The snowflakes drifted down.
Inside and outside the room were equally cold.
Qiu Sanniang ignored Bai He’s bitter expression and instructed Mo Zi: “You’ve been outside longer than Bai He, so look after her more. Most importantly, find her a good family. If you engage a matchmaker, make it clear that Bai He is a young lady—though she has no parents, her dowry is generous, so don’t let people look down on her. If you two think someone is suitable, you must let me review him. After all, I’m providing the dowry, so it won’t do if I’m not satisfied. The household registration Sanlang arranged to handle—Bai He will be the head of household. I’m dividing the Lujiao Alley property by location into four households, with one transferred to her name. Later when Hong Mei, Lu Ju, and Xiao Yi leave, they’ll all be handled the same way.”
“Bai He, hurry up and take it properly, lest I change my mind, withhold the registration book, and make you continue working like an ox or horse for me, defaulting on your monthly wages.” Qiu Sanniang spoke jokingly.
Bai He’s eyes brimmed with tears, but when she blinked, they fell like a pair of bright pearls. “Madam, this servant won’t leave. Even if you tear up the bond of servitude, or if someday this servant marries, I still want to serve by your side. Usually when joking with Lu Ju and the others, we say we want to become stewardesses and old nannies, to care for Madam for three generations.”
Lu Ju had thought that getting back the bond of servitude was a good thing—at least life and death wouldn’t be decided by other masters in the prince’s mansion. But unexpectedly, at the same time Bai He got back her bond, she had to leave the household. Seeing Bai He kneeling with tears streaming down, her heart became flustered and confused, suddenly feeling lost. Thinking about it, she had only entered service three years later than Bai He—would she also be sent away soon?
“It’s fine for Madam to return the bond of servitude, but why must you drive Sister Bai He out? Besides us, Sister Bai He has no other relatives. After she leaves, what will she do?” She didn’t understand.
Qiu Sanniang narrowed her eyes reproachfully. “Where am I driving her out? I’m giving her the status of a minor heiress. If she doesn’t go out, how can she find a proper husband? Not to mention that I’m currently just circulating in this inner residence, seeing few men. Even if I can go out visiting and socializing in the future, they’ll all be from marquis households and great families—plenty of opportunities to be a concubine, but I least want you to become secondary wives. If you have the ability, hide it from me, otherwise I won’t approve. Besides, I, Qiu Sanniang, am rather exceptional. Each of you must strive to bring me honor. I don’t ask for lofty ambitions, but at least seek a future where you can make your own decisions. What stewardess or old nanny—at minimum, people should properly address you as ‘such-and-such Madam.'”
Lu Ju’s face fell. “Madam, how is that possible?”
“Why not?” Qiu Sanniang pointed at herself, then at Mo Zi. “With us, it’s possible.”
Us? Mo Zi raised an eyebrow. Why did this sound like a marriage agency advertisement?
“It’s not about finding wealthy and noble families. Most important is good character, someone who can cherish you, consistent inside and out.” The correct values still needed to be established—they mustn’t think too wildly and cause psychological imbalance. “Madam is letting Bai He go out to give her opportunities to see more of the outside world. Actually, mutual affection would be best. Nine out of ten matchmakers are unreliable—they only speak well, they can’t be trusted. Better to open your own eyes wide, observe them, get to know them—if it doesn’t work out, there’s still time to switch to another.” Inadvertently, she began advocating for free love.
Bai He forgot to cry and turned back to blink at Mo Zi, with a shocked expression as if to say, “How can you say such things?”
Hong Mei got a headache from what Qiu Sanniang and Mo Zi were saying and rubbed her temples, sighing.
Lu Ju, straightforward as she was, dared to ask and speak. “If it doesn’t work out, you can switch? Wouldn’t that make Sister Bai He fickle? That’s not acceptable.”
Mo Zi knew she had spoken too far again, but what needed clarifying had to be clarified. “Lu Ju, being fickle refers to married women having affairs outside. What I’m saying is, before marriage, if you discover the other party has intolerable flaws, you should dump them in time. For example, before you marry someone, you discover he beats women and is cruel by nature—would you still marry him?”
Lu Ju shook her head like a rattle drum.
“So you’d need to switch to another person.” Working hard to “brainwash” Lu Ju, Mo Zi smiled somewhat mischievously.
But her brainwashing effect was poor, also because Qiu Sanniang had announced this matter too suddenly. The meal, including Aunt Gao, might have caused indigestion for everyone. If it weren’t for Aunt Gao’s gift of gab, bringing up some amusing stories from Luo Zhou, the atmosphere would have been one of gloom and misery.
After the meal, Aunt Gao tactfully withdrew early to rest. Qiu Sanniang ignored Bai He’s wronged little wife appearance with reddened eyes and called Mo Zi to the study.
“Actually, this matter wouldn’t be too late to discuss after spring. New Year is coming soon, and Bai He’s skills are good—she could help you win many hearts.” Mo Zi spoke matter-of-factly. “It would also give her psychological preparation, so it doesn’t end up seeming like you’ll never see each other again until death.”
“All banquets under heaven must come to an end.” Qiu Sanniang waved one hand, the flower-bud gold bells at her wrist tinkling clearly. “It’s precisely because New Year is coming that I don’t want others ordering her about. Ever since my good sister-in-law tasted Bai He’s cooking, every ten days to half a month she calls her over, using her like her own cook. Xiao Yi secretly followed and heard her younger brother from her natal family asking her for Bai He. If I don’t let her go now, I’ll still have to deal with her pestering. Tell me, why are all men the same? When they see someone good, they want to bring her home, completely forgetting there’s already one at home.”
This question was the most difficult riddle spanning five thousand years of history.
“So someone had set their sights on her—no wonder.” Mo Zi suddenly understood.
