The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

The two young nannies who came from Rongguo Mansion, traveling a thousand miles, had surnames Qi and Ding, respectively.

Both of them found it hard to understand the situation in the Fourth Old Lady’s household.

It was true that the Fourth Old Lady was pregnant and indeed feeling some discomfort, but she shouldn’t be doing any labor. There are so many servants!

The Fourth Old Lady only needed to use her words, and not do any hard work.

Without her authority, if the Old Lady were careless and someone took advantage, causing harm to the Fourth Old Lady and the unborn young master, it would be a serious issue.

This was the most pressing problem.

Yet, it was something they could not persuade.

Because the Fourth Old Lady herself had no objections to relinquishing control over household provisions, the Old Lady of the Lin family was in charge. Even if they had their own thoughts, they couldn’t approach the Old Lady to request the authority be returned.

So, the issues they could address were the other two.

They had known some details about the Fourth Old Lady’s household before coming, but seeing it in person was still somewhat unbelievable.

The Fourth Old Lady was too lenient with her concubines and illegitimate children! Now that the Fourth Old Lady was suffering from pregnancy, the two concubines were not only exempted from following the rules but also did not need to pay respects. Even if the Fourth Old Lady was bedridden and unable to rise, they could still visit at other times to offer their greetings.

If they didn’t want to be around her to avoid harming the fetus, they could be stationed in their own courtyard to copy scriptures and pray for blessings for the Fourth Old Lady and the unborn young master. There were plenty of things they could do.

And not like now, where no rules are established, which easily leads to them becoming complacent.

And those illegitimate children—look at what they eat, use, and the tutors they are given. Do they really deserve such attention?

They are supposed to call the Fourth Old Lady “Mother,” yet when the Fourth Old Lady is unwell, they don’t come to serve her. Even if the Old Lady has issued orders, they should still come voluntarily and conscientiously.

If rules had been established from the beginning, making them aware of hierarchy and respect, this situation wouldn’t have occurred.

But it’s not too late now.

Establishing the rules now will make things easier when the young master is born.

What’s wrong with that?

Nanny Qian, as a member of the Jia family, not only disagrees but is also hindering them at this critical moment.

How long has it been since she last cared for a child or a pregnant woman? She lacks their level of experience.

Nanny Ding is very proud of her expertise in this area; she cared for Second Madam during the birth of Young Master Baoyu.

Has Nanny Qian, after spending years in the Lin family, changed her heart?

Nanny Qian feels deeply wronged.

She disputes their methods for two reasons: to preserve her own position and because their practices are simply wrong.

For example, the food for the Madam. Having married into the Lin family for so many years, her tastes have already changed from those of the Jia family. Now, with her pregnancy, it’s even harder to get her to eat certain things.

They prepared dishes that were popular in the Jia family—while they put in effort and the food was indeed tasty, it was too greasy for a pregnant woman. If she pointed this out, it’s not wrong; didn’t they themselves realize this issue and take it down shortly after?

This clearly shows they were trying too hard to impress and ended up overdoing it.

And the issue of the concubines and illegitimate children in the Lin family—can it even be compared?

The Jia family has always disregarded illegitimate children because they are not short of heirs; they have legitimate children and therefore do not care much about the illegitimate ones.

But the Lin family has only a few seedlings, with no close brothers or sisters, or even close cousins.

It’s simply impossible to treat them like the Jia family does.

Jia Min also feels some discomfort.

Indeed, Nanny Qi and Nanny Ding are experienced and have shared a lot of insights. They’ve helped her with massages and made her feel much better, but their control over her is indeed stricter. They impose many restrictions and frequently offer their opinions on her practices, such as advising her to ask the Old Lady to return the management of the household, and suggesting she should establish authority over the concubines and illegitimate children, which makes Jia Min very frustrated.

They speak with such conviction, repeatedly mentioning that being stricter could lead to serious consequences in the future, such as the Old Lady regretting and not returning the household management to her.

