Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 114 Making decisions for your master is a major taboo.

“Back then, we were all taught by Granny Gao alongside our master, and now we're all in the capital. Just now, the masters had a bit of a disagreement. Sister Huayan is the second young lady's most favored servant, so she should know that we, as her servants, should try to reconcile them. Don't you think that makes sense?”

Hua Yan remained noncommittal, only smiling slightly, without immediately responding.

Cuiqi had no choice but to pull her aside and whisper, "Our young lady had no choice. She usually associates with noble ladies from various families. Last time, when she attended the banquet, she only agreed because of the conversation, saying that she would definitely host a banquet for your young lady when she comes to the capital..."

Hua Yan also understood that this was because the Second Miss was the direct younger sister of the Third Scholar, and the noble ladies wanted to see the Second Miss probably because they were instructed by their families.

Firstly, they wanted to observe the Tang family's wealth, as the Tang family's reputation for riches was well-known in Lin'an. Secondly, naturally, someone had designs on the second young lady.

The second young lady is of marriageable age, and to outsiders, she should be looking for a husband after her coming-of-age ceremony next year. Although her current status is somewhat lower, her dowry is sure to be lavish. Those with discerning eyes and ears have probably already inquired about the dowry of the eldest daughter of the Tang family. Even a concubine's daughter had such a grand wedding; imagine how magnificent it will be when the legitimate daughter marries...

Hua Yan has been sorting out news about Di Si Ge these past two days. She knows that the nobles in the capital are always good at flattering the powerful and currying favor with the weak. Following this line of thought, the eldest daughter of the Marquis's mansion is probably not as good as the second daughter.

Cuiqi then changed the subject, revealing the ultimate purpose of her visit. "I heard that your residence consists of two houses merged into one. One of them was originally the old residence of Kong Jijiu of the Imperial Academy, and its backyard is very elegantly decorated and quite famous in the capital."

Hua Yan's expression immediately turned cold upon hearing this, and she subtly removed Cui Qi's arm from hers. Cui Qi continued speaking to herself:

"Sister Huayan, why don't you advise your second young lady that it's best to follow local customs when in the capital? Our young lady means well after all. Although it's inappropriate to hold lavish banquets now, it's not an exaggeration if word gets out about the games played among young ladies. With the opportunity provided by our young lady, the second young lady can both get to know the daughters of powerful and wealthy families and spread her reputation. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"

It's a pity that Cuiqi said so much, but these words have nothing to do with Huayan.

Hua Yan feigned a troubled expression and slowly said, "Sister Cuiqi is right, but as you know, we learned etiquette from Granny Gao, and on the last day, Granny Gao gave us some pointers."

"No matter what, it is a grave taboo to make decisions for your master." We servants should focus on doing our jobs well and not interfere in other matters.

Having said all she had to say, Hua Yan returned to her seat.

The second young lady of the Marquis's mansion may not have harbored any ill intentions, but Cuiqi's mention of the former neighboring house suggests that someone had specifically brought it up to her. The two houses of the Tang family have been merged, and the one Cuiqi mentioned is Yunqi Courtyard, where the eldest young master currently resides. It was a separate arrangement made by the family for the eldest young master's marriage, and he has already been living there for some time.

The man's intentions were rather blatant, suggesting that the Second Miss was hosting a banquet here. Hua Yan lowered her eyes and added the young lady from Minister Liu's residence to her watch list.

Seeing that Cuiqi hadn't accomplished anything either, Cuihu snorted and said, "I told you we'd come here for nothing. We're all a bunch of ungrateful bastards who can't stand up to anyone. We haven't even switched places yet, but it's like our Marquis's mansion is begging for the Tang family's favor."

Hua Yan turned around, her face darkening, and said, "Sister Cuihu has made no progress all these years. Have you forgotten the beating you received back then? The Marquis's Mansion and the Tang Mansion are blood relatives and of the same blood. How can you say you have any expectations?"

