Chapter 17: The Chamber Maid

Before Shen Shi even reached Phoenix Ripple Courtyard, the news had already arrived.

Seeing Granny He looking dejected and deflated, having lost all her vigor from the day before, Pear Moon felt quite pleased.

The gossip from Brocade Prosperity Hall said that Old Madam and Madam Ning had eaten bamboo shoot and fern dumplings and the mountain-and-sea delicacy before remembering Granny Zhou.

Pear Moon thought this might not be entirely true.

In noble families, wet nurses were held in high esteem. Even after the young masters and misses grew up, they would keep their wet nurses by their side and provide for them honorably.

Granny Zhou was not yet fifty, not very old, and still capable of helping her master manage affairs.

That the Young Master visited her the day after returning to the mansion showed just how deep their bond was.

A capable and vigorous wet nurse like her should have been treated generously by Shen Shi even when the Young Lord was not in the mansion.

It made no sense that Granny Zhou only received a position of authority today after Old Madam and Madam Ning spoke up.

Pear Moon felt that Old Madam and Madam Ning were using Granny Zhou to admonish Shen Shi.

Phoenix Ripple Courtyard was the inner residence of Ningguo Mansion. For Shen Shi to only use servants from the Shen family while neglecting even her husband’s wet nurse was truly excessive.

Jade Ink understood Old Madam and Madam Ning’s intentions, which was why she sent the mountain-and-sea delicacy to bring this matter to light.

Pear Moon thought Jade Ink was very clever and that she could learn a lot from her.

“Yesterday, Autumn Abundance still wanted to curry favor with Granny He and nearly wasted several strings of cash for nothing!”

Huan Huan laughed so hard she slapped the kang. Autumn Abundance was still counting her money.

“What do you know? Gifts will have to be given sooner or later! Now that Granny Zhou is in charge of the study, we’ll have to send gifts too!”

“Don’t send gifts just yet,” Pear Moon waved her hand to stop them, sitting on the edge of the kang and swinging her legs.

“Granny Zhou doesn’t like people forming cliques. If we rush to send gifts, it might backfire. Besides, she’s just arrived. A new official lights three fires—she might want to make an example of someone. Let’s not stick our necks out.”

Huan Huan had no ideas, but Autumn Abundance was impatient: “What if Fragrant Grass and the others send gifts first? What do we do then?”

Pear Moon shook her head slowly. “If Granny Zhou is the type to accept gifts in exchange for favors, then there’s no need to seek her out. We’re just coarse maids—how much money do we have between us? We can’t fill a bottomless pit!”

The three of them combined didn’t even have twenty taels of silver. Relying on gifts was indeed not feasible.

Huan Huan and Autumn Abundance fell silent.

As they were talking in the small room, they suddenly heard a commotion erupting in the servants’ courtyard.

Yesterday, Granny He had hosted a banquet and received many gifts and money.

The second- and third-rank maids of Phoenix Ripple Courtyard, as well as older women with daughters, had given her quite a bit of money.

Everyone wanted to enter Tranquil Study and serve in the Young Lord’s study.

Avoiding the Young Mistress’s watchful eyes and adding a touch of charm to the Young Master’s side was a shortcut for maids to climb the social ladder.

Now that Granny He had lost her position of authority, how could these people accept the loss?

After all, even the smallest gift had been ten taels of silver.

Pretending to fetch water, Pear Moon grabbed a bucket and hurried to the servants’ courtyard to watch the commotion.

She saw a crowd gathered outside Granny He’s room, all clamoring and pulling at her, demanding their money back.

Granny He was a miser—how could she possibly return the silver once it was in her hands?

The two sides argued and cursed, pulling at clothes and grabbing hair, nearly coming to blows.

Suddenly, a clear, sharp voice shouted, “Everyone, stop! Miss Lan is here!” The crowd froze in surprise.

Pear Moon looked closely and saw Fragrant Grass supporting Angelica Orchid, the two sisters standing straight and blocking the doorway.

Angelica Orchid, proud of her status as a chamber maid, had changed her attire that very morning.

She wore a soft satin jacket and skirt in a rosy pink hue, her hair piled high in a bun, adorned with caterpillar fungus flower and kingfisher feather hairpins, looking almost like a half-mistress.

With one hand waving a silk handkerchief and the other resting on Fragrant Grass’s arm, she glared and spat in disdain.

“Are you trying to rebel? Even if my grandmother no longer holds authority, I am not dead yet! I am the chamber maid personally elevated by our young lady, and tomorrow I will be a concubine. In this courtyard, aside from our young lady, who holds higher status than me? She is my grandmother after all—how dare you lay hands on her?”

Her imposing manner indeed intimidated the crowd. Everyone was cowed into silence, and the commotion instantly died down.

Seeing that she had subdued them, Angelica Orchid felt quite pleased with herself. Pointing at their noses, she sneered coldly.

“I understand what you’re after—just seeking a position in the study, that’s all. Even if my grandmother can’t manage it, can’t I? Those of us who came as part of Madam Shen’s entourage, I will naturally look after you. You won’t miss out on the benefits!”

