Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 16 The Old Lady's Observation

"Just don't strain your eyes. There are a lot of loose pieces inside. Mother An said two pieces are enough, and the rest are yours."

Before she knew it, the winter melon had matured quite a bit. Back in Jinan County, she was only focused on learning her craft from Madam An in the kitchen of the brokerage firm. She had no such clever mind. Meng Shu appreciated her kindness and said that she would make her an embroidered handkerchief for the extra one.

Donggua smiled and agreed, then parroted Meng Shu about the flower patterns that Mother An liked, which were nothing more than patterns symbolizing wealth and prosperity. Meng Shu smiled and said that she was very skilled at it. The two agreed to meet Mother An in two days.

While the young ladies were slacking off by the rockery, Cao Mama, the steward of the inner courtyard, went to the old lady's place to check in as usual.

Currently, the household affairs are still managed by Old Madam Tang. Her daughter-in-law, Madam Yun, is pregnant, and while the old lady is happy, she is also worried about her health. Madam Yun is already thirty-two years old, and this pregnancy is going to be difficult. Therefore, the old lady is temporarily in charge of the household affairs.

"You mean this little girl named Meng Shu got into a fight with a maid from Langya Courtyard after only three days?" Hua Ying, the head maid of the old lady, who was in charge of jewelry and makeup and was the gentlest, was somewhat surprised to hear Cao Mama's words and couldn't help but ask.

Madam Cao carefully observed the old lady's expression from below. Seeing that she did not seem displeased, she replied, "Yes, this old servant followed Guangbai's instructions and secretly spread some rumors. Biyu from Langya Courtyard immediately started making sarcastic remarks about Meng Shu, and the two of them started arguing that evening."

Guangbai raised an eyebrow. This concerned her reputation, and the fact that the little girl could handle it so decisively and roughly showed that she was a girl who was not easily manipulated and knew what she was doing. He found her rather interesting. Seeing that the old lady was also quite interested, he gestured for Cao Mama to continue.

"Speaking of this young girl, she only said one sentence: 'Our household is benevolent, even protecting young maids who haven't been officially registered in their contracts. How could we allow you to smear us? Are you questioning whether our household accepted someone who has lost their innocence without thoroughly investigating the matter?'"

The old lady nodded slightly upon hearing this and said with a smile, "She's quite the talker."

Madam Cao continued, "That's right, just one sentence silenced Biyu, and she rolled up her sleeves, ready to slap Meng Shu..."

Suwen knew that the old lady disliked trouble the most, so she shook her head and interrupted, "This kind of maid who starts trouble cannot stay in Langya Courtyard to entertain guests."

Madam Cao wiped her sweat and nodded in agreement. Biyu was scheming and had really messed things up this time. "Don't worry, Miss. Biyu didn't succeed. Meng Shu is a clever girl. After she dodged, she didn't fight back. Instead, she gave a signal to the maid in her room to come find me."

"She got along well with her roommates as soon as she arrived, didn't argue all the time, and knew how to call for help. You could say she was shrewd and calculating." Guangbai handed the old lady a freshly brewed cup of tea from a second-class maid and said with a smile.

The key is that she didn't fight back. If she had, she would have been wrong even if she was in the right. Meng Shu had clearly figured out the rules of the Tang family.

The old lady took the tea, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Let's wait and see. I'll report back after the meeting with the master at the end of next month."

Meng Shu was naturally unaware of this scene. She happily accepted the fabric and, after completing her assigned tasks that day, hurried off to do her embroidery. Although the fabric was all scraps, it was all medium-grade brocade. She carefully weighed the pieces and figured she could make five purses, three handkerchiefs, and even use the extras to insole a shoe.

These are all familiar dishes, so they don't take much effort. They were almost finished in less than two days.

