Chapter 3: The Servant Deceives the Master

However, Granny Zhang remained quite composed, curling her lips and saying: "Isn't there still a bowl here? If you pour half a bowl in, who would know?"

This time, the Xiao family specifically instructed the kitchen to set aside a portion of her bird's nest for the eldest daughter. A couple of days ago, the kitchen staff were quite apprehensive, thinking that the lady intended to elevate the status of the eldest daughter, which led to increased vigilance from the concubines in the other courtyard.

However, now they are increasingly bullying her and her daughter. Do not think she is unaware; the old woman in the kitchen serves by the old lady's side and is in cahoots with this Aunt Jiang.

"Oh dear, my Zhang Mama!" Before the woman who prepared the tonic could intervene, she saw Zhang Mama gulp down half a bowl in one go, and her face turned a shade of green.

In the end, it was Qiu Yun who noticed the signal she made and quietly went out. However, when she returned, her expression was somewhat displeasing. She whispered a few words to Granny Shen, who indicated that she understood but did not immediately respond to the lady.

Xiao was truly intolerant of her weeping and wailing, so he inquired about the reason behind it. Although he had a general understanding of the background and context, hearing it now still made him quite angry

Anyone who can manage affairs in the kitchen must have someone they rely on behind them. This Zhang woman was originally a companion of the old lady's dowry, and later married Wang Changsheng, the steward of the Xie family. Now, she has come to Suzhou with Xie Shuyuan at the old lady's behest. Even Xie Shuyuan, upon seeing this Zhang woman, must respectfully address her as "Mama Zhang"

Xie Shuyuan had just taken his seat for a short while when Aunt Jiang hurried over. However, upon observing the posture of the three halls in session, she felt quite concerned in her heart

Old Zhang was cracking sunflower seeds when she heard this and couldn't help but spit in disdain: "Just because of her, she can eat a few taels of silver worth of bird's nest? She should take a look in the mirror at her own appearance. She's just a concubine, yet she considers herself a legitimate mistress. Back when I served the old lady, no one in the household dared to show me such a face."

Mother Zhang let out a hum, but the shells of the melon seeds in her mouth kept being spat out. When the old woman brought over the bowl of bird's nest, Mother Zhang took a glance at the somewhat broken bird's nest in the bowl and couldn't help but curl her lips. Then, she suddenly picked up the bowl of bird's nest that was meant for the eldest daughter to deliver.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Hetushu immediately furrowed his brows, a hint of anger evident in his expression, and said: "In just a few days, one after another, they have not given me a moment's peace. I want to see how much courage they possess to cause a scene at this full moon celebration."

Do not say that she quite likes the young lady; even if she does not like her, she is after all the biological daughter of Xie Shuyuan. Now, these servants, relying on their status as old servants in the residence, actually dare to disregard their master, which is truly detestable

Alright, since everyone is here, let's bring over Mother Zhang

In charge of the kitchen is a woman surnamed Zhang, who is commonly referred to as the one from the Wang Changsheng family. Even in ordinary households, the kitchen is a prime area for profit, let alone in a large household like the Xie residence.

At this moment, Xiao was not inclined to criticize her harshly; he merely advised, "You are the one serving the master, and you have given birth to a daughter. This time, it is indeed a hardship for you."

Initially, due to the matter of the Jiang family entering the household, Xie Fang, who had always held great respect for his wife—even in light of her family's decline—was genuinely infuriated. Moreover, he even issued a stern warning, stating that if Old Madam Xie dared to elevate the Jiang family, he would send her to the ancestral temple.

To say that Xie Shuyuan favors Aunt Jiang would be misleading, as he consistently upholds the dignity of his legitimate wife and has never expressed any criticism regarding matters related to the Jiang family. However, if one were to claim that Xie Shuyuan is indifferent to Aunt Jiang, it would contradict the fact that he is willing to let her take on the responsibilities of managing the household

When Xiao returned, he saw Aunt Fang still kneeling at the door, while the young lady was being held by the wet nurse, yet she was crying incessantly

It was said that something had happened, but in reality, it was not a significant matter. Previously, the Xiao family learned that the eldest daughter was in poor health, so they instructed the kitchen to allocate a portion of her bird's nest supply to her every day. She thought that, under these circumstances, the long-serving kitchen matrons would surely be able to read the situation.

Aunt Fang was inherently a cautious and meticulous person; at this moment, she was merely relying on her motherly affection for the young lady to dare to speak to the Xiao family in such a manner. Now, with the Xiao family in such a rage, she could only kneel and cry softly.

