Chapter 4 Visiting Yingchun
"Third Master? Third Master?" Xiao Que'er's low call brought the excited Jia Cong back to his senses.
"Nothing, Third Master was just engrossed in reading!"
"The Third Master is so studious, he will definitely become a big figure like a scholar in the future. By then, let's see who in the mansion dares to disrespect the Third Master!" Xiao Que'er said with some envy.
Jia Cong rubbed Xiao Que'er's head again and responded with a smile, "Then you will be the maid of the scholar, and you will be equally majestic!"
Xiao Que'er narrowed her eyes immediately, unable to hide the smile on her face. Perhaps, at this moment, she was already imagining the days when her Third Master would pass the imperial examination and take her with him to become the mistress of the house.
"Let's go and see my second sister!"
Yingchun is the eldest daughter of the first wife, but the daughters of the Jia family are ranked separately, Yuanchun, Yingchun, Tanchun and Xichun, so Yingchun is generally called the second sister.
"Why did Third Master think of going to the Second Young Lady?" the little girl asked in confusion. Although they were half-siblings and saw each other on weekdays, and Yingchun was close to Jia Cong, they did not interact much with each other.
"After all, she is the Third Master's sister, so it is only natural for me to go and greet her!" Jia Cong said casually.
In fact, he was thinking of going to Yingchun to see if there were any other books! There were many people in the mansion, but Jia Cong was not qualified to see many of them. For example, the second master Jia Zheng had a lot of books in his room, but what was his qualification to borrow them? After all, only this sister could say something.
After all, they are of the same bloodline, and Yingchun is honest and docile in nature. Even if she cannot achieve her goal, at least she will not be the first to be eaten.
After the master and servant left the courtyard of the outer study, they walked north along the path outside the east wall of the main courtyard. After passing the back wall of the east courtyard and passing Jia Zheng's study and Wang Fu-ren's courtyard in turn, they turned west along an east-west corridor.
After leaving the corridor, three small upside-down chairs came into view.
These three houses embracing summer are the current residences of the three springs, and the first one on the east side is the courtyard for welcoming spring.
Xiao Que'er took two quick steps forward. On the stone steps at the entrance to the courtyard sat two maids in their teens, doing needlework and gossiping about something.
Seeing Xiao Que'er coming, the two maids did not stand up, but asked directly, "Xiao Que'er, why are you not serving your Third Master in the courtyard, but coming here?"
Xiao Que'er, who usually talks a lot, was silent at this moment. She bowed slightly before saying, " Hello, Sister Xiu Jue and Sister Lian Hua'er. Today is our Third Master's day off, so he came to greet the Second Miss!"
Upon hearing this, the two maids stood up and looked outside, just in time to see Jia Cong walking leisurely towards the courtyard!
Although they looked down on the Third Master, he was still their master's brother after all, so the two maids did not dare to act arrogantly. They quickly put away the work in their hands, stood up and saluted towards Jia Cong.
"Meet the Third Master!"
Jia Cong returned the greeting with a half bow, "I wonder if my second sister is here?"
Before the two could reply, a clear and urgent voice came from the courtyard, "You two are just idle here. The young lady wants some tea, why don't you come in and serve her? If you make the young lady wait impatiently, you will be in trouble!"
A moment after he finished speaking, a maid came out from the courtyard. This maid had a fierce look in her eyes, and was much taller than the other two maids. She had thin lips and looked like a powerful person.
Jia Cong was not unfamiliar with this person. She was Si Qi, the maidservant beside Yingchun.
As a state-run family, the Jia family has a strict hierarchy! Generally speaking, there are third-class maids serving these young masters.
This Si Qi is the first-class one. She has the final say on most matters in Yingchun's room. She eats and sleeps with her master on weekdays and is the most caring one to her master.
Xiu and Jue, the two maids just now, were second-class maids in the room. They could enter the living room to serve food, tea, etc., but they were not qualified to enter Yingchun's boudoir.
The third-class maids can only work in the yard and do some rough chores.
However, this rank is based on the Yingchun Courtyard. If it is based on the whole mansion, only the maids serving the powerful people such as Jia Mu and Wang Furen are the real first-class maids, such as Yuanyang, Hubo, etc. Siqi and others are only second-class maids.
The monthly wages of maids of different ranks were also different. Yuanyang and others received one tael of silver, Siqi and others received one hundred coins, Xiu Ju and others received half a tael of silver, and maids doing rough work only received five hundred coins.
In addition, there are wet nurses, maids and the like in the master's room, and their monthly wages vary.
The status of the wet nurse is extremely high. Even a master like Yingchun has to be respectful to her. Even if the master is domineering, the wet nurse in the room can almost suppress him.
"Oh, the Third Master is here?" Seeing Xiao Que'er and Jia Cong standing outside the door, Si Qi was startled, and then bowed.
Seeing Jia Cong returning the greeting, Si Qi quickly dodged. She was a person who knew her place in office. Even though the Third Master was not a respectable person, he was still the master of the mansion, and the brother of her master. How could she put on airs here?
"You two little rascals, why don't you hurry and bring the Third Master in? I'll punish the girl later and I'll give you a few lashes each before I'm done!"
Si Qi's personality is definitely comparable to Xiao Que'er's.
Afterwards, Si Qi led Jia Cong into the courtyard and into the hall!
Having Xiu Ju behind her serve Jia Cong some fragrant tea, Si Qi said, "Third Master, please sit down for a moment. I will go in and tell the young lady!"
Jia Cong nodded, took a sip of tea, and looked around the furnishings in the hall! Compared to his home, this place was obviously much more exquisite.
There are two chairs on the innermost side with a small table in the middle, and three chairs on each side! On the left wall is a landscape painting, and on the right wall are four calligraphy works.
There is also a high stool in the corner with orchid bonsai and other decorations.
Jia Cong sat on the first chair on the left, and Xiao Que'er stood on the side with her body straight, but her pair of black eyes kept looking around, obviously with a bit of envy.
Not long after, Si Qi opened the curtain of the inner room, and a girl with plump skin and a medium build walked out slowly. This was naturally Jia Cong's sister Jia Yingchun.
"Brother Cong?" Yingchun had gentle features and looked very amiable, but she was a little shy when she spoke.
Jia Cong and his servant hurriedly saluted!
"Meet the second sister."
"Greetings, Second Miss."
"We are brother , why are you so polite!" Yingchun showed a gentle smile on her face and walked forward to sit on the chair on the left side of the small table in the middle, so that she was next to Jia Cong.
" Brother Cong is studying in the clan school recently. Is he doing well?"
The brother and sister sat down and started chatting! Although Yingchun was a soft-tempered person, she was obviously happy about her brother's visit and closeness. Unconsciously, she started talking more.
