An ugly girl starts off, then becomes a beauty

It was not until the end of March that Grandpa Nie moved back to the Marquis' Mansion.

Afterwards, they resumed their regular morning and evening visits. However, because it was a period of sudden change from warm to cold, people were most likely to get sick, and many people fell ill in the mansion during this period. First, Shen's youngest son Nie Fei fell ill, and later Cai's beloved son Nie Yu also fell ill. The servants of the two mansions were busy running up and down, and the mansion's medicine hall was crowded with people for several days. Later, Cai and Shen apologized for not going to the medicine hall and stayed at home to take care of their sons.

Later, Sang Ling also met his third uncle in the Hall of Right and Wrong. Nie Shudi and his wife Cai had very different personalities. They were not very arrogant or irritable. Even though they knew about the farce that happened at the end of the year, they nodded and greeted Sang Ling, their nephew's wife, without any resentment.

According to what Cheng Ai had inquired, the relationship between the third uncle and the aunt had been unharmonious for a long time. The third uncle favored several concubines in the house. Because Ah-Yu was stupid, he did not like his legitimate son very much and preferred several illegitimate sons.

From this perspective, it makes sense for Cai to go crazy - but there must be something hateful about a pitiful person. Sang Ling couldn't forgive her just after hearing about the story behind it. Even if he guessed that it might be Shen's fault, he couldn't forgive her.

From late spring to midsummer, after paying respects at the Shifeitang early in the morning, she would go to Qingshan Temple with her book bag. Later, she found a small path behind the mountain that led directly to the backyard of the marquis's mansion. It didn't take too long to walk there, so Zong Xiang, Wei Chu and Cheng Ai didn't need to follow her every day. She just carried the book bag and walked there by herself.

During this period, Dai Chengjun was lazy and did not come to the temple for several days, so Sang Ling went to Qingshan Temple to read alone.

When the weather was good, it was neither too cold nor too hot every day. When it was not raining, I would sit cross-legged under the old osmanthus tree and read. When it rained, I would just stay in the dormitory. It was a completely quiet day.

One day, she was reading a book on the wooden couch under a tree as usual. When she was about to pick up the bamboo slips beside her, she suddenly felt the bushes in front of her shake. At first she thought it was a cat or a mouse, so she turned her eyes back to the book.

But after thinking about it, I felt that if it was just a small animal, it would not shake such a large piece. My heart started beating in my throat and I quickly rolled up the books that were open.

There was indeed wind in the forest at that moment, and the bushes swayed, blowing up a piece of lotus-colored clothing. Sang Ling stopped what he was doing and looked over there, only then could he see clearly that there was a person squatting there.

His eyes moved upwards again.

"Cao Xin?" she asked puzzledly.

The young man also realized that he had been discovered. He jumped out from the bushes, scratched the back of his neck, and looked at Sang Ling embarrassedly.

"I knew it was you, but I - I didn't dare -" He spoke sideways, unable to stand straight, "I knew you were coming, I had already - I -"

It took him a long time to say a sentence clearly. After he had said more than ten or twenty words, Sang Ling still couldn't understand what he was trying to say. She asked bluntly, "What do you want to say?"

Cao Jia Wulang moved closer sideways, moving like a crab, "Sang Ling, I know you come here every day." After a pause, he immediately changed his words, "Mrs. Nie Ce."

She now goes to Qingshan Temple every day, and most of the students in the Zhi family's school know about it. Not to mention the students, even the two disciples who taught her before know it, and they came to greet her two days ago. Why is this Cao family Wulang coming to greet her now? Has he forgotten what happened between the two of them?

"So what are you going to say?"

But Sang Ling had not forgotten the past. Although she did not want to recall those memories, she had to admit that this man had indeed left a deep mark in her life - because of his ridicule in person, Yuan Sang Ling committed suicide, and later in the school room, she was insulted by him and Qian Shao and others. Although she knocked out one of his teeth afterwards, the emotions in her heart did not calm down - both for Yuan Sang Ling and for herself.

