Yue Yuan was really a good person. She was willing to help a newcomer, provided that the newcomer could catch her eye. Now, it seemed that Qu Fulan had caught her eye.
She even personally sent Qu Fulan out and said to her, "Now that you are boiling medicine for the old lady, this matter cannot be sloppy. In the future, you do not need to do other things. Even if your hands are free, it is better to rest more than to work for others, do you understand? If you really can't stay idle, it's good to learn some needlework."
"Hai Tang will remember your advice," Qu Fulan said hurriedly. "I'll pay more attention in the future."
Yue Yuan nodded and said, "This is a reward. Go back and lock it up. Don't let anyone see it. Even though our courtyard is strictly controlled, it's hard not to keep some dirty hands."
Qu Fulan was still thinking about where to get a lock when Yue Yuan took out a lock and handed it to her. "I know you're new here and haven't bought a lock. Take it as a gift from me. The key is here, take it."
Qu Fulan thanked Sister Yue Yuan again and again. Although she didn't need a lock, it was more convenient to have a lock than not.
Otherwise, people would have thought that she was hiding the money when she didn't have much money back then. Now that the reward had increased, it would be unrealistic to keep it on her.
When they returned to the eight-person shop, there were only two or three servant girls inside. Qu Fulan didn't say anything. She walked to her cabinet, opened it, and 'put' the money in, then locked it up.
The others only saw her hiding the money, but they didn't see how much she had hidden and didn't dare to look too much. Besides, everyone was going to be rewarded today, so there was no need to be jealous of her.
These maidservants were more interested in Qu Fulan's lock.
"Sister Hai Tang, where did you get this lock?"
When Qu Fulan said that it was a gift from Sister Yue Yuan, the few maidservants were extremely envious.
"Big Sister is so blessed. We don't have such good fortune."
"What good fortune?"
Hai Xia came back from outside and heard the conversation.
Lively people were like this, able to blend into a group at any time.
"Sister Hai Tang got the lock from Sister Yue Yuan. We are just envious."
Hai Xia looked at Qu Fulan's lock and said, "Although it's just a lock, it's a good lock. Even if a robber comes, it would take some effort to open it. Sister Yue Yuan is really good to you."
Hai Xia did not need a lock, and she could send anything she got home directly without worrying about thieves. However, who would not like good things? She didn't have such a good lock at home.
"Sister Yue Yuan is a person who rewards and punishes clearly," Qu Fulan said. "When you guys did a good job, she rewarded you guys too."
"If I get a reward next time, can I ask for a lock?" the other maidservant asked.
Before anyone could answer, she knew that her words were inappropriate.
They would want whatever their master rewarded them. How could she take the initiative to ask for it?
One of the maidservants seemed to have thought of something as she looked at Hai Xia.
"We've all received tips today. Sister Hai Xia, can you get someone to buy us a lock? In the future, when we get our monthly allowance, everyone will be more at ease locking it up."
Everyone looked at Hai Xia. They were not allowed to leave the mansion, but Hai Xia was different. If she agreed to help them buy a lock, everyone would be very grateful.
Hai Xia waved her hand. "It's not a big deal. Just name your price. I'll bring it in tomorrow."
Even if she couldn't go out of the mansion to buy it directly, it was easy to find someone to buy it with her parents' relationship.
Everyone was grateful to Hai Xia for their help.
After that, everyone went back to their own work.
Hai Xia didn't have to do anything. She just lay on the bed, bored to death. Fortunately, Hai Tang was there, or she would have suffocated.
Hai Xia would not normally return to the courtyard so early. However, the Second Miss had returned today, and the residence was more lively than usual. She should have returned a moment before the lights went out.
It was a pity that she was unlucky and was seen by her father when she was shopping. She only ran back dejectedly after being severely reprimanded.
"Sister Hai Tang, tomorrow I'll ask someone to buy locks for us. If you have anything you want to buy, you can tell me and I'll bring it back."
The maidservants in the residence had a monthly salary, and the residence also provided food and accommodation. New clothes were also given out during the changing seasons, and there were other rewards during the New Year. The treatment was very good.
However, the maidservants could not leave the manor at will, so the monthly allowance on them seemed to be useless.
In fact, this was not the case. After all, the residence only gave a fixed amount. If one wanted good food and clothing, they would have to use their own money to make up for it.
For example, if they wanted to eat something, they could spend money to get someone to buy it back, or they could give money to the kitchen to add more dishes.
They really had to spend money on every aspect.
Hai Xia loved the osmanthus cakes on Chang Ning Street. If it wasn't for her parents' strict control, she would have eaten them every day.
"I don't have anything I want to buy. What the manor has given me is enough," Qu Fulan replied.
If someone else had said this, Hai Xia would have doubted it. But since it was Hai Tang, she believed it.
Hai Tang wasn't even interested in things like asking for rewards, let alone other things.
"Sister Hai Tang looks like she doesn't need money now, so you're not interested in giving out money. But in the future, when you're of age and want to get married, you have to prepare some dowry for yourself in advance."
"Ahem." Qu Fulan choked on her tea. "You're still so young, and you're already thinking about these things?"
Hai Xia did not look even ten years old.
"My mother said that all the girls will have to get married in the future," Hai Xia said. "When they get married, they must have a dowry. They must start preparing the dowry early, or they will be looked down upon by others."
The little girl was still young and didn't know how to be shy when she said these words.
Qu Fulan knew that Hai Xia was right. It was a normal ancient way of thinking. However, she would not agree with this view. What others did had nothing to do with her. She only knew that she was a third-rank servant girl. Her promotion was more important.
When she went to bed at night, Qu Fulan counted the money in her space. She was not as uninterested in money as Hai Xia had said. She had not reached the state where she was indifferent to everything. She only knew that the money would be hers sooner or later. She just wanted to collect it later and leave a good impression on her superiors that she did not fight for it.
As a servant, she had to keep to her duty and do things honestly so that her master would like her.
All this time, she had always thrown the reward money into her space and had never seriously counted it. Now that she had a look, she actually found that she had a lot of savings.
She had received twenty taels of silver, a bracelet, and a string of jewelry from the old lady's treatment.
The first-rank servant girls in the Pei Residence were given one tael a month, the second-rank servant girls were given one hang, and the third-rank servant girls were given five hundred coins.
Today, Sister Yue Yuan helped her collect another 200 coins.
Her current savings were equivalent to two years' worth of a third-ranked maidservant's salary, not including the gold bracelet and jewelry.
Sigh, in the days of losing her freedom, only money could make her feel better.