dmims Chapter 116 Clarifying the Mind
Chapter 116 Clarifying the Mind
Chapter 116 Clarifying the Mind
"Cousin, it was my fault."
Rulan apologized somewhat apologetically, then gritted her teeth and said, "It's all Molan's fault for being so infuriating. Every time something happens, she likes to be sarcastic and sarcastic."
I couldn't help but say a few words to her yesterday, and then she cried.
Then I pushed her, and she didn't even fall. She said I hit her and that she was going to tell her father.
I was afraid of being punished by my father, so I held onto her and wouldn't let her leave. Then my older brother came.
"Were you punished later?" Wang You asked.
Rulan shook her head and said, "Yesterday, Father had dinner with his colleagues and got drunk on his way back. He had to go to court this morning, so he left before dawn."
Besides, Mother has already punished Mo Lan and me. Even if Father knows, he can't punish us again, can he?
"How did your aunt punish you?" Wang You asked curiously.
Rulan said, "They shall be forced to kneel for half an hour, and each person shall be struck ten times with the palm of their hand."
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Looking at Rulan's hands, Wang You realized they didn't look like she had been beaten just yesterday.
I don't know whether to call Madam Wang stupid or smart.
She knew they would be punished together, but it was clear that Rulan was just putting on a show, while Molan was really being punished.
Sheng isn't stupid; he already prefers his white moonlight, and Madam Wang is still biased and giving him an excuse.
If both of them were punished together, Sheng Hong's anger would subside considerably; he would at most utter a few curses and then it would be over.
If Lin Xiaoniang were a little more ruthless, she could inflict more injuries on Mo Lan when she returns. When the comparison is made, Sheng Hong would only be angrier.
"Cousin, when you and your fourth sister are arguing, it's best not to bring up the issue of legitimate and illegitimate children," Wang You reminded her.
"She was born out of wedlock anyway," Rulan retorted, unconvinced.
"That's true, but don't forget that your uncle is also born out of wedlock. How could he be happy to hear such words?"
Wang You said helplessly, "Haven't you noticed that every time we argue, you accuse her of being born out of wedlock? And no matter if you're right or wrong, as long as she says it to her uncle, he gets really angry?"
Although Sheng Hong was registered under the name of Old Madam Sheng, he was considered a legitimate son according to etiquette.
But he was old enough to remember things and had experienced the feeling of being a neglected son of a concubine.
Old Mrs. Sheng had a bad relationship with Old Master Sheng back then. Didn't she have any means to win back Old Master Sheng's heart?
But her pride prevented her from doing so.
With her son having died young, how could she possibly manage household affairs?
Sheng Hong's biological mother died of illness, and he was neglected when he was a child.
In Sheng Hong's heart, there is probably some resentment towards Old Madam Sheng.
All of this was because he was an illegitimate son.
His decision to have his illegitimate children raised by their birth mother may well have been influenced by his own childhood experiences.
Rulan always mocks Molan by bringing up the issue of legitimate and illegitimate children, which Sheng Hong finds extremely grating.
"But I—"
Rulan opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
"But you're bad with words, so you don't know what else to say to her besides this, right?" Wang You said.
"Mm." Rulan nodded somewhat shyly.
Although she was unwilling to admit it, she knew that Mo Lan was superior to her in every way.
Aside from her status as the legitimate daughter, she really didn't know what else to use to strike at Mo Lan.
Minglan had told her before not to keep bringing up the issue of legitimate and illegitimate children.
But whenever he runs out of words while arguing with Mo Lan, he can't help but blurt it out.
"But did your words hurt her?"
Wang You said, "Does she always put on a wronged look and then complain to her uncle?"
"Um."
Rulan nodded repeatedly, then said angrily, "All she does is cry and complain, just like her mother-in-law!"
You shouldn't say things like that.
Wang You frowned and said, "No matter how you look at it, her birth mother is an elder. If her uncle hears this, he will only be more unhappy."
Don't think that her crying and complaining are just because she cares.
The decision regarding whether a child is born legitimate or illegitimate is already made at birth. Even if you don't tell her, does she not know?
Don't other people know?
On the contrary, she will only be happier every time you say that, because she can go and complain to you.
She cried because she wanted to complain, not because she cared about what you said.
Rulan thought about it carefully and realized that it really was true.
Many times, she would initially show some restraint, with Mo Lan pretending to be very aggrieved, saying that she was just a concubine's daughter or something.
Upon hearing this, she immediately began to speak.
Now that I think about it carefully, wasn't Mo Lan just trying to seduce her?
"How despicable! She actually plotted against me!" Rulan said through gritted teeth.
"Now that you know, just be more careful in the future," Wang You reminded him.
