maidservant

Chapter 149 Recruiting Female Apprentices and Child Soldiers

The sound of firecrackers started in the afternoon on New Year's Eve, and the streets were filled with the aroma of fried meatballs and steamed buns.

Yunshan stood at the entrance of the new clinic, watching Xiaotao tiptoeing to paste Spring Festival couplets on the door frame. The paste was frozen solid, and the little girl was breathing out white breath and stamping her feet. The newly hung red lanterns swayed in the wind, making the four golden characters "Xinglin Chuntang" flicker.

"Go back now! Go and have a good stroll around the streets!" Yunshan gave the shop assistants New Year's red envelopes, and after everyone dispersed, she hurried back to the Li residence.

In the small Buddhist shrine in the side courtyard, freshly steamed red bean buns, still steaming, were placed on the offering table, along with oranges and apples.

Yunshan lit three incense sticks, watching the wisps of smoke drift towards the roof. The candlelight before the Guanyin statue flickered gently, casting dappled shadows on the wall.

She gazed at the fireworks exploding outside the window and whispered, "Lin Xiao, be careful on the road. You must come back safely for the Lantern Festival."

Before he could finish speaking, a series of thunderous firecrackers suddenly went off outside, startling the oranges on the offering table.

Inside the side room, A-Yuan was wrapped in a small cotton quilt and fussed around, making little noises.

This little baby, who is not even a year old, is already quite beautiful.

Yunshan crouched down and gently poked the little girl's chubby cheek with her fingertip. The little one immediately grinned, her toothless mouth drooling down her chin. "My sweet little girl, Happy New Year!"

Yunshan pulled a small red cloth bag from her bosom, inside which were two copper coins. "When you can walk, you can use these to buy sugar figurines."

Ah Yuan grabbed the red envelope and stuffed it into her mouth, her saliva staining the cloth with a dark color.

Yunshan smiled and picked her up. Another colorful firework exploded outside the window, making the little baby's eyes sparkle. The sounds of firecrackers, laughter, and the baby's babbling mingled together.

After dinner, Xiaoyue held Ayuan in her arms and stood by the window of the attic. The little girl was playing with her hair, and her drool soaked her collar.

The moonlight shone on Xiaoyue, and she was as gentle as ever, but if you looked closely, you would find that there seemed to be something hidden in her eyes.

Yunshan brought in freshly brewed almond tea and saw Xiaoyue staring blankly at Li Mao in the outer room.

Li Mao, dressed in a newly made dark blue robe, was drinking and clinking glasses, his laughter carrying upstairs.

But looking into Xiaoyue's eyes again, they were like a frozen lake on a cold day, making one's heart tighten.

Suddenly, a large firework exploded outside, its bright red light illuminating the entire courtyard.

While everyone was watching the fireworks, Yunshan quietly tugged at Xiaoyue's sleeve: "Sister, is something on your mind? Don't keep it bottled up inside."

Xiaoyue touched Ayuan's soft shoes before finally speaking: "The imperial court has sent your brother-in-law to the south to manage the canal transport; he'll be gone for a long time."

As she said this, she lowered her head and kissed her daughter's little face. A-Yuan was grabbing her hair and stuffing it into her mouth. "A-Yuan is so young. She almost caught the plague last time. How could I dare to take her on such a journey?" At this moment, firecrackers went off downstairs, making the windows vibrate.

Yun Shan followed Xiao Yue's gaze downwards and saw Li Mao tilt his head back and drink the wine in one gulp. The firelight illuminated the wrinkles on his face.

After getting married, Li Mao and Xiao Yue never separated.

"So I plan to stay in the capital with A-Yuan." Xiaoyue suddenly gripped Yunshan's hand tightly, her cold fingers trembling slightly.

“But the thought of being so far away from your brother-in-law… last night when I was packing his luggage, I saw his old cloak that he always wore, and tears just welled up in my eyes.”

She hurriedly wiped her face with her sleeve, which ruined her makeup.

Suddenly, A-Yuan burst into tears, her little face turning bright red. Yun-Shan quickly picked up the child and gently patted her back to comfort her.

The laughter of the workers guessing riddles came from downstairs, but the room was so stuffy it was hard to breathe.

"This canal transport can't be completed in just a few months! And who knows when we'll be able to reunite?!"

Yunshan tucked Ayuan's little hand under the blanket. "Brother-in-law is a reliable man. It shouldn't be too long."

That's what she said, but looking at her sister's forced smile, she knew in her heart that every day apart would be unbearable.

Especially on this day of family reunion, talking about parting, both of them felt sad.

After the Lantern Festival, there was still no news from Lin Xiao.

Zhan Qian did appear once, but only in a hurry to deliver a congratulatory gift for Yun Shan's new shop opening, without mentioning Lin Xiao. Yun Shan wanted to ask the question, but was afraid of hearing something.

Keep yourself busy! Being busy makes me feel at ease!
The newly posted notice at the entrance of the clinic rattled loudly in the wind.

The large red paper was written in thick ink that it was recruiting girls under the age of ten as apprentices. Not only would they be provided with food and lodging, but they would also receive a monthly allowance of three hundred coins. It was also specially noted at the bottom that "they must be able to recognize one hundred characters".

The news spread like wildfire, and within a few days, grandmothers with their granddaughters and women carrying their daughters lined up in front of the clinic.

Yunshan sat behind the octagonal table, a copy of "The Hundred Family Surnames" beside her. Some of the little girls standing in front of her were clutching their clothes and trying to hide behind their mothers, while others craned their necks to peer into the room.

She flipped through the register, her mind racing—more than twenty children had come today alone, and many of them couldn't even write their own names properly.

"Auntie, how old is this child?" The little girl was about seven or eight years old, with two tufts of hair sticking out crookedly on her head, but her eyes were as bright as freshly peeled grapes.

"Yes, doctor, she's just turned eight!" the woman said with a smile. "Although she's never been to school, her father teaches her to read every night, and she can recite half of the Three Character Classic!"