Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 101 Her well-being is your best priority

"Zheng Shan went to the capital, why did you have to come all the way from Jinan alone?" The old lady felt comforted and spoke with complete concern.

Zheng Dongjia covered her mouth and laughed, "We are grateful for the old lady's care and consideration, so we must always remember her kindness to avoid forgetting our duty. Another year has passed in the blink of an eye. If I don't go back to the manor, I feel that this year has been tasteless."

The old lady laughed as soon as the flattering words were uttered, and Guangbai and Huaying joined in the teasing.

"Alright, alright, you're so sweet-talking," the old lady said with a smile. "Come sit here and let me take a good look at you." Zheng Dongjia got up and knelt down on the footstool under the daybed. The two chatted idly, mostly about trivial matters from Zheng Dongjia's days as a head maid. During this time, Zheng Dongjia presented the gifts she had brought, all rare items chosen according to the old lady's preferences, which the old lady greatly appreciated.

Hearing the curtain rustle, Zheng Dongjia hurriedly stood up and took a few steps back to greet the second young lady.

When Hua Yan suddenly saw Master Zheng at Fu'an Residence, she felt a little dazed. Master Zheng was wearing a short jacket with pomegranate patterns on a snow-white satin fabric. His smiling face was much more vibrant than when she saw him at Zheng's Brokerage, and it made Hua Yan feel quite unfamiliar with him.

Today was not the usual time to pay respects at Fu'an Residence, so only Master Zheng and a few maids, including Suwen, were in the flower hall. The Second Miss came as instructed by Madam Yun to present the gift list to the Old Madam for her review.

"Wan'er has lost some weight these past few days, is it because the small kitchen in Yunyi Courtyard is not doing enough?"

The second young lady has been busy these past few days and hasn't been to Fu'an Residence. The old lady couldn't help but feel sorry for her granddaughter when she saw that she looked haggard.

"Grandmother, the small kitchen is fine. Don't worry, Grandmother. It will be alright once this busy period is over." The second young lady curtsied to the old lady and gestured for Hua Yan to present the gift list to Su Wen.

Looking at the beautiful girl beside the second young lady, the old lady couldn't help but praise Zheng Dongjia, saying, "Qiu Sang has always had an excellent eye for people. You were the one who brought this girl to the manor. You two have met before, so you should talk to her sometime."

Hua Yan obediently stepped forward to greet Zheng Dongjia.

Zheng Dongjia smiled and said, "Grandma, this is also her destiny with our family. She is truly blessed to be able to serve by the Second Miss's side now."

When they came to pay their respects at the mansion for the New Year, Master Zheng brought many New Year's goods and local specialties. The old lady asked Suwen to take her downstairs to settle in. The second young lady nodded to Huayan, "You go downstairs to help too, don't rush back to serve."

Hua Yan smiled gratefully at the second young lady, then bowed to the old lady and followed Su Wen out of the flower hall.

After passing through the moon gate, Zheng Dongjia finally had time to take a closer look at Hua Yan. He found that she was completely different from when they first met, with no trace of restraint in her eyes.

"You sure know how to cause me trouble. One minute you send back Green Willow, the next you send over three beautiful girls. Our brokerage is going to be very lively in the second half of the year."

Hua Yan showed a slightly embarrassed expression. She turned her head and saw that Su Wen actually had the corners of her mouth turned up. She stepped forward and took Zheng Dongjia's arm, and said with a smile, "Zheng Dongjia is the best. Green Willow did not do anything wrong, did she? How is Sister Huanyun doing now?"

Zheng Dongjia patted her head helplessly and said irritably, "Go ask her yourself."

As they talked, the three of them arrived at the side gate, where seven or eight maids were carrying things inside. Hua Yan looked closely and realized that the one watching over the carriage outside the gate was none other than Green Willow.

Several months had passed since I last saw her. She looked a bit taller, and the way she chatted and laughed with the coachman and servants reminded me of when she was working at Langya Courtyard. However, when she turned her head, her once rosy face now bore the marks of time.

"Meng Shu!"

Green Willow couldn't contain her excitement and cried out, running forward to hug her. "I've finally seen you again... Waaah..."

Zheng Dongjia shook his head. "We'll be staying at your residence for the night. It's not easy for you sisters to meet, so let's get together tonight and head back to Jinnan early tomorrow morning."

