Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 56 - 8: Farewell (Part 2)

Speaking of being envious, it’s true, but not to the point of jealousy; it can only be said that there is admiration, and I am genuinely happy for Susu. After all, they have families and parents, while Susu is all alone. So, upon hearing Ning Cui’s words, Susu didn’t think much about it. Instead, she said helplessly, "So, are you all planning to eat a big household? You’ve really spent a fortune this time."

Susu said as she picked up the bundle she had brought. Inside was a redwood carved box adorned with pomegranate flowers. When Susu opened it, it revealed a set of head ornaments that made the other three exclaim in surprise.

The ornaments themselves weren’t unusual, but the key point was how stunning and dazzling this set was. It was a set of gilded filigree inlaid with diamonds and red gemstones in a peacock-and-peony pattern, including hairpins, step shakes, rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, totaling sixteen pieces.

This jewelry set used thirty diamonds and nearly a hundred red gemstones. The largest diamond was as big as a pigeon egg, and the smallest was the size of a mung bean. All the red gemstones were as big as soybeans. Under the candlelight, they were resplendent and breathtakingly beautiful. No woman could resist such stunning jewelry.

Yang Liu held Susu’s hand, saying firmly, "When I get married, I want a set like this too." Ning Cui grabbed Susu’s other hand, nodding vigorously, "Same here!" Susu pretended to cough up blood and lay down on Bisi’s bed, "Why don’t you just drink my blood?"

Seeing her like this, the other three couldn’t help but laugh, dissipating the sadness of parting, and they all laughed and played together. The day had grown dark, and the room was illuminated brightly by a large tallow candle. Everyone knew that parting was for a better reunion.

After a while of joking around, Susu finally pulled out several silver notes from her bundle, saying, "Officially, the Old Madam has prepared for you six gold ingots, each weighing ten taels, five hundred taels of silver, twenty-four bolts of various colored brocades and silks, a chest of fur clothing, and two sets of head ornaments." This was the traditional dowry given to the maid of Sui’an Hall, already prepared by Susu, just waiting for the Old Madam’s order to give it to Bisi.

Susu handed the silver notes to Bisi, saying, "This is two thousand taels of silver given to you privately by the Old Madam, something that the previous sisters never received."

Bisi took them and wiped away tears, saying, "I’ll thank the Old Madam tomorrow. After I’m no longer by her side, you must show her more filial piety in my place. Yun Duo is a good one; she was bought from outside, but she has been with us since she was young, though she’s a bit younger. But with Susu as a precedent, she’s qualified to be promoted to take over my duties."

Bisi thought for a moment and added, "The Old Madam is kind; about half of our courtyard’s servants will remain. If we add more people when we reach the Capital, Yang Liu, you must ask Grandpa Qiao well, just in case there are people with poor character or problematic backgrounds pretending to be part of the group. Even though Nanny Qin is getting older and has a soft heart, Ning Cui and Susu shouldn’t get involved in selecting people; only Yang Liu, you take on more responsibility."

Yang Liu thought of the two little maids that Nanny Qin accepted last year and felt disgusted. They learned nothing but were very good at sucking up, keeping Nanny Qin amused all day without doing any serious work, and even dared to boss around the other maids. She couldn’t punish them because of Nanny Qin, which made the two more arrogant.

Susu listened to Bisi’s words and saw Yang Liu’s displeasure. Although she was often either in the warehouse or by the Old Madam’s side, she wasn’t unaware of the courtyard’s affairs. She laughed and said, "Don’t worry. Though Nanny Qin is getting old, she’s not silly, just lonely with no children. I think Yun Duo is indeed good. Why not have her recognize Nanny Qin as her godmother?"

The others were a bit puzzled, so Susu explained, "Yun Duo is different from me. I could become a maid because of the Old Madam’s favor when I was young. She is good, but others are not bad either. Ming Xiang and Ming Yu’s parents are all capable in front of the First and Second Lords. Although they can succeed Yang Liu’s and Ning Cui’s positions in the future, they’d be fools not to seize the chance to become maids first."

Yang Liu clapped her hands and responded, "Let Yun Duo recognize Nanny Qin as a godmother. Then, with Nanny Qin’s face, no one would dare to say anything if Yun Duo took over the first-class maid position." The other two thought it was indeed so; besides Susu and the three of them, the Old Madam had not expressed particular liking for any other second-class maids.

Ning Cui laughed, "Bisi, you can be at ease now. If your student acknowledges Nanny Qin as her godmother, even we have to give her some respect. Moreover, now even the laziest among us, Susu, knows how to use her brain, so there will never be any mistakes around the Old Madam."

Susu sighed, "I’d rather never have to use my brain. Before, I thought no one was a bad person, and if they were, it had nothing to do with me. Only now I realize I’ve been in the mundane world for long, with no way to stay out of it."

Yang Liu asked, "Is it because of Fifth Miss?" Not waiting for Susu to answer, Yang Liu said, "I told you to keep your distance from her before, but you were too kind-hearted. Now you know, don’t you? She has sold you out, and you even helped to count the silver."

Mentioning Fifth Miss, Ning Cui frowned, "We don’t need to bother with her. Just act as usual. To use the Old Madam’s words, ’endure and let her be, then see what happens.’" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The process of Yun Duo recognizing Nanny Qin as her godmother was easier than Susu thought. There was a willing person on each side, and everyone was truly happy. The Old Madam even rewarded Yun Duo with a set of golden head ornaments to flatter Nanny Qin. Yun Duo taking over Bisi’s position and being promoted to the first-class position was now a certainty.

After that, Yang Liu and Nanny Qin began to count the servants going to the Capital with the Old Madam, and which ones would stay behind. The Old Madam also started meeting with the Manor Heads and Shopkeepers of her estate businesses.

In May, ten cargo ships loaded with goods sailed from Yangzhou to the Capital. Half a month later, another ten ships set off. Meanwhile, at the Shun’an Earl Mansion in the Capital, Sui’an Hall was newly cleaned inside and out, and the servants only realized the Old Madam from far in Yangzhou was finally moving to the Capital when they saw chest after chest of items being carried into Sui’an Hall from outside the mansion.

Meanwhile, in Sui’an Hall, Yangzhou, Sister Dong Song took Nanny Xing, who had managed the small kitchen for most of her life, out of the mansion to spend her twilight years. The Old Madam and Nanny Qin reminisced about the past for a day.

Susu followed the Old Madam’s instructions to sort out several boxes of items from storage, labeling them box by box and sending them to the Second and Third Madam, the Old Madam’s parental home, and Eldest Miss. The remaining two boxes were carried by some rough-handling maids, and Susu personally delivered them to the Third Household.

When Susu arrived, the Third Madam was busy packing things for her children, wishing she could take the entire house with her. As soon as Susu entered the courtyard, she was invited inside the house.

The Third Madam smiled at Susu, "You’re such a busy person; how do you have time to visit me?" Saying this, she pulled Susu to sit on the Arhat Couch and called for the maids to serve tea and snacks.

Susu also smiled, "Even if I’m busy, I must complete the tasks the Old Madam entrusts to me, right?" Meanwhile, the rough-handling maids who followed Susu had already moved the boxes into the Third Madam’s inner room.