Chapter 254: The Guideline of Giving Birth to a Child: Live and Get Pregnant (2) Translator: Iris

As for the ones who accepted the gifts and didn't return anything, they were either great friends or superiors of the givers. There might be other reasons for that, but all in all, people sent gifts to each other only to helpmeeteach other'sneeds.

After Minglan had sent her guest off, she was quite satisfied with herself, feeling that she had learned many things after getting married.

Then, she ignored the sarcastic words of Second Madam Bing and asked Zhushi to taste the snacks warmly, This was made by the crisp cheese which was sent from the north. I heard the people in northern area ate thecheese directly. But I feel that the flavor is too strong and has a slight smell of mutton. So I asked them to make snacks with it.

Zhu shi, face turning stiff, picked a snack and tasted it reluctantly. Second Madam Bing bit her lips and said, Sister-in-law, you really are in a carefree mood now. Your uncle and brothers-in-law are about to suicidein anxiety,butyou are stillunconcerned. What is your heart made of?

What a nice speech. My heart is just like the ones of all the other women. Minglan turned around slowly and said with a slight smile, Second Sister-in-law, since you have already been so blunt, I'd like to speak my mind too.

As Minglan smoothed out the wrinkles on her dress, she looked at Second Madam Bing and said,

I am just a woman who can not interfere with the official business. I've said everything I could say and doneeverything I could do. If my husbanddisagreeswith me, do you think I can force him to listen to me?

Seeing that Second Madam Bing was still in anger, Minglan said sternly, After all, I have already got married and should obey my husband. Even if my parents' family is in conflict with my husband, I have to take my husband's side. Second Sister-In-Law, you can ask any married woman whether they would fight against their husbands for others. I know my words don't sound nice, but the truthisalways not pleasingtothe ear.

Second Madam Bing who knew that Minglan was right couldn'tmakeanyargument. After she had opened and closed her mouth for several times, she finally wanted to say something. However, Minglan interrupted her smilingly, Perhaps you have the guts to do that, Second Sister-In-Law, but I havebeenjust married to my husbandforless than half a year and not given birth to a child yet. I can only behave cautiously and dare notcrosstheline. So please forgive me for not being able to help, Second Sister-In-Law. After saying that, Minglan gavea wry smile to show how helpless she was.

The key to avoid offending others when rejecting them was: Having a nice attitude, keeping a firm principle and speaking things clearly. In this way, Minglan could make it clear that what they had requested was truly out of her reach andthatthey could only blame their own fate. Since those women were still Minglan's sisters-in-law and there was no way she wouldn't meet them in the future,Minglan didn't want to make therelationstootensebetween them.

Minglan had already spoken so straightly, so there was no need to say anything else. She believed that those women haddone enoughand wouldn't come again after a few days when they realized that they wouldn't get what they wanted.

Then, Minglan continued to invite them to drink tea and eat snacks with a beaming smile on her face. If there was something she needed to deal with, she would handle the matter. If she got nothing to do, she would hold a blanket in her arms and do the needlework to show how virtuous she was. Since those womencouldn't beat her, she just pretended that she hadn't heard anything theysaid.

Whatnice needlework! Zhu shi, as sensible as she was, approachedMinglan and picked up asmall pieceof chest coveringwhile praising, Well, well, look at the color, the needlework. Well done!

Minglan, face slightly turning red, twiddled the thread while saying, My EldestSister sent someone here to tell me that she wanted to chat with me. I prepareto go to her home tomorrow morning. This work isabout to be finished.After I've done the needlework, I'll bring this to her.

Zhu shi was a bit surprised to hear that. But she still recovered the look on her face and teased, Well, sisters are always so close. I don't know if my Xian would be so lucky to wear something with suchperfect needlework. Then, with a meaningful look in her eyes, she stared at Minglan and said on purpose, Making clothes for others'kids is notbetter than making for your own kids. When will you givebirth to a child?

Minglan blushed with a smile on her face right away and pushed Zhu shislightlywith a bashful look, Hey! Stop! You, you, you, how can you say this

Zhu shi who was totally unguarded staggered and almost fell down from the chair,hermindwhirlingdue to the pain on her arms.

The next day, when Minglan was in Marquis Zhongqin's mansion, she told Hualan what had happened, which made the latter bend over with laughter. Hualan lay on the brick bed and tapped Minglan's forehead with her slender finger, saying, You! Still like a child! Did it make youhappytoplaytricks on them?

Minglan shook her head lightheartedly and replied, I have been tortured by them for days. Why couldn't Itakerevengeonthem a bit? They should be grateful. If they did this to Fifth Sister, they might even be beaten!

Hualan covered her mouth with her handkerchief and laughedwildly.

Minglan measured Hualan with her eyes carefully. Although Hualan still seemed a bit slender, she clearly was more spirited. With a joyful look on her face, she looked composed at ease as if she was still the noble and cheerful First Lady of the Sheng family.

After a long while, they both stopped laughing. Hualan asked someone to bring a large plate of snacks and said, Here, have a taste of this. Cuichan hasn't made those things for a while.

There were the red sweetcakes made with beans, the golden sweet dew made with honey and fruit, the chewy black sugar rice with root of lotus as well as the white chubby dried milk cake. After Minglan had a taste of all those tasty snacks the flavor of which she was very familiar with, she sighed and said, Eldest Sister, grandma surely adores you most, otherwise she wouldn't have sent Cuichan, Mama Fang's best apprentice, to you. It has been a long timethatI didn't have a chance to taste this unique flavor.

Cuiwei pretended to be displeased and said, My lady, were you suggesting that we were not good enough? All right, Sister Cuichan, why don't we change ladies with each other, in case our ladies would be tired of us!

Hearing that, Cuichan covered her mouth and chuckled while Hualan pointed to Cuiwei and said with a smile, Little girl, everyone knows that your lady treats her servants very nicely.Wesurelyknow that you are just showing off now!

Sister Cuichan! Xiaotao who was also attracted by the snacks approachedCuichan and said, Since our lady is so nice, why don't you come to our place?

Cuichan was a tender woman who didn't like to argue with others. Hearing that, she said in a soft voice beside Hualan, I've grown up with my lady. Since I've said that I would serve her for my whole life, I'll never leave her even if she abuses me, beats me or drives me away.

Minglan expressed how jealous she was by smacking her lips for a long while. Although Hualan didn't say anything, she felt quite complacent inwardly. After they chatted for a while, Hualan asked Cuichan to bring Cuiwei and Xiaotao to eat other snacksoutside.

Eldest Sister, you've been doing well lately! Minglan put a snack in her mouth and said with a meaningful smile, The procedure of making these snacks is rather complicated and the ingredients are hard to find, not to mention all the pots and pans you need to prepare. So, I guess you have already had your own kitchen now, right?

Hualan, eyes rounded adorably, chuckled and wiped the crumbs around Minglan's mouth and said, Mama Fang is aged, I know you don't want to bother her. If you want to eat snacks, just tell someone to send the message to me. I'll ask Cuichan to make those snacks and send them to you.