Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 4 Slap

Granny Zhou was delighted. Today, she not only outmaneuvered Granny Li, but also gained face from the mistress of the house. Since she had nothing else to do, she might as well talk things out with the young girl in front of her and make a good connection.

Thinking this way, she simply stood by the kitchen gate, beckoned a young maid to help with cooking, gave her a few instructions, and handed her some large sum of money.

Turning around, he saw that Meng Shu had already opened the door to the room and was tidying up the table and chairs with a rag. This little girl was truly clever and thoughtful, and a feeling of pity welled up in his heart.

However, Zhou was a seasoned matchmaker, so she gently covered her thoughts and went inside to sit down.

He began by briefly mentioning the reputation of Zheng's Brokerage to Meng Shu, implying that she shouldn't worry too much.

Zheng's Brothel does not engage in brothel business, and it accepts both men and women. If a woman comes from a poor family, she will be raised for a few days to be taught manners. As a result, it has a very good reputation in Jinan County, and even wealthy families in the prefectural city come to Zheng's Brothel to select women.

Meng Shu breathed a sigh of relief, and then heard Granny Zhou mention that maids were divided into several categories according to their work.

As the saying goes, everyone has their own expertise, and maids are also divided into different classes, so the prices they are sold to through a brokerage firm will naturally vary.

The most common type of maid, the lowest-paid maid in the brokerage firm, was usually responsible for chores such as sweeping and washing.

Being able to cook well can elevate one's status, making one a full-fledged kitchen maid.

Those who are more outstanding in appearance and more clever and intelligent can command an even higher price than the former two. The brokerage only needs to train them in the rules and etiquette of wealthy families. After being bought, these people mostly serve their masters or find a job based on their skills. For example, if they are good at embroidery, they can work in the needlework room.

But there is another type of maid who doesn't have to do these chores on a regular basis. They are only there to serve the male master's daily life. They are called "chamber maids".

After speaking, Granny Zhou told Meng Shu to study the rules diligently and whispered to her that Master Zheng had connections in the prefectural city and that people would come to select people every now and then. If she was selected, it would be the best of luck.

The kitchen maid brought over tea, fruit, and snacks. Meng Shu accepted them and said apologetically to Granny Zhou, "How could I let Granny Zhou spend so much? I can only repay your kindness another day. Just now, my heart was pounding and I was really flustered."

Granny Zhou had a somewhat fierce face. She raised her slanted eyebrows, took a leisurely sip of tea, and said nonchalantly, "I despise women like your stepmother the most. You are also a pitiful person. If you can achieve a good future, I will also do you a favor."

Meng Shu was still young, but her mother often said that one should not judge a book by its cover. She suffered because of this, and her life thereafter was as bitter as if it were soaked in water.

After Zhou Ya Po left, Meng Shu carefully examined the room. It was similar in layout to the back room, except that it wasn't a shared room. There were four small beds in the four corners, two of which showed signs of having been occupied. The floor was tiled and much cleaner.

She gently closed the door, returned the teacup tray to the neighboring courtyard, politely greeted the people in the kitchen, and then prepared to go to the room where she had stayed the previous night to retrieve her luggage.

After passing through the moon gate, everyone in the main courtyard was learning etiquette under the guidance of an old woman. Meng Shu carefully made her way to the back room, hugging the wall of the covered walkway.

The room was empty. Meng Shu took out her bundle from under the pillow on the communal bed and prepared to leave. She noticed that the knot she had tied was different from her usual habit. Her heart tightened and she quickly opened it to check. Fortunately, she had been careful and always carried the dagger that her uncle had left her to play with, which was less than the length of her palm.

If a sharp weapon is found in the bundle, the brokers will know what kind of trouble it will cause.

Inside the bundle were only two undergarments and a set of spring clothes, along with a handkerchief embroidered by her mother and a purse. The handkerchief was now tucked whole into the middle of the undergarments, with a wrinkled corner showing.

On the lower right corner of the handkerchief embroidered with orchids, above the character "姝" (shū), there was a dark fingerprint.

The copper-plated silver safety buckle was still inside the purse.

