Chapter 53

Just past noon, it was the time when the kitchen in the mansion was free, and the kitchen maids and old women had all found a place to rest.

Only the Liu family remained in the kitchen, her expression somewhat bad, while Wu'er was quietly tidying up the sundries in the kitchen to the side.

Wu'er's brows were like paintings, her expression delicate and soft; she wore a smoky pine-green jacket with white plum embroidery on the cuffs, and a mugwort-green long skirt inside, graceful like a lotus.

She hadn't been assigned a job yet, so she didn't have the red-clothed and green-jacketed attire of the maids in the mansion, still dressed as an ordinary girl.

Today was Wu'er's last day helping her mother with idle work in the kitchen.

At noon, Sister Ping'er from Second Grandmother Lian's room came to congratulate her, saying the wife had pointed her to go to Cong Sanye Cong's room to be a senior maid, with a monthly allowance of one string of cash as a second-class maid.

Logically speaking, this matter was indeed worth congratulating.

That Lin Zhixiao's wife was much more prestigious in the mansion than the Liu family, but her daughter Xiaohong had been in Baoyu's room for several years and was only a third-class maid.

Wu'er had just been assigned a job and already got the position of a second-class maid; this starting point was higher than ordinary maids.

But the Liu family was sighing and groaning; she was an old servant in the mansion and knew that to live smoothly in a big mansion, what kind of master one followed was the most important thing.

The Liu family frowned and said: "You stupid girl, what do you know? Only when people fight for something is it a good thing; if no one cares about you, can it be a good thing?"

Wu'er suddenly asked: "Mother, do you think Hearing Zhi Shao was good?"

How could she have been raised in the East Courtyard for so many years, even the cats and dogs in the mansion disliked him.

When the Old Lady held the New Year's Eve banquet, he didn't even have a seat; even a decent servant was better than him.

She said: "Mother wanted you to serve in Bao Er Ye Bao's room. The matter hadn't been settled yet, and you leaked the word yourself; how can you blame others for spreading it?"

"There are so many maids in his room, and I heard they are all fighting and competing for favor. If I go, I don't know how I will be bullied; it's better not to go."

Wu'er said: "Mother, stop saying that. Who can say that was a good thing? Bao Er Ye Bao is the apple of the Old Lady and the wife's eye, and many people in the mansion are watching him."

She was, after all, just a kitchen manager and didn't have much insight, nor did she know about these things Jia Cong had outside; she vaguely knew the Bao Er Ye seemed to treat Jia Cong well, but what was the use?

If a daughter follows such a master to be a maid, will there be any good in the future?

"I have been close to Hearing Zhi Shao since I was a child, and she told me a lot about Cong Sanye Cong. She said that although the Cong Sanye has no prominent background, he is a kind person."

"There must be some black-hearted, low-down thing who slandered him in front of the wife, which made the wife find an excuse to act like this."

The Liu family replied: "Hearing Zhi Shao was naturally good, such a good maid, yet she was forced to death like that; my heart hasn't been comfortable for many days."

Wu'er continued to tidy up, not turning her head.

Everyone in the mansion knew Cong Sanye Cong's origin; among the concubine-born masters, his background was the most miserable, and the first person in the mansion who didn't like him was the Old Lady.

The Liu family knew her daughter didn't speak much usually, but she was a sharp person; these words were indeed reasonable, and she regretted: "It was Mother who didn't keep her mouth shut and ruined your good thing."

I didn't feel anything before.

She said with a dejected face: "I originally wanted to find a way for you to serve in Bao Er Ye Bao's room, but why did the wife suddenly point you to Cong Sanye Cong to be a maid?"

"People should move to higher places, not lower ones. You have been assigned to Brother Cong's room; what chance of success will you have in the future?"

Hearing her mother say this, Wu'er also shed tears, thinking of Hearing Zhi Shao.

It was because Cong Sanye Cong was almost beaten to death by the Eldest Master in the East Courtyard, and they were afraid he would die in the East Courtyard and cause trouble for the whole family to lose face, so they moved him to the West Prefecture to recuperate.

The Old Lady moving him to the West Prefecture to recuperate didn't mean she had changed her mind and liked him.

But this time, when the Third Master returned and learned that Zhi Shao had jumped into the river, he went to the Liuyang River and searched frantically for three days and three nights.

Which master in the mansion would do this for a maid? He is a man of sentiment and loyalty.

He was beaten by the Eldest Master, and it spread throughout the mansion; it was also because he stood up for Hearing Zhi Shao that he angered the Eldest Master. How could such a person be bad?"

The Liu family sighed: "Now that the wife has spoken, there is no turning back. As long as you are willing, just be careful in the future and suffer less loss."

Wu'er stood up and murmured: "Hearing Zhi Shao could be like that for him; I trust Hearing Zhi Shao's judgment. I didn't suffer any loss."

At this moment, a cargo ship sailing out of the Liuyang River had been traveling on the Grand Canal for four or five days.

