The Head Maid
CHAPTER 2
7
“Xǐ'er, come quickly and help me choose which jacket best complements these coral earrings.”
The young miss recently acquired a very expensive pair of coral earrings and loves them dearly. She hasn't taken them off since the New Year.
I entered from outside, taking a moment to adjust to the warmth inside, before hurrying to the inner room. “I recall that during early winter, the young general hunted a white fox for you, and its whole pelt was made into a magnificent robe. The remaining fur was sewn onto a red, double-breasted jacket. That one, I think, would look very nice.”
In my opinion, these gold coral earrings, with their intricate openwork, are gaudy and over-the-top. Only the young miss, with her striking beauty, can pull them off. On anyone else, they'd simply look like a jewelry display stand.
The young miss casually rummaged through her jewelry box, then suddenly cried out in pain. The gold hairpin she was holding slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground. Immediately afterward, she slapped the little maid behind her. “You fool! What are you doing?”
“Young Miss, please forgive me! Young Miss, please forgive me! I'm clumsy and careless; I hurt you.”
As the young miss has grown older, her temperament has become increasingly spoiled and domineering, but I don't find it wrong. She's been pampered since birth. Her precious body should be treated with the utmost care. On the contrary, kind mistresses are often taken advantage of by these foolish servants.
I stepped forward, bent down, picked up the hairpin, wiped it clean with a handkerchief, and placed it on the young miss's table. Then, I kicked the maid who was doing her hair. “Get out! Don't start the day by upsetting the young miss.”
The maid scurried away.
“Third Aunt, who usually does the young miss's hair, has gone home on leave. I heard that she has a grandson!” I said, massaging the young miss's head.
The young miss's expression gradually softened. “That's good news. Remember to tell Li Mama to prepare a red packet for Third Aunt.”
“Wow, even I'm envious! I wonder who's so lucky to have a mistress like you,” I said, just as I was about to pick up the comb to do her hair, the young miss stopped me.
“Go get Ruyi to do my hair. Do you think I don't know about your skills?” The young miss glanced at me in the mirror. “If you hurt me, I wouldn't dare hit you, would I? It would only cause me more trouble.”
I feigned hurt feelings. “Young Miss, I've been practicing privately.”
“Oh, I know you too well,” the young miss said, lifting her chin slightly. “That hairpin is yours. Seeing it makes me feel annoyed.”
I quickly took the gold hairpin, smiling happily. “Thank you for the gift, Young Miss. I'll go get Ruyi to do your hair. At today's plum blossom viewing, you'll be so beautiful that those young masters won't be able to take their eyes off you.”
The young miss laughed and scolded, “Go away. You just try to make fun of me every day.”
8
The young miss is sixteen this year, the very flower of her youth. Normally, at the age of fifteen, a girl would be betrothed.
But the Master and Madam, doting on their only daughter, are unwilling to marry off their precious pearl so early. They've repeatedly turned away suitors who have practically worn down their doorstep, keeping the young miss unmarried for another year.
I often wonder what kind of man would be worthy of the young miss. While I can see similarities between her and her parents, her stunning beauty is unlike either of them.
I've heard Master say that she might have inherited her beauty from her grandmother, a legendary beauty known throughout the land. Even after her grandfather's death, and well into her fifties, her grandmother was pursued by numerous princes and nobles. It only ended when her grandmother, weary of it all, finally retreated to Qing Shan Temple.
Lately, the young miss has fallen in love with romance novels. I frequently climb the walls to buy books for her, and she often pulls me in to read and discuss the stories with her.
Although I'm young and don't understand much about love and hate, my reading skills have improved by leaps and bounds in recent years.
After all, I need to be able to read the novels to discuss them with the young miss.
I once asked her, “Young Miss, what kind of man do you like? Is there anyone like that in these novels?”
Her hair, half-dry, cascaded over her shoulders as she lay down, flipping through a novel. “It's a matter of parental arrangement and matchmaking.”
“What if the young miss doesn't like that person?”
The young miss slowly closed the book. “Since Father wants me to marry that person, there must be a reason. Perhaps it's for the continuation of family honor, or to smooth the path for my father and brothers. For me, it's just a matter of putting on a red veil.”
My heart ached a little when I heard that. “Then, the young miss's feelings don't matter?”
The young miss gestured for me to sit beside her. “What's wrong with not liking someone? If he has three or four wives, I won't be sad. If he's cold and indifferent towards me, I won't care. As long as I secure the position of the main wife and hold the power of the household, I will still have my pride and dignity.”
