The First Volume: The Abandoned Wife Must Strengthen Herself Chapter 6: Even as a Maid, One Must Have Ambition

  Xue Lengyu lowered her head and followed Xue Bo into the Wang Fu. They walked through a long corridor, passed by a flower hall, and continued on to a courtyard that seemed still under construction.

  "This is the Butterfly Garden that Mu Wangye had specially built for his new concubine." Xue Fu said in a low voice, "The General Manager of the Wang Mansion is currently inside. All matters related to personnel in the Wang Mansion are handled by the General Manager. Be careful what you say when you meet him later."

  "I know." Xue Lengyu also said in a low voice. In her heart, she thought that this was too extravagant, their family had to calculate every meal for three meals a day, but here, there was one concubine per courtyard, it was really "the meat and wine of the nobles' gate stinks, while the bones of the poor rot on the road".

  On the small and exquisite archway, the two characters "Shu Le Die Yuan" (Book Butterfly Garden) are written in a flying dragon and dancing phoenix style, but it is unknown whether they were written by the King of Dian himself.

  Inside the Butterfly Garden, in front of a small building that had not been completed yet, stood a man around fifty years old. He wore a clean and tidy grey-white robe, looking like an ordinary person. A person like him would make a perfect housekeeper.

  "King's steward." Xue's father walked up with a smile.

  "Xue Zhong, you've come to work so early?" said Wang the housekeeper. Then he saw Xue Lengyu behind Xue's father and his eyes lit up: "Is this girl with you?"

  "Yes." Mr. Xue hastily said: "This is my daughter, Xue Lengyu."

  Xue Lengyu hastily imitated the movie's mannerisms, bowing to Wang Guanjia and smiling slightly as she said, "Hello, Wang Guanjia."

  "Your daughter is very beautiful." Wang Guan's gaze was fixed on Xue Lengyu, and his eyes lit up involuntarily. He couldn't believe that the normally honest and simple-minded Xue Zhong had such a beautiful daughter hidden at home.

  Xue's father smiled foolishly: "Housekeeper Wang, you're overpraising us, we're just a humble farmer's family, our daughter is only a bit more dignified-looking, where's the beauty in that?"

  Wang Guan Jia also smiled: "You bring your daughter to Wang Fu, are you thinking of plotting a job?"

  "Yes." Xue's father hastily said: "I know the Wang estate is recruiting servants today, Manager Wang you know, our family has always been in a difficult situation, I don't know if it will be possible to make an exception and let Lingyu stay at the Wang estate to work, also good for supplementing some household expenses."

  Wang the steward looked up and down at Xue Lengyu again, perhaps it was Xue Lengyu's humble and obedient appearance that made him look more satisfied. Wang the steward said: "Xue Zhong, several rough maids in the mansion have already been recruited, only the maid in the princess's house is missing. I think your daughter looks decent, she's also quite clever, you're an old worker in the mansion, honest and trustworthy. I plan to let your daughter go to the princess's house to do things, what do you think?"

  "To the princess's quarters?" Mr. Xue muttered, "I'm afraid Cold Jade hasn't seen much of the world and doesn't understand etiquette. What if she serves poorly... that would be disastrous."

  "It's all right." Wang, the housekeeper, said: "The princess is a very kind and gentle person, she treats people extremely well. As long as your daughter is obedient and diligent, and works hard, the princess will not make things difficult for her."

  Wang Guanjia smiled and said, "In the princess's chambers, even a little maid who sweeps the floor gets two silver coins as her monthly allowance. If the princess is in a good mood, she might give you some rewards, which may not be worth much within the mansion but would still be valuable outside."

  Yes, Xue Lengyu also thought so. She would rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. Since she was unwilling to sacrifice her dignity to please the king, she had to think of a way to deal with the queen.

  Xue Zhong still wanted to shirk responsibility, Xue Lengyu hastily said: "Dad, don't worry, I will do a good job. Wang Housekeeper, I will serve the Princess Wang with all my heart."

  In the palace, apart from the king's second-in-command, it was the queen. Working in the queen's chambers had more room for advancement than washing clothes in the laundry room.

  "Your daughter is bolder than you." Manager Wang said: "Xue Zhong, don't worry, I'll take care of her."

  Xue Fu had not spoken yet, Xue Leng Yu smiled and said: "Thank you, General Manager Wang. Please rest assured that I will never forget the kindness you have shown me."

