Chapter 5, reality is always harsh

Mother Lu certainly knows the value of things, and she snatched it over: "This must weigh at least one tael! If everyone in the residence had this much, how much would it cost?"

"Who knows about tomorrow, as long as it is inevitable." Lu Yougui proudly took out a piece of silver from his sleeve. Chunying glanced at it and could tell it was a half-cut silver ingot, about two fingers wide, and it shone brightly, though she did not know its value.

"The Princess Jing is our family's great-aunt." Without taking the time to explain clearly to her daughter, Mama Lu first turned to her husband to ask about the important matter, "How much was awarded? How much will be awarded tomorrow?"

Mother Lu was still feeling the silver under the light. Upon hearing this, she responded and got up to walk to the kang, where she put the silver into a small box, carefully locked it, and then returned: "Chun'er, what are you thinking about? Hurry up and eat! The dishes have gone cold."

Chunying awoke from her contemplation and, responding with a few bites of her meal, cautiously asked: "Father... you work so hard for such a meager amount of money, have you never thought... never thought about... redeeming yourself to earn money on your own?"

However, what does this have to do with oneself

Sewing skills are quite good... This is very troublesome... Although she can sew, it is limited to knitting a scarf or making a pullover with a sewing machine, and she can also do overlocking. However, in ancient times, there were no sewing machines, and she did not know how to embroider, so she had to sew by hand... To make for the deceased... Starting from scratch would probably be very difficult. However, considering that this is in ancient times, sewing is a basic skill that all girls must master, she will likely have to grit her teeth and learn it.

Oh..." Chunying nodded and suddenly said, "Sister Cui, that dish is almost being kneaded to pieces by you."

Chunying took a deep breath, clenched her fists tightly, and silently encouraged herself. As a new professional woman of the twenty-first century (she had already entered society before her time travel), she believed that she possessed several hundred years more experience than people from ancient times, and she would undoubtedly find it easier to succeed than they did. She would live a good life, and she was determined to create a brilliant life here

What is this for? The road is expensive, and I stuffed a piece of well-soaked fatty meat into my mouth. The people at our main gate are living quite well, receiving five coins of silver each month, and occasionally there are guests who come to visit and bring benefits. If we are lucky and encounter the young masters in a good mood, we might even receive a reward. This month, I estimate I can at least pocket three or two coins with some change. He turned to his wife and smiled: "Then let's make our son a new outfit, poor thing, having to wear his cousin's old clothes during the New Year. Chun'er has been ill and has lost weight, so we should buy some more meat to nourish him. Later, I will send a letter to the mansion to see if Qiu Jie has any use for money. This month, I estimate I can at least pocket three or two coins with some change. He turned to his wife and smiled: "Then let's make our son a new outfit, poor thing, having to wear his cousin's old clothes during the New Year. Chun'er has been ill and has lost weight, so we should buy some more meat to nourish him. Later, I will send a letter to the mansion to see if Qiu Jie has any use for money. It is not easy to save some silver, so we must not let the children suffer."

Chunying's legs felt weak, and she sat down on the ground helplessly, her heart filled with a chilling emptiness

On this day, Dad returned home a bit late, arriving only when it was dark. However, he had a cheerful expression on his face. Mom looked at him with some curiosity and hurriedly pulled him to sit at the dining table: "Why are you so late? We have meat today; I specifically brought out the leftover wine from New Year's Eve to satisfy your cravings. How did your hat get torn?"

Her personality is rather dull, which is somewhat troublesome. She has always been straightforward; if she is merely pretending to be silent, it should not be a problem. As for being oblivious and foolish, that certainly needs to change, but it should be done gradually and naturally. Having poor social connections and few friends can actually be a good thing, as it means there is less worry about peers noticing her odd behavior

As soon as Chunying heard this, she realized she had misunderstood and quickly smiled, saying: "I was just speaking casually. Father, you eat meat, and I will pour you some wine." While speaking, she attentively filled her father's cup and served her parents several pieces of vegetables, then focused on her meal.

