Sister Lanzhu is truly kind-hearted and fair in her dealings...
In early spring in March, the morning breeze rises.
Lanzhu pushed open the window of the small room, and the spring breeze blew into the room with the fine leaves of the weeping willows.
She stretched her body, turned her neck left and right to relax her muscles, and then sat down in front of the bronze mirror to put on her makeup.
Now she is a respected maid in the mansion, and she can no longer go out by simply tying two red ropes on her head like she did in the past in the Chu Mansion.
Facing the mirror, she deftly tied her hair into a neat double bun. She picked two camellia flowers from her makeup box and carefully pinned them in her hair. She then took some rouge, dipped her fingertips in a small amount, and gently dabbed it onto her lips, blending it. Once her makeup was done, she stood up and pushed the door open.
She and Yinsuo lived together in a small room next to the tea room in Anle Garden, which was very close to the main house. If the master had any problems, they could rush there immediately.
The sundial in the courtyard pointed to the morning hour, the perfect time for breakfast. Lan Zhu walked into the main house's side room to see what dishes the kitchen had prepared for the day.
"Sister Lanzhu."
"Good morning, Sister Lanzhu."
Caiping and Cailian, who were newly selected to be on duty in the courtyard, saw her come in and hurriedly stood up to greet her, and handed her the pork and cabbage pie reserved for her.
Lanzhu smiled and nodded, taking the still-warm pie and taking a bite. The crust was crispy and the oily aroma filled her mouth. As she chewed, she lifted the lid of the vermilion lacquer food box beside her and took a look.
Inside the box, there was a plate of stir-fried bamboo shoots with ham, a bowl of soft and glutinous lotus seed porridge, a plate of refreshing mixed cucumber, and three purple plums neatly arranged.
She closed the lid, frowned slightly, and asked in a low voice, "Why are there no snacks today?"
Cai Ping quickly whispered back, "Sister, have you forgotten? The general personally ordered it yesterday, saying that from now on, you are not allowed to serve snacks to Madam in the morning. At most, you can add a small dish in the afternoon to fill Madam's stomach."
"Look at my memory!" Lan Zhu slapped his forehead. He had been so busy lately that he had forgotten the general's order!
My wife, who was four months pregnant, had recently developed a huge appetite. From greasy egg fried rice to tender and flavorful stewed whole lamb, there was nothing she didn't love. In addition to her three meals a day, she also had midnight snacks and tea. It was as if she wanted to make up for all the food she had vomited in the past few months.
Seeing that his wife's figure was becoming visibly plumper, the general became a little anxious.
It's not that I'm reluctant to let Madam eat it, it's simply that Madam has a slender frame, and even when she stands upright, she barely reaches the General's chest. If the fetus grows too large, she'll likely suffer severe labor if she eats this way.
The lady herself understood this principle. After thinking it over for a while, she finally agreed with the general to start controlling her diet.
Last night when she was on duty, she saw with her own eyes the general kneeling on one knee in front of the couch, holding his wife's hand and making a gentle promise, saying that after the child was born safely, he would give his wife whatever she wanted to eat, even if she wanted to eat the fairy peaches of the Queen Mother, he would pick them for her.
This cheered up the lady who was originally feeling a little depressed.
Lan Zhu closed the food box and listened to the noise coming from the main room. She said, "Madam is almost done. You can go and prepare the meal. If Madam asks about me, tell her that the Zhijin Pavilion has delivered the newly cut spring clothes. I'll go check the stitches."
My wife's waist is getting thicker, and she no longer wears last year's spring clothes. A few days ago, I asked the master craftsman from Zhijin Pavilion to come to my house to take new measurements and make new clothes. He said it would be delivered this morning.
She had to go to Yu Mama's place first to learn how to organize the warehouse ledgers and register the new items. By the time she was done with that, she figured the clothes from Zhijin Pavilion would be delivered.
"Hey." The two little girls responded in unison, picked up the food boxes and went to the main house.
