Quietly quiet, quietly still.

  "Isn't this girl mute?" Wei Er said, and then thought, I've gone too far.

  Mò zǐ zhè huì er hái zhēn xiǎng dāng zì jǐ yīn bā.

  Translation: Mozi at this moment really wants to pretend to be mute.

  "The guest asked you, why don't you respond?" However, Qiu Si did not say that he didn't understand the rules. He usually looked down on the maids in the mansion and was strict with them. But at this moment, he couldn't put on a stern face.

  "Indigo." The voice was low and reluctant.

  "What's wrong? A good girl like you taking a boy's name." Wei Er couldn't find the right words.

  "The ink of the ink, the purple of the purple." The ink-purple still hung its head low.

  "Yu Ling peony with millions of stocks, the king came just to see Mo Zi." Wei San showed off his talent again, "Mo Zi, a famous product in Yu Ling Peony, was originally only raised in the palace, later passed down to the homes of nobles and wealthy merchants, and then sold by flower merchants into our Great Zhou, worth thousands of gold. I heard that because the people of Yu Ling loved Mo Zi peony so much, they often named their daughters after it. Could it be that you are also from Yu Ling?"

  "The adults are knowledgeable and Mozi is indeed a person from Yuling." However, there were many people named Mozi, not just the peony one, and she was completely unaware of this.

  "Yu Ling is in a state of turmoil, and you've come to Da Zhou, Miss. Could it be that you're also affected by the war?" Wei San's eyes were fixed on the woman behind him, but her head was bowed too humbly.

  "Mozi lost both parents and had no one to rely on, so she was taken in by San Niang. Since the name has already been mentioned, it will eventually be known that Qiu San Niang is her own master."

  "Are you Jiu San Niang's maid?" Wei Er hastily spoke up, cutting in front of Wei San.

  "Yes." Mu Zi always had her head bowed and eyes cast down, even though she had learned that when speaking to someone, one should look them straight in the eye.

  "Unusual young lady, unusual maid. That's the reason, that's the reason!" Wei Er said with a look of 'I knew it', "Third brother, if you're not willing, I'll lend you five taels of silver to bet on this maid winning."

  "Second Master Wei, as the banker, how can you place a bet?" Xiu Zhu was cautious, but she wasn't wrong.

  "Somebody has to put down some silver on the right side of Lao Ye, or we can't even start gambling." Wei Er could change his surname to Lai.

  Just as Wei Er finished speaking, five silver ingots appeared beside the teacup on the right.

  "Second brother, this is mine. Why would I borrow from you?" The one putting away the silver was Wei San, "The Jade Tomb's downfall and the people's displacement, someone like Mo Zi's daughter is truly pitiful."

  So it's pitiful for her? It would be good if she were really pitiful, but don't have ulterior motives. Mozi doesn't take the bait. In the end, she didn't think of competing with others in talent at all, and this group of people is just talking to themselves.

  "This kid really has a good head on his shoulders." Wei Er didn't care about the broken country, he was a Da Zhou person, as long as Da Zhou was fine, everything was good.

  "You said you are San Niang's maid?" Qiu Si's face clouded over as soon as Mo Zi mentioned San Niang.

  "That's right." Mozi didn't need to look at Qiu Si, he could hear his displeasure. "Miss ordered me to take care of some business in the outer garden. After I finished, I met with the housekeeper and was told that Fourth Master needed more tea water, so I came in to serve."

  "I don't remember seeing you around San Niang." No matter how hard Qiu Si thought, he couldn't recall the image of this maid.

  "Mozi was just a second-rate maid, often doing rough work such as serving tea and running errands in the young ladies' quarters." She had seen him before, but he was too proud to notice her, and she didn't want to draw attention to herself either.

  Qiu Si hesitated, this statement is also acceptable. There were many maids in the Qiu Mansion, and he hadn't seen every single one of them.

  "Oh? Big brother, you surprise me." Wei Er suddenly shouted, "Third brother was the first to praise Ya Tou, he's infatuated with her, I'm not surprised. Big brother, don't tell me you also think she's talented and beautiful?"

  At this time, in the circle of Ya Mozi's win, there was another piece of silver weighing five taels. It was put by Wei Da.

  "Wealth and honor are found in danger." Wei Da ignored Wei Er, holding his cup to drink tea.

  Mo Zi suddenly felt that among these people, Wei Da was the most worldly and astute person.

  "Big nephew, this time we'll wait for you alone." Wei Er was indeed a worthy master of the manor.

