“Mo Zi, do you believe in fortune telling and physiognomy?” Qiu Sanniang asked more specifically.
“Xiao Yi said you encountered a fortune teller in Lujiao Lane?” Mo Zi asked in return. “Did he say something inauspicious? Cen Er is worried sick that you don’t like the place we bought.”
“Well, if the fortune teller truly said something inauspicious, would you believe it or not?” Qiu Sanniang insisted on her question.
“I don’t believe it.” Decisively, Mo Zi answered.
“Why not believe? Heaven’s principles cycle, and everything is predetermined in the unseen. If one goes against it, wealth can become poverty, fortune can become misfortune.” Qiu Sanniang believed. Though she knew the majority of fortune tellers were frauds, like most ancient people, in this society where science wasn’t developed, she believed more than doubted the fate calculations or predictions of enlightened masters.
“I don’t believe in fortune tellers, but I believe in favorable timing, geographical advantage, and unity of people. If Madam had looked inside the Lin Mansion, you’d know it’s very suitable for Wangqiu Tower. The location can’t be judged from the Lin Mansion’s front gate but from the back wall—that’s the most prosperous spot in Yuhe Ward.” Mo Zi believed that with such renovations and reorganization, the so-called poor feng shui claim simply wouldn’t hold.
Qiu Sanniang knew Mo Zi thought the fortune teller had said the location where Wangqiu Tower would open was bad, but didn’t correct her. She’d had a momentary small doubt, fearing it was a trap Mo Zi had set, though the possibility was very low. Mo Zi was clever but quite frank in character—even when she’d previously wanted to open a brothel, Mo Zi had seemed quite unable to accept it. Moreover, regarding the methods for dealing with Qiu San and Qiu Si, Mo Zi felt she was too ruthless. Therefore, she really didn’t seem like someone who could employ schemes.
After this first round of probing, Qiu Sanniang completely dismissed this notion. Setting aside that Mo Zi simply couldn’t hire someone to act, even if she truly had, with her asking like this, Mo Zi should say she believed. Otherwise, if she also followed Mo Zi in not believing fortune tellers, the trap would have been set in vain. She was quite confident Mo Zi was truly poor, and moreover, her expression was natural without a trace of guilty conscience.
“Seeing you’ve gotten anxious from talking, I didn’t say that place was bad either. The silver’s already spent—I can’t very well have you and Cen Er get the money back, can I?” Hearing Hong Mei speaking with Mo Yan and Mo Xin in the outer room, Qiu Sanniang didn’t continue.
“Oh my, our Mo Zi has finally found her way back to Mozhi Residence’s door.” Hong Mei entered, seeing Mo Zi had already attended Qiu Sanniang out of bed, and said with a giggling laugh.
Compared to when she’d first met Qiu Sanniang, Hong Mei was already much more lively, naturally influenced by the way Mo Zi and Qiu Sanniang spoke to each other.
“Sister Hong Mei, don’t speak of my faults—aren’t I atoning for my sins?” On the point of thoroughly bringing Hong Mei into the team, Mo Zi and Qiu Sanniang had a consensus.
“Not speaking won’t do—if we all learn from you, who will be left to attend the madam?” In Hong Mei’s joke, there was still the meaning of wanting Mo Zi to explain. However, because she used this manner to ask, it didn’t feel like she was relying on her status as senior maid.
“Don’t even mention it. That book pavilion hasn’t been properly organized by anyone—ten or so cabinets of books just placed together randomly. I was dumbfounded at first, flipping through here and there, wasting quite a bit of effort for nothing. By the time I decided to start from the first row and search book by book, it was already past noon. So many books—looking at them made me dizzy. Not hiding it from sister, if I hadn’t encountered Second Master’s kind heart and he hadn’t had a maid send these two books over, I’d probably still be in the book pavilion right now.” Half-truths were hardest to expose.
