Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 276 Planning to Visit
"I see!"

Minglan was persuaded by Sheng Changquan and felt that his idea was indeed very reasonable.

"Brother, what should we do now?"

"Are we going to remind Uncle and the others?"

Minglan felt that this matter could not be delayed any longer. After all, it was her own cousin who was suffering, and she could not be as indifferent as Sheng Wei and his wife were.

Sheng Changquan shook his head at this, saying, "Sister, what you're doing is probably inappropriate."

"That's my uncle's family matter after all. We'd better not make a move unless they speak first!"

Sheng Changquan solemnly advised, "Even if it's just a reminder, it's best not to!"

In fact, Sheng Changquan's meaning was very simple: to remain silent and wait for the situation to calm down. As long as the eldest branch of the family did not speak, the second branch of the family absolutely could not make a move.

Because these kinds of family matters are the most difficult to handle. If this matter is not handled properly, and they are dissatisfied with something afterward, such as if the eldest son and his family regret it later, then there will be a lot to talk about!
At that time, let alone gratitude, there was probably no time for resentment!
Therefore, only if the eldest branch of the family has made up its mind to settle this matter and reach a conclusion, and only if they speak first, can the second branch take action.

"But little brother, what if Uncle and the others just keep putting up with this?"

Minglan no longer had high expectations for Shengwei and his wife.

"If that's true, then wouldn't Sister Shulan be..."

Minglan didn't say everything, but Sheng Changquan already knew her meaning.

"hehe!"

Sheng Changquan smiled faintly: "Sister, there's nothing we can do about it!"

"After all, if even their own flesh and blood don't care, what can we cousins ​​do?"

"Sheng Changquan~~"

Minglan was enraged by Sheng Changquan's indifferent words!

"Sister Shulan is your own cousin, how could you do this?"

Minglan glared at her younger brother, her little face full of anger!
"Ah? Sister..."

"I...I was just joking!"

Seeing that Minglan seemed genuinely angry, Sheng Changquan quickly apologized and then changed the subject, saying, "Sister, actually... we could try a different approach!"

Sheng Changquan had no intention of letting Shulan suffer any longer, so he simply stated his solution directly: "Sister, I think this matter should not be kept from the Old Madam!"

"In any case, Sister Shulan is, after all, the eldest daughter of the main branch of the family, and it is only right that the matriarch should know about this matter!"

"Ok?"

Minglan's anger was immediately suppressed by Sheng Changquan's words, and at the same time, she instantly understood the meaning behind them.

"You mean?"

"Should I tell the old lady about Sister Shulan's matter?"

Minglan hesitated before expressing her understanding.

"Ok!"

"The old lady should indeed know about this!"

Sheng Changquan expressed his affirmation, saying, "However!"

"Sister, you can't say this outright. It's best to have someone else tell her!"

Sheng Changquan continued to express his thoughts, advising, "This way, we can extricate ourselves from the situation as much as possible, and even if something goes wrong in the future, we won't be blamed."

"Only in this way can we do good for both ourselves and others!"

Minglan felt somewhat uncomfortable with what Sheng Changquan said, but she had to admit that what he said made sense.

"Then...okay then!"

Minglan reluctantly agreed, saying, "I will remember these things!"

"Ok!"

Sheng Changquan nodded and emphasized again, "Sister, it's good that you remember!"

"After all, it's always good to be grateful for a little help, but it's also good to be wary of the saying 'a large sum of money breeds resentment.'"

Although Minglan remained silent, she still kept Sheng Changquan's words in mind.

……

The next day, early in the morning.

Shou'an Hall.

"May Grandmother be well!"

Just like a few years ago, Sheng Changquan went straight to the old lady's courtyard and greeted her.

"hehe!"

"Quan'er is here!"

Inside the house, the old lady sat at the dining table, looking at her grandson who walked in and greeted her, her face full of kindness and gentleness.

"Come, sit down and have a meal with us!"

Because it's located in the old house in Youyang, the old lady's place is much more relaxed than before.

Or perhaps, it's because I feel much more at ease; in short, the atmosphere is much better.

"Yes, Grandmother!"

Sheng Changquan first smiled and agreed, and then, with the help of Mama Fang, he obediently sat down to the right of the old lady and prepared to eat.