Lan Zhu finished the pie in a few bites, went back to the house, drank half a cup of warm water to rinse her mouth, and walked towards the warehouse yard humming a little tune.
March was the season of lush grass and vibrant birds, and clusters of golden forsythia were in full bloom in the bushes on either side of the path. She walked and admired them, thinking that when she returned she would pick a few branches and put them in the vase in her room. It would surely look beautiful.
After walking for a while, I saw the warehouse yard just ahead, but I heard a shout from behind me.
"Sister Lanzhu! Sister Lanzhu——!"
She turned around when she heard the sound and saw Bao Qing, who was on duty in the kitchen, running towards them breathlessly, holding up her skirt. Her heart tightened and she hurriedly took a few steps back to meet him: "What's going on? You're so flustered."
Bao Qing ran over, propped up her knees and gasped for breath, "Sister! Hurry, hurry to the kitchen and check! Bao Ling and Qiu Yan... they're fighting!"
By the time Lan Zhu hurried to the kitchen, it was already in chaos.
The two little girls were wrestling with each other, pulling each other's hair and clothes, neither of them willing to let go, and cursing at each other.
A circle of maids and old women surrounded them, trying to mediate and stop the quarrel. Two sturdy fire-cooking women stood in the middle, trying to separate the two of them. For a moment, the kitchen was in chaos, and rotten vegetable leaves were all over the floor.
Lan Zhu's eyebrows shot up. "This is outrageous! So early in the morning, there's already gongs and drums and opera in the kitchen! Have you finished your work? If you make any more noise, I'll tie you all up and send you to the second gate to beat you with a stick!"
Everyone in the mansion knew that Miss Lanzhu had grown up with the Madam since she was a child, and she was the most honored. When Mama Yu was raised, she would definitely be the head of the inner courtyard. Naturally, no one dared to take her words lightly.
The two people who were wrestling loosened their grip upon hearing the sound, and were immediately separated by the people next to them. They were pressed to the sides, but they still stared at each other unconvincedly, with red eyes, cheeks and necks.
Bao Ling spat: "Bah! Don't think I'm afraid of you just because you have Mother Zhu's support!"
Qiuyan immediately jumped up and cursed back, "You little bitch! I'm going to tear your stinky mouth apart!"
Lan Zhu's face was as gloomy as water. She didn't immediately pay attention to them. She first glanced coldly at the crowd of people watching the excitement. "What are you all standing there for? Quickly clean up the stove! No one can afford to delay the masters' lunch."
When she glanced at them, everyone scattered like birds and beasts.
Lan Zhu then turned her gaze towards the two girls who were still fighting each other, her eyes flickering slightly: "Qiuyan, stay here. Baoling, come with me first."
As she spoke, she turned around and took Bao Ling to the secluded well behind the kitchen.
Far from the clamor ahead, only the sound of dripping water could be heard. Lan Zhu's tone softened a bit, and she said, "Tell me, what's going on? Tell me everything clearly, without exaggeration or concealment."
Baoling hasn't been in the mansion long, but she's honest, hardworking, and quiet about her work. Lately, Madam has been getting hungry at night, and seven out of ten times it's her who brings her midnight snacks. So I wanted to hear what she had to say first.
Bao Ling pursed her lips, raised her sleeve and wiped the corners of her eyes carelessly, her voice filled with grievance: "Sister Lanzhu, I was wrong this time. I was the first one to scold her, and I was the first one to throw the dirty dishcloth at her... But I, but I really can't stand it anymore today!"
She sniffed and continued, "We're both kitchen helpers, but she relies on her relationship with Mother Zhu to push all the dirty work onto me! We both work on duty together, but she's nowhere to be found when we're moving fresh fruits and vegetables, and she's nowhere to be found when Madam wants hot water and hot food at night. Yet, she's always the first to get the prestigious job of delivering the General's lightweight snack box! Who doesn't know how lightweight a snack box is?"
