Madam Chen and Zhou Yixuan exchanged warm greetings before the elder took the girl's hand to introduce her: "This is your Third Aunt..."
Zhou Yixuan had already noticed Gu Jinzhao sitting nearby.
A stranger, not yet twenty, with her hair styled as a married woman, strikingly beautiful. She had guessed this might be the newly arrived Third Aunt. Rising to curtsy, she smiled: "...I've long wanted to meet you. You're truly lovely!"
Though inwardly, she felt slightly awkward—this woman didn't seem much older than herself.
Gu Jinzhao stood and presented the gift she had prepared, offering polite compliments in return.
Zhou Yixuan cracked open the brocade box just enough to peek inside.
It wasn't proper to inspect gifts openly, but Zhou Yixuan didn't mind. Seeing it wasn't the usual gold or silver trinkets but a slender celadon vial, she exclaimed in surprise: "Third Aunt, what is this? It looks so unique."
"Just rosewater. Add a drop when washing your hair or bathing—it's wonderfully fragrant," Gu Jinzhao explained.
Zhou Yixuan's eyes lit up. She uncorked the vial for a sniff and was instantly enchanted.
Clasping Madam Chen's arm affectionately, she gushed: "Grandmother, Third Aunt is so kind!"
Madam Chen beamed with pride. "Of course! Next time, you must try her lotus leaf rice—it's delicious."
Jinchao smiled faintly.
Ever since she had prepared lotus leaf rice for everyone, Madam Chen never missed a chance to mention it when praising her.
Though Zhou Yixuan's mother was only a concubine-born daughter, she was the only girl raised by Madam Chen herself, so the bond ran deep. The grandmother doted on Zhou Yixuan, as did her two elder brothers who fiercely protected her, making the girl naturally cheerful and guileless.
After more conversation, Madam Chen personally escorted Zhou Yixuan to her temporary quarters, dismissing the other household members.
As evening fell, Jinchao had the kitchen prepare supper.
The Third Master returned unusually late today, so she first spent time reading in the study. Outside, crickets chirped incessantly. In the courtyard, maids bustled about with wooden basins. Through the lattice window, Jinchao saw Mama Wang reprimanding a young maid on the veranda—the girl's back was turned as she wept pitifully.
Summoning Caifu for an explanation, she learned the maid had neglected the fire, burning the pork knuckle stew. "Mama Wang was furious...demanding the girl pay three qian of silver for the ruined dish."
Gu Jinzhao frowned. "Three qian?" What kind of pork knuckle cost so much?
She instructed Caifu to call Mama Wang in for questioning.
Mama Wang bowed respectfully. "What does Madam require? This servant was overseeing the kitchen preparations."
Jinchao smiled mildly. "As kitchen steward, you must know market prices well. Tell me—what's the current cost for a dan of rice?"
Mama Wang replied, "That would be...about four qian."
Jinchao nodded. "Four qian and six fen could feed a family of four for half a year. Now tell me, how much for premium pork?"
Baffled by this line of questioning, Mama Wang hesitated. Though she managed the kitchen, procurement wasn't her direct responsibility—her main duty was supervising the cooking.Jinchao nodded and said, "Mama Wang, it's understandable that you're not familiar with the prices of daily necessities since you've been serving in the Chen Family for years. Let me tell you, it's two cents of silver per pound. Now, how much meat can you buy with three qian of silver? Mama Wang... why don't you calculate that for me?"
Hearing this, Mama Wang immediately understood and fell to her knees with a thud.
"Madam, this servant only meant to discipline the little maid lightly. Without punishment, she won't learn her lesson."
Gu Jinzhao said calmly, "So you fined her three qian of silver? How do you expect her to pay that? If word gets out, wouldn't it spread that I mistreat my servants, even going after a little girl who's just grown out her hair?" Such newly bought young maids didn't even receive monthly allowances yet.
Mama Wang argued, "Madam, three qian isn't much at all! Besides, the pork knuckle soup was specially prepared for the Fourth Young Miss. This servant used premium pork knuckle and ham to make the broth, simmering it for over two hours. It was meant to nourish the Fourth Young Miss..."
Made for Chen Xi?
Chen Xi had recently moved behind Osmanthus Hall, and Jinchao often had the small kitchen prepare dishes for her convenience. But she hadn't ordered any pork knuckle soup.
Gu Jinzhao's eyelids twitched: "...Did you visit the Fourth Young Miss privately?"
Mama Wang grew anxious: "The Fourth Young Miss is seriously ill. This servant only spoke a few words with her, advising her to rest well."
Gu Jinzhao asked coldly, "Who gave you permission to see her?"
If not for Mama Wang in her past life, how could Chen Xi have turned out like that!
And now she still wanted to contact Xi Jie'er?
"Well... this servant is after all a managing matron. Surely passing through the moon gate shouldn't be an issue." Mama Wang felt deeply displeased. Being demoted to manage the kitchen was bad enough, but was she not allowed to do anything now? She was after all a matron left behind by Jiang Shi—everyone used to show her respect, yet now she had to endure being disciplined by some young girl, even being questioned over a few taels of silver fine!
Instead of responding, Gu Jinzhao summoned Caifu and instructed her to bring Chen Xi over immediately.
Chen Xi arrived with her attending maid, obediently curtsied and called her mother, then curiously exclaimed, "Mama Wang is here too?"
