Madam Yu did not continue to argue with Song Mingyue, but instead said to Qi Zhenzhen, "Zhenzhen, those who can be嬷嬷s are capable people. Auntie doesn't know anyone, so I have to ask for your help in finding one."
After what happened with Liu Ye'er, Madam Yu truly did not dare to choose people herself. What if she picked someone with ulterior motives again? Wouldn't that be harming her daughter?
Song Mingyue was a little displeased, "Mother, what are you doing?"
"Mingyue, Auntie is right, you should have people around you. Little Niu cannot stop progressing at this point; he is still so young and has many opportunities to advance. You don't need to socialize with other families now, but one day you will have to face such matters. Auntie is capable, but she will also be an old madam then. If an old madam is handling affairs, what will others think of you, and what will they think of Little Niu? Therefore, hiring a capable嬷嬷 and having the嬷嬷 train a few capable maids is extremely necessary," Qi Zhenzhen said.
"Do I have to deal with those noble ladies?" Song Mingyue was clearly a little intimidated. Since coming to the capital, although she had visited Marquis Changping's mansion and met the Old Madam, the Old Madam treated her very well because of Zhenzhen, just like facing an elder in the family, so she handled herself quite appropriately. Later, she met the Marchioness. Although she didn't show any fear, she felt very repulsed in her heart. She felt that all those noble ladies were just like the Marchioness.
"Unless Little Niu stays at his current position forever."
Song Mingyue sighed, "Zhenzhen, I'm just a country girl, I..."
"Little Niu stands high enough that no one will dare to look down on you even if you are a country girl. Look, wasn't I also raised in the countryside?" Qi Zhenzhen comforted her with a smile. "We can't hear what they say behind our backs, so it doesn't matter. But to our faces, aren't they all amiable? Based on my past experiences and my status as a concubine-born daughter, in the eyes of those legitimate wives, I was considered not presentable. Yet, they still diligently sent me invitations to banquets, made every effort to inquire about my preferences, and took extra care of my preferences during the banquets."
"You mean, as long as Little Niu's status is noble enough, I don't need to do anything when facing those people, and they will..." Song Mingyue asked hesitantly.
"That's exactly what I mean. You and Little Niu are one in marriage; you share prosperity and adversity. The more noble Little Niu's status, the more noble your status. The more appropriately you deal with those people, the more face Little Niu will have," Qi Zhenzhen explained patiently to Song Mingyue.
Song Mingyue was not a foolish person. Once she understood the key point, her eyes were no longer filled with so much panic. "I still know too little, so Zhenzhen, you must help me find someone with good manners to teach me. I can't go out as a guest in the future and have bad manners, causing people to laugh. I am not only Little Niu's wife but also your friend. Those people are like shrewd foxes; they have long understood our relationship. If I do poorly, others will definitely laugh at you for having a country bumpkin as a friend. I don't want to drag you down, so I will study hard. What's wrong with being a country bumpkin? If you go back a few generations, wasn't everyone a country bumpkin?"
"It's good that you can think this way. Don't worry, I will help you find a reliable嬷嬷," Qi Zhenzhen said.
Speaking of experienced and reliable嬷嬷s, those from the palace would certainly be trustworthy. Many嬷嬷s in the palace chose to leave the palace when they reached Madam Yu's age, either to reunite with their families or to find a family with good upbringing to serve as a teaching嬷嬷 and live out their retirement. Qi Zhenzhen planned to ask the noble consort in the palace to help find two, one for Mingyue and one for herself.