These past few days, Lu Ershenzi had been leaving early and returning late, sneaking around who knows where, and hadn’t come to the Chen family to stir up trouble. Xianglan had been living exceptionally happily, throwing herself wholeheartedly into painting. Her fight with Lu Ershenzi had indeed made her "famous in one battle," and many families had given up the idea of forming marriage ties with her household. Xue Shi grew increasingly sullen and displeased.
One day, when Xue Shi returned home, she saw Xianglan painting a peony and inscribing a poem beside it. Her mood darkened further, and she said with a scowl, "A proper girl should be doing proper work. Your father spoils you—what’s the use of scribbling and painting these worthless things? And reading all those frivolous, nonsensical books—it’s addled your brain! You should be learning needlework and embroidery—that’s what matters! The family doesn’t need the pittance you earn from this!"
Xianglan replied, "Though my paintings aren’t as good as those by the nuns at the temple, the one I painted the other day still sold for two qian of silver—that’s as much as a third-rank maid’s monthly wages in the manor. How can you call that a 'pittance'? Besides, how can the books of sages be called frivolous nonsense? Reading them enlightens the mind and clarifies principles, so one doesn’t muddle through life in confusion."
Xue Shi frowned. "What nonsense are you spouting? All that 'thus and such' you spout every day is useless—you can’t even take the licentiate exams. Mastering fine needlework will help you secure a good marriage. Can’t you tell what’s more important? If you were a young lady from a wealthy family, you could indulge in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to your heart’s content. But do you even know your own station? You’d better rein in your ambitions!"
Xianglan sneered. "Why must Mother’s vision be so narrow? Are we all doomed to be servants forever, with no hope of rising above our station?"
Chen Wanquan, who had been eating in the inner room, came out holding his rice bowl and said, "What do you want? To rebel? You live a life many outside would envy—aren’t you satisfied with the family you were born into? Such arrogance from a mere child! You’d better start focusing on needlework. In a couple of years, it’ll be time for you to marry. Despite your fierce reputation, Head Manager Liu from the silk shop has taken a liking to you. The other day, he took the pouch you embroidered to examine it, and in a few days, he’ll send a matchmaker. Once Manager Liu pleads for the master and mistress’s favor to arrange the match, we’ll hold the wedding next year. Then your mother and I can finally rest easy!"
Xue Shi brightened immediately. "Really? The Lius actually said that?"
But Xianglan was shocked. "Head Manager Liu? I won’t marry his son! I heard he was seriously ill as a child and isn’t quite right in the head—he still seems slow-witted now."
Chen Wanquan glared at her. "What kind of man do you think you can marry? A licentiate or a recommended man? Don’t overestimate yourself!" He then sighed in relief. "You’ve seen Manager Liu’s boy before—you even played together as children. He’s two years older than you. He’s not slow, just honest and simple. That’s the kind of man you should marry—someone without cunning. His father plans to secure him a position at the manor later—it’s a decent prospect. You won’t suffer when you marry into their family. Besides, Head Manager Liu has the old master’s favor. Their household is well-off, with maids to serve them—almost like a minor landowner’s family. He only has one son, doted on like the apple of his eye. Many families have their eyes on him, yet they’ve taken a liking to you. Marrying into such a family is a blessing for you!"
Xianglan puffed out her cheeks in anger. "If I have to marry someone like that, I’d rather shave my head and become a nun right now!"Chen Wanquan said angrily, "Listen to yourself! What kind of talk is this? What kind of life do you want? The lives of the Taitai and ladies in the mansion are good, but were you born into that lot? The grass is always greener on the other side. Now you have enough to eat and wear, and there’s even a good marriage prospect for you, yet you’re still not satisfied!"
Xianglan replied, "I don’t envy the lives of the Taitai and ladies in the mansion. I’m thinking about my own future. Father, have you ever considered buying our freedom and leaving the mansion? Over the years, our family has saved up some money. You could open an antique shop outside, or I could sell my paintings. We have some silver saved up—wouldn’t it be better to live freely than to remain as servants?"
Chen Wanquan said, "Do you think opening an antique shop is easy? Do you even have the capital for it?" He sighed. "I also want to leave the Lin family sooner. The two shopkeepers in the store are always making things difficult, and it’s exhausting to work there. But buying our freedom requires a sum of silver. Back then, I was only sold for five taels to the Lin family, but after all these years of living and eating there, the price to redeem ourselves would be many times higher."
