Her gaze swept across the crowd, and she thought to herself,
"Who knows who among these people will be the unfortunate one!"
She sighed and said,
"Memorize the rules I just mentioned. Soon, people from each courtyard will come to select you. Whether you can go to a certain place, and whether you can gain the favor of the masters, will all depend on your luck!"
The crowd immediately bowed their heads and memorized the rules, with Gu Shi Yi also lowering her head, feigning innocence.
Soon, the first group arrived to select people. A middle-aged woman in green clothes appeared, her hair combed neatly, giving a sense of tidiness, though her expression was somewhat aloof. The old woman greeted her,
"It's actually Wet Nurse Huang who has come in person!"
The middle-aged woman nodded at the old woman and spoke softly,
"I'm short of someone to clean the courtyard; I heard new people arrived today, so I came to have a look..."
As she spoke, her gaze swept over the faces of the crowd. The old woman then said to them,
"This is Wet Nurse Huang from the Eldest Young Madam's courtyard, the most reliable maid beside the young lady..."
Everyone was still dreaming about that two taels of silver a month, and suddenly, their lucky star had arrived!
Thus, each of them looked hopeful, staring at Wet Nurse Huang, hoping she would choose them. Standing to the side, Madam Liu looked impassive as the middle-aged woman scrutinized several women and then asked,
"Among you, are there any who have been married?"
Gu Shi Yi and four other women stepped forward,
She asked again,
"Are there any who have had children?"
Gu Shi Yi and one other woman stepped forward,
Again, she asked,
"Where are the children now?"
Gu Shi Yi glanced at Wet Nurse Huang,
"At my in-law's... They wouldn't let me bring them with me. My mother-in-law is very cruel, and if one thing didn't please her, she would beat people with a stick. Eventually, she drove me out, and that's when I sold myself!"
These words were all prepared in advance. Only those who could answer like this were the contacts they were looking for!
"Oh..."
Wet Nurse Huang nodded, and after sizing up Gu Shi Yi one more time, noticed that despite the loose-fitting clothes of the Sun Residence servants, Gu Shi Yi's attire was even baggier, deliberately so. Being buxom as she was, she indeed looked like a woman who had given birth. Nobody in the crowd was suspicious,
"You'll do!"
Having said that, she turned to the old woman and said,
"Madam Liu, I'm taking this one!"
Madam Liu nodded and watched as Gu Shi Yi followed Wet Nurse Huang out of the courtyard, sighing inwardly,
"Why does bad luck pick on the fragile? To have such a pitiable past and still enter that place... I'm afraid she won't last three months before she has to..."
Then she scolded herself,
"Ah! Why should I, a servant, worry about others? I can't even take care of myself, and to be able to receive my monthly silver in peace is already more than enough to be thankful for!"
With renewed spirit, she turned to deal with other matters.
Gu Shi Yi followed Wet Nurse Huang through the Sun Residence, and they arrived at a very grand and spacious courtyard. Wet Nurse Huang then looked back at her and said,
"This is the place. From now on, you must behave properly!"
After saying that and giving Gu Shi Yi a meaningful look, Gu Shi Yi nodded,
"Understood!"
Wet Nurse Huang led Gu Shi Yi inside,
"I'll take you to meet the Eldest Young Madam first."
Gu Shi Yi nodded,
"Yes!"
Gu Shi Yi followed her through the corridors, taking about a quarter of an hour before they reached the main courtyard. Under the eaves, a line of maids and old women stood with hands down and did not dare to breathe loudly. They all greeted Wet Nurse Huang as she passed, but she kept a straight face and, without responding, led Gu Shi Yi to the front door of the main hall,
"Eldest Young Madam, this servant has picked a new person today, and I thought to present her to you..."
A voice from inside hummed in acknowledgment,
"Come in!"
The voice was soft and charming. Gu Shi Yi, with her head bowed, followed Wet Nurse Huang inside and stood in the hall when a piercing cold gaze swept over her,
"Lift your head up!"
Gu Shi Yi did as instructed and raised her head only to meet eyes with the person seated above. Both were taken aback. The woman seated looked to be around thirty, with fair skin, dark hair, a beautiful face, and dressed in luxurious clothes. The person below had wheat-colored skin, sparse but clear features, and was dressed in rough clothing. Yet, when their eyes met, they both found a hint of familiarity in the other's face.
There was a striking three to four points of resemblance between their features!