Do you know? Do you know? It should be Green Fatty Red Thin Episode 1

  At the hour of Xu, the drum had just been beaten, and the Sheng Mansion in Quanzhou was gradually lighting up. In the main hall of the west wing, an old woman with white hair sat at the top, her hands clasped together in prayer, dressed simply, somewhat out of place among the surrounding luxury and elegance. At this moment, sitting below her was the master of the Sheng Mansion, Sheng Hong.

  "Our ancestors are blessing us, my son has been evaluated as excellent this time and the promotion order will be issued at the end of the month." At that time in early summer, Sheng Hong was wearing a thin light brown silk shirt, his words were very respectful.

  "It wasn't in vain that you've struggled all these years abroad. From sixth rank to promotion is the most difficult, after passing this level, you can be considered a mid-ranking official. This time you're promoted to where, do you have confidence in your heart?" Old Lady Sheng's tone was flat and calm, without any fluctuations.

  Geng Shishu has already sent a letter to report, and it should be the prefect of Dengzhou. Shen Hong has always been cautious, but when he mentions this, he can't help but show a happy expression.

  "That's truly something to congratulate the old master on. It's usually the case that a provincial governor is of the fifth rank, but you, a mere sixth-rank official, can take up the post of provincial governor. This isn't just due to your ancestors' accumulated virtue, but also thanks to those who have helped you along the way." Old Lady Sheng said.

  "That's natural, several uncles and aunts in the capital have already prepared their gift lists for you, please take a look, Mother." Sheng Hong took out a few plain papers from his sleeve and handed them to the maid standing beside him.

  "Master, over the years, you've become more and more adept at handling things. You make your own decisions, just remember one thing: a gentleman's friendship is as thin as water. Money should be used properly, etiquette should be thorough, neither arrogant nor humble, and yet familiar. Those old officials have spent their entire lives in the officialdom, they are all sharp-eyed and keen-witted. In recent years, they have taken care of you in many ways, not only because of your father's past relationships but also because of your own efforts to make a name for yourself, that's why they are willing to lend a hand." Old Lady Sheng said a few more words before she started panting slightly, and the housekeeper, House Mom, immediately picked up the teacup and brought it to her lips, while gently patting her back with one hand.

  Sheng Hong saw this, with a look of anxiety, hastily said: "Mother, please take care of yourself, son's today is all thanks to mother's upbringing, if not for mother's great righteousness at that time, son would still be living in the countryside now, son should also respect and care for mother."

  The old lady did not speak, as if she had lost her soul. After a while, she said: "It's not about what is right or wrong, but to fulfill the conjugal love between you and your father. It wouldn't be good to let his tomb be desolate after he passed away. Fortunately...you have made progress." Her voice was weak and gradually faded away.

  Sheng Hong didn't dare to speak, and the room fell silent for a moment. After a while, Sheng Hong said: "Mother is in her prime, and she will surely have good fortune in the future. Don't worry too much, just take care of yourself." As he spoke, he looked around the room and frowned, saying: "Mother's place is too simple, it looks like a temple. Even ordinary old ladies have their Buddhist altars and incense burners, why do you have to be so austere? If others see this, they'll think I'm unfilial."

  "Even if the atmosphere is lively, it's useless to dress up if one's heart is empty. It's like a deaf person's ears, just for show."

  Sheng Hong said in a low voice: "It's all because of the unfilial son, can't control his daughter-in-law."

  Old Lady Sheng said, "Don't blame you, I know your filial piety. And don't blame your wife either, I'm not her real mother-in-law anyway. No need to put on a show, three days from now come and see me, she's tired and so am I. You also don't have to worry about people saying you're unfilial, my reputation has been out there for years, many people know my temper. Keeping some distance is actually more comfortable for everyone."

  Sheng Hong hastily said: "What did Mother say, what is not a proper lady, Mother is Father's formally married first wife, is the son's birth mother, and has the kindness of rebirth, all sorts of things are the mistakes of the son and daughter-in-law, Mother mustn't say such things."

  The old lady seemed somewhat impatient, lightly waving her hand: "These trivial matters, Master needn't bother with them. It's just that the promotion is imminent, Master should focus on preparing for it. As the Magistrate of Quanzhou for these years, there are many people who have a deep understanding of you. Before leaving, you must show respect and courtesy to everyone. We're all in the same official circle, today we don't see each other but tomorrow we will, so as not to chill the hearts of our colleagues. In the end, it's best to part on good terms."

  "Mother said, son also thinks so, recalling when he first arrived in Quanzhou, still feeling that this Lingnan region has a hot climate and rough human feelings, even if it's not a place of exile, it can't be educated. Who would have thought that here the wind and rain are harmonious, the people are simple and honest, and the land is close to the sea, with the benefits of fishing salt and shipping convenience? Although not as rich as Jiangnan, it's also quite wealthy. These years living here, son has some reluctance to leave." Sheng Hong smiled and said.