Xianglan said, "Father, you’re just too timid. If you secretly collected antiques to sell, who knows how much you could earn?" Just as she was speaking, someone outside called loudly, "Is Sister Chen at home?"
Xue Shi quickly got off the kang and said, "Yes, who is it?"
The person replied, "It’s me." A woman in her mid-thirties entered, with thick eyebrows and a square face, tall and slender, wearing a dark green BeiZi. Her hair was sleek and shiny, tied up with just two silver hairpins, and her face was delicately powdered, exuding an air of shrewd competence. Her surname was Yang, given name Hongying, originally the daughter of the Lin family’s steward Yang Shun. She had married a rather prominent steward in the Lin household and, being eloquent and capable, was highly regarded among the women in the mansion.
When Xue Shi saw her, she hurriedly invited her in and told Xianglan to bring tea. Chen Wanquan quickly retreated to the inner room. Yang Hongying smiled and said, "No need to trouble yourself, sister-in-law," as she sat on the kang. Xue Shi smiled and asked, "What brings you here today?"
Yang Hongying said, "I came specifically to see you. Last time, you took some needlework from the mansion, but I haven’t seen you for months. There’s some new work in the mansion, and the pay is generous. Later, you can go find Mama Cui at the second gate." She glanced at the kang table, picked up a piece of paper, and clicked her tongue in admiration. "Such beautiful handwriting, even better than the young masters in the mansion. Who wrote this?"
Xue Shi gestured toward the inner room and said, "My daughter wrote it. She just dabbles in these messy things when she’s idle. I just scolded her for it."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xianglan came out of the inner room with tea and placed it on the kang table. Yang Hongying took Xianglan’s hand and smiled. "Oh my, my dear, I remember you being just this tall, and now you’ve grown so much!" She examined her closely. The girl was about thirteen or fourteen, with a delicate figure and a face like peach blossoms—long eyebrows, red lips, white teeth, and bright, clear eyes. She was truly a stunning beauty, pure and refined, standing out from the ordinary.
Yang Hongying said delightedly, "What a lovely girl! And so talented in writing and reading—no wonder she was raised in a Buddhist temple, different from the others." She turned to Xue Shi and asked, "Has she been betrothed yet?"
Xue Shi replied, "Not yet. She’s still young, so there’s no hurry."Yang Hongying nodded silently and carefully examined Xianglan, asking about her daily activities and pastimes. Xue Shi thought Yang Hongying might be considering a match for Xianglan and felt secretly delighted, musing, "This Madam Yang holds status before the ladies and madams of the mansion, and everyone below treats her with utmost respect. She deals only with the mansion's respectable people. If we could entrust her to find a match even better than Head Manager Liu's family, it would be ideal. Though the Lius are wealthy, their son is somewhat simple-minded and unworthy of my daughter." She then sent Xianglan inside, hoping to engage Yang Hongying in conversation.
Yang Hongying took a sip of tea from her bowl and glanced at Xue Shi. "Ah, I've been terribly busy these days. Old Madam Zeng is on her last breath, and within days, the mansion will be in mourning. Then the Master, First Madam, the two young misses, and the illegitimate son and daughter will all return to the capital to observe mourning."
Xue Shi was taken aback. "Isn't the Master an official in the capital?"
Yang Hongying replied, "Even officials must return for their grandmother's funeral—it's called 'Mourning leave.' With this, the mansion will be short of maids. I've been so busy with this matter that I've hardly slept for two days."
Xue Shi had already guessed eight or nine parts of it, her heart pounding. She forced a smile and said, "Just buy a few maids from the brokers."
Yang Hongying sighed. "It's not that easy. New maids need training and must learn the rules—how can they compare to those raised in the household who are well-known to us?" Lowering her voice, she added, "These past few years, Eldest Madam Lou has managed the household, but the accounts have been left in deficit, leaving little silver to buy maids. Now that Eldest Master Lou is pressing urgently, we've been hastily sent to select a few household slaves to fill the gaps. I think your Xianglan is quite suitable—pretty and gentle-natured, sure to please the masters and madams. Why not let her serve in the mansion for a couple of years, learn some manners, and secure a future? As they say, 'Better a maid from a great house than a daughter from a small one.' Respectable maids can often find good fortune."