"Sister!"

After Sheng Changquan sat down, he called out to Minglan across from him.

Minglan didn't speak, but nodded slightly. Looking at her calm expression, Sheng Changquan guessed that she was still considering what she had said last night.

"hehe!"

"Everyone's here, so let's all start our meal!"

Perhaps because Sheng Changquan's return brought more people, the old lady was in a very good mood. Not only was there a smile on her lips, but the worry that had been on her face yesterday was also completely gone.

"Yes, Grandmother!"

Minglan and her brother replied at the same time, and then they ate their breakfast properly.

Because the old lady valued rules very much, Sheng Changquan and the others also followed the rule of not speaking while eating or sleeping, and quietly ate their breakfast.

……

After meal.

"Quan'er, what are your plans next?"

After breakfast, the group moved to the front hall to enjoy tea and digest their food.

Grandma Sheng sat upright in the main chair in the hall, quietly looking at Sheng Changquan below, and asked carefully.

"grandmother!"

Sheng Changquan sat down in a chair, turned to look at his grandmother, and said solemnly, "Although I have made great progress in the past few years, I have been traveling around and have neglected my studies in the classics and examinations."

"so!"

Sheng Changquan considered his words and then said his plan: "Therefore, I plan to study hard at home for a while and then continue to participate in this year's provincial examination."

Because Sheng Changquan's study abroad lasted exactly six years, he was able to participate in this year's provincial examination.

It is currently the third month of spring, but there are still more than four months until the provincial examination.

"Ok!"

Upon hearing Sheng Changquan's plan, Old Madam Sheng quite agreed.

"Not bad, it seems that you haven't been misled by your past achievements, Quan'er."

"A steady and methodical approach, taking one step at a time, is the right path to officialdom through the imperial examinations!"

Grandma Sheng was very satisfied with Sheng Changquan's humility. At the same time, she was even more pleased with Sheng Changquan's down-to-earth and steady nature, which was not at all like Sheng Changfeng's impetuousness and vanity.

"Quan'er, you don't need to belittle yourself!" Old Madam Sheng remembered the letter that Mr. Zhuang had written to her and encouraged him, "I received a letter from your master a month ago."

"They said you're ready, and if nothing unexpected happens, you should be able to pass the exam in one fell swoop!"

At this point, the old lady smiled broadly: "Mr. Zhuang also said that if you can perform normally this time, and with a bit of luck, you might be able to continue your previous achievements and win the top scholar title!"

"By then, this single top scholar title will surpass all your previous achievements!"

Upon hearing these words, Sheng Changquan smiled.

He knew what the old lady meant; she was simply saying that the top scholar in the provincial examination was far superior to the top scholar in the county, prefectural, and provincial examinations.

Sheng Changquan naturally understood the meaning behind this.

"Master, you flatter me!"

"Chang Quan can only say that he did his best!"

Sheng Changquan touched his nose, and a wry smile appeared on his face.

In fact, Sheng Changquan's words were just humble words. His claim that he had been somewhat lax in his studies of the classics while traveling abroad was false.

Because, not to mention his almost photographic memory, which would allow him to read countless classic texts for the imperial examinations, every time he accompanied Mr. Zhuang to visit old friends, he would see different secret annotations and manuscripts.

These things can enhance his foundation and increase his chances of getting into high school!
Furthermore, needless to say, he could consult with Mr. Zhuang anytime and anywhere along the way, learning about the imperial examination system.

Thus, to be frank, Sheng Changquan's expertise in the imperial examinations was extraordinary; otherwise, he wouldn't have received praise from Master Zhuang, who said he had a chance to win the championship.

"hehe!"

Grandma Sheng didn't say much about Sheng Changquan's modesty and frankness, but just smiled faintly at him a few times.

However, these smiles from Old Madam Sheng were not derogatory; rather, they were expressions of appreciation.

Keeping one's abilities hidden is also a way of being an official.

Not only Old Madam Sheng, but even Minglan understood the meaning behind what Sheng Changquan said. Both of them were aware of the underlying scheme and knew exactly what was going on.

"Oh, right, Quan'er!"

After the grandmother and grandson talked about this topic for a while, Grandma Sheng started talking about something else.