But now I'm just thinking about it.

Only by letting it go can you let yourself go.

"Madam Nie Ce, I came here today..." Cao Jialang still hesitated, "I came here to resolve the misunderstanding with you."

"What misunderstanding?" She simply put the book bag back in place.

With this person here, I don’t want to stay any longer.

Cao Xin simply took a step closer and said, "There was actually a misunderstanding between us before. I refused the marriage at that time because my family had something going on and I couldn't get married right away. So you see, I'm not married yet."

"It's none of my business." She replied quickly, and her tone became cold.

Even a smart person should know that the other party doesn't want to continue talking.

But it was obvious that Cao Xin was not the "smart guy" that Sang Ling had expected. He took another step closer and said, "It was a misunderstanding in the school room before." He pointed in the direction of the gate hall and said, "It was Qian Shao and the others who forced me to laugh at you and step on your brush."

It would be fine if she didn't mention it, but she would get angry when she did. That rabbit-hair brush was the most convenient for her to use, and she hadn't found a better one yet, but Cao Xin had stepped on it.

The person in front of me was still saying, "And Qiu Han, it was Qian Shao and the others who asked me to beat him up. I didn't want to, Sang Ling, I never wanted to. I know, I have always known that you are quite pretty. At that time in the study room, you looked up at me, your eyes were really pretty, but they all laughed at you, they were all like that, and I -"

"You can only follow the crowd, right?" For some reason, the anger in her heart suddenly turned into a layer of faint sadness.

Both for myself and for Yuan Sangling.

Did those who laughed at her really laugh at her? Maybe at first they were a little weird, a little curious, and couldn't help but look at her fatness and ugliness. Then as long as one person started bullying, the rest of them would swarm in. Over time, the mocking language became more and more unbearable to hear, as if the bullies were competing with each other to see who could bully more severely.

She was verbally bullied in the study room, and Yuan Sang Ling was verbally bullied by the entire Chang'an City.

Cao Jiawulang seemed to want to say something, and it was unclear whether he was truly repenting from the bottom of his heart, or repenting for her current identity as Nie Ce's wife.

Sang Ling waved his hand to stop him, suppressed his surging emotions, and stared at him, "Cao Xin, get out of here before I knock out your second tooth!"

Ancient times were different from modern times. When an adult's teeth fell out, they were really lost. Cao Xin was lucky last time because his head was tilted and Sang Ling only knocked out a front tooth, which meant that it was not so convenient for him to eat on the left side, but it did not affect his appearance. If it was a front tooth that was knocked out, it would mean disfigurement - Cao Wulang was frightened and immediately covered his mouth and backed away.

He didn't dare to say another word and turned around and ran away.

*

The second young lady of the marquis's mansion did not stay in the mansion every day. After a long time, not only the servants who came and went knew about it, but later the owners of the various gardens also knew about it.

When Sang Ling was away from Qingshan Temple, Zhang came to inquire about her several times. One morning, she came out to greet her and asked why she had not been seen in Wuyuan several times. Sang Ling replied naturally, saying that she was not feeling well and needed to rest.

Even though the excuse was lame, she spoke so seriously that Zhang didn't ask any more questions.

A few days later, she heard that Shen Huajun had come twice, and learned from the servants in the backyard of the East Palace that the second young master's wife went out through the back door every day, so she immediately mentioned it to Shen.

One day during the morning and evening visits, Shen talked about this matter with Madam Zhaoyu in front of Grandpa Nie.

"There are more and more banquets for high-ranking families in spring. Why doesn't the eldest sister-in-law take her nephew and his wife out for a walk?"

Now, it is almost a tacit understanding in both mansions that the young lady goes out every day. Since it is the eldest lady who allows it openly or secretly, everyone pretends to be deaf and dumb and does not say anything.

But when it comes to Nie Taigong, it’s different after all.

Shen also knew that the old man did not like discord among the sisters-in-law. Even if the one who caused trouble in the family spoke first, he would pretend to be casual and make indirect remarks.