Green Willow, who shared a room with Meng Shu, couldn't help but marvel at the embroidery. She admired Meng Shu's good looks and skillful hands, and felt no jealousy whatsoever. Meanwhile, a minor incident occurred at Langya Courtyard in the past two days: Biyu was transferred to the lower courtyard. Although it was also a guest courtyard, it was mainly used to entertain the second manager and accountant, offering less lucrative opportunities and cutting off any avenues for advancement.

After this incident, rumors somehow spread that Meng Shu and Steward Cao were very close. In addition, Meng Shu was assigned to serve in the upper room of Langya Courtyard. Suddenly, not only did no one gossip, but people also stopped ostracizing Meng Shu and even tried to curry favor with her.

Meng Shu was new to the area, so how could she have any powerful backers? Considering her actions, she guessed that she must have caught the eye of some masters for some reason, but she didn't care.

Now, she is single-mindedly focused on making more money, and she is even more afraid of losing her usefulness in the eyes of those in power.

That day, Meng Shu came out of Langya Courtyard and had lunch with Lvliu in the dining hall. Then she went to the outside of Fu'an Residence by herself. A moment later, Donggua came to pick her up. As they passed the gatekeeper, Donggua stuffed a handful of pumpkin seeds into her hand.

The small kitchen was a separate courtyard, and it was a busy time at this time. The Tang family was indeed kind and could not bear to see their servants go hungry, so they would usually eat a simple meal half an hour earlier than their masters. After passing through the side gate, Meng Shu saw the maids in the small kitchen carrying exquisite plates and bowls in and out.

"Today, the eldest young master, the second young lady, and the fifth young lady are having dinner with the old lady, so they are particularly busy." Donggua led Meng Shu along the wall, avoiding the crowd, and brought her to his room.

"Meng Shu, you rest first. I still have to go and get busy. I estimate that Aunt An will be free for about half an hour."

Meng Shu agreed and told Donggua to go about her business. Since she was just a maidservant, she didn't rush to help. The old lady's courtyard had strict rules, especially the small kitchen, which was a sensitive area. It was best for an outsider like her not to cause any trouble.

Looking around Donggua's room, one of the four small beds was empty. The layout inside was similar to the back room of Langya Courtyard, except that the chest under the small table by the bed had a few more patterns, making it a little different.

Meng Shu took out the purse and handkerchief in her arms to check. There was no problem with the needlework, but she had added some clever ideas to the patterns. She was thinking about how to deal with Mother An when she met her later.

Upon entering Madam An's room, Meng Shu bowed according to custom. Madam An, dressed in the deep red jacket unique to the inner courtyard steward, sat at a table, smiling at them.

Mother An has been quite pleased with herself lately. She used to only manage the small kitchen, which didn't have much power but was quite lucrative. However, she was ultimately confined to this small space.

Now that she has taken over Ju Chang's job, she can also go out and manage some of the old lady's estates and properties. This will give her more influence in front of the old lady, and make it much easier for her to plan and strategize for her children and grandchildren in the future.

She looked at the neatly arranged, exquisite embroidery items with some surprise: five purses and two handkerchiefs. She pondered the small change she had given, "How could there be so much?"

She picked up another purse, which featured a design of fish playing among lotus leaves. The fish, embroidered with colorful silk threads, leaped gently, their tails flowing gracefully. It immediately caught An's eye.

The other pieces feature peonies symbolizing wealth and prosperity, while the two most unique pieces depict strange rocks. Upon closer inspection, a grasshopper with outstretched antennae appears beside the rocks, adding a touch of wild charm. Mother An leaned closer to examine them closely and couldn't help but glance at Meng Shu. This little girl's ingenuity was remarkable. It turned out that the fabric had been dyed incorrectly; it was originally a light green base, but it was interspersed with many traces of yellowish-brown. The design of the strange rocks and grasshopper was entirely adapted to the local conditions, demonstrating her exceptional ingenuity.

Meng Shu stood obediently to the side and said, "Thanks to Mother An's reminder, otherwise I might still be in that unbearable place. I have nothing of value and can't offer much as a gift, so I thought I couldn't waste your fine materials."