I knew I was overstepping my boundaries, but I gently hugged the young miss. “But won't the concubines still bully the young miss?”
The young miss scoffed. “Concubines without children are no better than the maids closest to the main wife. And even if they have children, those children still belong to the main wife.”
I was a little confused. “Then why did the human trafficker aunt tell us that beautiful girls would have the best lives if they became concubines?”
The young miss scoffed at that. “She hasn't been sold into a high-ranking family, so what does she know? The main wife can tolerate concubines, but if they become a problem, they'll find a way to deal with them. The wives who enter the noble households all have strong family backgrounds. Even if the husbands get angry about taking concubines, they have to think twice about whether they can afford to offend their fathers-in-law and brothers-in-law.”
After hearing the young miss's analysis, I realized that as long as I held onto her, I could enjoy a certain level of authority myself.
“Then I'll accompany the young miss for a lifetime.”
The young miss laughed, wrapping her arms around me. “But what will happen when I get married?”
“I'll be your accompanying maid when you marry.”
I then added, “In the future, I can be a nanny, and then an old nursemaid. I’ll always stay by Miss’s side, and be there for Little Miss and Little Young Master too.”
“Sounds good! Then Xǐ'er can stay with me for a lifetime!” The young miss said sleepily.
9
Because I'm a maidservant who signed a lifetime contract, and I was young when I entered the household, I don't need to ask for leave to go home for the New Year.
And truly, I have nowhere else to go outside the mansion. Every year, I help with the preparations for the General's family banquet. We can start our own celebration once Master returns from the palace on New Year's Eve.
The young miss has always been kind to the servants she likes, so we don't have to crowd together with the others. We can set up a small table in the young miss's courtyard, and she'll often give us some of the dishes from the family banquet.
“You two are really inseparable,” the young general said, glancing at me, standing demurely behind the young miss.
“I like it. What's it to you? Small, soft, and sweet—I bet you couldn't find one like this even if you dug three feet into the ground in the army camp,” the young miss retorted, snatching a piece of roast duck from the young general's chopsticks.
The young general was about to retort when his mother spoke. “Although Lan'er's words were inappropriate, but you should really look for a suitable partner.”
“Shouldn't she be getting married too? Why are you only talking about me!” The young general protested.
His mother continued calmly, “The plum blossom viewing, which was supposed to take place a few days ago, was suddenly canceled because the Fourth Princess fell ill. Your sister was supposed to go there to meet a potential suitor.”
The Master chimed in, “Lan'er, what do you think of Prince Cheng?”
“Master, perhaps I'm short-sighted, but...I'm afraid it's not a suitable match,” the Madam said, slowly putting down her chopsticks.
“Father means... being a cèfēi?”
I noticed the young miss's hand holding her chopsticks trembled slightly, but her voice remained steady.
The young general was the first to lose his composure. “I don't agree! Our General's Mansion's eldest daughter is not going to be his cèfēi! Mother, I don't agree with what you said either. Why can't my sister be a princess?”
“The main wife is the eldest daughter of the Left Minister. Do you think she's not worthy?” The Master's authority silenced the young general, but the Master also sighed. “The Emperor…”
“It's New Year's Day. Let's have a peaceful family reunion dinner and discuss these matters later.” The young miss quickly picked up a meatball and placed it in her father's bowl, deftly cutting off his unfinished sentence. “Father, eat your vegetables.”
This matter didn't seem to affect the young miss's mood. She continued to laughingly tell her father about some interesting things she had seen, bickered playfully with her older brother, and coquettishly asked her mother for the New Year's money given to children.
It wasn't until late that night, as I lay on the footrest beside the young miss's bed keeping watch, that I heard faint, barely audible sobs.
I should have pretended not to hear, but I said, “Young Miss, Xǐ'er will always be with you. Don't cry.”
The young miss's crying stopped abruptly. Then, the bed curtains were suddenly pulled open, and the young miss, her eyes red, said, “I never thought I wouldn't even be worthy of a grand wedding procession...I've imagined my husband not loving me, I've imagined having many wives in the inner courtyard, but not like this.”
I truly didn't know how to comfort the young miss, so I could only hold her tightly, repeating over and over, “It will be alright.”
10
On the first day of the New Year, the young miss naturally woke up late after crying half the night. Seeing her eyes swollen like peaches, my heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly.
My young miss should have a life of happiness and prosperity. Why should she suffer such injustice? I've never met the Prince Cheng that Master spoke of, but from this moment on, he is the person I hate most.