  The old lady also smiled and said, "This is indeed the case. I have lived in the north all my life, even if it's a thousand times better in Jiangnan, I wouldn't want to go there either. Who would have thought that I got used to living in Quanzhou? Here, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away, life is carefree. Before leaving, sell this big mansion and buy a small villa with good scenery, it won't be too showy, and in the future, there will also be a place for retirement."

  "This is a great idea, my son thinks it's wonderful, and he'll go take care of it right away." said Sheng Hong with a smile.

  Mrs. Shi was very strict, and after she said this, all the maids in the house were silent, not making a sound. The mother and son talked for a while, and Mr. Shi opened his mouth several times as if he wanted to bring up something, but then hesitated and stopped. For a moment, the atmosphere in the room became cold again. Mrs. Shi looked at him and gently stirred her tea leaves with her spoon. Housekeeper Fang was very perceptive and quietly called out to the maids to leave the room, personally escorting them to the side house. She instructed a few of the senior maids before returning to the main house to attend to Mrs. Shi, who was saying: "…You've finally decided to speak up; I thought you were going to keep it from this old woman until your death."

  Xun Xu stood with his head hung low, a look of terror on his face: "I regret not listening to my mother's words from the beginning, brewing today's disaster, it's all because I'm unfilial, causing our home to be disturbed."

  "Is it just a disturbance at home?" Old Lady Sheng raised her voice slightly, "I didn't expect you to be so muddle-headed. Do you know that this matter can be big or small?"

  Sheng Hong was startled and bowed: "Please instruct me, Mother."

  Old Mrs. Shi suddenly sat up straight from the soft couch: "I originally didn't interfere with anything, nor did I want to speak out of turn and annoy people. Whichever one you like is none of my business, what's going on in your room is also not something I'd ask about. But over these years, you've become more and more excessive! Go outside and ask around, which respectable family has a master who treats their concubine like this?! Giving her face, giving her property, giving her a house and a shop, she now has both sons and daughters, only lacking the title of legitimate wife! What's the difference between her and a proper daughter-in-law?! You're not distinguishing between your wives, you're disrupting the rules, aren't you brewing up family troubles?! Alright, alright, today it's finally led to someone losing their life, two lives lost in bloodshed, how will you explain this now?!"

  Sheng Hong's face was filled with shame, and he bowed repeatedly: "Mother's scolding is all my fault, I'm stupid, always thinking that she's alone and dependent on me, it's really pitiful. She didn't want to be a proper lady outside, but instead chose to be my concubine, I couldn't help but feel some sympathy for her. Plus, she came from the old lady's place, so she's more dignified than ordinary concubines. But who would have thought that loving her would harm her, making her even more unaware of what to do? I truly know my mistakes now."

  The old lady heard the last few sentences, lightly laughed a few times, and didn't say anything. She picked up her tea cup and blew on it gently. Housekeeper saw this and stepped forward to say: "Master is kind-hearted, how can Old Lady not know? This matter has been dragged on for some years, if it's not clarified, everyone will have an inauspicious life in the future. As a senior, there are things that are inconvenient to say, so today let me, this old servant, convey a message to Master and clarify things once and for all. I hope Master won't blame me."

  Sheng Hong saw Fang's mother open her mouth, and hastily said: "What did Mother say? These years, for the Sheng family, she has worked hard and served her mother with all her heart and soul. To me, she is like a member of my own family. Please speak freely."

  The housekeeper didn't dare to accept the gift, and she bowed slightly, saying: "That old woman was too garrulous. Lin's mother-in-law and the old lady were originally acquaintances in the boudoir, but they only met a few times, and they weren't particularly close. After they got married, they had no contact at all. I've been serving the old lady since I was young, so I'm very clear about this matter. Later, her husband's family did something wrong and was punished, although they didn't get their house confiscated or anyone beheaded, but their family's reputation declined. That year, Lin's mother-in-law's husband passed away, and she had no children to rely on, so she brought her daughter to the old lady's place before she died, asking the old lady to take care of her daughter out of their past relationship in the boudoir. The old lady was a kind-hearted person who kept a vegetarian diet and recited Buddhist scriptures, so she agreed to take Lin's mother-in-law in. In those years, our old lady treated her like her own daughter, giving her the best food, clothes, and everything else, and every day she would mention that she wanted to prepare a dowry for her and find a good husband for her."

  Upon hearing this, Sheng Hong's face turned slightly red, as if she was blushing. Fang's mother sighed and continued: "Who would have thought that this Lin girl would turn out to be a person with big ideas? She refused several families we found for her, but secretly had an affair with Master. I'm speaking out of line, Master, please don't mind me. Our old lady was completely in the dark about the whole thing until Madam stormed in, crying, and only then did she find out that the girl she had raised had no sense of propriety."

