Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 3 Private Teeth

The room wasn't very big. To the left of the entrance, against the wall, was a table with only an oil lamp on it. To the right, in the corner, was a washbasin stand and a rumpled towel. Further inside was a row of bunk beds, with mattresses and blankets piled in the corner.

Er Yazi, a skinny fellow, quickly chose a spot against the wall, saying, "Let me see if this quilt is made of cotton."

Dunzi and Huandi chose seats near Eryazi in turn. Meng Shu put her bundle on the bed and saw that Mutou was still standing woodenly at the door.

"Little Wood, where do you want to sleep? You're a boy, it's not appropriate for you to sleep between us sisters. Sleep against the wall."

Mu Tou had no luggage at all; he was truly all alone, which made Meng Shu feel a little sorry for him.

“Meng…”

"Shu," Meng Shu reminded her, amused.

Mu Tou blushed and looked at the older girls, scratching his head awkwardly. "Sister Meng Shu, the village head said that boys and girls should not sit together after the age of seven. I... I'll just sleep on the floor."

Dunzi was carefully touching the quilt's filling when he heard this and pouted, "What kind of time is this to be so particular? It's damp and cold at night. If you get sick from sleeping on the floor, the matchmaker won't be so kind as to ask you to go barefoot."

Meng Shu had already pulled out a quilt to make the bed. "It'll only be a few days. Maybe one of us will sell it tomorrow. You can sleep next to me."

Er Yazi had figured out the details and muttered under his breath, "It's reed catkins and willow catkins."

Just as Dunzi was about to speak, Meng Shu quickly pressed her hand down. A maid carrying a food basket entered from outside the door and gave everyone a steamed bun.

Meng Shu politely thanked her, and the old woman grinned, revealing a missing tooth, and said she would bring them water in a little while.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the five of them lay down on the shared bed. At first, Er Yazi talked about his family, which made Huan Di cry. Then, the three sisters, who were of different heights and builds, were sobbing that they fell silent, lost in their sorrow.

The wood lay stiffly against the wall.

Meng Shu turned her head and asked curiously, "Your name is Wood? Your brother is homesick, don't you?"

"Yeah, at first my name was Lengzi. My dad said a humble name would make me easier to raise, but I thought it sounded bad, so I changed it and got a good beating."

Meng Shu tried to find humor in her predicament, secretly thinking that "wooden head" wasn't exactly a pleasant name either...

Mu Tou didn't mention whether he missed home, and Meng Shu wasn't in the mood to talk to him. The dormitory bed wasn't big, and the stool next to it took up too much space, so Meng Shu had no choice but to lie down straight like Mu Tou.

In the stillness of the night, one could only occasionally hear patrolling people passing by outside the window.

The next day.

Meng Shu and the others got up early in the morning. A servant brought them a clean set of clothes and led them to the washroom, instructing them to make sure they washed themselves thoroughly.

The group took turns going in to tidy themselves up, changed into matching clothes, and then returned to their rooms to wait for further instructions.

Before long, Chunyue, dressed in ochre, came over with light steps and said she would take them to the main hall to meet the people. Only then did Meng Shu have the opportunity to see the entire Ya Hang.

This is a two-courtyard brick and tile house. After walking a few steps from the back house, you will reach the second gate. Passing through the hanging flower gate with copper coin patterns, you will see a dozen people standing in the courtyard in an orderly manner. They all have wooden faces and do not make a sound.

Chunyue left Meng Shu and Mu Tou in the courtyard, instructing them not to move. She then signaled Er Ya Zi and the other two to follow. They passed through the west wing, went through the moon gate, and entered the left side room. In a typical wealthy family, this room would be a study, but in the brokerage firm, it served multiple purposes.

It served both as a repository for documents and as a place for designated personnel to review and record the origins and skills of servants.

On the way there, the matchmaker Zhou frankly admitted that this was a private matchmaking agency, owned by a man surnamed Zheng, and that she was just one of the matchmakers responsible for finding people around Haijin Town.

When Meng Shu saw that the group had separated, leaving only herself and Mu Tou, her heart sank, and she unconsciously touched her face.

