Chapter 6: Sister
Cai Wen stood at the doorway, beaming as she held a bundle in her arms.
She was four years older than Pear Moon and the biological daughter of Pear Moon’s godmother, Madam Liu.
With her needlework and embroidery skills, Cai Wen had been selected to work in the Embroidery Room and was now a second-rank maid.
Overjoyed, Pear Moon quickly pulled her inside and urged Huan Huan and Autumn Abundance to pour tea.
After greeting them, Cai Wen immediately pinched Pear Moon’s chin.
“Did Fragrant Grass hit you again?”
Having grown up in this environment, they had seen plenty of maids fighting fiercely to stand out and earn rewards.
Worried her little sister might suffer, Cai Wen had hurried over to check on her.
“It’s nothing, I’m not afraid of her!” Pear Moon said with a grin.
Seeing her little face swollen like a pig’s head, Cai Wen was furious.
“If she dares touch you again, tell her: my sister will sew your mouth shut with a needle!”
The dowry maids of the eldest mistress were not to be provoked. Though Cai Wen was a second-rank maid, she could only retaliate with words at most.
Pear Moon covered her mouth and laughed, then quickly told her about the reward money and showed her the small gold hairpin.
“You clever little imp, you really have talent!”
Relieved, Cai Wen unwrapped the bundle and took out a set of floral-patterned clothing.
“I rushed to make you a lined jacket, perfect for spring.”
The red floral fabric was fine, dense, and sturdy—high-quality Songjiang cloth. Pear Moon stroked it, her heart aching.
Such fine clothing was too precious to wear for work.
“Sister, keep this good fabric for yourself. I’m more comfortable in coarse cloth.”
Cai Wen poked her with a finger. “A girl your age needs proper clothes! Autumn Abundance and Huan Huan both wear floral jackets—are they not comfortable? Our Xiao Yue is a pretty girl!”
Pear Moon hugged the new clothes, her heart aching over the cost.
“I’m growing fast. Making new clothes every year would cost so much money! Sister, you don’t know how to budget!”
“You little miser!” Cai Wen was both amused and exasperated.
After a few casual remarks, Pear Moon noticed no one else was in the room and leaned closer, lowering her voice.
She wanted to transfer from Phoenix Ripple Courtyard to the Main Kitchen but didn’t know how to go about it.
Cai Wen, having switched courtyards before, naturally understood.
But just as she began to say, “About the Main Kitchen…”
The wooden door was pushed open by a hip, and Autumn Abundance entered, hands holding a tea tray, her face beaming with a broad smile.
“Sister, have some tea! Xiao Yue, let Sister sit on the kang!”
“No need to fuss, little sister, I won’t have tea!” Cai Wen quickly declined.
But Autumn Abundance seemed to have caught a fit of hospitality. Without another word, she set up a kang table and laid out hot tea, rose sugar, roasted melon seeds, and candied walnuts.
Pear Moon had never even seen these snacks before. Where had Autumn Abundance been hiding them?
When Pear Moon bought snacks, they shared them. But when Autumn Abundance bought them, she kept them all to herself?
While the two were still politely refusing, Pear Moon reached out to grab the rose sugar.
“You greedy little hooves! That’s for Sister!”
Autumn Abundance slapped her hand, forcing her to put it down, and smiled obsequiously at Cai Wen. “Nothing fancy, Sister, please don’t mind!”
Pear Moon winced in pain.
Autumn Abundance acted as if they were close, calling her “Sister” repeatedly and flattering Cai Wen until she didn’t know how to respond. She kept trying to cozy up, claiming how deep her sisterly bond with Xiao Yue was.
Finally, she pulled out the tassel from Pear Moon’s pouch and held it right under Cai Wen’s nose.
“This tassel is beautifully made, much better than our Xiao Yue’s.” Cai Wen quickly praised it, then nudged Pear Moon. “Look at Autumn Abundance—you should learn from her.”
Learn what? She doesn’t do the work she’s supposed to, and now she’s showing off with a tassel!
Pear Moon had wanted to have a private talk with her sister, but Autumn Abundance had ruined it.
Pouting, Pear Moon decided she would throw the tassel in Autumn Abundance’s face later.
Cai Wen had come in secret and was in a hurry to leave. Autumn Abundance quickly jumped up.
“Come again, Sister! Oh, I made a jar of honey-preserved cherries—take it back with you to enjoy!”
How could she have the nerve to say that! Whose money bought the cherries? Who saved up the honey and sugar? Who went through the trouble of making them?
Cai Wen didn’t hold back either: “Well, thank you very much. When you have time, come to my place and I’ll find some fabric scraps for you.”
Pear Moon’s face hardened as she snatched the jar of cherries, grabbed her sister, and walked away.
Once they were out of the kitchen courtyard, Cai Wen hugged her and laughed. “I knew you made them—Autumn Abundance doesn’t know how to do this. What were you about to say earlier? You stopped after mentioning the Main Kitchen?”
Only then did Pear Moon cheer up and share her wish to go to the Main Kitchen.
