The maid's road to success

Because of the wedding of the second young master Chen Luoshu, Fu Shou Tang was very busy, and Wen Niang had to rush to make a few sets of underwear for the old ancestor.

After the marriage was confirmed, many relatives and friends came to congratulate them, and the Zhou family also came to pay homage to their ancestors from time to time.

The women of the noble families in the capital had to change into their own clothes when they met guests. The whole process was tiring not only for the ancestors but also for the maids in the courtyard.

"Niang Wen, it's my turn to rest tomorrow. I'll go back and take a look first."

Wen Niang nodded and gave Bihe the new jacket she had made.

"Go back and leave some money for Madam Su, and don't go out at night."

Bihe nodded and handed the key of the tea room to Wen Niang. She was closest to Wen Niang and had taught Wen Niang a lot of her tea-making skills.

When Bihe left, the ancestor rewarded her with a plate of fresh plums and red bean honey rolls.

Wen Niang sat in the tea room. When tea was ordered, she would prepare it and serve it. When tea was not needed, she would do some needlework.

"Mrs. Wen? Are you here today?"

The fourth young master Chen Luoxi invited An to the tea room to find Bihe.

"Greetings, Fourth Young Master. Bihe will be taking a rest today."

The fourth young master Chen Luoxi's eyes lit up, and he stopped holding a comb and threw the comb into Wen Niang's arms.

"Is your house behind Xiaohe Lane?"

Wen Niang nodded. When Chen Luoxi was about to go out, he saw a red purse with auspicious clouds and cranes in Wen Niang's sewing basket. He took it and put it around his waist.

"I'll take this and give you something fun later."

Wen Niang nodded. This thing was originally made for Sister Yumei. Sister Yumei had promised it to someone else, so she had nothing to express. Sister Yumei and Sister Baiyang were not good at needlework, so she thought of saving some money for Sister Yumei when she was free.

The Third Young Lady was generous and gave her a lot of silk, gold and silver threads. If she tightened them, she could make five or six for Sister Yumei.

Since the Fourth Young Master liked him, she couldn't refuse him.

"Is the Fourth Young Master going to Xiaohe Lane?"

Chen Luoxi stopped as he was about to go out and looked at Wen Niang.

"Well, what happened?"

Wen Niang pointed at his shoes.

"It has rained a lot these past two days. The road in Xiaohe Lane is not good, with many mud pits. If the fourth young master goes there, he should change into a pair of thick-soled shoes or a pair of clogs."

Chen Luoxi looked at the new shoes that Qiu Ke had just made for him. He was afraid that Qiu Ke would cry again if they got dirty, so he went back to the yard to change shoes.

After lunch, the old ancestor was about to take a nap when he suddenly received a letter saying that the eldest master Chen Luoyuan was coming back.

The ancestor was so happy that he immediately sent someone to find out when he would return and whether he would take the official road or the waterway.

He also arranged for Yumei to open a private storehouse, and asked a few maids and Nanny Yu to select a lot of small things to prepare for welcoming the great-grandson of the Marquis.

"Grandfather, would you like me to make two bellybands for the young master?"

The old ancestor looked at Wen Niang with her watery eyes and gentle face. She usually liked Wen Niang, and seeing her so attentive, she was even more satisfied.

He took her hand and touched it twice.

"Good boy, I'm sorry for having you busy with sewing these days. Put down Luo Lan's things first and make two bellybands for Zong Er, with the Nafu pattern."

Wen Niang nodded, and went to get the finest cotton cloth that day. She carefully rubbed it, starched it and washed it clean, then carefully divided it with the softest silk thread, traced the pattern, and went to the embroidery studio to start making the bellyband.

When Bihe came back, Wen Niang was still making a bellyband in the tea room. In two days, she had finished embroidering half of it.

"what is this?"

Bihe looked at the bellyband in Wen Niang's hand and asked, "Hasn't she been busy making underwear for the ancestor and a purse handkerchief for the third lady's wedding recently?"

"The prince and his wife are coming back soon. I will make two bellybands for the young master."

Bihe nodded and sat aside to talk to Wen Niang.

