Full House Spring

Chapter 12: Unintentional Peeping
When he met the old lady for the first time, Xia Li only changed her clothes and looked fresh and clean.

The old lady is of high status and well-informed. It won't go wrong to be simple in front of her, but being too fancy would be unsightly.

Xia Li had no worries as she followed Shi Mi along the way. Her mind told her that she should be humble and act obedient, but her back remained straight while she walked.

The two walked through the porch and into the courtyard. Shi Mi stopped and whispered, "I'll go in and report to the old lady first. You wait to be called."

Xia Li nodded in agreement and watched Shi Mi go into the inner room with a smile on his face. Perhaps because this place was close to the pond, he could smell the faint fragrance of lotus flowers. After Shi Mi had been in for a while, a maid came out to call her.

Xia Li straightened her clothes and followed the maid into the room. The first thing she saw was a carpet covered with five bats offering longevity. From the corner of her eye she saw a window pane with an ice-plum pattern made of colored glaze, which looked clear and bright. She did not dare to look around, but bowed politely to the old lady at the top of the table.

The old lady squinted her eyes and looked at her. She said in a calm tone, "You are a well-groomed child. How old are you?"

Xia Li did not move, and replied: "To answer the old lady, this servant is already eight years old."

The old lady nodded slightly and said in a gentle voice, "Get up. Did your sister Shi Mi tell you on the way why she called you here?"

Xia Li subconsciously glanced at Madam Xie, and seeing that she looked normal, she smiled and said, "Sister Shi Mi was afraid that my young age would offend the old lady, so she briefly mentioned it, saying that the old lady liked the toothbrush I made."

Seeing her well-behaved, the old lady smiled even more and jokingly asked, "So what do you think?"

Xia Li's eyelashes fluttered as she said in a calm and clear voice, "I am a servant of Leshou Hall, so I naturally follow the old lady's orders. A toothbrush is just a trivial skill, and it is a blessing for me to be favored by the old lady."

No matter how capable Xia Li is, he has to be humble in front of the old lady, unless she doesn't want to live anymore.

The old lady liked her clarity and said in a gentle tone:
"You are so weak, if I ask you to make dozens of toothbrushes, you will definitely damage your health. So, just follow your grandmother's advice. Write down the recipe and I will ask the craftsman to make it."

Xia Li said happily: "Thank you for your consideration, old lady. In addition to the recipe for this toothbrush, I also have a recipe for toothpaste, which is made with bamboo charcoal, mint, pearls and other ingredients. When used with a toothbrush, it can make your teeth white and shiny, and your breath fresh."

The old lady's eyes were filled with scrutiny. "Such a good recipe, why don't you use it yourself? You can make a lot of money by selling it to a merchant. It would be a pity to give it to me."

Xia Li's lips curled slightly, and she said honestly: "I can't even afford the raw materials for making it, how can I afford to use such precious things? Grandma often reminds me of this, how dare I have other thoughts."

The old lady smiled again and said angrily:

"Your grandma is the only one who has too many rules. Don't worry, I won't give you these two recipes for nothing. Your embroidery is exquisite. In the future, you don't need to do rough work like sweeping and washing. Just do light work like watering and feeding birds. When you are older and there is a vacancy for a second-class maid, I will promote you."

Xia Li had expected this, but she didn't show it at all. She said gratefully:

"Thank you for your compassion, old lady. I will work hard in the future and emulate Sister Shi Mi and Sister Bai Shao."

The old lady was very satisfied when she heard this. Aunt Xie said at the right time, "Don't show off here. Go and write the prescription quickly. Can you write it? Do you need someone to write it for you?"

Xia Li shook his head and said, "Don't bother. Although I haven't written for a long time, what I wrote is barely passable."

Madam Xie rolled her eyes at her and bowed to the old lady and said:

"If the master has no other instructions, I will take her to the study to write a prescription."

The old lady nodded in agreement, and the two of them turned around and left. After coming out, Xia Li felt that even the air was full of freedom. She looked at Aunt Xie and whispered, "Grandma, how was my performance in front of the old lady just now? Did I not cause any trouble for you?"

Aunt Xie treated her as usual, slowing down her pace and saying,

"You are still young, so it's okay for you to be a little outgoing in front of the old lady, but you must learn to be more prudent in the future. And your eyes... I can't see much reverence in them, you have to hide it well."

Xia Li's expression slightly froze when she heard this. She thought she had done it perfectly, but she didn't know there were flaws everywhere. She said in a low voice, "Grandma is right. I will be more cautious in the future."

