Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Last ti, Sister Yueyuan spoke, and now that Qu Fulan had prepared the dicine for Old Madam, she no longer went to do other chores and stayed in the house to learn needlework from Hai Xia.
Qu Fulan didn’t want to learn; she wasn’t interested in needlework, but Sister Yueyuan had advised her to learn more needlework in her spare ti rather than do errands. She also said Old Madam valued maidservants who were skilled in needlework.
Mrs. Pei certainly did not lack clothes, but so forehead cloths, shoes, and socks still needed personal maidservants to tailor and sew for comfort.
Old Madam instructed Yueyuan to ntor Qu Fulan, and Yueyuan took it to heart, providing guidance where needed.
Qu Fulan was also grateful for Yueyuan’s support. After all, more skills can never burden a person, so she learned from Hai Xia.
Despite Hai Xia’s lively personality, her needlework was excellent. In this era, needlework was a common skill for won, as many made their wedding dresses themselves.
While learning needlework, sounds ca from the teahouse next door.
It was Hai Xing’s voice: "Old Madam wants tea, hurry and send it over, and rember to say sothing pleasant to make her happy."
Imdiately followed by Hai Chun’s excited voice: "I’ll go right away!"
Then ca the sound of movent and footsteps as Hai Chun left the teahouse.
Hai Xing was now supporting her younger sister with all her strength.
Hai Xia had noticed it.
"If she worked diligently and gained favor with her true skills among the masters, I wouldn’t say anything. But look at what she’s done, relying on being soone’s sister. Besides doing chores in the teahouse, she doesn’t do any other tasks. Even the chopping and the fires in the teahouse are done by another maidservant. Once the tea is brewed, she carries it ready to the master to jockey for favor. It’s truly shaless."
"But delivering tea is just a task; it’s uncertain whether she can get close to the masters. Unlike Sister Haitang, who takes dicine to Old Madam every day, she can get close to her every day. I think the position replacent is still uncertain."
Indeed, delivering tea doesn’t necessarily bring closeness to the masters; otherwise, why would there be first-class maidservants by Old Madam’s side?
Third-class maidservants mostly just place the teapots and need to leave right away, while first-class maidservants handle tea serving and pouring.
Hai Xia didn’t know about Old Madam asking Yueyuan to ntor Qu Fulan; she rely speculated based on what she observed.
Qu Fulan didn’t plan to spread it around since the matter hadn’t been settled yet, rely saying, "Let’s focus on our responsibilities. The masters will make their judgnts."
Hai Xia nodded, fully agreeing with Haitang’s perspective.
After two days of embroidery, Qu Fulan finally completed a purse, though it looked clumsy with awkward stitching and strange shape. Nevertheless, it was her first work and held commorative significance.
Hai Xia didn’t undermine her, praising her for successfully embroidering her first piece.
"When I first embroidered, my family couldn’t even tell what it was."
Qu Fulan humbly said, "It’s because of your good teaching."
Hai Xia smiled shyly.
Then they chatted about the latest happenings in the mansion.
"Today several maidservants were let go from the first and second rooms, all crying uncontrollably, unwilling to leave."
Qu Fulan was puzzled: "What are they crying about, what are they unwilling to part with?"
Hai Xia said, "Unwilling to part with the benefits of the mansion." After speaking, she looked around, ensuring no one was there, then whispered, "Look at Hai Xing. She is supposed to leave soon to marry, but she is unwilling to part with the good job in the mansion, so she lets her sister replace her so that the family’s life remains good. It shows how many reach their term but don’t want to leave."
Out of all Hai Xia said, Qu Fulan only heard one thing—many don’t want to leave after their terms.
It pierced her heart.
There’s a saying: things you crave desperately are casually obtained by others who don’t even care.
But perhaps people always remain unsatisfied.
If those unwilling maidservants sign a Death Contract, they might not be happy.
Everyone knows maidservants under a Death Contract have no freedom, forced to follow their master’s decisions in marriage, whether the match is a rooster or a dog.
The end of a Death Contract maidservant’s fate is one of two things: either being lifted as a concubine by the master or given to a household assistant.
Better not to think about it, for more thought would bring suffocation.
Qu Fulan beca even more determined to be promoted quickly and accumulate rits to reach the goal of obtaining ownership sooner.
anwhile, the second lady of Pei’s Third Household returned ho and stayed for several days, seldom leaving the third household’s ho besides paying respects to Old Madam.
It’s not that the second lady had an introverted personality or disliked going out. Before marriage, she wasn’t like this. She even assisted the second madam with household managent, enjoying a period of prestige.
Now married for just half a year, her spirits were no longer what they used to be, appearing considerably more haggard, and no longer willing to go out.
Third Madam restrained herself for several days, finally unable to help but ask, "Lan’er, have you been wronged at your husband’s ho?"
Wouldn’t it explain the haggard look?
Pei Lan originally returned ho to complain and didn’t hold back, saying directly, "Mother, it’s sothing beyond my control. I ca back this ti to seek assistance."
Upon hearing this, Third Madam realized the seriousness and imdiately asked, "What is this grave matter?"
With Pei Lan’s explanation, Third Madam learned what transpired.
Originally, Pei Lan’s husband seed good, claiming rigorous family customs with a promise not to take concubines within three years of marriage.
Yet, shortly after marriage, the husband had an affair with a maidservant.
What could Pei Lan do? n having many wives and concubines is common, and Pei Lan couldn’t stop her husband from taking concubines. To show the generosity of a rightful wife, she proposed her husband take concubines.
She thought this would make her husband appreciate her generosity and treat her well, yet he soon brought another woman ho.
"That woman is seductive, constantly stirring up trouble between and my husband. If I don’t co up with a plan, I’m afraid I won’t have a place in the mansion in the future."
Though Third Madam felt pain for her daughter, blaming her husband’s family for failing to keep their promise of not taking concubines for three years, the mistress had just entered yet now there were two concubines, blatantly disrespecting the wife.
"Though the Liu family is unkind, now that the situation is established, what can be done?" Third Madam said.
She herself faced similar circumstances, her husband having unclear relationships with several maidservants before marrying her. Yet the old madam handled the situation sternly after the event, promptly selling those maidservants to the human trafficker, giving the newly entered wife respect.
The Pei family had a rule against concubines bearing children before the legitimate wife, so concubines were not allowed until the wife bore a legitimate son.
Later when she got pregnant, the doctor diagnosed it as a son, prompting the husband to search elsewhere. Third Madam, unable to attend her husband while pregnant, turned a blind eye.
The second lady wasn’t like her mother, waiting passively. She always maintained control.
"What’s the big deal about so concubines? I’m not against my husband taking concubines. I just can’t stand that vile woman being bold. If she bears children before , it would greatly harm ."
"But aren’t you giving her an opportunity by returning ho?" Third Madam was puzzled.
The second lady said, "There’s no worry. Our husband was injured before and has been taking a dicine that prevents childbearing. Now that he’s stopped it, it will take six months before recovery, allowing ample ti for planning."
Third Madam asked, "What do you plan to do?"
The second lady responded, "This ti I returned to choose a maidservant from ho to give our husband as a concubine, one of exceptional looks and a maidservant with a Death Contract so I can control this matter lifelong."
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