OBS Chapter 541: The Landlady Being Waited On
Chapter 541: The Landlady Being Waited On
"Mother, you’re back."
When Tong Huaqiong arrived home, Sufen, with her belly protruding, came over to greet her.
Two months apart, and Sufen looked quite well.
Despite her large belly, she hadn’t gained much weight elsewhere.
"You seem to be in good health."
Tong Huaqiong nodded, satisfied with this.
Though she herself had never had children, she had heard in the later generations that during pregnancy, inattentive eating habits could increase the risk of diabetes and high blood sugar for the expectant mother. Moreover, if the fetus is too large, it would be difficult to give birth.
While there would be the option of a cesarean section in later generations, this wasn’t available in ancient times; everything relied on the mother’s hard labor.
Now, in Tong Huaqiong’s household, there was no shortage of meat, eggs, and milk, so Sufen didn’t need to consume an excess of nutrition due to her pregnancy. Before leaving for Pingchuan County, Tong Huaqiong repeatedly instructed Sufen not to eat large amounts of fish and meat, to control her food intake. She didn’t have to work, but she was to take walks every day.
Sufen obediently followed these instructions.
"Grandma."
Man Er, Xiao Long, and Yaozu just returned from private school and saw the carriage parked at the door, rushing eagerly into Tong Huaqiong’s arms.
Tong Huaqiong patted this one and tousled that one.
Then she took each by the hand and headed home.
Su Chengmin was chopping wood in the courtyard and came over to carry Taohua’s luggage.
"Mother, who is this lady and these young women?" Sufen asked, seeing several maidservants and older women getting off the carriage with obvious surprise on her face.
"Greetings, Eldest Young Madam." Former official’s daughter Su Qing, being quick-witted, stepped forward to salute Sufen.
The other maidservants and women, seeing Su Qing’s tact, also stepped forward to call Sufen Eldest Young Madam.
Sufen was so shocked she almost stumbled.
Good heavens, when did she, a farmer’s wife, become an Eldest Young Madam to be served by others?
She was not used to it, absolutely not used to it.
The strong Granny Yang quickly rushed to support the heavily pregnant Sufen.
Tong Huaqiong, observing Sufen with nowhere to place her hands and feet, said, "The household has a lot going on now, so I’ve hired some help. When they call you Eldest Young Madam, just accept it."
Sufen nodded in panic.
It wasn’t just Sufen who was unaccustomed; even Tong Huaqiong wasn’t at first. It was only after being served for these few days that she began to adjust.
However, Liu Yueer had no psychological barriers to adapting, and watching her daily command the maidservants, she somewhat resembled a landlady from feudal society.
Tong Huaqiong had thought it over regarding hiring people; even if she didn’t employ them, these maidservants and women would be sold.
If they went to someone else’s house, who knows what would happen? Take, for instance, the official’s daughter Su Qing; she was most worried about being taken as a concubine if she were to become a maid in a large household.
Now with Tong Huaqiong, there was no beating or scolding, and they had clothes, food, and monthly stipends, which was considered a good situation in these times.
"Man Er," Tong Huaqiong pointed at Su Qing and said, "This is my eldest granddaughter Man Er. From now on, you will be responsible for her daily life and her learning to read and write."
Su Qing was slightly surprised.
She knew Tong Huaqiong was knowledgeable but didn’t expect her to want to educate her granddaughter in reading and writing.
Su Qing quickly concealed her surprise and slightly bowed to Tong Huaqiong, promising to take good care of and teach Man Er.
"Xiao Xi, Xiao Shui, Granny Yang, you are to attend to Eldest Young Madam," instructed Tong Huaqiong, designating two maidservants and Granny Yang.
The three of them paid their respects to Sufen once more, leaving her again with nowhere to place her hands and feet.
"Mother, I don’t need anyone to wait on me. Let them serve you and Taohua," Sufen said.
How could it be proper for her to enjoy life as the young mistress when her mother-in-law and sister-in-law didn’t have servants?
