“Second Master, this servant is Lü Bi.” A pleasant female voice sounded outside the study door. The door was open, but she didn’t enter—this was someone who truly understood propriety.
Xiao Wei stood up supporting himself on the desk. “Come in. That Yan Yan has slacked off again—sent him to fetch an umbrella, yet he’s troubled you to come instead.”
“Yan Yan got soaked through. Fearing he’d fall ill and be unable to properly attend Second Master, I had him hurry down to rest. Fetching an umbrella—what kind of task is that? It’s originally what we servants should do. Moreover, Second Master hasn’t returned to the garden and hasn’t rested yet, so it doesn’t count as disturbing you.” That voice entered the book pavilion.
Mo Zi looked at the woman—powder-blue pleated skirt with a lotus-leaf blouse. Her appearance wasn’t extraordinarily beautiful, but her features were serene. To compare her to a flower, she was like an azalea in spring—not precious, not ostentatious, blooming quietly. Her hair wasn’t styled in an ordinary maid’s bun but in a more complex updo. Though she wore only two jade hairpins, they were finest quality jade.
Someone who called herself a servant yet was slightly more distinguished than a senior maid, and at Xiao Wei’s side—her status should be self-evident.
Behind Lü Bi were two young maids who didn’t follow inside but remained in the corridor outside, one holding a lantern, one holding an umbrella.
Lü Bi clearly hadn’t expected anyone besides Xiao Wei in the book pavilion and was briefly startled. Seeing Mo Zi dressed as a maid and not noticing her sitting posture, assuming Yan Yan had found someone to temporarily serve the master, she nodded slightly at her.
Mo Zi returned Lü Bi’s greeting. After thinking, she put down the book in her hands and stood up.
“Second Master, your clothes are all damp—what if you catch a chill? That Yan Yan—I clearly gave him that cloud-brocade peacock silk cloak, worried the weather might change after nightfall, yet he didn’t think to drape it over you. Fortunately, I brought replacement clothes. Please change quickly.” Lü Bi’s tone was full of concern, so thoughtful and attentive.
Mo Zi thought that any man would like a woman like Lü Bi—appearing not to cause trouble while being such a caring person. She belatedly realized Xiao Erlang might be changing clothes and momentarily didn’t know whether to retreat among the bookshelves or wait outside. Though she was a maid, she served a female mistress. With men, one still needed to avoid suspicion, lest things become unclear in the future.
“It’s not that far—I’ll change when I return.” At this moment, Xiao Wei displayed a military general’s “thick skin.”
Yes, yes, hurry and leave, don’t disturb her book searching. If this back-and-forth continued, she really would be spending the night here. Mo Zi silently urged in her heart.
“Second Master, at least change your outer garment.” Lü Bi had her own persistence.
Mo Zi felt she couldn’t damage her own pure reputation. Walking out from behind the bookshelf without looking at the two of them, she bent her knees and lifted her toes. “Mo Zi will wait outside first.” Whether to change or not, hurry up and decide.
“You don’t need to go out.” Just as Mo Zi was about to leave, Xiao Wei simultaneously strode toward the doorway and had Lü Bi hold the umbrella outside.
This time Lü Bi looked carefully at Mo Zi. Her expression showed no particular change as she lowered her eyes, obeying Xiao Wei’s words, and went outside to instruct the young maids to raise the umbrella.
Standing in the doorway, Mo Zi said, “Safe travels, Second Master.”
Xiao Wei didn’t reply and walked into the rain.
Mo Zi sat back down before the bookshelf, finally able to breathe smoothly. Her book-searching speed was much faster than before. She didn’t know if it was because of status restrictions or guilt from hiding the secret of being Brother Mo, but staying under the same roof as Xiao Erlang was not at all comfortable.
She was thinking she’d regained her peace when, before long, another person entered through the door.
“I’m Hong Luo, a maid from Weifeng Residence. Following Second Master’s instructions, I’ve brought books for Third Young Madam. Please take them.” Dressed as a senior maid with plain features but not an arrogant attitude, she smiled quite kindly—another well-behaved person.
Mo Zi quickly got up again and took the books to look—they were indeed the Book of Songs and Spring and Autumn Annals. “Thank you, Sister Hong Luo. This saves me the trouble of searching for books.”
“No need to thank me—thank Second Master. I’ve left a lamp and umbrella outside. When you return on your own, be careful.” Having completed the task her master assigned, Hong Luo said nothing more and turned to leave.
Mo Zi blew out the candles, closed the door properly, tucked the books under her arm, raised the umbrella, and carried the glass lamp that rain couldn’t wet and wind couldn’t extinguish, thinking to herself that alcohol was truly a miraculous thing.
Returning to Mozhi Residence, she saw the one on door duty was actually Bai He. Mo Zi wasn’t surprised, but asked, “You’re watching the door—don’t Hong Mei and the other maids find it strange?”
“Senior maids also have to do junior maids’ work—this is a new rule in our courtyard.” Bai He quickly took the umbrella from Mo Zi’s hands. “Didn’t you know? The newly arrived maids really like the madam now. Every few days they can have a rotating day off, and they can serve before the mistress regardless of rank, and take turns going to the garden to see the world. Hong Mei privately praises the madam’s kind heart and good nature, saying she’s never seen anyone treat maids so well.”
“Her saying it’s good doesn’t mean the elders say it’s good.” Though Qiu Sanniang had won over the maids’ hearts with small favors, those new rules, if not careful, would appear to the rank-conscious mansion masters as lacking authority or capability.
“Hong Mei’s meaning is exactly this, so these rules only apply within Mozhi Residence, and she’s instructed the maids not to casually speak of them in front of others. If they displease other masters, wouldn’t these maids’ benefits disappear too? Speaking of which, after Hong Mei’s repeated warnings, their mouths are truly sealed tight.” Bai He was a girl who easily became friendly with people, and she and Hong Mei could now share confidences.
