Free Web NovelChapter 2368: Chapter 2343: Outing
Old Madam Liu smiled and patted his shoulder, "Originally, I thought you were the only one in the family, and since we don’t have a good relationship with the main family, only Dalang and Erlang could support each other with you. Unexpectedly, Manbao also managed to make a mark in the officialdom. This is good, with her around, you’ll have more support in the officialdom in the future."
"The officialdom is no less turbulent than the battlefield. You must be careful in the future..." Old Madam Liu gave many instructions and only allowed Bai Shan to leave and return to his room when it was late at night.
The main courtyard was still lit, with Manbao writing under the lamp. May and Jiu Lan, along with Xi Bing and Xi Hua, stood by her side, serving tea, pouring water, and grinding ink. It was truly a picture of elegance, but Manbao found it hard to bear.
She held her face with the pen in hand and asked them, "Aren’t you tired? Do you want to take a break?"
All four shook their heads, indicating they weren’t tired at all.
Manbao had no choice but to let them be.
The house quieted down again, but Manbao’s side remained lively. Every day, four little maids followed her, wishing they could even walk for her.
Bai Shan and the others couldn’t stop laughing at this. Even outsiders knew that Zhou Man had acquired two new maids from the Western Regions, causing jealousy among her previous maids who were now vying for favor.
The reason people outside knew this was because when it was Manbao’s turn to be on duty at the imperial estate, all four went together to deliver things to her - change of clothes, daily necessities, and food and drink, almost as if moving the house for her.
When Imperial Doctor Liu and others came to check on the cattle’s condition, they hadn’t left yet and witnessed the scene of four little girls vying for attention over another little girl.
This was truly... too rare.
On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, all five cows had pox, but on the fourteenth and fifteenth of the month, it was a holiday, and it was Imperial Doctors Zheng and Lu’s turn. Manbao was lucky enough to return home and as soon as she got back, she said to Bai Shan, "During the Mid-Autumn Festival, we’ll take Xi Bing and the others out for a stroll."
Bai Shan was puzzled, "Why?"
Manbao casually found an excuse, "It’s their first time in the capital, we should take them to appreciate the scenery of Chang’an."
Bai Shan said, "Just give them a holiday. Grandmother also gives the servants a holiday every year during festivals, letting them go out and play. There are so many people in the mansion, why do you have to take them?"
"Alright," Manbao had to be honest, "I don’t know who is spreading bad words about me outside. These days, whenever I enter the Imperial Hospital or the Chongwen Pavilion, everyone curiously stares at me, and some even ask me outright. I’m neither grand nor handsome, so why would girls vie for me? Hmph, I think they’re just jealous. So this time, I want to take them out for a tour, we’ll go to places like the Primus Pavilion and Qingfeng Pavilion."
The favorite places for court officials to visit during festivals are these two restaurants, besides the horseracing tracks in the eastern and western suburbs.
Manbao decided, "I’ll take them to the racetrack during the day, and to the restaurant in the evening."
Manbao said and did, even called back the four people who made ointment at the shop. With ten girls from the Western Regions, plus May and Jiu Lan, all twelve were ready to go out.
Ms. Zheng saw this and her spirits lifted, she grabbed Manbao and said, "What’s the fun in going out like this? You should dress up nicely."
Manbao was conflicted, "There’s no time to make new clothes now?"
"There are ready-made clothes at home," Ms. Zheng said, smiling, "When they arrived, I had people make new clothes for them, and we’ve also prepared quite a few outfits for the maids and servants for the season change, they can be brought out now and given to them early."
So Manbao took the dozen people back to get their new clothes at the sewing room and change into them.
The clothes for the Bai family’s servants were all similar, featuring a high-waisted skirt, with pastel green top and bright pink skirt, particularly eye-catching.
The fabric was chosen by Ms. Zheng, who liked to see bright girls, so every year the cloth for the maid’s outfits was selected by her, then handed over to the stewards for purchase and sewing.
When the twelve teenage girls put on their new clothes, they instantly became a beautiful sight.
Ms. Zheng was fond of it and told her head maid, "I have some silk flowers in my room, bring them for the girls to wear."
She happily said to Manbao, "This way you’ll make an impression when you take them out."
Bai Shan, seeing the smile on his mother’s face, had an idea and said with a smile, "Mother, why don’t you come with us?"
Ms. Zheng was briefly stunned and laughed, "What would I do there?"
"To have fun, of course," Manbao also grabbed her arm cheerfully, "We’ll go to the racetrack first, take them around. I heard the racetracks in the west and east suburbs are competing for customers, and they’ve set up horse races, including women’s racing. The winner gets a prize, let’s take them to race a few rounds, get the prize, and then go to the restaurant for a walk around afterward..."
Ms. Zheng was a bit tempted but still shook her head, "Forget it, you all play, I’d just be in the way."
"You won’t be in the way," Manbao said, "We’re not playing with strangers, only familiar people, just the three of us, Yin Huo, and Liu Huan. Though, Liu Huan might not be able to come out, if not, it’s just us playing."
Ms. Zheng became more tempted but still didn’t agree.
Bai Shan ran to find his grandmother, and Old Madam Liu laughed and said, "You should go along with the children, the Lantern Festival is a time to enjoy yourself with them."
Only then did Ms. Zheng agree. She looked at her clothes and couldn’t help but touch her hair, "I’ll go change into something for going out..."
And fix her hair, and so on.
Ms. Zheng quickly turned and went back to her room, her maids immediately followed her.
Manbao also joined in the fun.
Though Ms. Zheng was widowed, her everyday and outing clothes were generally plain, but she still had some vibrant clothes.
Some she made because she really liked them, others were specially chosen by Old Madam Liu for her.
Old Madam Liu did not insist that her daughter-in-law only wear plain clothes. In her view, it had been so long since the person passed, wearing plain on the anniversary was enough, otherwise, she could wear as she liked.
She herself wore plain clothes, first, because she was older, second, because she preferred them, but Ms. Zheng was different. She had a simple character and liked bright things.
Seeing her making clothes for Manbao every now and then, all in bright colors, even the shoes had large colored illustrations. If it weren’t too extravagant, she would’ve wanted to set pearls in Manbao’s shoes.
Standing in front of the wardrobe, Ms. Zheng was at a loss for which outfit to wear, so Manbao squeezed in to help her choose. She and two maids quickly decided, "Auntie Zheng, you’ll look beautiful in this set."
Ms. Zheng hesitated, "Isn’t it too bright?"
"Not at all," Manbao said, "Now is spring, when everything is coming back to life, the peonies outside are about to bloom, it’s the best time to look beautiful. Wearing this set is like welcoming spring, definitely stunning."
Ms. Zheng whispered, "But I’m widowed, I shouldn’t wear such bright colors."
"Happiness for yourself," Manbao said, "We don’t dress only for others, isn’t it mainly to please ourselves? You, being happy and liking what you wear, that’s more important than anything."
Ms. Zheng figured there was sense in this and took the clothes to change with the maid’s assistance.
