Chapter 8, Everyone has their own aspirations

Listening to Hongluo's resolute words, Chen Lan finally straightened her posture, then reached out to pull her up, and sighed: "I understand now, you have this determination, and this can be considered as fulfilling your wish. However, I did not expect that when I casually found an excuse about you talking in your sleep, Zhenlong actually agreed, which is also your good fortune"

Why is it so cold today? I have only been outside for a short while, and I feel like I'm about to freeze!

Once the guests had departed, the four sisters naturally dispersed. Chen Yan followed closely behind the haughty Chen Bing like a subordinate, trying to ingratiate herself with her words. Chen Lan smiled faintly and was about to turn to leave when Chen Xi, standing nearby, suddenly called out to her.

As she spoke, she stood up, seemingly oblivious to the indescribable determination on Hongluo's face. She reached out and gently grasped her hand, then said: "Sister Hongluo, a few days ago when you were on night duty, I heard you mumbling in your sleep in the middle of the night. Now that you have gone to the Wang residence, won't you be able to wake up laughing even in your dreams?"

Chen Lan naturally understood that at that moment, it would be futile for her to speak alone. However, knowing that Hong Luo felt nothing but gratitude towards Zhen Long and held no resentment, she was even more pleased with the girl. Before she could say anything, Hong Luo suddenly knelt down again and respectfully bowed her head three times to her.

Then I must thank my second sister. The Princess of Jin smiled even more deeply, and then nodded, saying, I have long known that my second sister conducts herself in the most generous and appropriate manner. After the New Year, you will come of age, and I wonder which young master will be worthy of you.

Chen Lan was slightly taken aback when she saw Chen Xi approaching her, and she did not refuse this kindness. After passing through the corridor and turning a corner along the covered walkway, noticing that only a few maidservants were present, Chen Xi spoke softly: "Thank you for what you said today, Third Sister"

It is cold; if this day were left outside, it could freeze someone to death

On the way to Hongluo, she was lost in thought and silent. Upon entering the room, she did not utter a word. At that moment, she shivered and then stepped forward to kneel down, resolutely shaking her head: "I do not wish to, therefore, I thank you, Miss, for saving my life. If the old lady and *Tu* insist today, I... I can only dash my head against the wall to death."

Chen Lan spoke of it, yet she knew in her heart that this was an inevitable matter. Mother Zhu was from the second branch, yet she could arrogantly come to her to reprimand the maid; the steward of the second branch, by chance, was short of the monthly allowance for her maid; the second branch had no sons, and the legitimate son of the third branch was still young, while Madam Ma and Madam Xu were planning to send the young masters to the outer courtyard. Since she did not know what this was all about, but was certain it would be harmful rather than beneficial, she could only first extricate Chen Yan, and as for inadvertently helping Chen Xi, that would be an unexpected delight.

In this way, Chen Lan's words were substantiated. Consequently, the Zhu family immediately changed their tone, saying: "Enough, Lan girl, although you are generous, it is rare for you to ask for someone. Your elder cousin merely wants a maid to attend to her; it need not be Hong Luo. Moreover, Hong Luo is reliable and will manage the Jinxiugge for you, which puts my mind at ease. Therefore, Ming Dang, today you will accompany Zhen Long back to the Wangfu with the princess."

Since the matter has been settled, it is naturally a joyful occasion for all. The Zhu family then had Zhenlong step forward to bow to the Princess of Jin, and arranged for seasonal clothing and jewelry as Zhenlong's dowry. However, at that moment, an elderly lady beside the Princess of Jin smiled and said, "Your Highness, it is customary for our household to have pairs of servants, so having only Miss Zhenlong does not seem quite appropriate. Perhaps we could ask the elder lady to part with another maid to serve by our Princess's side?"

Chen Lan raised her eyebrows and then pretended to be confused: "Me? What did I say?"

As soon as that mother spoke, Chen Lan felt a sudden jolt in her heart. When Zhu Shi looked over one by one, she immediately cast a discreet sidelong glance at the red snail beside her. Noticing that the girl's expression was extremely poor, with her hands tightly twisted together beneath her, she realized that this girl, who had only been with her for a few days, was likely unwilling. When she then saw the Princess Jin beside her frown slightly and gently bite her lip, she quickly began to ponder.

In that case, let it be Hongluo. Among the suitable girls of her age, apart from Zhenlong, she is the only one. Lan'er and *Tu* *Shu*, do not feel wronged.

