Mei Niang brought Cui Xi and Cui Si back to the mansion at 3 p.m. and entered Pingxiang from the side door. When they entered the west courtyard, Mrs. Lin came to greet them. She did not recognize Mei Niang, who was wearing a mask and dressed as a maid. She only said softly, "There are few people in the garden now. Sisters, you should go back to Qinghua Courtyard!"
Cui Xi took out a purse from her sleeve and handed it to Mrs. Lin: "Take these small changes and buy wine. Grandma is a nostalgic person. After she woke up from her illness, she forgot everything else, but she remembered you mothers who were keeping vigil the most. Grandma is in charge of the mansion now. As long as the mothers are well, Grandma can see it!"
Mother Lin chanted a Buddhist prayer, took the silver, and smiled until her eyes narrowed into slits: "Ah! We, a few old servants, were able to bring Grandma back to life. It was because we had done good deeds in our previous life! Sister didn't see it, but when Grandma first came out, her whole body was shining with golden light. Wow! She was so beautiful! The fortune teller said: Grandma is the reincarnation of a lucky star. If we see her, our fortune will be in our hands!"
Mei Niang rolled her eyes: This is how the so-called myths and legends come about!
Cui Xi was full of energy and teased Mrs. Lin: "Isn't it your luck that has come? Your eldest nephew is now a coachman for our Tsinghua Academy. We only use him once every two or three days. He gets a full salary every month, but it's not much better than working like a slave outside? Your second daughter was originally a dull kitchen maid, but somehow she ended up working for the housekeeper Mama Cai, helping her manage the food warehouse. Not only has her salary quadrupled, but she will be a candidate to be the housekeeper's wife in the future. If mom were a few years younger, she could also be a housekeeper's mother!"
Aunt Lin was not convinced: "I am not old now, why can't I be the manager? Sister, please ask the grandmother for me. These maids who are on night watch are the most naughty. Aunt Liu can't control them. If I were to take charge, humph, would they dare to gamble and drink secretly?"
Cuixi wanted to say something, but Cuisi was impatient: "Go away, go away. The eldest grandma is busy. The night watchmen in the garden are managed by Liu Pozi and others, and Liu Pozi and others are managed by the second gate manager. The second gate manager's reply is only reported to the third grandma, but the eldest grandma doesn't care about these trivial matters!"
Mrs. Lin caught up and wanted to say something, but Cui Si glared at her and she had to stop. Cui Xi comforted her:
"Let me tell you, whether it will succeed or not, we don't know!"
Mother Lin said happily: "Hey, hey! Thank you, Miss Cuixi! If you have any problem, just call me and I will help you!"
"I remember it. Just do your job well!"
The three of them walked quickly out of the west courtyard. As expected, there were very few people walking in the garden. The master and servants walked along the quiet and deserted paths, crossed the curved bridge, walked through the long corridor, turned a few times on the small stone path under the rockery, and soon returned to Tsinghua Courtyard.
Mother Wang hurriedly asked the little girl to bring hot water: "Grandma is up, she wants to take a bath and change clothes!"
Cui Xi and Cui Si went to change their clothes. Cui Lian brought Cheng Er to help Mei Niang bathe and dry her hair. Just as she finished dressing up, she heard Mother Wang say with a smile outside the door:
"Third grandma is here! Third grandma came at the right time. First grandma just felt better and got up. She has washed up now. Please come in!"
The old woman lifted the door curtain, and Ning Rulan walked in with a smile. Mei Niang came to the door, took her hand and led her to sit on the couch:
"I've been tired all morning, and instead of taking a good rest, you come to see me again."
Ning Rulan looked at Mei Niang carefully and said with a smile, "You look good. Your face is even rosier than mine. What's wrong with you? You didn't sneak in to sleep in, leaving me sitting alone in Ziyun Hall. It's so boring and I'm bored!"
Mei Niang pretended to be unhappy: "How dare you say that? Why don't you sleep in for a while and show me how to do it. You've been lying down until now and your body is sore!"
Ning Rulan hurriedly apologized: "I was just joking, don't be angry! So it's just a severe headache? Have you taken medicine?"
Mei Niang said: "My head doesn't hurt, I just feel dizzy and my whole room is spinning. I took a pill and now I feel better!"
Ning Rulan clapped her hands, "The whole room is talking! I know this disease. My sister-in-law had trouble sleeping after giving birth to her first child. She also had the same problem. Later, she asked a doctor to prescribe a prescription and took the medicine and she got better. You must have not taken good care of Heng when you gave birth to him, which left the root of this disease. When I go back to my parents' home, I will ask for the prescription for you!"
Mei Niang said hurriedly: "I'll be fine after taking the pills. Don't make another trip for me!"
"Why are you tired? It's not far. If you take a car and there aren't many people on the street, it will only take half an hour to go back and forth."
Ning Rulan reached out to Jinshu who was standing beside her, and Jinshu placed the small bundle in her hand. Rulan then handed it to Mei Niang:
"All I can give you is good tea. This is what they just sent, one box each of black tea and green tea. Drink it slowly, and I'll bring more!"
Mei Niang opened it and took a look, then said with a smile: "Look at this exquisite box, it's all tribute-like stuff. Thanks to your care, I can also drink the tea that only the royal family can drink. In our family, only the old lady and the marquis can have anything to do with the royal family!"
