Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 25 Meng Shu's 'Theory of Maids'

Unable to decipher the meaning behind that gaze, Meng Shu felt somewhat uneasy, worried that she might have done something wrong with good intentions. However, since she had been assigned to Langya Courtyard, doing so was her duty. Once she understood this, she was no longer afraid and rolled up her sleeves to help tidy up the room.

The main room in front of them hadn't caught fire; only the doors and windows were charred black. It seemed the guards had caught them as soon as they started the fire. Although it was chaotic earlier, Meng Shu noticed that the money shop clerk who had been guarding the door was gone, and he wasn't among the two captured. She guessed the head steward must have sent someone to keep an eye on them.

There were signs of a struggle inside the flower hall, but otherwise there was no damage. The boxes that were originally under the window had also been moved away. Manager Cao was efficient and finished cleaning up in no time. The doors and windows will be restored tomorrow.

Manager Cao apologized to the two head managers, Tang and Gong, and then left with Meng Shu and the others. As they were leaving, Meng Shu saw Manager Tang talking to an elderly man in his sixties, who must be the legendary Uncle Chaofeng, who was obsessed with tea.

The next day, Xia Zhuluomei had obviously heard the news when she arrived. She looked frightened when she saw Meng Shu. Meng Shu went up to comfort her in a low voice, and then the two of them went to the canteen to get food together.

The servants in the side room were all taken away for investigation last night and didn't return until midnight.

Xia Zhu and Meng Shu, together with the kitchen staff, brought back the head stewards' breakfast. Luo Mei and her team were already conducting their routine cleaning. The duties of a lowly maid were relatively simple; they were only responsible for sweeping the courtyard and serving tea and water—tasks reserved for second-class maids.

Breakfast was placed on the octagonal table. At this time, the managers had not yet gotten up. Water and some toiletries were placed at the door. The morning's task of taking care of the guests was completed. They just had to wait for the guests to leave before going in to clean up.

Meng Shu stretched, feeling much more relaxed than in Meng Family Village.

Back in their room, Green Willow had already brought back their breakfast: a bowl of rice porridge, two steamed buns, and a small dish of pickled vegetables. The main kitchen in the Tang family changed the menu seasonally, mostly adding seasonal side dishes, but the servants' meals were pretty much the same all year round.

Why do maids and servants always try so hard to climb the ranks? Because they are treated differently.

For example, if a third-class maidservant is promoted to second-class, she becomes qualified to serve in the master's courtyard. Although she cannot enter the master's room, she has many more opportunities to interact with the master, and the occasional rewards are more generous than her monthly salary. As for food, in addition to the rations from the main kitchen, the masters will also give away any leftovers to the servants serving in the courtyard, and their monthly salary will increase from two hundred coins to three hundred coins.

For a second-class maid to advance through the ranks to become a first-class head maid, it was already considered one in a hundred. Without a background or connections, it was absolutely impossible to achieve this. Taking the Tang family as an example, nine out of ten first-class head maids were born into the household and were servants. Those who could serve the old lady, the head of the family, and Madam Yun had to be descendants of loyal servants. Suwen was a prime example.

The monthly salary of a first-class head maid was five times that of a third-class maid, amounting to a string of cash. In addition, she received generous rewards for serving her master and for welcoming and seeing off guests. This was because head maids were not only impeccable in their manners, but also had exceptional insight and knowledge. Each of them was shrewd and quick-witted, easily surpassing the young ladies of humble families. Moreover, they were all very wealthy. There was an old saying in the Great Zhou Dynasty: "It is better to marry a maid from a wealthy family than a girl from a poor family."

Besides the first, second, and third classes, there are two special categories: maids who share a room and maids who accompany the bride. Both of these are trained from the first and second class maids.

As the name suggests, a "tongfang yahuan" is a maid who takes care of the male master in every way. Their life goal is to be promoted to the rank of concubine.

