The Legend of Concubine's Daughter Minglan

Chapter 37

After dealing with the servant girls, Wang Shi led Minglan to the Hall of Peaceful Ages to report her work that afternoon.

"How did you do with Yinxing after you took her back?" asked Old Madam Sheng a little indifferently as she leaned against the bricks bed near the window after she changed her attire, wearing a black-blue double-breasted jacket embroidered with eight tufts of flowers made of black silk.

Wang Shi said with her eyebrows furrowed, "Having seen her being diligent, I thereby sent her to work for sixth girl. But, surprisingly, she turned out so shameless, so I've dislodged her to a remote estate." A maid of the second rank, who used to work in the inner chamber of womenfolk, now was exiled to work in a remote country estate for heavy labor, which was a severe punishment; After a pause, Wang Shi stretched her locked brows, held Minglan's hand and tapped it gently, "You're so naive. If you're bothered by the maids, you should come and report it to me earlier. Why tolerate it?"

Minglan said with a blush, "If Madam didn't love me so dearly, you wouldn't punish them so heavily. Actually, Yinxing was good at finishing her jobs neatly, she was just a bit imprudent because of her young age; Jiu'er is very good. I haven't disciplined my room very well these days so that the maids caused such a mess. Only she and a few other girls could stick to their duties. I haven't thanked you for that."

Not until now did Wang Shi feel that her face was saved. She smiled toward Liu Kun's wife standing next to her. The latter one felt happy in her heart, who, though knew that her daughter wasn't so good as sixth lady described, was delighted to hear her daughter being praised. Seeing Minglan act so docilely, Old Madam Sheng at the seat of honor gave Minglan a casual glance with reproach, who forced a bitter smile upon receiving the meaningful glance.

Hiding the emotion in her eyes, Old Madam Sheng looked at Wang Shi and said, "You've done your job well, not only teaching Minglan but also disciplining the uneducated maids. I'm relieved to have you run the household." Old Madam Sheng seldom extolled others, so Wang Shi felt complacent in her heart. She replied with a smile, "Old Madam speaks highly of me, which makes me ashamed."

Old Madam Sheng said with a smile, "Although she's been brought up by me, she hasn't learned anything useful. Each time she encounters something difficult to tackle, she only chooses to flinch. Such a coward can do nothing successfully!" As she spoke, she cast a stern glance at Minglan. The latter one nervously stood up right away and said in a muffled voice, "This won't happen again. I'll set strict rules for the maids to stop grandma and Madam from worrying about me again."

Wang Shi said with a chuckle, "That's it. Minglan is too young to understand how to regulate her maids well. As she learns with time, she will finally find her own way for that. Thus, Old Madam can rest assured." Hearing that, Old Madam Sheng showed some pleasure on her face, praised Wang Shi a few more words, and scolded Minglan with a strict face, "Madam has to take care of the big family, so why you still bother her! If you can't discipline your maids well in the future, I won't spare you!"

Minglan hurriedly responded with a bow, promising repeatedly. Wang Shi vouched for her with a bright smile. Only then did Old Madam Sheng soften her face.

Liu Kun's wife stood silently and thought in her heart that Old Madam was shrewd, so was sixth lady; as she slightly raised her head to look at Wang Shi who was complacent, she twisted her handkerchief tightly and decided to say nothing.

After that day when Wang Shi showed her authority, all maids, whether elder or younger in Minglan's chamber became quiet as if their tongues were pulled out. The next day, Fang Mama sent over a ferule, which made all the maids more diligent. Even several of them who used to play with Minglan performed their duties with aggrieved faces, Minglan didn't comfort them. In order to encourage each maid to build a beautiful and harmonious House of Clear Dusk, Minglan handed out the Code of Conducts of the House of Clear Dusk and ordered the elder maids to transmit it to the young ones. Besides, she also asked the elder ones to spare some time to make the little ones to study the spirit of it by groups. Each half of a month, Cuiwei would hold a meeting and draw a summary report of the trial period.