Ruan Susu nodded, showing she understood the lesson: being a maid, especially a good one, was truly no easy task.
At the storeroom, the door was open, and outside were a few newly arrived rough-handling maids who quickly bowed to Sister Zhen Zhu. Seeing Susu, they were full of envy, jealousy, and resentment.
The maids inside the room heard the commotion and came out; among them was Amber.
At this moment, Ruan Susu had the leisure to carefully observe Amber. At sixteen or seventeen, she had a vibrant youthful beauty and seemed very shrewd and capable. Although the winter in Yangzhou wasn't filled with heavy snow like the north, it was indeed very damp and cold outside. Amber wore a red silk padded jacket with a green silk jacket with gray rat fur over it, and a pomegranate red leather skirt, making her beauty shine all the more.
Next to her was a thirteen or fourteen-year-old maid whose clothes weren't very noticeable, but her ears donned a pair of flower-shaped earrings inlaid with small red rubies. On her double-bun style hair were pinned two pearl flower hairpieces made of rice pearl, coral, and green turquoise, looking very pretty.
This maid greeted Zhen Zhu and then grabbed Ruan Susu's hand with a smile, saying, "My name is Dong Song, what is the younger sister called?"
Ruan Susu's official name was Su He. "Replying to sister, my name is Su He, with the nickname Susu." Dong Song giggled, "Susu, my little sister!"
Then Susu greeted Amber, who, though not smiling, showed a much softer expression. "Since you've joined this courtyard, you must wholeheartedly serve the Old Mrs. Only if she sees your worth will she promote you. If you resort to laziness or gossip, I won't spare you."
Susu quickly replied, "Rest assured, sister, I may not be well-read, but I do know loyalty and gratitude. My father often taught me when he was alive, that even a drop of water's grace should be repaid with a gushing spring."
Seeing such earnest words from a six or seven-year-old child, Zhen Zhu and the others couldn't help but laugh, and then felt a pang of sorrow; children from poor families become independent early.
Amber gestured for the two to wait, first handing out the parts to the young maids, dismissing them, and then asked Dong Song to get something for Susu.
Dong Song produced quite a large bundle, smiling as she said, "Sister Amber is all talk, but has already prepared Susu's belongings long ago." This prompted Amber to feign tearing at her mouth in mock anger.
Zhen Zhu intervened, "Stop messing around, and prepare a set of bedding for Susu as well. Cai Wen took even the bedding when she left."
Amber replied irritably upon hearing this, "I don't know what to say about her anymore. With such a brother and sister-in-law, she still thinks fondly of them, reluctant to eat even small snacks, yet the pastries she gets, she doesn't share with the small maids but sends them out instead, and yet what good does it bring!"
While speaking, Amber took out a new set of bedding for Susu, and brought out a box of delicate and fine jewelry of gold and silver. "The Old Mrs. suggested taking some out for the little maids to play with. You pick a few; there'll be more for you tomorrow."
Susu repeatedly declined, making Amber laugh, "Silly girl, what does it matter? Even lotus seed-sized gemstones, the Old Mrs. frequently rewards her maids with them. These things are initially meant for the young maids."
Susu wasn't unfamiliar with fine things; compared to Aunt Su's jewelry, these were barely worth mentioning. Though she didn't have money, she knew value, taking only a pair of thin silver bracelets and two small pearl flowers.
Amber nodded approvingly in secret, truly a scholar's daughter; one with shallow perception couldn't manage a storeroom. She showed no sign of this on the surface, only taking a small jewelry box, grabbing a handful of things, and stuffing it into Susu's bundle, before calling a rough-handed maid to help Susu carry the bedding and bundle back to her place.
Zhen Zhu then spoke briefly with Amber before returning to the main room, where she reported to the Old Mrs. that everything was settled. She also recounted Susu's words of gratitude with an earnest demeanor, which made Old Mrs. Song constantly praise her goodness.
Meanwhile, Susu, upon returning to her assigned dormitory, thanked the rough maid who helped with the bedding. She found herself alone in the room, as the other maids were off on duties.
Susu tidied up the bedding, then untied the large bundle. Inside were three seasonal outfits, with both inner and outer layers, six pairs of shoes and socks, and two sets of cotton-padded clothes.
There was also a grooming box, and upon opening it, there was a square mirror just large enough to see one's head and face. Even in the Duke Mansion, only a Maid had such a mercury mirror, but in the Song Mansion, it was standard for a third-ranked little maid.
The grooming box had two layers. The first layer held a set of peachwood combing tools and several colored hair ties. The second layer was a small drawer containing a pair of thin gold bracelets, a pair of silver cloves, a pair of silver bracelets, and two silk flowers.
Additionally, the bundle contained a box of scented balm, a bottle of hair oil, a set of dental tools, and several other sundries, all quite complete, even for the daughter of a wealthy landlord.
Later, Susu learned that the golden bracelet and pearl flower were additional gifts from Sister Amber.
In the Song Family, a first-ranked Maid had a room to herself, the second-ranked shared with one other, and the third-ranked with four.
Though the room's door didn't have a lock, each person's cupboard or trunk could be locked, and within the bundle was a lock with a matching key.
Susu then checked the small box that Amber had given her. Besides the two items she had taken herself, there were seven or eight various rings, several pairs of earrings. Be they gold or silver, they were all inlaid or embedded with pearls, gemstones, agates, and tourmalines, along with a pair of gilt hairpins with inlaid turquoise.
Susu took all the belongings from her body, including the bellyband and belt, and tucked them into the bundle, leaving out only the set of clothes, shoes, socks, and grooming box for the next day, while locking away the rest in the cupboard, finally breathing a sigh of relief.
She surveyed her future accommodations, finding an extra alcove for washing, with a row of racks holding washbasins for face and foot, dental tools aside, and nearby were a bath bucket and toilet.
Another small shelf held soap and bean jelly, which didn't seem inferior.
Returning to her bed, Susu found it soft and comfortable, making her feel drowsy. Two months of tense nerves finally snapped.
Susu drifted into a stupor, with Mrs. Zhao's words echoing in her mind: "No matter how hard things get, it won't be harder than this."
Thinking about the car accident, time travel, being just a bystander, downfall, being sold, Susu realized indeed, nothing could be worse than this.