Chen Wanquan hurried out from the inner room, waving his hands. "No, no! Our Xianglan isn't capable of that. She only knows a few characters, can't handle a needle, and isn't good at speaking—she's not used to serving others. She'd only earn beatings in there! Besides, she's already grown up and should marry in a couple of years. She's my only daughter—please, Madam Yang, leave her be. Report her as ill or something else, and I won’t forget your kindness."
Yang Hongying said, "Brother Chen, why say such things? I’m doing this for your daughter’s good. With Xianglan’s looks and temperament, she might be elevated to concubine or later freed to marry into a prosperous family—isn’t that better than marrying a servant from the mansion?"
Xue Shi, anxious to the point of tears, said, "If she stays with us, we can arrange a good match for her and seek the masters' and madams' favor for her marriage. But if she enters the mansion, what if she’s paired with some old bachelor? Our Xianglan’s life would be ruined!"
Yang Hongying replied, "In a couple of years, once a match is settled for Xianglan, you can request the mansion’s favor for her to leave and marry. The masters often even provide dowries. There were a few from the mansion who were married off—though they had made mistakes..." She suddenly remembered that Xue Shi herself had been "married off" and fell silent, awkwardly adding, "Even so, those women seem to be doing well now."Chen Wanquan said, "The fourth daughter of the Liu family next door and the fifth daughter of the Zhang family are about the same age as our Xianglan..."
Yang Hongying interrupted, "And the second daughter of the Lü family, the sixth daughter of the Gong family—I've seen them all. They're either too plain or too timid to be presentable. Their families even offered me bribes, desperately trying to send their daughters into the mansion. As if it were that easy! Eldest Master Lou insists on seeing them personally and specifically asked for girls with good looks and gentle temperaments. This isn't something money can buy."
The Chen couple continued to plead earnestly. Xianglan, hiding behind the door curtain, overheard everything clearly. She thought to herself, "My parents are determined to arrange a marriage with the Liu family and have me wed next year. Once they've made up their minds, it'll be hard to change. I might as well enter the Lin mansion first—buying time day by day. After a few years, I'll have saved enough silver to make my own plans. Besides, if the Lin family is decent, there might be a chance to be freed from servitude later." With this in mind, she stepped out and asked, "Aunt Yang, if I become a maid in the mansion, can I be freed later?"
Yang Hongying replied, "Not everyone gets that chance, but maids who serve the young masters, young ladies, or Taitai with distinction often earn their freedom. Times are hard now, and few would willingly leave the Lin family's protection, so fewer seek emancipation."
Xianglan declared firmly, "Then I'll enter the mansion." Xue Shi gasped in surprise. Xianglan glanced at her mother and said to Yang Hongying, "I'm willing to go."
Yang Hongying nodded approvingly and said to the Chens, "Your daughter has ambition." She finished the remaining half-cup of tea and added, "In that case, I won't trouble you further." With that, she pushed the door open and left.
Chen Wanquan paced anxiously, then snapped at Xianglan, "Why did you agree to this? If I'd pleaded harder and offered more silver, you wouldn't have to serve others in the mansion. By the time you're freed, what respectable family would want you?"
Xianglan replied coolly, "If the Liu family's silk shop counts as 'respectable,' then I'd rather not have such respectability. If I don't enter the mansion, I'll only marry into another servant family, and my children will be servants too. But if I go, there's a chance I might be freed later and marry a commoner."
Chen Wanquan grew even angrier. "What good is that? Some commoners live worse than we do!"
Xianglan said, "Commoners can make their own choices. If I have children later, I can push them to study hard—maybe they'll even become the 'Licentiates or Recommended men' you admire. At worst, we could have our own land and property. That's still better than being servants for generations."
Chen Wanquan retorted, "You've never suffered hardship in your life—you don't understand the stakes. Though the master is kind, maids have died in that mansion before. Even if you're freed in a few years, what if you can't even find a match like Second Manager Huang? You—"
Xianglan cut him off. "Then that's my fate, and I'll accept it." Her tone was calm, but her eyes burned with resolve.
Xue Shi looked from her husband to her daughter and silently closed her mouth.
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