The two midwives were sent out of the residence.
Bai yiniang stood by the window, her expression blank as she watched them leave.
Turning back, she fixed her gaze on Qing Zhu. “They’ve already gone. What are you still doing here?”
Qing Zhu secretly rolled her eyes. “My guniang was worried about yiniang, so she sent me to keep an eye on you.”
Bai yiniang let out a small laugh. “What’s there to worry about? Er guniang just overthinks things. I only met with two midwives, and she even sent you to stand guard. If I hadn’t agreed, would Li Chuan have barged in here with people to rough me up?”
“I wouldn’t dare!”
Bai yiniang sneered. “At this point, is there any use in saying such things? I’ve already seen the two midwives, you can go back now. When you see your guniang, thank her on my behalf, for inviting them here for me. I am truly grateful in my heart.
“Once this child is born, he’ll surely be close with er guniang. In the future, I’ll have to rely on her to take care of him.”
Qing Zhu replied, “Yiniang’s child will be cared for by yiniang herself. My guniang cannot.”
Bai yiniang smiled again. “All right, all right. I won’t dare trouble er guniang again. You should hurry back.”
Qing Zhu left in silence.
As soon as she was gone, Bai yiniang slammed the window shut, seething with anger.
Her maid Cui Liu approached.
“Yinaing must take care of her health.”
Bai yiniang gave a soft hum and let Cui Liu help her into a chair.
“I wonder when taitai and the others will return to the fu.”
“Not so soon, I think. The palace is still busy with the Empress niangniang’s funeral rites.”
Bai yiniang gently caressed her belly. “No matter what, this child must be born safely.”
Cui Liu suggested, “Why doesn’t yiniang turn to laoye? Laoye has long held grudges against taitai. If yiniang were to stir things up just a little, perhaps it could bring unexpected results.”
Bai yiniang nodded. “That’s one way. If only taitai could fall seriously ill and never recover, that would be best.”
But Heaven clearly wasn’t listening to her prayers.
Xie shi, though she looked haggard after mourning in the palace, was still in good health.
However, the Wei lao furen was not faring so well.
At her age, how could she endure such exhausting comings and goings?
She wasn’t the only elderly one suffering. Many others of her generation had it hard.
Some even fainted outright during the mourning.
After much fuss, the taiyi examined them and said it was merely from overexertion.
So, someone petitioned His Majesty, asking that the titled furen be allowed to return home to rest each evening and return to the palace the next morning to resume mourning.
Though it was tiring to travel back and forth, it spared them much hardship.
After all, in the palace, they couldn’t eat or sleep well, and every day they had to kneel for long hours in the mourning hall.
Even the strong couldn’t endure it for long, let alone those already frail, who might lose their very lives in the palace.
The Emperor considered and granted the request.
Thus, on the third day after the titled furen had entered the palace, they were finally allowed to return home at night.
Although they still had to rush back at dawn, as the saying goes, “a dog’s kennel at home is better than a golden nest elsewhere.”
At home, one could finally relax, something impossible within the palace.
That very relaxation brought peace and joy. By the next day, they could return to the palace refreshed, ready to continue the mourning.
Wei lao furen and the others returned safely to the hou fu. Gu Mei wept with relief, for at least the backbone of the family had returned.
Wei shi asked, “How have things been in the fu while we were away?”
“Quite well. Xiao Jiu meimei and the others came to help, easing the burden on me greatly.”
Wei shi nodded, and everyone went to Songhe Hall to talk.
Wei lao furen sank into her familiar chair, her bones aching all over.
A maid came forward to massage her back and legs.
Wei lao furen sighed. “I’m getting old. Each year, I feel weaker than the last. I still remember when Hui fei niangniang passed away – back then, I kept vigil in the palace for seven or eight days, and when I returned home, I could still eat two full bowls of rice.”
“Lao furen still has a strong constitution. We can’t compare with you,” said Wang shi in flattery.
Wei lao furen waved her hand. “No, no. I know my own body best. If His Majesty hadn’t allowed us to leave the palace, this old life of mine might have been lost there.”
“Lao furen, please don’t scare us so,” said the others, looking on in worry.
Wei lao furen forced a smile. “I was only speaking casually, look how frightened you all are. Mei yatou, come here and tell me, how have you handled household affairs while we were away? And how did your dasao’s funeral arrangements go?”
Gu Mei stepped forward and recounted everything that had happened.
She even mentioned how Gu Jiu had dismissed the kitchen staff and hired chefs and workers from outside.
She had to say it first, lest those kitchen women slander Gu Jiu later, twisting right and wrong.
After Gu Mei finished, she added, “Lao furen, Granddaughter believe Xiao Jiu’s idea was excellent. The old retainers in this house, relying on the face given them by the masters, have their noses pointed to the sky. They do not treat us with the least respect.