  Overwhelmed with shame and embarrassment, his face turned red and his ears were burning, he couldn't utter a word.

  "Originally, the mistress and the old lady were not like this today. I remember when the mistress first came to our house, she and the old lady were very close and affectionate towards each other. But after that incident, it seemed like the old lady was intentionally trying to humiliate the mistress. Raising Lin'gu Niang was just an excuse for Master to take a concubine. Later, when Master married Lin's mother and brought her into the house, she gave birth to children and lived a more dignified life than the legitimate mistress. The mistress couldn't help but direct all her resentment towards the old lady, and they stopped interacting with each other. The old lady has truly become heartless."

  With a loud "thud", he immediately knelt down in front of Old Lady Sheng, tears streaming down his face as he said: "Your son deserves to die ten thousand times over! I've caused you so much distress and made your heart feel stifled with no way to express it. Your son is unfilial, your son is unfilial!"

  As she spoke, she repeatedly kowtowed, and Old Lady Shen closed her eyes, raised her hand to Housekeeper Fang, who hastily went to help Shen Qian up. But Shen Qian refused to get up, still apologizing profusely. Old Lady Shen said: "Get up first, these family matters are not something a man like you would understand anyway. Get up, mothers and sons don't hold grudges overnight."

  Sheng Hong finally got up, but his forehead was already swollen and red. Old Lady Sheng sighed and said: "I also know that when you were young, you relied on Chun Niang for survival, and life was not easy. At that time, I couldn't even take care of my own son, let alone know about the unscrupulous behavior of the servants who deceived their superiors. You suffered a lot, and now your wife is not a kind person either. That's why you're always afraid that Lin Niang and Feng Ge will be bullied by the servants and suffer from injustice. I gave them houses and land to rely on, how could I not know about your good intentions? This is why I closed my eyes and shut my mouth, pretending to be deaf and dumb, just like a living dead person."

  Sheng Hong cried out: "What does it have to do with the old lady, it's all because of the son's lack of virtue. The mother's heart is like a clear mirror, every sentence hits the son's weak spot. The son is just afraid of his wife... and has spoiled her, breaking the rules. The son deserves to die."

  "Don't keep saying 'die, die' with every word. If you die, who will our orphaned children and widowed mothers rely on?" Old Lady Shen motioned to Fang's mother to bring over a chair for Shen Rong, supporting him as he sat down, still tearfully.

  "Let's not talk about morality and human feelings, but have you ever thought that at your current age, with a successful career and no major setbacks, there are still people who are struggling to make ends meet, envying you and waiting for an opportunity to criticize you? Moreover, Wei niangniang is not just a servant bought by our family, she comes from a good family background in Jiangnan, where they valued education and farming. She was originally supposed to be the legitimate wife of someone else's household, but due to her family's misfortune, she became a concubine. Now that she has died tragically after only five years in our household, if someone with ill intentions were to use this as evidence to stir up trouble with her natal family and accuse you of being irresponsible and neglecting human life, would you still be able to advance smoothly in your career?"

  Sheng Hong's heart skipped a beat and he broke out in a cold sweat: "Fortunately, the old lady understood and stabilized the Wei family in time, so his son had no worries."

  "That family of Wei's is also a good one, when they learned of the death of Aunt Wei, they didn't make a fuss, only wanting to take back Aunt Wei's body for burial themselves. I refused to let them do so. The Wei family even declined the extra silver I offered, saying they had no face to accept money earned by their daughter's sacrifice, and only asked me to take good care of Ming Yatou, which would be a great comfort to them. Seeing that family in such distress also pains my heart."

  The old lady took out her handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes, while House Mom personally brought in a teapot from outside to refill the water. She poured water into the two ceramic tea bowls with floating patterns and carefully covered them with lids. Sighing, she said: "Wei's wife was a kind-hearted person, and the girl she raised is also pitiful. Since her aunt passed away, she has been burning incense for two days straight, and after waking up, she has been in a daze for several days, unable to say a complete sentence. The other day, I went to visit her on behalf of Old Lady, but when I arrived, I saw that there was no one serving her inside the house, only servants laughing and chatting outside. As soon as I entered, I saw the girl getting out of bed to pour herself water! She's just four or five years old, a tiny thing who can't even reach the table, climbing onto a small stool on tiptoes, holding a tea bowl to drink water... it was truly heartbreaking!" House Mom also began to wipe away tears.

  Sheng Hong thought of Wei Niang's gentle kindness in the past, and his heart ached with shame. He said: "I originally wanted to send her to Madam's place, but these days, like Ya Tou, she has also fallen ill. Madam's place is also in chaos, so I'll wait for a few more days until Madam is free, then I'll send her over."