“Not just Bai He, but Hong Mei too. According to the household rules, maids must be married off by age twenty-two at the latest. These two have reached that age. I’m not anxious, but others are. Old Madam also mentioned it to me, saying Hong Mei’s marriage should be settled and completed before next spring. She even gave me several candidates, all household stewards and the like, both wife and concubine options. Although they said Hong Mei would still serve me after marriage, I felt uncomfortable hearing it. My mother-in-law favors Bai He, but she wouldn’t necessarily interfere with a daughter-in-law’s dowry maid’s marriage. Still, she said the wedding should be handled quickly, and offered to keep an eye out for her. Since she knows I’m reluctant to part with them, they naturally won’t leave Prince Jing’s mansion. So my maids can only be matched with servants?” Qiu Sanniang sneered. “They think I’m ignorant, offering me plain steamed buns as if they were meat buns. Among you several, not counting Hong Mei, which one haven’t I painstakingly cultivated? Bai He has a natural gift for cooking, so I begged Granny Liu to accept her as a goddaughter. Though Granny Liu is loyal to my mother, her temper is terribly eccentric—she listens to my words only when she feels like it, making me lose so much face. Then there’s Xiao Yi. Father said she was like a boy, so learning some martial arts would make it convenient when I traveled for business. So I found out where her master liked to drink and staked it out for half a month. You—I don’t need to say much. Even on the verge of death, you battled wits with me. At the time I thought I’d encountered the most formidable one. Indeed so.”
“What about Lu Ju?” It turned out it wasn’t that Qiu Sanniang had good luck, but that her innate character made her excel at leveraging small advantages for great gains—she was skilled at cultivating talent. Not developing people in many directions, but having each person specialize in one skill, was also her unique approach.
“She gave me the least worry. My father hired the master from Nande’s finest embroidery workshop to teach me embroidery. She learned everything, while I had no aptitude whatsoever.” Following her father everywhere—though unsettled, looking back now, those days were truly happy.
This was the first time Qiu Sanniang had mentioned the origins of the three senior maids’ skills. Mo Zi listened intently, feeling that behind these few brief words must be many wonderful stories.
Qiu Sanniang’s face also revealed a young girl’s innocent expression, but unfortunately it was fleeting. She immediately became serious and solemn. “With Bai He following you, don’t worry about other things, just keep an eye out for a good man for her. The matters I’ve entrusted to you have always been handled properly. I hope this time will be the same.”
Mo Zi’s shoulders sank—the invisible pressure was great. “Matters between men and women are most unpredictable. How can things go as I wish? However, outside there are certainly more opportunities than inside the household. I’ll do my best to take her around everywhere, though I can’t force anything.”
Qiu Sanniang felt her words made sense and nodded. Then she took out a stack of banknotes from the box that held the small gold pieces. “Here’s ten thousand taels. Count it clearly and keep it safe.”
Mo Zi’s eyes brightened, and she said with a grin, “Is this the dowry Madam prepared for Bai He?”
Qiu Sanniang was quite calm about her sarcastic smile. “Help me keep an eye out—are there any mansions for sale in the best neighborhoods of the capital? Not too near and not too far from Prince Jing’s mansion, convenient for attending court, with an area similar to Wangqiu Tower. If you find something suitable, tell me.”
“Madam wants to purchase another property?” The Lujiao Alley house was being given to the maids for household registration, so she was buying another one? “Why not have Steward Tian handle it?”
“This isn’t a garden with three or five courtyards—this time I’m buying a grand mansion. Steward Tian can run errands, but he can’t make decisions. Going in and out of the prince’s mansion to consult with me is inconvenient. Just take the silver. Before the transaction, let me know. The weather is so cold, Hongyu hasn’t any work going on, and having you idle makes me want to find things for you to do.” Qiu Sanniang began to grin, three degrees more wicked than Mo Zi.
Why not just say directly that you feel unbalanced inside? Mo Zi didn’t talk back. She carefully stored the banknotes in the inner pocket at the side of her garment. “Does the young master have a social engagement tonight?”
Qiu Sanniang’s eyes shifted, understanding at heart, and asked in return, “Why are you asking about that?”
Mo Zi’s smile was bright and radiant. “No reason, just asking casually. Every time I come back, isn’t the young master here?”
“Speaking of him, there is indeed something. A couple days ago, His Majesty finally transferred him from compiler and appointed him as Secretariat Drafter, fourth rank. Having been promoted, naturally people are celebrating for him. These past couple days he won’t return without drinking himself red-faced.” Qiu Sanniang stated flatly.
But Mo Zi observed that beneath that charming face there was indeed a slight hint of shared joy. The Secretariat was an organization assisting the emperor in governing and decision-making. However, she wasn’t quite clear what a Secretariat Drafter did. Regardless, his rank had increased, which meant it was good news, so she quickly offered congratulations.
“Why congratulate me? He’s the one who got promoted. Even though his salary increased, I can’t spend a single coin of it.” Besides, she didn’t even value that bit of salary. “However, there’s someone else you should congratulate.”
“I know. When the young master returns, I’ll definitely say a basketful of good things. I also heard that the young master is letting Madam leave the courtyard on her own now?” Not only managing the accounting, but also occasionally discussing Wangqiu Tower business matters with Qiu Sanniang—what an obvious signal of trying to please.
“He wants me to, with New Year approaching, get closer to the elders and be more adorably likable. So when he later brings up the matter of establishing a separate household, the elders won’t think I instigated it.” However much Qiu Sanniang pretended to be unmoved, the corners of her lips couldn’t help but curve upward, and there was spring in the corners of her eyes.
Establishing a separate household? Wanting to leave this “harmonious” family that even the emperor praised?
She wished the two of them good luck.
A lot of good luck, in fact.