Such fine materials are only for Jiang Yao to use; they are not allowed to have them.
"It was the young mistress who instructed us. She said that the imperial examinations are approaching, and to bring good luck, she wanted everyone to make some nice clothes," the maid from the embroidery room said with a smile.
"Young Madam is so kind."
Lianxiang and Lianyu quickly sighed in admiration. They looked at each other, both satisfied with the fabrics they had chosen. Seeing that there were still three bolts left, they asked, "What about the rest..."
"The rest need to be chosen for the two concubines, and then sent to Aunt Taohong in the East Courtyard..."
These words directly stirred up a hornet's nest.
Shaking off the maid's hand that was trying to stop her, Xiao Taohong rushed straight over.
She could not bear such humiliation, having to be ranked after two concubines.
She rushed to the maid in the embroidery room in a few steps, her eyes wide with anger, her voice trembling slightly with rage.
"What do you mean by this? Why should I be ranked after the concubines? I am a concubine, after all, how dare you look down on me like this?"
Lianxiang and Lianyu were startled by Xiaotaohong's appearance, and they instinctively clutched the cloth in their hands tightly.
The maid in the embroidery room was also surprised that Xiao Taohong would appear at this time. She was stunned for a moment, but quickly calmed down and gave a nonchalant explanation.
"What are you saying, Aunt? How could I, a mere maid, dare to look down on you? It's just the rules of the household."
"The two maids in the manor and the young master have been friends since they grew up together. If it weren't for the fact that the two maids, Lianxiang and Lianyu, were pregnant, the two maids would have chosen the fabric first."
"As for you..."
The maid in the embroidery room paused for a moment, then glanced at Xiao Taohong with disdain, as if she were looking at something dirty. "You've only just entered the manor, so naturally you can only be last in line."
Little Peach Blossom was so angry that she trembled all over.
"Nonsense! My rank is clearly higher than theirs. You are deliberately bullying me. I'm going to go to the young master to settle this matter and let him see how you treat me."
The maid in the embroidery room was startled by Xiao Taohong's sudden outburst, but she quickly regained her disdainful expression.
"Young Master is busy preparing for the imperial examinations and has no time to see you."
“Aunt, please don’t be unreasonable. We are just following the rules. If you are not satisfied, you can go and argue with Madam.”
"You...you...you all...how dare you, a lowly slave, speak to me like that..."
With a trembling finger pointing at the maid in the embroidery room, Xiao Taohong was speechless, her face turning pale and then red.
Her heart was filled with endless grievances and anger.
She was a concubine in the Earl's mansion; how dare these lowly maids treat her like this...?
But she also knew that what the maid said was true. Pei Lingyu was now focused on the imperial examination, and with Jiang Yao blocking her way, she couldn't see her at all.
"What's going on? What's all the noise about?"
Suddenly, a somewhat authoritative voice came from the side. Xiao Taohong turned around and saw Li Mama helping the Madam over.
The lady wore a purple brocade robe, its luxurious texture shimmering slightly in the winter sunlight. The collar and cuffs were embroidered with exquisite gold cloud patterns, highlighting her noble status.
"Don't you know that the young master needs to be quiet when he's studying? How dare you make such a racket here? I think you lowly sluts are asking for a beating." The lady of the house glared at them angrily.
"Madam, Madam, you must stand up for me."
Her knees buckled and Xiao Taohong immediately knelt down, large tears streaming down her cheeks as she sobbed and tearfully accused the embroidery workshop of their misdeeds.
"Madam, I'm carrying your precious grandson!"
"You knew it was a boy or a girl before it was even born? Why don't you go have your fortune told!"
The aunt looked at her with disgust and showed her no respect. Lianxiang and Lianyu were pregnant, so how could she possibly look down on Xiaotaohong?
She's a cheap slut from a brothel; any place she shares is a stain on her.
"My lady, I am pregnant with a son, and I've been craving sour apricots lately..."
"Shut up! You lowly concubine, what right do you have to speak here? How dare you complain about the last one picking out the fabric for your clothes? Let me tell you, this is not the Earl's mansion, not a brothel where you can act arrogantly because of his favor. You have no manners and don't even understand the order of seniority."
Madam Bo gave Xiao Tao Hong a look of utter disdain, then turned and left, calling Lian Xiang and Lian Yu to come along with her.
Lianxiang and Lianyu weren't exactly high-status individuals, but at least she was the one who bought them into the household, and they were completely subservient to her.
She naturally treated Lianxiang and Lianyu differently from Xiaotaohong.
In the garden, the aunt left, leaving Little Peach Blossom all alone.
Seeing her pitiful appearance with tears on her face, the group of girls felt no sympathy whatsoever; instead, they despised her even more in their hearts.
"Hmph, what a piece of trash! They really think they're something special, they're just ignorant and arrogant!" A maid curled her lip in disdain, her eyes full of contempt.
Another maid chimed in, "That's right! Our Earl's Mansion is the Pei family, one of the eight great families. How could we tolerate such an unruly person? If this were anywhere else, he would have been kicked out long ago!"
"Oh, this is just the beginning. She'll get what's coming to her later..."
"It's only because the young mistress hasn't had the time to deal with her that she doesn't know any better. She used to be so favored, becoming a noble concubine as soon as she was taken in. But later she was demoted to a lowly concubine. Tsk tsk tsk, how pitiful..."
The girls left in groups.
In the garden, Little Peach Blossom stood blankly, gazing at the snow-covered landscape, her eyes revealing endless confusion and unease.
Was it really a mistake for her to enter the Earl's mansion?
"Girl, let's go back."
Stunned, the maidservant quickly stepped forward to support her, and the two, mistress and servant, returned to the east courtyard in a daze.
Upon entering this courtyard, a sense of desolation immediately washes over you.
The East Courtyard is located in a remote area. The walls are mottled, with much of the plaster peeling off, revealing the old bricks and stones underneath.
The ground in the courtyard was not very smooth, and many withered yellow weeds grew in the cracks of the stone path, standing alone in the corner, shivering in the cold wind, which added to the desolation.
The doors and windows of the house also looked somewhat dilapidated, with the paint peeling off the window frames, revealing the rough wood underneath.
The room was nicely furnished, with a mahogany canopy bed of good quality. However, it was old and had long been infested with wood-boring insects. She didn't know this when she first moved in and almost got bitten by the insects.
The bedding was also from the mansion, made of ordinary material, far inferior to that in Red Clothes Lane, where it would chafe the skin.
A simple dressing table, upon which lay the rouge and face powder she had brought from Red Dress Alley.
The bright red rouge and the simple house created a stark contrast.
In the corner, there was a dilapidated cabinet with its doors askew, as if it might fall down at any moment.
And this is the room that Jiang Yao prepared for her.
Of course, they say nice things, that it's just a temporary stay.
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