"Nannan is much better now. We haven't been back for a month. Nannan is much fatter than when we first came. I left fifty copper coins for Madam Su, and she made some pickles for me to take back. She has kept the house very clean."

Wen Niang listened to Bihe with a smile, her hands never stopping.

"That day when I was having dinner at the mansion, the fourth young master came with me. He looked around our yard and then went to look for someone else. In the afternoon, the fourth young master came again, still angry. I was scared, so the fourth young master rested at our place for a while, and left after he sobered up."

Wen Niang raised her head. The fourth young master went, left, and then left again? Why did it sound a bit confusing?

"Madam Su went to inquire about it. She heard that a young man in our alley hired an actress and kept her outside. The lady at home found out and brought servants to deal with it. The fourth young master was drinking there. He tried to persuade her and was scolded."

Wen Niang nodded. No wonder the fourth young master wanted to go to Xiaohe Lane. It turned out that he wanted to find his friends to drink.

"Why is the fourth young master's friend living in the north of the city?"

Bihe showed a sarcastic expression, took a sip of water and continued.

"We don't know because we haven't been out much. There are all kinds of people in the north of the city. The houses are cheap, and many young masters are short of money and want to support mistresses, so they buy a house in the north of the city or rent one directly. Those young masters with rich families only have ten or so taels of silver per month, and those with less money only have three or five taels. Some of them are like our fourth young master, who spends a thousand or eight hundred taels."

Wen Niang understood. Speak of the devil, and he would appear. The fourth young master, Chen Luoxi, came to the tea room carrying a basket.

"Here, I found some gadgets for you to play with."

Wen Niang and Bi He looked at the person, hand mirror, magic gourd and everything else in the basket and were a little surprised why they were given so much.

"Return your wallet."

Wen Niang nodded, thinking that the Fourth Young Master was really generous. A purse was worth exchanging so many things for.

"The purse is worthless."

Chen Luoxi waved his hand and told everyone to go out. He still had to prepare some fun things for his nephew who was about to come home.

Bihe picked up a hand-held mirror and looked at herself in the mirror. Suddenly, she thought of the second young master Chen Luoan, who had just come to pay his respects to the ancestors and was so annoying by his physical behavior.

"What a huge difference. Both are young masters of a marquisate, but one knows his limits, is considerate and generous, while the other is a lecher and stingy."

Wen Niang quickly looked at the door and saw no one outside. She glared at her.

"Do not say silly things."

Bihe curled her lips, threw down the mirror and complained to Wen Niang.

"You don't know. I just came back and went to see the old ancestor first, and I ran into the second young master. He touched my hand while I was collecting teacups, and his smile was disgusting. He already had Sister Chuncao and he took in so many girls, and he's still not satisfied."

Wen Niang was also very surprised to hear this. The second young master actually attacked Bihe again. When Chuncao was around, he had never paid attention to Bihe. As soon as Chuncao left, he set his sights on Bihe again.

"You should stay away from him in the future, and find a chance to be a good person. Don't be like Sister Chuncao, who is having a hard time now."

Bihe sighed. It is not so easy to save a healthy body. Wen Niang is lucky because she saved the eighth lady, the only daughter of the third master.

The old ancestor showed mercy to Wen Niang because she was the third master's biological mother and was more devoted to him than the marquis. If it were another master, he probably wouldn't be able to do that.

At the beginning of May, the eldest son, who had been serving as a county magistrate in the south, returned to Beijing to report on his work after his term expired.

"The grandson (grandson's wife) has seen the old ancestor. The old ancestor is in good health and everything goes well."

Chen Luoyuan brought his wife and wet nurse with a baby in their arms, kneeled down and kowtowed to greet them.

"Hurry up, hurry up, my good child. I haven't seen you for so long. You've lost weight. It's good that you're back. It's good that you're back."

Yulan and a few others helped Chen Luoyuan and the eldest young lady up. The eyes of the grandparents and grandchildren were all red. The eldest young lady held the child and came to the ancestor.

"Grandfather, this is Zong'er."

The old ancestor excitedly stretched out his hand, held the little jade doll in his arms, and looked at his sleeping face, feeling satisfied.

