Volume Two, Step by Step to Victory, Chapter 12: The Servant in Green
Chunliu was about fifteen years old, of medium height and average appearance.
The maids around the second young lady were mostly of this type, while the maids around the fourth young lady and Ruan Bi were quite attractive, with several having good looks and figures, such as Dongxue and Qiulan. Speaking of looks, the most outstanding among the maids was Manhua, who was graceful and charming, needless to say. Next was Dongxue, who had a lively and spirited air about her, like a woman from the Xiang River.
Thinking of Dongxue, Ruan Bi couldn't help but drift off into thought again. According to the journey, she should have returned to her hometown of Xiangtan by now. If she had known she would escape so quickly, she wouldn't have let her take that risk. She hoped she would be safe and sound. She also thought that she would be more comfortable if Dongxue were by her side. Xiuzhi was also a good person, but firstly, she didn't know much about her background, and secondly, she used to manage the utensils and didn't understand social etiquette.
Lost in thought, she suddenly heard a maid say, "Why did it take you so long, Fifth Miss? Second Miss has been missing you for so long."
Then they announced inside, "Fifth Sister has arrived."
Ruan Bi looked up and realized that she had arrived at the old lady's courtyard.
Entering the side hall, the old lady leaned against the chaise lounge, looking somewhat weary. Her age was undeniable; the effects of a night's toss and turn were especially noticeable the next day. The second young lady sat beside her, talking to her with a bright smile. She was dressed particularly elegantly today, in a silver-red top, a matching eight-panel brocade skirt, and pearl headdress.
Hearing footsteps, she turned around and said with a smile, "Fifth Sister is here. Grandmother, don't worry, I will definitely keep an eye on her."
The old lady glanced up and immediately frowned, saying, "Who said she's sensible now? That she knows how to behave? Look at her outfit, is she going to visit the Marquis of Yanping's mansion or go to a nunnery to burn incense?" She waved her hand at Ruan Bi, "Never mind, never mind, she's not presentable. You should stay in your room."
Ruan Bi was taken aback by what she was being said. She looked at herself, wearing a beige embroidered chrysanthemum top and a dark green silk skirt with flowing cloud patterns. Although it wasn't extravagant, it was still quite presentable. Then she looked at the third and fourth young ladies sitting beside her. One wore an eight-panel skirt with intertwined peonies, and the other wore a pea-green silk top and skirt with full floral patterns. Both of them wore jade face masks.
She immediately realized that the problem lay with her jewelry. Dongxue had taken most of her valuable jewelry, leaving her with very few pieces to show for herself; today she was only wearing two pearl hairpins.
The second daughter was anxious and shook the old lady's hand, saying, "Grandmother..."
Standing behind the old lady, Granny Zheng coughed lightly and said, "Please don't be angry, old lady. Fifth Miss is young and doesn't know etiquette. Besides, she only has three maids in her room and no sensible mother to guide her, so it's inevitable that she will make mistakes."
The old lady responded with an "oh," her expression softening slightly, and asked, "Where is her mother in her room?"
A woman in charge nearby said, "There used to be one, her wet nurse. She fell seriously ill last July, so her son took her away to recuperate. They said she hadn't recovered yet and hadn't come back."
The old lady frowned and said, "What are you doing? It's been almost a year since last July. Since it hasn't gotten better, you should choose another one for Fifth Miss."
The steward's wife lowered her head sheepishly, not daring to say anything more.
The old lady glanced at Ruan Bi again and said, "Man Yun, take her to my room and pick out two pieces of jewelry for her to wear."
"Yes," Manyun replied, waving to Ruan Bi.
"Thank you, Grandma."
Manyun pulled Ruanbi out of the side hall and into the inner room, asking in a low voice, "Does Miss still want to go?"
Ruan Bi hummed in agreement.
With maids everywhere, inside and outside the house, it wasn't the place to talk, so Manyun didn't say anything more. She took out a black lacquered pencil case with a hundred birds and phoenixes and gold trim from the wardrobe, took out the key to open it, and took out a pair of kingfisher feather orchid hairpins to pin to Ruan Bi's head. "These will do. They were worn by the old lady when she was a young girl. They are elegant and delicate, yet dignified."
Ruan Bi looked at herself in the mirror and saw that she looked quite good. She then thanked Manyun.
The two returned to the side hall. The old lady glanced at them but said nothing more, seemingly satisfied. "Since you don't have a capable mother by your side, I'll find you one..." she said, glancing at the mothers standing nearby. They all seemed to have agreed beforehand, lowering their heads to avoid her gaze. Everyone knew that Fifth Miss was a troublemaker; dealing with her meant certain death or serious injury. Who would dare take on such a mess?
Granny Zheng coughed lightly again and said, "Madam, I'm feeling better these days and would like to go out for a stroll. Why don't you let me go with Fifth Miss?"
The old lady looked at her in surprise for a moment, then smiled and said, "That would be best."
He gave a few more instructions, such as following the rules and knowing when to advance and retreat, before allowing everyone to leave.
The carriages had been prepared long ago, with horses harnessed and waiting outside the gate. Perhaps because they were going to the Marquis of Yanping's residence, and to show the Ruan family's prestige, this time two large black lacquered carriages with flowing cloud patterns, each carrying six people, were prepared. The second and third young ladies, along with their mothers and maids, rode in the first carriage, while Ruan Bi and the fourth young lady, along with Granny Zheng and others, boarded the second carriage.
After a while, the wheels began to turn.
Stepping out of the alley where the Vice Minister's residence was located, one enters a main street filled with various sounds: the cries of vendors, the thunderous hoofbeats of galloping horses, and the rhythmic sounds of street performers playing drums and chimes... Ruan Bi's heart itches with curiosity, and she longs to tear down the Xiangfei Curtain to see for herself.