Madam Xie walked a few more steps before she paused. She stood in front of the study and said meaningfully, "It doesn't matter what you think. You must be respectful on the surface. You must put the interests of the master first in front of others, and you must be careful in what you say and do behind others. Have you taken note of this?"

Xia Li nodded with a complicated expression. What her grandma taught her was the way to survive in this large mansion. It didn't matter whether it went against her heart or not. Only in this way could she survive.

After entering the study, the two did not talk. Nanny Xie ground ink for her, and Xia Li held the brush and wrote the prescription while thinking. Her calligraphy was not the best, but considering her age, it was pretty good.

After the prescription was written, Madam Xie said in a deep voice: "Go to my room every day to practice calligraphy for an hour. The old lady has exempted you from many chores. You must use the free time for the right things."

Xia Li was very grateful, and she said obediently, "I understand. I'll follow Grandma's arrangements."

Aunt Xie took the prescription in her hand and said calmly, "Rest in the courtyard for a while. The old lady should have more rewards for you."

Xia Li did not hold too high expectations for this matter. After all, she was a maid with a signed indenture, and legally everything she had belonged to the master of the mansion. Offering the prescription was not a big deal.

When she had nothing to do, she would appreciate the flowers and plants in the courtyard. She was good at embroidery and handicrafts, and could make exquisite works. Perhaps it was because she was good at discovering the beauty in life. She could capture the most beautiful postures of beautiful things and then present them, which was also a natural skill.

Soon Bai Shao came out of the house, holding a purse in her hand. She walked up to Xia Li and said familiarly, "Sister Xia Li, the old lady was very happy when she saw your prescription just now, and she specially rewarded you with twenty taels of silver. If you sell it to a merchant, you may not be able to sell it at this price, so you should keep this money carefully."

Xia Li didn't expect the old lady to be so generous. Remembering Aunt Xie's previous advice, she said with fear and trepidation, "How can I do this? My skills are just some trivial ones. It's a great honor that the old lady is interested in them. I really shouldn't take this money."

Bai Shao scolded, "Could it be that you dare to disobey the old lady's wishes?"

Xia Li pretended to be panicked and said, "I dare not disobey the old lady's wishes."

Bai Shao directly put twenty taels of silver in her hand and said calmly:
"This little reward is nothing. If you serve me attentively, you will get more in the future. You still need to practice your embroidery skills. After a few more years, you can take over my responsibility." Xia Li saw that Bai Shao spoke frankly and naturally, without any displeasure of being replaced, and couldn't help showing doubts. Bai Shao saw this and sneered:
"That's nothing strange. The old lady has had a succession of maids. I'll have to let them go when I grow up. Sooner or later, there will be someone to take over. You think she's more pleasing to my eyes than Yin Zhu. You should try your best and don't let her get ahead of you."

Xia Li understood, she smiled and said cheerfully: "I will not disappoint you, sister. I will come to play with you again when you are free some other day."

Bai Shao nodded in agreement. Matron Xie usually took good care of the two maids. As the saying goes, those who planted the trees will enjoy the shade, so Xia Li can be said to have benefited from Matron Xie's kindness.

Xia Li felt the twenty taels of silver were heavy in her hand, so she stuffed it into her sleeve and kept it carefully, thinking it was best not to show off one's wealth.

There were too many people living in the same room with her, so it would be difficult to keep the silver safe anywhere. It would also be inconvenient to carry it with her when doing housework every day. It would be better to find a place to dig a hole and bury the silver.

It was not easy for Xia Li to save some money, and she felt at ease when she held it in her own hands. As soon as she was called away by Shi Mi, everyone knew that she had shown up in front of the old lady.

As soon as she came back, Mai Dong greeted her with shining eyes and asked impatiently:

"Xia Li, I heard that the old lady summoned you, but what happened?"

Elsholtzia and Manqing were also listening attentively. Xia Li let out a sigh of relief and said casually, "It's nothing serious. Don't worry too much. The toothbrush I gave you is still in good condition."

Mai Dong didn't know why she changed the subject, and replied subconsciously: "Toothbrushes are easy to use, clean and trouble-free..."

Xiangru frowned slightly, walked forward and asked, "Could it be that the old lady called you over and it has something to do with this matter?"

She is much more perceptive than Maidong. Xia Li chuckled and said:
"When I gave grandma a headband, I also gave her two toothbrushes. Grandma thought it was novel and interesting, so she showed it to the old lady. The old lady thought it was very practical, so she wanted to give some to each of the masters in the mansion, so she called me over to ask about it."

Xiangru said in disbelief, "Could it be that you want to make toothbrushes for the masters in the mansion?"