In a room at the stern of the ship, a kind-looking old nun was performing acupuncture on a woman with a dazed expression.

Beside the old nun stood a delicate and pretty little nun; although she was in black robes, her sideburns outside her monk's hat revealed her hair.

"Master, she is muddled every day and can't even speak. When will she get better?"

"Her body is fine, it's just that her spirit was severely injured, which is why she is like this. I perform acupuncture every day; you have time to talk to her more, maybe she will get better."

Jia Cong saw Qingwen busy back and forth in the room, her graceful figure in a red damask jacket and green satin vest moving back and forth, her hands and feet very clever and nimble.

One moment she was bringing water to Jia Cong, the next she was bringing warm, soft porridge to feed him.

That exquisite and pretty little face was close by, which was also pleasing to the eyes, and he could smell the faint fragrance of rouge.

She touched his collar, feeling it was a bit cold, so she pushed the charcoal brazier on the ground closer, added charcoal, and used an iron poker to stir the charcoal fire to make it burn brighter.

A moment later, she wiped the tables and chairs in the room and opened the small window to let in air.

She went to the Qixian Study opposite to find a small incense burner and lit calming incense in the room.

After tidying up in such an orderly manner, she had everything in the room settled in no time.

Watching her busy appearance reminded Jia Cong of the time in the storehouse courtyard of the East Courtyard, when Hearing Zhi Shao was also busy around him like this.

He suppressed the surging thoughts and hidden pain in his heart and suddenly felt a bit nostalgic for that small, dilapidated storehouse courtyard.

Qingwen was good, but she was not Hearing Zhi Shao.

From the timeline, Qingwen at this time was much younger than when she first appeared in the original book and hadn't developed the habits of a "young lady," working very diligently and down-to-earth.

Thinking that she was a maid by Jia Mu's side, she must know that his reputation in the mansion was not very good; being his maid couldn't be considered a good path for her.

Perhaps she had long heard of Jia Mu's plan to put her in Baoyu's room, but now it had come to nothing; however, one couldn't see joy or anger on her face.

Being so busy back and forth, she probably just wanted to fulfill her duty as a maid.

Although she was "romantic and clever, inviting resentment," she didn't just rely on being pretty and good at needlework; she must have done her duty as a maid extremely well, otherwise, how could she be valued by people like Jia Mu?

Jia Cong muttered in his heart, thinking that Qingwen being assigned to be his maid would make her unwilling.

He didn't know that Qingwen served by the Old Lady's side, and she almost knew everything the Old Lady heard.

Besides, Jia Cong's affairs were so bizarre; how could a little girl not take them to heart?

He wrote good calligraphy and got the appreciation of some Prince, and he also made a great name for himself at the literary gathering attended by scholars; in short, he was a master with ability.

Everyone said Bao Er Ye Bao was good and cared most about maids, and the little hoofs in the garden all wanted to squeeze into his courtyard.

But no matter how good Bao Er Ye Bao was, he was just at home; by comparison, this Cong Sanye Cong had more ability.

As for saying Jia Cong's background was humble, Qingwen didn't take it to heart; she wasn't a family-born servant and didn't have parents who needed to fight for face in the mansion.

She was just a maid bought halfway; although she didn't submit, she couldn't escape the fate of a slave.

Cong Sanye Cong's background was low, but could it be lower than hers?

And today in the hall, Qingwen heard it clearly: it was said that a great official recommended Cong Sanye Cong to study at a very famous academy, and it was said he might become a top scholar and a great official in the future.

Wouldn't it be good to follow such an able Cong Sanye Cong to be a maid?

I heard he was so good to that maid who jumped into the river; if I treat him wholeheartedly in the future, he will surely treat me the same way.

Besides, Cong Sanye Cong is so handsome; none of the masters in the mansion look as good as him...

Jia Cong wasn't sure what Qingwen was thinking, but he didn't know the little girl actually had a very firm mind.

Qingwen served Jia Cong dinner, tidied up, and took out a piece of sky-blue fabric, measuring Jia Cong's body.

She said she wanted to make a set of undergarments for Jia Cong; the one he was wearing had been shredded by the whip, so he needed a new one to change into.

It just so happened she had some soft smoke gauze of "rain-after-sky-blue" color rewarded by the Old Lady, which was just right to use.

Watching Qingwen doing needlework under the lamp reminded Jia Cong of the scene in *Red Chamber* where the brave Qingwen mended the peacock fur cloak while ill.

Qingwen saw him suddenly staring at her blankly, not knowing the reason, and she gave him an innocent and sweet smile, instantly creating warmth in the lonely room.

Because his back was injured, Jia Cong could only lie on his stomach, a position most prone to drowsiness, and he fell asleep before long.

He didn't know how long he had slept, but in his daze, it seemed someone was touching the wound on his back; a slender figure was sitting by the bed, looking somewhat familiar.

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(End of chapter)