Der junge Herr ist schamlos

Kapitel 16

No matter what your reasons for choosing this profession, you must approach it with a serious attitude. This is Mu Qing's principle in doing things. Therefore, looking at the indifferent maid under her command, this junior manager felt somewhat stifled and a hint of displeasure arose from the feeling of being ignored.

Looking up at Furong struggling beside her, biting her lip, Mu Qing smiled. No rush, we'll take them down one by one! Furong first, after all, she changed her name to something everyone loves and flowers adore!

Mu Qing took a melon seed from the plate on the table, cracked it open with her front teeth, then used her hand to peel it open and put the kernel into a small cup. In a short while, there were more than a dozen melon seeds in the cup. She picked up the cup, poured the kernels into her hand, threw them into her mouth, and chewed them heartily.

Some habits are hard to break even over time!

In her past life, she was destined to be a "maid," serving her cousin from her maternal uncle's family with melon seeds. She would crack them open but not eat them herself, feeding the small pile to her cousin. Now, she was considered a young mistress, with maids serving her food, but when it came time to crack them herself, she still maintained this habit she had developed over the years, subconsciously piling them up before eating them in one bite.

Although cracking sunflower seeds this way takes a bit of effort, it has one advantage: you can easily tell the good kernel from the bad kernel once you crack it open.

"When I crack sunflower seeds, I like to make a small opening at the tip, then carefully remove the kernel to see it clearly before eating. Although cracking them open like Sister Furong, without even looking, is faster and easier, if you get a bad kernel, your mouth will taste stale. Look! Sister Furong, she just encountered a bad one..."

Mu Qing placed the "quite large" bad melon seed kernel she had just cracked open in her palm, stretched her little hand behind her, and offered it to Furong. Turning her head to Furong, she shook her head and sighed, "What a pity, it looked so big and good, so plump and beautiful..."

She made sure Furong saw it clearly, then withdrew her hand and flipped her delicate white palm over, causing the faintly black "bad kernel" in her palm to float and land on the table.

Mu Qing extended her right little finger and pressed it onto the black melon seed kernel, pressing it firmly from side to side until it was crushed to powder.

After finishing, she blew on the crumbs, looked up, and smiled with satisfaction: "Sister, look how clean Qing'er made it! It saves us from littering and making other places dirty, hehe~"

Furong stood there stunned for a moment, slowly calming her breathing and regaining her composure. She felt a small, chilling breeze blowing down her back. She then realized her undergarment was damp, soaked with cold sweat. Furong was secretly horrified; just now, she truly felt as if her heart had been crushed like a melon seed by that delicate, white little finger…

Is this young lady truly naive, or is she implying something? Yi Lan is right, this little girl is quite the clever little devil!

Furong finally came to her senses and regretted letting her emotions show. She also regretted underestimating Mu Qing and remaining silent for so long. Now she had to hurry and find her way back. She was just a maid now; she couldn't afford to offend this young lady!

"Young lady, these melon seeds have made your mouth dry. Let me do it!"

Furong smiled obsequiously. Mu Qing glanced at her and sneered inwardly. She wanted to give some people a warning: Don't underestimate a child!

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Chapter Thirty-Seven: What is a Brothel?

Mu Qing smiled at Fu Rong, who was bowing and scraping as she waited for her reply, and said, "Oh, then I'll trouble you, sister! Hehe!"

"Young lady, this is something we servants should do. You can just give the order. Why are you being so polite with me? It makes me feel a little embarrassed!" Furong replied politely, her smile a little stiff.

"Hmm! Actually, Qing'er isn't used to the way my sisters treat me like a mistress. If my sisters treat me well, I will naturally treat them well in return! I would never let outsiders bully my sisters. However, Qing'er also doesn't like it when my sisters do things behind my back... things that I don't like! By the way, when I came in just now, I heard my sisters mention 'Qing Guan Ren,' what kind of person is that?"

Mu Qing's voice wasn't loud, but it startled everyone, including four people.

Suddenly, the room fell silent—the crackling of sunflower seeds, the turning of pages, and the sound of silence. Time seemed to stand still…

Furong held a melon seed in her hand, hesitant to move. Yongxu had put down the book she had been using to cover her face, her complexion somewhat pale. Yilan tried to remain calm, but the clothes in her hands seemed to have wrinkled. Danzhi also showed a nervous expression.

Haha! There's a response!

It's good that there's a reaction. I was afraid you'd be so shameless as to not care. Since there's a reaction, if we don't take this opportunity to stir up some trouble and teach them a lesson, we'd really be letting down our status as masters, and even more so, we'd be letting down Mother after all the grievances she's suffered.

