Before dawn, Susu was awakened by Ning Cui: "Get up, the old lady usually gets up at six, and breakfast is served at seven. We need to be up by five, get ready, and go to the upper room to listen to Sister Jade's instructions. Sister Jade is in charge of tidying up the old lady's room. She went home for a break yesterday. There's also Sister Agate, who takes care of the old lady's clothing and jewelry. The four sisters by the old lady's side are very kind."
At this time, the four of them had already dressed. All were wearing goose-yellow small jackets and dark green pants, with only the long jacket and sweatbands differing. Their hair was styled in double buns, adorned with silk flower pins, bracelets, and earrings, clearly showing the attire of high-class maids.
Outside, a rough-handed maid had already distributed hot water to each room. Everyone washed their faces, brushed their teeth, and applied scented ointment. Liu'er and the other two also used rouge and powder. Seeing Susu looking at them, Liu'er thought Susu liked it and hurriedly wanted to apply some rouge on her.
Susu quickly waved her hand: "I'm still young, no need for these." Seeing the powder seemed quite good, she thought for a moment before saying, "Sisters, use less. I heard it contains lead powder, which is bad for your skin."
The other three glanced at each other, then laughed: "Silly girl, the powder in our mansion is used in the palace, how could there be any lead powder? A small box costs three taels of silver outside. We use even better ones with pearl powder, costing several taels of silver a box. Sometimes the old lady feels like it and makes rouge with the maids for fun."
Susu chuckled again, thinking about the wealth of the Song family.
After getting ready, the four left the room. Along the way, beautiful maids in bright attire were heading to the upper room. A few looked at Susu unkindly, but ultimately didn't dare say anything, and Susu acted as if she didn't notice.
Bisi explained to Susu about the six second-class maids and other four third-class ones in the old lady's room, saying, "Don't mind those people, they wouldn't dare to cause trouble."
At the upper room, third-class maids were not allowed to enter the inner chamber without being summoned. Only first-class maids, second-class maids, and a few stewards could enter. Third-class maids had to wait in the outer room, and the rough-handed ones had to wait outside.
Susu didn't carefully observe the old lady's upper room yesterday. Today she noticed it was about seventy or eighty square meters, partitioned with yellow rosewood screens carved in patterns like flowing clouds, hundred blessings, or winter's three friends, into inner and outer rooms, east and west rooms, hall, warm pavilion, and the ear room.
Yesterday she saw Mrs. Zhao in what must have been the western flower hall. The other places were not visible, but even the ear room where the young maids usually waited was very unusual.
Outside, red flowered soft curtains hung on brass hooks, with a green embroidered cotton curtain inside to block the wind. In the center was a redwood carved inlaid mother-of-pearl Eight Immortals Table, accompanied by eight redwood inlaid mother-of-pearl four-legged stools, covered with silver-red embroidered cushions.
In the corners stood two copper enamel four-legged braziers burning silver thread charcoal, along with a pair of half-human tall blue and white landscape vases holding feather dusters and peacock feathers.
Beside the ear room was a small room leading to the tea room, filled with various teas and their corresponding waters, tea sets, tea hangers, and red clay stoves.
Inside, a pretty maid, fourteen or fifteen years old, wore a moon-white silk jacket over a sapphire jacket, with her hair styled in a hanging bun, adorned with a white jade carved hairpin, exuding a rare elegance.
The third-class maids paid their respects to her, and that was when Susu recognized her as a second-class maid named Dong Qing, in charge of the tea room, with whom Ning Cui was quite friendly.
As it approached six o'clock, a round-faced maid lifted the cotton curtain and said: "Tell the outside to deliver water." Another very slender maid brought out a chamber pot and handed it to a third-class maid, who then passed it to a rough-handed woman outside.
Susu stood with Liu'er, having nothing else to do.
Liu'er whispered in Susu's ear: "The round-faced one is Sister Dong Mei, the slender one is called Cai Wen, who just filled a second-class vacancy."
So that was the one who couldn't bear to part with old bedding, and judging by Sister Amber's tone, her brother and sister-in-law seemed inappropriate, like Yuanyang in "Dream of the Red Chamber," but unfortunately, her deeds lacked a trace of Yuanyang's elegance.
