Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 152 - 3: Servants (Part 3)

Inside the small sitting room is the bedroom, divided into two parts by an embroidery screen set on a purple sandalwood frame, depicting an autumn river misty rainy scene. The outer area is for washing and changing clothes. To the west are two carved yellow poplar wardrobes with four doors each, next to a tall dressing mirror.

To the east is a rosewood dressing table, where Fen Dai just placed Susu’s purple sandalwood jewelry box with her ivory inlay.

Inside is the bedroom, and just the hollowed carved bed with gem-inlaid and ivory-set motifs occupies half the room. No wonder Chun Feng said it was made by Old Madam as part of Susu’s dowry, it’s truly luxurious.

Susu took a deep breath, feeling it was just too much. Just arranging these five main rooms probably cost tens of thousands of silver. With such loving care from Old Madam, Susu really didn’t know how to repay her!

The bed was draped with a gauze canopy of silvery-red cicada-wing silk. The bedding was what Susu usually used in the mansion. Fen Dai and three others helped Susu change into everyday clothes, removed her head ornaments and jewelry, and though Susu lay on the bed, she couldn’t sleep right away. She told Fen Dai and the others to check on their homes as she closed her eyes to rest.

Fen Dai and the three others exited the door, first settling into the east and west wing rooms before setting off happily, each carrying their parcels back home. The four of them hadn’t returned since entering the mansion to serve the young lady, missing their parents and family greatly.

Susu’s villa was a three-part courtyard. The four, carrying their parcels, left the inner courtyard and walked from their backyard room to the servants’ quarters. The four families in the villa hadn’t previously served in the same mansion, but after living together for a while, they became familiar.

The four little maids greeted everyone along the way, causing envy wherever they went. It’s not just their attire of Brocade and Silk and the gold and silver jewelry; it was their manners and demeanor that were now vastly different.

That they were chosen by Yang Liu naturally meant they were the best among their peers in the villa, though they used to be a bit playful and frivolous. Now, they appeared indescribably elegant and composed.

Where there’s admiration, there’s also jealousy. Previously the same, the four little maidens now seemed transformed, leading to much private gossiping.

But Yang Liu had been thoughtful, each of the four maids belonged to one family. The maids and women in the courtyard were their sisters, sisters-in-law, or aunts. Anyone who spoke out of turn would have the entire courtyard know in no time, no family would bear the shame.

For those who looked down on "being a maid for a maid," they would only dare to comment in secret. Moreover, today was the first return home of the young mistress. If any scene was caused, their parents would skin them alive, not to mention others.

Fen Dai and the others parted at the back door, each returning to their similar small courtyards.

Linglong had just entered when a figure crashed into her, "Sister, you finally came back, what delicious treats did you bring me?" spoken by a five or six-year-old boy with a hair bun on top, wearing a short jacket baring his arms, looking like a little firecracker.

Linglong was about to laugh when she remembered something, holding back her smile, she said, "You’re growing up, in another year, you’ll be working. Rushing about like this, what if you bump into the master?"

Linglong’s mother, Bai Fu’s wife, heard the commotion and came out. Seeing her daughter scold her son, she said nothing, only watching with a smile. Finally, she added, "Exactly, it’s your father who spoils you, he never listens to me." Then took the parcel from Linglong’s hands, "Daughter, come in quickly, let this little rascal reflect on his behavior."

Linglong used to spoil her brother but had seen the young masters of the Song Family in the Shun’an Earl Mansion. They, with power and influence, still worked hard to improve themselves. She had nothing, must strive to learn a skill, so she had to say a few words to her brother upon returning.

Still, a cherished brother at heart, hearing her mother spoke she relented, "Doesn’t make much difference today, he can change later." Linglong’s brother, easygoing by nature, nodded vigorously, "I will change, and will work hard in the future."

Linglong, now smiling, led her brother by the hand into the house. Bai Fu’s wife found it amusing, following the siblings, overhearing the boy curiously ask about Bo Mansion and inquire about the young lady’s character, as if he were a little adult.

Inside, Linglong took a package from her bundle and handed it to her brother, "These are new style candies rewarded by Consort Xi in the palace. The young lady received a plateful but doesn’t like sweets, so she let us split them." There were several other packages, containing broken bird’s nest, ginseng slices, pastries from yesterday, a few pockets, some pieces of fabric, and a jewelry box.