Just then, Dunzi's voice came from outside the door. "Huan Di, why were you in such a hurry back to your room? Mother Li just asked us to fetch water..."

Meng Shu looked at the three people who entered the room. Huan Di's eyes flickered for a moment when he saw the bundle on the communal bed as soon as he entered.

"Meng Shu, where did Xiao Mutou go?" Dunzi and Er Yazi, who were both cheerful, were about to ask about their plans.

Meng Shu didn't answer, but stepped forward and grabbed Huan Di's hand. Sure enough, her fingers were black. "Don't move," Meng Shu warned. Huan Di was still young and didn't dare to struggle after being questioned.

Unfolding the handkerchief, Meng Shu compared it to her right index finger, and Huan Di dared not say a word. Er Ya Zi, seeing this scene, also knew why Meng Shu was angry.

Dunzi was furious. "Brother Huan, how could you just open someone else's baggage like that? We've already been sold, which is pitiful enough, but you shouldn't even lose face."

After being reprimanded, Huan Di abruptly withdrew his finger.

"I just can't stand her superior attitude. Everyone else has been sold off by their families, yet she can still wear such nice clothes. I was just curious and opened the door to take a look. I didn't steal anything, so why is she treating me like this?"

Er Yazi shook his head after hearing this, took a step back, and decided not to get involved. Dunzi rolled his eyes and was about to speak.

Meng Shu remained expressionless. She reached out, grabbed Huan Di's arm, and swiftly slapped him across the face.

With a sharp "smack," the slap landed on Huan Di's face.

The slap wasn't hard; Meng Shu controlled her strength so that it wouldn't leave a fingerprint.

Huan Di was completely unprepared to be hit and was momentarily stunned. When she came to her senses, she felt a burning sensation on her cheek and instinctively reached out to cover her burning face.

"You little slut, why are you hitting me?" Huan Di cursed, clenching his fists as he lunged forward.

Meng Shu was two years older than her and a head taller, so exchanging brothers would naturally not be an advantage for her.

“Dunzi is right. Since we have been sold out, we should be more obedient and behave ourselves. If we get jealous and resentful over such a small matter, we won’t be able to endure the rest of our lives.”

Meng Shu sneered, "This handkerchief is a keepsake from my mother. This slap just now was meant to teach you a lesson."

The scene in the back room quickly reached Zheng Dongjia's ears, but it didn't cause any ripples. Instead, it made her think of something.

Over the next few days, Meng Shu and Chen Mutou followed the servants of the brokerage firm, gathering in the main courtyard in the morning to learn etiquette, and then taking turns to do other training in the afternoon.

For example, Dunzi used to be in charge of cooking at home. After a simple assessment, the brokerage firm would let her work in the kitchen. If she succeeded, she would be sold as a full-time kitchen maid, and her price would naturally be much higher than that of an ordinary maid.

As for the second-tier servants and the second-tier servants who do not possess any special skills, the brokerage firm will assign them odd jobs, such as cleaning and sweeping houses and serving customers.

Because Meng Shu lived next door to the kitchen, Dunzi and Meng Shu got along well these past few days, and Meng Shu also liked Dunzi's temperament.

“After you hit Huan Di last time, she cursed you for two whole days in the house. Now she’s clinging to Granny Li and is always hanging around her.”

One afternoon, taking advantage of a free moment, Dunzi came to chat with Meng Shu.

Meng Shu didn't care. She sat on the stool and focused on mending clothes. That day, because of that embroidered handkerchief, Granny Zhou came to find her and reminded her not to hide her skills too much. So she slightly mentioned that she had learned embroidery. Her two roommates were also interested in embroidery and often asked her for advice.

"Why is she clinging to Granny Li? Does she not want to be sold to someone far away?"

Meng Shu pondered for a while. It was said that Granny Li had extensive connections in Jinnan County.

Dunzi, with a sweet tooth, grabbed a piece of rice cake from the kitchen and ate it until her cheeks were bulging. She nodded and said, "Eryazi doesn't want to be sold too far away either. He's hoping to have a chance to go home and visit."

Meng Shu put down her work and sighed, "I'm really hoping that the best-selling ones are from far away, and it would be even better if they were from the south."