Then came the meal setup, as the third-class maids, along with a second-class maid named Dong Lan, carried in food boxes into the eastern flower hall, which served as the dining hall. The furniture was all made of yellow rosewood inlaid with marble.
The maids silently set up breakfast: three kinds of porridge with three side dishes, a bowl of chicken mince wonton, a steamer of Little Bun, a plate of shumai, several pastries, and a bowl of almond goat milk, all served using a full set of white agate tableware with a wealthy intertwining lotus pattern, boasting color, aroma, and taste.
The old lady was kind-hearted. Once the young maids set the table, they could go eat, returning only after the old lady finished to clear the dishes.
The set meal for third-class maids was two dishes and a rice, both meat and vegetarian, taken from the small kitchen. Meanwhile, the rough-handed maids had to eat in the big kitchen, with white Mantou and rice filling them up. Whatever dish was made, they ate. Every five days, there was a big meat dish. One could truly say that the maids of the Song family had quite a good life.
Susu and her companions' breakfast consisted of a bowl of porridge, a meat bun, a small vegetable plate, and a plate of meat sauce. The leftovers from the previous day in the Song family never stayed overnight, but were distributed to the servants, who could take them home.
After breakfast, they tidied the dining hall. Liu'er and Sister Zhen Zhu excused themselves and hurriedly went home.
The remaining third-class maids were called into the inner room by a second-class maid named Dong Zhu to clean the furniture and vases. Susu was now able to see all six second-class maids and also met the other two first-class maids, Jade and Agate. Each first-class maid had her own strengths, all with extraordinary looks, clearly showcasing the old lady's talent in grooming individuals.
Susu didn't follow them to clean the furniture but was called by Amber to go with Dong Song into a small partitioned room inside, which contained a desk, writing tools, and a cabinet full of various account books.
"It's almost the end of the year, and the old lady's private treasury is organized once a year. The annual expenses of the courtyard also need to be summed up and reported in the public accounts book."
As Amber spoke, flipping through the account books, she asked, "You can read, so you should be able to write, right?" Seeing Susu nod, she sighed in relief, "Dong Song's handwriting is really unsightly. What you need to do is transcribe this year's accounting book of Sui'an Hall, for submission to the accounting office."
Dong Song also breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm fine with reading, but writing is too tormenting. With you here, Sister Amber won't be able to scold me anymore."
Amber then said, "Not just anyone can enter the storeroom and this room, remember that. Don't be like those shallow-minded and talkative ones." Susu nodded vigorously, "I assure you, sister!"
Later, Susu learned that being able to follow Amber was indeed lucky. The old lady's private treasury was never entrusted to servants born in the house. Amber was bought from outside, while Dong Song's grandmother was Nanny Xing, who managed the small kitchen of Sui'an Hall.
Amber was getting older and in a year or two would be married off, with Dong Song certainly replacing her. Yet, an apprentice still needed to be groomed. Susu, who was not born in the house and could read and write, appeared just at the right time and also happened to please the old lady, so she was chosen to come and see.
If she turned out to be good, everyone would be happy. Even if not, at such a young age, she couldn't grasp the complexity here and could be sent away without consequence. Luckily, Susu was not a real child, aware that she was still in her probation period.
In her past life, Susu hadn't learned to write with a brush, but Thirteenth Lady Ruan had, starting her calligraphy training at the age of five, practicing Lady Wei's delicate small script.
After two years, though not speaking of any style, it was at least presentable. In the Duke's mansion, Susu had tried and found she could write, almost akin to embroidery—a sense of muscle memory.
Seeing Susu sitting properly, spreading paper, grinding ink like a painting, and then noticing her written characters, Amber was overjoyed beyond measure, thinking she could very well be the daughter of a Prefectural Magistrate's family in Yangzhou.
Voices were heard outside, as three madams brought their children to pay respects. Amber said angrily, "They just want things to show off, as if no one knows their intentions." Then she warned Susu: "Except for the old lady's words, you are not allowed to listen to anyone else's words, no matter who they are. If I find you gossiping outside, watch your back."
Dong Song hurriedly said, "Good sister, don't scare Susu, she is someone who remembers grace and repays it."
Recalling Susu's serious demeanor from the day before, both laughed heartily, while Susu looked at them as if they were mentally unstable.