Chapter 13: Daughter Greets
Mengxi looked at the aunts standing on both sides, then turned to Hongzhu and said, "Let the girls come in."
After a while, several maids brought in three delicate little girls. The oldest one looked about five or six years old, and the youngest was still learning to walk. The maids introduced them one by one, and the three girls came over one by one, kowtowed to Mengxi, and paid their respects to their mother.
Mengxi ordered everyone to sit down. The maids had already placed the chairs in the place, and the nanny carried the girls to the chairs. After the girls sat down, Mengxi began to ask about their daily lives and chat with them about family matters.
This was the system of the Great Qi Dynasty. Concubines were slaves. Even though their daughters were their own, they could only call them aunts and call themselves slaves in front of their daughters. Their daughters were the masters, so they could only recognize their wives as their mothers. When their daughters sat , they had to stand.
The four concubines standing on both sides were so angry that they cursed the new Second Madam in their hearts, saying, "It seems like you are sitting there and talking without any worries, but we are all standing."
Before Mengxi married into the Xiao family, there had been no mistress in this courtyard, and Xiao Jun doted on them. Except in front of the old lady, the wives and others, there were no such strict rules in private, and they had never stood for such a long time, especially in front of their own daughter. When they heard Mengxi chatting with the girl for a while, their faces changed one by one. But it was normal for the mistress to care about her daughter's daily life when she met her daughter for the first time, and they couldn't find any fault with it , so they could only endure it.
This is exactly the effect Mengxi wanted. She had seen the contemptuous looks of the four concubines when they came in just now. So, today she must make them remember their identities and the rules of the Xiao Mansion. Mengxi knew that Xiao Jun would not favor her or help her. She could not defeat them by relying on Xiao Jun's favor. She could only rely on the old lady and the rules of the Xiao Mansion to suppress them. Otherwise, she would soon be eaten up by them without leaving anything behind.
Seeing that the four concubines had almost worn out their enthusiasm, Mengxi said that the girls were tired and should go back and rest early. She also instructed the nanny to take good care of them, and the girls then took their leave .
"I think all the ladies are tired, so please don't serve dinner here today. Go and greet the Second Master and then go back."
The four concubines then greeted and filed out towards the inner room, thinking in their hearts that this new grandmother was really not so easy to get along with. They also remembered what the second grandmother had just said, "Don't serve dinner here today." The implication was that they had to come here every day to serve this master's three meals a day.
Seeing that the four concubines went to the inner room, Mengxi didn't want to go back. He leaned on the chair and rested for a while. Suddenly, he remembered the matter of the small kitchen, so he called Hongzhu in and asked about it.
"Replying to Second Madam, the eldest wife has sent someone to clean up, and has assigned two cooks and four maids to clean up. The small kitchen will be ready for use tonight."
Mengxi thought about it. Xiao Jun was in poor health at the moment, so it would be best for him to . Pork liver and mung bean porridge had the effects of nourishing the liver and blood, clearing away heat and improving eyesight. Xiao Jun could also have some snacks. Thinking of some of the pastries she had made in her previous life, she figured out two softer ones. She wanted to write down the ingredients and let Hongzhu go to the chef to get them, so she ordered someone to get pen, ink, paper and inkstone. However, Mengxi picked up the brush and looked left and right, only to find that she could not write calligraphy, let alone traditional Chinese characters. This really put this doctor of medicine in her previous life in a difficult position.
"Second Grandma, what's wrong with the brush?" After grinding the ink, Hongzhu watched Second Grandma turning the brush over and over but not writing, thinking there was something wrong.
"I speak, you write," he said calmly, handing the brush to Hongzhu.
"Yes." Hongzhu took the pen, spread out the paper, listened to Mengxi, and began to write quickly. This second wife is really magnanimous. It is said that the emperor's edicts were dictated by the emperor and written by eunuchs. The second wife really has the demeanor of a great person.
Oh, luckily the head maid of the noble family can read and write, otherwise it would be embarrassing today. Mengxi took the initiative to put practicing calligraphy and recognizing traditional Chinese characters on the future schedule.
