Chapter 4: New Arrival
In Jinhua Hall where the Second Madam was just now, Mrs. Chen and Mother Wu also had a similar conversation.
"Is she settled properly? Is that girl really very beautiful?"
"Yes, Master! Everything has been arranged. In my opinion, she is no less beautiful than the young lady from the third house! If Madam is curious, why not summon her to have a look while everyone is still here?"
"Forget it. We've been on the road for so many days, there's no need to rush." Chen sighed. "My sister was unlucky. She had a pair of children, but died early. If I had a son..."
She stopped talking mid-sentence, and Mother Wu hurried forward to comfort her: "Nothing is perfect. According to this old servant, your wife is the most blessed one. Although the second young master is not your biological son, he is very filial to you!"
Chen snorted coldly, closed her eyes and fell asleep. Let’s not talk about it for now.
The next morning, Xu Shuyao woke up early. It was not yet the hour of Mao, but the days were long in summer, and the corner of the sky that showed through the window lattice was already turning pale.
She glanced at the top of the tent and just then remembered that this was no longer her embroidery room in Huzhou, nor was it the small cabin that she had seen whenever she opened her eyes for so many days.
Xu Shuyao's lips curled slightly, and when she lowered her eyes, she saw the wet marks on the pillowcase. She touched the corner of her eyes and felt a little puzzled.
Am I dreaming again?
Last night, she seemed to have become a child again in a trance. She only remembered that there was a lot of noise all around her and she was struggling to go back...
The situation in the dream was very vague. This was the impression Xu Shuyao pieced together based on several previous dreams.
However, the last time I had a dream like this was after my mother left...
"Girl!" A voice from the side interrupted her thoughts, and then the green curtain was lifted, and a girl of fifteen or sixteen soon appeared in front of her.
This is her other maid, Qiaowei.
Qiaowei is very pretty, with big, bright eyes and a great figure.
Xu Shuyao dressed and washed up under her help. She moved gently and skillfully, and didn't say much.
For more than a month, Xu Shuyao has been taking care of everything by herself. In fact, she is not used to a life of having everything provided for her, but she knows that she cannot reject the kindness of this new maid. Besides, it is also a chance for her to observe the maid's temperament closely.
But the more she observed, the more shocked she became. This woman really deserved the word "clever".
Not only is choosing clothes and combing hair a piece of cake for her, she also has excellent taste.
There were only a few things in the jewelry box, but she had accurately chosen ones that were neither ostentatious nor rude.
Xu Shuyao recalled Huixiang's words from last night: "Sister Qiaowei is the second-class maidservant beside the Madam..."
Generally, maids enter the mansion at the age of eight or nine, and the oldest is twelve or thirteen.
Qiaowei is now fifteen years old, but she is still only a second-class maid. Second-class maids do not have to serve their masters closely.
Xu Shuyao looked at her voluptuous figure when she bent down again, and suddenly seemed to understand why such an outstanding maid was not promoted to the first rank and was sent here to serve her.
Her heart moved, and she looked at the woman combing her hair in the mirror and said, "Did your aunt say how long you'd be here?"
Qiao Wei answered while combing her hair, her movements showing no sign of hesitation: "The Second Madam told me to serve the young lady well in the future."
The answer is concise and to the point, very good! And the character is also good!
As for the rest, just take your time and take a look!
Qiao Wei styled Xu Shuyao's hair today in the double bun style that all unmarried women wear nowadays, but her technique was different from others. Her hair was not tied too high, but rolled into two round buns, with a tassel-like jade ornament inserted on one side.
Because she was in mourning, her clothes were mainly plain colors.
So today she was wearing a white top with dark floral patterns and a lake blue Xiang skirt, which was the same outfit she wore at the beginning of summer last year.
Fortunately, it was made a little too big at the time, so it fits perfectly now. However, the style is not very fashionable.
After a while, Xu Shuheng also came to her accompanied by a maid. Xu Shuyao asked Zheng Ma to stay in the yard with two maids, while she and her brother took Qiaowei and Yuzhu to visit her aunt.
