Chapter 12: Establishing Authority
Mengxi looked at the four aunts who came in quietly. The eldest aunt was wearing a blue wedding dress and was slightly plump, which made her look gentle and silent. When she saw Mengxi looking at her, she lowered her head. The second aunt was wearing a blue-green wedding dress, tall, with a well-proportioned figure. She kept her head down, which gave Mengxi a wooden feeling. The third aunt was wearing a green wedding dress, with a duck egg face and a pair of smart big eyes, which was particularly pleasing. Xiao Jun must like these eyes very much, Mengxi thought, and looked at her. She didn't dodge, but looked straight at him. Mengxi's expression did not change, and his eyes continued to sweep to the fourth aunt. The fourth aunt was wearing a pink wedding dress, with a golden hairpin on her head, a thin shoulder and waist, a melon seed face, and a pair of eyes, looking around, with a different kind of charm and enchantment, just like a fox spirit reincarnated. Mengxi looked at her, and she also looked straight into Mengxi's eyes, with a hint of contempt in her eyes.
I am a slave and I am not allowed to look my master in the eye. The behavior of the Third and Fourth Madams can be said to be extremely rude. Mengxi remained calm and nodded gently to Hongzhu. Hongzhu took a futon from the maid and spread it flat on the ground.
The eldest aunt came forward first, knelt on the futon, kowtowed three times to Mengxi, took the tea from the maid, and raised it high above her head:
"I offer tea to you, Grandma. May you be blessed."
Mengxi took the tea, opened the lid, took a sip, and gently placed it on the table. She said something about following the rules and serving the Second Master well, and copied what the First Master and the First Madam had said to her in the morning. Mengxi secretly admired her for her high comprehension, and she didn't even need any tools to copy it. She asked Hongzhu to give the prepared gift, and then raised her hand to let the First Madam stand up and step aside.
The second and third concubines also offered tea in turn, and Mengxi drank it and was rewarded with something. Finally, the fourth concubine knelt forward, kowtowed three times, took the tea from the maid, and handed it directly to Mengxi.
"I offer tea to you, Grandma. May you be blessed."
Since the Fourth Concubine came into the family, she has been extremely favored by the Second Master. Although the other three concubines came into the family earlier than her, they relied on the Second Master's favor and did bad things to the other three concubines, and the three concubines dared not speak out. Gradually, she became the most powerful woman in the Second Master's courtyard. Today, a new Second Wife came. How could she be willing to be inferior to others? Moreover, she often heard the Second Master say how much he hated this marriage and this Wife. Therefore, she believed from the bottom of her heart that Mengxi was not worthy of being the first wife.
But Mengxi was, after all, the wife who was carried in through the main gate in a sedan chair carried by eight men. The Xiao family was, after all, a noble family with strict rules. No matter how favored a concubine was, she could not break the rules. She still had to call herself a maid in front of his wife, otherwise, she would . In ancient times, concubines were like objects.
Aunt Li thinks that the Second Madam is not worthy of her kneeling and kowtow to her, but she still has to kneel, kowtow and worship. This is what makes Fourth Aunt indignant and unfair. She is the Second Master's apple of her eye. The Second Madam has just come into the house. In order to win the Second Master's favor, how dare she touch the Second Master's apple of her eye? So she wants to demonstrate to this Second Madam.
After holding it for a long time, she found that Second Madam didn't take the tea. She looked up at Second Madam and found that she was sitting upright on a chair, holding a cup of tea in her hand, blowing on it, as if the tea was very hot and couldn't be cooled down in a short time. But Second Madam had no choice but to wait until the tea was cold before she could drink it. Fourth Aunt was so angry that she really wanted to throw the tea away and leave, but she didn't dare. After two years in the mansion, she knew very well how much the old lady valued rules. Her hands gradually became sore. The hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. She suddenly felt the pressure around her getting stronger and stronger. An invisible momentum came from the little man sitting in the main seat, but Aunt Li couldn't resist it no matter what. Sweat gradually seeped out of her palms and cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Finally, gritted her teeth, raised her hands, and held them high above her head:
"I offer tea to grandma, may you wish me the best."
Mengxi then took a sip of the cold tea, slowly put down the teacup, reached out to take the tea from Fourth Auntie, but did not drink it. She placed it directly on the table:
"I am a concubine. I will never forget my status. It is my duty to respect the old lady, the eldest master, and the eldest mistress, and to serve the second master and the second mistress. If you break the rules, don't say that the second master and I can't tolerate you. Do you hear me? Hmm!"
The voice was not loud, but very slow. Every word was like a pearl, floating clearly into the Fourth Aunt's ears and rumbling on her heart, especially the last word, which Second Mistress dragged out for a long time, causing the Fourth Aunt to shudder.
"Thank you for your teachings, Second Madam. I will keep it in mind." The Fourth Aunt bowed respectfully.
Mengxi didn't care what Aunt Li remembered. Such a small lesson wouldn't convince her. But Mengxi made up her mind that since she was married, she would deal with it. If she wanted to live well, she must not be too wronged. Didn't the great leader Chairman Mao say: Fighting against the sky is endless fun, fighting against the earth is endless fun, fighting against people is endless fun. Anyway, Mengxi firmly believed that the only principle in the struggle was: "A friend would die, but I would not die."
She let Hongzhu give out the prepared gift, then she raised her hand, stood up and stepped aside.