  "She's a maid in our mansion. If I don't back her to win, how can I explain it?" Qiu Si took out five taels of silver from his sleeve and handed them over to Wei Er.

  "Alright, it's settled then." Wei Er really knew how to shout loudly.

  Everyone sat down, and their eyes focused on Mozi again.

  "Girl, we just heard Xiu Zhu's little ditty, what do you plan on singing?" Wei Er wasn't just the host of the Zhuang family gathering, he was like a modern-day emcee, able to handle any task.

  It's inexplicable! She was just pouring tea, the words weren't hers, these hands weren't hers to be praised, being a concubine wasn't her idea, and it wasn't her who instigated others not to accept beautiful concubines. In the end, she had to perform for others. And what benefits did she gain from winning? Did that songstress named Xiuzhu have no complaints? Not even a single silver coin fell into her sleeves, yet she got nothing but praise.

  Let her find a deserted place and laugh loudly towards the sky!

  Qiu Si let out an impatient cough.

  Mozi finally lifted her head up. A ray of western sunlight passed through the window lattice, illuminating her profile.

  Everyone was stunned.

  The purple is not ugly. The skin is like a bright pearl, the eyes are like water, the eyebrows are like distant mountains and the lips are like cherry blossoms. If it weren't for the expression being a bit stiff, the posture being a bit hunched, and the movements being a bit slow, she could be considered a beauty. It's no wonder that when she lowers her head, she doesn't attract attention. Although her appearance is exquisite, her gestures lack spirit, and she lacks a touch of elegance and brilliance.

  Nowadays, no matter how much her posture lacks elegance, people only stare at that face and infinitely magnify the beauty.

  Seeing this, Mozi took another step back and hastily lowered her head, allowing the shadows in the hall to once again cover her cheeks. Only then did she say, "I, Mozi, have been poor since childhood, with rough hands and clumsy feet, and I've never learned any skills."

  Singing? She's not humble at all, truly tone deaf.

  Mei Zi lowered her head, and although everyone could see her facial features clearly, they suddenly felt a darkness in front of their eyes, and when they looked at her again, she was no longer as radiant as before, but just an ordinary maid.

  These people didn't communicate with each other and thought they were momentarily blinded, immediately throwing it to the back of their minds. Only Qi Siwei San didn't think that was a mislook, with different expressions.

  "Can't sing, how about embroidery?" Wei Er seemed to be on Mozi's side. "The maids in the Wei household, I haven't seen any who can't embroider flowers yet. This is also a kind of talent. How about it, Xiu Zhu?"

  Xiu Zhu pouted, "Whatever Master Wei says is true. Xiu Zhu has learned from the master of Nan De's Embroidery Rain Workshop, but her skills are only average."

  "Mò zǐ yě bù shàn cháng nǚ hóng."

  Translation: "Mozi is also not good at women's red (needlework)."

  Embroidery? She's not modest. If she lets her tear Wei Er's clothes, she can mend them, guaranteeing they look exactly like they've been mended before. If there are patches, she can sew them on better, so they don't leave holes.

  "Hey, what about music, chess, books and painting?" Wei Er said, "Qiu San Niang is proficient in all of these."

  "Mò zǐ yī qiào bù tōng." Tōng yě shuō bù tōng, tā jiù shì bù xiǎng ràng rén duì zì jǐ píng tóu lùn zú.

  "What's with the poem?" Wei Er asked as he arrived.

  "Mozhi had never read a book." In this era, women being literate was possible, but it wasn't considered a good thing.

  "...the second watch was exhausted."

  Mozi had intended to go all out, but Jiu Si and Wei San's focus on themselves made her change her mind.

  Wei San said, as long as filial piety is in one's heart, one cannot take a concubine. However, the mourning period will eventually pass.

  Mozzie thinks that although he seems to revere his wife, there is also an element of fear in the way he describes her.

  Qiu Si said, if Xiuzhu is willing, he would buy her out and give her to Wei San.

  It seems that Wei San listened to Qu Tao too seriously, making Qiu Si think he had a crush on Xiu Zhu, so he tried to curry favor with this fifth-rank official.

  So, consider her own situation. If Wei San really had the intention of taking a concubine, she should also dispel his idea for her own safety. Losing to Xiu Zhu, but not necessarily able to escape his eyes. And a maid who is not as good as Song Ji, it's easier for Qiu Si to send her away.

  In an instant, Mozi made a decision in her heart, and then she spoke up.

  "Mozi is clumsy, but he's good at telling stories. I wonder if it counts or not?"

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