Upon hearing this, Rulan's anger instantly dissipated, and she said with distress, "I can't do it."
She knows her own situation well, and she is quite aware of her own quick temper.
When you get anxious, you don't care about any of that.
Wang You was speechless for a moment, then thought for a moment and said, "You're like this—"
After listening, Rulan asked doubtfully, "Will this really work?"
"Why don't you try it and you'll see?" Wang You said with a smile.
"I'll give it a try later," Rulan said.
"But right now, the most urgent thing is still your hands."
What happened to my hand?
Rulan spread her hands and examined them over and over.
Looking at his fair and delicate palm, Wang You knew that his guess was correct.
"You took ten slaps yesterday, and your hands aren't even red, let alone swollen. They can't have gone down overnight, can they?"
"Uncle probably already knows about this. When he gets back and examines your hands, and then looks at Fourth Sister's hands, he'll definitely be angry," Wang You said.
"What should we do then?"
Rulan shuddered, pulled her hand back, and said, "It hurts to be hit on the palm, I don't want to."
"Then there's nothing I can do." Wang You shrugged.
"I have a way."
Rulan said, "When I return to the city, I will go directly to the Wang family and tell them that my aunt wants me to stay at the Wang family for a few days."
"Have you thought about the fact that you have class tomorrow?" Wang You said speechlessly.
Leaving aside classes, the two families live not far apart, and Sheng Hong isn't stupid.
"Cousin, you're usually so smart, how come you're so stupid now?"
Rulan laughed and said, "So what if Father guesses it? He can't just go to the Wang family and take me back, can he?"
As for attending classes, I can just ask for two days off. By the time I go back in a few days, my father's anger will have subsided, and he naturally won't punish me.
Wang You: "————"
He had to admit that Rulan's method was the best option if he didn't want to be beaten.
Ru Lan and Mo Lan have been fighting for so many years, and similar things have happened quite often.
Sheng Hong was already used to it, so he knew from the beginning that he would be very angry, but he didn't take it as a big deal.
No matter how much he doted on Lin Xiaoniang, she would always make a fuss over the smallest things, and eventually he would get annoyed.
Therefore, as long as she hides for a few days, Sheng Hong's anger will subside, and Lin Xiaoniang will no longer be able to cause trouble.
"Second brother!"
Just then, Mu Jie'er's voice came from afar.
Wang You looked in the direction of the sound and saw Mu Jie'er, Ru Lan, and Yu Yanran riding out of the stable.
Minglan and Yu Yanran both rode their own horses, while Mu Jie'er was led by Shi Tou.
The three women's sleeves were quite large, so they tied them with armbands to keep them in place for convenience.
This actually makes him appear somewhat heroic.
Before long, the three girls rode up on horseback. Mu Jie'er said, "Second brother, don't you know how to play polo? Why don't you play a game with Sister Minglan?"
"I will—"
Wang You originally wanted to say that he didn't mind being ugly, but seeing the eager look in Minglan's eyes, he changed his words to: "Then let's have a match to warm up."
"If Second Brother loses to Sister Minglan later, I won't laugh at you," Mu Jie'er said with a smile.
Wang You glared at her and said, "I'm going to the stable to ride a horse."
"No."
Yu Yanran dismounted and said, "Young Master Wang, please ride this one. Minglan said the one left in the stable is the worst."
"
"Thank you, Miss Yu."
Wang You didn't stand on ceremony either; to be precise, none of the four horses he kept here were particularly good.
It's just a regular horse that you can ride, only slightly better than a dhow horse used for pulling a cart.
Unfortunately, the Song Dynasty was short of horses. The better horses were all in the army, and civilians couldn't buy them even if they wanted to, and they were very expensive.
Wang You had Xiao Man bring him his armbands and then mounted his horse.
"I'll be the archer!"
Rulan joined in the fun and volunteered to serve as the archer.
"Sishe" and "Sichou" were ancient titles for referees in some competitive and recreational sports.
The role of the archer varies in different sports; in polo, the archer's role is to serve the ball.
The clerk is responsible for calculating the tallies and determining whether the tallies are valid.
"Sixth sister, be careful," Wang You said.
"My cousin is too," Minglan said with a smile.
Minglan, riding on horseback, had a smile that was even brighter than usual.
She disliked things like female workers, camellias, and tea making.
On the contrary, she really likes polo and arrow-pot, especially polo. Every time she rides a horse on the polo field, she forgets all her troubles and feels a sense of freedom.
The reason she enjoyed chatting with Wang You was because Wang You's views on many things were not so conventional.
And I won't talk to her about those pretentious things.
The two rode their horses to the sides of the polo field and stopped.
