Chapter 21: Visiting Mei Ge's Home and Chatting About Everyday Life (Double Update)

  Daiyu returned to visit Mei's pavilion. Seeing that there was nothing major happening, the strict nurse also went back to her room to rest.

  Zi Juan, Xue Yan and others were surprised to see Dai Yu return so early, thinking that the food at Bi Yun Pavilion was not good, Bi Die wanted to go to the backyard to make some porridge and rice gruel for Dai Yu. Zi Juan and others also wanted to boil water for the young lady to wash up.

  Daiyu had already told Lao Da's wife that the maids in her room didn't need to go to Shui Xinting, but instead set up a small table in the two small buildings on either side. The kitchen staff brought over food and visited Meigui Ge. The maids were naturally delighted, not having to squeeze into Shui Xinting with everyone else, and it was warm in the small building too. They all said that their young mistress really knew how to care for people.

  Only Tzu-chuan knew that the young lady felt that she and Ching-wen were not familiar with the servants of the Lin family, so it would be pointless to go there. It was better for her to spend New Year's Eve with the maids in her own courtyard, as they were more intimate with each other. Tzu-chuan was grateful in her heart, but still couldn't help advising the young lady that although Hsi-feng's quarters were farthest from Tai-yu's bedroom, there would still be the smell of meat during meals, which might disturb the young lady. Tai-yu just smiled and said that burning a little more incense would do, besides, there was also the fragrance of the newly opened narcissus flowers in the room.

  Zi Juan and others were originally serving Daiyu at the Leng Leng Pavilion, but they didn't stay for long before the two masters called them away.

  Back to Baoyue, the daughter-in-law in the kitchen had already set up a big table, and people like Zijuan, Xueyan, and Yanyong didn't care about their seniority, they sat down randomly and toasted each other with tea instead of wine. Suddenly, they heard that the young lady was back, so everyone got up quickly to go to the main house.

  Daiyu saw these people bustling about, and knew they were not having a good time. She said: "You all go, I'm not sleepy now, just call a little maid to guard outside." After finishing speaking, she took out a volume of Qinglian's poetry collection and leaned on the imperial concubine's couch.

  Zi Juan and the others left Xiang Shan, who was the youngest, behind, saying to her: "You stay here and wait, we'll bring you some delicious food later. When the young lady calls for someone, hurry over, don't be naughty, got it?"

  Xiang Shan was young, but she knew how to read people's expressions. She knew that the opportunity to serve the young lady alone was rare, so she happily agreed.

  Everyone went out, Xiang Shan cleverly took out the needle and thread under the embroidered ball lamp, making a pair of embroidered flower shoes, with a cherry blossom-colored bottom and an embroidered double butterfly love flower pattern. Xiang Shan is only 12 years old this year, but she has been learning Su embroidery from her mother since childhood, and it is also true that she has learned from her mother. Yan Rong saw that Xiang Shan's needlework was delicate and the work was bright, so she let her make a pair of embroidered shoes for her sister, to be worn in the spring. Xiang Shan knew that Sister Yan Rong valued herself, so she worked even harder. The materials for making things for the young master were all managed by Sister Yan Rong, and Sister Yan Rong was also a generous person, with plenty of materials available. In order to make this pair of shoes well, Xiang Shan had already disassembled them four times from front to back, and if they weren't done well, she would start again, which was unlike her previous self, who could only pick up scraps of fabric to make things.

  Daiyu lay on the couch, tossing and turning, thinking about why her brother Zhi had rushed out just now, and she couldn't fall asleep at all.

  Xiang Shan heard the girl turning over and making a sound, her heart moved, so she put down her things and went over to ask: "Miss, are you uncomfortable?"

  "It's nothing, I just can't sleep." Daiyu said with a worried expression.

  "Then I'll keep the young lady company for a while, the young master has instructed us that even if the young lady eats something, she shouldn't sleep immediately, it's not digestible."

  Daiyu thought that this little maid was not very old, but when she spoke, she seemed like a little adult, so she smiled and sat up, leaning on the couch, "Okay, let's chat for a while. Later, when your sister Zi Juan comes back, ask her to bring you some delicious food." Daiyu picked up the tea cup on the low table, "Where is your family from? Are they also born in our mansion?"

  "I'm reporting back to you, miss. Originally, my family was from Tong County, but two years ago, our home was flooded and my parents passed away, leaving only me and my brother. We begged our way to Suzhou, and fortunately, we met the young master. Now, my brother is a servant by the young master's side, and I'm following Madame Luo to learn etiquette."

  Xiangshan's eyes sparkled when she mentioned her brother, and Daiyu felt that this child was just like herself, both without father or mother, relying only on their elder brothers for support. As they spoke, a sense of closeness arose between them. "Then you can also be considered one of our family's old people."

  Xiangshan smiled and pushed back: "Miss is joking, what kind of old person am I? Our house's Zi Juan sister has followed you for so many years, that's the one who is laborious and meritorious. And then there's Xue Yan sister, who accompanied you from Yangzhou to Beijing, on a long journey of thousands of miles, also worthy of our admiration as young maids."

  "What about your sister Yan Rong and Bi Die? Are they not well?" Daiyu teased the little maid.

  As expected, Xiangshan was indeed young and her face turned white after hearing Daiyu's words. She didn't speak much either: "No, no, Yanrong, sister and Bidi sister are both the best, miss, I..."

  Daiyu couldn't help but burst out laughing at Xiangshan's appearance. Xiangshan saw that the young lady didn't seem to be angry, so she knew she had been tricked. She stood there with a sheepish look on her face, twisting her handkerchief and said, "Good miss, don't scare me like that!"

  Daiyu laughed for a while and still had a bit of a cough. After stopping her laughter, she asked her: "Then tell me, what's good about Yan Rong and Bi Die?"