Hong Luo was momentarily taken aback upon hearing this, but she was not foolish after all, and quickly lowered her head, saying: "The third young lady is teasing this servant again"

Yun'er smiled as she assisted Chen Lan in changing her clothes. Just as she was about to ask a couple of questions about today's visit to the Liao Xiang Courtyard, Qin Fang, having just sent away two third-rank maidservants, found an excuse to pull her out. In an instant, only Hong Luo remained in the room. Chen Lan, comfortably leaning against the back of the kang chair, looked at Hong Luo with great interest and suddenly asked, "Do you really not want to go to the Wangfu?"

The Jin Wang has taken a liking to Zhenlong, and when this is spoken by the Jin Wangfei, naturally no one would doubt it. In an instant, not only the several lords at the table, but also the mothers and maids standing nearby cast envious and jealous glances at the maid standing behind the Zhu family. It should be noted that Zhenlong is a legitimate child of the marquis's family, with the entire family working in various capacities both inside and outside. Generally, upon reaching a certain age, they would be paired with a young servant, and if fortune smiles upon them, they might become a concubine for some young master, but this cannot compare to the royal residence! It should be noted that Zhenlong is a legitimate child of the marquis's family, with the entire family working in various capacities both inside and outside. Generally, upon reaching a certain age, they would be paired with a young servant, and if fortune smiles upon them, they might become a concubine for some young master, but this cannot compare to the royal residence!

Chen Bing's fleeting annoyance was completely washed away by these words. If it weren't for her mother's repeated admonitions, she wouldn't have asked for Zhen Long; after all, she was just a maid, and no matter how good she was, her value was limited. How could she compare to the importance of her own marriage? Today, she had gone to great lengths to dress up for the guests, precisely hoping that the Princess of Jin would assist her with her marriage.

Hongluo suddenly raised her head and said word by word: "Even if I were to marry a beggar, a cripple, or a blind man, I would never be a concubine! The suffering my mother endured throughout her life has led me to this day. Although my uncle was greedy, it was also because my mother would rather break off her engagement than marry an ordinary man! She regretted it before she passed away, and I do not want to spend my life regretting like her"

Sister Zhenlong has never wanted to be a maid for her entire life. Hongluo shook her head and said, "I have long known her wish, so when the second young lady wanted her, she immediately agreed, having heard that the second madam promised her that after a while, she would find a way to elevate her to be a concubine for the second master. However, this is still not a certain matter. Now that the Princess of Jin has personally come to request the scholar, she is naturally delighted and has no time to spare. She says I am talking nonsense, as she is afraid I might go and obstruct her path. But everyone has their own aspirations, and as for me now, I can only feel grateful to her. If it weren't for her supporting the young lady, today's events might have turned out differently.

Thus, although the girl who had previously been pointed out by Chen Bing was blushing and had her head lowered, everyone in the room could see the joy hidden beneath her shyness. At this moment, although Chen Lan was still sitting upright, a smile had appeared at the corners of her mouth

It is important to note that although my father inherited the title of Yangning Marquis, he is rather carefree and neglectful of his responsibilities, making him unreliable. My mother, while currently managing the household, was merely a secondary daughter of the Bo family in the past; how could she possibly have the same influence in marriage matters as the Zhu family? She does not wish to end up like several of her aunts, who, despite their status as daughters of a marquis, either married an ordinary low-ranking officer or a scion of a noble family, only to spend their days toiling over mundane household matters and submissively serving their in-laws.

Once upon a time, although my family was not wealthy, we managed to get by with over a hundred acres of land. However, after my father passed away, my stepmother drove my mother and me out of the house. My mother and I sought refuge with my uncle, but later my mother fell ill and died. Then, Mr. Zhou from the county came to ask for me as a concubine; at that time, I was not yet thirteen, yet my uncle readily agreed and even accepted fifty taels from him! I cried out to the heavens, but there was no response; I called out to the earth, but it was unyielding. In a fit of anger, I walked all night to the prefecture city, only to encounter traffickers. I tried every possible way to escape, but my two companions ended up in an even worse situation. In the end, I sold myself to a human trafficker, which led me to the mansion. After spending a long time outside, I realized that I was not the only one suffering; others were suffering too. I had resigned myself to my fate... but there is one thing I refuse to accept!

Upon hearing this, the Princess of Jin truly stood up and gracefully walked towards Chen Bing. Although Chen Bing was exceptionally astonished, upon seeing someone approach, she hurriedly stood up and smiled, saying: "The old lady and my cousin are truly going to overwhelm me. I merely thought that since Sister Zhenlong was capable, I wanted to go into the room to discipline those maids for her. Now that she has found a better place, I can hardly contain my happiness for her, so how could I possibly have any reason to obstruct her?"

