Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 351 - 31: Trivial Matters (Part 1) (Second Update)
As November arrived, although the weather grew colder, the Hong Mansion was bustling inside and out, and the servants’ quarters were filled with joy.
This was because marriage arrangements for several servant children had finally been set.
Additionally, the masters awarded each of the grooms a betrothal gift of ten taels of silver, and the brides a dowry of ten taels of silver, on top of which they planned to personally officiate the weddings and generously paid for a few banquets with an extra fifty taels of silver.
Shuimo’s elder brother married Qi Qiao’s elder sister, and from then on, her sister would be addressed as "Mrs. Zhao Wu."
After the couple got married, Zhao Wu continued driving the carriage for Susu, while his wife accompanied Susu on outings.
Once they were well-trained, they were intended to be Zhao Youshen’s successors.
Qi Qiao’s elder brother had been married previously; this time it was her second brother, who was marrying the daughter of the mansion’s Nurse Liu.
Susu heard from Aunt Wei that the girl caught Qi Qiao’s second brother’s eye while delivering meals to the guards outside, and because Susu approved, he dared to propose, which came as a delightful surprise to the Liu family of three.
Not because of anything else, but because the girl took after her father, being large and sturdy. Despite their poverty, Nurse Liu and Nanny Liu, having only this daughter, would not hastily marry her off, leaving her still unmarried at eighteen.
Indeed, though not a beauty, this girl was known for her gentle nature and meticulousness.
She managed Susu’s laundry meticulously, ensuring it was delivered spotless and crease-free every time.
Susu, with her lackadaisical approach, rewarded her frequently, and the girl, disliking ostentation, kept the gifts to herself, knowing her mother’s boastful nature.
When her marriage came up, and her parents intended to allocate silver for her dowry, she unveiled the gifts Susu had honored her with, leaving Nurse Liu and his wife astounded.
Six silver ingots of three qian each, two gold ingots of three qian each, and seven or eight pieces of scattered silver of less than one qian, along with a string of copper coin.
Besides these treasures, there were a pair of small pearls, a pair of red agate earrings, two silver hairpins embedded with tourmaline and turquoise, a red gold plum blossom pin, a twisted silver bracelet, and a plain red gold bracelet.
Including a bolt of light blue palace silk, a bolt of bright red fine cloth, a piece of deep blue Hang silk, a piece of dark green Zhang Rong, and a piece of pink gauze.
"Oh my goodness, daughter, you..." Nanny Liu was at a loss for words, knowing her daughter was not the type to steal; this could only have been gifted by the matron.
Yet her daughter merely washed clothes and hardly visited the upper room; how had she been rewarded with such treasures?
Liu Niuniu, soon to be known as Mrs. Wei Defu after marriage, knew her parents doubted her, and even she hadn’t expected to be so "valued" by the matron. Indeed, valued she was.
However, she didn’t know how to explain it to her parents, as she didn’t see herself possessing any particular quality that the matron would value.
"The ladies in the main courtyard, such as Fen Dai and the others, are kind-hearted; they never stopped me from seeing the matron and always allowed me to exchange a few words with her when delivering clothes, never coming back empty-handed," 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Upon hearing this, Nanny Liu calmed down, "The matron is kind and generous, not hesitating to give gifts even to strangers like the Treasure Delivery Officers she barely knows."
She added cheerfully, "Your father and I are in favor with the matron; naturally, the matron would afford us some face."
Upon hearing this, both father and daughter from the Liu family frowned, and Liu Niuniu advised, "Mother, please don’t speak like this again. If it wasn’t for Commander Hong’s sheltering us, we wouldn’t have had a place after Father’s retirement.
Even though we are not bound as servants, this is due to Commander Hong and the matron’s benevolence.
The matron employs you and Father not because you are the most capable, but because it gives us peace of mind and a reason to take a salary without doing much.
Otherwise, given Commander Hong’s reputation and the matron’s considerable dowry, there’d be no shortage of applicants for the guard and steward positions.
Just look at the four households that came with the matron - whichever one steps out exhibits the dignity of a prominent family. You should learn more from Aunt Zhao and Aunt Wei!"
After Liu Niuniu finished speaking, Nurse Liu nodded approvingly, appreciating his daughter’s clarity.
Nanny Liu, observing her husband and daughter’s expressions, hesitantly smiled, "I understand, I certainly won’t embarrass you two."
When Nurse Liu heard this, he hurriedly interjected, "That’s not what our daughter meant. Precisely because we are not servants in the mansion, with the matron employing us, we must be even more cautious and loyal.
The matron, though compassionate towards the poor and weak, does not tolerate any nonsense. Your usual boasts, while not a major flaw, must be curbed when serving closely with the masters, knowing what to speak and what not to."
Recalling the gifts delivered by the eldest son to their home a month ago, Nanny Liu had been inwardly unsettled upon finding nothing during her two visits to report back to the main house.
Upon hearing her husband’s comments, she realized with a cold sweat how fortunate she was not to have seen the gifts, or she might not have resisted flaunting them among the domestic workers.
Had she truly spoken out, her daughter might not be enjoying her current position.
Realizing this, Nanny Liu shook her head repeatedly, "I will certainly perform my duties well, and refrain from gossiping idly about family matters."
Liu Niuniu exchanged a glance with her father—was this overcompensation?
Meanwhile, setting aside the Liu family’s efforts to "retrain" Nanny Liu, Fen Dai’s family too was entangled with concerns.
Fen Dai’s elder sister, Hong Dou, had just turned fifteen, and though she was meant to stay until eighteen, Susu, favoring her steadiness, had Aunt Wei ask if she wished to marry.
Should she marry within the mansion, she’d join Susu’s service; if wishing to marry outside, Susu would have Hong Sheng make arrangements upon his return.
The Wei household, also affectionate toward Hong Dou’s character, had originally considered her for their second son, yet Liu Hu’s daughter had intercepted those plans.
Because of her son’s unusual taste, appreciating the girl’s inner beauty, the Wei family reluctantly consented.
Recognizing the devotion Lin Sheng and his wife had for their son, and after Fen Dai pleaded with a distressed face, they chose to treat Hong Dou as their own child, sharing heartfelt counsel.
Hong Dou, firm in her resolve, did not wish to further burden her younger sister, and choosing to marry within the mansion would allow her to serve the matron in the upper room, thus favoring this route.
Among the three suitable families, only the younger son of the Zhao family was a fitting match, yet upon inquiry, Zhao Youshen expressed disdain for Lin Sheng and his wife.
"The couple leeches off their daughter to support a lazy son; after marriage, our family’s younger son would not only support his in-laws but might also need to support his ’freed from servitude’ brother-in-law’s family as well?"
With such words, the Wei family found themselves in a difficult position, fully understanding of Hong Dou’s situation, the girl dared to request the matron to find her a match among the young guards. As long as he wasn’t missing limbs, having just one eye or ear like Nurse Liu would be acceptable.
Susu carefully discussed with Hong Dou for quite some time, and once Hong Dou left the upper room, Susu personally met with the three remaining young, unmarried guards in the guardhouse.
