The Insolent Servant

"Madam, Nanny Yan is here."

Lin Yunwan said, "Please show her in."

Nanny Yan came in carrying a register and said with a smile, "Madam, what are you still busy with so late?"

Lin Yunwan put down her brush and said, "I'm preparing lessons for the two young masters."

Nanny Yan glanced over and saw a copy of the Bamboo Branch Calligraphy Model on the table beneath the windowsill. Beside it lay a blank book of xuan paper, now densely covered with small characters.

Madam was indeed doing her utmost for young master Qing.

Carrying the register over, she said, "Madam, you must take care of your eyes, and even more so your health."

Lin Yunwan nodded and instructed Tao Ye, "Bring a bowl of Clear Breeze Jade Dew."

Nanny Yan had not intended to drink anything, but when she heard the elegant name, she sat down again.

Tao Ye served the Clear Breeze Jade Dew tea.

Nanny Yan caught its fragrance, and after just one sip, she could not stop praising it. "How fragrant!" Still, she did not dare drink much. "It's late now. If I'd come in the morning, I'd certainly have finished this whole bowl of tea, Madam."

Tao Ye explained softly from beside her, "Please drink as much as you like, Nanny. This is pu'er tea. It gently nourishes the spleen and stomach and won't keep you awake at night."

"Is it really so wonderful?"

Nanny Yan took up the cup and drank it all.

Seeing how much she enjoyed it, Tao Ye took the opportunity to add, "Pu'er tea only comes into its own after three or four infusions. You came at just the right time, Nanny. Any earlier or later, and you wouldn't have gotten any."

Nanny Yan was even more delighted, feeling as though she had gotten a bargain.

When it came time to hand Lin Yunwan the register Old Madam Lu had finished making decisions on, she felt a little embarrassed instead.

Lin Yunwan, however, showed no particular reaction and accepted it as an ordinary household matter.

As soon as Nanny Yan left, she opened the register and looked. Sure enough, it was just as she had expected.

Ping Ye said with a smile, "Old Madam really did cut Qiao Da's job trimming the bamboo branches! He's bound to kick up a fuss now."

Tao Ye was somewhat worried. "I'm just afraid Qiao Da won't know when to stop once he starts, and Madam will get caught up in it."

Lin Yunwan was not worried in the least. She said mildly, "Qiao Da has a terrible temper, but he isn't an unreasonable man."

Ping Ye drank the remaining Clear Breeze Jade Dew.

At the Hall of Longevity.

Since Nanny Yan had enjoyed maple dew tea at Drooping Silk Hall, she had to put in a few good words for Lin Yunwan.

She said to her mistress, "It doesn't matter if the others' jobs are cut, but that Qiao Da is rather difficult, after all."

How could Old Madam Lu not know? But she had no choice either.

"Then tell me, if I don't cut Qiao Da's job, whose should I cut? Everyone on the list submitted to me serves at my side. If I can't even look after the people in my own courtyard, and I'm no longer managing the household, then when I get a little older, I really will become a deaf and mute old woman."

"You're not wrong, either. I'm just afraid Qiao Da will make trouble for Madam. It won't look good if there's an uproar."

Old Madam Lu was not worried about that. She said, "Yun Wan is even more capable than you think. She can handle a trifling matter like this. Besides, didn't we marry her into the family so she could manage the household properly? If she can't even deal with this, she doesn't deserve to be mistress of the Lu family."

The old madam had truly grown accustomed to comfort after being a hands-off shopkeeper for several years, and no longer knew how difficult it was to manage a household.

Nanny Yan could hardly say anything.

"Go tell her in the side quarters that once the mistress has drawn up the register, someone will be sent to serve her, and she is to behave herself from now on. Assign Xiliu to her for the time being."

"Yes."

Nanny Yan then made another trip to see Ge Bao'er.

"Xiliu is a second-rank maid in the old madam's service. She understands all the rules of the residence, so if there's anything you don't understand in the future, ask her first. Don't rush off to the old madam to stir up trouble."

"From now on, miss, the most important thing for you in the Lu family is to serve the old madam well. The mistress of the household will see to everything else, so don't let your thoughts stray elsewhere."

Ge Bao'er was usually very well-behaved. She stood obediently in the room and listened to Nanny Yan deliver the message.

Although Nanny Yan looked down on her too, she did her best to pass the message along, and left it at that.

After leaving Xiliu there, she departed.

"Miss, I'm Xiliu."

A young maid walked in. She was nearly old enough for her hairpin ceremony and looked just like her name: a slender willow beside a clear stream. Her figure was graceful and willowy, and her face was delicate.

When she entered the residence, the Stewardesses had given her that name according to the generation assigned to maids entering the household. Xi was the generation character Madam had chosen, and it sounded lovely.

She was very proud of the name.

Ge Bao'er looked her over curiously, then said, "You're younger than me. From now on, I'll treat you as my little sister."

Xiliu was overwhelmed by the favor. "I wouldn't dare! You're the mistress, and I'm only a maid."

