Цзяннань Гайден - Глава 14
Watching Shu Hong and Ma Mingyuan leave, Mu Qing opened her hand, revealing the candy she had used in the magic trick. Mu Qing chuckled inwardly, realizing her own thoughts were still impure. But that fox was too oblivious, seemingly without much regard for the proper boundaries between men and women, holding a girl's hand without a care… Come to think of it, although the fox was a bit annoying, he was actually quite attentive. If he were in modern times, he'd definitely be the type to unintentionally charm everyone, and who knows how many innocent girls he'd ruined…
Thinking it over, Mu Qing deftly tossed the candy into her mouth, silently saying to Shu Hong's retreating figure, "Thanks, fox!"
There was another flurry of activity. Chen Xun called over two servants who helped him back to his room to rest. Then he went to find Sixth Sister to explain. Mu Qing consciously avoided disturbing Chen Xun's business. She bowed to Chen Xun and took her leave, still having the maid who had come to fetch her accompany her back to Qian Shi's residence in the West Courtyard.
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Chapter Thirty-Two: Unstable Elements
Having finished chewing on the milk candy, Mu Qing strolled back to the west courtyard.
As soon as she entered, she saw four delicate-looking maids standing in the middle of the courtyard. They looked unfamiliar to her and seemed to be newcomers.
Biyan, adopting the air of a head maid, stood before the other maids, busy instructing them: "Fourth Master and Fourth Mistress are both gentle and kind masters. We servants are fortunate to serve such masters and should be grateful. We must always remember their kindness. Be honest and conscientious in our conduct and work diligently. Always think of our masters when we do things! Sometimes... even if the masters see it, they won't be harsh, it's for our own good. But we servants must never forget our place! It's one thing for the masters to give us face, but we can't take advantage of it and do shameless things."
Biyan smiled slightly, then raised her eyebrows sharply and swept her piercing gaze across the four people, as if scrutinizing them and intimidating them.
Having grown accustomed to the gentle and quiet Biyan of the past, Mu Qing couldn't help but recall her former supervisor friend when she saw Biyan reprimanding her. In private, the two of them would hang out together, all refined and well-mannered, like ladies. But in front of their subordinates, they would become completely different people, subtly stabbing their guilty consciences with soft knives. In the end, fearing that she would see through them with her X-ray vision, they would stop their underhanded tactics and become completely obedient.
The two women, though separated by a thousand years, looked remarkably alike. Another elegant "witch" had appeared in the world! Mu Qing couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Young lady, you're back!" Biyan greeted Mu Qing as soon as she saw her.
"Um!"
Mu Qing walked over to the four of them, glanced at them briefly, and saw that they were all about fifteen or sixteen years old, with good looks and pretty faces.
"These four ladies look unfamiliar, are they new here?"
"Oh, in reply to your question, young lady, those four were sent over yesterday by the Second Madam. The Fifth Master also sent four more to his quarters. Why don't you pay your respects to the young lady!"
The four people responded and gave Mu Qing a deep bow.
Mu Qing took Bi Yan's hand and looked around, scrutinizing the four new maids. They all seemed to have good figures, some with ample curves. Was Grandmother sending them here as concubines?!
The second branch of the family had few grandsons, with only the eldest brother, Chen Xie, as their only son. Her parents only had her, and her fifth uncle, Chen Wu, had recently lost his wife, who was still recovering and hadn't dared to get out of bed. When Mu Qing visited her fifth uncle's room last time, she noticed that his wife was pale, and she didn't even come out for the old lady's birthday celebration. It's strange, really; the eldest branch had many wives and concubines, but in the second branch, her father and fifth uncle were both devoted to their husbands and unwilling to take concubines. Now that her grandmother was getting anxious, she simply took matters into her own hands and arranged for someone to come in.
Mu Qing sipped her drink in silence. No wonder Bi Yan spoke so harshly; her mother was probably worrying inside right now.
"Please go in, young lady. Fourth Master and Fourth Mistress are in the back room. I still need to reassign tasks to these maids, so I won't accompany you."
"Okay!" Mu Qing turned and went to the backyard.
Mu Qing had only walked five meters when she heard someone from across from Bi Yan retort, "The Second Madam sent a few of us to serve the Fourth Master in his study, and the Fourth Madam also sent a few of us there yesterday. But today, Sister Bi Yan wants to reassign us elsewhere. She should inform the Second Madam."