It is said to be for the young ladies, but who knows whose stomach it ultimately ended up in. As a concubine of humble origins, having a bowl of bird's nest soup is already quite fortunate, yet she still dares to be picky. Moreover, these are all the same type of bird's nest, just slightly broken pieces, so just take it over. Zhang Pozi's tongue was extremely sharp, belittling Concubine Fang to the utmost.

The aunt said, "This is for longevity, I wish for my little brother and little sister to live long lives." The child spoke so earnestly that it elicited a quiet laugh from the maids and servants in the room

It is said that the old lady is reluctant to discuss the past exile of the Jiang family, and in fact, the Xiao family may also be unwilling to bring it up when looking at Xie Shuyuan. After all, having such an external family is indeed a source of shame. Now that the Jiang family has been pardoned due to the current emperor's ascension to the throne and the amnesty granted to the world, they have ultimately lost their former glory.

She had someone bring a toy for the young lady, and then ordered someone to call in the Fang family.

An incident occurred in the residence, and Aunt Jiang received the news later than the Xiao family.

The Xiao family did not immediately send for Zhang's mother to respond, but instead had someone attend to Fang's needs, redoing her hair and washing her face, allowing her to enjoy some tea.

Not to mention Aunt Fang, even the Xiao family initially suffered some hidden losses at the hands of these old servants. However, as the head matron, she naturally has ways to manage these cunning servants

If Aunt Fang sees this, what shall we do? After all, this bird's nest is meant for the young lady The maid was somewhat frightened and lost her sense of direction.

After a while, Xiao slowly asked, "You are kneeling at the entrance of my courtyard with the young lady in your arms. Are you accusing me of being unfair to you and your mother?"

The speaker may be indifferent, but the listener is attentive. Upon hearing this, the nursemaid attending to the young lady was taken aback, wondering if the lady intended to take the young lady into her own room to raise her.

Aunt Fang, weeping and lamenting, finally received a word from the madam

The three young masters were playing inside the inner chamber, while Madam Xiao sat in the adjacent eastern room. As soon as Madam Fang entered, she knelt down below, and Madam Xiao said nothing, merely observing with cold eyes

She said nothing, merely lifted her foot and entered her own courtyard, leaving Aunt Fang to kneel at the door for a while longer, but ordered someone to carry the young lady inside

After the old woman brought it over, an incident occurred

When the kitchen staff brought over the bird's nest, she lifted the cover and saw the fragmented bird's nest inside. Old grievances and new resentments surged up simultaneously. From the moment Aunt Jiang arrived, the lives of these concubines became quite difficult. Aunt Fang was not the type to be overly competitive; even regarding the matter of the eldest daughter wanting to participate, in the end, she spent her own money and swallowed her pride.

The matters of the inner residence should not have troubled the master; however, since Aunt Jiang is in charge of the household and it involves both the eldest daughter and Mother Zhang, it was necessary to invite the master over. Mrs. Xiao is not being overly clever, but regarding the situation with Jiang, she sometimes cannot ascertain Xie Shuyuan's thoughts.

Upon hearing this, the wet nurse was so frightened that her soul nearly scattered, yet the Xiao family was completely unconcerned. Pointing at the two children, they gently said: "These are the eldest young lady's younger brother and sister. From now on, the eldest young lady will take them to play together."

The little maid, who had been scolded by Old Lady Zhang, was also someone who did not keep secrets, as she relayed all of Old Lady Zhang's words to Concubine Fang, nearly causing Concubine Fang to choke in anger

Xiao looked at her fair and tender appearance, which exuded a sense of innocence. He also recognized that the Fang family had indeed raised her well, and his irritation towards the Fang family diminished significantly.

Xiao did indeed stop the wet nurse, only bringing her over to ask in detail: "Why does the young lady want to give this to her younger siblings?"

The young girl had a small longevity lock hanging around her neck. She reached out to pull the longevity lock down, and after her nanny had coaxed her for a long time, she sweetly said, "I want to give this to my little brother and little sister"

"I am merely a concubine, and indeed, as Zhang Mama said, I do not count as a significant figure. However, the young lady is, after all, the legitimate daughter of the master." The more Aunt Fang thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, and she could not help but be overcome with sadness. What was originally seven parts sorrow had turned into ten: "It is all due to my status as a concubine that the young lady is implicated, forcing her, the mistress, to endure the grievances of a servant."

The incident where Aunt Jiang was publicly humiliated by the Madam has long spread throughout the residence. Under normal circumstances, Aunt Fang might have been able to endure it, but now that these servants are even willing to tarnish the reputation of the eldest daughter, she absolutely cannot tolerate it.

"Mother Zhang, this bird's nest has already been warmed up, why not let me deliver it over?" The person who prepared the bird's nest did not have the same strong backbone and resources as Old Lady Zhang. Considering it would not be wise to offend Aunt Fang too much, they decided to send the bird's nest over.

