Chapter 8: First Encounter with Xing Dairong

Chapter 8: First Encounter with Xing Dairong

After Lu Lingyun finished reprimanding the two maids, she went straight back to her room.

Once she left, the faces of the two maids were filled with varied expressions.

Mama Wan looked at Mama An's smug expression and couldn't help but sneer, "Don't be too pleased with yourself; don't forget whose hands your indenture is in."

Mama An, emboldened by Lu Lingyun's support, rolled her eyes, "And don't forget where we are now."

With that, she left, leaving Mama Wan alone, seething with anger.

Lu Lingyun first settled the two maids, then returned to her room and called for the four maids who had accompanied her as servants.

She elevated their status, making them first-class maids in the Marquisate.

These four maids were originally born into the Lu family, and their parents and siblings' indentures were still with Lady Liu, but this did not control Lu Lingyun.

As long as she found good matches for them and married them off to the Marquisate's own servants, she could secure their loyalty.

Lu Lingyun instructed the four maids to establish connections with the other courtyards, make friends, and gather information on daily activities within the Marquisate. If they found anyone they liked, she would arrange marriages for them in the future.

Lu Lingyun's words made the young maids blush, embarrassed and hesitant to respond.

Lu Lingyun's heartfelt words made it clear that once they came with her, there was no going back. The Marquisate was their true home for life. If they worked hard, they could become head maids in the Marquisate, a position the Lu family could never offer them.

Lu Lingyun promised them that if they remained loyal to her, she would return their indentures when they got married.

Moved by her sincerity, the four maids cried and pledged their loyalty to Lu Lingyun.

Lu Lingyun knew that their loyalty was not yet fully formed, and many still harbored thoughts of the Lu family. However, absolute loyalty did not exist.

Only when everyone's interests aligned could there be lasting and genuine loyalty.

Time would take care of everything. As they stayed longer in the Marquisate and worked closely with her, true loyalty would naturally develop.

Lu Lingyun was not in a rush. She just needed to steer them in the right direction.

Of course, she had considered recruiting new people and training confidants, but that was the worst option.

The people who came with her were still part of the Lu family, and their interests fundamentally aligned with hers.

Recruiting outsiders meant having to thoroughly vet their backgrounds and identities, and even then, their loyalty was uncertain, whether they were orphans or had families.

Lu Lingyun had learned from past mistakes about trusting outsiders.

Large families trusted those born into servitude because their entire families were under the master's control, ensuring no divided loyalties. Outsiders hired into the household always held the lowest status and performed the hardest tasks, while only a few chosen as personal attendants enjoyed better treatment.

This was because they were raised alongside the young masters and mistresses.

Managing subordinates required not only accurate judgment but also stability.

Whenever possible, one should use trusted individuals rather than outsiders.

After settling the four maids and two maidservants, Lu Lingyun thought about the two chief maids.

Chunxing and Chunhe were still unknown quantities, and she needed to observe them carefully.

As for Zhiran.

"Zhiran, starting today, you will go out and learn from Mama Chang. You will manage all my shops and estates outside."

Lu Lingyun quietly called Zhiran into her room and entrusted her with this crucial task.

Hearing that Lu Lingyun wanted to send her away, Zhiran asked, "Miss, are you tired of me...?"

"Don't be so shortsighted and unambitious," Lu Lingyun scolded, poking her forehead.

Besides being the new mistress of the Marquisate, Lu Lingyun had her own properties and estates, which were part of her dowry.

Previously, her wet nurse Mama Chang managed these assets, but now it was time for Zhiran to take over.

"Miss, I..." Zhiran felt wronged.

She understood that Lu Lingyun was giving her an important task, but she didn't want to leave Lu Lingyun.

"If you haven't improved by the New Year, don't blame me for marrying you off!" Lu Lingyun threatened.

Zhiran immediately wiped away her tears, "But Miss, who will attend to you if I leave?"

"Shuang Hong," Lu Lingyun said.

Her original servant maid.

"Shuang Hong is clumsy; how can she take care of you properly!"

Lu Lingyun poked her forehead again, "Even Shuang Hong's clumsiness is better than your recklessness. Learn well from your mother outside, or else see if I'll still need you."

Zhiran rubbed her forehead, "No, no, Miss, I'll learn well."

Lu Lingyun smiled softly, took off a bracelet from her wrist, and placed it in Zhiran's hand, "Zhiran, you were chosen by my mother. In this world, I trust no one more than you, so you must become my greatest helper."

Zhiran held the bracelet, her eyes welling up, "Yes, Miss."

As night fell, the busy first day came to an end.

The next morning, it was Shuang Hong who helped Lu Lingyun wash up.

Chunxing and Chunhe were also in the room serving.

As Shuang Hong was combing Lu Lingyun's hair, she heard Chunxing say beside her,

"Yesterday, Yaoguang Pavilion stirred up again. I heard that a servant boy unknowingly took the roasted chicken and pork we gave him, and when he returned, he was discovered by that lady. She angrily punished the servant boy in public, saying he disrespected her by bringing the food back, as if he didn't see her at all. But do you know what she did next?"

"What did she do?" Chunhe asked.

Chunxing looked both amused and exasperated, "She took the roasted chicken and pork and ate them with her maid. While eating, she said that the chicken and meat hadn't done anything wrong, so not eating them would be wasteful and foolish."

"Is there something wrong with her head?" Chunhe blurted out.

Realizing her mistake, Chunhe immediately covered her mouth.

Lingyun, looking at Chunhe through the bronze mirror, glanced at her. At that moment, Little Wei's voice came from outside the door.

"Madam, Miss Xing from Yaoguang Pavilion is here."

"Well, speak of the devil, she still knows her place and came to serve tea to the mistress." Chunxing adjusted her eyebrows.

Lingyun, after observing Chunhe and Chunxing's expressions, calmly instructed, "Have Miss Xing wait in the flower hall. Prepare tea and snacks, and don't neglect her."

"Yes."

In no time, Lingyun had changed into her clothes and finished her hairstyle. She was still in her honeymoon period, wearing a bright red gown embroidered with gold, adorned with a golden phoenix hairpin with tassels, and a few jade hairpins given to her by Wang Qiluo. Though her appearance wasn't breathtakingly beautiful, she had a face that symbolized peace and prosperity.

Her features were serene and elegant, her attire luxurious and regal, making her resemble a blooming flower of wealth and nobility.

As soon as she entered, she saw a woman sitting in the flower hall, pulling her maid down to sit with her, both of them devouring the snacks on the table.

The young woman, around sixteen or seventeen years old, wore a light pink dress and had her hair styled in an unmarried girl's bun, adorned with only a pearl hairpin. She sat lazily in a square armchair, one leg crossed, leaning heavily on the small tea table.

Just by looking at her posture, it was clear that the rumors were true—she was indeed carefree and unbridled.

The young woman was sitting with her back to Lingyun. The maid opposite her noticed Lingyun's arrival and quickly jumped up from her chair.

"Why are you getting up? We haven't finished yet," the girl in the pink dress pulled her back.

The little maid hurriedly signaled to her, shaking her head vigorously.

Realizing someone had arrived, the girl in the pink dress turned her head lazily and saw the elegantly dressed Lingyun.

Her eyes showed a noticeable pause, but then she frowned deeply, her gaze filled with arrogance and a hint of pity, "Don't you get tired of dressing up like this every day?"