Cai Wen understood a little and nodded. “You’ve suffered here, so it’s good for you to go to Mother’s side.”
But her brow furrowed slightly. “Transferring a maid to the Main Kitchen is easy—just a word from the supervisor. But the supervisors in our household all have hearts set on wealth and eyes only for appearances. It’ll require money.”
Pear Moon now learned that even though Cai Wen’s needlework was outstanding, she still spent ten taels to show her respect when entering the Embroidery Room.
And that was only after her embroidery skills passed muster. Otherwise, it would be like carrying a pig’s head but finding no temple gate—even with money, you couldn’t get it in.
“Granny Qin, the head of the Main Kitchen, also takes money. Whether it’s five or ten taels, you should ask Mother first. I still have a few taels…”
“I have money!” Though it pained Pear Moon to spend, she knew some expenses couldn’t be avoided.
Spending money wasn’t the issue; the priority was getting into the Main Kitchen first.
Once in the Main Kitchen, there would be more rewards, and she’d earn it back sooner or later.
After seeing Cai Wen off, Pear Moon skipped back to the small room.
Autumn Abundance was showing off her new floral-patterned jacket to Huan Huan. “Truly worthy of the Embroidery Room—so neat and finely made.”
“Take it off!”
Pear Moon was furious and pressed her down on the kang to hit her.
If the new clothes got torn or dirty, whose fault would it be?
“I was just trying it on! Here, take it!”
Seeing Pear Moon truly angry, Autumn Abundance quickly took it off.
Pear Moon folded it neatly and stored it in the chest.
Working in the kitchen that evening, no matter how Autumn Abundance fawned like a lapdog, Pear Moon didn’t give her the slightest friendly look.
The sky had been overcast since the afternoon, and by evening, rain began to fall.
The spring rain brought a chill, with fine drizzle and slanting winds rustling.
The Young Master hadn’t returned, said to be drinking outside.
Shen Shi was in a sour mood and ordered that no formal dinner be served, only porridge and side dishes.
This lightened the kitchen’s workload—they only needed to prepare the standard meals for the maids and older servants, and they were done quickly.
Just as everyone was eating, for some reason, the head cook suddenly grabbed an umbrella, went out into the courtyard, and started shouting.
“If the masters leave a bite or two, anyone can eat it! Stop wagging your tongues in my ear! Starve you for three days, and even horse dung would taste sweet!”
Her inexplicable scolding left everyone stunned.
Not long after, Autumn Abundance came over with her bowl and whispered to Pear Moon and Huan Huan.
The food Shen Shi had left at noon was shared among the kitchen staff, and the courtyard maids weren’t happy about it.
They had hoped to save some for themselves from the evening meal, but the kitchen hadn’t prepared any.
Earlier, Angelica Orchid had sent a few sewing women to make sarcastic remarks, which finally provoked the head cook.
She was also a dowry servant from the Shen family but despised the maids for being spoiled. They had never gotten along, and she only stopped after cursing for a long while.
With nothing else to do, Pear Moon baked that tray of snowflake pastries.
She first served two plates to the head cook and the head kitchen assistant.
The kitchen often prepared private snacks, occasionally brought out to let everyone have a taste.
Who was like that wretched Autumn Abundance, hiding and sneaking bites of sweets!
Of the remaining two plates, Pear Moon had Huan Huan carry them, planning to pair them with honey-preserved cherries.
Autumn Abundance sheepishly took one plate. “That jar of cherries—I only grabbed it for you, Sister. Why were you in such a hurry?”
Cai Wen was her own sister, yet she wanted Pear Moon to show off? Pear Moon pouted and ignored her.
The three of them ran to the edge of the kitchen courtyard, under the corridor piled high with things.
Here they sheltered from the rain, and through the low wall, they could see the flowering trees in the main courtyard.
A gentle spring breeze and drizzle sent petals drifting down, covering the ground with rosy speckles, while a fresh, crisp fragrance filled the air.
With such a beautiful scene, their anger faded away.
Three fuzzy-haired maids’ heads peeked over the low wall, nibbling on cherry blossom honey snowflake crisps.
The sky darkened completely, and both plates of crisps were finished.
Huan Huan licked the honey from her fingertips, while Autumn Abundance hunched her shoulders.
Pear Moon also felt cold and shook the water droplets from her bangs.
In this chilly weather, tomorrow would be perfect for sour soup meat dumplings.
Spicy and hot, paired with ginger vinegar sauce—wouldn’t that be absolutely delicious!
Thinking of this, Pear Moon grew excited and immediately went to knead the dough and chop the minced lamb.
“Are you out of your mind?” Autumn Abundance’s face twisted in dismay.
Pear Moon ran to the doorway to fetch the lamb.
Looking up, she saw two figures under the bright tile lamp in the distant corridor.
Jade Ink held an oil-paper umbrella in one hand and supported the Young Master with the other, staggering toward the Tranquil Study.
It seemed the Young Master didn’t plan to rest in the Main Chamber.
Oh dear, tomorrow morning would be chaotic again…