NOVEL WEB
Chapter 28
"Goodness me! Young miss, this slave will go out crying!"
Gu Ying chuckled, "You've already cried into a soppy mess, what's the point in more crying?"
Yanzhi was embarrassed and lowered her head. Suddenly she exclaimed loudly, "Young miss, spare me! This slave will never dare again! This slave knows her wrongs now! Young miss, please don't be angry anymore!"
Gu Ying nodded, satisfied.
Mrs. Liu's sharp eyes peered right into the Twilight Study, fully within Gu Ying's expectations.
After all, in their past life, Qingfeng and Mingyue had joined forces to suppress Yanzhi.
She had been muddle-headed, treating them like sisters while distancing Yanzhi, making them her personal maidservants to accompany her in marriage.
After marriage, Jiang Yin was a scoundrel.
In less than a year, as if deliberately trying to shame her, Jiang Yin promoted Mingyue to the rank of auntie.
Previously she did not understand, but now everything was clear. Mingyue was clever and beautiful, and soon joined forces with Jiang Ling'er, causing Jiang Yin to grow ever more estranged from her.
With no love in the first place, all that was left between them in the end was mutual hatred and resentment, constantly provoked and separated by these people's incitements.
...
Qingfeng was given a large house.
Having been a maidservant for so many years, this was the first time she received such treatment.
She pulled Mingyue into the room in some astonishment, "Just now I saw Yanzhi leaving here red-eyed, as if the Second Young Miss had scolded her badly, saying she was unthoughtful and ignorant of propriety."
Mingyue looked around Qingfeng's room. Inside there were even decorative celadon vases with fresh and elegant plum blossoms. All the furnishings were made of premium wood, the big red lacquered canopied bed had a cover of gold threaded embroidered gauze. Even in other commoner households, only the young ladies of the family would receive such treatment.
Yet the room she was assigned was still a grade lower. The furnishings inside were only a little better than Yanzhi's.
She immediately felt a little imbalanced, but did not vocalize it. "Forget it, elder sister, don't say any more. Be careful of the disaster that comes from the mouth, what if the Second Young Miss overhears us, that won't be good."
Although she said this, she did not think this in her heart.
Qingfeng was not as pretty as herself, so why did she get first-class maid treatment in this new courtyard while she only got second-class?
When there was a chance, she would naturally find a way to trample Qingfeng under her feet.
Qingfeng said, "Although she is a fool, her brain is not so muddled as to be beyond saving. But since Madam said we can use any means, we can also think of other ways to turn her into a thorough moron."
Mingyue pondered, stroking her chin.
Seeing the wind was about right, Qingfeng smiled and took her leave, saying she was going back to rest.
Mingyue did not speak, looking at this luxurious room, for a moment she could not quite believe that she could live in such a big place.
...
On the second day, before daylight, the whole Marquis manor was already bustling.
Lamps were lit in every courtyard, brightly illuminated, voices sounding everywhere.
The Twilight Study was no exception.
Qingfeng and Mingyue had just arrived at the Twilight Study, naturally wanting to do their utmost to impress. Qingfeng stayed up all night, waiting right outside Gu Ying's door.
Mingyue dozed briefly, not even finishing a dream before opening her eyes again, hurriedly dressing and going to the kitchen to urge for hot water and morning tea.
"Sister Mingyue, you're up so early?"
"Yes, today the young ladies are going hunting, and the southern sea hunting grounds have many prestigious guests, with families queuing up waiting, and the hunting grounds are far. We have to get up early to serve the Second Young Miss and get her ready properly, can't let the other families of this marquis manor laugh at us."
Mingyue knew how to read the room, with the breadth of vision and experience expected of a head maidservant. She had gone to winter hunts before with Eldest Young Miss Gu Jia, so naturally she was more polished than a maid like Qingfeng who had hardly ever left the manor.
Qingfeng was told off, displeased inside but not showing it on her face. "Sister, let me carry that water."
How could Mingyue let someone steal her chance to impress. "It's fine, I'll do it."
Before long Yanzhi also got up, rubbing her eyes as she came to the outer chamber. "Two elder sisters already finished all the chores, I don't know what I should do now."
Qingfeng smiled coyly, exchanging a look with Mingyue. "Since you're the senior maid who has always served the Second Young Miss, later go and help check over the Young Miss's important items."
Yanzhi nodded blankly. "Alright, I'll listen to whatever two elder sisters say."
Hearing the noises outside her door, Gu Ying had already calmly opened her eyes in bed.
"Young miss, may we come in?"
Gu Ying gazed at the gauze canopy over her bed, sorting through in her mind the big and small matters of the previous life's winter hunt, then gently said, "Come in."
Mingyue and Qingfeng entered in order, with Yanzhi last.
Mingyue was responsible for washing her face and dressing her, then went with Yanzhi to check over the luggage. The hair-combing task fell to Qingfeng.
Qingfeng was not skilled at hair-combing. At the main manor she had been responsible for serving the Eldest Young Miss's brushwork and embroidery, now she glared resentfully at Mingyue, only able to resign herself to her fate and go to the dressing mirror.
"Young Miss, what kind of hairstyle do you want?"
Gu Ying sat down and glanced at Qingfeng in the mirror.
In the previous life, when Qingfeng gained Jiang Yin's favor, she came to flaunt it at her, pulling her hair and pressing her against the mirror, vilifying her as a whore who deserved her fate.
Now the tables had turned, returning to the original point.
She smiled faintly. "You can just comb it as you see fit."
Qingfeng felt a chill down her back from the bewitching eyes in the mirror staring at her. Hearing this, she also relaxed slightly. The Second Young Miss had a reputation for being soft-tempered, she could just muddle through this anyhow, why was she so nervous just now?
With a few casual motions she loosely swept up a simple twin bun style. "Young Miss, does this look good?"
Gu Ying took one look, her expression instantly turning cold. "You think this looks good?"
Qingfeng was taken aback, the first time seeing the Second Young Miss angry, she was instantly stumped.
She thought it looked quite good. Although the Young Miss was silly, she had a pretty face.
She had originally wanted to mess up her hair to make her look bad in front of the other noble ladies, but the casual hairstyle still made the girl in the mirror look charming and cute.
Gu Ying gave a cold laugh, messing up the buns. Anger also appeared on her face. "This is a child's hairstyle. I'm about to come of age now, going out today to meet the sons and daughters of prominent wealthy families. If you make me go out like this, laughed at, whose face do you think you'd be losing?"