"It happened again this morning! I had to wash that huge basin of greasy dishes by myself, and she took over the easy job of picking vegetables! I was the one who washed the dishes yesterday and the day before! I was so angry that I just said a few words to her!"
The well water in March was still very cold. Lan Zhu glanced at her red, frozen hands and asked, "What did you say?"
"I told her she only knew how to rely on connections and was always lazy and slacking off. She scolded me for being jealous of her, saying I was incompetent, that my mother was a pig farmer, that I had a lowly life, that I couldn't help me find a good job, and that I was destined to wash dishes for the rest of my life..."
Bao Ling said, tears rolling down her face again, "I, I was so angry that I threw the rag at her."
Lan Zhu listened quietly, and understood about 70% of what was said. However, she did not show it on her face, and only nodded to show that she understood. Then she told Bao Ling to go back and wait, and asked her to call Qiuyan.
Qiuyan had tied her hair up with a red rope again. When she saw Lanzhu, she burst into tears without saying a word after the greeting, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice.
She sobbed and said, "Sister Lanzhu, Baoling really went too far today! I was just picking vegetables over there, and I don't know who made her unhappy. She was washing dishes and suddenly she took it out on me, cursing me. I was so angry that I just said a few words back! No one would be able to bear being treated so unfairly for no reason, right?"
"I just said two sentences, and she grabbed the dirty rag and threw it at my face like a mad woman! If I hadn't dodged quickly, I wouldn't be able to face anyone!" She pointed at her face.
Lan Zhu crossed her arms, unmoved: "Oh? So what did she scold you for? And what did you say in reply?"
Qiuyan choked and her eyes flickered: "Zuo, Zuo were just some dirty words, said in anger, I, I can't remember them clearly..." She would never dare to repeat such honest words as relying on connections to get away with something.
Seeing this, Lan Zhu didn't bother to beat around the bush with her: "Are you calling her incompetent? Are you calling her mother a lowly person who raises pigs on the farm?"
Qiuyan lowered her head, twisting the corner of her clothes with her fingers, and muttered softly, "I, I didn't mean to scold her. Every word I said was true. Her mother really did work on the farm..."
Lan Zhu didn't want to listen to her quibbling anymore and asked directly, "Just now you said that you were picking vegetables and Bao Ling was washing dishes, right? Then let me ask you, who washed the dishes yesterday?"
Qiuyan raised her eyes and quickly glanced at Lanzhu, then lowered her head and said in a lower voice: "...It's her."
"I remember the kitchen bought a box of plums and a basket of mandarin oranges yesterday. They were quite heavy. Who carried them in?"
"...It's also her." Qiuyan's voice was reluctant.
Lan Zhu smiled coldly, "I washed dishes all day yesterday and moved fruit, and I'm washing dishes again this morning. You don't even know where my anger comes from? Why do you take all the easy, good jobs? And you keep saying you're not insulting me, but every word you say hits me right where it hurts! I'd like to ask Mother Zhu how she manages the kitchen and assigns tasks on a daily basis!"
Hearing that Mother Zhu would be implicated, Qiuyan immediately panicked and no longer cared about pretending to be wronged. She hurried forward and grabbed Lanzhu's sleeve, begging in a pitiful voice: "Sister Lanzhu! Sister Lanzhu! It's all my fault! I was ignorant and cunning! It's really not Mother Zhu's fault! Please don't..."
Lan Zhu snorted lightly, brushed her hand away calmly, turned around and walked straight to the front yard of the kitchen.
Bao Ling, who was originally sitting on the stone steps and silently shedding tears, saw her coming and quickly stood up and stood side by side with Qiu Yan.
Lan Zhu stopped in front of the two of them, glanced at all the maids who were listening intently, and said.
"I've already inquired about the whole story. Qiuyan, you've been lazy and clever, pushing all the hard work onto others, and even taking advantage of their background. I'll fine you one month's salary, and you'll have to wash the dishes for the next ten days. If you dare to do it again, I'll kick you out of the house. No mercy!"