Indeed! Chunying secretly clenched her fist. Her immediate priority is to clarify her own situation, adapt to ancient life, and then contemplate her future plans. She has no time to concern herself with the thoughts of the neighboring young girl

"Chun'er! Where have you gone? Come quickly and help pick up the rotten vegetable leaves!" The voice of Aunt Lu echoed in the courtyard. Chunying paused for a moment, then responded softly, her head drooping as she walked towards the kitchen

You really can't remember anything, can you? What can Sister Lian do? She knows nothing except for playing. As for Xi'er, she has been pampered since childhood. I heard her parents plan to find her a match in a couple of years, how can we compare to her?" The daughter of the Cui family absentmindedly fiddled with the vegetable leaves, "This job is said to be good, but only people like us think that way. After all, we are just rough servants. Even if Manager Liu wants to send his daughter into the mansion, she probably wouldn't even look at us!

The girl from the Cui family looked down, hurriedly tossed aside the vegetables, smiled, and said: "I almost forgot, I still need to buy some noodles, so you carry on with your work." After saying this, she quickly picked up her own basket and left in a hurry

Being a house servant is indeed quite difficult! Look, even my father's hat has been torn by someone, and he hasn't even earned enough money for a meal?

There is a problem! There must be a problem! Either she tampered with something, or she used improper means; otherwise, why would her expression change?

Chunying quickly returned to the room after leaving the kitchen and analyzed her situation based on the information she had gathered

Of course it is different! Even if she really forgot the past, how could she seem to understand nothing? She even asked us about the matter of redemption; is this still the Chun'er we know? Moreover, didn't you notice? I made the garlic pork that you love for dinner, and she actually ate both the meat and the garlic! Chun'er has never eaten scallions or garlic since she was little. If she has forgotten, she wouldn't change her taste, would she? I always feel a chill in my heart, as if she has become a different person. " After a pause, Mama Lu continued, "In any case, I want to take her to the temple to see if she has been possessed by something."

Where is the difference? It's just that I have forgotten the past; everything else seems more or less the same to me

Lu Yougui looked up in surprise, wiping the juice from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand: "Daughter, are you really foolish? Redeem yourself? We are family-born children, having been in this household since the time of your grandfather's grandfather. We are not exceptional people; the masters might not even remember my name. What redemption? Money is not so easy to earn. Once you go out, it would be worse than now! For those small households outside, earning two taels a month would be considered good."

She hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking her father: "Father... how much monthly allowance do you usually receive?"

Lu Yougui cheerfully took the handkerchief and said, "Good girl, are you feeling well today?" He then turned to his wife and said, "Today is a day of great joy! News has just come from the Jing Wangfu that the princess has given birth to a healthy baby boy. The old lady, Lord Hou, and the madam are all delighted. The old lady specifically instructed that there will be rewards for everyone in the household. Tomorrow, the madam will go to Guangji Temple to fulfill her vow and distribute porridge. I heard that those who accompany her will receive extra red envelopes. I managed to snag a job riding with the carriage, but someone pulled off my hat twice, so please sew it back for me later."

Chun Ying glanced around quickly, noticing that no one was paying attention to her. She held her breath and stealthily approached the windowsill to eavesdrop.

Originally, the Lu family had another son, who was three years younger than Chunying, but he passed away due to illness two years ago. Now, there is only little Hu left, making him extremely precious.

Cui's daughter smiled unnaturally, took the basket and placed it by the stove, her face somewhat pale, and her eyes gradually reddening. Seeing this, Chunying's suspicions deepened: "Sister Cui, are you alright? Is my question... inconvenient for you to answer?"

The voice of Mother Lu faintly came through: "... ... Something seems off. Do you think we should go to the temple and ask the master to take a look? I feel that Chun'er is quite different from how she used to be."

"That's not right?" Chunying tilted her head, "Aren't there still Liu Xier and Sister Feng Lian?" She remembered that both of them were only one or two years older than herself, just slightly younger than the girls from the Cui family, and Liu Xier was also the daughter of Manager Liu.

The face of the girl from the Cui family changed suddenly, and the basket she was holding fell to the ground with a loud thud. Chunying thought there was something wrong and hurriedly picked up the basket, deliberately pretending not to understand: "Sister Cui, what happened? The vegetables are all dirty."

Chunying curiously asked, "Who is the princess? What does she have to do with us?"

Really?! Mother Lu was taken aback with surprise, "This is quite something, the princess has given birth to a son, isn't that the legitimate firstborn? Today is the ninth day of the first month... My goodness, this is a heavenly birthday! There is nothing more noble than this!"

