Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 109 A One-Day Trip to Yunfu

In the evening, the gatekeeper sent someone to deliver an invitation. After looking at it, the second young lady asked in surprise, "An invitation from the Yang family?"

Hua Yan stepped forward and explained, "The Yang family is the one on the left side of Fuqian Street. The patriarch of the Yang family works in the Ministry of Works, but it seems his official position is not very high. Madam Yang was very hospitable today, but Miss Yang did not come out to pay her respects this morning."

The second young lady placed the invitation aside, saying, "In that case, let's leave it for now and not rush to contact it."

While several maids were helping the second young lady with her washing and dressing, Ruizhu brought over the jewelry that would be used the next day for the second young lady to look at.

The second young lady and Hua Yan stared blankly at a large, jewel-encrusted, red-gold hairpin with a butterfly design for a while. Then they looked at the three- or four-ounce red-gold bracelet, the gold filigree and beaded necklace, and the red-gold tassel earrings, which were adorned with dazzling rubies.

Mingyue stepped forward for a closer look and exclaimed in surprise, "So much gold on the Second Miss's head? Won't that exhaust her? Our Miss has never practiced martial arts."

Mengzhu also said, "These are too flashy, it's as if Miss is deliberately showing off at her maternal grandparents' house, that's not good."

Ruizhu: ...It's not that I have to wear formal attire, but my hairpins and ornaments must be expensive to match. She only dared to mutter this to herself, blushing as she went to her dressing case to choose something.

Hua Yan said, "There's no need to choose anything else. Just pick the ones that Yongbaolou offers in the capital. They're the newest and hardest to find in the summer."

The second young lady glanced at Hua Yan with amusement and tapped her head, "You, you've got eight hundred schemes in your heart, you're going to make your aunt suffer tomorrow."

Ruizhu then had a sudden inspiration and took out the black lacquer mother-of-pearl inlaid box that Yongbaolou had just sent over that day from the side of the dressing table, and took out a set of exquisite headdress from it.

Early the next morning, Hua Yan led four second-class maids into the room, each carrying a basin, scented soap, tea, teapot, and other items. After the second young lady finished washing up, and Rui Zhu styled her hair into a flowing cloud bun, Meng Zhu took out a bunch of exquisite bottles and jars from the inner drawer of the dressing table, lightly applied floral perfume and balm, and spread it evenly on the second young lady's head, neck, arms, and fingers, then gently massaged her.

After doing this, Ruizhu had prepared the Qingque hair dye and focused on carefully drawing a slender and long eyebrow shape for the Second Miss. Huayan took out the Yingluo Red Jewel Fortune Lock necklace. The Second Miss opened her eyes and said, "It's better not to make yourself unhappy for the sake of irrelevant people. This necklace looks heavy."

When the second young lady arrived at Yun Gui Courtyard and met her mother, she thought to herself that her makeup wasn't too excessive.

Madam Yun looked exceptionally elegant and noble today, with a single, perfectly round pearl on her head that outshone all others. "Wan'er, your outfit is quite nice. Mama Wei, remember to give a reward to the head maids of Yunyi Courtyard."

Madam Wei smiled and said, "This old servant has remembered. Today, Fu'an Residence sent word that there is no need to pay respects. The master is waiting in the front yard."

Madam Yun, accompanied by her second and fifth daughters, and her wet nurse carrying the now three-year-old seventh daughter, went out the door. The second daughter was accompanied by Hua Yan and Ming Yue. The group passed through the hall and entered the front yard. Tang Xian looked at his wife and daughters in their finery and his beard twitched involuntarily.

After the old master passed away, the Yun family divided its property. Now, the four branches still live together. When Madam Yun returned to her parents' home, she should first visit her eldest uncle from the eldest branch. However, since the eldest branch of the Yun family has already taken up his post as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, her aunt sent someone in advance to tell Madam Yun to visit her father and stepmother first.

Hua Yan followed the second young lady into the mansion. Led by the steward of the fourth branch, the group bypassed the crabapple-patterned gate and walked along the pebble path for about half a cup of tea's time before turning right, passing a screen wall, and entering the courtyard.

