Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 151 - 3: Servants (Part 2)

The lunch consisted of six dishes and a soup: winter bamboo shoots with magnolia petals, Longjing shrimp, osmanthus sugar lotus root, assorted vegetarian dish, lotus leaf sticky rice chicken, squirrel fish, and a tea tree mushroom old duck soup. There were two main courses: a green rice that Susu wanted, and a basket of crystal shrimp dumplings.

Fen Dai’s mother’s culinary skills were indeed remarkable. As a kitchen maid coming from a wealthy family, she excelled at dishes from various major cuisines, and considerable effort was put into the soup. In her past life, Susu had no money, and a box of instant noodles could last her a month. In this life, she had endured hunger and eaten stale Mantou, so even after leaving the mansion, she wouldn’t compromise on food quality. Having such a companion was truly a blessing.

Of course, Susu maintained her composure typical of a master, so when Fen Dai nervously watched her, fearing any hint of dissatisfaction, Susu merely nodded lightly at her. It was Chun Feng who smiled and said, "Your mother’s culinary skills are impressive, comparable to Sister-in-law Liu in the small kitchen at Sui’an Hall."

Hearing this, Fen Dai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Initially, they thought the master was merely a maid. No matter how favored, she was still a servant. It wasn’t until they entered the Shun’an Earl Mansion to serve that they realized they had been narrow-minded. They had never seen a maid like their master.

The master’s food and clothing in the Song Family surpassed even the daughters of their previous employers. On one hand, the Song Family was wealthy; on the other, it was rare to see someone like Old Madam Song pampering a maid so much. Upon seeing the master’s demeanor and appearance, Fen Dai and the others dared not harbor any thoughts. Serving such a master was, as her sister said, truly a fortune.

After the meal, Yun Tong and Chun Feng saw that Susu had everything in order here, with attendants and old maids well-arranged, so they prepared to return and report to Old Madam.

"Sister, after you’re settled in a few days, you must come back to see Old Madam and us! Sister Yang Liu has left, Sister Ning Cui has left, and now even you have left the mansion!" Yun Tong and Chun Feng were quite reluctant, and Susu felt the same.

"In a few days, I will surely return to see you. Serve Old Madam well when you return. Although the weather is hot, don’t let her use too much ice. If there are any issues you cannot resolve, go to Nanny Qin and Grandpa Qiao, and don’t be naughty. Especially Yun Tong and Ning Xiang, the two of you are so young yet manage Old Madam’s private treasury, which many envy. You should be cautious in everything and act prudently." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

With tears in their eyes, Yun Tong and Chun Feng agreed. Outside, a rough maid delivered a message, "The maids, old maids, and coachman who came along have already eaten and are asking when Miss Yun Tong, Miss Chun Feng plan to return?"

Susu asked Shuimo to take a bag of silver ingots to reward the attendants who came along and looked at Yun Tong and Chun Feng, saying, "Go on! Tell Old Madam that I am doing well here, and everything on the estate is in order, sparing her any worries."

Yun Tong and Chun Feng reluctantly returned to the mansion with the attendants. It wasn’t until their departure that Susu learned that Old Madam had instructed the carriage she arrived in to remain behind, leaving Susu at a loss for words. A single horse cost a hundred or so taels of silver, and a carriage also cost several dozen taels.

These amounts of silver meant nothing to the Song Family or to Susu, who had plenty of her own money. But just like how Old Madam had arranged for grain, oil, and tea, the fact that even small matters had someone to take care of them brought an indescribable feeling of gratitude and warmth.

After Yun Tong and the others left, Susu didn’t rush to meet the estate’s attendants but instead asked Fen Dai and the other three to help her with a nap. Previously, Susu had only taken a quick look around the room, but now she had the leisure to take a closer look.

The middle was the living room, furnished entirely with rosewood furniture. Earlier, they had eaten at the Eight Immortals Table near the window. Dishes had just been cleared, and now placed on a lotus leaf glass plate were several chilled seasonal fruits. In the center was a rosewood inlaid Arhat Couch with a bright red Uzura carpet and an overlay of ice silk mat. On either side were eight rosewood chairs, each with plain crepe cushions.

The left was the inner room, with a light and thin door curtain of imperial concubine crepe, edged with blue silk. Inside was a small hall, with a large kang under the south window. On the kang was a rosewood short-legged carved kang table. The small hall contained a self-winding clock, incense burner, large vase, and famous calligraphy and paintings, with even more exquisite arrangements.

But what caught Susu’s eye first was the large glass window inlaid on the south wall. It was adorned with a West Lake color light gauze curtain, embroidered with plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum in black and white thread, exuding an indescribable elegance.