When the ship docked, people from the Duke of Qing's Mansion were already waiting at the dock.
There were other families unloading goods and picking up people around, but they were all kept aside.
There was only one carriage, which was for Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao.
This carriage was more luxurious than the one Zheng Xiu had seen in the town, the one Princess Guihe rode in last time. It had a sapphire blue roof and a mahogany body, and was taller than ordinary carriages. The Duke of
Qing's Mansion sent two teams of guards and several servants. Among them, a middle-aged man wearing an amber garden silk shirt and a mustache walked in the front. Zheng Xiu guessed that this should be a person like the Duke of Qing's Mansion's butler.
As expected, after landing, Xue Qin introduced Zheng Xiu, "This is Uncle Yuan, the housekeeper of the mansion, who followed my grandfather in his early years."
The housekeeper Yuan greeted Zheng Xiu in a dignified manner, "Meet the Second Madam."
Zheng Xiu stepped aside and said, "Uncle Yuan, you are too polite."
After the greeting, a maid put down the stirrups and helped Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao get on the carriage. The carriage was padded with soft cushions embroidered with gold thread, and there was a round flower pillow, and a golden lion incense burner on the small table.
Xue Shao saw such a grand ceremony for the first time. After getting into the carriage, he pulled Zheng Xiu and whispered, "The clothes they wear are better than ours. Are we going to lose face?"
Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao were still wearing the clothes they wore at home, all made of ordinary materials. The people who came to pick up people from the Duke of Qing's Mansion were all respectable servants. In comparison, they did look a little shabby.
Zheng Xiu shook her head and said, "Your father wore the same clothes as us when he came back. We are just ordinary people outside. There is nothing to be ashamed of."
Xue Shao nodded, but still felt uncomfortable. If it were any other time, he would have curiously peeked through the window to take a look at the legendary prosperous capital. But now he just sat there quietly.
Zheng Xiu was also a young lady riding in a sedan chair, and it was her first time to encounter such a scene. Thinking that she would soon enter the mansion of the Duke of Qing, she was very nervous.
The carriage rumbled, and after about half an hour, it arrived at the mansion of the Duke of Qing.
Xue Qin waited for Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao to get off the carriage and led them inside.
The servants in the mansion walked through the mansion in an orderly manner, and when they saw them, they avoided to the side.
It was also the first time that Zheng Xiu had seen such a building outside of TV. It could be said to be magnificent with carved railings and painted buildings. Xue Shao was also very nervous and deliberately looked straight ahead.
After passing the screen wall, passing through the corridor, and walking through the corridor, they finally arrived at Changfeng Garden where Princess Guihe was.
Xue Qin led them inside, saying, "Mother used to live in the princess's mansion next door, but now she needs to take care of all the family affairs, so she moved to Changfeng Garden, which is also convenient for taking care of father."
Zheng Xiu nodded and pulled Xue Shao to follow.
Qiu Rui, the head maid, had received the message and was waiting at the gate of the courtyard. When she saw them, she smiled and saluted: "Master, Second Madam, and Second Young Master, you have worked hard on the journey. The princess is waiting for you inside."
Xue Qin also smiled, "Thank you for waiting, Sister Qiu Rui."
Qiu Rui looked like she was in her twenties, with an oval face and peach blossom eyes. Her smile made people feel like spring breeze. She was born to the wet nurse of Princess Guihe. When Princess Guihe got married, she brought several senior palace maids with her and transferred her to serve her. By now, the senior palace maids were all idle, and Qiu Rui became the most capable maidservant beside Princess Guihe.
Qiu Rui smiled and said, "What are you talking about, my Lord? This is my duty." Then she led them into the courtyard.
Changfeng Garden was spacious, with flowers and trees planted in the courtyard and rockery standing in the forest, which was a unique scenery.
Under the corridor stood a number of maids and
old women who were doing housework and sweeping the door, and they saluted them from a distance. Princess Guihe was leaning on the kang by the window in the room, dressed in ordinary home clothes, with a bun on her head, a verdant emerald hairpin, and a book in her hand, flipping through it casually.
Xue Qin brought Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao into the house. She raised her eyelids and said lightly, "You are back."
Xue Qin saluted the princess and said, "Mother Lao was worried, so I brought my second aunt and A Shao back."
Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao also stepped forward to salute.
"I have met my sister-in-law."
"I have met my aunt."
Princess Guihe's expression was still light, "Well, I know. I am a little tired these two days, so I won't entertain you. A Qin, take them back to Haoye Hall to rest for a while, and then go to kowtow to your grandmother."
After saying that, she picked up the book again, as if she didn't want to say anything more.
Xue Qin took Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao out.
After leaving Changfeng Garden, Xue Qin apologized, "Don't mind, auntie. Mother has been very worried about my second uncle these days, and she is not in good health, so this is the case..."
Zheng Xiu nodded and said, "I know, there is no need to explain, my lord."
She understood that Princess Guihe looked tired because she had been worrying about Xue Zhi for days, but this lazy attitude was probably because she didn't like herself and Xue Shao.
