Chapter 10, The Concerns of San Niang
The Fourth Master has no proper occupation; his greatest hobby is gambling and indulging in concubines. The Fourth Mistress cannot control him. The housekeeper's wife holds the purse strings, leaving the Fourth Master with no choice but to act within the confines of the estate
After the Cen family split, each branch was ranked separately. Cen San Niang is the only daughter, and two older brothers passed away before her. Therefore, in terms of ranking, the family also refers to her as San Niang
The Fourth Lady is also a remarkable person. Although she is not in charge of the household, she has given birth to three sons, and the concubines and secondary wives cannot threaten her position no matter how much they stir up trouble. The two concubines who have given birth to daughters engage in their own battles, but the Fourth Lady never intervenes. Only when the situation escalates does she step in to administer fifty strokes to each party, thoroughly enjoying the authority of the matriarch.
In the eyes of the old lady, Cen Sanniang could never compare to her own granddaughter in terms of nobility; in the future, she would simply find a decent family and be sent off with a dowry. However, Cen Liuniang and Cen Qiniang did not share such a broad perspective; they only knew that this year's Dragon Boat Festival, the Cen Sanniang staying at their home would dress in bright colors, overshadowing their own presence.
Both Liu Niang and Qi Niang are born of concubines. Although Cen San Niang is a legitimate daughter, she is a孤女 relying on the protection of the third house. She must be stronger than San Niang by a head.
The eldest master's wife has already married off, and the sixth and seventh daughters mentioned by Cen San Niang are the two daughters of the fourth master. The sixth daughter is the same age as Cen San Niang, both being thirteen this year, with the sixth daughter being only two months younger than Cen San Niang. The seventh daughter is twelve years old
Wealthy families hold their daughters in high regard. The fourth lady dotes on the sixth and seventh daughters, nurturing them as if they were precious pearls. However, the sixth and seventh daughters, each with their own mothers secretly competing, will tacitly join forces against Cen San Niang when faced with her.
The Fourth Master has always only cared about the affairs of the birds, never concerning himself with his own matters, and he left with a flick of his hand while carrying the birdcage
The mothers of Liu Niang and Qi Niang were all concubines sold under a death contract, and upon giving birth to daughters, they felt they had elevated themselves to the status of mistresses. With the increasing number of women in the Fourth Master’s household, it became a common occurrence for the women in the courtyard to compete for favor, engage in jealousy, and quarrel.
The elderly lady had the most outstanding fabric made into summer clothes for Miss Cen San. She intended to let everyone know that the Cen family's third branch did not mistreat the orphaned daughter of the fourth branch. However, she did not take into account the feelings of Miss Liu and Miss Qi
The two elders and the three elders' families are all in office
The eldest master has two sons and one daughter. The second master has one son and three daughters. The third master has three sons and one daughter. The fourth master has three sons and two daughters. The youngest son of the fourth master, the ninth young master Cen Zhilin, is the adopted heir of the fourth branch, and is now the younger brother of Cen San Niang
The male and female members of the Cen family's third branch are ranked according to their age.
There are not many girls remaining in the residence. They are of similar ages, and it is inevitable that they will compare themselves to one another