Gu Shi Yi was overjoyed when she heard the words,
"Thank you so much, Sixth Master Huang!"
After saying this, she got up and clasped her fists, and Sixth Master Huang laughed,
"Miss Gu is being too polite. You have been of great service to the Huang Residence—such a minor matter certainly ought to be taken care of!"
Gu Shi Yi then asked Sixth Master Huang to keep her secret, and he nodded,
"There's no need to mention that—it's only natural!"
Although the Sun Family is also a Great Cultivation Family, and, while not as influential as the Gu Family, they are still prominent in Blue Moon City. Sixth Master Huang, despite his great wealth, would not dare to compete with a Great Cultivation Family. By helping someone with ulterior motives enter the Sun Residence, should things go awry, he too would get dragged into the mess. Therefore, without Gu Shi Yi having to say it, he would also keep his mouth shut!
Having secured the opportunity at Sixth Master Huang's, Gu Shi Yi did not delay any further and left the Huang Residence from the back door and made her way on foot to the Sun Residence.
The Sun Residence was not too far from the Huang Residence, approximately three streets away. Like the Gu Family, the true cultivators of the Sun Family did not reside in the chaotic atmosphere of the city but mostly chose to live in spiritually abundant places in the mountains outside the city.
The Gu Family had to guard Blue Moon Lake, so they lived close to the lakeside, while the Sun family had found a Spiritual Spring in the mountains outside of Blue Moon City, and their family's disciples practiced cultivation there. The family members and descendants without Spirit Roots lived in the city.
The Eldest Young Master Sun did not possess a Spirit Root, but the two sons he had with Miss Gu from the Gu Family, one with a Wood Spirit Root and the other with a Water Spirit Root, were sent to the mountains to cultivate under their elders. Only a frailer young daughter remained by the side of the couple.
This young Miss Sun was now four years old and had been sickly since she was an infant, with her illness becoming more severe over time. Mr. and Mrs. Sun cherished her like the apple of their eye, fearful that anyone around her might be inattentive, hence they were incredibly strict with those who attended to their daughter. Any slight mistake could result in either being driven out of the residence or, in more serious cases, beaten to death!
Over time, this reputation spread, and everyone in Blue Moon City knew that Miss Sun was difficult to serve. To be her servant was to risk one's life with a single misstep, leading the city's paupers, even if selling themselves into servitude, to be unwilling to go to the Suns'.
Now, the only ones willing to serve Miss Sun were the children of the impoverished families of Blue Moon City, desperate to the point that they couldn't even lift the lid off their pots, and foreigners unaware of the specifics.
Gu Shi Yi disguised herself as one of these outsiders. Having received Sixth Master Huang's silver, the Sun family steward brought her into the Sun Residence. Along with a dozen or so servants of various ages and appearances, she entered a large courtyard where an Old Woman came out and handed each of them a set of clothes,
"Put these on!"
The group separated by gender and entered different rooms. This time, Gu Shi Yi did not pretend to be a man; instead, she followed a few women into a room, changed into the clothes, and according to the Old Woman's requirements, pinned her hair into a bun. Gu Shi Yi fashioned her hair into a married woman's style, and when the Old Woman saw it, she asked,
"Are you already married?"
Gu Shi Yi wore a face full of pitifulness,
"To answer your question, I did marry, but shortly after marrying, my husband died. My husband's family drove me out and with nowhere to go, I had no choice but to sell myself into servitude!"
The Old Woman seemed compassionate, sighed deeply, and said,
"What a hard life..."
She thought for a moment and then added,
"You look like you have some strength in you, right?"
Gu Shi Yi nodded,
"The piece of farmland at my husband's home was all tended by me..."
"That's good... After this, follow me to the big kitchen. We just so happen to lack a strong Old Woman to chop wood!"
This Old Woman was also kind-hearted and did not want her to go to the courtyard of the Eldest Young Madam. Even the servants in the Sun Residence would change their expression when speaking of the Eldest Young Madam's courtyard, as if it were a dragon's den and a tiger's lair.
Upon hearing this, Gu Shi Yi showed repeated signs of gratitude, but inwardly, she was secretly complaining,
"Don't let this Old Woman mess things up for me!"
Once everyone had changed and was standing in the courtyard again, the Old Woman explained some of the rules of Sun Residence and talked about how much Monthly Silver could be earned and what kind of tasks were assigned to each courtyard,
"These tasks vary in difficulty and the amount of Monthly Silver provided. The tasks in the Eldest Young Madam's courtyard come with the highest pay; you can earn two taels of silver a month..."
As soon as the Old Woman spoke, there was some commotion among the crowd,
Two taels of silver!
In Blue Moon City, two taels of silver could support a large family for three months. Seeing this reaction from everyone, a complicated look briefly flitted across the Old Woman's eyes, but she then said,
"The Eldest Young Madam's courtyard is not somewhere you can go just because you want to..."