Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 133 Miss 2 Releases Lanterns

Around 3 PM, the eldest young master brought Mu Yu to Fu An Ju.

The banquet hall was already set out, and before the old lady could speak, the second young lady had already instructed Steward An to bring over some milk tea, which was naturally served warm to the old lady.

When it came to the opportunity to appear before his master, Steward An always brought his beloved disciple with him. Following the rules, Donggua stepped into the flower hall and, after serving the milk tea, secretly winked at Hua Yanmengzhu.

Because she was thinking about the big crabs that Donggua had prepared, Hua Yanmengzhu didn't eat anything in the small kitchen of Fu'anju. After serving the dishes, she waited for Madam Yun to lead the young ladies to worship and admire the moon, and finally released the lanterns. Only then was the Mid-Autumn Festival over.

Unlike in Lin'an before, Madam Yun had sent word early on that the managers of various merchants did not need to come. This Mid-Autumn Festival was more lively for the masters and servants of the mansion, which Hua Yan felt was more meaningful than in previous years.

Even when choosing lanterns, apart from the fourth young lady awkwardly knocking over two rabbit lanterns, there was not a ripple.

As usual, Hua Yan accompanied the second young lady to the pond to release lanterns.

The pond is located near Yunqi Courtyard, and Huayan has only visited it three or four times.

Under the moonlight, Hua Yan followed the Second Miss on her way to explore the garden. Having spent a long time in Jiangnan and having studied the blueprints for the renovation of the hot spring resort, Hua Yan had gained some insights into the layout of the garden.

At this moment, I couldn't help but sigh in my heart. It was truly the result of the dedication of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. The garden was centered around a pond, with artificial hills and strange rocks, and flowers and plants of various shapes everywhere. It could be said that every step revealed a new scene, and the arrangement was all well-organized.

The second young lady had just chosen a lotus lantern at Fu'an Residence. She lifted the hem of her skirt and carried it herself toward the pond. The pond was not as large as the artificial lake in Lin'an, but it was not too small either. There were maids from the mansion standing by the banks on both sides, holding lanterns to prevent any accidents.

Noticing that the second young lady was unusually attentive this time, Hua Yan pulled Meng Zhu away from the second young lady by a step.

A gentle breeze stirred the water, creating ripples that reflected the Second Miss's beautiful face, a scene both dreamlike and ethereal.

At the age of fifteen, how could she not know that this might be the last lotus lantern she would light at home, and from then on, the Mid-Autumn Festival would be a time when family members could never reunite?

Her reluctance and fear of the future finally turned into determination. After standing there for a long time, the second young lady squatted down, stretched out her soft hand, and pushed the lotus lantern into the distance. A tear fell into the pond.

Mengzhu stood on tiptoe, intently watching the lotus lantern gradually disappear into the distance. The candlelight flickered as it steadily sailed into the depths of the withered lotus leaves. She clasped her hands together as if praying for the Second Miss, unaware of the Second Miss's unusual behavior.

Hua Yan stood there for a moment, unsure of what to think, before stepping forward to help the second young lady up after she had regained her composure.

She didn't understand why the Madam and the head of the Tang family were so determined to send the second young lady into the palace, given the Tang family's wealth. But as she stayed in the Tang family longer, and ever since Madam Yun gave her that Yunshang pendant, she gradually realized how fatally attractive a high position was to Madam Yun and her husband, who had lived in the capital since childhood.

With such ambitious parents, the second young lady was perhaps destined to be unable to control her own destiny from the moment she was born.

As night deepened, a thin mist rose from the water. The Tang mansion remained brightly lit. Passing through the moon gate in the middle of the courtyard, the laughter of the Fifth Miss could be heard from the direction of Fu'an Residence.

"With Aunt Mei here to take care of things, you two should go back to Yunyi Courtyard for a meal. Donggua and the others must be getting impatient."

Following the sound, the second young lady found Aunt Mei waiting ahead. She gave Hua Yan some instructions and went forward with her sisters to the flower hall to accompany the old lady to admire the moon.

Hua Yan and Meng Zhu exchanged a glance and agreed.

Just as they left Fu'an Residence, they saw Mu Yu pacing along the road ahead, noticing that Hua Yan looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Mengzhu, carrying a lantern, told Huayan that she was going back to Yunyi Garden first. The others only knew that the young master's servants were familiar with Huayan because of the hot spring estate, so they didn't think much of it.

"...Hua Yan, Mu Feng asked me to pass on a message. He has accepted the marriage arranged by the eldest young master, and after the eldest young master's wedding at the end of the year..."

Before he could finish speaking, Hua Yan replied solemnly, "There's no need to say that to me. Mu Feng helped me a lot in the past few years, and I have repaid his kindness. There is no connection between us."

Mu Yu cursed Mu Feng in her heart, and hurriedly waved her hand: "No, no, you misunderstood. Mu Feng knows that you are close to Hua Ying in the old lady's courtyard. He asked me to pass on a message that he will treat Hua Ying well and will no longer covet you."

Hua Yan's expression softened slightly. It was best that Mu Feng could be like this; Hua Ying had already made the effort.

"Thank you for conveying the message, Brother Muyu. Please be careful about what you say about this. Sister Huaying's marriage is arranged by the old lady and has not yet been formally announced."

Mu Yu scratched her head, looking embarrassed: "It was Mu Feng who didn't understand before. Don't worry, everyone in the manor knows that I, Mu Yu, am the most discreet..."

For some reason, Mu Yu always felt nervous whenever he saw Hua Yan, even in front of the young master. He couldn't understand why Mu Feng would fall for this cold-faced beauty. What good is being pretty? Besides, she'd never even considered him...

When they returned to Yunyi Courtyard, as soon as they entered through the side gate, they saw Donggua coming out of the gatehouse with melon seeds in his hand, clearly waiting for them. The two exchanged a few words with the old woman at the gatehouse and then headed towards the small kitchen.

"Why is this feast taking so long today? Usually, the Second Miss would be back to rest by this time during the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Hua Yan was both hungry and thirsty, and hurriedly replied, "I'll be back soon. I just finished helping Miss release the lanterns, and as usual, I'll be at Fu'an Residence to chat with the old lady."

The small kitchen was in the backyard, which was a row of five interconnected back rooms. Manager An lived in the corner courtyard next to the back rooms. Donggua set out dinner in the small room next to Manager An, and Mengzhu and the others were already waiting at the table.

Donggua poured Huayan a cup of milk tea. "Have some food first, and then we'll try Master's newly brewed chrysanthemum wine together. Master said that each person can only drink a small cup, so as not to delay things."

Ruizhu also said, "It's getting late, we need to hurry, we still need to help Miss with her washing and grooming."

This is a favor from the second young lady, including this meal, which was specially bestowed upon them by her.

The five young maids chatted and laughed, and inevitably the conversation turned to the future of the head maids at Fu'an Residence. The old lady had already announced the marriage of Suwen and Guangbai, and it was said that a considerable dowry had been prepared for them.

The chrysanthemum wine was refreshing but not intoxicating. However, after taking a small sip, Ruizhu's face turned rosy. She said, "What's so good about getting married? Especially marrying someone outside the manor. Although you get rid of your status as a servant, you might not be as comfortable in your husband's family as you were in the manor."

Donggua wanted to agree, but then remembered Huayan's instructions to always be careful with her words and actions. So she took out the crabs and distributed them to everyone, then focused on dismantling them.

Mengzhu suddenly spoke up: "I will not leave Miss's side."