Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 75 - 5: Right and Wrong (5th Update)

Susu exchanged a few more words with Yang Liu, and then walked through the garden, heading straight to the Lotus Pavilion.

This pavilion stands by the lake, with covered corridors and small bridges connecting to the Lake Pavilion and the railing plank path for lotus viewing and fish feeding. Although such a view is not uncommon, the young ladies gathered together, chatting and laughing, which was quite rare.

Sixth Miss called for her painting tools, some of which were rare oils from the West.

The daughter of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites of the Xue family wrote a poem, while Fifth Miss from the Wenchang Marquis Mansion played a lively tune on her portable flute. Susu witnessed the impressive artistic talents of the young ladies from illustrious families.

Susu stayed for a while but did not join in. After watching for a bit, she went to the small kitchen of the third courtyard. Since no masters currently resided there, only some sweeping maids and matrons occupied it, with just two or three matrons preparing meals.

Today, there was to be a banquet at the pavilion, which necessitated using the place. The chef was transferred from the small kitchen of the Suiyuan Hall. The young ladies had tiny appetites like cats; they didn’t eat much, yet the food needed to be exceptionally refined and elegant, with various exquisite pastries almost too pretty to eat.

The maids and matrons stopped their chores to greet Susu when they saw her. Susu smiled and said, "Keep busy! It’s your skills that will please the young ladies today. The Old Madam has already asked me to prepare the reward money."

Some of them were older servants who had followed from Yangzhou, knowing the Old Madam’s fairness in rewards and punishments. They hurriedly promised to work diligently!

One of the housekeeper matrons handed Susu a plate of pastries with various designs but differing in ingredients and methods. "I suppose you’ll have to serve the young ladies later; better eat something to fill your stomach."

Ever since Susu gained favor with the Old Madam, many such gestures of flattery and respect came her way in abundance. Susu knew very well not to refuse such gestures. Taking a plate of pastries was harmless, and declining might invite criticism, branding her as aloof or snobbish.

Susu accepted them with a smile, "Thank you for thinking of me, mama. I’ll stop by the tea room to get a cup of tea to go with the pastries!" The housekeeper quickly gestured for Susu to go ahead with her tasks.

Tea is a refined thing. When the Song family first acquired wealth, the patriarch invited a tea master to educate the maids and servants for the sake of sophistication. Those who learned well earned the favor of their masters, passing the skills to their children; some house-born sons indeed became quite skilled.

By the time of the young ladies, as their teachers for music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were also experts in the tea ceremony, many of them acquired varying degrees of skill. Of them, Susu, who got along well with her teacher, learned the most proficiently!

Susu knew her limits; music, chess, calligraphy, and painting were fine, but lacking the talent and being merely a maid, learning it might seem presumptuous. However, focusing on food and drink allowed her to hone skills that could honor the masters.

After several years, Susu took stock of her skills, in addition to the original owner’s calligraphy, embroidery, and scent blending, she mastered tea brewing, DIY rouge and powder, some cooking, winemaking, and more, which would prevent her from starving.

The tearoom of the third courtyard was being used for the first time today, managed by Xiang Ming, Third Miss’s attending maid. Her father had been a house-born servant who learned tea brewing well, originally serving the Second Master, now also a steward of the Second Wife.

Xiang Ming learned some skills from her father, and when she came under Third Miss’s service, hearing of her tea brewing skills, her name was changed to Xiang Ming.

Xiang Ming learned a few more techniques from attending school with the young ladies’ instructor, and among the maids in the mansion, she was quite capable. Today, she was assigned to the tearoom and would serve the young ladies later, giving Third Miss some credit.

The tearoom also housed several neatly dressed second-class maids, who were responsible for serving the dishes.

Sixth Miss disliked the coarse matrons from the kitchen serving at the table, and the Old Madam, though bemused, accommodated her wish, assigning two second-class maids from each young lady’s side to serve the food.

At the moment, there was no one summoned to the kitchen, so the chief maids gathered at the pavilion with their respective young ladies, leading them to the tearoom for a chat. Staying together made them closer than back in the Yangzhou gardens, except for Second Miss’s maids, who seemed out of place.

The ten second-class maids, plus Xiang Ming, crowded the tea room, leaving no space for Susu to even set foot.

Most maids present were older than Susu, but upon her arrival, they all stood to greet her.

Susu smiled and said, "Is this a welcome party for me?"

Xiang Ming, a chief maid like Susu and now sharing the same courtyard, often shared treats and fun with Susu, fostering a harmonious relationship. After all, Susu was close to the Old Madam, which meant nobody dared to offend her.

Seeing Susu, Xiang Ming stood up too and quipped, "Let me check how thick your skin is!"

After exchanging a few jests, Susu distributed the pastries from the kitchen, just enough for one piece each. A second-class maid from Second Miss’s side gave a half-smile and remarked, "Thank you, Miss Susu, really! Only Miss Susu has enough presence; we didn’t get such fine things upon arriving, which seemed reserved for the nobles."

Susu glanced at the maid, realizing she had somehow offended someone she barely knew, despite her usual amiability.

Knowing she couldn’t please everyone and sensing the oddity, Susu chose not to fuss, replying, "Our masters are always kind. They don’t eat much pastry, often distributing it among the maids. Though exquisite, these pastries aren’t rare in our mansion! It’s not about who has presence; perhaps the kitchen stewardess feared my cravings might embarrass me in front of esteemed guests."

The playful remark amused everyone, including those who tried to speak but were nudged into silence, with the maid only casting a resentful glance at Susu.

After everyone finished the pastries and tea, Xiang Ming said, "It’s getting late. Susu and I should check the front. You all prepare yourselves!" Saying this, she packed a red clay stove, kettle, tea strainer, and tea leaves into a carrying box, personally carried it, and led Susu out of the tea room.

Only after walking some distance did Xiang Ming say, "You usually dislike going out and gossiping, so you probably don’t even know that maid’s name or why she caused trouble?"

Susu quickly said, "I really don’t know; dear sister, if you know, please enlighten your little sister!"

"That maid’s name is Xiang Lian, also house-born. Previously, the housekeeper in charge of the main storeroom was her sister’s mother-in-law until First Master sold off that entire housekeeper’s family, including her sister."

In such an established family, house-born ties are deep-rooted and complex. Although the Song family spans only three generations, the intricate connections among house-born members were still complicated. Susu, listening silently for a while, finally said, "Thank you for the insight, sister!"

Still, Susu wasn’t afraid, as the Old Madam’s protection meant they could only mutter a few sour words; they wouldn’t dare much more. After all, was she easily bullied just because she appeared kind?