Or that the two concubines might become unruly and bully her children in the future, taking advantage of their older age.

She does not believe the first point at all. The Old Lady is devoted to Buddhist practices and is not a person who values power; otherwise, she would not have given her the keys shortly after Jia Min first entered the family.

The second point is indeed something to be wary of.

Her own children, whether male or female, are legitimate and precious, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be bullied.

Her older children are already seven years old. If they are bullied, the younger child is too young to even complain.

Jia Min felt anxious.

Can she really protect her children well?

Should she teach the three children some rules?

When Zhao Yin came to visit and noticed her emotional distress, she insisted on asking the reason. Upon learning that Jia Min was worried about her children being bullied, Zhao Yin’s face darkened immediately.

What does this mean for the Jia family’s people?

She had only seen people comforting pregnant women and helping them stay cheerful; she had never seen anyone deliberately adding to their distress.

Originally, Jia Min was already a sensitive and thoughtful person. Now, being pregnant, she was even more prone to overthinking. And they were suggesting she might be thinking too little? That her health was too good?

Zhao Yin sent all the servants out and scolded Jia Min.

“Don’t you know you’re pregnant? Why are you stressing yourself out like this? Look at your hands; you’re getting thinner. What are you worrying about?”

“You’ve been the rightful wife of Lord Lin, managing the household for years. Don’t you know the nature of the old lady and the others by now?”

“Just focus on having the baby. After that, whatever happens is no longer my concern.”

“Do you still see yourself as that little girl who didn’t understand anything? Do you really think you wouldn’t notice if the child is bullied? Do you think all these servants around you are useless?”

“Do you know your status? You’re the wife of a third-rank official, with a noble title, and you come from the Rongguo Mansion. Are you worrying about a few children? Are you underestimating yourself or overestimating those kids? Are you really so powerless?”

“They are doing this for your own good, but you need to recognize whether their good intentions might actually do more harm than good. How did you end up being led around like this?”

Jia Min felt somewhat ashamed by her words and covered her face with a handkerchief. “Sister Yin, I’ve been overthinking.”

Seeing her like this, Zhao Yin softened her tone. “That’s your nature, but what about the people around you? Don’t they know how to advise you properly? What’s the most important thing for you right now? Don’t you know? Don’t they know?”

Jia Min took a deep breath and touched her belly. “Sister Yin, I understand my mistake now and won’t let it happen again.”

Indeed, she shouldn’t let this affect her. Reflecting on it, she realized she hadn’t eaten properly or slept well these past few days.

This couldn’t continue.

The child she had longed for would be well protected.

Zhao Yin said, “It’s good if you really understand your mistake.”

When it was time for her to leave, she met with Lin Ru Hai through a screen.

Lin Ru Hai thanked her.

He had also tried to advise Jia Min, but she hadn’t listened to him, and some of his words lacked the necessary persuasion.

Zhao Yin nodded, her tone neutral. “No need to thank me. I’ve been friends with Min for many years. If I know about it, I won’t let her continue down the wrong path.”

As Zhao Yin returned and sat in the carriage, she appeared lost in thought.

The old duke certainly had good judgment in finding such a husband for Jia Min.

It’s just that his family is somewhat thin in numbers, without the support of his brothers, relying solely on his individual efforts. But this also means there are no hindrances or jealous sisters-in-law to deal with in the family.

Moreover, even though he lacks the support of his brothers and elders, he himself is outstanding. How many people can hold a third-rank official position at his age?

Zhao Yin inevitably thought of her own husband.

He is still a minor official of the sixth rank and she doesn’t know if he will be promoted to the fourth rank by the time he retires.

Thinking about how Lin Ruhai had secured a title for Jia Min early on, while she had been delayed for a long time before getting a title for herself under pressure from his cousin’s pillow talk.

She is his legitimate wife; how could the title not be given to her but potentially to his cousin?