"Okay, okay. Your mother is very happy when you come back this time. When will you accompany your wife to Prince Yin's Mansion?"

Chen Luoyuan looked at his wife and smiled gently.

"I will go to meet my father-in-law tomorrow."

Chen Yuanzhi nodded with satisfaction. This time, Luo Yuan was able to be evaluated for excellence and return to Beijing to report on his work, all thanks to the efforts of Prince Yin.

"Okay, prepare some generous gifts. Your in-laws have helped you a lot, so you should treat your wife well."

Chen Luoyuan agreed readily and pulled his wife to sit down below.

"Yong'an accompanied me to such a bitter and cold place and suffered so much. My son knows that I must repay him in this life."

The eldest lady, Princess Yong'an, looked at her husband with eyes and heart filled with emotion.

Her husband has a gentle personality and is always considerate to her and her son. He is also filial to his parents. Apart from a concubine, he has no other women. Everyone in the capital city envies her for marrying a good man.

"Okay, I'm tired now. Go back and have a rest. Your mother has prepared a delicious meal to welcome you."

The old ancestor happily asked the maids and servants to take out the gifts prepared for the prince and his wife, and have them delivered to the prince's wife's Youyue Residence.

"Madam, the old ancestor still loves you very much. Look at these colorful fabrics. They are very soft and perfect for making clothes for the young master."

"This red gold necklace is so exquisite."

"Madam, look at this bellyband. It's nice and doesn't hurt your skin."

Princess Yong'an took it and looked at it. It was indeed a work of great craftsmanship. She took the fine cloth and kneaded it carefully, then starched and washed it. The most valuable thing was that it was embroidered with patterns of fish leaping over the dragon gate, peace and auspiciousness.

The child's skin is delicate, and if there is too much embroidery on the underwear, it may leave red marks on the skin. This one is different. It is embroidered with the finest silk thread, so there is no raised feeling. It is both beautiful and practical.

"It's checked and found to be fine, so let Zong'er put it on. It's not good to keep wearing the red silk bellyband, which is bare without any pattern."

After hearing what Princess Yong'an said, Hongzhu carefully put it away and asked Nanny Wu to check it later.

After finally sorting out the items he had brought back, the elders in the mansion sent many more things, especially the Fourth Young Master, who sent a lot of cloth tigers, wooden fetal rocking beds, and many other things that Zong'er could use.

Chen Luoyuan and the other man were at a loss whether to laugh or cry. This fourth brother was still like this.

At night, after everything was packed, Chen Luoyuan changed into the white brocade robe with dark patterns prepared in the mansion. He tied a white jade belt around his waist, and hung a white jade pendant and a dark red purse.

Princess Yong'an was also wearing a light red hibiscus gauze skirt, and around her waist was a jade pendant made of the same jade as Chen Luoyuan's. She wore a South Pearl Hibiscus flower headpiece on her head, and on her hands were a pair of agate bracelets given to her by her ancestor today.

Her skin is fair and delicate, and her face is gorgeous. The old ancestor nodded repeatedly when he saw her. She is worthy of being a princess from Prince Yin's Palace. She is generous, decent, beautiful and intelligent.

"But where will you be employed after you return to Beijing?"

After dinner, the family sat in the flower hall of Fushou Hall and talked. Marquis Chen Yuanzhi looked at his eldest son who had been working outside the capital for several years and had become much more stable.

"The clerk from the Ministry of Personnel said that he would be assigned to the Ministry of Rites."

Chen Yuanzhi nodded. The Ministry of Rites was good. Although it was not as prosperous as the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of Personnel, one could still learn a lot from it.

"Be careful when you are on duty. Listen more, watch more, learn more, and talk less."

Chen Luoyuan nodded repeatedly, and was given a cold look by the old ancestor.

"Stop saying those things to me. I like children to play together, but you insist on making them look old-fashioned. It's really boring."

Chen Yuanzhi was scolded in public by his mother. He touched his nose in embarrassment and dared not say anything more. The eldest lady was in a very good mood because her son and his family had returned. When she saw Chen Yuanzhi being humiliated, she smiled happily, which was rare.