Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 29 Miss Tang Qingwan

The second young lady's residence, Yunyi Courtyard, was next to the madam's Yungui Courtyard. Steward Cao took Meng Shu to Yungui Courtyard beforehand to pay their respects to the madam.

Madam Yun is seven months pregnant. She had just finished breakfast with the second and fifth young ladies. When Meng Shu and the other young lady came in, she was talking to the second young lady about getting her a personal maid.

Thus, Meng Shu and Tang Qingwan, the second eldest daughter of the Tang family, met unexpectedly at the end of June. Neither of them knew how many twists and turns they would go through together in the future, and how their originally different fates would intersect on this day.

After Meng Shu kowtowed to acknowledge her master, the ten-year-old second young lady personally helped her up. She first thanked her mother for adding a servant, and then, since Meng Shu was chosen by the old lady, she said that she would take Meng Shu to pay her respects to her grandmother the next day.

On the way back to Yunyi Academy.

"Your name is Meng Shu, which is a good name. You don't need to change it."

The second young lady was always kind and gentle. Inheriting Madam Yun's beauty, she had exquisite features and was especially beautiful when she smiled.

Ruizhu, standing behind her, curled her lip. Usually, those who served their masters would change their names, so why was she the only one who was different? She was just a lowly maid from a brothel, so why was she being treated so well by her master? She stepped forward and helped the second young lady up.

“Miss, everyone in Yunyi Courtyard likes the names you give to your servants. They are especially poetic and picturesque. Sister Meng Shu is new here. If you don’t give her a name, it will seem like we look down on her.”

Meng Shu: ......

Seeing that the second young lady had stopped, Meng Shu had no choice but to ask for a name.

Unexpectedly, the second young lady looked at Meng Shu, considered for a moment, shook her head, and said seriously, "If the original name is acceptable, it does not necessarily have to be changed. Ruizhu was called Gouhua'er before, which was really indecent, so we changed her name."

Meng Shu glanced at Ruizhu with a subtle expression and saw that her face was flushed red, turning a deep purplish-red.

"My mother just said that you are the daughter of a child scholar. Have you ever read any books at home?"

Meng Shu lagged behind, knowing that her mistress was very fond of poetry and books, so she said, "Replying to Second Miss, I have been learning to write by my mother's side since I was a child. However, I am dull and cannot understand the words of the sages. I prefer the Records of Mountains and Rivers and storybooks. In addition, at my mother's request, I have read through the Rules for Women and the Instructions for Women."

The second young lady frowned slightly, her tone still gentle but with considerable disagreement: "The Records of Mountains and Rivers is fine, but most storybooks are nonsense, there's no point in reading them."

Meng Shu nodded obediently, "Second Miss is right." Now there's no chance to see it even if you want to.

Yunyi Courtyard had a simple staff: a wet nurse named Qin Mama, two second-class maids, Ruizhu and Mengzhu, a few menial servants responsible for daily cleaning, and a gatekeeper.

Although Meng Shu has been added to the family, there is still a shortage of a second-class maid.

According to the custom of the Tang family, each young lady is accompanied by four second-class maids and eight maids of lesser servants. No first-class maids are added to the side of a young lady who has not yet reached the age of marriage.

Upon arriving at Yunyi Courtyard, Meng Shu looked around as she walked. The courtyard was decorated in an extremely elegant manner. Passing through a garden corridor, the second young lady's boudoir was an exquisite two-story embroidered building. The flower hall on the first floor was very spacious, and the display cabinet on one side was filled with jade ornaments. On the left and right sides, there were screens depicting landscapes, flowers, and birds, which separated the study and the chess room, respectively.

The second young lady instructed Mengzhu to take Mengshu downstairs to settle her in, and then went upstairs with Ruizhu.

Mengzhu was two or three years older than Mengshu and looked more mature. Even her sideburns were not the double sideburns that ordinary maids wore. Instead, they were the cross sideburns that were popular in the Wei Kingdom three dynasties ago, which made her less lively and playful.

