Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 95 Madam Yun's Thoughts

In Donggua's purse, a silver ingot rolled onto the bed, along with a pair of small pearl hairpins and a delicate ring inlaid with rubies.

He had handled plenty of silver, and when he picked up the winter melon, he said it weighed a full five taels.

When Meng Shu was at Yun Gui Courtyard, she noticed that the purse given to her was light and airy, and what rolled out of it was a pair of pearl flowers and a ring.

The joy on Donggua's face turned to confusion. After looking at Meng Shu, he said, "How could that be? Didn't Madam give you any money?"

She picked up the purse beside Meng Shu, opened it, and surprisingly took out a silver note. Donggua exclaimed in astonishment, "It's a silver note! I recognize these characters, it's 'One Hundred Taels,' one hundred taels of silver!"

These days, Donggua has been learning to read from Meng Shu. After learning all the names of everyone in Yunyi Academy, the first thing Meng Shu taught her was how to recognize money!

Meng Shu was naturally also taken aback. She didn't think she had done anything particularly significant. She unfolded the silver note, which indeed read "One hundred taels of Yongtai Pingzu silver upon presentation of this note." What surprised her even more was that when she opened it, there were two silver notes inside. No wonder her purse was empty.

Although the masters are generally very generous, and the second young lady usually gives her small pieces of jewelry worth quite a bit, only last time did Madam Yun give her two hundred taels of silver when the old lady gave her a winter melon and thirty taels of silver...

"Good heavens, my heart is pounding! I never thought I, Donggua, would ever touch a silver note. This is more than the reward my master received! Meng Shu, what incredible good deed have you done!" Donggua's expression was exaggerated as he touched the silver note and drooled, but he didn't show a trace of jealousy.

"...The Madam gave...so much..." Meng Shu replied dryly, then quickly told Donggua not to make a fuss.

Meng Shu tossed and turned in the deep autumn night, finally coming to a conclusion: it was because of her performance in the Wen Yiniang matter, and also because of how she handled the eldest aunt at the birthday banquet, that Madam Yun had given her such a generous reward? But indeed, as she had told Donggua, the reward was far too much.

In the following days, Meng Shu kept thinking of finding an opportunity to kowtow to the madam to express her gratitude for the reward. Unexpectedly, the second young lady also kept rewarding these little maids these days. In just a few days, Donggua's desire to open a shop and buy a store outside increased several times.

On her very first day as the head steward, Aunt Mei took a swipe at Jinshu, ostensibly because she was implicated by Jinshu's parents, and the whole family was sent to a remote estate.

Jinshu didn't even have a chance to plead with the Second Miss before she was tied up and sent out of the mansion on a gloomy morning.

With the old lady's birthday approaching, the second young lady, while attending classes at Muyunzhai, also discussed birthday gifts with the other young ladies.

Gradually, Meng Shu also realized the feelings of Madam Yun and the Second Miss. It was only after Song Bo, the old servant by her second uncle's side, sent someone to deliver the message that Meng Shu realized this.

Huanyun and her second uncle became close friends despite their age difference.

The second uncle had previously gone to Chunfeng Tower on behalf of the Tang family to redeem Huanyun from her servitude, but although he was ultimately unsuccessful, Huanyun's demeanor certainly impressed him. Uncle Song had revealed that the second uncle was quite different from others, having had a daughter in his younger days. Besides being skilled in both music and chess, Huanyun was also an expert in tea ceremony. Perhaps this skill touched a chord deep within the second uncle's heart, as he frequently visited Chunfeng Tower to meet her in his spare time.

With her second uncle's reputation in Lin'an, Huanyun's fame rose to a new level. With the Tang family's protection, the madam of Chunfeng Tower would not dare to let Huanyun entertain other guests.

Meng Shu belatedly realized that her second uncle might have had a compassionate heart, but ultimately it was because of the Tang family, and it was not impossible that Madam Yun had given her instructions behind the scenes.