“You’re also inflexible—if you couldn’t find them within half a day, just return. Flipping through book by book, you couldn’t finish in three days and nights.” Hong Mei neither looked down on Mo Zi nor thought highly of her.
This had a direct connection to Mo Zi’s usual low profile.
“That won’t do.” Qiu Sanniang timely played the bad cop. “If she didn’t accomplish what I ordered, even three days and nights she’d have to continue.”
“It’s my mistake—I forgot how much Madam loves reading books.” Hong Mei was sharp, her tone turning quickly. “Mo Zi, next time you go to the book pavilion, not only bring provisions but also bedding.”
“As you command.” Mo Zi thought to herself, ha, as long as the book pavilion remained improperly organized for one day, spending the night outside would be fine?
“How did you encounter Second Master?” Qiu Sanniang let Mo Yan comb her hair.
“Last night there was suddenly heavy thunder and rain. Second Master and his servant took shelter in the book pavilion, not expecting I was there. Oh yes, I also met Second Master’s two senior maids—one called Lü Bi, one called Hong Luo, both with exceptionally fine temperaments.” Real enough, right? Time, place, and people all complete.
Mo Zi smiled at the attentively listening Hong Mei.
“Madam, in the future you should also take Mo Zi around various places, lest she know nothing about matters in our mansion. If she’s ignorant and offends the major masters, minor masters, and half-masters, that would be bad.” When Hong Mei said these words, her expression was quite serious.
Mo Zi thought that just last night she’d educated Bai He, yet this morning someone educated her. Did this count as feng shui rotating?
“What, did I say something wrong?” However, she was willing to humbly seek instruction.
“Of course you said something wrong. Lü Bi was originally a senior maid attending the Princess Consort. Later she was given to Second Master, taken into his room, and has now been by Second Master’s side for three or four years. Hong Luo is like me—from the Old Madam’s side. By the Old Madam’s decision, she was sent to Weifeng Residence at New Year’s. Though she hasn’t formally been taken as a concubine yet, I hear she’s already attended Second Master. Tell me, how can these two count as maids? They’re clearly half-masters. Especially Lü Bi—Second Master hasn’t married yet and has no Second Young Madam, so she manages the rear household affairs. She’s gentle and extremely capable, also very tolerant, and the Princess Consort is very fond of her. I guess that when Second Young Madam enters the household, Lü Bi will be elevated to concubine. As for Hong Luo, she’s also very well-behaved and sensible. The Old Madam feared Second Master would exclusively favor…” A lesson learned from Third Master. However, Hong Mei didn’t dare say this sentence before Qiu Sanniang. “Exclusively favor Lü Bi, and Second Young Madam would be unhappy upon entering the household, so she sent Hong Luo in.”
Mo Zi wrinkled her brow, thinking that fearing the grandson would exclusively favor someone, so sending more women to him—what kind of logic was this? Wouldn’t that future Second Young Madam be very innocent and pitiful?
Qiu Sanniang had also never heard of this matter Hong Mei mentioned. “I only knew Second Elder Brother hasn’t married yet, but didn’t know he had two concubine maids—quite blessed with beauties. However, why hasn’t he married to this day? Usually, it’s rare for a younger brother to marry before an older brother. Before I entered the household, I always thought Second Elder Brother had long since married.”
Hong Mei considered and felt it wasn’t much of a secret anyway, saying, “Second Master’s marriage has the Emperor making the decision.”
Hearing this, Mo Zi knew that even if not a princess, it would be a commandery princess. Poor Xiao Er. Prince consorts and commandery consorts were synonymous with being henpecked and strictly controlled by wives.
“That’s quite something.” Qiu Sanniang made a sound of acknowledgment. “In the future, this sister-in-law of mine will probably be a princess.” She wasn’t particularly happy—everyone knew marrying a princess wasn’t some great joyous event but rather an extremely troublesome matter. If she encountered a pampered one, that would be even more hateful. Such mother-in-law and daughter-in-law problems were the hardest to handle.