Mu Qing noticed something was off and turned around to take a closer look at the maid. Her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows were delicate and her cheeks were rosy, and her eyes were bright and charming. She was the most outstanding among the four girls and was a little beauty!
At this moment, the beauty was craning her neck and staring straight at Biyan, looking just like a haughty peacock.
Mu Qing scoffed inwardly. It seemed like he was a restless, ambitious man trying to climb the social ladder! Judging from the situation, something wonderful must have happened in the study last night, and the tough guy in front of her must be the one who caused the trouble.
“Now that you’re all in Fourth Master’s courtyard, you’re part of his household. Second Madam said you should go to the study, but the study is always served by page boys. Our master isn’t used to maids serving in the study, so we’re changing your place today. Besides, where doesn’t serving the master matter? I remember Second Madam told you all to stay in your place and serve him well before she left!”
Biyan's voice suddenly rose in pitch at the end, emphasizing each word. Her gaze towards the pretty girl grew even colder. Even Mu Qing had never seen Biyan so assertive, and couldn't help but secretly applaud!
"Hehe, Sister Biyan is right. The Second Madam chose us here, so she must have given us proper instructions. We will certainly follow her teachings and dare not act rashly. The Second Madam is the head of the second branch of the household, and she has assigned the four of us the monthly allowances of first-class and second-class maids. According to the rules of the mansion, there is no such thing as making a first-class maid do the work of a third-class maid. If Sister Biyan were to do this, and it were reported to the Second Madam, I'm afraid she would say that Fourth Mistress is being unfair."
Oh! Another one has appeared!
Mu Qing scrutinized him again. He didn't look like a peacock, but he had a naturally beautiful voice, sweet as a nightingale's song. He spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, and he seemed like a steady and generous person.
Grandmother really had a knack for choosing people. One outstanding person was chosen to lead the way and explore the path, another was chosen to be the strategist and control the overall situation, and the remaining two reserves also raised their heads at this moment. Although they didn't say anything, they seemed to have lost their spirit. They were probably ready to rush up and say a few words if they had the chance.
Biyan seemed to only then realize the matter of the monthly allowance. Her face darkened, and she asked, "I remember that you few have only been in the manor for a few days. According to the old rules, you can only be given the monthly allowance of a third-class maid."
"Hmph! The Second Madam is quite..."
Just as the "peacock" beauty was about to show off, she was stopped by the "strategist" next to her.
"The Second Madam noticed that we sisters are literate, and also mentioned that the Fourth Master's study has a large collection of books, so she specially sent the four of us over. We, as servants, dare not presume to know why the Second Madam treats us differently, but we will remember the kindness our mistress has shown us and will serve her wholeheartedly. As for any misunderstandings... please forgive us, Sister Biyan! We will be more careful in the future."
Biyan was now in a dilemma. She had originally planned to reassign the four third-class maids to other tasks to vent her anger for Fourth Mistress because the outstanding Hongling had tried to seduce Fourth Master last night. But unexpectedly, the Second Madam was brought up to intimidate them, and now the issue of waiting list was being brought up again. Fourth Mistress already had a grudge against the Second Madam, and this could easily cause trouble for Fourth Mistress as well.
Seeing Biyan's predicament, Mu Qing chuckled twice, walked over, and sweetly asked, "What are the names of the four sisters?"
The four were waiting for Biyan's explanation when Muqing unexpectedly returned. They had no choice but to introduce themselves to Muqing first. The most outstanding one was called Hongling, followed by the "strategist" Nuanxiang, and then two backups, one named Zishang and the other Mingyue.
Biyan, unsure of Mu Qing's intentions, asked, "Young lady, what are you doing...?"
Chapter Thirty-Three: I Want to Take Over the House
"Nothing! I just remembered I forgot to ask the names of these beautiful ladies, so I came back."
Biyan was about to ask another question, but Muqing smiled and waved her hand to signal her not to speak. Then she turned her head and pointed to the name "Mingyue" and said, "Sister, your name clashes with Zhang Ma in the Old Madam's room. It would be better to change it. The Tang Dynasty monk Qi Si wrote a poem that says, 'I still allow the bright moon to be clearly sung, and I would not allow the darkness to take the crimson branch.' I think you should change your name to 'Danzhi'?"
Mu Qing's ability to quote classical texts at such a young age surprised the four literate maids, demonstrating that the Fourth Miss was no ordinary woman.
