"Are you the maid beside Master?" The steward, who had just entered the mansion and couldn't tell who was who, happened to remember the color of the maid's uniform and subconsciously took the second-class maid from the outer garden for one of the maids brought out by Qiu Si or Qiu Wu.

  "Not... " he had only said half a word when a tray suddenly appeared in front of him, with two beautiful high-necked teapots on it.

  "Hurry up and send it to the Goose Tower, Fourth Master is waiting." It's true, I clearly called a servant girl to wait outside the Goose Tower, but just now, there was no one in sight. Fourth Master is a romantic and likes beautiful women to serve him fine wine and food, if he were to deliver it himself, he would be looking for trouble. Besides, he isn't someone who serves tea or pours water. Luckily, one left and another arrived.

  What? A sentence suddenly popped up in Mozi's mind, "Walking on a night road will eventually lead to encountering ghosts." She was the unlucky one who walked too much and encountered misfortune. Moreover, she had almost just met the younger brother of this family, thinking that she had narrowly escaped, but instead let her meet the older brother?

  It's been half a year since Mozi entered the Qu mansion. In these six months, Qu San Niang has been staying at home and rarely going out. When she does go out, she usually brings Bai He or Xiao Yi, but seldom brings Mozi along. This is because Qu San Niang doesn't want people to remember her face too well, and she herself also dislikes being in crowded places.

  It's just that the woman is also fine, but Mozi has only seen Qiu Si and Qiu Wu a few times, each time she was covered in dust, like a shadow of Qiu San Niang.

  "What are you staring at? Don't you take it over? Let Master Si get angry, can you bear the consequences?" "What's wrong with your head?" The steward was very impatient. "I have urgent matters to attend to."

  "I am not Fourth Master's maid." Mozi should have taken over.

  The housekeeper's status was higher than hers, and the outer garden was a place where the housekeepers were in charge. If there was no master present, even idle first-class maids had to listen to them. But she didn't have a slave-like nature at all. As for this maid's title floating above her head, it was only half-hearted obedience.

  "You're not the master, are you?" The housekeeper was a bit angry. "Let you go and you'll go." Which room's maid doesn't understand any rules!

  Mozhi saw Guan's family all said so much, she had no choice but to reluctantly accept it.

  The housekeeper huffed and left.

  Mozhi had an impulse to put the tray down and leave, but this was a society with strict hierarchy. Qiu San Niang was different from others, Zhang Shi, Qiu Si, Qiu Wu and others were putting on a high-and-mighty master's face. People under the eaves couldn't help but bow their heads. Moreover, she was currently a servant girl.

  A sharp blade hangs over her head, she swallows her anger and walks into the Goose Tower.

  The Goose Tower is the facade of the Qiu Mansion, newly renovated and resplendent. But to her limited experience, it feels unbearably gaudy. Famous paintings (who knows if they're genuine) are framed in gold and hung ostentatiously, as if afraid people wouldn't know they were valuable otherwise.

  A large round table was set up in the main hall, with six or seven people seated around it. Except for Qiu Si, none of them had ever seen Mo Zi before.

  Qiu Si's appearance was more dignified than Qiu Wu's. He had two thick eyebrows and a pair of sword-like eyes, with a high forehead and a square face, looking majestic and elegant. His white cloud-patterned brocade robe set off his broad chest and wide shoulders, making him the epitome of a handsome man in the Great Zhou dynasty. Like Qiu Wu, he possessed the excellent qualities of being refined and elegant. In an era similar to the transition from the Tang Dynasty to the Song Dynasty, it was also a noble thing to be refined and elegant in appearance.

  Looking again, others were middle-aged men of a certain age, so the atmosphere on the guest seat was even more extraordinary, attracting several pairs of charming eyes to steal glances.

  There were three or four songstresses nearby. They wore plain-colored silk and pink-blue gauze, with light makeup, and there wasn't a single musical instrument by their side. Among them, the one who stood out the most had a lovely face, with a melancholic air to her cheeks and eyes, singing a Jiangnan folk tune in a clear, cold, and crisp voice that was somewhat reminiscent of a longing for someone from the past.