"Logically speaking, Quan'er, you should go and pay a visit to the East Mansion!"

"However, you came back too late last night, so it wasn't really appropriate to visit your uncle's house."

"Why don't you go again today?"

Grandma Sheng looked at Sheng Changquan and said solemnly, "Later, you and your sister will go to the East Mansion to pay your respects to the whole family."

"This is a matter of courtesy; it cannot be neglected, understand?"

As Sheng Changquan's grandmother, Old Madam Sheng has a responsibility to guide him on matters of social interaction.

As for the East Mansion, it actually refers to the residence of the eldest branch of Sheng Wei's uncle. Compared to the old residence of the second branch in the west, that place can be considered the rightful East Mansion.

"Yes, Grandmother!"

Sheng Changquan glanced at Minglan sitting opposite him, then immediately stood up and said, "In that case, Grandmother!"

"Then we'll go to Uncle's house now to pay our respects to the matriarch!"

"Ok!"

"Minglan, why don't you take your younger brother with you?"

Grandma Sheng nodded and immediately assigned Minglan to take Sheng Changquan with her.

"Yes, Grandmother!"

Minglan replied obediently and immediately stood up.

To be honest, even if Old Madam Sheng hadn't spoken, Minglan was still planning to go over there, because she intended to tell Old Madam Sheng about Shulan's matter today.

"Well, let's go!"

Grandma Sheng waved her hand, signaling the siblings to go ahead as soon as possible.

"Then I'll take my leave!"

"Granddaughter takes her leave!"

Seeing Old Madam Sheng's actions, Sheng Changquan and Minglan naturally did not linger. They both slowly retreated, one after the other.

……

house.

"how?"

After Minglan and her brother left, Old Madam Sheng remained seated without getting up, only turning to ask a question to the housekeeper beside her.

"Has the matter of Shulan been thoroughly investigated?"

Mrs. Fang quickly stepped forward and went to the old lady's side, whispering, "Grandma, I've already had someone investigate this matter!"

"However, I have already investigated the Sun family's situation, but I haven't found out the identity of that courtesan yet. It will take some more time!"

"Yes, it's alright!"

Grandma Sheng raised her hand and said softly, "This matter can't be rushed. However, you must keep an eye on that woman and not let her take the opportunity to do anything!"

Grandma Sheng narrowed her eyes, as if she was thinking of something from the past.

"This kind of person is not only bold, but also ruthless!"

"If one is not careful, there is a real possibility that she could turn against them!"

"You must remember this!"

"Keep a close eye on her!"

"We absolutely mustn't let her do anything reckless!"

"Yes, old lady!"

As someone close to Old Madam Sheng, Fang's mother naturally knew what she was thinking.

Seeing the old lady's appearance, Madam Fang immediately knew that she was recalling what had happened to her back then—back then, the old lady's eldest son had died at the hands of that lowly woman from a brothel...

"Grandma, should we tell the eldest madam about Shulan's matter?"

Not wanting to let Old Mrs. Sheng dwell on her past sorrows, Mrs. Fang quietly asked another question.

"what?"

Grandma Sheng was taken aback by what Fang's mother said at first, but then she came to her senses and simply shook her head.

"No need, no need yet!"

Grandma Sheng muttered a few words to herself.

"I'd like to see what Sheng Wei and his wife are planning to do."

"Let's see what their choices are?"

Grandma Sheng spoke with a kind tone, but her words carried an unyielding and ruthless undertone.

Don't assume that Old Madam Sheng is easy to talk to just because she treats Minglan and her siblings well. After all, she is the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yongyi, a founding hero of the country. In the end, Old Madam Sheng still inherited the old Marquis of Yongyi's iron-blooded ruthlessness.

"Yes, old lady!"

Seeing that Grandma Sheng had regained her composure, Fang's mother secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't say anything more, but just stood silently behind the old lady, expressing her determination to stand with her through thick and thin.

……

Dongfu.

Sheng Residence.

"arrive!"

Sheng Changquan pulled Minglan down from the Sheng family's carriage.

Because it was in the county town, Sheng Changquan didn't ride the Black Wind to the East Mansion. He simply had his family's carriage take him and Minglan there together.

Many thanks to Apologies and Huaiye for the generous donations!

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(End of this chapter)