Inside the carriage, Yao's mother, who was next to the fourth daughter, kept whispering reminders to her about what to pay attention to. Ruan Bi overheard a few words and heard her remind the fourth daughter not to actually eat at the lunch banquet, but just to take a few bites as a gesture... Then she took out two hard pancakes and told the fourth daughter to eat them right away.
Ruan Bi saw the Fourth Sister groaning and painfully eating the hard biscuit—she couldn't even drink water for fear of being looked down upon in the main room—and couldn't help but laugh, but she couldn't laugh out loud, so she had to try her best to hold it in.
After traveling for about half an hour, a whip cracked and the carriage stopped.
Then a young maid from the Marquis of Yanping's residence brought over a footstool, helped lift the curtain, and assisted the young ladies out of the carriage. They then used four soft sedan chairs to escort them into the hanging flower gate. Inside the hanging flower gate, other wives and maids stood to greet the guests and led them along the covered walkway into the depths of the garden.
The road was lined with buildings like clouds, lush flowers and trees, flowing streams and small bridges—every step revealed a new and breathtaking view. Even Ruan Bi, who had seen many of nature's wonders, was captivated. Not to mention Xiu Zhi, whose eyes were glued to the view, her mouth practically watering.
My arm was suddenly tugged lightly.
Ruan Bi turned around in surprise and saw Zheng Mama winking at her, so she slowed her pace. After falling five or six steps behind, Zheng Mama whispered, "Does Miss know that today's lotus appreciation gathering has a deeper meaning?"
Ruan Bi shook her head.
"Have you considered this, young lady? Why would the Lady of Yanping Marquis personally send out invitations to a gathering of young ladies to appreciate the lotus blossoms? And why only invite young ladies from noble families? Moreover, why are all the invited young ladies unmarried and of marriageable age?"
Ruan Bi's heart skipped a beat. Could it be because of Xie Mingyue's marriage? She immediately dismissed the thought. If it were really for him, he would never have called her here. Her status was not even good enough to be Xie Mingyue's wife, let alone a concubine.
Just as Ruan Bi was about to ask Granny Zheng why, the second young lady, who was walking ahead, suddenly turned around, looked at her and Granny Zheng, and frowned slightly. Ruan Bi didn't know what to say, so she took Granny Zheng's hand and raised her voice slightly, saying, "Mother, walk slowly, there's no rush."
Granny Zheng chimed in, "You're really getting old and useless. Back in the day, you could walk around ten or eight laps without a problem, but now you're out of breath after just a hundred steps."
The second young lady turned around and walked back, supporting Zheng Mama, and said with a smile, "Mama is not old, it's just that this Marquis's mansion is too big. Take your time, it's alright, Wanglian Pavilion is just ahead."
Wanglian Pavilion was a three-room flower hall, with bamboo curtains hanging from it. At this moment, the curtains were half-rolled up, the windows were wide open, and in the north-facing hall with its wooden floor, there was a long black lacquered table, with three rows of low black lacquered tables on either side of it, all covered with bamboo mats. Several young ladies were already kneeling on the mats, each dressed in gorgeous clothes and adorned with exquisite jewelry, every smile and gesture exuding the poise of noblewomen.
The maidservant led the four young ladies of the Ruan family to their seats. The second and third young ladies sat in the middle two positions in the second row from the right, while the fourth young lady and Ruan Bi sat in the last two positions in the third row from the right. The left was considered more honorable than the right, meaning that the fourth young lady and Ruan Bi were the two least distinguished among the young ladies invited that day.
The clever and intelligent fourth sister's rosy face turned even paler.
After the maidservant arranged for the four young ladies to be seated, she bowed to the four matrons and said, "Gentlemen, it is hot. My mistress has prepared tea, fruit and snacks in the courtyard next door. Please come and rest for a while."
Ruan Bi paused for a moment, then glanced around the room and realized that there were no nannies around the young lady, only maids standing behind her, one or two at a time.
Although the weather in June was unbearably hot, no one wanted to stand for long. Except for Granny Zheng, the other three nannies were all delighted and praised Lady Yanping for her courtesy and the servants. They followed the little maid and walked out. Granny Zheng looked at Ruan Bi with a bit of helplessness and had no choice but to leave as well.
Young ladies from various households arrived one after another, and soon the entire hall was filled, leaving only the first seat on the left empty.
The hall was now filled with over thirty young ladies, and it was no longer as quiet as before, with no experienced and prudent matrons watching over them. A few of the lively ones started chatting and laughing, while a few impatient ones beckoned to their maids to ask how much longer they would have to wait. And a few others adopted an air of aloofness and superiority.
Ruan Bi observed with great interest the clothing, expressions, and mannerisms of the young ladies in the hall, while analyzing their family backgrounds, personalities, favored status, and the potential for them to become close friends.
Meanwhile, a woman in her early thirties, standing in the shadows in the northeast corner of the flower hall, was also observing the words and actions of the young ladies in the hall.
Their eyes met briefly in mid-air, and they both paused, momentarily stunned.
Ruan Bi looked at her closely. She was of average appearance, wearing a blue and white brocade blouse and a blue eight-panel skirt with large floral patterns. Her hair was styled in a simple bun, adorned with two gold hairpins inlaid with pearls. She seemed like an ordinary middle-aged servant woman. However, Ruan Bi's intuition, honed by years of experience in the workplace, told her that this was definitely not an ordinary person. She exuded the aura of someone who had long held power.
Lost in thought, he suddenly heard the maids standing outside the flower hall shouting, "They're here! They're here!"
All the young ladies present craned their necks and peered towards the door.
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