"Sister Ming Yang, do you need anything?" Hemei asked, her voice neither too high nor too low, clearly enunciated.
Ming Yang hurriedly shook her head, "No, nothing!"
As the Head Maid, she had arrived earlier, but her status was also somewhat precarious.
In the study, Yun Jinnian heard Ming Yang's voice and, after a moment's thought, softly called, "Ming Yang, come here, I have something to tell you!"
Ming Yang quickly entered the study and bowed to Yun Jinnian, "Miss!"
"Ming Yang, please sit!"
"This servant dares not!" Ming Yang said, her heart becoming even more perturbed.
Yun Jinnian chuckled, "Sit down, let's have a talk!"
Ming Yang gingerly seated herself halfway.
Yun Jinnian then spoke very earnestly, "No matter when, I always remember that winter's day, the Sister Ming Yang who was punished for pleading on my behalf and knelt alongside me!"
"And the Sister Ming Yang who suffered with me at Yingci'an!"
Upon hearing this, Ming Yang's eyes reddened slightly.
"Do you have any plans for the future, Sister Ming Yang?" Yun Jinnian asked.
Ming Yang furrowed her brows, not understanding why Yun Jinnian would ask this.
Yun Jinnian, however, continued speaking of her own accord, "In the future, I may not take Sister Ming Yang out with me anymore!"
Ming Yang's face turned pale, and she bit her lip tightly.
"But I do have a good idea, I wonder if Sister Ming Yang would like to hear it?"
"Please tell me, Miss!"
"How about letting Sister Ming Yang go out and get married?"
Ming Yang suddenly stood up, her expression a mixture of shock, bewilderment, and confusion as she looked at Yun Jinnian.
"I've always thought of having two maids skilled in martial arts by my side, and just as Hemei and Henuan appeared, I have been thinking about finding the right time to let you and Ru Yue go out and marry. I plan to open a shop outside, and you can be the matron there!"
"What does Miss mean?"
"Why should Sister Ming Yang confine herself to this small world of the inner estate?" Yun Jinnian spoke, then paused for a moment, "Or does Sister Ming Yang have other plans?"
Ming Yang shook her head.
Become a concubine following Yun Jinnian? She had seen enough of the plight of concubines in large households.
"This servant will follow the Miss's arrangements!"
Having a servitude contract given away and marrying someone to become a matron, bearing a couple of children to keep by her side, was dozens of times better than becoming a concubine. She wasn't foolish!
"As long as you think it through, that's good!"
Having said that, Yun Jinnian resumed reading.
There were some matters that it was better to make clear to Ming Yang.
In the future, she would gradually train to develop an understanding with Hemei and Henuan, the time taking Ming Yang and Ru Yue with her would decrease, and indeed, they were of age to go out and marry.
To grant them their servitude contracts, to change their status from servants to free commoners, to provide them with a dowry, and to let them go and marry and have children, to be their own masters, was far better than them staying in the inner estate with her.
Zhuangyong Marquis Residence
After sending all the young ladies away, Dai Hanmi stretched out and yawned, "Whew, let's go see what the third brother has picked out, Mother is still waiting for me to report back!"
When she arrived at Dai Hanbo's courtyard, she found him reading, Dai Hanmi asked with a smile, "Third brother, have you made your choice?"
"No!" Dai Hanbo responded indifferently, continuing to read.
There were no impressive poems, entirely uninteresting to read.
"..."
Dai Hanmi was taken aback.
Weren't Yun Jinnian's verses pretty good?
"'Shuofeng understands my feelings, take care not to harm what is fragile,' how about these two lines?" Dai Hanmi tentatively asked.
Dai Hanbo sat up straight, "Judging by these two lines alone, they do seem interesting, what about the rest?"
"If you really want to know, why don't you go and find out?"
Dai Hanbo was slightly astonished, "Are you saying that among these young ladies, these verses were written by one of them?"