Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 65 - 15: Settling In

The meals were brought back. The meals for Susu and the other maids were slightly better, only reduced from four dishes and a soup to three dishes and a meal, and still warm. However, the food for the lower servants was not only cold but also consisted of a bowl of unidentifiable stew and two mantou, and let’s not even mention how it tasted.

The Old Madam was already uneasy, so she took a special look and her face turned cold on the spot, "What kind of family are we, they aren’t afraid to lose face if this gets out! Managing a household is akin to governing a nation, the eldest can’t even manage the family, so how can you expect him to be an official?"

Susu and the others hurriedly advised, "The Master is busy with court affairs, how could he know these things. Now that you’re here, naturally these matters in the household should be set straight."

In a household where the three (the First Madam, Second Madam, and Lady Yue) constantly bickered, each wanting to pocket some for themselves, coupled with some dishonest servants, it was fortunate nothing too serious happened apart from mistreating the servants. If it were really like in "Dream of the Red Chamber," where Mrs. Wang and Wang Xifeng lent petty usury, that would indeed be a crime.

Susu thought things were fine, but she underestimated the First Madam’s audacity. She didn’t know that it wasn’t that the First Madam didn’t intend to engage in usury, but merely that the Elder Master found out just as she started. That’s why he desperately urged the Old Madam to come swiftly to the capital, though he dared not mention it in his letter for fear of upsetting his mother.

Hearing this from Susu, the Old Madam knew her eldest son was truly clear on big matters and ignored small ones. Although the rectification of the mansion was urgent, it wouldn’t hurt to wait another day. Unable to nap, she donned more casual attire.

After a while, Nanny Qin returned, and the Old Madam asked, "Has everything been arranged?" Nanny Qin took the handkerchief handed by Yun Duo, wiped her sweat, and replied, "All settled, Fourth Miss and Sixth Miss reside in the East Wing Court, Third Miss and Fifth Miss in the West Wing Court, and there’s a small, exquisite courtyard by the street for the governesses and female tutors. The side rooms in the courtyard are temporarily empty, while the lower servants are assigned to outbuildings, and the back houses divided for second and third-class maids."

The Old Madam nodded upon hearing this, "Is there a map?" Nanny Qin pulled out a folded silk cloth map from her bosom, and upon unfolding, it turned out to be the layout and elevation map of Shun’an Earl Mansion, "This was given by the Elder Master when I first arrived, otherwise I’d be dizzy from going around in circles."

The Old Madam glanced at the map and asked, "I’ve heard Qing He mention a garden in our backyard, but what’s the flower hall and stage behind the garden, are they newly built?" Nanny Qin laughed, "That’s right! The Elder Master said it was a surprise for you. He even bought a dozen young performers before the end of the year and hired people to train them."

The Old Madam smiled as well, "You’re always speaking well of the eldest; these are all the rage in noble residences in the Capital." Then she asked, "What are the ear rooms on either side of the main room used for? Where are you settled?"

Nanny Qin felt warm inside hearing her master ask about her settlement first and replied, "The east ear room connects to the main room where I settled myself. Since the west ear room is nearer to the back storeroom, I thought of giving it to Susu. Behind the main room are three Bao Xia rooms for Yang Liu and the other three to reside. However, the west ear room is not as bright as Bao Xia, so it is a bit of an inconvenience to Susu."

Upon hearing this, Susu eagerly said, "It’s no inconvenience at all. Being close to the Old Madam and having peace and quiet, none of you should argue with me over this!" Yang Liu and the others pretended to be envious, "You managed to get all the good things; Nanny Qin is playing favorites!"

With laughter and banter, their residences were decided, and the Old Madam told them to go settle in, leaving Nanny Qin behind to speak.

When Susu and the others left the main room, the courtyard was bustling with maids and older women settling their arrangements. Yang Liu and the others turned towards the east gallery corridor to the corner gate, while Susu headed directly west; it was only a few steps to the west ear room.

The west ear room faced the west wing, with a covered walkway in front and a small flowerbed before the door. Further west was a moon gate, just like the east corner gate, both connecting to the backyard. Right alongside stood the high courtyard wall.

Susu pushed open the west ear room door under envious gazes from the maids and attendants in the courtyard. The bystanders privately sighed that it truly showed that Susu, a favorite maid by the Old Madam’s side, received extraordinary treatment, even more so than Yang Liu who did not get to reside in this room. Besides being close to the Old Madam, look at those windows, made of large panes of glass.

Glass is not rare in Great Chu, as the Royal Internal Affairs Bureau operates a glass factory. But due to the transmigrator’s business strategies and the period’s manufacturing level, glass remains a luxury, not accessible to the common folk.

Susu paid no mind to those complicated glances behind her; she closed the door upon entering and began to survey the place where she would at least be living for the next five years.

It was nearly one-third smaller than her room in Yangzhou, but it had everything a room should have, and the furnishings were even better than before, either red sandalwood or rosewood. But before Susu could thoroughly assess, Nanny Qin knocked and entered, handing two bunches of keys to Susu.

"These are the keys to various storage rooms, just like in Yangzhou. I won’t mention the common purchases, but go open the storerooms first, and have the maids take the necessary things according to previous allocations from our courtyard. The new arrivals have theirs too. Your four’s luggage is also in storage."

Susu took the keys and held Nanny Qin’s arm, "Dear Nanny, you have put effort into my room!"

Nanny Qin patted Susu’s hand, "It was always unfair to you, those few things mean nothing. You, the one who loves peace and quiet, will be disturbed by the hundreds of maids in the backyard sooner or later if you move there. This mansion is different from before; be vigilant in all things. After Yang Liu and Ning Cui marry, Nanny won’t let you be idle like this."

Susu smiled slyly like a little fox, "Be idle while I can!" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Susu changed her clothes and went out the door, taking a turn west out the moon gate into the bustling backyard.

In the middle of the backyard stood a large flower garden, featuring an artificial mountain and a clear stream, and it was already exceptionally beautiful from a distance.

Susu first arrived at the set of three small Bao Xia rooms facing south, where Yang Liu and the others were tidying up. Upon seeing Susu, they said, "Quickly open the storerooms to bring us the boxes and cases; the rooms only have furniture without even bedding."

Susu glanced inside; though larger than the ear room, it was also quite empty, so she smiled and said, "To get those, you’ll need to help me first. Heaven knows where everything is buried! The Old Madam instructed me to distribute what’s in the small storeroom to the servants first; after that, I’ll find your things."

Yang Liu lowered her voice, "What do you think is going on in that one’s head? It’s a wonder she even thought of it. Just now I asked Chun Feng, and the allocation for head maids is still alright, but the ones for junior maids are truly just deplorable."

Susu smirked lightly, "Why bother with her!"

Ning Cui and Yun Duo went to attend to the upper room, and Susu drafted Yang Liu as labour, along with Ning Xiang and Wu Tong, they were busy in the storeroom the entire afternoon. Not until before dinner did they finish distributing everything and retrieve the boxes and cases for everyone, which they moved back to their respective rooms, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. It was unknown who did such a good job of spreading the word, but all at once the hundred and eighty maids and older women came to claim their shares, the group of women together, regardless of age, was like a market.

Before dinner, the Elder Master also returned from the Ministry of Revenue, and without changing out of his official uniform, he went to greet the Old Madam. By then, Susu and the others had just finished tidying up and were chatting with the Old Madam in the upper room about the "market" happenings, making the Old Madam laugh and scold Susu and the others for their mischief. It was at this moment that the Elder Master entered...