“Could also be a commandery princess.” Clearly Hong Mei understood the stakes involved. “However, Second Master’s marriage should be decided within this half year. I don’t know if the Emperor has asked Second Master’s opinion, but the Old Madam has asked Second Master countless times, and Second Master just won’t say. But the Emperor values Second Master—all civil and military officials know this. Being able to marry an imperial clan member is also a blessing for our Prince Jing’s mansion.”
“That’s also true.” Qiu Sanniang smiled.
Mo Zi suddenly thought of Miss Mo Chou at Wu You Pavilion again. If Xiao Erlang married a princess, Mo Chou could abandon all hope in this life and the next. Even being a nameless, statusless female confidante would probably be very difficult. Looking at it now, both Lü Bi and Hong Luo had unremarkable appearances—possibly also because they feared the future noble Second Young Madam’s jealousy would flare.
“Mo Zi.” Qiu Sanniang called her.
“Yes.” Mo Zi responded.
“Hong Mei mentioned taking you to meet people—that’s truly coincidental. A few days ago, Concubine Yu asked me about you, saying how she hadn’t seen you by my side since I married in. The day after tomorrow is Concubine Yu’s birthday. Mother-in-law says she’ll arrange several tables for a celebration. If I take you, it also saves preparing a gift.” Qiu Sanniang couldn’t keep hiding Mo Zi forever.
Mo Zi also understood and compliantly said yes.
That day passed without incident.
The next day, since there were now many maids attending Qiu Sanniang and Mo Zi didn’t need to be on rotation daily, she shut herself in the carpentry room working. What she was currently playing with had already expanded to a model of the entire Yonggu Studio. Lowering her head to assemble a nine-bend bridge, she sensed someone walking in.
“Xiao Yi said you’ve been recently carving Mozhi Residence—so you’ve long finished it.” Qiu Sanniang’s voice, languid.
Mo Zi raised her head to glance at her. “When did Madam become interested in my carpentry room? You’ve always found it noisy and disliked coming near.”
Qiu Sanniang didn’t answer but bent down to look closely at the vivid little houses and corridors, then with slender fingers picked up a lotus-picking boat from under the bridge, her almond eyes sparkling brightly.
“Mo Zi, can you build boats?” Beginning the second probe.
“Madam, I can’t build boats. I can only draw a gourd by copying the original.” Mo Zi’s left hand’s five fingers nimbly glued piece after piece of bridge planks, curve by fold, splendidly presented.
“How can you not know how to build boats? Isn’t this what you made?” Qiu Sanniang placed the lotus-picking boat before Mo Zi’s eyes.
“This is what I made, but it only resembles the form. Like these houses, these corridors—they look exactly like the real thing, but if you asked me to build a real house, I wouldn’t know how.” Mo Zi expressed a differing viewpoint.
“How do you know you can’t? If you ask me, you definitely can. Since the model can resemble it so closely, naturally you can also build the real thing.” Boats could be built the same way.
“If Madam thinks so highly of me, then if you say I can, I can.” Mo Zi was noncommittal. “Maybe, if I figured out the proportions and measurements clearly.”
Qiu Sanniang smiled with some satisfaction mixed in. “If you can build houses, you can even more easily build small boats.”
Mo Zi blinked. “Madam’s mood is truly excellent today. However, if you insist on praising me as Lu Ban reincarnated, no matter how thick my face is, I wouldn’t feel comfortable accepting it.”
“As long as it’s wood it can float—building boats is naturally simpler than building houses.” Qiu Sanniang was completely a layperson, not understanding the slightest bit.
Not all wood floats, and moreover, even if it can float, it’s not necessarily suitable for building boats. Mo Zi didn’t want to waste energy explaining—she just smiled and let it pass.
“Mo Zi, what if I put Hongyu Cove’s shipyard under your management?”
Having asked, Qiu Sanniang quietly waited for an answer.