The servants' rooms were located in the side rooms on the left and right of the embroidery building, two people per room. Ruizhu and Mengzhu were in the left side room, while Mengshu was arranged to be in the right side room. In addition to the normal furnishings, there were two cypress wood wardrobes with cloud patterns in the room. Furthermore, the dressing table, dressing case, embroidered stool, and table were all complete. This was roughly what the boudoir of a young lady in an ordinary family would be like.

Meng Shu felt a little happy. She wasn't someone who craved luxury, but living alone made her feel more at ease.

“Miss usually prefers quiet, so extra care needs to be taken when serving her.”

The second young lady would go to Yun Gui Courtyard every day to pay her respects to the madam, and on the first and fifteenth of each month, she would go to Fu An Residence to pay her respects to the old lady. The masters would then have breakfast together.

In addition, the second young lady goes to Muyunzhai to study for two hours every morning, and in the afternoon, when the sunlight is plentiful, she will learn needlework and practice calligraphy in the second-floor hall. Occasionally, she will play chess with the eldest young lady or talk with the other young ladies.

As for the duties, Ruizhu is skilled in dressing up, I manage the Second Miss's storeroom and handle social interactions with the other young ladies, and Qin Mama is experienced and prudent, serving as the head of the household. Since you're new here, you'll learn to serve her every day. In the evenings, the three of us will take turns keeping watch. The Second Miss will then instruct you on the specific duties you'll be assigned later.”

Mengzhu briefly described her mistress's daily routines and preferences. Before long, a young maid came in with many items, mostly bedding and other things. Mengshu hurriedly thanked her.

Before anyone could settle in, the second young lady had already changed her clothes. Qin Mama sent her maid to call Meng Shu and told her to go with the second young lady to study at Muyunzhai.

When Meng Shu came out of the side room, she saw Rui Zhu holding a box of books and looking unhappy.

Ruizhu shoved the book box into her hands as if in a huff and turned to leave. Meng Shu wasn't angry, knowing that she had probably taken away her job. However, such an expression of joy and anger shouldn't be seen on a maid.

Meng Shu stood respectfully at the entrance of the flower hall, waiting for the second young lady to come out.

As footsteps approached, Meng Shu turned around and saw the second young lady with her hair styled in a low bun, adorned with a pair of tourmaline gemstone flowers. She wore a light blue brocade jacket with silver and gold inlay on the upper body and a light blue belted long skirt on the lower body, looking as fresh and bright as a magnolia.

The second young lady lifted her skirt and left the flower hall, nodding slightly to Meng Shu, "Mengzhu and Ruizhu are not well-read, so you will come with me to Muyunzhai from now on."

Muyunzhai hired two female teachers. One was to teach poetry, calligraphy, and chess. She was said to be a very famous teacher in the capital and frequently visited high-ranking families. The other taught needlework and embroidery, and also taught the zither.

For two hours in the morning, Meng Shu waited in the outer room where the teacher was teaching. In addition to the second and fifth young ladies born of the principal wife, the three daughters born to the concubines were also studying together.

Of the five young ladies, the second young lady is ten years old, the third and fourth young ladies are nine years old, and they are siblings from the same mother and look exactly alike. The fifth and sixth young ladies are both eight years old, and their ages are not much different, so their teaching progress is also similar.

The eldest daughter is fifteen years old this year and no longer studies at the girls' school, but she often sends people to deliver tea, fruit and seeds.

The fifth and sixth young ladies were young and sometimes restless. If they heard their master cough, they would tense up. Usually, at this point, the second young lady would look over with a slightly displeased gaze, and the two young ladies could only endure it with bitter faces.

Meng Shu's job was simple: occasionally she would go in with the other maids to serve tea, change ice basins, and attend to writing materials. Because she was the maidservant of the eldest daughter, the other maids treated her with great respect.

Today was Meng Shu's first day on duty. She was listening to the female teacher's lecture with great boredom when she saw a woman dressed as a maid carrying a food box.

"So you're the new lady next to the second young lady? The eldest young lady sent me to deliver some of her homemade pastries for all the ladies and gentlemen to try."