“Not only that, they mock us, always bringing up the past, boasting of serving the old houye and lao furen, demanding deference and filial piety from us juniors. Truly infuriating.
“If not for Xiao Jiu’s quick thinking, hiring cooks and helpers from outside, our funeral banquet would have been nothing more than tea and pastries, with not a bite of hot food. At that point, the face of the hou fu would have been utterly lost.”
Wei shi stiffened her face. “Utterly outrageous. While we were away, the fu’s servants dared to behave like this, do they still have the hou fu in their eyes? Do they still see their masters? Lao furen, erxi believes the old servants in the fu truly need to be disciplined.”
Gu Mei secretly nodded. Disciplined? More like all of them should be driven out and replaced with suitable people who could be carefully trained. They would serve just as well, and be far less troublesome than these so-called ‘old hands.’
Wei lao furen narrowed her eyes slightly. “I’ve heard what you said. These were all people who once served me and the old houye. Out of consideration, we gave them face, hoping they would serve with even more dedication.
“But who would have thought that, leaning on that ‘face,’ the moment we weren’t around, they would start acting like masters themselves. Truly absurd. This matter, I leave it to you, laoda’s wife. You need not consider my or the old houye’s face.
“But for now, with a funeral in the household and a state mourning as well, let us delay until this busy period has passed before dealing with them.”
Wei shi nodded. “Erxi obeys Mother’s word.”
She knew lao furen wished to drag things out, give those old servants a warning and then shield them.
But she was unafraid.
This time was a rare opportunity, and she meant to sweep all those old, useless eaters out once and for all.
No matter whom lao furen wished to protect, once they slipped up in her hands, they wouldn’t escape.
Those old servants, relying on their seniority, had tripped her up time and again. She had long wanted to purge them, only lacking a proper excuse.
Who would have thought that this trip into the palace would provide just such an opportunity?
That child Xiao Jiu was simply too clever; she had actually thought of hiring cooks and helpers from outside.
This way, with the entire kitchen staff replaced, the old servants had no chance to claim credit for themselves.
Thinking of this, Wei shi couldn’t help but lower her head to smile secretly. Tomorrow, she would send someone with a gift to Xiao Jiu to thank her for this great help.
Wei lao furen also said: “That Xiao Jiu child is indeed clever. A young girl from the women’s quarters, with no one to instruct her, and yet she thought to bring in outside cooks and helpers.”
Wei shi replied: “Perhaps she saw it before and remembered. The kitchen staff were simply intolerable, forcing her to resort to such measures. Though if it spreads, it doesn’t look great on the surface, but it is far better than a banquet with nothing but tea and pastries.
“When I think of a running feast with not a single hot dish, only tea and snacks, such a scene makes me want to crawl into a hole in shame. It would have been utterly disgraceful.”
Wang shi and Duan shi chimed in agreement.
They, too, had long suffered from the arrogance of the old servants.
Now that there was a chance to clean them out, they eagerly seized the moment, adding fuel to the fire and listing one fault after another.
Hearing her daughters-in-law’s accusations, lao furen’s expression gradually grew grave.
She excused herself, claiming fatigue, and dismissed everyone.
Even the maids by her side she sent away, leaving only Yu mama to attend her.
Yu mama took over the maids’ duties, massaging lao furen to help her relax.
Lao furen frowned. “Those who once served me and the old houye, counting the years, even the youngest are in their late forties, the older ones in their fifties or sixties. Back then, they were all disciplined, reliable people. Can they really have become so unworthy now?”
Yu mama herself was in her forties and was considered one of the household’s senior servants, with much standing.
The younger generation of mistresses like Gu Mei treated her with courtesy.
Of course, it was always the little maids who were sent about for chores, never someone like Yu mama.
Yu mama considered carefully and said, “There are indeed a few who’ve gone astray. But most still keep to the rules and work honestly. Perhaps the three Madams have long borne grudges against them, so now they denounce them all.”
“Mm.”
A sound came from lao furen’s nose. “Still, it is time to clean out the fu’s old servants, lest they grow too numerous and become a restraint on the children. The future of the hou fu lies with the children, and the children need servants who can be commanded.
“Why do so many great houses decline? Most often, it begins from within. In this, too, there may be a reason, old servants holding back the young masters and mistresses, making them unable to spread their wings.”
Yu mama opened her mouth, then said cautiously: “What lao furen says is true. But these people have worked hard all their lives, and they all depend on the hou fu to live out their old age. If they are cast out now, I fear it will chill many hearts.”
Lao furen gave a soft grunt. “It need not be so harsh. If they can no longer work, then they should leave the fu. But their children and grandchildren can still take posts here. With their younger generations earning wages, there will be no need to worry about their old age.”
“Lao furen is truly thoughtful.” Yu mama felt a touch of sorrow, her voice turning low.
Lao furen suddenly patted her hand. “You need not worry. I cannot do without you by my side. You must serve me for decades yet.”
