On ordinary days, no one would ever address Granny Zhang, that filthy old crone, with the honorific "you," let alone look at her with expectant eyes and fawning smiles.
Having rarely been flattered, even this half-hearted display of deference was enough to puff Granny Zhang up with even more pride.
Granny Zhang was positively beaming.
"Heh heh, of course it's a fine future you couldn't secure even if you scrambled to curry favor!" Granny Zhang said, chin raised high, glancing sideways at the person who'd pressed her for an answer. "You know the household of Vice Prefect Wu?"
It was a question, but one dripping with self-satisfaction, as if she, Granny Zhang, were some precious personage in the Wu household.
"Of course we know! Vice Prefect Wu—he's one of the big masters of Wenzhou Prefecture! What of it? You're not saying you've managed to get in with the Wu family?"
Living within the city walls of Wenzhou Prefecture, even the most ordinary common folk, even the hungriest street urchins, knew of Vice Prefect Wu's household.
Wenzhou Prefecture was an ordinary prefecture—not a capital, not an auxiliary capital, not a political center. Thus, aside from the Prefect as the highest authority, the Vice Prefect was the second-greatest official in the land.
The Vice Prefect served as the prefecture's deputy chief and also its inspector. Though second in rank, he was not the Prefect's subordinate; rather, he oversaw the Prefect, serving as a check on his power.
By convention, both Prefect and Vice Prefect served three-year terms.
But Vice Prefect Wu was somewhat different.
For reasons unknown, he had already served six consecutive years in Wenzhou Prefecture, and at the start of this year, he'd received another order extending his tenure—three more years in this prefecture!
Rumor in the streets had it that Vice Prefect Wu had offended someone in the Eastern Capital, and since a female relative of his household had married into the imperial family, he'd been placed in Wenzhou Prefecture—neither wealthy nor poor—to serve continuously as Vice Prefect, to spare him from torment in the capital.
No one knew whether the rumor was true.
But Vice Prefect Wu had entrenched himself in Wenzhou Prefecture for six years, now entering his seventh. Had his household not refrained from bullying the countryside and committing crimes, he could barely pass for a local tyrant of Wenzhou.
Fusheng had once seen his maidservants in the night market buying street food. Their dress and adornment were far finer than those of ordinary families' daughters.
Could it be that Granny Zhang intended to send Zhang Yuniang to the Vice Prefect's household as a servant?
Though the current dynasty had no system of outright purchase for servants—aside from those of debased status and hereditary household slaves, all were hired under contract and couldn't be casually beaten to death by their masters—still, if a great and noble family wanted to dispose of a servant, they had plenty of ways to do it.
No family that could get by would willingly send their children into servitude.
Fusheng looked at Granny Zhang with bewilderment.
But the next moment, Granny Zhang's smug voice confirmed her suspicions.
"Can't say we've gotten in with them yet, but who knows about the future! My Yuniang, starting tomorrow, will be going to work at Vice Prefect Wu's household! They gave a one-time reward of five strings of cash, room and board included, and on top of that, she'll draw wages every month! Even if it's only twenty or thirty coppers at first, my Yuniang is clever—within two years, it'll go up! And then, hundreds of coppers, thousands of coppers… Oh my! Once she grows up… haha! You lot can envy all you like!"
She spun a flowery tale, but in truth, she was selling her granddaughter into servitude.
Those five strings of cash were roughly the three-to-five-year buyout fee given when the deed was signed.
This was also stipulated by imperial law—when hiring a free person as a maidservant, the contract could be signed for at most five years at a time.
Otherwise, judging by what Granny Zhang had said, she would have wanted to sign the child away for ten or even eight years at the very least.
“Shoo, shoo!” The short, plump woman who had been mocked by Granny Zhang earlier sneered with undisguised contempt: “Sending your own granddaughter off to be a maidservant, and you’re this proud of yourself! You go on and on about a ‘great fortune,’ but what you’re really doing is sending the child off to wait on others… You filthy old crone, grinning like that—don’t tell me you’re already scheming that once your Yuniang grows up a few years, she’ll catch some noble’s eye in the Vice Prefect’s mansion and become his concubine? Let me tell you, my husband heard it on the job—concubines can be bought and sold! Even one promoted from a hired maidservant of good standing can be transferred or given away! You vicious old hag, you really have a hard heart toward your own Yuniang! You…”
The short, plump woman had been merciless in her mockery of Granny Zhang, but when she caught sight of the half-hidden face of Yuniang peeking out from behind the Zhang family’s door panel, the harsher words she had been about to say died in her throat.
Granny Zhang might be insufferable, but Yuniang was still a child—already miserable enough being sold into servitude by her own grandmother.
The short, plump woman had six children of her own and simply could not bring herself to wound the heart of a young girl not much older than her own daughters.
But unfortunately:
“Pah! I say you’re just jealous of me!”
She had swallowed her unfinished words, but that only made Granny Zhang even more arrogant—so much so that she would let anything come out of her mouth.
“What’s wrong with being a concubine? You live a life of ease and comfort! And if she can bear a son or daughter, and the principal wife happens to be unlucky… then the Zhang family’s blessings are only just beginning! Those dark, chubby girls of yours—even if you sent them up on a silver platter, nobody would give them a second look!”
