Chapter 3: Teaching the Maid

  It's not easy to promote a concubine to the status of a formal wife, and many people would look down on it. However, Ma's father is now an official in the imperial court, and his status has changed greatly. As his daughter, she naturally benefits from his rise, and the Yao family cannot help but give her face.

  Furthermore, nowadays the Empress Dowager holds power, and the true dragon son is just a figurehead. In front of the Empress Dowager, one can only nod in agreement. The Empress Dowager has a strong and bold personality, extremely rich in strategy and tactics. During her twenty or thirty years in power, women's social status has unknowingly risen significantly.

  As the old saying goes, "one thing is lost and another is gained", those restrictive and outdated customs that bound women are also being ignored and abandoned by people. In today's Zhou Dynasty, it's not unusual for women to divorce their husbands, remarry, go out and have fun, or start their own businesses, let alone the trivial matter of a concubine being promoted to wife?

  Although Ma became the legitimate wife and head of the household, she was originally from a humble background. She suddenly became the mistress of the house, feeling both proud and uneasy - she was afraid that she would not understand the rules and etiquette of high society and be ridiculed by others!

  So, Ma hired some experienced nannies from the palace to teach her various etiquette and rules, hoping to transform herself into a true aristocratic lady. However, she didn't realize that a monkey is still a monkey, no matter how well it's dressed or trained by a beast tamer - it can never become human!

  If even half a sentence of "not understanding the rules" were to spread from the mansion, it would absolutely be treading on the painful foot of the Ma family. No matter who was careless and caused this result, with the temperament of the Ma family, they would absolutely not forgive lightly!

  Yao Cunhui was well aware of this, and Qiao's mother even more so.

  Yao Cunhui secretly sneered in her heart, patted her chest and coughed softly, waiting to see how Qiao's mother would handle the situation.

  Mrs. Qiao wouldn't take trouble for a mere servant girl, so she immediately turned cold and scolded Hongzhi: "How dare you! Don't you apologize to Second Miss? Second Miss has a good temper, but you two have been spoiled by her into having the temperament of young ladies!"

  "Second Miss, I was wrong. Please forgive me this time and I won't dare to do it again!" Hongzhi said with a mix of shock, anger, and grievance, her voice trembling as she bowed her head in apology, her palms cold with sweat.

  In front of Yao Cunhui, when had she ever suffered such humiliation? It was always Yao Cunhui who looked at her with a timid gaze and acted according to her wishes. When did he dare to show her a bad face? The huge disparity between heaven and earth suddenly fell on her, making it unacceptable, completely forgetting that obeying the master's orders was her own duty!

  Yao Cun Hui said, "Reasonably speaking, as the young lady of the Yao household, I shouldn't be bothered with a servant girl like her. But Mother Qiao, you've seen it too - if it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be able to order her around! If this happens every time, how am I supposed to live? So, please take this servant girl away, Mother!"

  "Ah—" Mrs. Qiao hastily accompanied with a smile: "Second Miss, don't be offended! It's just a maid, how dare she not listen to Second Miss' words? Second Miss has taught her this time, and next time she will naturally know her place! Second Miss is always kind-hearted, and Hongzhi has followed you for so many years, and is also a high-ranking maid with a good reputation. If Second Miss drives her out like this, where would she still have the face to see people? Just consider it as giving her a way to survive!"

  Qiao's mother said, casting a glance at Hongzhi, who was also panicked and hastily knelt down to kowtow and begged: "Second Miss, please spare me, I'll never dare again! Please have mercy on me, don't drive me away!"

  The big maid beside the young lady will often become a companion and serve as a concubine for her husband in the future. If she's lucky, she'll give birth to one boy and one girl, and being a childless aunt is a stable position!

  From a maid to a mistress, this is the best way out for being a maid, it's Hongzhi's ideal of struggle, and also the good treatment that Madam Ma promised her!

  The young lady's personal maid, who was driven out and abandoned, not only lost face but also became a laughing stock. Others would naturally speculate about the reason why she was driven away by her mistress. If it wasn't for a major reason, why would the mistress suddenly drive away her loyal maid? With such an inexplicable reason, how could anyone still look up to her? It's likely that even her own parents would be ashamed of her and marrying her off to some lowly servant would be a good enough match.

  Hong Lian saw Hong Zhi continuously kowtowing and begging for mercy, the white and clean forehead quickly became red and swollen, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. She also helped to plead on her behalf: "Second Miss, Hong Zhi is just straightforward and blunt, please forgive her this time!"

  Qiao's mother secretly glanced at Yao Cunhui, seeing her persistence, and continued to smile: "Second Miss, Hong Lian is right, please forgive Second Miss! If she dares to be presumptuous again next time, it won't be too late for Second Miss to drive her away then!" Hong Zhi was a thorn planted by Ma Shi beside Yao Cunhui, and Qiao's mother didn't dare to take her away like this even if she had ten times the courage.

  "Since Mother Qiao said so, I'll just make a note of this incident. Next time, you'll be punished for both crimes!" Yao Cunhui said slowly, her tone suddenly turning stern as she glared at Hongzhi and shouted: "Get up! What is the meaning of this? You're trying to frame me by hurting yourself, aren't you? Do you want to wrongfully accuse me?"