It’s clear that despite being of similar age to Lin Ruhai, the difference between them is too significant to compare.

If he could perform his duties well and elevate her children, it would be acceptable. But Liu Zishi, despite his mediocre talent, always considers himself exceptional.

At this thought, Zhao Yin sneered, letting out a wistful sigh.

How much effort did she put in to make her eldest daughter’s dowry more substantial when she married off two years ago?

How much effort she have to expend to secure such a promising match for her daughter, Ru Dan.

At present, her judgment seems to have been correct; he is a sincere and honorable gentleman.

She doesn’t expect her son-in-law to achieve the same success as Lin Ruhai, but if he can show even half the respect towards his wife that Lin Ruhai shows, she would be content.

Then her thoughts turned to her own son, who is sixteen this year and will soon be marrying. Before long, she hopes to have a grandchild. She wishes for them to have a deep and loving relationship and to live a good life together…

After Zhao Yin left, Jia Min managed to assert control over the two new nannies.

At this moment, she acutely felt the disconnect between her family and her own ideas.

This is not the Jia family, and she knew her mother had always looked down on illegitimate children.

She has three elder sisters, but she has seen them only a few times throughout her life.

To this day, her impression of those three sisters is just their deeply bowed heads.

She had almost forgotten what their faces looked like.

Moreover, her mother places great importance on the power she holds. Even though her two sisters-in-law have been married into the family for many years, the elder sister-in-law is a second wife and has no children of her own. Understandably, she worries about her power being taken away and possibly harming Lian’er. However, the younger sister-in-law is the first wife and has given the Jia family two sons and one daughter. Now that Zhu’er is thirteen, in a couple of years, the younger sister-in-law will also become a mother-in-law. Yet, her mother still shows no intention of delegating her authority, only assigning less important chores to the younger sister-in-law, while keeping the most crucial keys firmly in her own hands.

The servants trained by her mother have similar attitudes, which are not suited to the Lin family’s circumstances.

The Jia family comes from a distinguished military background, while the Lin family is a scholarly lineage. Although the Lin family has noble titles, they differ from the Jia family’s martial achievements.

Furthermore, due to the rarity of descendants in the Lin family, even the illegitimate children are cherished.

What could a few young servants do for her?

It’s enough that they come to pay their respects.

Nurse and Sister Yin are right. They have experience in caring for pregnant women, but their other ideas are not suitable for the Lin family. She needs to choose carefully which advice to follow.

As Jia Min’s pregnancy reached three months, news spread and many old friends and acquaintances sent letters or gifts to express their concerns.

The Lin residence was bustling with joy.

However, this bustle had little to do with the baby.

For Yingyu and the other three, it was business as usual—going to class and occasionally accompanying their father to banquets.

The only change was that, due to her mother’s illness, they no longer accompanied her outside.

But to say there was no change at all… that would be impossible.

They are already seven years old.

At this age, they are no longer completely small children.

Although the rules in the household are strict and they hardly hear any harsh words around them, once they go outside, many pieces of information will passively reach their ears.

When adults know something, children will inevitably pick up bits and pieces from their parents and elders.

Some people’s attitudes have become subtle.

Especially among the children of officials who hold high positions.

Previously, they maintained good relations and seemed indifferent to the illegitimate children, but not everyone was indifferent.

It was only because of the special circumstances of the Lin family that their small circle of legitimate children accepted the three from the Lin household.

Without legitimate children, such distinctions are meaningless.

But now the situation has changed.

When Yingyu and the other two go out visiting, some people, due to their young age and lack of social awareness, bluntly say things like, “I heard you’re going to have legitimate siblings. Will you be bullied at home in the future?” This is from families with no illegitimate children.

“Will your life be difficult in the future? If so, I can help you…” This is from families with illegitimate children, where the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children is clear and their treatment is noticeably different.

“Ah, congratulations! You’ll have more younger brothers and sisters in the future.” This is from those with a relaxed attitude, where the distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate children are not very clear.