The setting sun’s glow spilled across Granny Zhang’s face, making her ruddy complexion gleam even oilier, and making her excited, twisted expression all the more vivid.
The short, plump woman was so furious she nearly keeled over backward.
But Granny Zhang was not finished.
She turned her body, shifting her gaze to Yang Tieniang, whom she had been blocking from leaving and had somewhat neglected.
“Sister Yang~ How about letting your eldest, second, third, and fourth girls all come with my Yuniang to Vice Prefect Wu’s mansion? The Vice Prefect’s household dismissed a batch of servants a few days ago, and they’re short-handed right now! It’s only because we’re next-door neighbors that I’d even do you this favor!”
Every word she spoke made it sound as though getting into Vice Prefect Wu’s mansion was as simple as a word from her.
But how many of those words were sincere? Not a single one, surely.
“Who’s your sister?” Yang Tieniang had no intention of selling off her granddaughters—her family could afford to raise them, and she wanted the children to learn skills that would let them stand on their own feet: “We’ve been neighbors for decades, you old coot. Whatever foul wind you’re blowing from that mouth of yours, others might not know, but I do. If you want to dream of wealth and glory, then get out of the way. You’ve got your five strings of cash and don’t need to set up your stall, but my family still has to make a living!”
Yang Tieniang shot her a fierce glare, and Granny Zhang flinched—which gave Yang Tieniang the chance to shove her aside and have Lansheng and Hu Xiangdi push the cart out to set up their stall.
As for herself?
She still had Lin Cui standing right in front of her, tears flowing without end, to deal with!
“Sanniang, go keep an eye on your brother’s studies.”
Seeing Lansheng and Hu Xiangdi walk off into the distance, Yang Tieniang gently sent Fusheng off to Junsheng's place. Then, after giving Granny Zhang a dirty look, she directly pulled Lin Cui into the courtyard and shut the gate.
Now that everyone was back and it was nearly dark, there was no reason to send her back to her natal family.
Though the times were peaceful, it wasn't as if there were no bandits around. If she sent Lin Cui back and something happened on the road, even being in the right would become being in the wrong.
Besides, her eldest son Zhu Yongwen still had feelings for his wife Lin Cui.
If she didn't let her manage Meisheng, and she was properly disciplined, they could still make a life together.
With such thoughts in mind, Yang Tieniang closed the door to discipline her daughter-in-law.
And watching the two doors of the Zhu household shut tightly before her eyes, not leaving even a crack, Granny Zhang's face flushed red again—this time from holding in a bellyful of anger.
Had she said she was done arguing?
Had she said she'd finished what she had to say?
Had she said Yang Tieniang, that Tiger Rakshasa, could go inside?
She might well become a relative of the Tongpan Magistrate's household in the future! How dare Yang Tieniang treat her like this!
"You… you're just jealous that my Yuniang has a good place to go! Your Sanniang studies cooking, learns nothing at all, and doesn't even get paid! You, you're just envious of me!"
Facing the wooden door of the Zhu courtyard, Granny Zhang shouted at the top of her lungs. Unfortunately, no one answered at all.
Inside the courtyard, Junsheng, who had poked his head out the window holding a book, saw Fusheng approaching and asked curiously:
"Sanniang, do you think Granny Zhang next door's throat ever gets dry?"
From the moment her voice had appeared, she'd been shouting at the top of her lungs for nearly the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.
Shouting so desperately, wasn't she afraid of hurting her throat?
Junsheng was very curious.
"I don't know." Fusheng shook her head, pushed Junsheng's head back inside, and glanced at the lamp oil in the oil lamp he'd lit, saying: "You should use the daylight to memorize a couple more pages. I'll go get you some sesame oil. That's tung oil you casually added to your lamp, isn't it? You should find some sesame oil to mix in. Tung oil stinks and gives off thick smoke—aren't you bothered by the fumes!"
Fortunately, the sesame oil in the kitchen had just been pressed, and there was plenty of it!
Fusheng turned to leave.
"Hey, Sanniang, I want a midnight snack!" Junsheng called out to stop her, smiling sheepishly. Seeing Fusheng turn to look back, he quickly added: "On the fifth, for the Bathing Orchid Festival, whatever pocket money Grandpa and Grandma give, I'll split half with you!"
He always felt bad having his younger sister cook to fill his stomach.
He had no money on hand now, but in three days it would be the Bathing Orchid Festival!
Every year at the Bathing Orchid Festival, Grandpa and Grandma would give them pocket money to go watch the dragon boat races.
Fusheng also wanted a midnight snack, and hadn't expected Junsheng to offer anything.
But since he'd volunteered so readily…
"Deal!"
Fusheng walked toward the kitchen with light steps.
Just at that moment, Yang Tieniang, who had been scolding Lin Cui, saw her heading to the kitchen and called out to stop her.
"Sanniang, if you're making a midnight snack, make one for your eldest aunt too—something filling! She hasn't eaten in two days!"
Then she called out toward the west room:
"Third daughter-in-law, bring Fourth Girl out. You light the fire, and have Fourth Girl assist Sanniang!"