Paying Respects
The First Madam nodded.
After thinking for a moment, she went to the storeroom herself, selected two rosewood bookshelves and a sandalwood desk, and also picked out pen holders, paperweights and other small items, as well as several paintings and calligraphy works, and delivered Tea Tasting Residence.
Matron Yuan was also an old servant in the Marquis's mansion, and she was even more thoughtful than Qingfeng. However, being mature, she didn't directly advise Xu Xi, but watched Qingfeng leave with unease in her heart.
She was truly surprised to see that the manor had not only delivered the items Xu Xi had requested, but had also sent many more. What surprised her most was that these items were personally delivered by the First Madam.
She couldn't help but look at Qingfeng.
Qingfeng entered the manor at the age of six and worked her way up to become a second-class maid in the Rongxi Hall. She knew best to be careful with her words and actions. She didn't intend to mention the conversation between the Old Madam and the First Madam to anyone. Besides, she and Matron Yuan weren't originally from the same place and weren't familiar with each other. Not only were they unfamiliar, they were also rivals—whoever the Fifth Miss favored more would be the most important person in Tea Tasting Residence after the head maid. Now that she and Matron Yuan were on the same starting line, she naturally had to compete for that position.
Therefore, she pretended not to see it and directed the maids to move the things into the study.
Upon hearing that the First Madam had arrived in person, Xu Xi quickly came out to greet her and thanked her.
The First Madam smiled and said, "I heard you're decorating your study. I don't know if you'll like these things. If you don't like them or if you're missing anything, just tell me."
"Auntie picked these, they must be good stuff," Xu Xi said with a smile, then instructed, "Auntie, please come inside and sit down. Yicui, bring some tea."
The First Madam waved her hand, "No need, I have many things to attend to, I don't have time for tea. By the way, there's a library in the manor, if you like reading, you can go and have a look." She pointed to Qingfeng, "Qingfeng knows where it is, just ask her to take you there."
Xu Xi was overjoyed and quickly curtsied, saying, "Thank you very much, Aunt." This was truly a great gift to her.
She wanted to understand the world, and reading books was the fastest and most convenient way.
"Alright, you're busy. I'm leaving." The First Madam acted decisively, tossing out a sentence before leaving with her maid.
After seeing the First Madam off, Xu Xi directed the maids and servants to arrange the table and bookshelves according to her wishes, then placed the writing implements and brush holders she had retrieved from the Chess Watching Courtyard, and hung up the calligraphy and paintings that the First Madam had sent. Looking at the room that had become more scholarly, she nodded in satisfaction.
Everything was OK except for the empty bookshelves.
In the afternoon, Xu Xi practiced calligraphy in her new study and heard the system announce "Wisdom Points +2", which she found very pleasant.
Dinner at the Marquis's residence was always a private affair for each household. However, since Xu Xi had returned today, the old lady had a family banquet prepared, with the men's and women's tables separated by screens.
Whether it was because Lady Wei old lady had reprimanded her or because she had restrained herself in front of the other people in the Marquis's mansion, Lady Wei, though wearing a stern face, did not cause any trouble. The family ate a meal in a harmonious atmosphere.
"Qingfeng." Before going to sleep, Xu Xi asked Qingfeng, "What time did everyone go to pay their respects to the old lady this morning? Remember to wake me up."
Since arriving in ancient times, her life has been incredibly idyllic. With little entertainment and the Xu Family You (5-7 PM). Besides, she ate only two meals a day, and dinner was eaten early. After eating, with nothing to do, she simply went to sleep to avoid being too hungry to sleep later.
Because she goes to bed early, she naturally wakes up early as well. When Xu Xi was in the Xu Family, she usually got up at the crack of dawn. Now, getting up early to pay her respects to the old lady is no challenge for her at all.
Qingfeng hesitated for a moment. "The old lady prefers peace and quiet, so she doesn't require everyone to pay their respects every day. She only needs to pay her respects on the morning of the first and fifteenth of the month at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM)."
These rules should have been taught to Xu Xi by the Second Madam, her own mother, and she should have led her to the first time she paid her respects. Now, the Fifth Miss is unwilling to be disciplined by the Second Madam, and the Old Madam and the First Madam don't have the energy to deal with these trivial matters, which has put Qingfeng in a difficult position.
As a servant, it wasn't really appropriate for her to give Xu Xi advice.
Upon hearing this, Xu Xi thought for a moment and said, "It's alright. I have to go to the academy tomorrow, and I should say goodbye to the old lady. I'll go and pay my respects early. It's never a bad thing to be polite."
"What you say is true, young lady." Qingfeng praised her highly.
If you do well, no one will say anything; if you do poorly, just wait for others to nitpick at you.
After all, the young lady has just returned to the manor, and even the Second Madam isn't protecting her now. If she doesn't act tactfully, those people in the manor who look down on the weak and flatter the strong will surely gossip behind her back.
The next morning, Xu Xi woke up naturally without Qingfeng calling her. She had been slapped by Lady Wei the day before, but after rolling an egg on her face and applying the ointment sent by the First Madam, there was no trace of the slap on her face.
After she finished washing up, she went to the Rongxi Hall. The old lady had only just gotten up a short while ago. She was quite surprised to see her and looked at Qingfeng.
Since Qingfeng had followed Xu Xi, he naturally hoped that his master would live a good life.
She quickly tried to gain Xu Xi's favor. "As I mentioned, the ladies, young mistresses, and young ladies in the manor all come to pay their respects to the old lady on the first and fifteenth of the month. But the young lady said that since she is new here, she should show her filial piety, so she got up early today to pay her respects to the old lady."
These words warmed the old lady's heart.
She didn't lack Xu Xi's filial piety. But the fact that Xu Xi knew how to be polite and knew to pay respects to the elders showed that the child was quite well-mannered.
"Not entirely," Xu Xi said with an honest expression. "Ruxi was going to the academy today and had to say goodbye to the old lady, so we went together."
The old lady laughed at this and beckoned to Xu Xi, saying, "You child, why are you so honest? Qingfeng has already spoken up for you, and you still expose her. What are you going to do about it in the future?"
Qingfeng blushed and laughed too.
"You'll understand once you get to know me better. I'm a straightforward person; I don't like beating around the bush. I say what I mean and what I say." Xu Xi said.
She was naturally shrewd, but she had no patience for playing games with the people of the Marquis's mansion. Her ambitions lay not in the Marquis's mansion, and she was impatient with dealing with people, so she first had to establish a straightforward persona within the Marquis's mansion. Another way to describe straightforwardness is being a hothead. Such a person speaks and acts bluntly, and others won't take it too seriously, thus avoiding a lot of trouble.
Besides, the old lady had spent her whole life in the inner quarters, and she didn't believe that Qingfeng's words could please her more than her own.
Sure enough, the old lady preferred honest children to scheming ones. She found Xu Xi much more agreeable.
"Perfect timing, you're here. Have breakfast with me." The old lady said, instructing the servants to bring over Xu Xi's breakfast as well, and then asked her, "Does the academy have any rules about what time to arrive?"