The dowry maids are the close attendants of the young lady, with whom she has a deep bond. They grow up together with the young lady and enter the master's house together. In the inner quarters of the young lady's husband's family, they are on the same page as the young lady, mediating and fighting together, and helping the young lady to continue her lineage when necessary.

But someone like Donggua is different; that's a different path to promotion.

Although Donggua was a third-class kitchen maid, she received the same monthly salary as ordinary second-class maids in the initial stage. Working in the small kitchen, Donggua's ultimate goal was to become a steward, like Granny An or Granny Cao. However, this would be a long road ahead; to date, no steward in the Tang household was unmarried, which Meng Shu often teased Donggua about.

The sewing room is similar to the small kitchen, but there is a difference. The most outstanding embroiderers have the opportunity to be transferred to the master's side as sewing maids, such as Mu Jin who serves the old lady. This is the benefit of having skills.

In short, the inner courtyard of wealthy families was centered around the matriarch or head wife who managed the household affairs, with various stewards serving as the central figures, and maids of different ranks as the main implementers. The "departments" involved included the kitchen, purchasing, sewing, gatehouse, storeroom, and carriages; some even had their own troupes of female entertainers, and there were also shops and estates included in the dowry—a complex and diverse array.

This system of power was delegated layer by layer, tasks were carried out step by step, and various rules of reward and punishment, along with the comings and goings of guests, formed a vast inner court, where everyone had their own duties. Although men of the time generally looked down on it, the complexity of the interpersonal relationships and the order of conduct within it were comparable to those of the imperial court.

The above is a summary of Meng Shu's experiences during her month at the Tang residence.

Indeed, she is good at summarizing. Her mother's teachings from a young age and the knowledge she gained from books have taught her to see through the complexities of appearances to the essence of things. She was the one who benefited the most from last night's turmoil in Langya Courtyard, which also gave her the opportunity to come into the direct view of her masters.

Getting back to the main point, news came from the front courtyard before noon that the head stewards would have lunch there during the council meeting. Meng Shu was inevitably disappointed. She was planning to use tea pastries to make a connection with the old servant next to her second uncle, but it seemed she would have to wait until evening.

But to Meng Shu's surprise, dinner was also served in the front courtyard. It wasn't until nightfall that the two head managers and the steward returned, surrounded by their entourage. That's another story.

Let's return to the case of Manager Qian burning the account books.

In the afternoon, Steward Cao brought news that the head of the family had acted swiftly and decisively, completely replacing everyone at the Yongtai Money Exchange headquarters in Lin'an overnight, from the manager down to the accountants, clerks, guards, and apprentices. Even the locks on the vault were changed overnight, and the entire Qian family, including the concubines and mistresses, had been moved to the estate. A treasure room comparable to a vault had been unearthed in the backyard of the Qian family's house, reportedly filled with gold and silver piled up like a small hill, and the real account books were also inside.

Meng Shu was secretly amazed. The patriarch's series of actions were clearly prepared and premeditated, and his methods were so ruthless. The patriarch was truly awe-inspiring.

However, the specific reasons why Manager Qian chose to operate in Langya Courtyard, and what exactly happened within the bank, were beyond Manager Cao's ability to find out.

Finally, Steward Cao hinted to Meng Shu that the old lady had passed down a message that rewards would be given after the council meeting.

Meng Shu was relieved. Not only did Steward Cao not claim credit for her work, but Donggua, who had an exceptional sense of smell, was also included in the list of rewards and punishments.

On the third day of the council meeting, Meng Shu finally found an opportunity to meet the old servant.

While urging Green Willow to hurry to Fu'an Residence to get some snacks from Winter Melon, she went to talk to the old servant. It was said that Tang Hanjing and his second uncle were both from a branch of the Marquis of Huai'an in the capital, and this old servant was a hereditary servant of the Tang family.

The old servant, accompanied by two servants carrying buckets, must have brought the water from a spring outside the city.