Chapter 55: My daughter Jinniang is quiet and knowledgeable in calligraphy, painting and needlework
Cheng claimed to be ill and had been staying alone in the East Courtyard for several days.
For her, who was used to calling the wind and rain and doing whatever she wanted, staying indoors like this was no different from Xue Yuan being taken away by the government.
She was angry that Xue Yuan was too short-sighted and could not control her character. She stole things from the company she was employed by, and even she, as the master, lost face.
She regretted it, but she didn't regret having misjudged the person. Instead, she regretted that after the incident, she was so easily discouraged by her son in the name of the family reputation.
So much so that when she found out that the household expenses had been handed over to Rong by her mother-in-law, she was shocked to realize that she had been deceived by her own son and regretted it deeply!
Secretly irritated and furious, she suddenly noticed that the table beside her was empty. As if seizing an excuse to vent her anger, she disregarded her usual mistress's behavior and hysterically asked, "Songying, where's my ginseng tea?"
"Madam, don't worry, I'll be right there."
A leisurely voice came from outside the room. The curtain was lifted and a pretty maid came in with a teacup. She was not nervous or flustered by the lady's anger.
Songying was the one her mother-in-law had chosen for her, so she didn't dare get too angry. Seeing Songying respectfully place the teacup beside her, she couldn't lose her temper anymore. She just acted like the mistress of the house before, with a stern face and head held high, reaching out for the tea.
She had the teacup in her hand, but before she even brought it to her lips, she noticed something was wrong. Why was there no ginseng flavor at all?
She hurriedly lifted the lid of the teacup, and white chrysanthemums bloomed in the tea bowl, without any trace of ginseng.
"What's going on? I asked for ginseng tea, but you gave me white chrysanthemum?"
Songying calmly explained to the question, "Madam, you've been in a bad mood lately and have been drinking too much ginseng tea. I'm afraid you'll get angry. It would be better if you drink more white chrysanthemum water to calm your temper."
"you!"
When had Cheng ever been choked by a servant like this?
The mother-in-law brought Songying to the East Courtyard at noon on the day the food was handed over to Rong. "You were too soft-hearted in the past, so you listened to and believed those devious things. Songying is a loyal girl, and I feel at ease to let her take care of you while you recover."
She has handed over her power and has no one around her. As the mistress of the house, she is too embarrassed to face anyone.
Cheng was both annoyed and sad, and thought that the cup of white chrysanthemum tea was unlucky, so she got up and walked around the house. Inadvertently, she caught a glimpse of the urgent letter from Fujian that Qingquan had sent her a few days ago.
Her cousin used to be very popular. Her aunt, the wife of the prince of the old duke's mansion, had boasted to her and her mother without any reservation that she would never marry her cousin off easily unless she was from a duke's family.
Don't speak too soon or too confidently.
Who would have thought that the cousin who had always insisted on marrying into a noble family would hastily marry into the Deng family in western Fujian because the old duke's title was taken away.
Today, my cousin's husband is working as an instructor at Fuzhou Prefecture School. His position is humble and he lives in poverty, and his life is no longer as glorious as it used to be at the Duke's Mansion.
She would rush every letter from her cousin, but after reading it, she would only chat about family matters and try to please him. As time went on, Cheng lost her patience and would put aside any letter from Fujian, regardless of whether it was truly urgent or just pretending to be.
But today was a little different. Cheng was feeling aggrieved and suddenly had the urge to open the letter. She wanted to see how her cousin would please her in the letter this time so that she could regain some of her pride.
"My daughter, Jinniang, has a quiet disposition and is quite knowledgeable in calligraphy, painting, and needlework. I hope that my cousin will remember the bond we once shared as sisters and take me in. If my cousin loves me and takes me in to train and serve me, it will be a blessing for her. If it is temporarily inconvenient, I hope that I can stay here for a year to experience the atmosphere of the mansion so that I can return home and find a good match in the future."
"Every one of them treats my son as a piece of meat at their mouths!"
Cheng was so angry that she crumpled the letter into a ball, but just as she was about to throw the paper away, she hesitated.
As if to confirm something, she unfolded the paper ball again.
"She knows quite a bit about calligraphy, painting, and needlework."
Cheng kept repeating this sentence, and suddenly an idea came to her mind.
"Songying, go to the old lady's courtyard and tell her that I have something important to discuss."
Today was Mr. Bai's last class before the Lunar New Year, and she gave Su Ying and Wan Yi another assignment. Since they wouldn't meet again until after the Lantern Festival, she gave them a different topic this time.
"You will each write an essay, critique each other's work, and then rewrite it based on the critique. After the New Year, I'd like to hear your opinions."
Wanyi and Su Ying both thought this was a good idea, especially Wanyi. It was a rare opportunity for her to comment on other people's articles, and the subject was Sister Ying'er, so she was eager to try it.
Su Ying laughed at her: "You are not the only one who can comment on me. I want to comment on your article too!"
The two sisters agreed not to rush for results, but to write the essays carefully before the New Year and then review them carefully after the New Year. This way, they could devote their whole heart to both writing and reviewing.
Since Rong took charge of the household affairs, she often stayed in the side hall of the old lady's main courtyard, so Su Ying rarely had the opportunity to have lunch with her aunt.
When Wanyi found out, she invited Su Ying to come along, and the sisterhood became even deeper since then.
This day was no exception. After lunch, Su Ying said goodbye to Wanyi and went straight to the library.
Since Taoxi was assigned to the library, it had been meticulously maintained. Before her arrival, the library, though clean and quiet, had a certain air of desolation. Su Ying, preoccupied with organizing the books, hadn't had much time to spare for other tasks.
Taoxi rarely touched the books on the shelves, but the library had become much more convenient because of her. She had previously specially added a washbasin stand so that Su Ying could wash her hands before and after writing, without having to go back and forth. A few days later, she added a desk next to the writing table and placed a small heating stove on it. This way, Su Ying could write calmly even in cold weather without having to stretch her muscles.
That day, as Su Ying stepped into the library, she saw Taoxi adding oil to the glass lamp, and her behavior was as meticulous and careful as usual.
She couldn't help but feel a little confused.
Taoxi clearly said that she was assigned from the front yard and was chosen only because she could read.
But Su Ying always felt that she had downplayed her origins a bit. Most of the servants in the front yard were menial workers, and while literacy was not uncommon, it was rare for them to be so familiar with the affairs of the study.
She actually knew that the heater should not be placed on the desk, so as not to be too close to the four treasures of the study.
She even knew how to add oil to the glass lamp without spilling a drop of oil, and her technique was very skillful.
"Cousin, you are here."
Taoxi put away the lamp oil and when she turned around, she saw Su Ying holding a book. A hint of surprise flashed across her eyes, and she acted calmly and with experience.
"My dear cousin, the materials you used to mend the pages of your book are a little disorganized. I have sorted them by use and placed them in the small cabinet over there that I just received."
Su Ying followed Taoxi's finger and found a small huanghuali wood cabinet next to the bookshelf. This small cabinet also existed in her grandfather's study. Because it was only half a person's height and two palms wide, it was often used for storage in the study.
If she had not served in the study, how could an ordinary maid have thought of getting a small cabinet like this to store trivial things?
Su Ying couldn't help but feel curious about Taoxi again. She felt that if this thoughtful and meticulous maid had really only worked in the front yard before, it would be a waste of her talent.
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