“Double… happiness?” Qiu Sanniang looked at Zhang Shi holding her hand, then at Jiang Suxin who seemed so delighted, truly wanting to pull her hand away and leave.
“Mo Zi is your good maid. Once I have your fourth brother take her as a concubine, she and I will address each other as sisters, and won’t you and I be even closer? Although you must marry so far away to the capital, I’ll have her frequently write letters with you.” Jiang Suxin suddenly brought up Mo Zi.
This kind of double happiness? Qiu Sanniang sneered inwardly while fake-smiling outwardly. “They say you have a bodhisattva’s heart, and I see it’s truly fitting—addressing a concubine as sister. If it were me, my own personal maid would be one thing, but calling my husband’s concubine ‘sister’—I could never do it no matter what.”
“Fourth Daughter-in-law has always been kind-hearted. However, she doesn’t casually call anyone sister—isn’t it because she’s your maid?” Zhang Shi deliberately glossed over that night’s incident lightly. “I’m also doing this for your good. When you marry into another family and need to rely on these dowry maids from your natal home to support you, you’ll naturally understand my painstaking efforts.”
Looking at it this way, if Mo Zi was taken into Ming’er’s household, the master-servant bond might prove useful in the future. After Jiang Suxin brought it up, Zhang Shi’s heart felt slightly better. Now that the matchmaker’s words had been settled, she couldn’t defy the master’s wishes and could only work on mending the relationship with Qiu Sanniang before she married out.
“Sanniang understands. In the future at my in-laws’ home, I’ll certainly be careful in managing things.” Qiu Sanniang, fearing Zhang Shi would muddle things up, could only verbally play along.
“With Mo Zi gone, you’ll only have two first-rank maids and one second-rank maid by your side. How about this? Ai Xing and Ai Tao have served me for three years. I’ve trained them well in daily matters. Now they’ve grown into fine-looking young women, skilled with their hands and sweet-tongued, very good at understanding my thoughts, capable of helping both inside and out. One is nineteen, one is eighteen—their ages are also suitable. Why not give them to you to take to your husband’s home? With them leading your maids in handling everything, it’ll save you effort.” While Ai Xing and Ai Tao came forward to serve tea, Zhang Shi took the opportunity to propose to Qiu Sanniang. “Besides, when you’re with child and it’s inconvenient to serve your husband, finding maids from your own household to attend to your husband intimately—isn’t that better than ones your mother-in-law sends in? They’re from your own natal family—how could you fear they’d have divided loyalties?”
Ai Xing and Ai Tao both blushed, bashfully calling out “Madam” while stealing glances at Qiu Sanniang with their eyes. However, Qiu Sanniang’s expression remained unchanged, making her inscrutable.
Instead, Jiang Suxin was startled, feeling her mother-in-law was being too hasty. The marriage proposal had only been made this morning, yet her mother-in-law was already talking about sending dowry maids to Sanniang, stating her intentions so plainly—did she take people for fools?
“Mother, there’s no rush for this matter. Let me go back and first ask Mo Zi’s intentions. If she’s willing to serve Fourth Brother, then I’ll find maids to fill the vacancy. Moreover, we need to inquire clearly about Prince Jing’s mansion’s customs to avoid making too grand a display and instead giving people grounds for criticism, saying we’re throwing our wealth around.” Qiu Sanniang thought: giving her Ai Xing and Ai Tao—where would they be serving her? They’d likely be there to seduce that Third Young Master, become concubines, and whisper pillow talk for Zhang Shi.
“First, regarding Mo Zi—such a good opportunity, what could she be unwilling about? Even if she’s unwilling, the contract of servitude is in your hands, so naturally it’s up to you to decide. What is there to fear from her? As for the customs when you marry out—that’s Prince Jing’s mansion! As the properly wedded principal wife, you can’t even bring four head maids?” Hearing the evasive meaning in Qiu Sanniang’s words, Zhang Shi was somewhat displeased. Was she putting on airs now that she’d climbed to a high branch? “You are our family’s eldest legitimate daughter. The Qiu ancestors also produced capable ministers who served in the imperial court—we’re not ordinary merchants. Although people often say a married daughter is like spilled water, blood is thicker than water. If we don’t look after you, will your parents-in-law think of everything for you? When matters arise in the future, won’t you still have to rely on your natal family to stand up for you?”