The young girl was arranged by the Xiao family to play on the bed, with two wrinkled little children beside her. Being a child herself and rarely seeing the other sisters in the household, she couldn't help but ask upon seeing the two infants, "Mother, who are these?"

Thus, she decided to take action without hesitation, instructing the maid beside her to bring the bird's nest, while she herself picked up the young lady and knelt down in the main courtyard of the madam's residence.

Madam Zhang had never been inclined to associate with these concubines. Now, seeing that after a short delay, Lady Fang had sent someone to urge her, she became momentarily enraged and scolded the young maid severely, of course, in her words, she also included the eldest daughter.

Yet there are those who, oblivious to the danger, charge headlong into it

Otherwise, his legitimate cousin would not come to be his concubine

Initially, the Xiao family intended for the Fang family to manage the household affairs, with Granny Shen providing assistance. However, Xie Shuyuan allowed the Jiang family to take charge. The Xiao family was unwilling to create distance with their husband over such a trivial matter, so they agreed.

Even someone as noble and generous as Xiao could not help but utter such rude words in a moment of exasperation

Today marks the full moon celebration for the two young masters, and many distinguished guests have arrived at the residence. The kitchen staff are busily attending to their duties without a moment's rest. Seeing that the bird's nest soup has not yet been delivered, Aunt Fang sent a maid to inquire about it.

However, it seems that the time has come to reclaim the authority of the steward

The maid noticed that her mistress was in a bad mood and was resting, so she thought it best to wait until her mistress woke up to speak.

If this question were asked in the past, Aunt Fang would certainly be filled with trepidation. However, at this moment, her face displayed a sense of determination: "Madam, there are some words I must speak today, even if I am punished for it. Our eldest daughter is truly pitiful; it is I, as her aunt, who has brought her misfortune. Now even the servants in the mansion are able to bully her."

The stew on that stove is just like this, and I saw the old woman somewhat ingratiatingly say: "How about I serve you a bowl, Madam Zhang? You should calm down and not get angry with these insignificant people."

When Jiang first entered, he was quite proper; however, Xiao observed coldly from the side. Over the past two years in Suzhou, she has become increasingly unruly.

Aunt Jiang angrily scolded the maid Mingxin beside her, who was reading a book: "Such a significant matter, why didn't you report it to me at the first opportunity?"

Xiao did not expect her to be so obstinate, and with a cold laugh, she asked: "Do you think the Xie family is some kind of place where you can cry, make a scene, and threaten to hang yourselves at will? The usual rules have all been thrown to the dogs."

Aunt Jiang could only grit her teeth and curse, "Useless thing"

This is a placeholder text.

This, this. The old woman has been at a loss for a long time, not knowing what to do.

Thus, this old woman often wielded her power in the residence, but she only managed her small domain in the kitchen, at most bullying the young kitchen helpers. Generally, she did not cause any major incidents.

When Aunt Jiang learned of this matter, the banquet had already nearly concluded. Xie Shuyuan was being invited by the Xiao family to their courtyard, and the Xiao family had similarly sent someone to invite Aunt Jiang.

You have been wronged. When the Xiao family says this, it naturally implies that the main issue lies with Mother Zhang.

She encountered a setback at the Xiao residence, was publicly humiliated, and felt somewhat ashamed. In a fit of anger, she returned to her own courtyard. She closed her eyes to rest on the pit, unaware that an incident had occurred in the mansion.

After the banquet concluded and the Xiao family had escorted the ladies away, Granny Shen finally informed her of the matter

Once the full moon celebration was completed, the Xiao family sent someone to carry the two young masters down. She herself accompanied the various ladies to the banquet to partake in the wine. However, it wasn't long before a little maid from the Zhi Lan Courtyard came over. Seeing the lively atmosphere at the banquet, she hesitated to disturb Xiao.

Due to carrying twins, the Xiao family has faced greater hardships than others. Not to mention the housekeeper, even minor matters have become unmanageable. Therefore, a few months ago, Aunt Jiang took over the responsibilities of the housekeeper.

Those are the leftover bird's nest scraps, all inferior products, and certainly not suitable for the master. This is essentially an unwritten rule in the kitchen; the master naturally receives the best. However, if there are any remaining inferior or substandard ingredients, they naturally end up in the mouths of the kitchen maids and servants.

The kitchen of the Xie family is particularly spacious, with separate areas for regular cooking and for preparing tonics, so there are no other people around at this time. The mother, who specializes in simmering tonics, has already prepared the bird's nest. Granny Zhang glanced at the stove simmering gently not far away and asked, "Is that pot also simmering bird's nest?"