243 Precious Pearl
Lady Qiu knelt on the ground respectfully and kowtowed three times to Yang Shuwan. Then, she took the teacup from Nanny Li and raised it above her head. “Sister, please have some tea!”
Yang Shuwan sat still and looked at Lady Qiu’s peach-colored clothes.
She had also worn this set of clothes in the past, but the color was a little too bright. As the mistress of the household, it wasn’t appropriate for her to wear this, so she had to change it.
She had specially chosen the clothes she had worn in the past to give to Lady Qiu as a show of strength.
Lady Qiu’s figure was a little petite, and her waist was thin. When she wore this outfit, it made her legs and legs look long and her legs look fat.
However, when she saw that this vixen, who was wearing an ill-fitting outfit, actually showing a different aura from before, she suddenly felt a sense of vigilance.
Lady Qiu had followed Master when she was 14 years old, and she was only 17 this year. She was at the prime of her life, and was even more tender than Concubine He. It was no wonder that Master doted on her so much.
Seeing that Yang Shuwan did not move, Lady Qiu added, “Sister, please have some tea.”
Yang Shuwan sat upright and did not move.
It wasn’t like she had to drink the tea that the concubine had sent over. She had to restrain herself and show off her arrogance so that she could understand her duty as a concubine.
Yu Zongzheng frowned.
Nanny Li smiled and said, “Just hold it in for a while. As you wish, your wives and concubines will get along well. Everything will be good. When a newcomer enters the family, she has to hold it in. This is a good thing.”
Since it was a rule, Yu Zongzheng did not say anything else.
She held it in for more than ten minutes.
She did this until Lady Qiu’s hand that was holding the teacup trembled and her face turned pale.
Yang Shuwan was worried that if she continued to hold it in, Lady Qiu would lose her composure on the spot. Instead, she would be the one who deliberately made things difficult for her and made Master unhappy. Hence, she picked up her tea, lowered her head, took a sip, and placed it aside.
Yang Shuwan was not in a hurry to let Lady Qiu get up. “You used to be Master’s maidservant, and you also served Old Madam and me. We felt that it was very appropriate for you to serve Master after so many years, so we nominated you to be a concubine. Even if you’re officially accepted into the family, you have to remember all the rules in the residence in the future and maintain your status as a concubine. You have to serve Master well and help him grow the family as soon as possible.”
As for other things, it wasn’t appropriate for her to complain because Yu Zongzheng was present. It was better to wait until tomorrow when Lady Qiu came to greet her to teach her the rules of being a concubine.
Her words were generous and polite. Yu Zongzheng was satisfied.
Lady Qiu also lowered her eyes and replied, “Yes, I’ll follow Madam’s instructions.”
After all the necessary procedures, Yu Zongzheng brought Mama Qiu to the Rain Autumn Courtyard.
Yang Shuwan looked at the newlyweds holding hands and felt stifled.
When the two of them could no longer be seen, after a while, she reached out and waved her hand to sweep the teacup that Lady Qiu had just served to her to the ground with a clang.
There were a few tables of wine in the residence. Lady Qiu took out her own money and added a few decent dishes. She gave a few to Old Madam and Madam Yang, as well as Concubine He from the Clear Autumn Courtyard. She even treated the stewards, famous nannies, and mothers to wine.
Lady Qiu mentioned that the residence was also doing well and was a little lively.
Yu Youyao sat in the embroidery pavilion, holding the embroidery shed and threading the needle. Her slender hand pinched the thread gently and twirled the thin needle. It was difficult to hide her calmness and beauty.
It was indeed a little troublesome to do needlework at night.
After embroidering for ten minutes, Yu Youyao felt that her eyes were playing tricks on her. She put down the embroidery shed and rubbed her eyes for a while. Then, she drank a cup of medicinal tea and heard movement in the room.
When she turned around, she saw Dong Mei coming out of the side room with a box. “Why aren’t you drinking? Nanny Xu, Chun Xiao, and the others are all there.”
Lady Qiu had invited a good-looking nanny from the residence, her mother, and the maidservants to drink wine. Nanny Liu had also gone, so Nanny Xu couldn’t refuse and went along.
Dong Mei shook her head. “I won’t join in the fun. There can’t be no one around Miss.”
Yu Youyao picked up the embroidery shed again. “You should go and join in the fun. It won’t take long. I’m embroidering in the embroidery pavilion now, so I don’t need to be served. Liu’er is still outside. If there’s anything, it’s the same if she attends to me. I have a lot of things in my room, and it’s also difficult for you to manage. It’s good for you to go out instead of staying in the Jade Courtyard all the time.”
Dong Mei still shook her head. “I can help Liu’er. Don’t worry, Miss.”
Chun Xiao and Xia Tao were in front of her, so she had to keep them by her side. Qiu Xing was in the study, and Liu’er was mainly responsible for running errands. She didn’t always have to do this job, so it could help her a lot.
Yu Youyao did not insist and only said, “Previously, Nanny Xu mentioned to Nanny Liu that she wanted to pick a few people from good families from the manor. I reckon there will be news in a few days. When the time comes, we’ll teach them some rules and you can order them around. You can’t do everything yourself. You’ll be exhausted.”
There were also young maidservants in the residence, and they were all taught the rules well. They were definitely more capable than the ones chosen by Zhuang Shangzi.
However, Nanny Xu felt that the ones picked from the farmstead were cleaner and easier to train.
The few maidservants in front of her were also capable, so there was no need to rush this matter. She could slowly find and train them, and they would be more loyal to the Jade Courtyard in the future.
Dong Mei smiled and nodded, then changed the topic. “Young Miss is embroidering at night again. If Nanny Xu finds out, she might teach you a lesson again.”
When Yu Youyao heard this, her eyes widened as she looked at Dong Mei. “I only did it for a short while. I didn’t plan to do it for long. I didn’t hurt my eyes at all. Don’t tell Nanny.” As she spoke, she looked down at the embroidery shed that only had a single leaf embroidered on it. “I just wanted to embroider the sachet as soon as possible and give it to Cousin.”
This was the first time she had seen her mistress so concerned about needlework. Dong Mei couldn’t persuade her otherwise, so she opened the box in her hand.
Yu Youyao’s breathing stopped.
There was one thing in the world that gathered and nurtured the light of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky. The wind was clear, the rain was moist, and the mountains and rivers on the ground were bright when it was around. The essence, soul, and auspiciousness of the world would be fused into one.
It was a legendary pearl—
Yu Youyao exclaimed, “Night Pearls!”
Under the dim candlelight, the two night pearls were quiet and emitted light, like the bright moon spitting out silver. At a glance, they were dazzling and mysterious.
Both night pearls were the size of lychees.
One was moon-white and a faint light blue. It was as bright as moonlight.
The other was a warm yellow color. It was as brilliant as the morning sun shining through the clouds.
Yu Youyao took one of the Night pearls and held it in her palm. The moonlight shone on it and blended in with the dim light emitted by the candlelight beside her. “Why didn’t I know that I had such a good item?”
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