Yueyao was silently looking at the person in the mirror; her complexion was pale, her eyes were lifeless, and she appeared very frail, with an air of desolation and helplessness.
Yueyao thought of Hua Lei returning home for a visit; she might have heard quite a bit about what was going on outside. The biggest disadvantage of being in the Inner Courtyard was being out of touch with external affairs. Mu Qiu, with regard to the matters inside the Inner Courtyard, might be a little knowledgeable, but as for the outside world, she was almost completely ignorant. As a family-born servant, Hua Lei had many relatives working in the mansion. She was much more informed about the outside news.
Yueyao put down the pearl hairpin in her hand and asked, "These past few months I have been copying scriptures. I haven't dealt with other matters. Tell me, what is the situation outside now?" By now, she couldn't ignore external matters any longer.
Hua Lei was somewhat surprised; why was the young lady asking about these trivial matters today? In the past, the young lady was the least patient with these things. Although doubtful in her heart, she still shared what she knew, "Young lady, there's nothing much going on in the outside courtyard. It's just that the Eldest Madam has let go of most of the people we brought back from Jiangnan. Young lady, those people let go were all added by the Old Master and Madam in Jiangnan." The Eldest Madam's excuse was ready-made: the mansion did not need so many people now; letting them go was also considered a good deed.
After pondering for a moment, Yueyao asked, "When did this happen?"
With joy in her heart, Hua Lei did not expect the young lady to take it seriously, "It happened three months ago. Young lady, those that are left are all family-born servants...," she hesitated a bit as she spoke.
Yueyao raised her head, her voice very gentle, "Speak, there's no need to hesitate."
Having received Yueyao's approval, Hua Lei said, "Young lady, it's one thing for the people added in Jiangnan to be let go, but the dowry servants from Madam should not be disposed of at the Eldest Madam's whim. I'm worried that if these people are sent away by the Eldest Madam, there will be no one you can use in the future." What she meant by 'no one to use' was not the lack of people to serve by her side, but the absence of trustworthy people. The people who came with their own Madam as her dowry were not only convenient but also reliable.
Yueyao was startled. She had not thought much about it before, but now with Hua Lei's reminder, and comparing it to her later experiences, it was just as Hua Lei had said—she ended up with no one to rely on. The people her mother had chosen for her were very loyal, but later on, they died, were sold, got married, and left for various reasons. In the end, only two were left: one was Mu Qiu, who was rootless and simple-minded, easily deceived in the Lian Mansion; the other was Nanny Gu, who had traitorous tendencies.
Thinking of this, Yueyao's heart trembled secretly, what a genuinely crafty move by the Lady family. She planned step by step, striking at her so early on, and to think that she had assumed it was only after the grandmother's passing that these calculations began, "The people who came with my mother as part of her dowry, where are they now?"
Hua Lei laughed. All this was what she heard from her parents. Her mother said that it was likely the Eldest Madam intended to leave the young lady powerless, so that in time, there would be no one she could turn to, and advised her to alert the young lady to be more wary. Unfortunately, she had advised many times, but the young lady seemed deaf to it. What worried her was not only that the young lady was unguarded but most importantly, she did not take these matters to heart. Now that the young lady was willing to inquire, it indicated that she was beginning to pay attention to outside matters, a good sign that she was becoming aware, "Young lady, the people who came with Madam as part of her dowry were all sent to the manor. Young lady, Madam's dowry is in the Old Madam's hands, and also the contracts of these people." Having the contracts in the Old Madam's hands was another troubling matter, but since the Old Madam adored the young lady, there was no need to worry about that.
Hua Lei was reminding her that the dowry and the servants' contracts were not in her hands. Anything not in her hands was unsafe. Yueyao's hand, which was touching the silver bracelet, paused, and then she said with an indifferent expression, "I understand."
Hua Lei might not have understood the implication in her words. Ah, it was not to say that her young lady was dense and couldn't grasp her meaning. On the contrary, her young lady was very clever. But all her cleverness was put into Guqin, Chess, Calligraphy, Painting, and Poetry and Songs, and she simply didn't take these matters to heart. When the Old Master and Madam were around, naturally, there was no issue, and these matters could be learned gradually. But now, if the young lady continued like this, she would suffer greatly in the future.
Yueyao had Mu Qiu bring her money box. From it, she took out a ten-tael silver ingot, "Take this, let your mother be properly taken care of."
Knelling, Hua Lei said, "Young lady, it is already a great grace that you allow me to go back and take care of my mother. How can I accept your reward? Young lady, now that the Old Master and Madam are gone, you should save your money. If you have money in hand, you won't have to live in the mansion at the mercy of others in the future." Hua Lei, who came from the lowest ranks, knew all too well that managing relationships required a lot of expenses. The Great Master and Eldest Madam were unreliable, only having money was dependable. Money makes things easy.