Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 84 People teach people, and events teach people.

Meng Shu was very satisfied; she had truly benefited greatly from following the Fang family on this trip.

She had been to Yunxi Courtyard before, where she learned etiquette from Granny Gao. She found Yunxi Courtyard to be elegant, with carved beams and painted rafters everywhere, and extremely grand.

However, the Fang family was able to quickly secure an area of ​​seventy or eighty feet in circumference, centered around the Moon-Playing Pavilion, according to the banquet's scale and their master's wishes.

"In autumn, the leaves are the best part of the scenery. The hills and trees outside the Moonlit Pavilion are well-arranged, yet they are high, wide and peaceful. There is a lake and a stage nearby, and the surrounding houses can be used as resting places. Whether it is a banquet in the pavilion or a flower hall that has been opened up from several rooms, it is suitable."

Fang Daren pointed to a row of houses in the distance, "Meng Shu, you must remember that the maids and spare clothes brought by the guests at the banquet should be escorted to the back room for accommodation. On that day, there should be one person every ten steps in the entire Yunxi Courtyard. Tomorrow, you should coordinate with Steward Cui and send people to rehearse as soon as possible."

The young maids were there to guide and direct, and even warn others. On that day, all the servants in the manor were required to wear uniforms, including hair ornaments and earrings, a matter coordinated with Granny Wei from the sewing room.

Meng Shu secretly admired him and dared not look away from anything else, following closely behind Fang Dajia. At this moment, the steward from the general affairs office came over, and the two stewards talked about the specifications of the tables and chairs used at the banquet that day, the style of the tablecloths, and even the oil candles and spices.

With the help of the head steward, Fang pulled Meng Shu in front of him. Time was limited, so he led the steward and his entourage from Yunxi Courtyard to the General Affairs Office, which was separated from the front courtyard by a wall, to teach her how to choose wood, the style of tables and chairs, and what kind of mats should be matched with each.

After half an afternoon of this commotion, until the setting sun dipped below the eaves, scattering golden fragments across the tiles, the head of the household finally allowed Meng Shu to leave. She went to Yun Gui Courtyard to report on the progress. Although Madam Yun said she wanted the Second Miss to oversee the work, how could she possibly trust her? Therefore, she had to report on everything.

Meng Shu's arms and legs had become very slender. After returning to Yunyi Courtyard, she explained the banquet arrangements to the Second Miss in detail, and then it was time for dinner.

The second young lady pointed to Jinshu and several other second-class maids to serve her, saying, "Mingyue is coming now. You and Donggua should also get to know Mingyue better. Things will be busy later. Tonight, I've asked Mama Li to arrange a feast. Mengzhu doesn't need to rush to serve you. Go and have your meal."

This was a courtesy from the Second Miss, and Meng Shu and Meng Zhu were naturally grateful. They pulled Mingyue to kowtow to the Second Miss in thanks.

Mengzhu was worried as she walked, concerned that Jinshu and the others might not be serving her well. Just as she passed through the moon gate, she saw Li Mama from the small kitchen leading the maids to the embroidery tower to set out the meal. Mengzhu rushed forward and followed, her composure vanishing.

"Meng Shu, Ming Yue, you two go to the small kitchen to find Rui Zhu and Dong Gua first. I'll serve Miss her meal before I go over." As soon as she finished speaking, she followed Li Mama back to the inner courtyard.

Mingyue stood awkwardly rooted to the spot, and asked dryly, "...Sister Mengzhu is so thoughtful. Shouldn't we also serve Miss before...?"

Meng Shu noticed Meng Zhu's anxiety and uncertainty at Yun Gui Courtyard that afternoon, so she said, "No need. Meng Zhu has served Miss the longest, so perhaps... this will make her feel better."

Mingyue didn't take it to heart. She was a bit simple-minded and didn't think things through. Putting Mengzhu aside, she looked closely at Meng Shu's face and said very seriously and sincerely, "Meng Shu, you are so beautiful. You are the most beautiful person I have ever met."

"Hmm?" Meng Shu didn't expect the topic to turn so unexpectedly. She touched her cheek, wanting to test her.

"Does Mingyue think our young lady isn't pretty?" Meng Shu asked mischievously. Mingyue covered her mouth and immediately shook her head, her hair trembling like a ponytail.

"No, no, our young lady is naturally beautiful."

She couldn't help but feel annoyed. Her senior sister was right. She still had to be more vigilant and be careful when talking to city people.

Meng Shu couldn't help but laugh this time. She took Mingyue's hand away and said, "I was just teasing you. At first glance, I also thought you were very handsome and full of heroic spirit. You know martial arts, so you'll have to protect the Second Miss and us in the future."