Even the arrogant Hongling, who had just been so haughty, had now toned down her arrogance and was secretly pondering that since the Second Madam hadn't made it clear beforehand, it might not be feasible to gain an advantage through academic talent. Everyone in the courtyard knew that this young lady Muqing was the darling of the Fourth Master and the Old Madam, and that winning her over would always be beneficial for establishing a foothold in the Fourth Master's household in the future.
Before Mingyue could speak, Hongling praised, "Young lady, you are very talented. What a unique name you have chosen."
"This servant, Danzhi, thanks Young Madam for bestowing this name upon me!" Once the mistress changes her name, the servant has no right to object. Danzhi stepped forward, smiled, and thanked Muqing, then retreated behind Nuanxiang, standing respectfully.
Mu Qing smiled. Dan Zhi was someone who remained calm in the face of both honor and disgrace. On the other hand, Hong Ling had been arrogant just now, but now she was trying to flatter him. Although it was laughable, she didn't seem to be a fool!
Mu Qing rested her chin on her small hand and turned to look at the "strategist" like a little adult, making Nuan Xiang a little embarrassed, wondering what Mu Qing was up to.
“I think Sister Nuanxiang is pretty and has a refined temperament, just like an orchid. It reminds me of Han Yu’s line, ‘The orchid is so graceful, its fragrance is so far-reaching. All the other fragrances surround it, yet its fragrance is so subtle.’ The name Nuanxiang is not suitable for you, Sister; the name ‘Yilan’ would be much better!”
Mu Qing clapped her hands. "Sister, do you like the name I chose?"
Nuanxiang was slightly taken aback, but quickly recovered, her expression remaining largely unchanged. She gracefully gave a curtsy, saying, "The name you chose, young lady, is elegant. Yilan likes it!"
Seeing that Mu Qing had changed the names of Mingyue and Nuanxiang, and that she herself was the most outstanding among the four, Hongling felt somewhat embarrassed that the other two, who were less attractive than her, had climbed ahead of her. But since her master ignored her, if she tried to curry favor now, it would be like offering a warm face to a cold backside—either she'd make a fool of herself, or she'd definitely be disliked. Hongling was secretly resentful, twisting a handkerchief in her hands until it was completely braided.
Mu Qing coldly observed Hong Ling's reaction, pretended not to see it, and continued her name-changing plan.
Zishang had delicate and exquisite features, and was beautiful and graceful, but her figure was slightly frail. Mu Qing thought for a while, and seeing her furrowed brows, he recalled the judgment on Lin Daiyu in "Dream of the Red Chamber"—"a talent worthy of pity for composing poems on willow catkins"—and renamed Zishang "Yongxu" (meaning "Willow Catkins"). Zishang simply nodded and curtsied, replying indifferently.
“Yongxu…” Biyan couldn’t stand Zishang’s attitude and wanted to reprimand her. Muqing secretly pinched her, and she didn’t say anything more.
Mu Qing could tell that Zi Chang was inherently arrogant, unlike Hong Ling who bullied others by relying on her power. Such a person must have a different background. However, since she was already a servant, yet remained aloof and inflexible, Mu Qing did not admire her. But she already had her own plans, so naturally she wasn't in a hurry to argue with her over these empty formalities.
Finally, Mu Qing looked at Hong Ling and saw her biting her red lips with her white teeth, the handkerchief in her hand already a mess. Mu Qing chuckled inwardly; she still couldn't hold back. This kind of person was easier to deal with than the composed Yi Lan.
Mu Qing stared at Hong Ling thoughtfully and said, "Sister Hong Ling is so beautiful, I can't think of a good word to match her beauty... Hmm..."
Upon hearing this, Hongling realized that the young lady had placed herself last because she couldn't find a suitable word to describe herself. Hongling's sense of superiority rose again, and she looked at Mu Qing with a smug smile, waiting for Mu Qing to bestow a name upon her.
Mu Qing pretended to be thinking, glancing at Hong Ling's smug expression and then taking a closer look at Hong Ling's curvaceous figure. Suddenly, a little devil in a red cloak with sharp little teeth and small horns on its head popped into her head, grinning and giving her a very clever name suggestion.
Mu Qing laughed and slapped her forehead. "Ah! I've got it! In Cao Zijian's famous poem 'Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River,' there is a line that describes the beauty of the Goddess of the Luo River: 'Upon closer inspection, she is as radiant as a lotus emerging from clear water.' Why not use the word 'lotus'? It perfectly matches your beauty, sister."
"This servant, Furong, thanks you for bestowing this name upon me, young lady!"