  Her mind went blank, her heart racing wildly as she stuttered: "I-I don't dare!" She glanced nervously at Yao Cunhui, and under the piercing gaze, her legs weakened and almost collapsed. She quickly scrambled to her feet, standing with her head bowed to one side.

  "Get out into the corridor and kneel down, reflect on what you did wrong!" Yao Cunhui glared at her with disgust.

  "Yes, Second Miss." Hongzhi didn't dare to play any tricks and obediently went out, feeling a bit relieved. After thinking for a moment, she walked to the end of the corridor where people were coming and going and couldn't see clearly, and knelt down neatly with her head bowed, not daring to let anyone see the bruise on her forehead.

  "Thank you so much, Aunt Qiao! If it weren't for Mom taking charge, I wouldn't know what to do! Mom must be tired from running around, Honglian, please ask her to sit down and have some tea." Yao Cunhui's bright eyes looked at Aunt Qiao, filled with heartfelt gratitude.

  What Yao Cunhui wanted was the attitude of Qiao's mother and Hongzhi, and naturally, she didn't think that she could drive Hongzhi away so easily. Moreover, driving away one Hongzhi would only lead to another Hongzhi coming over, so it's better to keep her around, after all, they knew each other well. However, she also wanted to let her know that she was no longer the Yao Cunhui of old, and as long as she did things carefully, without crossing her bottom line!

  Qiao's mother was originally a bit uncomfortable in her heart, but when she saw Yao Cunhui treating her like this, she immediately floated up again, and suddenly felt that all 36,000 pores on her body were relaxed, and a smile appeared on her face. She couldn't help but laugh and say: "Second Miss is polite, old slave doesn't deserve it!" While sitting down heavily on the embroidered stool brought by Hong Lian, she took over the tea.

  Yao Cunhui chatted with her for a while, and when Qiao's mother saw that she was not in high spirits, she got up to take her leave with a satisfied smile.

  Yao Cunhui didn't keep her either. He bowed and smiled, saying: "Mom, go back and greet my mother for me, and when I'm feeling better tomorrow, I'll come over to pay my respects!"

  "Old slave understands! Second Miss, you just rest well, take care of your body!" Qiao Mama smiled and lifted the curtain to leave.

  The second young lady is usually honest and doesn't like to talk, whenever she sees someone, she hides behind her sister's back. Her shrinking shoulders and hunched back make anyone who sees her not like her! But today, it seems like she has changed into a different person, probably because she learned something from being outside the Ghost Gate! Considering how polite and respectful she is to herself, I'll say a few good words for her today! Alas, this poor child without a mother, it's all pitiful! Mrs. Qiao thought subconsciously. Suddenly, another shock, she lightly slapped her own mouth, muttering to herself: "Nonsense, what am I thinking!"

  "Second Miss, how did you get up!" Hong Lian put down the tea bowl and came in to see that Yao Cunhui had already gotten out of bed with a start, and hurriedly rushed forward to support her, scolding: "Second Miss, you just woke up, hurry up and lie down for a while, be careful not to get dizzy!"

  "I'm fine! I've been lying down for so long, my waist and back are sore, but I'd like to get up and sit for a bit!" Yao Cunhui said with a smile. Actually, she was a little hungry, but it was already past lunchtime and not yet dinnertime, according to the rules of this household, meals were only served at set times. Of course, Madam Ma had her own small kitchen, where she could eat whatever she wanted whenever she pleased, which also benefited Yao Cunmei. As for snacks like pastries and candies, Yao Cunhui said that except during holidays when they would get one or two plates of coarse-tasting treats, on ordinary days they wouldn't even see a shadow of them!

  "Is Miss Two all right?" Hong Lian heard her say this and became tense again.

  "Look at you! I'm fine." Yao Cunhui couldn't help but laugh and instructed, "Bring me some clothes to put on!"

  "Yes, Second Miss!" Hong Lian helped Yao Cun Hui to a worn-out lacquer arhat couch against the wall and sat her down, then went to the wardrobe to fetch clothes for her.

  Yao Cunhui looked around her own boudoir, three rooms that were not too big or too small, not completely partitioned off. The inner room was the bedroom, the middle room was a small parlor and living room, and on the right side by the window was placed a long bed, which seemed to be where two senior maids slept at night. At one end stood a half-new, half-old lacquer cabinet that was as tall as a person.

  At this moment, she was sitting on the couch in the living room, behind which a long table was placed, with two earthenware vases about one or two feet high on it. On the tea table in front of the couch were coarse ceramic teapots and cups that were half green and not quite green, with a small bamboo basket placed on top, containing scattered needles, threads, and embroidery cloth.

  There is no redundant decoration in this house except for a few pieces of furniture.

  Three rooms with mosquito nets hanging between them, all made of the same half-new and half-old light blue cotton cloth, matching the white mosquito net on the wooden bed, quiet and elegant, not like a young lady's boudoir at all, but rather suitable for a widow in her thirties!

  "Second Miss!" Before long, Hong Yu brought over the clothes and helped Yao Cun Hui put them on. The fish-belly white bottom with light blue small floral patterns of the jacket, plain white satin long skirt, made of slightly coarse Ning silk fabric.

  Yao Cunhui smiled slightly.

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