Ning Rulan looked at the people in the room who were all her closest and most intimate with her, and she also laughed softly, "What the royal family drinks may not necessarily be the best! Remember the last time in the old lady's room, when Cousin Zhuang picked tea flowers? She said it was a good tea given by the empress dowager, but you didn't get to drink it. I tried a cup, and it was an old, aged tea!"
The two of them laughed for a while. It turned out that all women could not escape gossip, it just depended on the person. A quiet and elegant woman like Ning Rulan was too lazy to say a word in front of other sisters-in-law, but when she was with Mei Niang, she talked and laughed, and was very happy.
Mei Niang said: "My illness is not entirely caused by giving birth to Heng'er. I often had it when I was a girl in my mother's family. I also consulted a doctor, who said it was caused by blood deficiency, and it would occur when I was anxious and nervous. Alas, I am very strong in managing the family. I am afraid that there will be too many things to do in the future, and I will get sick one after another. Then you will have to bear it!"
Ning Rulan comforted her, "I will go back to my parents' house soon and get the prescription to see if it works. If it doesn't work, I will ask the man from last time to come and take a look. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't want to get involved in this household chores. Since you are the housekeeper, I am willing to follow you. It's okay for daily chores, but for bigger things like withdrawing money, I have to go through you first!"
Mei Niang nodded and said, "Wait for me to talk to the accountant. If you want to spend less than fifty taels of silver, you can just have your handwritten note!"
Ning Rulan looked at her with sparkling eyes: "Why do you trust me so much? In the past, the Second Madam followed the First Madam for a year or two, and she was not allowed to touch even a penny of money."
Mei Niang smiled: "If she wants to follow me, I won't let her get involved. This is how it is between people, trust is the most important. But don't be too happy, I'm giving you the power, that's letting you share my responsibilities, I'm just happy to be more relaxed, not having to be constantly worried about me!"
Ning Rulan suddenly realized: "So that means I will be remembered all the time? You are really good at it!"
She smiled and said, "But it's good for me to go and hang out with those people, so that you can have some free time to recuperate."
Mei Niang looked at her touchedly: "Rulan, you are the best to me!"
Ning Rulan nodded: "Except for the Third Master, I will only treat you well! Remember, no matter what happens, no matter what happens, I will definitely come!"
"Okay, I'll take note." Mei Niang grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly, saying, "I remember that I also learned some music, chess, calligraphy and painting before, but now I have forgotten everything except recognizing a few characters. One day I will go to your place to pick out some books to read and find some music to practice!"
Rulan looked around and said with a smile, "There really isn't a single book in your room. If you don't have time to come over tomorrow, I'll pick out a few and have Jinshu bring them to you. Your zither is nowhere to be found, otherwise I can teach you to remember some of it. You can forget the music scores, but you should remember the techniques you've practiced since childhood. Once you're familiar with them, you'll be able to do it."
Mei Niang looked at Mother Wang and said, "That's right. Didn't I love reading books? I also like playing the piano. Why is there not a single book in this room?"
Mother Wang's face changed. Before she could reply, Cuisi said, "Grandma used to love reading. Before Lord Hou came back, she would go to the East Garden Study to read and paint. At that time, my cousin accompanied her every day. She thought we were noisy, so she only let us wait in the upper room and didn't even let us enter the moon-shaped door!"
Mei Niang nodded thoughtfully: "That's right!"
Mother Wang glanced at Cui Si and said, "Go, get some hot tea for the grandmas!"
Cui Sifu went down, and Mei Niang said to Ru Lan, "I am not like you. I fill my room with books. I go to the East Garden Study to read and write. Now that the Marquis is back, he wants to read official documents every night. I can't go there anymore!"
Ning Rulan smiled and nodded: "That's right, I'll just take a look in my room."
The two of them went back to the old lady's room, and Mei Niang said, "I haven't been to the old lady to greet her for two days. Is she going to scold me?"
Ning Rulan glanced at the maids and sighed, "The old lady is also used to responding to the occasion. She used to be indifferent, but when Master Hou came back, she at least smiled at you. It was because you changed your temperament and became able to serve and make fun. She didn't ask about you when you didn't come these two days, and it seemed like she had forgotten about you. The second wife is better, serving the old lady for two consecutive days, chatting and laughing with cousin Zhuang, and they are very harmonious."
Mei Niang was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "The old lady is an elder. If she forgets me, it means she has a bad memory, but I can't forget her! Let's stay in the old lady's room together tonight and earn her a meal!"
Ning Rulan laughed at what she said: "Okay, but I have to go back to my parents' home first to get your prescription!"
Mei Niang said: "I won't go today. Tomorrow I will go to Ziyun Hall to listen to the maids' responses and handle matters. You can sleep a little longer and get up later before going. I feel that the disease will not relapse in the next few days!"
Ning Rulan nodded in agreement.
Cui Si brewed a pot of black tea that Ning Rulan brought. The sisters-in-law tasted it and talked about the different tastes and benefits of black tea and green tea. Before they knew it, they finished the pot of tea and did not refill it. They stood up, tidied their makeup, and went to the old lady's room. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)