The girl who had just been called "Hongling" now called "Furong" gave Mu Qing a proper bow, her cheeks beaming with joy, clearly very satisfied with the name.
At this moment, Mu Qing discovered that he also had a talent for pranks. Today, he caught Hong Ling and decided to have some fun with himself.
Mu Qing smiled sweetly, her dimples shallow, and with an adorable innocence, she helped Furong up, saying, "Sister Furong, no need for formalities!" Mu Qing was already laughing hysterically inside, silently thinking, "Goodness gracious! Thank goodness for the thousand-year age gap; please forgive me for teasing the beautiful Hongling!"
...
After the names were changed, Mu Qing could clearly tell from the expressions of the four people that Yi Lan, who was magnanimous, was the leader. Naturally, she knew that one should start by getting a resume from her.
"Sister Yilan, besides being literate, do the four of you have any other skills? Like embroidery, tea brewing, cooking, or something like that?"
Although Yilan did not know why Muqing asked such a question, she answered truthfully when her master asked: "Hongling is good at embroidery, Danzhi is proficient in tea ceremony and snacks, Zishang has beautiful handwriting, and as for this servant, I have some knowledge of music."
Just as expected, Mu Qing guessed correctly.
The person Grandmother sent must have been carefully selected; she certainly wouldn't just be literate. That was just an excuse. Who doesn't know that their own mother, Madam Qian, came from a branch of the Wuyue King's Qian family and was a well-known talented woman before she even got married? If she sends someone else in, besides good looks, they must have some other skill.
Mu Qing nodded to Yi Lan, then turned and took Bi Yan's hand. "Good sister! I need to ask you for a favor today!"
"Young lady, you flatter me. Please tell me what you need!" Biyan had already noticed that her mistress was up to something and had been stopping her from speaking. Now that she was pleading with her in a low voice, Biyan understood and had guessed Mu Qing's intentions pretty well.
"Well, Honglian left my room, so we're short-handed. The people sent back after that weren't to my liking, but I met four sisters today and they're just right. Since you're going to redistribute the work, you can put them in my room! Although four is a bit too many, my mind is made up, I'm going to take them all as my concubines!"
The four "prospective concubines" were initially startled by Mu Qing's words, but Mu Qing's childish emphasis and serious expression amused them. However, since she was their master, they couldn't laugh out loud and covered their mouths, struggling to hold it in.
Biyan never expected her young mistress to say something so "explicit." She swallowed hard, choked on her own saliva, coughed a few times, and, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, secretly glared at Muqing, who was winking at her. This young mistress was so clever; she was sure to be extraordinary in the future.
Biyan finally managed to stop coughing before saying, "How dare I disobey the young lady's command! The four of you will follow the young lady from today onwards and serve her well!"
"Yes!" The four bowed in unison.
Mu Qing watched from the sidelines. Only Sister Furong seemed unhappy; the other three were unperturbed. This was indeed somewhat different from what she had expected. As for the three's thoughts, there would be plenty of time to observe them later.
"Four sisters, no need for formalities! I'm so happy to have you four beauties by my side from now on. I'm sure I won't feel bored at all. Well, I'm going to pay my respects to my parents now. Sister Biyan, please lead the way back to my room!"
After Mu Qing finished speaking, she looked at Bi Yan. Bi Yan turned her back to the four people, nodded to Mu Qing, and gave her a thumbs up.
Mu Qing confidently raised an eyebrow at Bi Yan, turned around, a wicked smile playing on her lips, and walked towards the backyard...
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Chapter Thirty-Four: Qiong Yao Films
Having just acquired four beautiful women, Mu Qing was overjoyed!
This time, I temporarily shielded Father from some unwanted romantic advances, but who knows when Grandmother will have another fever? There are spies everywhere! Besides, do you think these four Grandmother carefully selected are any pushovers? Even though they've moved out of the study, they haven't left the courtyard; who knows what trouble they'll cause. It's obvious that Sister Furong won't behave herself and do her job obediently.
But that's just speculation; at least things will be a bit more peaceful for now. We'll find a solution eventually!
"I laugh triumphantly, I laugh triumphantly..."
Humming a little tune, Mu Qing passed through the side gate and ran straight to Qian's house.
"Mother, I'm back!" Mu Qing's cheerful voice rang out before she even stepped inside.
"Your daughter is back, why aren't you letting go?" Madam Qian pushed Chen Yu away, tears streaming down her face, and hurriedly wiped her tears with a handkerchief.