Yu mama beamed. “Nubi is willing to serve lao furen for a lifetime.”
…
At the Gu fu, Zhang shi was very satisfied with Gu Jiu’s performance as temporary steward.
During her absence, the entire fu had been managed in good order.
In front of Xie shi, she praised Gu Jiu.
“Xiao Jiu is indeed capable. Leaving the household matters in your hands, I feel entirely at ease. Tomorrow at first light, we must return to the palace. The household matters will have to trouble Xiao Jiu to continue handling.”
Gu Jiu quickly said, “This is not my own merit alone. Da jiejie, san meimei, si meimei, wu meimei and liu meimei all helped a great deal. It was only because everyone worked together that the fu could be managed properly.”
Zhang shi nodded. “Everyone contributed, yes, but it was thanks to you taking charge of the fu that things went so smoothly. I’ve heard from the servants that these past two days you’ve not only been busy here, but also went to help next door at the hou fu. You’ve worked hard.”
“A niece easing her aunt’s burdens, how could that be considered hard?” Gu Jiu replied with a sweet smile.
The more Zhang shi looked at Gu Jiu, the more she liked her. What a clever, capable girl, and such beauty too. If only she were her own daughter, Zhang shi thought she would laugh herself awake from joy in her dreams.
But where Zhang shi praised, Xie shi naturally could not; she had to scold.
“Er yatou, I hear you dismissed dozens from the hou fu’s kitchen and then spent money to hire outside cooks and helpers. Is this true?”
Gu Jiu inclined her head slightly. “Aside from the dismissal being exaggerated, it is more or less as taitai says.”
“Utter nonsense!” Xie shi slapped the table, brimming with anger.
“That is the hou fu, not your own home. You go there to help, but who gave you the authority to throw people out? Who allowed you to draw silver from their accounts to hire outside help? You are reckless, dragging not only the hou fu’s face, but ours as well, through the mud!”
Her tone was sharp, her scolding voice echoing.
Gu Jiu raised a brow. “I don’t know what ‘loss of face’ taitai is referring to.”
“You still dare quibble? A grand hou fu, holding a banquet, and you had to hire outsiders to cook? If word spreads, what will people say? That the hou fu cannot even support a few cooks of its own? If that is not disgrace, then what is?”
She slammed the table again, jabbing a finger at Gu Jiu’s nose.
Gu Jiu only smiled faintly. “So that’s what counts as disgrace. Even so, if anyone has lost face, it is the hou fu. They themselves aren’t worried; why is taitai in such a hurry? Better wait and see if the hou fu comes to scold me. If they do, then taitai can lecture me all she likes.”
“You, you are utterly outrageous!” Xie shi’s fury boiled over.
Gu Jiu had no wish to argue further. Silence, she decided, was best.
Zhang shi frowned. “Dimei, I too have heard what Xiao Jiu did at the hou fu. I don’t see disgrace in it at all. On the contrary, I think she handled matters well.
“In such a situation, the foremost task was ensuring the banquet began on time. Depending on those kitchen women, I doubt they could have set even one table in a day. Without the banquet, the hou fu would truly have been shamed. In my eyes, they ought to be thanking her.”
Grateful, Gu Jiu bowed to her elder aunt. She knew her decisions were right, but not everyone could accept her way of doing things. To be understood, even by one, warmed her heart.
Xie shi, however, was displeased, her gaze sharp and hostile as she glared at Zhang shi.
“Dasao, I was disciplining my own child. Must you interfere?”
Zhang shi laughed softly. “It did not look like discipline to me, dimei. It seemed more like seizing a chance to strike at her.”
“Nonsense,” Xie shi snapped. “And what if I were striking her? In name, she is my daughter, should I not?”
Zhang shi frowned. “But Xiao Jiu has done nothing wrong. Why strike her? She was tasked with the kitchen, and in those circumstances, should she have stood idle while the cooks shirked, letting the hou fu be humiliated before its guests? Would that have been ‘the right way’?”
“Utter drivel!” Xie shi retorted. “There’s never only one way to solve a problem. Why must it be outside cooks?”
“Because time was short,” Gu Jiu cut in crisply.
Xie shi narrowed her eyes at her. “All that time, and you call it short? I don’t believe the hou fu’s own cooks couldn’t produce a banquet.”
Gu Jiu gave a cold laugh. “Taitai looks at me as though she’d like to swallow me whole. To anyone who didn’t know better, it would seem you were the lady of the hou fu, not of the Gu family.”
“Impudent!” Xie shi stabbed her finger at her. “How dare you speak so to your elder! You, you–”
“Reporting to da taitai, er taitai,” a maid suddenly cut in, “the hou fu’s eldest furen has sent someone over, saying she wishes to thank er guniang specially.”
At that, the room fell silent.
Xie shi was struck dumb, her face flushing crimson with embarrassment.
The others bit back their laughter. This was a slap in the face, plain as day.
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