Fortunately, Madam Zhaoyu was still able to hold on. She smiled slightly and replied softly, "Of course I will take her out, but my daughter-in-law loves reading, and has been visiting Zhi's house to discuss things with her teacher recently. Learning should never stop, and I very much agree with this." As she spoke, she looked at Grandpa Nie with a smile.

In a friendly tone, she explained the matter of Sang Ling leaving the palace, and demonstrated her support - although there are many noble ladies in the dynasty who cannot read or write, the current emperor is an advocate of political and religious morality, and reading is never a bad thing.

What is the point of not stopping learning? How could Shen understand all this? The corners of her mouth fell flat without revealing any expression, "The Zhi family is a coeducational school, right?"

Madam Zhaoyu nodded slightly, and did not argue. Instead, she pulled Shen Huajun to the topic, "It seems that Shen's niece has never been to school. When you have some free time, go and see her and learn a few more words."

Before Shen could say anything more, Nie Guang spoke first, "What's the point of your daughters working on this? Having children doesn't depend on learning to read."

Sang Ling couldn't help but lower his eyes and sneer, and drank a mouthful of honey water, and heard Zhang Shi also echoed, "It takes time for women to learn to read. I also learned it for two days before I got married. Oh, it's really troublesome-" He paused, and then glanced at Madam Zhaoyu. Although the eldest sister-in-law still had a smile on her face, there was a hint of coldness in her eyes and eyebrows. She was not a person who had just married into the Marquis's Mansion. How could Zhang Shi not understand it? She immediately changed the subject, "Everyone has their own preferences. The Shen family's niece and I may not have the same preferences."

"My cousin can still recognize a few words." Shen's daughter-in-law Su said awkwardly.

"The family learning is still there." Grandpa Nie finally put down the ear cup in his hand, not listening to his joy or anger, "If the daughter of the Shen family likes it, she can go and study for two days first. The Zhi family's academy is a place for learning. If you don't know all the characters, you won't understand the learning."

Everyone finished, and this conversation was completely over.

Originally, the Nie family visited the family every morning and evening, and Shen always brought someone from the Shen family with her. Although the family had never complained, it was still a little special. In the past, when Shen brought Shen Huajun here, she was very low-key and tried not to let her niece become the subject of discussion. Today, she wanted to lead the conversation to the Sang family girl, but in the end, everyone was talking about her niece. Shen silently took a sip of the snow drink, feeling unwilling, and glanced at the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law opposite her. The eldest sister-in-law protected her daughter-in-law and forced her to kneel down and apologize to Cai earlier. Why was she pretending to be a good person now?

Then he glanced at the Cai mother and son across the street. The fight was in full swing, but she was still concentrating on feeding her son.

It was as if she had completely forgotten what happened a few days ago. It seemed that her son's stupidity was inherited from his mother.

Shen could only raise her head and look back, not saying anything else.

Everyone sat for a while and then went back to their respective gardens. Sang Ling had not expected that the Right and Wrong Hall would be so lively so early in the morning. It really lived up to its name.

Although she was at the center of the topic, she, like Shen Huajun, remained silent the whole time, just watching the two elders exchange punches. Even though she still had some resentment towards Madam Zhaoyu in her heart, she had to admit that Madam Zhaoyu was really powerful today. She refused to give in in front of Grandpa Nie, leaving Shen no chance to maneuver.

The relationship between the sisters-in-law is so tense, and Shen still wants to marry her niece to her?

In just this moment, she gradually realized a problem - if Shen wanted to send Shen Huajun to Nie Ce's room, why did she have to murder Nie Ce? Or was this niece just a tool to defeat Nie Ce?

After coming out of the Hall of Right and Wrong, she just walked to the backyard of Jingsi Residence when she suddenly saw a black shadow running past in the flower garden. She paid close attention and found that it was a yellow civet cat. It didn't look like it belonged to any family - the owners of wealthy families in the Qing Dynasty kept cats and dogs, and they were still proud of them. They were all plump and had shiny fur, and they didn't get it so dirty, with dust on its pink nose.