The maids and matrons who had come seeking money finally felt a weight lift from their hearts upon hearing this.

After all, in Phoenix Ripple Courtyard, Angelica Orchid was the only chamber maid, and she was all but certain to be promoted to concubine.

She was already half a mistress; elevating a junior maid would be easier for her than for Granny He.

Seeing that the money spent on gifts had not been wasted, the crowd released Granny He and gathered around Angelica Orchid, showering her with flattery.

Pear Moon, hiding outside and listening, felt secondhand embarrassment for her.

She had entered Ningguo Mansion at the age of six and had long since grown tired of hearing about the mansion’s rules.

When the masters of the mansion elevate a chamber maid, it must be done under the guidance of the principal wife, who must first lead the maid to kowtow to all the elders.

Only then can the mistress in charge of household affairs record the maid’s name in the registry and send it to the steward’s office, after which the maid may be formally taken into the household.

Although chamber maids are nominally servants, they are essentially low-ranking concubines, taken into the household for the purpose of bearing children.

Ningguo Mansion had strict rules and placed great importance on lineage, so they would not carelessly allow maids to bear heirs.

Angelica Orchid’s status as a chamber maid was merely a casual remark from Madam Shen. It had not been reported to Old Madam or Madam Ning, nor had her name been recorded in the steward’s office. She had no official status and was not recognized—how could she have the audacity to boast about it?

Moreover, even if a chamber maid were formally elevated, her clothing and hairstyle were not permitted to overstep their bounds.

According to Ningguo Mansion’s rules, after a chamber maid was formally taken into the household, she was only allowed to wear her hair in a simple bun adorned with gold or silver hairpins. She was not permitted to style her hair in an elaborate high chignon or dress like a young married woman unless she was promoted to concubine.

Angelica Orchid’s position as a chamber maid was not even official, yet she dressed and styled herself in this manner. If she were to step outside Phoenix Ripple Courtyard, she would likely face the bamboo cane of the instructing matrons.

Watching her like this, Pear Moon felt utterly perplexed.

The Shen family in the capital was a prominent clan of scholars and etiquette. Logically, their rules and decorum should be even stricter than those of Ningguo Mansion, which originated from military officials.

Yet, from a detached perspective, Madam Shen seemed to care only about superficial propriety, being lenient with herself while strict with others. She was particularly harsh toward outsiders but indulged her personal maids to the point of recklessness.

As Pear Moon was lost in these chaotic thoughts, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her earlobe—someone had pinched her ear.

Before she could even cry out in pain, she heard the cook, Aunt Cao, snort coldly, “I couldn’t find you when I needed you for work, and here you are causing trouble! Today, we must prepare for the nuptial wine ceremony. If anyone dares to slack off, I’ll make sure they regret it!”

Though her words were fierce, her grip was not too tight. Pear Moon pleaded for mercy repeatedly, and Aunt Cao finally released her.

Dashing back to the kitchen, Pear Moon saw that both Huan Huan and Autumn Abundance had red ears—clearly, they had also been scolded.

“Old Madam and Madam Ning have given orders: this evening, we will prepare a celebratory banquet to make up for the nuptial wine for the young lady and the Young Master. We’ll need meat, fruits, vegetables, display platters, as well as auspicious pastries like Union Soup and Lily Blossom Cakes. Everyone, pay close attention and avoid slacking off. Don’t lose your positions here before you’ve even managed to climb to higher branches.”

While Aunt Cao was lecturing, several of the miscellaneous-duty matrons were absent, still flattering Angelica Orchid in front of Granny He’s room.

These words were clearly aimed at them indirectly. Pear Moon felt it was a pity that those who should have heard it were not present.

The small kitchen was bustling with steaming meats and pastries, while Phoenix Ripple Courtyard was also adorned with red decorations, lively and festive.

A few days earlier, when the Young Master returned to the mansion for a family banquet, only the Old Madam had gifted some red candles and festive bedding to furnish the Warm Pavilion.

Today, however, preparations were in full swing. As Madam Ning had given the order, people were dispatched from both the management office and the Embroidery Room.

Phoenix Ripple Courtyard was fully carpeted in red, and the Warm Pavilion was perfumed with spiced incense, resembling a nuptial wine ceremony for a newlywed couple.

The busy preparations continued until the afternoon, when all the first-, second-, and third-rank maids from Phoenix Ripple Courtyard, along with the coarse maids from the small kitchen and miscellaneous courtyards, were summoned into the courtyard to select those who would serve during the nuptial wine ceremony.

Pear Moon and the others stood at the very back.

Before the head steward, Granny Zhao, could speak, Angelica Orchid was already chattering away.

“Zhi Qing and Jade Ink will be in the bridal chamber’s Warm Pavilion, and four second-rank maids will set up the nuptial wine ceremony. I will serve the young lady and the Son-in-law in their room, helping them change clothes!”

Before she could finish speaking, a cold, stern voice questioned, “Are you the young lady’s maid? Why do you disregard the rules and dress in such a manner?”