Ever since Jin Niang, the sister who taught me needlework, left, the once-busy embroidery room became a storage space. Sister Lan Xiang from the tea room also went out to be married, and I was assigned to serve the First Madam as a needlework maid.
Fortunately, while learning needlework from Sister Jin Niang, I became familiar with people like Sister-in-law Hu and Brother Kuang San, so I had some connections, which made doing work much more convenient.
Only sometimes, when I think of Sister Jin Niang, I miss the warmth of those times, when I could feel the warmth of a family. Whatever tasty food or fun things there were, Sister Jin Niang would always satisfy me, even secretly sharing her own wages with me, allowing me to save up a decent amount of private savings.
No, I must not dwell on the past any longer.
I cannot take my money out lightly; I must find the right opportunity to serve in the First Madam's chambers.
Otherwise, little maids like us not only have to work for the First Madam but also for the senior maids, forever remaining beneath others. Take now, for example: I still have to sew menstrual belts for Sister Lv Ying from the inner room and make undergarments for Sister Huang Qi. These are still decent tasks; I just fear being made to wash blood-stained trousers—those stains are not easy to clean.
Sometimes, even serving tea, passing water, or fanning those senior maids feels like serving ancestors.
Those people seize any benefits for themselves, afraid of anyone else standing out, and they always keep us suppressed.
Once, when I went to the Third Household to deliver something, I saw that Qin Shuang'er was already completely different. The Third Household's mistress was virtuous; not long after entering the household, she had Qin Shuang'er 'opened up' to serve the master, and she was now a bedchamber maid.
Qin Shuang'er's demeanor was also different from before. Upon seeing me, she first pretended not to know me, but after hearing I served the First Madam, she came over to say a few words.
For a maid like me, Si'er, there are only two paths: either be like Lv Ying, never marrying, staying by the First Madam's side and serving for a lifetime, or rise up like Qin Shuang'er, have a child in the future, be granted the status of a concubine, and become half a mistress.
These two paths are the way out for maids who wish to stay in the household; otherwise, they are married off to someone.
Marrying a handsome, diligent servant is one thing, but if married off to a lazy glutton, your whole life is ruined.
"Si'er, make two pairs of shoes for the Madam," a senior maid came out to instruct.
Si'er dared not be negligent and quickly replied, "Alright, I'll start right away."
In truth, she knew these shoes, once made, would be taken by those senior maids to claim credit, but if she didn't make them, she would likely be ostracized.
She endured like this, barely getting by, until Huang Qi fell ill, and only then did she catch the First Madam's eye, finally managing to serve inside the chambers.
First Madam Zhou was not an easy person to serve. She used to be better, but after her two daughters married away, the vitality in her seemed to have been drained. Before, she maintained appearances and acted quite properly, but now she became increasingly capricious.
Her capriciousness made life difficult for us maids.
Look, she said she wanted to find a kesi silk gown to wear for the Third Young Miss's grand wedding. After rummaging through chests and cabinets for half a day, it was found to be slightly damaged, and she immediately forced us to have it mended.
Those senior maids handed this troublesome task to her. Originally full of resentment, she searched alone in the embroidery alley for a long time, but shops were either closed early due to the cold or simply unable to help.
She was both anxious and angry, never expecting this arduous task would lead her to meet Sister Jin Niang, whom she hadn't seen for over three years. She was truly overjoyed, for Sister Jin Niang had slimmed down and become so strikingly beautiful, had even opened her own shop, and had bought both the shop and a house herself.
Sister Jin Niang agreed to mend the kesi without hesitation. It turned out she had once served as a head embroideress in the Imperial Embroidery Institute, so what was difficult for others was simple for her.
With the matter settled, Si'er finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Sister Jin Niang had completely become the kind of person she herself wanted to be, carving out her own path relying on herself. But for a maid like her, sold under a permanent contract, even if she could leave, who would look after her?
Moreover, who would dare sell a servant the master finds useful?
Therefore, she had only one path she could take: become a bedchamber maid and then a concubine.
Lady Zhang was naturally not a good person, and Lady Zhang and Zhou Cunzhi had never gotten along well. As someone bestowed by the First Madam, as long as she could win over Zhou Cunzhi, just like Qin Shuang'er had done before, her life would surely be better than a maid's.
At first, she was quite favored, but this favor came quickly and left just as quickly. Without any warning, she fell out of favor.
Originally, in her heart, having served the First Madam for so long, she had known Zhou Cunzhi for a long time. But she never realized that a man's fickleness was truly fickle; even someone like Zhou Cunzhi, who was not obsessed with women, was like this.
These bitter sorrows, she could only occasionally confide in Sister Jin Niang when they met.
Therefore, when Zhou Cunzhi was demoted and Sister Jin Niang sent someone to ask about her, she left without a second thought. One encounters very few benefactors in a lifetime; if you meet one, you must not hesitate but seize the opportunity.
Leaving the Zhou household, she became a free person. Sister Jin Niang prepared a dowry for her, and she traveled by boat to Daming Prefecture.
Soon she met Ruyan, an extremely beautiful and capable woman. Ruyan did not inquire about her background, only arranged for her to stay in a separate residence. After becoming familiar, she learned that Ruyan had also been rescued by Sister Jin Niang.
Remarrying was not an issue; she was only worried about her daughter living poorly in the Zhou household, so she was constantly anxious.
Unexpectedly, the man she remarried was exceedingly considerate. He had lost his wife two years prior and had a son from his first marriage. Hearing that she missed her daughter from her previous marriage, he specially took her along when he went to Hangzhou on business.
Although the journey from Bianjing to Daming Prefecture counted as travel, her heart was burdened then, with no mood for sightseeing. Now, going to visit her daughter, bringing many gifts, her heart was light and cheerful, and she had the mind to appreciate the scenery along the way.
She had feared her daughter would resent her for being heartless, but unexpectedly, upon receiving the dozen or so bolts of silk, two newly made sets of jewelry, two sets of fine clothing, and a dressing set she sent, her daughter was overjoyed.
The Zhou family were major local landowners, but no one was preparing a dowry for her daughter. Si'er discussed with her husband, wishing to help her daughter prepare a dowry. Her husband, a raw silk merchant, readily agreed to contribute two hundred strings of cash. Si'er had also saved quite a sum over the years as a mistress of a household. Together, they gathered five hundred strings, so her daughter could marry well.
She thought to herself, if she had still been holed up in the Zhou household as a concubine, her daughter would likely have been neglected, and as a mere concubine, she would have had no say in her daughter's dowry.
And because she prepared a dowry for her daughter, the Zhou family treated her with great respect, and even her daughter became very close to her, her mother.
Si'er couldn't help but smile. It turned out that once you were willing to step out, the problems that once seemed so difficult to overcome could actually be conquered.
Afterwards, she and her husband worked together to manage their business. She diligently learned bookkeeping and then gave birth to a pair of twins. Their life became rich and fulfilling. When she received a letter from her daughter saying that Lady Zhang had drowned herself, and that Zhou Cunzhi and his concubine had gone into seclusion, she felt as if it all belonged to a past life!
If she had still been in the Zhou family, she would likely have been cast aside as well. She was truly grateful that at the critical moment, she had made her choice. She also thanked her sister Jin Niang; that inspired idea of finding her a good marriage had later yielded such a bountiful reward.
