Chapter 57: Opportunity Comes
Before we knew it, the New Year had arrived and the wealthy families in the capital had all started holding banquets, one after another, sometimes several in one day, and the women of the marquis's mansion had to go separately.
The tenth day of the first lunar month is the day for a banquet at the Huainan Marquis Mansion.
As usual, Mama Liu gathered the servants of Qin Garden together to arrange their tasks. Su Qing's task was to help in the tea room of Songhe Garden.
This job was considered a medium-level one. Although I couldn't show my face in front of the masters of the various mansions to get a reward, it was not tiring and I didn't have to stand outside in the cold. I just had to take care of the stove and prepare tea according to the tastes of the masters of the various mansions that I had investigated in advance.
Su Qing was very satisfied with his job, thinking about what Qingrui said to him when he went to Shanzhitang a few days ago.
Jiaohong is getting married, and the first-class position is either Yuandong or Yuanyue. Qingrui is trying hard to find a second-class position for Su Qing before she gets married. The chance is 50-50, because Su Qing knows that Wanxiang is also eyeing this position, and Jiaolian is helping her from behind.
Su Qing accidentally found out the reason why Jiaolian and Wanxiang were getting closer and closer. It was said that one time Wanxiang went to Jiaolian's house to deliver something, and Jiaolian's brother happened to be at home. He took a liking to the pretty and talkative Wanxiang at first sight.
Jiaolian's mother was very happy. Her youngest son had been spoiled since he was young. He was not on duty in the mansion until he was seventeen or eighteen years old. He was idle every day. Since the family was well-off, she let him do whatever he wanted.
What bothered Jiaolian the most was that when she reached marriageable age, he looked down on every girl. He either disliked them because they were fat or dark, or they were like wooden stakes. In short, no one caught his eye until he saw Wanxiang, and he was determined to marry her.
Jiaolian did not tell Wanxiang about her brother's thoughts at first, but just observed secretly. Coincidentally, Wanxiang was sticking to Jiaolian at that time, using all her strength to perform, and the two people, each with their own thoughts, saw the good in the other.
When Wanxiang knew Jiaolian's intention, she was very surprised. No wonder after she helped her deliver things that time, she often asked herself to go to her house, and her younger brother was at home every time.
Wanxiang frowned tightly. It was obvious at first glance that Jiaolian's younger brother was a good-for-nothing. Not to mention that he was short, fat and ugly, he was a servant but had nothing to do every day. Every time she went to see him, he would eat all the time. How could Wanxiang look down on such a man?
But Wanxiang couldn't express her opinion right away, as she needed Jiaolian's help too much. In fact, Wanxiang had made two plans for her future: one was to continue to work hard for Meng Shao if she had the chance, and the other was to work hard to become Meng Qi's dowry.
The second idea was that he knew that Meng Qi's husband's family was the Prince of Shen County's Mansion, and her husband was the prince's legitimate son. It was said that he was as handsome as Pan An. Although his reputation was not good, he had the capital, and the difference between him and Jiaolian's younger brother was far greater than that of a world of mud and mud.
Wanxiang thought that if she became Meng Qi's dowry, it would be easy for her to become a concubine and then a concubine in the future with her beauty. Moreover, facing a brainless mistress like Meng Qi, she was confident that she could keep Mr. Zhou Er by her side.
When Wanxiang heard Jiaolian asking what she meant, she pretended to be shy and raised three ideas. First, her parents should decide her marriage. Second, her parents were in the West House, which did not match the status of Jiaolian's family in the mansion. Third, she wanted to marry decently, and wanted to be first-class to bring honor to herself and her husband's family, or at least second-class.
Wanxiang was thinking that Jiaolian was going to get married next year, so Jiaolian's brother couldn't possibly get married before his sister, right? After Jiaolian helped her for a year, she would get married, and Meng Qi's marriage would also go through the procedures. By then, the maidservant would definitely be decided. If she became Meng Qi's dowry, how could Jiaolian's family have the courage to snatch her away?
Besides, maybe it is not impossible that I will get the chance to follow Meng Shao this year.
So, she was half-hearted, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and even after accepting the two silver hairpins given by Jiaolian before the New Year, she did not agree to finalize the marriage.
Jiaolian felt that this was a done deal, and she worked even harder to help Wanxiang get ahead. She even planned to transfer Wanxiang's parents' jobs from the West House, and Jiaolian's father also started to do so.
Su Qing was still not absolutely sure whether she could successfully make it to the second rank, although Mother Liu was liking her more and more, and Meng Qi's attitude towards her was the same as before, or even more intimate. She just lacked an opportunity now, an opportunity to show herself, an opportunity that could be seen by Wang.
Seeing that Qingrui was going to get married in less than a month, Su Qing didn't want her to worry too much about him, so he asked Qingrui to see if she could get Cai'er to the East Palace.
Cai'er was illiterate, so there were some things she couldn't write in the letter. Since she came to the East Palace, the two of them had only exchanged small things. She knew that she was living well with Mama Liu. In Su Qing's opinion, it was easier for Qingrui to let Cai'er come to the East Palace than to promote herself to the second rank.
It was still snowing on the day when the banquet was held at the Huainan Marquis' Mansion. After a busy period, Su Qing and the maid in the tea room breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the servants carrying trays out of the yard.
The old woman took out a handful of broad beans and put them on the stove. The servants didn't have much snacks in the winter, so these beans and melon seeds became their way to pass the time.
After a while, the beans made a popping sound, accompanied by a light bean fragrance. Su Qing just picked up a bean and blew it from left hand to right hand, when the maid next to Jiang came in hurriedly.
"Su Qing, I told you to go to Canglang Courtyard, hurry up." The girl said hurriedly as she opened the curtain at the door.
"Ah~ Isn't there enough people around the fourth young lady?"
"It wasn't Miss Four who asked me to call you. It was Madam Xu from Canglang Courtyard who asked me to come and call you. It looks like the situation over there is very urgent."
Mother Xu was Jiang's wet nurse.
Su Qing didn't dare to delay and followed the little girl out while asking, "Sister, do you know what Mother Xu asked me to do?"
"I don't know. Mother Xu just asked me to call you."
The two entered the garden from the back corner door of Canglang Courtyard, walked around a row of wooden fences, and found the back house where the servants lived. Baoping was telling a little girl something, and when she looked up and saw Su Qing coming, she heaved a sigh of relief, sent the little girl away, and came over with a smile.
Su Qing bowed to Bao Ping, who held her hand and said, "I'm really too busy today, and I really have no choice but to look for you. It's like this, the guests who came today all brought young masters and young ladies, and they were having fun at first, but soon they started crying and making a fuss. The wet nurses from all the families tried to coax them, but for some reason, no one listened. It was Madam Xu who thought, let's use the story of how you coaxed Young Master Yue back then to see if we can tell these young masters and young ladies a story, just to make them quiet down."
So that's how it is, I just need to be a temporary teacher in the kindergarten, which is not difficult. Su Qing quickly said a few humble words.
Baoping led her to the west room of the main house where Brother Lang and Brother Yue lived. When they opened the door curtain, they saw a room full of people. There were not many children, but there were a lot of servants. It was obvious that they had experienced a war, and some of them were still sobbing.
Bao Ping gave a few instructions to the maid in the room, then turned to Su Qing and said, "There are too many things to do up ahead, I have to go over there to take care of it. I'll have to trouble you here. Just tell her if you need anything."