Xia Li smiled and shook his head, "How can that be possible? My work is crude and simple, so we can just use it. The masters will have to find skilled craftsmen to make it. Toothbrushes are simple to make, so I can just write down the recipe."

Manqing is the daughter of Shopkeeper Wang after all, and she has a keen sense of business. She blurted out:
"Even the old lady said that if you sell this good item outside, you will definitely make a lot of money. You are so generous to give away the recipe so easily."

Xia Li raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "This is not a matter of being generous or not. My indenture is in the hands of the old lady, and even my bones belong to her. Not to mention going out to do business, I have to ask the nanny for permission before leaving the hospital. After all, I am not as free as you."

Man Qing inexplicably developed a sense of superiority because of Xia Li's words. She raised her chin and said:
"You are telling the truth. Although we are both servants, you are not comparable to me. After all, my father is the head shopkeeper."

Mai Dong rolled his eyes and said rudely, "You are also a slave who has signed a contract to sell yourself, doing the same work as us, serving others."

Man Qing glanced at her with contempt, and said with pride: "You will be slaves for life, I am only temporary."

Maidong wanted to argue with her, but Xiangru pulled her sleeve, signaling her to shut up. She turned her head and looked at Xia Li again, and said softly:
"Anyway, you have made a name for yourself with the old lady. As long as you don't make any mistakes, your future will not be too bad. Does the old lady have any reward?"

Xia Li smiled and said, "The old lady knows that I am good at embroidery, so she exempted me from the rough work of sweeping and washing clothes. From now on, I only need to water the flowers, feed the birds, and do some embroidery. Is this considered a reward?"

Mai Dong said with envy, "This reward is better than anything else. Your hand will slowly recover. Otherwise, the embroidery thread will be broken after a long time."

Xiangru was also very envious. She sighed and said, "The old lady likes smart girls. I am so honest and dull, and I don't know anything. I am afraid it will be difficult for me to make a name for myself."

Xia Li comforted her, "As long as you work hard, the old lady will see your goodness sooner or later."

Xiangru forced a smile, and she cheered up and said, "Xia Li, you can teach us more words at night, so that I can become smarter."

Xia Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "The candlelight in our room is too dim. It will hurt your eyes if you stay there for a long time. You have to learn to read slowly. Don't be in a hurry."

Since she promised to teach, she would not go back on her word, but her eyes were more important and could not tolerate any mistakes. Xia Li did not have the noble spirit of selflessness.

Xiangru also knew that she couldn't act too hastily. She suppressed her annoyance and said calmly, "You're right. We must not lose the big picture for the sake of the small. Let's follow the rules you set..."

Since Xia Li had less work to do, she was often called by Aunt Xie to practice calligraphy and embroidery. Her room was fully equipped with pens, ink, paper, and inkstones, and even the needle and thread basket was arranged properly. On weekdays, Aunt Xie went to serve the old lady, and came back to talk with her when she was free. The two of them became closer and closer.

It rained last night. Xia Li got up early in the morning, fed the birds, practiced two pieces of calligraphy, and then went for a walk in the yard to soothe her eyes. She never tried to make herself felt in front of the old lady. When she wanted to relax, she would just squat among the rockery rocks where no one approached, enjoy the cool and be in a daze.

She held the unfinished steamed bun in her hand and broke it into small pieces to feed the koi. The koi in this pond have been raised for many years, and each one is like a spirit. Xia Li has a lot of fun playing with them.

She was having fun when she suddenly heard footsteps. Xia Li frowned slightly. Usually at this time, the masters of each courtyard would have paid their respects and gone home, and the old lady would not come out. She didn't know who came today.

Xia Li held her breath and concentrated, not daring to make any big movements. She had just pricked up her ears when she suddenly heard a hoarse voice.

"Don't be upset, young lady. The old lady just gave a few words of criticism, which is not serious. You just need to listen respectfully. There is no need to be angry about it."

Lu Qinghe, who was called the eldest girl, said impatiently:

"Grandmother, you are getting more confused as you age. My dripping colored glass hair crown was given to me by my aunt. I usually don't wear it. That slut broke it. I killed her to vent my anger. Why did you have to lecture me in such a big way? You are really making a fuss over nothing."

The old nanny said meaningfully, "Young lady, you are the eldest daughter of the Duke's Mansion. Your reputation must not be harmed. The old lady did this for your future."

Lu Qinghe remained silent, and after a moment he said coldly:
"I was impulsive last night. Mother has dealt with it properly. That bitch has also been dragged to the mass grave. I don't think there will be any trouble left."

(End of this chapter)