She feigned curiosity, looking back and forth at the four of them, waiting to see how they would respond! Who told Furong to covet her father and call herself a mere child! Besides, Furong and Yongxu were actually courtesans from a brothel! How could she not be suspicious?

What is a "pure courtesan"? She's just a courtesan who sells her smiles from a high-rise building.

Even if you've never eaten pork, you've seen pigs run.

Having been exposed to countless novels and television dramas, Mu Qing naturally knew the two most alluring and eye-catching types of prostitutes: one type was like a lotus flower, alluring and seductive, stirring hearts with her charming and flirtatious demeanor; the other type was like a willow catkin, aloof and cold, creating a sense of distance, making you feel itchy even though you can see her but not touch her.

Therefore, women from places like this naturally possess exceptional skills in seducing men. If we don't put them in check now, they might really succeed, and we'd have nowhere to turn to cry. Mu Qing thought for a moment and then had an idea. Suddenly, she clapped her hands and giggled, "Qing'er knows, it must be something only adults know. Sisters don't want to tell Qing'er, right? If you won't tell, I'll just ask the Ancestor when I go to see her later. Hehe, the Ancestor is so good to Qing'er..."

Furong and Yongxu were immediately terrified, their faces turning deathly pale. They all rushed over, Furong pleading urgently in a trembling voice, "Oh dear, my good girl, please don't ask, please don't..."

Mu Qing opened her mouth wide in confusion: "Huh? Why can't I ask? Ancestor knows everything. If you won't tell me, of course I'll ask. Humph! Do you think I'm just a little kid who doesn't know anything? If you won't tell me, someone who knows will naturally teach Qing'er!" After Mu Qing finished speaking, she pouted and looked at the four people with her big, clear eyes, but secretly enjoyed the ugly expressions on their faces.

Danzhi felt that she and Yilan had been unfairly implicated and suffered this misfortune because of the other two. If this were to reach the old lady, everyone would lose face. So she gritted her teeth and said, "Since you insist on knowing, young lady..."

"Danzhi!" Yongxu cried out, her face pale, to stop her.

Mu Qing narrowed her eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing within them, but her tone remained nonchalant as she said, "Sister Yongxu, you should continue reading your book. I heard from Mother that Second Brother, Third Brother, and the other two brothers all need to study so they can take the imperial examinations and become officials in the future. She doesn't want Qing'er to disturb their studies. Since you're reading too, we'll just talk and won't bother you. Oh, none of you will tell me what a Qingguan person is. I'll go ask Grandmother right now. Hmph, I can always ask Mother or my aunts and uncles; they all love Qing'er and will definitely tell her. I'm leaving."

At this moment, Furong also realized what was going on. She was thick-skinned and thought Muqing was just a child. She grabbed Muqing, who was about to leave, and smiled awkwardly, "Young lady, don't be in such a hurry. It's not that we don't want to tell you, but we're afraid that if we tell you such a secret, you'll tell others. Then we'll all get a beating. Can you bear to let your sister suffer the consequences?"

Mu Qing's eyes widened: "How could that be? Qing'er has heard Father say that a gentleman's word is as good as gold, and Qing'er won't tell anyone. Good Sister Furong, please tell Qing'er, Qing Guan also has the character 'Qing' in his name, so isn't he a very good person? But, if he's a very good person, shouldn't he be afraid of people knowing? What's going on?"

The maids were all quite clever. Upon hearing Mu Qing's self-talk, they couldn't help but feel a chill. This little brat was no ordinary person, and they couldn't help but put away their slight disdain.

Furong had no choice but to let Yongxu stop her, and she simply explained to Muqing what a "qingguanren" was.

Mu Qing thought for a moment, then asked innocently, "Sisters, what is a 'louzi'?"

...

A stalemate ensued again. Furong, deciding to throw caution to the wind and get rid of this little devil first, said, "It's... a brothel..."

Mu Qing continued to feign ignorance: "What kind of building is a brothel? A blue building? Isn't that a bad place...? Ah ha, Qing'er knows now, it must not be a good place. Are you sisters doing bad things there, hehe..."

The four women, especially Furong and Yongxu, looked even more unnatural, with Yongxu even appearing somewhat gloomy.

Mu Qing felt a little wicked, but her face still held a sweet smile: "But it's okay, sister. Qing'er used to do bad things secretly too, but Mother found out and scolded her. So Qing'er changed and stopped doing bad things. Sisters, you don't do bad things in that bad place anymore. Now that you're in a good place like our home, you can just do good things from now on. Father said, 'To err is human, to forgive divine.' If you do something wrong, you're a good child if you correct it, right, sister?"

