Chapter 316 Admonition
On the first day of the fourth lunar month, Lin Yuesha packed a small package and headed straight for the girls' school with white tea and Longjing tea. On the way, she happened to run into Bai Youran's carriage.
Misses entering the girls' school can bring two maids. Lin Yuesha and Qingxing discussed it and finally decided to stick to the original plan and bring white tea and Longjing tea.
"Miss, I'm nervous."
Inside the carriage, Longjing kept rubbing her hands. Before becoming a maid, she was just a peasant girl who barely knew any characters. Now that her mistress had a new identity and would be taking more maids in the future, she was being sent to a girls' school to be groomed into a head maid.
"I'm more nervous than you."
Lin Yuesha took a sip to calm her emotions.
Before entering the girls' school, she specifically asked Qingxing to give her a brief introduction to the girls' schools in the capital. After entering the girls' school, there were special teachers who taught them chess, music, calligraphy and painting, needlework and embroidery, how to identify medicinal herbs, how to read account books, and how to make cakes and soups.
The young ladies who enter the girls' school are destined to become matriarchs, so they must be proper, elegant, and dignified.
When the mistress of the house manages the household, she must keep a record of all expenses, including household expenditures and shop profits.
As for playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and needlework, they were merely ways to pass the time.
"Then why learn to cook?"
Longjing had never lived in a wealthy family before, and he thought that those ladies never lifted a finger and that having servants was enough, so why should they cook for themselves?
Do you think that getting married doesn't require winning over your husband's heart?
Lin Yuesha pouted. She hadn't had much contact with the women of official families. When she visited the Zhang family before, she knew that although her godfather, Lord Zhang, respected her godmother, he still had several concubines.
Occasionally, the principal wife would cook and bring soup and cakes to show her respect for her husband; to put it bluntly, she couldn't be outdone by the concubines or mistresses.
"White tea, Longjing tea, you know my father is an official in the capital. Perhaps next year, I will be setting off to leave the north."
Lin Yuesha simply stated frankly that Qingxing and Qi'er were somewhat capable, but they were not her people. If her interests clashed with those of the pockmarked man, the other party would immediately switch sides and would never side with her.
“You’ve all been with me from the beginning. The three of us, master and servants, will have to rely on each other for survival when we go to the capital.”
Lady Qin, the wife of the Prefect of Jingzhao, was no pushover, and there was also Lin Yue'e, who was vicious even at a young age.
Even though Lin Yuesha was kind to everyone in the Lin family, she couldn't guard against these treacherous snakes with wolves' ambitions. So she realized that she would no longer play the saint.
As for the Lin family and that cheap father, use them if you can, but if they hinder your interests, just kick them aside.
"Miss, please rest assured, I will definitely learn the rules diligently."
Bai Cha was the first to state that her young mistress was right; even if they didn't intend to harm anyone, they still had to protect themselves. If they were set up, not only would they be in danger, but they would also implicate their young mistress.
Longjing nodded thoughtfully.
Seeing that the two maids took it to heart, Lin Yuesha didn't say anything more. In less than half an hour, the carriage arrived at the girls' school.
The girls' school was not far from Changqing Academy. It was a large five-courtyard residence that occupied a large area.
On the first day of the fourth lunar month, the bluestone path in front of the main gate was lined with neatly arranged horse-drawn carriages, creating a spectacular scene.
Those who could enter the girls' school mostly had status and background. Most of them were daughters of officials from the north, while some were from wealthy families who spent a lot of money to get in.
These businessmen are shrewd. Although it costs a lot, if their daughters make a few close friends at the girls' school and use the opportunity to curry favor with influential people, it will only benefit their businesses in the future.
Lin Yuesha and Bai Youran's carriages went one after the other. Bai Youran entered the girls' school, bringing with her auspicious symbols and good fortune.
Ruyi is still the same Ruyi, but Jixiang, who used to look down on Lin Yuesha, has been replaced. The new maid has a round face and a small mole near her mouth.
“Sister Yue Sha, you’ve arrived so early. I sent the driver to pick you up, but he didn’t come to pick you up.”
Bai Youran got off the carriage and pulled Lin Yuesha along. It had been a few days since they had last seen each other.
As her departure for the girls' school approached, Bai Youran was placed under strict supervision by her mother, Madam Yan, who made her stay at home doing needlework and forbade her from going out.
"We have a carriage at home, and since we were going to meet anyway, I left early."
As it turned out, Lin Yuesha's choice was correct. The young ladies who came to the girls' academy to learn etiquette were not just from one city in the north, but also from several surrounding cities; all of them came for the reputation of the girls' academy.
Shortly after they left, a minor accident occurred on the street involving a carriage collision, resulting in a traffic jam of more than a dozen carriages.
The roads in the prefectural city vary in width. Narrow roads can only accommodate a carriage traveling back and forth, while wide roads can accommodate more than a dozen carriages passing side by side.
It was still early, so the two of them went straight to the girls' school, where they were greeted by a nanny surnamed Fang.
"Miss Bai, Miss Lin, since you two came together, you will be assigned to the same place."
Granny Fang briefly explained the rules of the girls' school: the maids had their own living quarters, and they had to learn etiquette and manners separately from the young ladies. The maids also had their own things to learn.
At the girls' school, everyone was a student, not a rich young lady. Two people shared a room, and everyone had to take care of themselves, including their clothes and personal hygiene.
"Don't assume that you're all used to being waited on at home. If you don't agree with that, go home as soon as possible to avoid being kicked out and losing face."
Granny Fang looked at the two of them and warned them again.
Coming to the girls' school meant abandoning everything at home and starting afresh. If the teacher kicked them out, they would not only fail to enhance their reputation but also lose it.
If the man's family comes to inquire about her future marriage, and they hear that the woman was expelled from the girls' school, they will label her as unruly and find it difficult to find a husband.
"Do you understand?"
Granny Fang skipped over Bai Youran and carefully examined Lin Yuesha, nodding repeatedly, "She has a good appearance."
"Understood."
"Taking care of myself is no problem," Lin Yuesha nodded. She was a farm girl, and even though she was spoiled by her family, she didn't need anyone to help her with dressing and washing.
Granny Fang's point was simply that girls in the school should not be divided into high and low social classes, but only into those who followed the rules well and those who did not.
If you can't endure hardship or punishment, get out of here as soon as possible. No useless girls are allowed in a girls' school.
Granny Fang's words were incisive and extremely blunt, but Lin Yuesha didn't take them to heart. She didn't feel that her self-esteem had been hurt; instead, she was worried about Bai Youran.
After Granny Fang left, the two went into their room to tidy up. Bai Youran then smiled faintly and said, "Sister Yue Sha, are you worried that I can't handle it?"
"That's right, you're the daughter of the prefect, you've never been scolded by a servant."
Lin Yuesha frowned at the bed in the room. She thought that entering the girls' school would only involve strict rules, but she did not expect that not only that, but the conditions were also very simple.
It seemed like they were deliberately messing with them; the bed in the room consisted of only a few wooden planks and was completely empty.
It's so hard, how can anyone sleep on it? If she had known this would happen, she would have brought a thick mattress and a set of bedding from home.
"Forget about it, we can't bring those in."
Bai Youran shook her head, telling Lin Yuesha to give up on that idea as soon as possible. She was destined to suffer at the girls' school; this was just a small test for everyone.
The matrons in charge of rules and etiquette have always been like this: if you want to learn the rules well, you have to be able to endure hardship.
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