Jinchao had her sit beside her and asked gently, "Xi Jie'er, tell mother truthfully—did Mama Wang visit you and whisper things to you?"
Chen Xi hesitated but finally nodded: "Mama Wang said I shouldn't tell you, or you'd scold me..."
Mama Wang's face paled, her mouth opening slightly.
Gu Jinzhao took a deep breath, stroking her hair: "Why would mother scold you? Just tell me what Mama Wang said to you."
Chen Xi grew even more hesitant.
After a long pause, she shook her head lightly.
Gu Jinzhao asked softly, "What's wrong? Mother won't blame you."
Chen Xi whispered, "I'm afraid you'll get angry..."
"If you don't tell me, that's when I'll get angry."
Finally deciding, Chen Xi said, "Mama Wang said... I shouldn't learn to kick shuttlecocks from your maids, that it's unladylike. She said Qingpu sister is too rough and unrefined, still unmarried at her age, and that I shouldn't play with her. She also told me to take care of my health, not to... end up like mother, falling ill and passing early, so no one would remember me."
Gu Jinzhao's expression remained unchanged as she smiled and patted her head: "Do you like kicking shuttlecocks?"
Chen Xi nodded. Then she asked, "Mother, is it really unladylike for girls to kick shuttlecocks?"Gu Jinzhao said, "How could that be?"
Chen Xi nodded, then asked her, "Mother, is it... that no one will remember my mother in the future?" Her eyes were wide open, not fully understanding yet seeming to grasp a little. "Is it like when my rabbit died, and the maids forgot about it, stopped feeding it? Even its cage is gone now."
Gu Jinzhao sighed inwardly. A child without a mother truly becomes more sensitive.
She replied, "But Xi Jie'er still remembers, doesn’t she? And so does your brother, and your father. Everyone remembers."
Chen Xi thought for a while, lost in contemplation.
Gu Jinzhao instructed Caifu to take Chen Xi back first, as she needed to deal with Mama Wang’s issue.
Mama Wang hesitated, unsure of what to say, her lips trembling before she finally spoke, "M-Madame... children’s words shouldn’t be taken seriously..."
Gu Jinzhao raised her hand to stop her. "I initially thought that since you served Jiang Jiejie, you had at least some merit, if not credit. Though you were arrogant, I never truly punished you. Who knew you’d be so bold as to gossip about me behind my back—and in front of Xi Jie'er, no less."
She called Granny Sun in. "...Pack Mama Wang’s things. She’ll be sent to Baoding tomorrow. Mama Wang is too old to manage the kitchen properly. It’s time for her to retire."
Mama Wang panicked immediately, kowtowing frantically. "Madame, this servant was wrong! I’ll serve you wholeheartedly from now on... I’ll take the kitchen duties seriously! Madame, please have mercy!"
Being expelled from the Chen Family before even turning sixty—how could she face others after this?
Gu Jinzhao continued, "Inform Tai Furen as well. I’ll personally explain tomorrow. If anyone asks, say Mama Wang was dismissed for gossiping about her masters and being overly harsh. She’s simply unfit to work for the Chen Family."
Mama Wang pleaded, "Madame, you... you must at least spare me some dignity!"
Gu Jinzhao smiled at her. "If I weren’t sparing you dignity, I wouldn’t be this lenient. Gossiping about one’s masters warrants at least a slap before expulsion—or even a beating to death. Yet here you are, Mama Wang, with the pretense of retiring honorably! Say another word, and see if I still grant you that dignity. Let me remind you: dignity isn’t given—it’s earned. Do you have any?"
Mama Wang fell silent.
Everything she did... was for Chen Xi’s sake!
Suddenly, she burst into loud sobs. "Madame! You’re heartless! This old woman only ever cared for the Fourth Miss... How can you drive me away? You just don’t want her to thrive—you want to ruin her!" She abandoned all restraint, wailing and making a scene.
Gu Jinzhao couldn’t be bothered to engage. Who was the one corrupting Chen Xi? That didn’t need saying!
Soon, two matrons entered, gagging Mama Wang and dragging her out.
Gu Jinzhao then summoned Wanshi’s wife, who had managed the kitchen alongside Mama Wang, and asked, "Didn’t you notice what Mama Wang was doing? Why didn’t you report it to me?"
Wanshi’s wife was the daughter-in-law of a steward in the household. She had an honest, plain appearance, wearing a simple oil-gilded hairpin and a floral-patterned lined jacket.She stammered, "...Mama Wang used to oversee us, and even after being demoted to the kitchen, no one dared say anything. I thought it was a minor matter, so I didn't speak up..."
These were all people either assigned by Madam Chen or left behind by Jiang Shi. Gu Jinzhao found them rather difficult to manage.
Though there were no major issues, their minds were too preoccupied with schemes.
Gu Jinzhao gathered the maids and matrons in charge of miscellaneous affairs for a stern talk: "No matter who you originally served—whether transferred from the outer courtyard or previously working in the Third Household—from now on, if anyone dares to act out of line based on seniority, you can report it directly to me. Everyone must stick to their own duties and not serve me with ulterior motives. As those managing affairs in the Third Household, keep your eyes sharp... You all know what should and shouldn't be done!"
The maids and matrons hastily acknowledged her words.
Mama Wang's case served as a warning—this new mistress was not to be taken lightly.
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