Mother Lu's mouth was wide enough to swallow an egg, her eyes filled with envy ... Chunying had little concept of currency at that time, only remembering that in the television shows, ancient heroes would pass by small shops to have a meal, and even paying the bill would cost over ten taels, and this one tael of silver ...? ... Is that a lot?

With this thought in mind, Chunying immediately redirected her attention back to the stove. After washing the rice and boiling the water, Mama Lu, having finished feeding, came over to start cooking. Chunying assisted her from the side, carefully observing her mother's methods and discreetly gathering various information. By the time the two aunts from the Liu and Ma families entered to help with the cooking, Mama Lu had already sent her away, citing the small size of the kitchen as a reason. By then, Chunying had already gained a general understanding of her family's situation.

Chunying watched her figure disappear into the distance, squinting her eyes

After dinner, Chunying volunteered to wash the dishes, actually hoping to brush aside the matter of her earlier mistake. As a result, her hands became red and her limbs nearly froze. She kept rubbing her hands together as she walked into the room, but faintly heard her parents talking inside, seemingly mentioning her. She became alert and lightened her footsteps.

Chunying thought to herself, the task had already been taken away by someone else, and she had crossed over without any interest in being a servant to others. Whether this girl from the Cui family would harm her was no longer important. Now, she had no intention of befriending her; as long as she was careful when facing her in the future and no longer fell for any tricks, wouldn't that be enough

The current father, Lu Gui, has just passed his thirty-fifth birthday and is a servant at the gate of the Hou residence. The mother, originally surnamed Jin, is one year younger than the father. She was originally a maidservant to the previous generation's young lady in the household. After marriage, she worked in the sewing room, but when she became pregnant with their son, she left the sewing room at six months along and has not been able to return since.

The residence to which their family belongs is officially named the Duke of Qingguo's Mansion. The head of the family bears the surname Li and their ancestors followed Emperor Taizong (the specific emperor is unknown; Mama Lu only mentioned "Emperor Taizong") and achieved great merit, being granted the title of marquis, which has been passed down through generations

Elder sister Qiuyu, who has served in the residence of the old lady of the Hou family since childhood, was promoted to a second-class maid last winter, which is considered somewhat respectable. This is why she had the opportunity to plead with the steward to secure a position for her younger sister.

Chunying followed her finger and indeed saw that there was a crack on the edge of her father's six-cornered hat, which was also speckled with a few bits of dust, and even his forehead was dirty. She hurriedly got up to find a handkerchief to help clean him up

Not feeling favored at home, she does not mind; on the contrary, she can sense her parents' concern for her, so this is a pass

"Who says everyone has so much?" Lu Yougui casually took a sip of wine and said, "What’s on the table is merely a few coins, nothing of significance. Ten big coins is already quite a lot! I happened to encounter a fortunate opportunity. When the messenger from the Wang family arrived, I was the one who opened the door. I was clever enough to immediately send a message to the second gate, which is how I got so much. I heard that the person who reported to the old lady was rewarded with a full ten taels of silver!"

Lü Sheng Chunying is a somewhat reserved little girl with a simple mind. As her mother puts it, she is "naive enough to believe whatever others say." However, she lacks social awareness and often makes remarks that put others in awkward positions. She only holds the daughter of the Cui family in high regard and is not very popular among the children in the nearby courtyards. In front of her parents, she is not as favored as her older sister and younger brother, which sometimes leads her to lose her temper with her mother. Nevertheless, her needlework is quite impressive, perhaps due to her mother's teachings from a young age. At just ten years old, she is already capable of independently creating very beautiful embroidered garments. Originally, Lü Mama intended to send her to the sewing room, but upon learning that the third young master of the manor needed a maid who is skilled in needlework, she immediately sent a message to her eldest daughter.

"How could that be?" The girl from the Cui family forced a smile and said, "To put it plainly, what connections do I have? It was all thanks to Manager Liu's help. That housekeeper, Mama Fang, is a relative of Manager Liu. Since you are from our courtyard and suddenly fell ill, she was worried and sought Manager Liu's advice. Manager Liu probably thought that a close neighbor is better than a distant relative, which is why he recommended me. In fact, among everyone in the courtyard, besides you, I am the only one capable of handling this task."

She did not notice that Mother Lu was watching her movements, her eyes filled with astonishment