The crowd fell silent, lost in thought...

Although Mu Qing was well aware of her grandmother Zhang's original intentions, it seemed that bringing two women from brothels into the household as "potential concubines" was not something that Zhang, who came from a respectable family, would do. Zhang should look down on... no, she should despise such women.

Could it be that the grandmother has gone to extreme lengths to force her son to have another son, casting a wide net to catch as many fish as possible, not even caring about their social status, simply grabbing one of each type, hoping that one of them will please her son and become the one to warm his bed?

Look at the four beautiful maids in this room. Father is quite lucky with women, but he has no desire to enjoy them!

On second thought, if Grandmother's plan succeeded, it would open a breakthrough for Chen Yu to take a concubine. Once there's a first, there's bound to be a second. So choosing a courtesan isn't necessarily a bad idea; they have the skills to seduce men and would be easier to win over. It's about taking a courtesan as a concubine, not marrying her as his principal wife.

Thinking about it this way, Grandmother's actions made sense. But why did she always feel that something was off, that something strange about the whole thing?

However, these girls need to be kept in check for a while, otherwise they'll always be a nuisance. Mu Qing sized them up, then suddenly smiled like a little devil: "Sisters, you'd better treat Qing'er well from now on. If you have anything delicious or fun, you have to think of Qing'er first, otherwise Qing'er will go ask Grandmother and the Great Ancestor what a 'qingguanren' and a brothel are, hehe..."

Even the most naive Danzhi realized that they had fallen for this little girl's trick!

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Anyone passing by, walking by, or just passing through, if you have any tickets you like, feel free to toss me a couple (no bricks, please). Hehe, thanks! O(∩_∩)O

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Eavesdropping

Mu Qing left them with a message, telling them to wait for news from the Central Court, and then left the four beauties, who were secretly feeling depressed, to leave the room alone.

Mu Qing pondered the situation. If she directly told the Old Madam about Yongxu and Furong, they might be kicked out, but her grandmother would likely resent her mother after being scolded by the Old Madam, and the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law would deteriorate further... She shook her head. It was too hasty, not advisable! She should make room for the beauties first, and then think about the future...

Mu Qing quickened her pace and headed back to the Central Court.

"Look at the mess we've made! Go and fetch my second son's wife and fifth son!"

As soon as Mu Qing returned to the central courtyard, she heard the old lady angrily telling Zhang Ma to send someone to fetch her grandmother and fifth uncle.

Mu Qing knew that it wouldn't be appropriate for her to suggest transferring the maids while the old lady was angry. Besides, the old lady's anger might also help her mother get rid of the mistress, saving her a lot of trouble! She should try to eavesdrop on the "court hearing" first.

Mu Qing's mind raced. She immediately decided to come in and chat with the old lady to buy time, instead of going directly to the backyard through the side gate of the main house. She knew that after her grandmother and fifth uncle were summoned, the old lady would send her back to her room. So, going back to the backyard from the main hall would naturally involve using the back door of the main hall, making the area behind the screen wall the best eavesdropping spot!

Mu Qing tiptoed to the entrance of the main hall, held onto the door frame, stepped one foot over the threshold, and cautiously peeked her head in. She looked around, and when her eyes met those of the old matriarch sitting in the main hall, she immediately jumped in and exclaimed happily, "Oh? Great-Grandma, is that really you? I thought I misheard! How come you finished reciting the scriptures so early?"

"Qing'er has returned from the west courtyard?" The old lady thought that her angry shout had frightened the child, so she quickly suppressed her anger, but her expression did not improve much, and her brows were gloomy.

"Hmm! I just got back and heard Great-Grandma's voice, so I came to see. Great-Grandma, who made you unhappy? Qing'er can't stand seeing Great-Grandma sad, Qing'er will go and settle the score with them and get revenge for you!" Mu Qing waved her little fist, although the fist wasn't very strong, but in the old lady's eyes, the fist was very cute, and it dispelled a lot of her anger and gloom.

"Who can you possibly take down with your little fists? And you dare to show off in front of your great-grandmother!" The old lady deliberately put on a stern face and said seriously.

"Hehe! Qing'er's fists may be small, but Qing'er's head is not!"

"Huh? Qing'er's words... Grandma doesn't understand, hehe!"

The old lady affectionately patted Qing'er's head and teased with a smile, "How come I can't tell how old you are?"