Seeing the expression of the Princess of Jin, who seemed hesitant to speak, indeed, Zhu only paused for a moment before affectionately patting her hand and saying: "I thought it was something significant. Since it is the Prince of Jin who has taken a liking to her, it is indeed her good fortune. However, you mentioned it a bit late. A few days ago, your second sister asked me for someone. I still have a few sewing tasks that she is holding for me, and I just finished them today, planning to give them to her. You should go directly to your second sister; she is the easiest to talk to and will certainly not refuse you."

When the Princess of Jin was about to leave, she absolutely refused to let the Zhu family see her off. Therefore, Zhu only allowed Mama Zheng and the four sisters of Chen Lan to accompany her to the second gate. In front of the Flower Hanging Gate, after Zhen Long and Ming Tang bid farewell, they followed the Princess of Jin into the luxurious phoenix sedan chair with a green top and silver tassels. The other maids boarded the black oil carriage with a green curtain at the back, and the entourage surrounded them as they departed. Chen Bing was preoccupied with admiring the splendid decorations of the phoenix sedan, her face revealing a look of deep envy, while Chen Lan gazed thoughtfully at the red snail.

The two sisters exchanged smiles and parted ways, one heading east and the other west. Chen Lan made her way back to the Jinxiu Pavilion, and upon entering, she went straight to the warm room in the eastern side of the back house. Without even having time to take off her coat, she sat down on the kang covered with a dark green orchid-patterned quilt and drank the hot tea that Yun'er had brought her in one go, taking quite a while to catch her breath.

The phrase "wealth and nobility come in pairs" immediately made the Princess of Jin nod in agreement, and Zhu also found it reasonable. However, upon looking back, she realized that most of the second-tier maids had been added in the past few days, while the four first-tier ones were her long-serving attendants, who were also somewhat older. Thus, her gaze fell upon Hongluo, Mingdang, and Chengxin, who had come over with Chen Lan and the others.

Third sister, it's just on the way, let's go together

As soon as Zhu spoke, Chen Lan laughed and said, "There is no grievance at all; I just didn't expect Sister Hongluo to have the same fortune as Sister Zhenlong. I am happy for her, if anything."

As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Lan, who had merely intended to test the waters, was instantly taken aback. She looked at Hong Luo, seemingly reluctant, and in a moment of compassion combined with a hint of frustration, she inadvertently complicated the matter, unaware that Hong Luo harbored such a strong and resolute intention regarding the *illustrated* book. After a long silence, she finally asked: "Why?"

Chen Xi smiled faintly, and her snow-like visage suddenly thawed, revealing an exceptionally delicate beauty: "Aunt has gone south with Father, and both Third Brother and I are in the inner courtyard. Even if we are a bit far apart, I can still keep an eye on him. If he moves to the outer courtyard, I do not know when we will meet again. Third Sister must also be cautious; although it was Mama Zheng who spoke, the topic was initiated by you. Not only could this offend Second Aunt, but Mother might also remember it. At that time, there may be people who say you are narrow-minded, indulging your younger brother without restraint."

From words to actions, Chen Lan could naturally see the determination within. Regardless of the circumstances, obtaining a red snail today was sufficient. It is easy to find a clever and quick-witted girl among the others, but one with a righteous and resolute character is not easily found, even with a lantern in hand.

Mingdang is Chen Yan's maid, yet Zhu Shi did not even ask a single question this time. Chen Yan's face alternated between green and white, but she could not utter a word. Mingdang, on the other hand, seemed as if she had been struck by a pie falling from the sky; after standing in a daze for a moment, she hurriedly approached to bow in gratitude. After all, even if she is just a maid, being given by Zhu Shi to the Princess of Jin holds significant prestige within the royal residence. As for the unfortunate Hongluo, no one cast a glance her way. Only Chen Lan, who sat beside her, and Qinfang, who stood by her side, could sense her immense relief. After all, even if she is just a maid, being given by Zhu Shi to the Princess of Jin holds significant prestige within the royal residence. As for the unfortunate Hongluo, no one cast a glance her way. Only Chen Lan, who sat beside her, and Qinfang, who stood by her side, could sense her immense relief.

However, both Zhu and the Princess of Jin furrowed their brows. After pondering for a moment, Zhu beckoned for Zhenlong to come over, as if giving some instructions, but quietly asked about Hongluo's sleep talking. Upon hearing this, Zhenlong was initially startled, then glanced at Hongluo awkwardly before lowering her eyes and softly reported in accordance with Chen Lan's tone: "Replying to the matriarch, Hongluo does have a habit of sleep talking, but it happens only a few times a month, so few people are aware of it."

From now on, I shall obey all of your commands, Miss!

So that's what it is. I didn't think much of it; I just had a serious injury before, and it made me realize that constantly pushing him to study and write might not be worth it. If he ends up exhausting his health, what good would that do? It would be better to take a more relaxed approach.