Green Willow hurriedly thanked Master Zheng and greeted Suwen. Hua Yan wanted to say a few words to Master Zheng, but with Suwen present, there was no rush. So she took Green Willow to the courtyard next to the small kitchen to talk.

"...Master Zheng rented a courtyard on the street not far from the dental clinic, and now I've moved there to work for Sister Huanyun." Returning to the Tang residence where she had stayed for four years, Green Willow didn't have time to reminisce before telling Huayan in detail about Huanyun's recent situation.

Huanyun had written a letter a month ago, but Lvliu was more detailed. After settling in Jinnan, they bought several servants and were now preparing to open an embroidery shop before the end of the year. As for the things they were going to do in secret, they weren't in a hurry, and they still needed Huanyun to train the people.

“Grandma Zhou is really fierce. Even though I’ve moved out, she still scolds me every now and then. I know I was wrong, and from now on I’ll only listen to you and Sister Huanyun.” Green Willow was still prone to crying, and she hugged Flower Face and cried hard for a while.

While comforting her, Hua Yan also noticed that Lv Liu had indeed changed a lot. She hadn't asked about her family situation during their long conversation. Actually, Hua Yan had been paying attention; her parents weren't doing well, and her two older brothers weren't exactly good people either. Now that Lv Liu, their cash cow, was gone, why would they treat them well?

Ultimately, she reaped what she sowed. Seeing that Green Willow truly had no other intentions, Hua Yan felt relieved and took her outside the flower hall to wait for the Second Miss to come out so they could return to Yunyi Courtyard together.

Green Willow naturally kowtowed to the Second Miss to wish her a Happy New Year, and also shared some of the famous fried dough twists from Jinan County with Mengzhu and the others. Looking at the changes in everyone in the courtyard, Green Willow buried a trace of envy in her heart.

In the evening, Donggua specially prepared a simple feast and invited Mengzhu, Ruizhu, and Mingyue to dine in his room. The six little maids chatted for a while. Midway through, Huayan took out her bundle and went out under the moonlight.

Just as Zheng Dongjia returned from Yun Gui Yuan, Hua Yan solemnly kowtowed to him in her guest room to express her gratitude. Although she worked as a human trafficker, he was indeed the first benefactor Hua Yan had ever met. In the past few months, whether it was keeping an eye on her uncle's whereabouts or taking in Lv Liu and Huan Yun, she would remember this kindness and repay it in the future.

"When Madam wrote to me asking for your help, I never expected that you would stand out so quickly by the Second Miss's side. You don't need to worry about Huanyun. Our brokerage has always been keeping an eye on the various people you need, and now Huanyun is just another place to go."

"Speaking of which, Huanyun is indeed a remarkable girl. Despite her seemingly frail appearance, she is very adept at social interaction, and she manages the embroidery shop quite well, with rapid progress."

Hua Yan unfolded the package, inside were clothes made from handkerchiefs she had embroidered in her spare time, all of which were gifts to thank Master Zheng. "In the future, we will still need to rely on Master Zheng. After the New Year, when the eldest young lady gets married, we should also go to the capital."

Master Zheng was admiring the interesting pattern on the handkerchief when he heard this. He sighed and said after a long while, "During the day, when I was with the old lady, I said that coming to the Tang family was your good fortune. But I don't know if this good fortune can protect you, or if you will enjoy wealth and honor in the future... I only hope that you will remember the love and care of the madam and the old lady, and put the second young lady first. Only when she is well can you be well."

Because of her husband's family connections, Zheng Dongjia has been working outside the home for many years and is somewhat aware of the master's plans.

"This servant will remember."

During this time, Hua Yan heard a lot of secrets about the capital from Yun Gui Yuan, including the intricate relationships between those high-ranking families and the endless sordid struggles in the inner quarters.

For example, what outsiders don't know is that Prince Zhan's wife and the Third Prince's concubine are related by marriage in a complicated way. For example, the Second Miss's future husband, the Ninth Prince, was betrothed early on to be the youngest legitimate daughter of the Jiang family, a second-rank general's mansion.

Within the imperial court of the capital, as long as the old emperor remained alive, the situation remained stagnant. However, beneath the surface, various factions had become deeply entrenched, brewing a storm. Tang Xian's bargaining chips were also gradually increasing.