  It doesn't matter if Wang is loyal or treacherous, as long as she has the opportunity to move up.

  The housekeeper Wang smiled with satisfaction. It seemed that Xue Zhong's daughter was much cleverer than he had imagined. She should be able to do a good job in the princess's quarters.

  "In that case, your daughter can stay today." Manager Wang said: "Later, I'll have someone take her to pay respects to the princess. If the princess is satisfied, it will be considered official and she can stay."

  Xue's father didn't say anything else and could only say: "Then trouble Director Wang to take care of Leng Yu."

  The manager Wang nodded and said: "Then come with me. At this time, the princess is almost finished with her breakfast and has some free time to see you."

  "Yes." Xue Lengyu replied, and then said to her father, "Dad, don't worry, I'll do fine. You go take care of your own business."

  Xue's father could only nod in agreement.

  Xue Lengyu followed Director Wang out, looking at the scenery in the mansion along the way. It felt similar to the Mu Rong Fu she used to be married into, indeed all rich families were the same.

  They can't go far, Wang Zongguan suddenly remembered something and stopped to say: "Right, I heard you speaking just now, one mouthful of 'my' after another. From now on, you must not speak like that, but call yourself a slave girl. Do you understand? It seems you haven't been out much?"

  It's not like I haven't been out of the house before, Xue Lengyu flattered: "Housekeeper Wang, you really have a discerning eye, I... your servant indeed hasn't been out much. If there's anything I don't understand, please point it out to me in the future."

  Xue Lengyu was resentful in her heart, but being a full-time housekeeper for you guys is like becoming a slave, it's really a place where there's no human rights at all. But she had no choice. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, in this era, if you can't be the master, then you have to be a slave.

  "Rest assured, as long as you do a good job and consider the queen's feelings in everything, the queen will not treat you unfairly."

  "Yes." Xue Lengyu could only respond with. However, there was a strange feeling in her heart.

  Xue Lengyu couldn't help but think a lot and walked for a while before hearing Wang's housekeeper say, "We've arrived. This is the Mu Chun Garden where the princess rests."

  Xue Lengyu looked up and saw a lush courtyard, with countless flowers and grasses. Some were in full bloom, some had already wilted, and some were still budding, waiting to open.

  The flowers were blooming beautifully, and Xue Lengyu was stunned for a moment.

  Manager Wang, who often came and went, seemed to have no feeling about all this. Seeing a purple-clad maid drying her handkerchief outside the house, he walked up and smiled: "Jiuer, is the princess in?"

  "Housekeeper Wang." The maid called Chrysanthemum obviously knew the housekeeper very well, smiled and said: "Yes, I just had breakfast and am having tea now.

  The housekeeper Wang said, "A few days ago, the princess and I said that we wanted to add another maid to the house. Today, there is a suitable candidate, so I brought her over. Let's ask the princess to take a look and see if she is suitable."

  Xue Lengyu stood beside Wang Guanjia and hurriedly bowed to the maid called Ju'er, saying: "Hello, Miss Ju'er."

  Chrysanthemum smiled and seemed like a kind girl: "You wait for a moment, I'll go in to inform the princess."

  "Thank you, Miss Chrysanthemum," said Wang the housekeeper.

  Before long, Ju'er lifted the curtain from inside and said: "Housekeeper Wang, Princess Wang invites you to come in."

  Wang Guanjia responded and instructed Xue Lengyu to be more clever in everything, then followed Ju'er into the house. Xue Lengyu followed behind with her head down, feeling extremely excited.

  She is about to meet a princess, not an actress playing one, but a real, genuine princess. Although it's still unknown what era this is.

  Wang Guan Jia led Xue Leng Yu into the room, stopped and said: "Your Ladyship, I've brought a new maid to pay her respects. Would you like to take a look?"

  Is she suitable? Xue Lengyu sighed inwardly, indeed a servant was just a commodity. And didn't know if someone like herself with no special talents would be suitable for the princess.

  Xue Lengyu was in a mess, feeling indignant and resentful, when she suddenly heard a warm and pleasant voice say: "Is this the girl?"

  "Yes." Manager Wang said, "She is the daughter of Xue Zhong, a carpenter in the mansion. I think Xue Zhong is an honest man, and his daughter is also quite clever and well-behaved, so I let her come to see you, Your Ladyship."

  Xue Lengyu hastily curtsied and said: "Your servant greets Your Highness."

  "En." The princess said: "Let it go, lift your head and let me take a look."