Rulan tossed the ball into the air and then quickly left the polo field.
"drive!"
Seeing the ball fly into the air, Wang You and Minglan spurred their horses, and the horses neighed and galloped off.
Polo is a multiplayer sport; players need to attack and defend, and cooperation is essential for a better gaming experience.
Polo originally originated in the military and was used to train cavalry.
Moreover, Cuju (ancient Chinese football) was also used in military training and was even recorded in military strategy texts.
It is evident that the ancients had unique ideas in many areas.
While playing with two people reduces the fun, it increases the competitiveness.
Wang You learned to ride a horse from Shi Tou, since horses were one of the most important means of transportation in ancient times.
However, he only knew the rules of polo and his skills were average, so he was no match for Minglan.
Minglan was the first to grab the ball, using her polo mallet to easily break through Wang You's blockade, and with a powerful swing, she knocked the ball into the hole.
In the second round, Minglan deliberately let her win, and Wang You noticed this and said, "Sixth Sister, you don't need to let me win."
"I--"
Minglan opened her mouth, unsure how to explain.
You can't exactly say that you gave way to Wang You to save face.
She was also worried that Wang You would be angry because of this, and she was extremely anxious.
"I understand Sixth Sister's good intentions, but compared to winning or losing, I prefer to see you looking radiant while playing polo," Wang You said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Minglan looked at Wang You. At this moment, Wang You was facing away from the sun, and the sunlight shone on him, gilding him with a layer of golden light, making him appear very dazzling.
"Why did you stop talking?"
Rulan was engrossed in watching when she saw the two stop and urged them on with some dissatisfaction.
Minglan snapped out of her daze, blushed, and dared not look at Wang You. She then spurred her horse toward Qiu.
Wang You scratched his head, realizing that what he had just said might have been a bit ambiguous.
However, he really had no other intentions. Minglan wasn't particularly beautiful, but her radiant smile could inexplicably lift anyone's spirits.
They didn't play like a formal competition; they agreed that the first person to reach ten points would win.
As expected, Wang You failed to score a single goal and was shut out.
After the game, Minglan went to teach Mu Jie'er how to ride a horse, while Rulan pulled Yu Yanran to play polo.
Wang You sat alone in the shed, leisurely sipping tea and basking in the sun.
Just as Wang You was dozing off, Mu Jie'er and Minglan returned.
"You must be tired. Sit down and have some water to rest."
As Wang You spoke, he turned to the maid and said, "Go and bring two cups of honey water."
"Yes!" the maid replied and left.
Mu Jie'er took the handkerchief handed to her by the maid, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said, "Second Brother, I can ride a horse at a slow pace now. Sister Minglan said I'm learning very quickly, and it won't be long before I can ride a horse by myself."
"You can't ride alone. You—never mind, you won't have a chance to ride a horse without me anyway," Wang You said.
After thinking about it carefully, Mu Jie'er realized that it was indeed true.
Without Wang You accompanying her, Madam Feng would not allow her to leave the city alone.
Even if she dared to secretly leave the city, her maid and coachman would not dare to hide it afterward.
"Disappointing."
Mu Jie'er made a face and said, "I'm going to watch Sister Rulan and the others play polo."
After speaking, he ran away.
Minglan was smiling as she watched the brother and sister talk when she saw Mu'er run away, and she immediately lowered her head in embarrassment.
"Cough cough~"
Wang You also felt a little awkward. If it weren't for what happened before, things would have been fine, but the words he said on the polo field just now made things a bit more awkward between the two of them.
"that--"
Wang You touched his nose and said, "I heard from Fifth Sister that she was punished yesterday. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, this has nothing to do with me, and with my grandmother protecting me, I won't be punished," Minglan said softly.
"That's good."
Wang You said, "I won't be going to the Sheng family to study next year."
"oh."
Upon hearing this, Minglan's joy at Wang You's concern vanished instantly.
"My cousin holds an official position; it's time for him to take up his post."
"yes."
Wang You nodded, and the two fell silent again.
"that--"
Wang You hesitated for a long time before saying, "When you come of age, I will have my father and mother come to propose marriage."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Minglan exclaimed in surprise and looked at Wang You in disbelief.
"hehe."
Looking at Minglan's expression, Wang You couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Minglan came to her senses, her face flushed, and she lowered her head.
"I told you that when you come of age, I will have your father and mother go to the Sheng family to propose marriage."
Wang You's smile faded, and he repeated himself seriously, finally adding, "I want to marry you!"
He was still unsure if he liked Minglan, but he knew he was happy with her.
That's enough!
Wang You realized that there was no need to be too utilitarian about marriage.
Otherwise, life would be so tiring.
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