It was already bright outside, and they walked along the cobblestone road.
It rained last night, but it is sunny now. The ground is still slightly damp as I walk along, and the flowers and trees beside me are covered with dew, making them look lush and green. The flowers of the pomegranate trees by the roadside fall on the meadow, bright red and green.
Xu Shuyao took a deep breath of the fresh air after the rain and followed Qiao Wei with a little trepidation in her heart.
Compared to last night, it felt like something was missing.
She turned her head and saw Xu Shuheng standing with his back straight but not saying a word, then she remembered that she had not held A-di's hand.
The seven-year-old boy already has his own persistence.
Just as Xu Shuyao and Nanny Zheng said on the boat on the way here, once they arrive at Duke Cheng's Mansion, they have to be alert in everything. It's not like home there where they can act as they please and have their father and sister to protect them.
Now, my father is gone, and only my sister is left.
As the only male among the three, Heng'er will be the support of his elder sister and the nanny in the future.
Therefore, he needs to be stronger and more manly.
Things like holding your sister's hand to seek a sense of security are obviously not in line with the behavior of a little man.
Xu Shuyao smiled slightly, and the discomfort dissipated a little.
After a while, they arrived at Jinhua Hall where Chen lived, and the maid guarding outside helped to lift the curtain.
There were already quite a few people sitting in the room, and the one sitting in the main seat was a still-voluptuous woman who looked no more than thirty years old. She was wearing a light gold jacket with a persimmon-pattern, had her hair styled in a peony style, and wore a jadeite and gilded hairpin on her head.
The woman's face was somewhat similar to the mother in her memory. Xu Shuyao knew that this was her aunt, and hurriedly took her brother's hand and went over to pay her respects.
Chen helped the two men up and pulled them closer to her to examine them carefully. There was a hint of emotion in her voice as she spoke: "Finally, you arrived safely. If you wait a few more days, I will definitely arrange for someone to go over."
Although there was some complaint in her words, there was also real concern.
Xu Shuyao blushed, "It was Shuyao who was ignorant and made Auntie worry about us. But the situation at the time meant I had no choice but to leave."
She didn't talk about the difficulties she faced, and Chen didn't ask any further questions on this occasion.
He was still sighing when he heard the girl in front of him say, "My nephew thought that if Aunt sent someone over, it would be too cumbersome. I happened to hear that the second son of the Qingyuan Marquisate was passing through Huzhou with his personal guards, so I boarded the boat behind them. I figured with the imperial guards ahead, the robbers wouldn't act under their noses."
Xu Shuyao's words made everyone in the room look strange.
"Are you talking about your cousin from the Wang family who is the fifth-rank General of the Left of the Jinwu Guard?" The person who answered was Xiao Jinshan, the third daughter of the Duke's Mansion, who was one year younger than Xu Shuyao.
Chen glared at her daughter, but Xu Shuyao whispered, "Shuyao didn't know the young master's specific name. It was just that there were several boats from Huzhou City heading to the capital, and the second young master's men booked the first one. Everyone else rushed to the back of the boat to seek shelter, so Shuyao decided to go to the capital immediately."
"So, you and your cousin from the Wang family haven't even exchanged a single word!" It was the third daughter, Xiao Jinshan, who was speaking. Xu Shuyao smiled awkwardly, but didn't shy away from admitting, "That's pretty much it."
Everyone in the room burst into laughter. Chen also laughed and scolded her daughter: "You think everyone is like you? You have no shame. It's already good enough to have someone come to Beijing with you under your name, and you still want to think of something else."
She said, praising Shu Yao again, "You're really smart. This is a good idea. This trip was the right one. Even if your aunt sent someone to pick you up personally, it wouldn't be as safe as traveling with them this way."
Xu Shuyao breathed a sigh of relief, and Chen introduced the sisters in the room to her. After they exchanged greetings, they heard the maid at the door say, "The second young master is here!"
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