She turned to look at Bao Ling, her tone slightly softened: "Baoling, I know you feel wronged. But the mansion has its own rules. If you feel wronged, you can come back to me or Mother Yu. If you hit someone or start cursing first, it's your fault! This is your fault. I'll fine you half a month's salary as a warning to others."
"Do you two have any objections to this treatment? If you think it's unfair, we can go to the fish mother and discuss it together."
The two of them lowered their heads and said in unison, "This servant has no objection."
Who doesn't know that Fish Mother has a kind face but a stern heart, and her methods are powerful? If you really get into trouble with her, I'm afraid it won't be solved by just a few months of fines.
Lan Zhu hummed in satisfaction, glanced at everyone inside and outside the kitchen, especially paused for a moment at Mother Zhu's face who had just heard the news, and spoke in a voice that everyone could hear clearly.
"Today's incident stems from the assignment of tasks. Madam often mentions two words: fairness. From today on, all tasks in the kitchen will be clearly arranged in shifts! You do the heavy work today, and tomorrow it will be her turn. No one is allowed to pick and choose! If anyone does not follow the rules, or if anyone feels that the assignment is unfair, report it directly to me! If I find anyone playing tricks behind the scenes again, or if they get into a quarrel or fight like today, I will not let them off lightly!"
Everyone was shocked and lowered their heads, not daring to say a word.
Lan Zhu didn't expect anyone to agree with her at this moment. Seeing that everyone had heard clearly, she hooked her finger at Bao Ling, indicating that she should come out with her.
The two of them walked silently to the willow tree outside the kitchen courtyard. Lan Zhu finally stopped. She turned around, pulled out her handkerchief from her sleeve, and gently wiped the red marks on Bao Ling's neck from her nails. She asked in a slow voice, "Does it still hurt?"
Bao Ling's nose felt sore and she shook her head: "No, it doesn't hurt anymore..."
"I'm punishing you today. Are you convinced?"
"I'm convinced." The little girl whispered, her voice thick with nasal sounds.
"I know you're feeling aggrieved. Qiuyan's words pierce my heart. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to hold back."
Seeing Bao Ling's eyes light up slightly, Lan Zhu changed the subject and spoke in a serious tone.
"But your mistake was being stupid. Throwing things and swearing at people, what good can you expect from them other than a beating and a monthly fine? When you go home for vacation in a few days, how worried will your mother be when she sees the wound on your neck?"
When Bao Ling heard this, the tears that had just stopped fell again, and she raised her sleeves to wipe her eyes hard again.
"Serving in this vast mansion requires a willingness to work, but you can't just hunker down and work like a fool. If you feel your assignments are unfair, when I or Mother Yu comes to the kitchen, step forward politely, bow, and say, 'I'm confused about the recent assignments, and I'm afraid I'm delaying the masters' work, so I came to ask for your advice.' With that kind of advice, who can ignore it? Once we investigate, everything will be clear, won't it?"
"I'm punishing you today for your reckless behavior and disregard for the consequences. But I've seen that you're diligent and hardworking. Ultimately, masters want people who know how to work and understand the rules, not those who only talk and stir up trouble. Do your part well, be more careful with your words, and use your brain more often. And you'll have a bright future."
Bao Ling nodded as she listened, and at the end, she couldn't help but smile with tears in her eyes: "Yeah! I understand, thank you for your advice, sister!"
"Okay, I'm glad you got it. Go back quickly and wash your face. You still have work to do." Lan Zhu also smiled and patted her shoulder.
After finishing the kitchen, Lan Zhu looked up at the sun and thought to herself, "Oh no! I'm going to miss the warehouse." She was about to quicken her pace, but just as she lifted her foot, a clear, laughing male voice suddenly rang out from the corner beside her.
"Sister Lanzhu is truly kind and fair!"
She turned around in surprise, only to see a young man with a bright smile and two pointed little fangs flashing out from the shadow in the corner, looking at her with curved eyebrows.
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