She walked up to Cuihu and said, “Sister Cuihu is deliberately stirring up trouble. We’ll have to ask the people around the young lady how to deal with this according to the rules of the Marquis’s mansion.”

Although it was only half a day, Hua Yan, based on the information she had gathered about the eldest daughter of the Marquis's mansion, knew that she was a person with extremely strict rules, which could be corroborated by the behavior of her maids. Moreover, the eldest daughter of the Marquis's mansion was quite effective in suppressing the bloodline of her younger sister, the second daughter.

Upon hearing this, a hint of fear indeed appeared on Cuihu's face, but she still stubbornly insisted, "You...you...don't talk nonsense. When did I ever intend to sow discord? You've always been eloquent and have the appearance of a vixen. I don't know how Madam Yun could trust you to stay by the Second Miss's side."

Mingyue couldn't help but get up and step forward, saying irritably, "Do you want to hear what nonsense you're spouting? If you can't win an argument with Huayan, you resort to attacking her with all sorts of nonsense. Just because you're ugly doesn't mean you can't allow others to be good-looking."

Cuihu had acne on both sides of her nose, resembling millet grains, and unconsciously brushed her face to cover it upon hearing this.

Ruizhu finally couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Sister Cuihu, don't be angry. People need clothes to dress. We servants can't wear red and green to break the rules, but rouge and powder can cover up blemishes and still have an effect."

Mengzhu was feeling annoyed because Cuihu had offended the second young lady, so she couldn't help but chime in, "Our family's rouge shop is on East Market Street. Why don't you go and take a look, sister?"

Ruizhu immediately delivered the final blow: "I wonder if the monthly allowances for the servants in the manor are sufficient. Our young lady recently gifted us a jar of peach blossom pearl powder, which is extremely effective, but it is quite expensive. If you cannot afford it, you can choose some of the servants' usual supplies, which will be better than nothing."

Cuihu, her face flushed, covered her face and fled. Cuiqi also felt embarrassed and harbored resentment towards Huayan and the second young lady of the Tang family. Although her young lady had acted rashly this time, she had ultimately done it for their own good, hadn't she? Cuihu was right; she really didn't know what was good for her.

Hua Yan suppressed a laugh, turned her head and saw that Cui Qi's face was displeased. She thought to herself that it was not good to make things worse, so she went outside with Cui Qi.

"Sister Cuiqi, please don't be angry. The Second Miss of the manor meant well, and our Miss appreciates it. However, our Tang family has only been in the capital for a short time. Firstly, the manor needs some time to settle in, and secondly, since we haven't yet established connections with other families in the capital, it would be a bit abrupt to hold a banquet at this time."

As Hua Yan spoke, she untied a gourd-shaped pouch from her waist and stuffed it into Cui Qi's hand, saying, "I'll have to trouble you, sister, to explain these thoughts to our master."

Cuiqi's expression softened slightly, and she spoke frankly, "Sister, you are very understanding. This also makes it easier for us to report back to our master. Sister Huayan, please don't blame me for being nosy. Although our young lady is the legitimate daughter of the Marquis's mansion, she actually faces a very difficult situation outside."

Hua Yan then offered a rare suggestion, "It's almost July, and the heat is unbearable. Staying at home to escape the heat would be a great option."

Not two days after returning to the Tang residence, Hua Yan heard the news that the second young lady of the Marquis's mansion was unwell and had declined several banquet invitations.

Upon hearing this, the second young lady said to Hua Yan, "Although she is greedy, she is not inherently bad. Now she has also gained the advantage of being 'clever'."

Hua Yan was grinding ink when she pondered, "It must have been the eldest daughter of the Marquis's mansion who came forward. I've observed in private that the second daughter of the Marquis's mansion is somewhat afraid of the eldest daughter."

The second young lady nodded. "My eldest cousin doesn't show herself often, but she's very shrewd. It's a pity..."