I was angrily sweeping the snow when a maid ran from the outer courtyard and beckoned me. “Xǐ'er, a handsome young master has come to the back door and says he's looking for you!”
“Nonsense! You're playing a joke on me on the first day of the New Year.” I laughed, playfully hitting her with the broom.
“I wouldn't dare! He brought silver to redeem you!”
Just then, the young general walked into the courtyard, intrigued. “I want to see who's trying to redeem my sister's little shadow.”
I curtly bowed to the young general. “Greetings, Young General. I'll go inform the young miss.”
The maid who had joked with me said, “I'll tell the young miss. There really is someone at the back door.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “How is that possible?”
I wasn't a servant who was abducted and sold; my father sold me for two taels of silver. Still doubtful, I hurried to the back door of the General's Mansion. Perhaps something had happened at home, like my father had died.
From a distance, I couldn't see the person's face clearly, but it was indeed a man.
I quickly approached and tentatively asked, “Who are you?”
The man was thinly clad, his cheeks flushed from the cold. He opened his mouth, exhaling a cloud of white breath. “My name is Lù Zhītíng. My ancestral home is in Sishui. I've come to find my family.”
I was stunned, then said, “Big Brother?”
This man was clearly my older brother. Years apart, not only was his figure tall and straight, but he was also quite handsome.
“Little Apple?” My older brother suddenly grabbed my hand, his eyes slightly red.
I pulled my hand away, feeling uneasy. My voice unconsciously took on a hint of grievance. “What are you doing here? I was sold into the General's Mansion a long time ago. I'm not Lu Zhi Ping anymore; my name is Xǐ'er.”
“I didn't know when Father sold you. I only found out when I returned home. Selling his daughter for two measly taels of silver—what kind of father is he?!”
My older brother's voice was clearly filled with anger. “I wanted to take you back then, but I couldn't find any information about you...Let's not talk about that. It's good that I found you.”
I suppressed the turbulent emotions in my heart. My voice was hoarse, but calm. “So? What now that you've found me?”
My older brother was clearly taken aback by my question. “Now that I've found you, naturally, I'll take you home. Mother and Father will be overjoyed.”
I shook my head. “I don't want to go back with you. Have you ever considered why Mother and Father would agree to you finding me? I'll be fourteen this year. If I go back, they'll immediately arrange a marriage for me, and I'll be hastily married off next year. Do you think they feel guilty about me, or do they truly miss their daughter? It's because you need to marry, and they need my dowry to improve your prospects.”
I had assumed my older brother understood the complexities of the situation, but it seemed he had spent all these years immersed in his books and hadn't considered this aspect. He stood there silently, frowning.
I took a deep breath. “Big Brother, I'm truly doing well now. This is my seventh year in the household, and my mistress treats me very well. I'm well-fed, well-clothed, and she gives me extra money during festivals. But at home, I had to yield to my younger brother, show consideration for you, worry about Father, and help Mother. To be honest, I never had a full meal until the day I was sold to the human trafficker—Mother made me a bowl of noodles with two eggs.”
My older brother's hand clenched slightly at this. “Don't worry. When I go back, I'll protect you and I'll talk to Mother and Father about this.”
I smiled again. “Big Brother, listen to me. I ate that bowl of noodles Mother made with a trembling heart. I gave one egg to my younger brother, but the other remained uneaten because I was terrified. Now I understand that when a person's wish is suddenly fulfilled, it doesn't bring joy, but fear.”
“I'm sorry,” my older brother said, his usually straight back slightly bent. “Every time I went home, you were always waiting for me under the big tree at the village entrance, and you would run towards me with a smile...I thought you were doing well.”
I knew this wasn't his fault; it was enough that he had the intention of finding me.
I walked over and gently hugged him. “Big Brother, you don't need to feel sad. It's not just me; most girls in our village live like this. And I've never hated you, or anyone in our family.”
I looked up at my long-lost older brother. “It's true that I longed for your return every day since I heard you were coming back, but it's also true that I want to continue staying in this wealthy household as a servant girl.”
My older brother's large hand covered my back, and he whispered, “I'm sorry. You've suffered so much these past years.”
I had never cried from the injustice I suffered at home, nor when my parents cruelly sold me to the human trafficker, but at this moment, my tears flowed uncontrollably.
My older brother finally left, dejected. The snow continued to fall, slowly covering his footprints, as if he had never been there.
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment