The round-faced maid was the head maid in Yun Shi's chambers, besides Qing Shui. Yun Shi had named her Qing Ge, following the pattern of Qing Shui. Qing Ge was more lively, but not reckless. Qi Zhen Zhen had chosen her along with Yun Shi. Qing Shui was older and more steady in her actions, but could be a bit dull. Thus, Qi Zhen Zhen selected Qing Ge so that someone could keep Yun Shi company when she wasn't around.
"Auntie," Qi Zhen Zhen took the embroidery hoop from Yun Shi's hands and set it aside. "No matter who you make things for, the premise is to balance work and rest."
Yun Shi smiled helplessly. "Aren't I thinking of making a set of clothes for the Old Madam as quickly as possible?"
"Auntie, the Old Madam has dedicated people to make clothes for her. Please don't trouble yourself. If you really want to make something, you should make it for Father," Qi Zhen Zhen said.
In her memory, her cheap father had treated her mother very well, almost exclusively doting on her. But upon returning this time, her cheap father hadn't come to Ting Lan Yuan to see her mother, which was quite unreasonable.
Although Qi Zhen Zhen didn't want Yun Shi to curry favor with her cheap father, for her cheap mother to establish herself in the manor, having her cheap father's protection would be best.
Qi Zhen Zhen then recalled Qin Lang, whom she had met that day. The things Qin Lang had said filled her mind with a thousand thoughts. If the matters of her maternal grandfather's family were related to her cheap father, her mother would surely find it difficult to accept her devotion to her cheap father once she knew the truth. At that time, she would surely become despondent.
Thinking of this, Qi Zhen Zhen added, "It's fine if you don't make anything for Father. If you take the initiative, it will reach the Madam, and she will think you are doing it intentionally."
Yun Shi gave a bitter smile. "I truly don't have such intentions."
Qi Zhen Zhen sighed. It was indeed not easy to live in such a grand and high-class household.
"Let's not talk about this. Auntie, look, this is what the Old Madam gave me. These beads are all extremely beautiful; they will surely make pretty beaded flowers." Qi Zhen Zhen pushed a box of gemstone beads, gifted by the Old Madam, towards Yun Shi. "You don't have any decent jewelry either. Let me string some beaded flowers for you."
Qi Zhen Zhen chose deep and light blue gemstones, stringing them from dark to light. In a short while, a beaded iris flower was completed. The combination of large and small beads was incredibly beautiful. She picked a plain silver hairpin, carefully wrapped it with colored thread, and soon, a delicate iris hairpin was finished.
Yun Shi was very pleased with it. She called Qing Ge to bring a bronze mirror and placed the hairpin in her hair.
"It's truly beautiful," Yun Shi said happily, examining herself in the mirror for a while.
"Auntie looks beautiful, and Miss is skillful. A person complements the hairpin, and the hairpin enhances the person," Qing Ge said with a playful smile.
Besides this, Qi Zhen Zhen also used deep and light yellow beads to string a small seal script character for 'fortune', a magnolia flower, and two vividly colored kingfishers.
These were for the Old Madam, Madam Qin, and Qi Ming Zhu and Qi Xuan Xuan, respectively.
"You've done the right thing. You can't show favoritism, lest people gossip," Yun Shi said with relief.
There was no other way. Although the Marquis's manor was their home, in the eyes of certain people, they were not considered part of the Marquis's household. This was a case of having to bow one's head under another's roof; no one who should be appeased could be neglected.
Finally, there were some beads of various colors left that couldn't be strung into three-dimensional finished products. Qi Zhen Zhen selected some and strung them into flat small daisies of varying sizes, fixed onto hair combs, which were also quite exquisite.
The remaining dozen or so beads were distributed one by one to several head maids, asking them to string them into earrings.
Qi Zhen Zhen lingered in Yun Shi's chambers for half the afternoon before returning to her own room.
Er Xi stepped forward to untie Qi Zhen Zhen's hair bun and used a wooden comb to evenly massage Qi Zhen Zhen's scalp.
At this moment, Qi Zhen Zhen sent everyone else away. She didn't like having people around when she was enjoying herself.
"Second Miss, the Heir Apparent sent me to tell you that he has sent someone to serve the Young Master, who will protect the Young Master's safety. You need not worry," Er Xi said abruptly.
Qi Zhen Zhen was startled and instinctively stood up. Er Xi couldn't retract her hand in time, and the comb snagged several strands of Qi Zhen Zhen's long hair.
Er Xi immediately knelt down. "Miss, please forgive me. I did not do it intentionally."
Qi Zhen Zhen gasped and raised her hand to rub her scalp, then waved to Er Xi. "Get up and speak."
It was just a few strands of hair. She wasn't one of those delicate young ladies who would have someone beaten for a few strands of hair.
"Are you someone from Gu Si Nian?" Qi Zhen Zhen asked in a low voice.
"I was sent in by the Heir Apparent. I am Miss's person. The Heir Apparent said that my master is only you," Er Xi replied.
"How did he manage to send someone in? He's truly capable."
"The Marquis's manor purchases maids every year from fixed places. The Heir Apparent merely made arrangements in advance," Er Xi said.
"What if I hadn't chosen you?"
"There would have been other ways. In any case, I would have come to serve Miss," Er Xi said.
Qi Zhen Zhen pouted and muttered, "He is indeed quite capable."
"Second Miss, if you have anything to tell the Heir Apparent, please write a letter. I will deliver it to the Heir Apparent," Er Xi added.
"A maid cannot freely enter or leave the Marquis's manor without the household matriarch's token. How will you send letters?"
"My greatest skill is delivering messages. This mere Marquis's manor cannot stump me," Er Xi said confidently.
Gu Si Nian was skilled in martial arts, so the people he sent must also be proficient. Er Xi looked young; how good could her martial arts be?
Qi Zhen Zhen attacked Er Xi's face by surprise. Just as she was about to succeed, Er Xi lightly stepped aside and dodged.
"Second Miss, you don't need to test me. I was chosen from dozens of people, and the remaining ones are also skilled guards," Er Xi's voice was calm, but Qi Zhen Zhen could still detect pride.
"Can you tell me how the Heir Apparent trained you?" Qi Zhen Zhen asked curiously.
Er Xi shook her head. "I apologize, Miss, but I cannot say. I am not the only one who received training. If I tell you, I would be exposing all of them to you."
Qi Zhen Zhen pursed her lips and smiled. "Let's not talk about this. Help me investigate someone."
"Please tell me, Miss."
"Auntie Xiang."
Er Xi said, "Auntie Xiang was brought back by the Marquis during an outing. When she entered the manor, Auntie Xiang was already pregnant. She kept a low profile and was very pleasing to the Madam. Moreover, when she returned, her belly was already large. The Marquis personally instructed the Madam to have her looked after and give birth to the child. The child was born smoothly, but Auntie Xiang suffered a difficult childbirth due to the baby's size, injuring her health. She has been bedridden since then. The Third Miss was initially raised in the Madam's courtyard. However, at that time, the Eldest Miss fell ill, and the Madam couldn't attend to her, so she was sent back to Auntie Xiang's courtyard. The Old Madam assigned an additional wet nurse to the Third Miss, and she was raised in Auntie Xiang's courtyard. It was only when she was ten years old that she moved to the courtyard next to Auntie Xiang's. The Third Miss is timid, and the Madam dislikes seeing her, so she is excused from morning greetings. The Old Madam also doesn't like her very much, so the Third Miss usually stays in her own courtyard and rarely comes out."