  Old Mrs. Shi smoothed out her tone and said slowly: "What's the point of being idle, is Ming Yatou going to be carried or carried on her back? There are as many servants in the house as there are, everything can be ordered to be done by someone else, it's just a matter of spending some thought. She refused to raise Ming Yatou with excuses, I'm afraid she's pretending to be clever."

  Sheng Hong stood up again, not daring to make a sound. Old Lady Sheng looked at him with a hint of coldness in her voice: "You don't dare mention her, nor can you talk about her. It's just that you yourself are not upright, and she has been speaking out against you all along. In the past, you broke the rules first, spoiling the concubine so much that she was on an equal footing with the mistress of the house. Whatever the mistress said, I can understand - how is it that when there's nothing going on, it's always the concubine who takes care of the children herself, but now that the biological mother is dead, you're suddenly thinking of this nominal stepmother? This is also why the mistress is angry. As for past events, I won't ask about them. Just answer me two questions honestly."

  Sheng Hong hurriedly said: "Mother, please speak, don't say two sentences, even if it's a thousand or ten thousand sentences, I will answer all of them."

  "Firstly, regarding the death of Wei Niangniang and the two lives lost, do you plan to just gloss over it or are you going to use someone as a scapegoat?" Old Lady Sheng's gaze was fixed tightly on Sheng Hong.

  "We must carefully calculate, with such a poisonous person in our household, how can we let her off lightly? Today she can harm my wife and my own flesh and blood, tomorrow she will be able to harm others. Can the Sheng family tolerate this kind of person?" Sheng Hong gritted his teeth and replied.

  The old lady's face was slightly cloudy, and she paused for a moment before asking: "Alright, secondly, about the current situation at home where there is no distinction between the young and the old, the legitimate and the illegitimate, what do you plan to do?"

  Sheng Hong took a deep breath: "Mother Mingjian, when I returned, I saw the bloody corpse of Wei Niang and the child who was suffocated in her womb. My heart is already filled with regret. The reason why the servants dare to be so arrogant is that there are no strict rules to restrain them. When the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will also be crooked. All the roots of the problem naturally lie with those above. I have made up my mind to rectify the family's customs."

  "Alright, alright, with these two sentences, it's fine," Old Lady Sheng thought to herself, feeling a bit relieved. She knew Sheng Hong's character and didn't say anything more, only nodding repeatedly. "If you want this official position to last for a long time, and if our Sheng family wants our descendants to continue on, we must strictly govern the household. We need to know that troubles often arise from within, and many aristocratic families have collapsed from internal decay. We should take this as a warning."

  "Mother said that in the past few days, her son had been worried about his examination results. Now that the weight has been lifted off his shoulders, he can finally tidy up and start by dealing with those maidservants who were present on the day of Wei's childbirth." Sheng Hong's tone was calm, but it was clear that she was quite angry.

  "It's not possible, can't investigate now." Unexpectedly, Old Lady Sheng vetoed it with one word, and Sheng Hong was surprised: "Old lady, why is this? Can't let these slaves go unpunished?"

  Old Lady Sheng gazed at Sheng Hong with profound meaning: "You've been the Tongzhi of Quanzhou for several years, and everyone knows you inside out. The women in your household have all interacted with each other, and many of the maidservants, wet nurses, and servants were bought locally. If there's even a slight disturbance at home, how could others not know? Although you get along well with most of your colleagues, it's also hard to guarantee that there aren't people secretly resenting you. Your aunt just passed away, and yet you're making a big show of rectifying the servants - isn't this like saying 'there's no silver in this house' and openly telling others that your household is not at peace?"

  Sheng Hongyi warned, saying: "Luckily Mother reminded me, or else I would have made a mistake. If we were in Quanzhou collecting debts, by the time we returned, everyone in the province would know about it. But once we arrive in Shandong, we'll be far apart, and how will we deal with those few slaves? Who among outsiders would know the inside story?"

  "That's right. So, for now, you can't make a fuss, and you have to keep the whole family stable, quietly arriving in Dengzhou to take office. When the imperial edict arrives, you'll receive your official seal, and our whole family will settle down in Shandong. Then you can slowly start making moves, it's not too late."

  "Madam, my son has not spoken intimately with his mother for many years. Today, he spoke these words and felt a great sense of relief in his heart. In the future, managing the household will still rely heavily on you, Madam. We should let him come to seek your guidance more often." Sheng Hong said sincerely.

  "No, I'm already half in the ground. If it wasn't for all the commotion this time, I wouldn't have bothered with this matter either. From now on, everything will be as usual here. Just let your wife come and pay her respects three times a month, and you take care of your own affairs, manage your own household, and I'll just quietly chant sutras and eat vegetarian food."

  The old lady seemed a bit tired, leaning against the back of the soft couch, her eyes slightly closed, and her voice gradually weakened. On the corner of the wooden table was placed a purple copper qilin incense burner, quietly emitting cloud-like smoke.