  Xiang Shan tilted her head in thought, with a pearl the size of a grain of rice on either side of her double buns, shining brightly in the lamplight.

  "I arrived late, and Yanrong sister and Bidi sister used to follow the young master. They were just like Xiangxuan sister, deeply trusted by the young master. They all lost their relatives and were taken in by the young master, so everyone is grateful for the young master's kindness. It was said that next year when the young master enters the capital, he will let Xiangxuan sister marry Liu'an brother and become the wife of a steward."

  "Who is this Liu An again?" Daiyu heard this name as if she had seen it somewhere before, but couldn't quite recall clearly.

  "Liu An is the most capable young servant by Master's side. There are four young servants by Master's side, including Guan Lian and Zheng Chong, as well as my brother Wu Hong. They only listen to orders in the outer courtyard, so the young lady doesn't know them." Xiang Shan didn't think much of it and just said whatever came to mind.

  Daiyu heard Xiangshan's words and remembered the name list given by Luo Guan, which had the names of these people. Those who can be brothers' attendants must be clever ones. Daiyu looked at Xiangshan again, and her heart was clear. She was probably also sent to her room by Madame Luo because of Wu Hong's face.

  Two people were chatting casually when they heard bursts of laughter coming from outside.

  Before long, Zi Juan led a young and beautiful maid in. The girl was wearing a thin silk blouse with a dark blue velvet jacket on top, and a pleated skirt below. She had a peach-shaped bun on her head, adorned with a pearl and jade hairpin. Her whole person exuded a warm smile as she said, "Greetings to the young mistress."

  The newcomer was Xiangyun, the senior maid of Baoyu's room. Daiyu hastily asked her to sit down and ordered a junior maid to serve tea.

  "What are you doing at home during the big festival? Have you eaten yet?"

  "Thank you for your concern, we've already had our meal in our courtyard. We just wanted to come and wish you a happy new year and bring some festive cheer."

  Xiang Xuan's words had barely fallen when Bi Die laughed and said, "Miss, listen to this. This is someone who has come to our place wanting something." The crowd burst out laughing.

  Xiang Xian also laughed and said: "Isn't that so, if I had known earlier that the young lady was most fond of you, she wouldn't have been stingy with good things. Is it not allowed for us to come and celebrate today?" As he spoke, he again grasped Dai Yu's hand, "Good young lady, even if you just give us a sip of tea, we will be delighted."

  Xiangyun was indeed a talker, having both gained amusement and obtained something, Daiyu inwardly praised her, no wonder she could become the first-class maid by brother's side.

  Daiyu asked Xiangyun to bring the red wooden box from the shelf in Dabao Pavilion, opened it and took a look. Inside were seven branches of artificial flowers, including white wax plum blossoms, golden peony, pink mountain tea, and red apricot blossoms, arranged together in a beautiful display. Everyone who saw them was dazzled and couldn't help but praise them.

  Zi Juan directly handed the box to Xiang Xuan, laughing and saying: "Originally, Miss was supposed to have me send it over earlier, but I dodged lazily. Knowing you were coming, I didn't send it. Here, take it back this time!"

  Xiang Xuan hastily declined, saying: "Miss, just let us taste a mouthful of good tea, we don't dare to want such precious things."

  Daiyu said, "I won't be able to use up my things either. These were specially prepared for you and the others in your room - Mu Rui and Cong Rou each get one branch, and I'm entrusting you to give the remaining four branches to Xiu Lan and Wan Qiu by White Aunt's side, as well as Ru Nan and Qiao Rui by Qian Aunt's side. Consider it a small token of my goodwill."

  Xiangyun saw Daiyu speaking like this and couldn't help but thank her again and again.

  "Those flowers were brought into the palace, and when the old lady of the North Stillness King's estate went to the Jia estate, she gave some to each of the young ladies. The young ladies got them but didn't dare wear them, now they can be given to you."

  Xiang Xuan listened and it was the palace flower, and even more rare, she looked carefully again, and it was also Yan Rong and others in the house who thought it was beautiful. Chun Lian smiled and said: "Sister Yan Rong, take a look quickly, remember what it looks like, and embroider it on your clothes in the future, it must be beautiful too."

  Everyone chatted and laughed, and somehow the topic turned to the Lantern Festival. Chun Lian mentioned it with great enthusiasm: "A few years ago when we went to watch the lanterns, the scene was incredibly lively. The prince's family had the most beautiful lanterns, but their riddles were also the hardest to guess. I heard they were made by a few young ladies from the Hou Mansion. I couldn't even guess one of them."

  "You only know those two words, and you're still guessing riddles? I saw that at the time, your mind was focused on that stall selling tangyuan, and you didn't even notice when your clothes almost caught fire from the lanterns." Bi Die laughed and teased Chun Lai's embarrassing moment, and everyone remembered last year's incident and burst into loud laughter.

  Daiyu couldn't help but ask with a hint of envy: "Couldn't you all have gone together to watch the lanterns?"

  She was only a thirteen-year-old girl, and after hearing these words, she felt somewhat restless. In previous years, the Lantern Festival was always spent in Yangzhou with her parents, and later in Beijing, it was also a gathering of sisters, playing with the old lady, although there were lanterns in the Jia Mansion, but somehow it felt like something was missing. Now, after hearing Chun Lai's words, she too had some longing in her heart.

  Yan Rong saw the young lady's eager expression and secretly remembered it in her heart, planning to mention it to Young Master when she had time. Although they might not be able to go see the lanterns this year, she still wanted to let the young lady get out more often, lest she fall ill from staying at home too much.

  PS: Oh no haha ~, Jinghe is indeed a good kid, and he actually updated twice!! Thank you for the reward from jang117, thank you everyone! I will work even harder!!!

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