"Hey, these two seedlings are quite good. Come over here and let me take a look."

An elderly woman emerged from the east wing, wearing a slightly worn floral brocade jacket, waving to Meng Shu and her companion as she spoke.

Meng Shu hesitated slightly, wondering whether to step forward, when Granny Zhou hurriedly came out of the main room upon hearing the sound, and said with a stern face, "Sister Li, this is what I just received yesterday, so you don't need to handle it."

The woman surnamed Li covered her mouth and chuckled, "No wonder Sister Zhou came to find the boss so early in the morning; she must have picked out some good stuff. It seems business in Haijin Town is really good."

Zhou the matchmaker and Li the matchmaker had always been at odds. Just as they were about to call Meng Shu forward, Meng Shu had already poked the wooden board and walked over.

"Come with me to see the master." Granny Zhou nodded in satisfaction and led the two straight into the main room.

Granny Li spat in annoyance and glared at the servants in the courtyard.

Meng Shu entered the main room with her head bowed and eyes downcast. When Zhou Yapo gestured for her to look up, she realized that Zheng Dongjia was actually a middle-aged woman. She was wearing a light yellow silk jacket with floral and bird embroidery and a plain skirt with lace detailing. She was sitting in the center of a grand chair with bat patterns, looking at her with great interest.

Zheng Dongjia shifted to a more comfortable sitting position and glanced down at the contract in his hand.

"Granny Zhou has had a very lucky month with the daughter of a scholar who has passed the imperial examinations," Zheng Dongjia praised, then looked up and asked Meng Shu, "She must be literate?"

Unsure of the specific intention, Meng Shu feigned timidity and replied, "Reporting to the master, I have been following my mother since childhood, watching her do embroidery, and I have roughly learned a few words."

Zheng Dongjia looked at Zhou Yapo with suspicion. Zhou Yapo, recalling the discord between Meng Shu and her father, nodded slightly.

Then the master asked about her skills in embroidery, needlework, tea making, and cooking. Meng Shu thought for a moment and answered them one by one. After that, she stopped asking questions and began to look at Mu Tou's figure and appearance. She seemed more satisfied.

"Chen Mutou? That's not a good name. Oh well, someone will fix it later. What are your skills?"

It was the first time Mu Tou had entered the mansion, and he didn't dare to look around too much. When asked the question, he replied in a simple and honest way, "I can do laundry, cook, tend to crops, chop firewood, and climb trees."

Finally, after thinking for a long time, he awkwardly said, "That's all."

When Mu Tou was two years old, he lost his parents and lived with his uncle. He was no different from a servant since childhood.

Zheng Dongjia placed the indenture on the table, beckoned him to come forward, then reached out and lifted the wooden boy's face, sneering, "You're honest enough, you're lucky, you won't have to work so hard in the future."

"Grandma Zhou took the two of them to the backyard house to settle them in. They will learn the rules and etiquette in the next few days. We will get rid of their rustic accent before making any further arrangements."

Zhou Yapo responded and led Meng Shu and the other woman out the door, saying, "Come with me."

The three of them passed through the passageway and entered the backyard. Two walls on the left and right separated the northwest and northeast corner courtyards. The northwest corner courtyard on the left was the kitchen of the brokerage firm, and the northeast corner courtyard had two separate rooms. Then there was a row of four rear rooms in the middle.

A servant came over to give instructions. Granny Zhou pointed to the wood and told the servant to take him to the courtyard in the northeast corner, which was specifically for men.

Granny Zhou personally led Meng Shu to a room near the kitchen. "You'll stay here for the next few days. You'll spend an hour each morning and afternoon. Someone from the main courtyard will come to teach you the rules."

Before Meng Shu could breathe a sigh of relief, she heard Granny Zhou give her some advice: "At other times, sweep the yard in various places. No matter what you do, just keep an eye on things to do."

Seeing that no one was around in the backyard, Meng Shu mustered her courage and tugged at Granny Zhou's sleeve, her face showing fear like that of a startled fawn. "Granny Zhou, do you know where Mu Tou and I will be sold?"