The matter was settled.
Wang Qingyao immediately ordered people to tidy up the four side rooms in Kangping Courtyard.
Kangping Courtyard was not a traditional courtyard with side rooms flanking the main hall. Xiao Yun had transformed it into a Jiangnan water town style estate with small bridges, flowing water, and abundant flowers and trees.
The side rooms Wang Qingyao assigned to Huang Shiyu and the other three were located to the west of the main hall in Kangping Courtyard, separated by a floor-to-ceiling screen door, making them a small, independent courtyard.
If Huang Shiyu and the other three behaved themselves and didn't constantly try to get close to Xiao Yun, it was highly likely Xiao Yun wouldn't see them.
However, if Xiao Yun wanted a change of pace, it was quite convenient for him to visit.
Yinzhu volunteered to guard the screen door, pulling Coral to join her. Coral was strong enough for two.
Wang Qingyao inspected the rooms and instructed Nian Momo to distribute vases, display shelves, and screens from the storeroom to the four women, decorating their rooms. These were all good items, and the four women recognized their value, feeling both grateful and suspicious.
Wang Qingyao allocated two maids to each of them and said, "You all settle in first. We'll have lunch together, and in the afternoon, we'll play Dou Dizhu together."
The Four Beauties: "..."
Dou what?
Wang Qingyao left. The maids busied themselves tidying the rooms. When they were almost done, the four women went into the courtyard to talk.
Huang Shiyu, being the eldest of the four, had been the leader when they were in Jiaofang Si. The other three habitually treated her as their leader.
Huang Shiyu glanced towards the screen door and said sincerely, "I didn't expect our luck to be so good, to encounter such a benevolent mistress."
Bian Siyue snorted, "You can't judge a book by its cover. She might just be putting on an act. We should still be vigilant, lest we be sold and still help count the money."
"Time will tell. As long as we behave ourselves, I believe the Princess will treat us well," Huang Shiyu said.
Bian Siyue flicked the handkerchief in her hand, "I truly hope that Prince Ding'an never comes. It would be a blessing for the four of us to live our lives behind closed doors, without having to rely on our looks or live in constant fear. I'll play the zither, Shiyu will dance, Jingjing and Xiaoyu will practice swordplay... we'll plant roses on that wall, and in spring and summer, they'll cover the entire wall. When the wind blows, the whole courtyard will be filled with the fragrance of flowers..."
Bian Siyue described a beautiful future, lost in her thoughts, a gentle smile appearing on her lips.
Jiang Jing said, "Swordplay might not be possible, we can only practice with bamboo swords."
"That's fine too," Qian Yu added with a smile.
For a moment, all four began to envision their future, planning their courtyard, talking and laughing.
Soon it was noon. Wang Qingyao sent Zhizi to call them for lunch. The smiles on the faces of the four women immediately vanished.
They were of low status, branded as criminals, living at the mercy of others. What future could they possibly have?
The meal Wang Qingyao had prepared was simple home-style cooking. With the company of the four beauties, even a common meal was enjoyable. However, only Wang Qingyao found it truly enjoyable. The four beauties were rather reserved and ate little. Moreover, in ancient times, it was customary not to speak while eating or sleeping, which reduced the fun of chatting while dining.
After lunch, they rested for a while. Wang Qingyao had someone bring out newly made playing cards, something Huang Shiyu and the other three had never seen before. However, after Wang Qingyao explained the rules of Dou Dizhu, they all found it not difficult and were eager to try.
So, the five of them sat around the table. The first few rounds were for familiarization, played slowly. As they became more accustomed, the game picked up pace. Wang Qingyao, thinking they were all novices, didn't use her clairvoyant eyes. To her surprise, the four women were not foolish at all; they were all sharp and intelligent. Wang Qingyao couldn't win without using her clairvoyant eyes, and even with them, she found it somewhat challenging, especially Bian Siyue, who was particularly skilled.
"How did you know I still had a 'skin egg'?"
"It's simple. With two decks, there are eight 'skin eggs' in total. Shiyu played a pair, Jingjing played a four-of-a-kind bomb, Xiaoyu played a straight with one card, and I don't have any. You didn't take the King of Spades when Xiaoyu played it just now, so it's quite obvious, isn't it?"
Bian Siyue said this while looking at Wang Qingyao with a matter-of-fact expression.
Wang Qingyao listened, dumbfounded. Damn, she's a real gambling master! Her memory is so good!
Huang Shiyu smiled, "Siyue learns things very quickly."
Wang Qingyao gave her a thumbs-up and rewarded her with one tael of silver.
"Starting from the next round, whoever wins gets money. These are all one tael silver coins, a total of one hundred taels. If the farmer wins, they get one tael each. If the landlord wins, they get five taels. I'll take my winnings too."
This got the four women excited.
One tael of silver was equivalent to about two thousand yuan in modern currency. Playing for an entire afternoon could earn them a year's salary.
So, when Xiao Yun returned, he saw five women engrossed in playing cards.
Upon clearly seeing the faces of the other four women, Xiao Yun's face immediately darkened, "What are they doing here?"
Wang Qingyao: "Wait a moment, it's the last round. Hahaha, a royal flush, I won! All this five taels are mine! Hahaha!"
Wang Qingyao laughed triumphantly.
Women easily build camaraderie at the card table. When Xiao Yun hadn't returned, Huang Shiyu and the other three had relaxed while playing. The moment he returned, all four fell silent, heads bowed, afraid of being noticed by him.
Wang Qingyao waved her hand, "You all can go back now."
The four replied, "Yes," and scurried away along the wall, clutching their winnings.