After dinner and a bath, I was about to go to sleep when Xiao Hebao whispered mysteriously in my ear, "Miss, those four young ladies are currently serving the young master in his room."
I said casually, "What's so strange about that? They were originally maids assigned to Lanze Garden by the Madam."
“Miss, Madam meant for them to serve you, but you see, they spend more time in the young master’s room. I think, well, this is not good.”
"What's wrong?"
The young woman hesitated for a moment before stammering, "Miss, in wealthy families, there's a type of maid called a 'tongfang da yatou,' which means, um, you know what that means?"
I humbly and honestly asked, "I don't know, what does that mean?"
The little purse, clutching the hem of her clothes, said shyly, "A head maidservant is someone who warms the young master's bed. If she manages to give birth to a son while warming the bed, she can be promoted to concubine."
"Why bother warming the bed on such a hot day?"
Little Hebao stamped her foot in frustration: "You can have a son without warming the bed? Miss, you're such a blockhead."
I realized: "You mean, these four maids are the ones Madam Qi prepared to warm Jiang Chen's bed?"
"Look how pretty they are, and they do nothing all day but stare at their son-in-law and flirt with him."
I said hesitantly, "No, I don't think so."
The little purse said disdainfully, "Miss, you've wasted your big eyes."
I was a little stunned.
The little purse whispered, "Miss, didn't you notice? Miss Lan'er changed her clothes twice today. Miss Mei's hairstyle has also changed."
I really didn't notice; my mind was completely focused on "spending money recklessly."
Little Purse snorted and said, "Miss, the young master is the only handsome man in this mansion, and there are young ladies everywhere who are eyeing him covetously. Miss, you must not be careless. You must strike first and not just look at plums to quench your thirst or draw pictures of cakes to satisfy your hunger!"
Her tone made it sound as if I were both hungry and thirsty. I swallowed hard. Did I?
Looking at the fierce little purse, I was quite worried. In the future, would she just take a fancy to someone and force herself on him?
However, her reminder suddenly gave me an idea. One of the seven grounds for divorce is jealousy. These four maids were personally trained and trained by Lady Qi, so they must be highly valued and favored by her. Perhaps, as Xiao He Bao said, they are the head maids prepared for Jiang Chen as his concubines. If I were to be jealous of these women, would Lady Qi dislike me? Therefore… I decided to try it out tomorrow.
The next morning, Jiang Chen came to call me to pay my respects to my mother. Lady Qi had just finished washing and dressing, and in the morning light, she was truly beautiful and graceful.
I couldn't help but exclaim, "Madam is truly beautiful."
Lady Qi chuckled softly, "Little Mo, you are the one who is incomparably beautiful! What, Chen'er has never praised your beauty before?"
Have you praised me?
Jiang Chen touched his nose: "Yeah, I'm afraid she'll get arrogant. She already looks down on me, and if I praise her beauty, she'll probably look down on me even less."
I was stunned. These words were actually spoken by Jiang Chen? Why did they sound so sour, bitter, aggrieved, and resentful?
Isn't he always so arrogant, boasting about his good looks and charm, and always trying to put me down?
Madam Qi patted Jiang Chen's shoulder with a smile: "Silly son, where did your former cleverness go? You don't say what you should say, and you say what you shouldn't say. Alas, it's true, concern leads to confusion, and taking things to heart leads to trouble."
Jiang Chen touched his nose and chuckled twice.
Lady Qi glanced at me and smiled, "Xiao Mo, Chen'er is clumsy with words, please bear with him."
He's bad at talking? I stared blankly at Madam Qi. As expected of a mother, she was very protective of her son.
Lady Qi seemed to sense my disbelief and said, "It's not about how much you say, but about how well you speak. Even if you only say one word, if it touches your heart, then you can be considered a good speaker. In my opinion, Chen'er hasn't been able to say a single serious word to move you all these years."
A thought struck me, but Jiang Chen lowered his head and remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.
Lady Qi took my hand and said softly, "Come, come, have breakfast."
"Madam, were the four young ladies, Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju, bought into the household when they were young?"
"Yes, I bought them from an opera troupe. These four girls are the best maids in Guiyun Manor. Are you satisfied with them?"
I don't need any maids at all. Xiao Hebao is nominally my maid, but in reality, I never order her around. I treat her like a younger sister.
"Hmm, Madam, could you leave the indenture with me?"
“Of course, Xiao Pei, go and call Aunt Liu over here.”
Before long, Madam Qi handed me four contracts of indenture. I looked at her guiltily, saying, "I... I really had no choice."
After breakfast, when Jiang Chen and I returned to Lanze Garden, the four young ladies were tending to the flowers and plants under the eaves. I touched the indenture in my sleeve. Although today's actions were for my own good, they were also for theirs. They were so beautiful; marrying them as wives was far better than being concubines.
I went into the room, poured myself a cup of tea to soothe my throat, and then had Xiao Hebao gather the four young ladies, Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju, along with the other maids in Lanze Garden. I wanted to hold a small meeting with them. My master often held meetings for us, and now I have truly mastered his teachings.
Before long, everyone had arrived. I stood under the eaves, looking at the neatly arranged group of young girls and young women, in the prime of their youth, with their beautiful and delicate features, and felt that today's gathering was very necessary.
I cleared my throat and said, "I invited everyone here because I feel there's not much work to do in this garden, and it's a real pity that everyone is stuck here wasting their precious youth. As for the four young ladies, Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju, they are a bit older. I asked Madam for a contract, and how about letting you leave the manor to get married?"
The four maids, Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju, all stared at me, stunned! The other maids were also taken aback.
I handed the indenture to the four men, who were unsure whether to accept it or not, feeling as if they were in a dream.
Indeed, a contract of servitude shattered their illusions. I wasn't actually jealous, nor did I have any ill will towards them. I just felt that rather than being trapped here in unrealistic, dreamlike fantasies, it would be better to settle down, marry a good man, and live a peaceful life.
However, their absent-mindedness made me feel a little sorry for them, so I gently advised them, "A woman has to get married sooner or later. Character is the most important thing. Don't be obsessed with appearances. Beauty is nothing! For example, Young Master Jiang. Everyone thinks he is a heavenly being and secretly admires him. In fact, no matter how handsome he is, he is just an ordinary person. He snores at night and has eye boogers in the morning."
The maids looked at me strangely, stunned, but without the sudden realization or enlightenment I had expected. Clearly, my advice hadn't been enough; I needed to give them a strong dose of remedy.
I cleared my throat again and continued, "Yes, he also goes to the outhouse every day."