  Mozi thought it was just right, no need to wait for this little girl to finish singing, she could make a successful withdrawal. No longer delaying, she went forward to pour tea for others.

  Qiu Si glanced at Mo Zi, feeling unfamiliar, and then looked again, but didn't pay attention anymore.

  "My junior has taken over the family business for less than half a year, and I'm grateful for the elders' guidance. Here's to you, uncles!" With these words, Jiu Si effortlessly handled the social niceties at the dinner table.

  Everyone at the table raised their glasses.

  "The silk shop has thin profits but high capital, and it's a long-term investment. My younger brother wants to start a bank and is looking for partners, I wonder if any of you uncles are interested?" However, discussing business is not the right timing yet.

  The middle-aged man in a dark blue robe with a hidden pattern, who was sitting in the main seat, finished his tea and said: "Young master, there's no need to be too polite. Our two families have had a deep connection for generations, so we should maintain it more often from now on."

  Mei Zi heard this and thought to herself, "Fourth Brother, Fourth Brother, your uncles are just being polite. How could the Qiu family possibly open a money house with their limited resources? Think about it." As she thought, her hands didn't stop moving. After Fourth Brother had toasted everyone in turn, she had to continue pouring tea.

  "Big nephew Mo Qianxu. Who doesn't know that the Qiao family's shop is being managed by your elder sister, and it's thriving? The profits aren't just a few cents. Come to think of it, I haven't seen her moving around in the shop since the new year, could she have gone back to doing business in person?" A middle-aged man sitting below the host spoke with a bright voice, his square face laughing loudly.

  Mozhu guessed that the one in the main seat was Wei Da, followed by Wei Er. The man who listened intently to the music with a bookish air, likely around thirty years old, should be Wei San.

  As soon as someone mentioned Qiu San Niang, a hint of disapproval flashed across Qiu Si's face. "San Niang has been at home since the New Year. Since Father has handed over the shop to us two brothers, there is no need for her to show up again."

  "What a pity." Wei Er sighed and shook his head.

  "What a pity!" Weida said to Weier, "No matter how capable she is, after all, she's just a daughter. A good girl should focus on domestic work, serve her parents at home, and be considerate of her husband and obedient to her parents-in-law after marriage. That's the duty of a good woman. If only she were a boy..."

  "Uncles are right. It's because my father spoiled my elder sister, so she got away with everything. Now that I and my brothers have grown up, Mother has kept her at home to learn domestic skills and needlework. She is already past the age of marriage. We are now worried, fearing that we won't be able to find a good family for her." Qiu Si was indeed skilled in responding to social interactions.

  Unbeknownst to her, she thought they had a deep sibling relationship.

  "This is also a good thing. Qiu San Niang is famous throughout the city, and if news of her choosing a son-in-law gets out, matchmakers will be breaking down the door. Wei Er has a high opinion of Qiu San Niang. 'As far as I know, the young master of the Wang family pharmacy in the east of the city has been admiring her for some time. How about it? Do you want me to play matchmaker?'"

  Her ears perked up. Heaven knows, she and Qiu San Niang were the same, unwilling to be trapped in this mansion from dawn till dusk, engaging in a housewife movement with a group of idle women.

  "Mother wanted to find a good marriage for San Niang, preferably from a scholarly family or an official's household." Qiu Si refused without even thinking about it.

  "Second brother, don't help the wrong way. The Qiu family has produced officials in the imperial court for generations, how can a proper young lady from a good family be married off to an ordinary merchant's son?" Wei Da's sharp eyes saw through Qiu Si's underlying meaning.

  "This matter doesn't require me to take charge, Mother will worry about it at home. If there's good news, I'll invite Uncle and the others for a drink." Ji Si didn't dare offend anyone.

  Mo Zi's hands trembled with rage, and in a moment of carelessness, she spilled a few drops of tea on the outside.

  Originally silent, Wei San, probably the only one at the table who was seriously listening to the music, stared at Mo Zi's hand and suddenly said a sentence, drawing everyone's attention to Mo Zi.

  －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

  New book on the rise, seeking recommendations, clicks and collections.