Meng Shu carefully tallied up the rewards she had received. Apart from the silver notes and loose silver, if she sold her jewelry, she could raise a total of nearly five hundred taels. The three thousand taels of silver needed to redeem her from her servitude would no longer be out of reach. Perhaps Madam Yun had such intentions.

The day before the old lady's birthday banquet, Meng Shu did not expect that Madam Yun would summon her alone.

Meng Shu sincerely kowtowed to Madam Yun. Madam Yun's eyes revealed a complicated expression. She asked Wei Mama to help her up before she spoke, "Manager Lu of Yongchun Tea Shop has found out about your uncle."

Upon hearing this, Meng Shu looked up abruptly, and seeing Madam Yun's expression, her heart sank.

She spoke with difficulty, "Madam, is my uncle... still... alive?"

Madam Yun shook her head and said, "I don't know if he is alive or dead. I've heard that you've read the Records of Mountains and Rivers thoroughly. Do you know that 'Xuanquan Post Station' is here?"

Confused, Meng Shu forced herself to calm down before slowly recalling the location. Her pupils dilated slightly, and she said breathlessly, "This servant doesn't know much about this place, but I know that further north from here... beyond the border of the Great Zhou... is the territory of the Xiongnu."

"That's right. Manager Lu sent people all the way from Lin'an to the north. I guessed that your uncle was making tea bricks on the way to sell to the herdsmen on the grassland. So it's impossible for a boatload of tea to have left no trace on the way."

Although much time had passed, thanks to your uncle's handsome appearance, he left a slight impression on people along the way. He continued his investigations all the way to Xingzhou, eventually forming a sizable caravan. Then, for some reason, he turned west, traveling from Changma River to Guangzhi County, finally obtaining definite information from the head of the post station at Xuanquan.

"They rested and recuperated at Xuanquan Post Station for five days. Two years ago, they entered Dunhuang County via Xiaoxian County. Manager Lu guessed that they passed through Yumen Pass and left the border. In recent years, we have occasionally traded with the Xiongnu, but once we enter Xiongnu territory, it becomes very inconvenient to find people. Do you know the difficulties involved?"

Meng Shu then understood what the lady meant by "his fate is unknown." She hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed to express her gratitude, saying with difficulty, "This servant understands. The manor and Manager Lu have already spent a great deal of manpower and resources on this investigation. This servant is deeply grateful and has no way to repay them. From now on, I will do my best to protect Miss. As for my uncle... this servant dares not expect the manor to take any further action. Everything... is up to his fate."

Meng Shu bowed again. The Tang family had indeed helped her a great deal. Perhaps the madam had already received this news, which was why she had given so many rewards under some pretext, allowing her to gradually have the means to redeem Huanyun. This subtle and sincere gesture was already an immense favor.

Madam Yun sat at the head of the table. After a long while, she suddenly said slowly, "You are a clever girl. You should be able to guess something from the changes in the manor and Wan'er. But that doesn't matter. Today I want to tell you that I've helped you so much, and what I want is your loyalty."

She stood up and personally helped Meng Shu up, saying frankly, "With the power of my Tang family and the Yun family, what kind of maid couldn't I find? Over the years, I've chosen and chosen until I met you."

Wan'er, raised by me and the old lady, is oblivious to the realities of life. Like a flower kept in a greenhouse, she cannot see the dangers and treacherous events that lie ahead.

You possess a cunning and resourcefulness that Wan'er lacks, and you are always cautious and prudent, yet decisive and ruthless in your actions. But at the same time, you rarely show a trace of tenderness; if it weren't for your affection for Lü Liu, I wouldn't dare employ you.

Meng Shu was stunned. Hearing "decisive and ruthless in doing things", she broke out in a cold sweat for no reason. She knew that the madam would definitely investigate her background. Could it be that... she saw something from Meng Chengwen's death?

Finally, Madam Yun said with a burning gaze, "I want you to be Wan'er's dowry maid, to wholeheartedly assist her, and to protect her for the rest of her life. Are you willing?"