Mingyue pinched Meng Shu's arm, "No problem, no problem. I can take on ten of Mu Feng's. I guarantee that Miss won't be in danger. Otherwise, Master won't forgive me either."

Now it was Meng Shu's turn to be surprised. Mu Feng was sixteen or seventeen years old and very tall, and he seemed to be quite skilled. Seeing that Meng Shu didn't believe her, Mingyue puffed out her cheeks, looked around, and then lightly leaped up, landing on a willow tree beside her in mid-air. When she landed, she was holding a bird's nest with five or six white eggs inside.

Mingyue revealed a playful side, wiping her nose with a thumbs-up and boasting, "Let the kitchen have an extra meal tonight."

Meng Shu was shocked and secretly surprised that the Tang family was not to be underestimated. It was rare to see a woman with such agile skills, and the Tang family could easily find five or six candidates. Seeing that Mingyue had a good temperament, she also showed some sincerity in befriending her, "This is not allowed in the mansion. Madam has not yet arranged a new head nanny. You must not be so unruly in the future."

"Also, you need to change your clothes and hair accessories to match ours."

Meng Shu sighed inwardly. These trivial matters had taken so long in the afternoon; Meng Zhu should have reminded the people below to take Ming Yue to clean up. Yet, Ming Yue remained unchanged all afternoon. Whatever the reason, it was Meng Zhu who had lost her composure.

After a delay, when Meng Shu and the other arrived at the small kitchen, Rui Zhu was helping Dong Gua set out the dishes.

Five or six dishes were already laid out on the table: honey-soaked tofu, drunken fish, crispy braised pork, and stir-fried blood duck. There was also a dessert, osmanthus-flavored glutinous rice lotus root. Ruizhu was holding a plate of smooth, scrambled chicken slices, the aroma of which was irresistible.

After Ruizhu set out the dishes, she looked up and saw that Mengzhu hadn't come. Mengshu told her the truth, and Ruizhu said helplessly, "Let her be. We'll just wait a little longer. Donggua made some snacks. Mingyue, if you're hungry, have some to tide you over."

Since entering the small kitchen, Mingyue's eyes had been glued to the table. Hearing this, she said awkwardly, "No rush, no rush, let's wait for Sister Mengzhu."

Donggua wiped her hands and asked Meng Shu for help. A moment later, chicken and bamboo shoot porridge, three-delicacy soup and two cold dishes appeared on the table. Finally, Donggua brought out mung bean rolls and eight-treasure cake. It was the first time she had met Mingyue. She greeted Mingyue and said, "They all call me Donggua. I heard that you know martial arts. You must have a good appetite. Try the mung bean rolls that I made myself."

By the light of the room, Meng Shu got closer and realized that Mingyue was actually a very shy person. Now, with two red blushes on her face, she was a completely different person from when she was leaping to steal the bird's nest.

"Sister Donggua, these are bird eggs I collected. You can roast them and eat them."

Donggua's eyes lit up. "Look, look, look! Even the newcomers know to give a gift. You two have eaten so many of my snacks. Every time you come to the small kitchen, you're just sitting there with your little mouths open, waiting to be fed."

Ruizhu, who was used to acting cute, hugged Donggua's chubby arm and rubbed against it. "It's all because of your good cooking skills. I've gained a lot of weight in just two days. By the way, how about making the drink you failed to make last time? I heard from the ladies and old women in the manor that it's very effective for weight loss."

Donggua, with a dark expression, pretended to scratch Ruizhu. Mingyue, unaware of what had happened, just stared blankly at Yundoujuan. Mengshu looked at the warm light in the small house and the person in front of her, and for a moment felt extremely grateful to Zheng Dongjia and Tangfu.

The meal didn't last long. When Mengzhu returned, everyone chatted and laughed and ate some food. Only Mingyue, with her small body and big appetite, devoured everything like a whirlwind, competing with Donggua.

As night fell, it was Meng Shu's turn to be on night duty, but the Second Miss sent Jin Shu to deliver a message that Meng Zhu would be serving her tonight.

Mingyue was arranged to stay in Ruizhu's room. When Meng Shu lay down on the bed, she heard Donggua say quietly, "Even I could tell that Ruizhu and Mengzhu were acting strangely after they came back from the Madam's courtyard this afternoon."

"What happened? Can you... help them?" Donggua paused before speaking softly.

Meng Shu blinked in the darkness. Rui Zhu was easy to talk to, but Meng Zhu was actually quite stubborn and inflexible. This was different from the helpless Green Willow. Meng Zhu had a connection with Mother Wei, so Meng Shu didn't want to interfere too much. She mimicked Dong Gua's quiet words:

"People can't teach you everything, but you can learn it after just one lesson."

Isn't that what green willows are like?