Xue Qin sent them all the way to Hao Yetang. Compared with Changfeng Garden, Hao Yetang is much smaller, just like the courtyard of an ordinary wealthy family, quiet and elegant.
Xue Qin said, "This is the courtyard where my second uncle lives in the backyard. Auntie, bring Shao here to live now." Then he called the servants of Hao Yetang to come forward and let them recognize them.
There are quite a few maids in Haoye Hall, among which there is only one first-class maid named Minghui. There are two second-class maids and several young maids. There are four or five maids who sweep the house and watch the door. The population is quite simple.
"During the years when Second Uncle was away from home, several of the maids who originally served him got married, and the staff has not been fully replenished. When Second Aunt settles down later, Mother will bring more staff. If Second Aunt has any inconvenience, let Minghui go and tell Mother or me."
Zheng Xiu nodded and said, "I can save it. I am not used to being served by anyone here, so it is not a big deal."
Xue Qin had been away from home for more than a month, and he still wanted to go to the front yard to take a look. He agreed with Zheng Xiu to take her to see his grandmother before noon, and then he went back to the front yard.
When Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao entered the mansion of Duke Qing, the maid who went to pick them up had already brought their bags over, and they were now on the table.
Ming Hui asked the second-class maid Fen Ge to serve tea, and said, "The things of the Madam and the Second Young Master are all here. I don't know Madam's habits, so I didn't dare to move them."
Zheng Xiu nodded, took the bag with one hand, and took Xue Shao to tour the house with the other hand.
The furniture in the house was all made of a set of golden nanmu. Although there were not many decorations, they were all valuable items. The large room was separated by two screens. The easternmost side was a desk and a bookcase, the middle was an eight-immortal table and round chairs for entertaining guests, and the middle was a step-out bed, a dressing table, wardrobes, boxes, and other items. One room is as big as four or five rooms in Zheng's house.
Zheng Xiu took a quick look, then unpacked the bundle and prepared to put it in the closet.
Ming Hui was quite perceptive, and when she saw her unpacking the bundle, she opened the closet.
Surprisingly, the closet was not empty, and was filled with various clothes of the season.
Ming Hui said, "These clothes were sent by the Second Master from the sewing room a few days ago, and a few others were sent by the princess's people a few days ago." After that, she put the folded underwear in Zheng Xiu's bundle into the closet.
She didn't expect Xue Zhi to think of preparing new clothes for her when she was at home. Did he know that she would definitely come, or did he prepare them for her even though he didn't know whether she would come or not? Zheng Xiu couldn't help but smile slightly.
Xue Shao had been silent all the way, and suddenly asked, "Where should I live?" He then asked Zheng Xiu, "Can I live with you?"
Ming Hui said, "You can live in the guest room first. If it's not spacious enough, there are two cross-courtyards next to Haoye Hall."
Xue Shao shook his head, took Zheng Xiu's hand and said, "I want to live with you."
Children will naturally follow their own will when they are in an unfamiliar environment. Lai, who was close to her, nodded and smiled, "Okay, as you say." Then she turned to Minghui and said, "A Shao will live with me first. Please take away his things."
Minghui hurriedly said, "I dare not," "Madam, if you have anything to do, just tell me directly."
Zheng Xiu, who had traveled through time and space for several years but had never had a maid to serve her, suddenly had so many maids around her, and she was really not used to it.
Minghui put their pets away, and called the two second-class maids who were waiting outside in, and asked them to introduce their names to Zheng Xiu one by one and greet them.
The two second-class maids were about thirteen or fourteen years old. The taller one with a pointed face was called Fen Ge. The shorter one with a round face was called Bai Zhu. They were all promoted from the third-class maids. Together with Minghui, who had a square face and dark skin, the three of them were now the most senior maids in Haoye Hall.
Minghui was afraid that they did not know the rules and would offend the master, so she said to Zheng Xiu: "When the second master was not at home, some of the original senior maids were married off. We were promoted from the second and third classes. We do not understand many rules yet. If we offend, I hope the second wife will bear more."
This was reasonable and thoughtful. But if other masters heard it, they would have punished her long ago - how could a servant make a mistake and let the master bear it? !
Zheng Xiu had never eaten pork, but she had seen all kinds of palace and house fighting. It was awkward to hear this. She could not blame her for anything, but since she was new here, she could not let others look down on her and treat her as a clay figure that was easy to rub. She immediately smiled and said, "If you are not careful in some way, I won't mind, but I am sure that I will say a few words in front of the Second Master or the Prince. I am a good person, but I don't know if they are."
People tend to bully the weak and fear the strong, and servants in high-ranking families are even more so. Minghui's words may not really mean to bully her, but more of a test.
Zheng Xiu had just arrived and her foundation was not stable, so she had to bring up Xue Zhi and Xue Qin.
Sure enough, Minghui's expression changed immediately, and she knelt down to apologize, saying, "Look at my mouth, I offended Madam as soon as I spoke. I hope Madam will be magnanimous and not take it to heart, and forgive me this time." When she knelt, Fen Ge and Bai Zhu naturally knelt down as well.
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