her league. But when it came to Mo Qianxue marrying Ning Shaoqing, everyone believed she was out of his league.
It was the other way round.
Ning Shaoqing was a super-family master. How would it be possible that he would only have one woman?
Even if he himself didn’t want to, the elders of the Ning clan wouldn’t let him.
Sometimes, taking concubines was a means of pulling in, a way to gain more supporters to the Ning clan. Nanny Mo wasn’t very knowledgeable, but she understood this, she believed.
Yet on the flip side, there weren’t seniors in the Founder mansion and back then, madam was in charge of everything. Who dared to climb onto the bed of Founder? Outside the mansion, master Mo of the Mo clan couldn’t control over the Founder. When he himself refused to take concubines, nobody dared to say anything. If concubines were forced onto him, the Founder would definitely split them into parts.
Being pushed by nanny Mo, Mo Qianxue shook her head. Sometimes the ancients couldn’t be talked through.
Before nanny Mo finished, Mo Qianxue put down the cup and replied, “I appreciate mother’s kindness, but…”
Nanny Mo was stunned.
Mrs. Jia was a little surprised too.
“Sensible people will know that you’re thinking for me and my future, but those unreasonable people will say you’re sending concubine’s daughters to the Founder mansion as servants. If this rumor is spread out, I’m afraid it would affect Mr. Jia’s reputation.”
At this point, she could only pretend that she didn’t understand.
Daughters, even of concubines, from the Jia mansion would never be given to others as servants.
Mo Qianxue just pretended that she misunderstood their words. Yet, others understood what she meant.
Aunt Li looked embarrassed, her smile frozen a little from indignation, and didn’t give up, “It’s not good if Miss. Mo don’t have intimate servants around.”
Mo Qianxue frowned, unable to understood why this woman, who had been a concubine for her whole life, wanted to send her own daughters away as concubines. So ridiculous. She continued, “I don’t think so. There are hundreds of servants in the Founder mansion at my command. They are already more than enough… Aunt Li thinks too much.”
She and Ning Shaoqing loved each other and only wanted to spend the rest of their lives together exclusively. These people’s suggestion annoyed her. That being said, she still needed to get prepared, because this sort of things would be more in the future. This probably was only an appetizer.