The Virtuous Wife

Chapter 4: Choosing a Maid

As soon as Su Jingwei left, the housekeeper brought a forty-year-old woman. This was the human trafficker that Su Wei had ordered someone to find.

Since Jingyi fell and got injured, Su Wei came to accompany her whenever he had time. Seeing that there was only a nanny, a big maid, and a ten-year-old girl serving her in her yard, he couldn't help but feel dissatisfied with Bai. So, he ordered the housekeeper to let the human trafficker bring the people in, and Jingyi would choose them herself.

Today, this human trafficker brought people to Jingyi for selection. The housekeeper ordered them to wait in the yard. He went in to report and led Jingyi to choose.

Jingyi saw that the woman brought more than a dozen girls standing in the corridor, waiting for her to choose. She knew in her heart that although choosing a girl seemed simple, it was actually choosing a confidant for herself. How could Bai miss such a good opportunity?

Jingyi glanced at the girls below and had an idea in her mind. She asked these girls to stand in a row. She started from the first one and looked carefully. There were eighteen girls in total. It took Jingyi a long time to walk this way.

It was early summer now. There were many flowers and plants planted in the yard, attracting many butterflies to dance.

Jingyi smiled and glanced at the flying butterflies. She took a step forward, and the butterflies flew over here one after another. One landed on Jingyi's left shoulder, and the others landed on the heads of the girls below, and some landed on the flowers not far away.

Jingyi whispered a few words to Nanny He beside her. Nanny He nodded and said to the little girls below: "Count from left to right, the third, sixth, seventh, tenth, twelfth, thirteenth, and fifteenth. All of you step back."

The people below looked at each other, but did not dare to delay. They counted their positions and stepped back when they were called.

In this way, there were eleven people left. Jingyi walked down the corridor, walked around the eleven people, asked them to stretch out their hands, looked at each of them, and removed three more people.

Only eight people were left. Jingyi asked Nanny He to examine them and picked out four of them to stay. The housekeeper took the remaining people out again. The woman looked at Jingyi and handed the indentures of the four people to Nanny He. The woman's eyes were full of confusion, and she looked like she wanted to say something but stopped.

Jingyi smiled at her, said nothing, and took the four people back to the house.

After Jingyi sat down, the four people knelt down and kowtowed. Jingyi said softly: "Don't be afraid, all of you raise your heads, tell me your names and family backgrounds, and what you can do? I can also let people watch and arrange your tasks."

The four people agreed and told their names and life experiences. Jingyi nodded frequently, and Nanny He beside her had already written them down with pen and ink.

Nanny He said, "No matter what you were called before or what you did, now that you have entered the Hou Mansion, you are its people. Your indentures are now in the hands of the young lady. In the future, you must remember the rules of the Hou Mansion and do not bring shame to the young lady!"

The four kowtowed again and said, "I will remember Nanny's teachings! Please give me names, young lady!"

Jingyi smiled and named the four people: Liu Tao, Liu Mei, Liu He, and Liu Ju. The four thanked her and left.

Haitang asked, "Young lady, why did you get rid of those people first?"

"That's because they used perfume and hair oil that ordinary people can't afford. Didn't you see that the butterflies landed on their heads and were reluctant to leave?" Jingyi didn't tell the truth, but used a cover.

Xing'er didn't understand: "But what does this matter?"

Haitang laughed and scolded, "How stupid! This shows that they were given benefits to come in, don't you understand?"

This was said very straightforwardly, and Xing'er understood it immediately. She just looked at Jingyi with admiration.

Nanny He nodded in agreement and said, "Miss, these four people have just arrived and are clumsy. Why don't they start as third-class maids first, and those who do well will be promoted slowly."

Jingyi smiled and said, "Just do as Nanny says. Nanny, what are we going to eat today?"

Nanny He hurriedly said, "Miss, have you forgotten? This morning, the Lord sent someone to tell you to have dinner in the flower hall."

Jingyi remembered this. Since her father left here that day, he asked someone to transfer two cooks from the big kitchen and set up a small kitchen in her yard to take care of her food and daily life. These days, Jingyi has been eating in her own yard and has never eaten with her grandparents.

Jingyi looked at the sky and washed up again. She didn't wear any headdress on her head, but only a collar around her neck. Then she asked Xing'er to find a light yellow dress for her to change into. The master and servants walked slowly towards the flower hall of the main courtyard.

As soon as the master and servants entered the main courtyard, they heard a burst of laughter, which was the laughter of the old lady and Bai. Jingyi stood and looked towards the flower hall. A little sparrow was flying towards her and landed on Jingyi's left shoulder.

Jingyi asked softly: "Little sparrow, I haven't seen you for a few days. You are fat again. Do you know what they are laughing at?"

The little sparrow began to chirp non-stop, as if answering Jingyi's question. He Ma and others looked a little stunned: Could this little sparrow understand human language?

Jingyi waited for the little sparrow to stop chirping, then put it on a branch beside it, and the master and servants entered the flower hall.

Except for his father and eldest brother, everyone else was there. Jingyi bowed to his grandparents and stood aside.

Bai was originally sitting below the old lady. When she saw Jingyi coming in, she hurriedly stood up and bowed to Jingyi. Jingyi returned a half bow.

Su Jingwei also stood up and saluted her.

In this noble family, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children has always been the most important. A concubine can never surpass the main wife. Not only that, concubines are not allowed to be on the stage in ordinary families. If there are any festive activities or banquets at home, concubines are not allowed to participate.

This Bai can dine with the elders at home, which shows that she is favored by the elders, mainly the old lady.

Bai's eyes flashed: "Yiyi looks good, I think she has recovered a long time ago? I didn't see you come to pay respects to grandparents these days. I thought you were still not well. I didn't dare to go to your yard rashly, for fear of disturbing you."

Bai's words were actually unruly. Logically, she should call herself the second lady. A concubine is not qualified to call the legitimate lady and the young master by name. It's just that she dared to be so presumptuous because the old lady was her aunt!

Jingyi saw that there was no strange expression on everyone's face, which showed that Bai often called her like this. And what she said just now was that she didn't know the rules. She was obviously well a long time ago, but she didn't know to come to pay respects to the elders. Jingyi smiled lightly, bowed her head and said respectfully: "It's really wrong to let grandparents worry about their granddaughter. The scar on my forehead is really too conspicuous, and I'm afraid it will scare my grandmother. I want to wait until the scar fades before paying respects. It's Yiyi's fault that I made Aunt Bai worry too."

Bai was choked and speechless. The old master glanced at Bai and said to Jingyi: "Yiyi, there is still a wound on your head, sit down quickly!"

Jingyi was about to thank her grandfather when someone lifted the curtain outside the door and Su Wei came in.