Mrs. Li had since worked in the Tang Mansion as a wet nurse and had settled down from that day, spending every day missing her children and placing her feelings onto the Young Master.
The Young Master was very attached to Mrs. Li, making the young madam, his own mother, a bit jealous. If it weren't for being pregnant and it being inconvenient to take care of the child, she really wouldn't want her son to get closer to the wet nurse.
The clothes Mrs. Li brought were unwearable, but Mrs. Pan sent some items, including a set of clothes for changing, cotton underwear, and lining pants, as well as supplies for needlework, knowing she had five children and had given her some scraps and fabric, saying it was rewarded by Madam.
Mrs. Li happily accepted them, knowing her children's clothes were patched over and over. Daya, eight years old, wore clothes that her younger aunties had worn as little girls.
The children never had socks or shoes in the cold weather.
Fortunately, her skillful hands wove grass shoes for the children. The items rewarded by the Second Lady allowed her to sew while the Young Master took his nap, passing the time, and also allowed her to place all her thoughts onto these items.
"Wet nurse," the Young Master woke up from his nap and crawled out of bed, sitting next to Mrs. Li as she made small shoes, glanced at his own feet, then back at the small shoes, feeling they absolutely didn't fit him.
"Young Master, you're awake? Are you hungry? Do you need to 'pay tribute'?" When Mrs. Li first arrived at the mansion, she spoke to the Young Master as she did at home with her children to poop and pee, but a maid later reminded her that saying 'to poop and pee' was not elegant, and she should say "pay tribute" to the Young Master instead.
"Hmm," the two-year-old Young Master had been well taught; he understood some everyday words and would not pee or poop in the bed.
Mrs. Li carried the Young Master into the room's latrine and then came back and sat down again.
"Young Master, would you like some water?"
"I want some milk…" the Young Master climbed onto Mrs. Li's body on his own.
"Okay," Mrs. Li, over these days, had already stopped treating her job like a job, being by the Young Master's side allowed her to transfer the love for her children to the Young Master, not crying day and night but just keeping them in her heart.
After the Young Master was full, he glanced at the small shoes Mrs. Li had placed beside the bed and put the unfinished shoes on his feet.
"Young Master, be careful, there's a needle..."
"Ah!" Mrs. Li had just finished speaking when the Young Master's little hand was pricked by a needle.
"Does it hurt?" Mrs. Li checked the Young Master's hand which had a small pinhole but was not bleeding; children have less blood and a small pinhole wasn't harmful.
"Wet nurse, it doesn't hurt now."
"Hmm, let me put away the things and prevent you from getting hurt again."
"Wet nurse, these shoes are so small, could they have been made wrong? They don't fit me."
"Young Master, I heard that your clothes and shoes are all made by the embroidery lady at home. The wet nurse's craftsmanship isn't good; the young madam might not appreciate it."
"Are they for the brother my mother hasn't given birth to yet?"
"No, the things for the young madam are made by others; these shoes and clothes were rewarded to the wet nurse for her children by Madam."
"Does the wet nurse have a little brother at home?"
"No, the wet nurse has three elder sisters and two younger sisters, the youngest being just over a month old."
"Oh, not a brother, then I can't play with her; little sisters cry a lot and are no fun."
"Young Master, the wet nurse's elder and younger sisters don't cry at all." Mrs. Li said this with a gentle smile.
"Then they must be very lovely elder and younger sisters; I want to see the younger sisters."
"Young Master, the wet nurse's home is very, very far away; I heard it takes a month to visit once."
"Then I want to go back with the wet nurse to see the elder and younger sisters, or bring the sisters here to play with me."
"We can't..."
"Why can't we, wet nurse? I want, I want!"
"Young Master, be good. You must know that here, anything we do must be approved by the wet nurse and Madam. Neither you nor I are in charge," Mrs. Pan said.
"Oh," the Young Master replied, somewhat understanding.
While they were speaking, a maid outside the door exchanged a look with another maid and then turned to leave.
The people in the courtyard were all the young madam's confidants. Seeing something was up, they went to report to the young madam.
"What? Mrs. Li has been doing private needlework and injured the Young Master?"
"Yes, upon hearing their conversation, we approached and saw that the Young Master's hand wasn't bleeding."
"Hmph, that's still a grave sin. How dare she hurt my treasure? She must be punished."
"Mrs. Li really has some nerve doing private needlework in her room. Madam gave her so many things and even rewarded her with copper coins, just because she saw her plight and that she was the Young Master's wet nurse; she showed her special favor. Mrs. Li truly does not know when she's well-off."
A new wet nurse who had just started was rewarded so generously upon her arrival, becoming the darling of the entire mansion. This news spread among everyone, instigating jealousy in those without firm roots, prompting some to seek to replace her with one of their own."
"Bring Mrs. Li here. I will personally interrogate her." The young madam was naturally kind-hearted, but the Young Master was her baby. She also felt her baby's reliance on Mrs. Li, which left a bitter taste in her heart as a mother.
The maid curtsied and left, heading to the Young Master's courtyard. She exchanged glances with another maid and entered the Young Master's room.
Mrs. Li and the Young Master were looking at a picture book, telling stories through the images—something even she, who could not read, could understand.
"Hehe," the Young Master laughed joyfully.
Mrs. Li's face broke into a tender smile, happy in the moment.
Seeing Mrs. Li's joyful expression, the maid felt displeased and even thought, "Now you are laughing happily, but soon you'll be just as sad."
She wasn't sure whether the young madam would have someone beat Mrs. Li.
"Mrs. Li, the young madam summons you to pay your respects."
"Alright."
Mrs. Li was about to pick up the Young Master to accompany her.
"Mrs. Li, the young madam said only you are to come."
Mrs. Li gently put the Young Master down, but he clung to her, grabbing the hem of her dress, unwilling to let her go.
"Wet nurse, hold me."
"Young Master, Mrs. Li will be right back. This maid will hold you," another maid who was standing by the door offered, lifting the Young Master.
"No, no, I want to go!" the Young Master struggled.
"Young Master, be good. The wet nurse will be back soon."
Having reassured the Young Master, and with his reluctant gaze following her—as if they were parting in life and death—why did such terms come to mind for Mrs. Li?
The other maid, leading the way with a curl of her lip, thought to herself that the young madam's punishment might skin her alive or even banish her from the mansion, and whether she could return was another matter altogether.
Mrs. Li followed the maid to the young madam's courtyard parlor, where the accompanying maid greeted the young madam and then stood aside, ready to watch what unfolded.
Mrs. Li, timid and subservient, bowed deeply. Even she, naïve as she was, could sense something was off in the atmosphere of the parlor. The young madam sitting in the main seat looked stern. Mrs. Li, bowing her head, clueless about what she might have done wrong, said nervously:
"Young madam, Mrs. Li is here to pay her respects."