"Great-grandmother looks down on Qing'er! Humph! Great-grandmother loves Qing'er, and Qing'er remembers it all! Qing'er may not have the strength to hit anyone, but there are always people stronger than Qing'er. Father said to know how to use people wisely, and Qing'er has a brain and can think of a way to find those strong people to avenge Great-grandmother!"

Ever since the old lady gave the order for Mu Qing to follow her, Mu Qing's family's status in the mansion has risen dramatically. Even though Madam Qian doesn't manage the household and Chen Yu's shops are no better than those of the eldest son's family, the servants still dare not neglect the affairs of the Fourth Master's family.

Mu Qing naturally knew that this was all because the Old Madam doted on her, so she had to do her job of accompanying her in meals, games, and conversations perfectly, indirectly currying favor with the "big boss" to make things easier in the household. Furthermore, Mu Qing wasn't the kind of person driven by self-interest. As she had told the Four Beauties, if someone treated her well, she would treat them even better. She could sense that the Old Madam genuinely loved her, so if she saw the Old Madam was unhappy, she naturally had to play a little trick to cheer her up; a little bit of acting was necessary!

Mu Qing pursed her lips, her clear eyes shining with determination. The old lady felt a warmth in her heart and hugged Mu Qing, wanting to pick her up and put her on her lap, but found that she couldn't lift her. The old lady couldn't help but chuckle and say, "Qing'er has gotten heavier! Your great-grandmother is too old to carry you anymore!"

“Great-grandmother is not old. You won a lot of money when you were playing horse racing. You are full of energy. Qing’er thinks that Grandmother and Auntie are not as good as you. How can you say that you are old?”

The old lady nodded in agreement with Mu Qing's words, clearly pleased.

Seeing that the old lady's expression had softened slightly, Mu Qing picked out a few classic jokes she had heard in her previous life and told them to amuse her, continuing her work of flattering her. Of course, the jokes came from either Danling or the maids and servants in the west courtyard and backyard.

...

"Grandma, they've arrived!" Zhang Ma walked in, interrupting Mu Qing and the Grandma.

"Qing'er, you can go down now!" The old lady called Mu Qing back to her room. Mu Qing tactfully retreated behind the screen wall in the main hall, crouched down and shrank under the bonsai stand behind the screen wall, and pricked up her little ears to listen to the sounds outside.

"Smack—" The old lady slammed her hand on the table and said, "Why didn't you pick a better time to give someone away? Are you out of your mind?"

“Your wife is just anxious! The doctor said that Fifth Sister’s health won’t recover in a year or two. Fifth Brother is already twenty-seven, approaching thirty, and has no children. Your wife just sent a few maids over, but didn’t say that Fifth Brother should take a wife…” Zhang Shi retorted softly.

The old matriarch shouted sternly, "Foolish! Second daughter-in-law, Fifth Sister is a strong-willed and hot-tempered person. Now, for the sake of... she's still lying in bed, and you're so eager to send people to your son's room. Who doesn't know what you mean? Isn't this touching Fifth Sister's sore spot?! If anything happens to Fifth Sister, how am I supposed to explain to Master Qin? By the way, Fifth Sister, how is she now?"

"Reporting to the Old Madam, the person has already woken up. Fourth Brother has already contacted Young Master Ma's friend from Fenglan Courtyard to have him examined again," Fifth Brother Chen Wu replied.

The old lady was still scolding Zhang Shi when Wu Lang's interruption reminded her of him. She turned around and said, "And you! Zhang Shi is your own mother. What kind of son would go to his mother to settle scores over his wife? You love your wife, but you can't be disrespectful to your elders. You're full of poetry and books, how can a scholar forget the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues, human ethics and filial piety? Where did all your reading go? Did you give it all to this old woman?"

The old lady grew angrier as she spoke, and her voice trembled slightly.

Aunt Zhang said softly from the side, "Have some tea first, calm down, don't get upset and harm your health!"

"They're all such a headache! If word gets out, people will laugh their heads off! Second daughter-in-law, look at those women you picked! The mistress of the house is bedridden, and they're still smugly going to perform the rites of a concubine! What kind of people are they! Go, whoever led them, punish them severely, and then kick them out of the mansion. The rest of them are no better; get out of there too! They're an eyesore!"

"Yes, Madam! But there are some things I have to say! These people were bought by Sixth Sister, and my wife and I went to look at them. They all seemed fine to me at the time, but who knew they would turn out to be like this... You can't blame me for everything!"

After being scolded by the old lady, Zhang was filled with resentment that she couldn't vent. She herself was puzzled. When she was choosing people, they all seemed to be quite sensible. How could they cause such a mess as soon as they turned around?

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