Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 43 - 24: Mid-Autumn Turmoil (Part 2)

After instructing the two young maids, Susu took out two rolls of pearl powder gauze, handed one to each of them to hold, then locked the storeroom properly. She left Sui’an Hall and came to Yayun Pavilion where the young ladies resided. Although respect for seniority was maintained, the Sixth Miss was born of the principal wife, so Susu first headed to Taoran Inn where the Sixth Miss lived.

At Taoran Inn, the maids were busy tidying up the new gifts they received today. Hearing Susu had arrived, they quickly invited her inside.

The Sixth Miss, eight years old this year, was as lovely as a porcelain doll. Before Susu could greet her, she pulled Susu to sit beside her and smiled, "Sister is here. What nice gifts has Grandmother rewarded me with this time?"

Susu called Ning Xiang to place the gauze on the table and said, "Take a look, Miss. This is the new gauze called pearl powder from Qiao织 Pavilion. Not only is the color exquisite, but the luster is also rare. How did they manage to weave it, I wonder! Currently, only our family has it. The Old Madam said to send a few rolls into the palace and have Fifth and Sixth Misses make clothes with it."

The Sixth Miss glanced at it and said, "Tomorrow, I’ll ask Ying Ge from my mother’s courtyard to make me an outfit. Otherwise, others might spoil this fine material!" Then she added a bit shyly, "Grandmother thinks of us with all the good things, which makes me feel ashamed!"

Upon hearing this, Susu replied, "Miss is the Old Madam’s direct granddaughter. If not thinking of Miss, who else would she think of? The Old Madam really liked the headband you sent over a while ago, so much so that she specifically found new clothes to match it!"

The Sixth Miss blushed a bit, "Sister, please stop teasing me. My craftsmanship is only appreciated by Grandmother." Saying this, she brought out a bright green bracelet, "Among the box of jewelry Grandmother gave me recently, I saw this and instantly thought Sister would like it. Sister, please take it and wear it!"

The bracelet was strung with eighteen perfectly round beads of vibrant jade, from which hung a mutton fat jade knot adorned with a peony flower made from tiny red and blue sapphires, truly precious.

The Old Madam had also rewarded Susu with such items before, and she was wearing a similar bracelet today. She held out her hand and smiled, "Could it be that Miss and the Old Madam conspired together? Look, I’m already wearing one. How could I take Miss’s?"

Everyone saw that her snow-white wrist was indeed adorned with a bracelet, though its beads were blood jade and the pendant was not a knot but two white jade butterflies. The materials were precious and the craftsmanship exquisite, no less than what the Sixth Miss held, making the maids at Taoran Inn quite envious. In terms of food, clothing, and other necessities, the chief maid from the Old Madam’s courtyard, especially Susu, was almost on par with the young ladies.

Seeing this, the Sixth Miss laughed, "Isn’t that perfect? Sister can take this and make it a pair!" Without allowing any refusal, she slipped it onto Susu’s wrist, "If Sister refuses again, I’ll be angry. After so many years of friendship with Sister, such a small thing is nothing." Hearing this, Susu had no choice but to accept it. Then, she let the Sixth Miss pull her into a chat about what style of clothes to make with the pearl powder before leaving Taoran Inn.

A few steps from Taoran Inn was the Fifth Miss’s courtyard. A rough-working young maid sat listlessly on the steps outside. Upon seeing Susu, she quickly stood to greet her, lifting the curtain, "Susu, Sister is here!"

Inside, four second-tier maids from the Fifth Miss’s room were tidying things up in the flower hall. Seeing Susu, they hurriedly said, "Miss Su is here. Has the Old Madam given any instructions?"

On hearing the noise, a tall girl of sixteen or seventeen emerged from behind the curtain, relaxed at the sight of Susu, "Dear sister, quickly persuade our Miss; she’s been crying for quite some time!" This was one of the maids by the Fifth Miss’s side, named Huan Sha; originally from the Old Madam’s courtyard, she was given to the Fifth Miss when she moved to Yayun Pavilion, and is now a first-tier maid.

Susu followed her into the inner room, which was divided into a bedroom and a warm pavilion. The Fifth Miss was there, sobbing pathetically into a handkerchief, with an opened letter on the small side table, a thick stack of paper. Susu realized immediately and sighed inwardly.

Seeing the Fifth Miss’s eyes red from crying, Susu hurriedly said, "Dear Miss, if the Old Madam sees you like this, won’t her heart ache? Whatever grievances you have, even if the Third Master and Third Madam can’t make decisions, you still have the Old Madam!"

The Fifth Miss grabbed Susu’s hand and cried, "Susu, has Eldest Brother mentioned Third Sister’s marriage? Poor Third Sister, Second Aunt is so heartless!"

Upon hearing this, Susu immediately said, "Miss, mind your words! Second Madam is an elder, and if there’s anything improper, the Old Madam will certainly instruct. Miss, you are an unmarried girl, and such matters concerning marriages should not concern you!"