After exchanging greetings with his father-in-law, Tang Xian followed him to the study. In the flower hall of the back residence, the Fourth Madam smiled and tried to pull Madam Yun to sit down, but Madam Yun subtly turned aside and sat down on her own.

The second young lady, accompanied by the fifth young lady, and the wet nurse, leading the third young lady, stepped forward to pay their respects. The fourth old lady then had a maidservant present three purses on a tray.

The second young lady took the purse and handed it to Hua Yan as she turned around. Hua Yan squeezed it and found that it looked like a bracelet inside. She thought to herself that this old lady was just putting on a show. Who gives a bracelet as a gift?

Madam Yun, the stepmother, was over fifty years old and well-maintained, which made her daughter-in-law beside her look rather old. Just as the Fourth Madam was about to speak, Aunt Zou arrived late with a young woman in her prime. She was two years younger than Madam Yun, but her face looked very haggard, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes creased up with her facial movements.

"Sister has arrived so early. It must be so leisurely in the inner quarters of the Tang family. You must be enjoying your freedom."

As soon as Aunt Zou entered the flower hall, she noticed that everything Madam Yun was dressed in was rich and exquisite, and the maids following behind her were dressed like young ladies from wealthy families. Her heart skipped a beat.

Madam Yun replied calmly, "It's understandable that you arrived a little late, sister. The Earl's mansion is a large and prosperous family, and you are in charge of the household affairs, managing everything from food and drink to expenses and income. You have to be very careful in managing it."

Seeing this, the fourth old lady lowered her eyes, secretly resentful. Who knew that this marriage she had schemed for would only bring her an earl's mansion, and that she had secretly and openly supported her daughter for so many years. However, she had other ideas in mind, so she had to suppress them for now.

Aunt Zou's daughter's given name was Zou Xiuer. As a junior, she naturally had to pay her respects to Madam Yun. Madam Yun waved her hand and took a gilded kingfisher hairpin from Wei Mama's hand.

Zou Xiuer happily accepted the hairpin, but when she looked up, she saw that the second young lady was wearing a hairpin that was far more valuable than this one. After sitting down, she threw it to the maid behind her in shame and indignation.

Everyone knew it was just a formality. After the maids served the tea, the Fourth Madam still praised Tang Lin, her nominal grandson, at length, and said, "Brother Lin is promising. When he was studying at the manor, his teacher praised him for his intelligence. Now he is a compiler in the Hanlin Academy and has a bright future. Although he has a good marriage arranged, he needs more support to have a successful official career."

No sooner had she spoken than Zhang, the fourth daughter-in-law, got up and led the second and fifth young ladies and Zou Xiuer away, saying she wanted to take the second young lady for a stroll in the garden. The second young lady got up, gave Hua Yan a look, and then left.

Mingyue followed closely behind, while Huayan hid behind Mother Wei, acting as a quiet, human-shaped vase.

Seeing that Madam Yun did not respond, the Fourth Madam had no choice but to continue, "The eldest son of Marquis Rongxing and Jin'er, Kun'er, is not yet married. He is about the same age as Wan'er and they are cousins. Next year, when Wan'er comes of age..."

Hua Yan looked up at Aunt Zou, only to see her looking up with an arrogant expression, staring intently at Madam Yun.

Madam Yun stood up and said coldly, "It's better not to say it out loud. Kun-ge'er, ha, you and your mother are quite the schemers. A dissolute boy of seventeen or eighteen with four or five concubines is not someone our merchant family can aspire to. I must pay my respects to my aunt, so I will not keep you company."

Hua Yan followed Madam Yun out of the courtyard, leaving the Fourth Old Madam and her daughter looking at each other in bewilderment. They felt that the marriage between the Earl's eldest son and the Tang family's daughter was a mismatch for the Tang family. Wouldn't such a marriage be a boon to Tang Lin? If it weren't for the Tang family's generous dowry, they wouldn't have even considered it.

Suppressing her hatred, Madam Yun said to Wei Mama, "Send a message to Zheng Shan and Madam Zhou to reactivate the spies in the Earl's mansion. If they are kept around, they will eventually become a big problem for Wan'er."

Hua Yan felt a chill run down her spine. Could it be that the lady had some kind of leverage over the Rongxing Earl's Mansion?