This cat looks more like a wild one.

She turned around and said to Aunt Cheng, "Come and help me, bring it here."

Just as she finished speaking, she noticed someone standing under the willow tree behind them.

It was unknown how long Nie Guang had been standing here. His eyes had been fixed on Sang Ling, as if he was observing her carefully, or as if he was lost in thought. However, staring at her expressionlessly, without even moving his eyes, made her feel uncomfortable. She shuddered subconsciously, and simply nodded and said, "Cousin." Then she avoided the gaze without making a sound.

It seemed that only after the sound was made could Nie Guang come back to his senses. He immediately pulled the corners of his mouth to smile, but there was no smile in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows, "Sister-in-law."

After greeting, he squatted down and clapped his hands. Soon, the yellow cat that was squatting in the flower bed immediately ran over, meowing.

It seems that I am very familiar with this person.

Nie Guang then held the cat in his arms, stood up, looked back at Sang Ling again, nodded slightly, and turned and left.

She couldn't help but raise her eyebrows, and even Cheng was suspicious, "Why is the eldest master of the West Mansion so strange? Is he afraid that we will steal his cat?"

……

There were indeed many gatherings among the noble ladies in spring, but at the beginning of this year, Madam Zhaoyu did not take Sang Ling out to socialize. She knew that the anger in the Sang family girl's heart had not yet been resolved, so she allowed her to go out.

As for Sang Ling, she really wanted to get closer to her mother-in-law at first, but because she was very busy, she rarely saw her in the mansion. In addition, after the kneeling in the Hall of Right and Wrong, she would not easily go to see Madam Zhaoyu unless it was necessary, and she continued to read in the dormitory of Qingshan Temple.

In the fifth month, Ban Le came over again. Although his stay was not long, with the addition of Dai Chengjun, it was already a difficult thing for the three little daughters to be together again.

Therefore, the three of them were happy that day. Ban Le did not mention the affairs of the Donghou family, and Sang Ling and Dai Chengjun also tacitly did not ask, just like when they were still studying in Menguan last year, they only talked about gossip in the capital.

In the meantime, Dai Chengjun went to the purification room. Sang Ling and Ban Le were alone together. They were silent for a while. Then Ban Le frowned and said to her, "The prince felt that you played a trick on him before the marriage. He knew that you and I were close. He obviously didn't like me, but he didn't mention it before the marriage. It was only after the marriage that it gradually became apparent. As a result, he became more and more indifferent to me. He knew that I had a hard time in the mansion, but he turned a blind eye to it--" She smiled bitterly and shed a few tears, "A Ling, I'm afraid this is how my life will be. You and Nie Ce should be happy."

The word "happiness" is really still far from being realized. Sang Ling's eyes suddenly turned red, thinking about her life in the Marquis' Mansion. Although Nie Ce was a righteous man, he went to Jiaozhou not long after the marriage. The role of this husband seemed invisible, and she became a lone boat in the Marquis' Mansion, floating up and down in the waves.

But this sadness only lasted for a moment, and she took a deep breath and directly held Ban Le's hands, "If this continues, Ah Le, why don't you consider divorcing him?"

Ban Le was different from her. Her biological parents were still alive, and she had a lady who loved her. As a young lady from an aristocratic family who grew up in love, why should she suffer this grievance? Besides, the women of the imperial court were not bound by marriage. Even those female princes and widows of prominent families had a lot of concubines in their houses. The Xun family had to rely on her Ban family to recommend them to enter the government. Why should she be so humble and self-pitying here?

"But, but I just got married to him not long ago." Ban Le's tears stopped, and his eyes were filled with astonishment.

"That's even better. Cut your losses in time while you don't have children and are not tied down."

After saying this, Dai Chengjun happened to come back and coughed slightly. The two of them stopped talking after hearing the sound. They looked over for a moment and found that there was someone following the daughter of the Dai family.