Mo Zi thought that having someone knowledgeable about the prince’s mansion’s noble ladies beside Qiu Sanniang was indeed good. Next would be seeing whether Hong Mei could be made loyal to Qiu Sanniang.
“It’s fine for you to tell me, but don’t mention it to the madam. She established new rules also for your convenience coming and going.” Of the two things Bai He feared most in this world: first, her godmother’s health; second, a confrontation between the strong Qiu Sanniang and the strong Mo Zi.
“I’m just reminding you. The madam has a quick temper. Though there are distinctions of superior and inferior, sometimes when advice should be given, it must be given—don’t let her temperament offend everyone.” Mo Zi knew getting Bai He to contradict Qiu Sanniang was nearly impossible. “However, now that Hong Mei is here, I’m not particularly worried.”
“Yes, yes, I know I’m soft-hearted and can’t say anything to others.” Bai He laughed. “Alright, hurry and sleep. Tomorrow morning, pay respects to the madam again. Just wait—that sharp-tongued person is sure to ask you exactly where you slacked off all day.”
She meant Hong Mei.
Mo Zi waved her hand, lightly patting the two books. “Where was I slacking? Next time the madam wants to find books, let the formidable one go. I’d like to see if she can manage without spending a whole day on it.”
Having said this, she returned to her room to sleep.
Early the next morning, Mo Zi entered Qiu Sanniang’s bedchamber to attend her, passing over a hand towel for her to wipe her face, but saw her staring at her.
“Did Madam not sleep well last night?” Such a somber expression?
Qiu Sanniang seemed to have forgotten entirely about sending Mo Zi to find books. She withdrew her gaze languidly and said, “Last night there was sudden thunder and rain. Originally sleeping well, I was startled awake. Afterward my sleep was shallow—I seemed to constantly hear the pattering of rain.”
“This afternoon, Madam should take another nap.” Mo Zi felt the towel had cooled and wrung out another warm one.
This time Qiu Sanniang took it and wiped absentmindedly. “Mo Zi.”
“Yes, Madam.” That form of address—sigh, with a different tone it just felt wrong.
“Do you… believe in fate?” All of Qiu Sanniang’s abnormal behavior was because of that fortune teller. The things he’d said truly couldn’t help but make her think.
Her fate lacked water—this was said by a supposedly very accurate fortune teller her mother consulted when calculating her eight characters at birth, which was why they’d specifically sought a name containing water. She hadn’t mentioned this matter to anyone. Moreover, a land of water and wood—it completely seemed to describe Hongyu Cove, and she did indeed have plans to continue leaving it fallow or finding an opportunity to sell it. Thinking about it now—her fate lacked water, so this cove couldn’t be sold, nor could it be left fallow. But give it to Mo Zi?
When she’d saved Mo Zi, she could tell from the clothing and jewelry that she wasn’t an ordinary person—otherwise, with her personality of not meddling in others’ affairs, she wouldn’t have been willing to save a common person. A noble? Absolutely possible. Mo Zi said her parents were just common folk. She’d believed it on the surface but thought in her heart that Mo Zi hadn’t told the truth. And after Mo Zi had helped her, the wisdom and insight she’d displayed weren’t what a daughter from a minor household would possess. She also understood that once Mo Zi’s true identity was exposed, a single contract couldn’t retain her. But as long as Mo Zi refused to acknowledge her past, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to give up the opportunity to use Mo Zi to make big money.
The other three maids thought their relationship was sometimes tense, but it would be more accurate to say that she and Mo Zi were both seeking a balance point where they could coexist peacefully while achieving their respective goals, thus constantly testing each other’s limits of tolerance.
Mo Zi was only fifty percent a maid, and wasn’t she herself only fifty percent a mistress? Though it appeared she was suppressing Mo Zi, in reality she’d never truly succeeded in suppressing her. While making things difficult for Mo Zi, which time hadn’t she left sufficient room for her to maneuver, and which time had she indiscriminately punished Mo Zi’s pride?
The two had always been evenly matched.
Up to now, there hadn’t been a single matter entrusted to Mo Zi that hadn’t succeeded. She didn’t doubt that Mo Zi, as the fortune teller said, was a person belonging to water and affined with wood. Mo Zi’s left-handed carpentry skills—she’d seen them with her own eyes, extremely dexterous, better than an ordinary carpenter’s handiwork. Running boats—according to the Cen brothers, she was like a fish in water, learning boat-handling instantly, able to work alongside the boat gang after one trip.
But give Hongyu Cove to Mo Zi?
She was very conflicted. On one hand, among the people available to her, Mo Zi was the most suitable choice. But on the other hand, unlike before, entrusting the entire business to Mo Zi, and moreover what Mo Zi was best at—with Mo Zi’s cleverness, how much benefit could she gain from it? She was also clear that Mo Zi leaving her was a matter of sooner or later, but she didn’t want to give Mo Zi freedom so early. The shipyard had no profit to be gained and could only preserve her foundation. If she let Mo Zi exploit a loophole, wouldn’t the losses outweigh the gains?
However, these words kept turning over in her heart: “The land of water and wood lies fallow in your hands, yet you have a person of living water. But you are foolishly dull, with poor judgment and deaf ears, insisting on clipping people’s wings, coveting small immediate gains. Know that in all matters, sincerity brings results, and broad-mindedness brings distance. If you refuse to let go, how can you obtain the true heart of the noble one who would assist you?”
Give in order to gain? If she let Mo Zi go free, would Mo Zi instead offer sincere assistance?
Qiu Sanniang had thought all night and decided to probe.