Ml’s sister GuTingCan’s fate was told in one of the extra chapters, she grew up with her mother telling her of aunt (ml’s fathers white lotus first wife) and her father loved her for resembling the first wife so she tries to be like that with her husband ( always sick and frail and doesn't get along with inlaws) but her husband ( a princess’s son) wasn't like her father, he doesn't want a wife who as he describes is a ”child who never grew up”. She didn't get along with her mother in law or her sisters on law and refused to attend them. She would pretend to faint everytime they called her ( like the first wife). And she didn't have children, when her husband or inlaws mentioned this she would always refer to her father’s first wife( pregnant after 10 years of marriage), but princess wasn't so understanding and got a concubine for her son, from a noble family, who followed all the rules a lady should and she soon got pregnant. GTC was no white lotus, she schemed against the concubine and child and was quickly discovered, I think she also try to scheme against MC and ML since her’s death was covered by ML she didn't know the real cause so she assumed ML killed her mother and tried to expose it. Her servants all know that's a dead end so they pretended to agree with her but told the inlaws later, and they told ML who said as long as they don't divorce (save reputation) her they could do whatever they want. She was locked up to treat her ’illness’.
So the sister chose not to get pregnant? ...did her mother even try to advice her? Do we see her In the main story (before her mother died?)
In the main story, before the mother died, sister came home crying a lot, the mother told her to stop being first wife 2.0 and be gentle to her husband and inlaws. But she keep wanting to be the white lotus so she didn't listen. She never acted like a married women and tried to complete with everyone in her husbands estate on talent (like poetry with her sister in laws and their friends ). The mother tried to get ML and MC to help her talk to the princess but of course they wouldn't do anything unless she's in danger if getting divorce.
How did minglan shemed to get her hubby's properties back from the second uncle when he refused to give them ? The sister sounds super spoiled ....she could have had a better life orz
She didn't need to do anything the mother in law was more anxious than her on this issue. So they called a family meeting and the madam finally shed her weak exterior for a moment, and shamed the uncles into leaving. And the sister was raised in her fathers first wife’s image, the father would dote on her for resembling the first wife so her mother trained her to be just like first wife. She would be told stories of how everyone (especially her father) loved and protected his white lotus wife, so she believes this is the way to happiness. P.s MC describes the first wife as a QiongYao female protagonist, the type that can only live with the love and protection of the one in a million male lead. But how many people could actually find that type of man.
He was not, and her personality was more wannabe, before marriage everyone acknowledged her as a talented lady in the 4 classics, and even after marriage she expected the world to revolve around her, She never learnt to manage a house hold or the rules of a proper lady because she modelled herself her aunt( white lotus first wife). About the first wife, she was very famous in her house hold, the classic QiongYao beauty, so weak and frail, sick every other day, can't do anything but music, chess, poetry and drawing, which she is famed for, but who wants to marry a lady like that. She was left on the self for a while until the lovesick male lead shows up, ie ML’s father the late Marquis NingYuan. He loved her dearly and despite her not being anywhere near a decent wife. Basically the first month of marriage, the inlaws tries to get her to attend them, she fainted within 10 mins of standing and marquis had to beg his parents to let her go. Everyone though this was a shameful story but her family took it as a victory and told it to her sister, the current evil stepmom. And there were more stories of how first wife avoided all wifely duties with the protection of marquis. Especially that she was so weak, she couldn't have a baby after years and marquis still denied all concubines. These stories were of cause told to GTC by stepmom. I guess deep down everyone what's to be a white lotus, but who can find a powerful protector.
So the ML is Gu TingYe? What happens to his current wife then? The one who is the sister of Ming Lang’s friend.
YuYanHong, she was a total stew, they had a fight every other day and she was very abusive towards his concubine and maids. At some point, I think ML was out of town and she had an affair with one of his cousins had got pregnant. She miscarried ( stepmom’s work) and eventually died of illness before ML return with glory.
No that was her first daughter in law, she was pretty alright, even though the new emperor didn't favour her family. But QiHeng eventually pass the exam and married the girl she chose. She did live until the end of the novel.
So the Sheng family has 3 houses, MC is from the second house who works in politics and they are close to the first house who are successful merchants. The third house are also merchants but not really successful and since the family separated everyone tries to do their own thing but the third house kinda leeches on the first. Their children are mostly greedy and not especially talented. Most the time their just generally annoying. They appeared during MC’s first visit ( the one with ShuLan’s divorce) and the daughters were just generally greedy (one of them tried to steal from MC). They weren't mention during the second visit, so I guess they quite down.
I read the spoilers and then I mtled it and I was surprised that no one (that I remember) talks about how awful He Hongwen is. I know that the ML helps a bit but still He Hongwen seems like he would have been an awful husband to Minglan. If she had married she would have ended up being like Wangshi. And the cousin like the pure lotus that is soooo nice but is bullied by the wife. So they are not even married and he is still more worried about the cousin... What I would have liked is read his thoughts about Minglan marriage. I hope he realised what he lost. And also Wangshi sister is awful. Way more than I thought. The ironic thing is that she thinks she is super smart and everyone else is an idiot which is her downfall thankfully. I loved how Minglan put her mil and the aunt in their places and I only understood half so in english it must be glorious. And wangshi is an idiot. Anyone knows what happens to her family? The daughter that got married to thr merchant family and the hubbie?
I don't think MLan would have ended up like Wangshi. In the first place, the reason why Wangshi had so much trouble with CL was because she was stupid and bad at handling things, not just cus SH favoured her so much. Its pretty obvious in the story that SH cares a lot about his career. But yeah, I agree that He Hongwen might not have been the best husband to MLan.
Auntie Kang (WangShi’s sister) has 2 daughters, the older one, KangYun’er married MC’s cousin the second son of the Sheng first house. He later got a job in the military, I he was a guard in the palace and then he got promoted. They weren't mentioned a lot but MC says she's a nice person and the two appear to be a loving couple. He brought her along when he got a position in the capital which most people don't do ( those days, the main wife's stay to take care of inlaws and concubine follow husband around). When Auntie kang tried to get a shu daughter to marry ML, the first house, ( loves MC), made her separate from her husband to come back with inlaws. Her husband got her back to him eventually but then her mom went to poison grandma ( the saviour of first house), it was implied her in laws hated her from there. When she tried to beg on her mothers behalf the Shengs were like ” if your talking as our cousin’s wife, your welcome here, if your here as that evil women’s daughter please leave. ” She appears in one of the extras many years later still trying to beg for her mother with the same results. The second daughter KangYuan’er married another cousin from the Wang family, but she was a mini version of her mother and auntie jang used to bully her mother in law ( before marriage) so her mother in law didn't have a good impression of her, which became worst since she was a total stew. Beating up all the servents and being disrespectful to elders. But since grandma Wang loves auntie Kang all was forgiven, and auntie Kang forbid her husband from getting a concubine even though she never had children. Auntie Kang told grandma Wang if they need a grand child have one from a maid and kill the maid theb give the child to her daughter. It was later revealed she also told her daughter to poison her mother inlaw so no one could control her in that household. Mother In law found out ( she has even less brain then her mother). It turned out she couldn't get pregnant because the mother in law drugged her since she knew they were trying to kill her and auntie Kang has been a total b*tch to her her whole live, after auntie kang was in jail she got her son an equal wife and locked KangYuan’er up to treat her ’illness’,