Some of the illegitimate children have long envied the favorable treatment of the three legitimate children. Why, when they are all illegitimate, do the three of them have such a good life?

Now, their fortunes might also decline. And the eldest illegitimate son… many people have a subtle gaze towards Chenyu.

If his legitimate mother’s child is a legitimate son, who knows if the eldest illegitimate son will even grow up.

Some people take pleasure in their misfortune, saying, “From now on, we’ll all be the same. Chenyu, I’m telling you, you should be more respectful to your legitimate mother when you see her in the future…”

Lin Ruhai was displeased upon hearing this but knew it was inevitable.

Unless one is from a family without rules, there is always a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children.

This is the way of things, and it is also the code of etiquette.

The current Crown Prince, who is a legitimate child, was soon made Crown Prince due to his legitimate status.

However, Lin Ruhai felt some dissatisfaction seeing the three children being looked down upon because of their illegitimate status.

On the other hand, these three children had given him unexpected surprises.

Faced with these somewhat malicious comments, Luoyu and Chenyu frowned slightly and were somewhat displeased, but their overall demeanor remained calm. They even responded to those who were just watching the show.

Yingyu was a bit timid. At first, she didn’t understand, but once she did, her eyes turned red with grievance. She was careful not to cry in public, so her tears clung to her eyelashes, making Lin Ruhai, who was watching from behind the flowers, want to comfort her.

He restrained himself.

He couldn’t keep letting the children live under his protection all the time.

Besides, no one would really dare to do anything to them; the maids and servants around them were also present.

At most, it was just some verbal spats.

He heard the last remark: “Why are you crying? I didn’t say anything wrong about you being raised by a concubine. When you grow up, you might be matched to some random family, and you’re crying now. What will you do if you cry yourself blind later?”

Lin Ruhai frowned deeply.

Which family does that little girl belong to, and how did she learn to talk about matchmaking at such a young age? Where did she learn her manners?

At that moment, Lin Ruhai saw Luoyu approaching and whispering something in Yingyu’s ear. Yingyu was stunned for a moment, then she smiled through her tears. The little girl, furious, stamped her foot, pointed at Luoyu for a while without being able to say a word, and then turned and ran away.

Lin Ruhai was curious about what was said.

After they returned home, he called Luoyu to the study. “What did you say to your sister in the garden today?”

Luoyu wasn’t eager to answer. She looked up at her father, who was smiling with his hands behind his back. She pouted and said, “Father, you have to promise not to tell on me.”

Lin Ruhai composed himself: “Go ahead.”

Luoyu blinked her eyes and said sweetly, “Daddy, you didn’t promise me yet.”

Lin Ruhai smiled faintly and said, “Will you tell me or not? Are you no longer interested in the pear blossom ink wash you wanted before?” He used his seductive technique.

Luoyu: “…”

Her feelings were written all over her face.

That ink wash was so cute; she had asked her father for it several times, but he always teased her. “Daddy—” she stretched out the word, acting cute.

But seeing her father’s stern expression, Luoyu compromised. “Daddy, will you give it to me if I tell you?”

Lin Ruhai remained unmoved. “It depends on what you say.”

Luoyu pouted. “I didn’t say much; I just asked my sister one question.”

Lin Ruhai indicated that he was all ears.

Luoyu looked at the ground and said, “I asked, sister, did you hear any dogs barking?”

Lin Ruhai: “…”

Lin Ruhai: “?!”

When did his obedient little darling learn to insult others indirectly?

People are always inconsistent.

Lin Ruhai criticized the young girl who spoke indiscreetly about others, but when his own daughter used similar words, he chose to overlook it.

He even thought her sisterly affection deserved praise and decided to reward her with the ink wash she had wanted for a long time.

However, seeing Luoyu happily holding the ink wash, Lin Ruhai felt it was time to have a serious talk with Yun Shi.

She couldn’t keep treating their daughter as if she were a son.