Zhang Shi wanted to expound on the benefits of natal family, yet her sentences were all rhetorical questions, making her tone seem harsh and aggressive.
Therefore, to Qiu Sanniang’s ears, every sentence was grating.
“Madam speaks correctly, but Sanniang’s considerations are also sound. If you ask me, we should both give Sanniang sufficient prestige while also respecting Prince Jing’s mansion’s wishes. Let’s not rush—after matching the eight characters, we can discuss with the in-laws.” Jiang Suxin had already noticed Zhang Shi and Qiu Sanniang’s gradually tensing faces and hurried to smooth things over.
“Yes, these matters can be discussed slowly after the betrothal.” Zhang Shi conceded for the future.
Qiu Sanniang turned with a smile, said nothing, and nodded slightly with barely perceptible movement.
“Reporting to Madam, Sixth Miss, Ninth Miss, and Tenth Young Master have arrived.” Old Mistress An reported from the outer room. “Seventh Miss sent Zaochun, saying she’s not feeling well, has taken medicine, is really too fatigued to get up, and will come to Third Miss’s place to offer congratulations another day. Madam, should we begin the banquet?”
“Seventh Miss’s illness is really poorly timed.” Zhang Shi snorted lightly. “Have all the concubines arrived?”
“They arrived before the young misses. Seeing you were talking with Third Miss and Fourth Madam, I asked the three concubines to wait briefly in the corridor.” Old Mistress An bowed her shadowed form through the curtain.
Zhang Shi nodded with satisfaction. “Since everyone’s gathered, set the table and serve the meal.”
Once the table was set and the kitchen began passing dishes, Qiu Sanniang accompanied Zhang Shi to the outer room and sat in the position beside her, accepting congratulations from Sixth Miss and Ninth Miss, along with her four-year-old tenth brother calling her “eldest sister” in his baby voice. The concubines stood behind Zhang Shi, one by one congratulating Sanniang on forming such an extraordinary marriage alliance. Zhang Shi designated Seventh Miss’s birth mother, Fourth Concubine, to serve her meal, while Third Concubine and Fifth Concubine sat at the lowest seats before this meal finally began.
After finishing the meal, Qiu Sanniang didn’t linger. She thanked Zhang Shi for hosting the family banquet to celebrate for her, perfunctorily urged Zhang Shi to rest early, then left with Bai He and Lu Ju.
The return path grew increasingly desolate. Only then did Qiu Sanniang speak her true feelings. “That meal suffocated me to death. Sixth Miss didn’t say a word, barely touched her chopsticks to the food, and every time she looked at me, she was like a resentful woman in her boudoir, as if I were the one who wronged her. Madam talked with her two good daughters-in-law, and I had nothing to say to them either. Ninth Miss and Brother Rui, who could have cheered me up—those two ate so heartily, but Sixth Miss sat between us. This wasn’t celebrating for me—making me suffer was the real purpose.”
“It’s good Seventh Miss didn’t come, otherwise the anger you’d have suffered would likely be even more.” Lu Ju giggled. “No matter what kind of anger, we can afford to take it now, can’t we?”
“I actually felt Fourth Concubine was quite pitiable from behind. After all, she bore a daughter for the master, yet at this age still has to serve Madam’s meals like the maids do. Her hands are much rougher than Madam’s hands, probably worn from needlework. I heard the silver hasn’t been fully repaid yet.” Bai He’s heart was truly kind.
“That can’t be blamed on anyone—only her daughter for not living up to expectations. If Seventh Miss could think a little less about herself and repay this silver for her birth mother, why would Fourth Concubine need to suffer?” Qiu Sanniang didn’t care about the legitimate-concubine distinction, but Seventh Miss had a very big heart for herself and a very small heart for others, even her birth mother. Therefore, she could never like this younger sister.
“Miss, what do you plan to do about Mo Zi’s matter?” Having heard the words “double happiness,” Bai He was filled with trepidation.
“That’s right, Miss, won’t you tell Fourth Madam that Mo Zi is unwilling?” Lu Ju, lacking judgment, opened her mouth to express concern.
“It’s not yet time.” Qiu Sanniang didn’t mind the two’s impropriety, simply finished speaking, and fell silent.