Tong Huaqiong said to Sufen, "You’re about to give birth, and there is much to do around the house. Don’t think about handling everything yourself; leave what you can to them and focus on preparing for childbirth."
But how could that be right?
Which wife in the village didn’t work in the fields while heavily pregnant, and manage household chores right after confinement? She couldn’t be that fragile, or else the villagers would gossip behind her back.
Tong Huaqiong knew it was useless to say more to Sufen, so she played her trump card and said, "Now that they’re here, we can’t just send them back. Fine, if you don’t need their service, I’ll have the broker take them away. If a suitable buyer can’t be found, they might end up abused by the broker and eventually be sold to undesirable places."
Upon hearing the potentially tragic fate they might face if sent away, Sufen dared not refuse.
The quick-witted Xiao Shui stepped forward and said, "Eldest Young Madam, please keep us here; it would be like saving our lives."
Sufen trembled and said, "Okay, okay, they can all stay."
Sufen’s kind disposition worked well with family, but not with outsiders and servants.
As the saying goes, without rules, nothing can be accomplished.
In "Dream of the Red Chamber," even a strong-willed character like Feng Laizi, if showing even the slightest weakness, would find herself being undermined by the crafty servants. What more for a simple, honest person like Sufen from the countryside? Encountering crafty servants might lead to her being bullied to death.
Sufen was still at the stage where she was anxious about being served, let alone setting rules for the maidservants and women.
Only when she got used to being served could she be taught.
With this in mind, Tong Huaqiong said to the maidservants and women, "Now that you’re here, serve well. If you think Eldest Young Madam is easygoing and consider taking advantage of that, you’re making a mistake. Anyone causing trouble or sowing discord should give up those ideas early, or they’ll be sent away."
The maidservants and women quickly expressed they would not dare.
During their few days in Pingchuan County, they saw that Tong Huaqiong was formidable; the fact that a rural widow could establish a stable business in Pingchuan in such a short time was no small feat.
One maidservant who had come from a wealthy household relied on the fact that Tong Huaqiong and Gu Taohua were from the countryside, harboring disdainful thoughts, and was lazy in her work. Tong Huaqiong promptly sent her away.
That scared the rest of them straight.
Besides, where could they find another household like Tong Huaqiong’s, where they were treated as people, were not beaten or scolded, had meat daily, got money monthly, and had clothes for all seasons? So the remaining maidservants and women gave up any ideas of making trouble.
"Sister Tong."
"Aunt."
"Great Aunt."
After arranging the maidservants and women for Sufen, Tong Huaqiong looked up to see Mrs. Hong carrying Hua Er, with Tong Pandi bringing Duo Er, entering together.
"Hua Er has grown taller and heavier," Tong Huaqiong said, holding Hua Er in her arms.
The tiny Hua Er had a fair, tender face, with big, bright eyes that sparkled. She wore a small straw hat and had a pair of soft, white hands, holding a cake to feed Tong Huaqiong.
Tong Huaqiong held Hua Er lovingly.
"Granny Cheng, Xiao Chi, the two of you will serve the young miss from now on," Tong Huaqiong assigned a woman and a maidservant to Tong Pandi.
Tong Pandi nodded and agreed without hesitation.
Having been the wife of the village chief, Black Dragon Pond had maidservants for hard labor and a woman for cooking. At the Wu Family, they mistreated her, and she suffered a lot in their hands. After rebirth, Tong Pandi dealt with the maidservants and women thoroughly, making her very skilled at managing them now.
"Sister Hong, you look even better now," said Tong Huaqiong, holding Mrs. Hong’s hand.
Under Tong Huaqiong’s treatment, Mrs. Hong’s health had recovered quickly, though she had an allergy outbreak late in spring and early summer this year. After treatment, she was nearly fully recovered.
Mrs. Hong replied, "I have you to thank for helping me recover."
The old friends were delighted to see each other, and Mrs. Hong shared village gossip with Tong Huaqiong.
"I just saw your second son’s family coming back. Their old house was wrecked by the Xu Family. They might come looking for you if things don’t settle down," Mrs. Hong said.
Tong Huaqiong’s face darkened.