Ge Bao'er smiled and took her hand, inviting her to sit with her. "What do you mean, a maid? I'm on my own in this residence too. Since you'll be with me all day, I'll regard you as my little sister."

Xiliu felt she was sincere and, after a little hesitation, agreed.

"Nanny Yan just said you should tell me about the rules of the residence and the customs and etiquette of a marquis's household. Tell me quickly." She did not want to make a fool of herself again, not even knowing what a brush rest was!

The Lu family household was actually quite complicated. But because Old Madam Lu had only one legitimate son and one legitimate grandson, and the branches descended from concubines had all been sent away, the Wuding Marquis Residence seemed peaceful.

Xiliu picked out some important matters to discuss first, then explained a few simple rules.

Ge Bao'er heard something.

"Xiliu, did you just say a mistress can change a maid's name?"

Xiliu was startled. She nodded and said, "Yes."

Ge Bao'er smiled at her. "I haven't studied much, and I can't pronounce your name well. I'll give you a new one. How about Wu'er?"

Xiliu opened her mouth and stared at her.

Ge Bao'er asked blankly, "Can't I change it?"

Xiliu hurriedly waved her hands. "No, that's not it. You can."

Ge Bao'er was overjoyed. "Then I'll call you Wu'er from now on."

Xiliu could only agree.

Ge Bao'er was in a very good mood, and seemed merely curious as she asked, "Nanny Yan said I'll be given a young lady's allowance from now on. What allowances do the young ladies of the residence get?"

Xiliu knew this well, so she counted on her fingers as she began from the beginning. "The room will certainly have to be refurnished. When the eldest married miss was still here, her rooms were much more luxurious than this."

The eldest married miss was Lu Zhengliu's elder sister by a concubine. She had married many years ago.

As she was born to a concubine, the treatment she received while living at home could not have matched that of a proper young lady of the family.

But even so, it filled Ge Bao'er with longing.

"A screen inlaid with mother-of-pearl... a carved dressing mirror... a chicken-wing wood clothes rack. Even the embroidery stools were covered in silk."

After Xiliu went back to rest, Ge Bao'er murmured the words to herself, then looked again at the side room where she now lived. It had been hastily prepared after standing empty for a long time. Apart from a simple bed and a chest, it had nothing in it, and was worse than the servants' quarters.

"Still, it doesn't matter."

Ge Bao'er comforted herself. She would have those things sooner or later.

The next morning, Ge Bao'er rose early and went to the kitchen to make food.

In the past, she had only made a portion for Old Madam Lu, but today she was industrious and made five portions in one go. She sent one to every courtyard where a member of the family lived.

Old Madam Lu had eyes and ears everywhere and knew all about it.

Seeing how attentive Ge Bao'er was being, she asked coldly, "What exactly are you trying to do, sending food to Yun Wan's courtyard?"

Even though she had been misunderstood, Ge Bao'er did not feel aggrieved.

She said sincerely, "Since Madam is genuinely devoted to raising Qing, I have nothing to worry about. Now that I've come to the Lu family and become your grandniece, the mistress of the Lu family is also my mistress. Of course I should treat her with the same devotion."

Old Madam Lu studied her, not quite believing her.

Ge Bao'er paid no heed to what Old Madam Lu thought of her and simply served her food. "Please eat, or it will get cold."

Old Madam Lu silently took the porcelain bowl.

She did not think Ge Bao'er could really hold herself back for decades, merely for a chance to outlive Lin Yunwan.

She only hoped that if the day truly came when something happened, Lin Yunwan would be able to tolerate Ge Bao'er for being reasonably honest and docile.

As soon as the orders cutting the jobs were issued, Qiao Da did indeed kick up a fuss.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You dare touch your great-grandfather Qiao Da's job? When I was earning merit, who knows where you were playing in the mud!"

"Call your father here! Call your ancestor here! Let's see if your father and your ancestor dare put on airs in front of me!"

"If I don't teach you lot a lesson today, you really won't know how formidable your great-grandfather Qiao Da was back then!"

Unable to deal with the uproar, the steward invoked Lin Yunwan's name. "Stop making trouble. These were all Madam's decisions. We're only following orders."

"Bullshit! Anyone else might cut my job, but never Madam!"

"Madam knows better than anyone what I've done for the marquis's residence! Madam is more considerate than anyone!"

"I want to see Madam! I want to see Madam!"

The steward berated him. "Keep this up and I'll have you tied up! The women live in the inner courtyard. Do you think you can just barge in?"

Seeing that Qiao Da refused to quiet down no matter what, he revealed a little in a low voice. "It's true it has nothing to do with Madam, but her hands are tied too. It's all because Old Madam wanted to provide for the newly arrived cousin miss..."

"You know Madam treats you well, so why can't you understand the difficult position she's in?"

When Qiao Da heard this, he went even wilder.

"What damned cousin miss? Some little bitch who's barely even related dares break ground over her great-grandfather Qiao Da's head! I'll skin her alive right now!"

The steward's head ached.

"He's gone mad, gone mad! Somebody, tie him up! Gag him!"

"Just you try tying up your great-grandfather! Aaaow—"