Chapter 23: Invitation

Lu Man politely said, “Thank you for your trouble, Miss Fenhe. I appreciate your effort.”

Fenhe placed a small package on the table, containing several silver ingots and strings of copper coins. She explained, “Here in the household, the monthly salary for the ladies is twenty taels of silver. As Third Young Madam joined last month, also Madam Han granted an additional half month’s salary for the previous month. So, Third Young Madam receives a total of thirty taels of silver. As your two maidservants are currently unranked, Madam has decided to follow the second-tier maid’s salary, which is one tael of silver per month, equivalent to five hundred wén of large coins every half month.”

Lu Man thanked her, and Hong Ling handed Fenhe another purse.

Accepting the purse, Fenhe politely declined to sit, stating, “I’m quite busy today and must return. I’ll come back to bother Third Young Madam when I have some free time.”

Young Madam Han was clever, even instructing her maids to be smart and courteous.

Smiling, Lu Man asked Hong Ling to see Fenhe off.

Upon Hong Ling’s return, she gleefully exclaimed, “This household is truly wealthy. In the Lu family, even as a head maid, I only receive a monthly salary of three hundred wén.”

Lu Man was pleased too, as she needed money and now had a substantial amount.

After securing the money, they returned to the veranda to continue airing out the books.

Just as they finished, Lu Ying returned with two baskets. The baskets contained over a pound of pork belly, a block of tofu, tofu skins, agar-agar, a bunch of garlic chives, three steamed buns, a small bag of flour, a jar of soybean oil, a small cup of sesame oil, along with various seasonings like chili powder, Sichuan peppercorn powder, ginger, scallions, garlic, yellow wine, salt, sugar, and others. The reason for buying so many seasonings was to have them on hand for future cooking cravings.

Seeing the array of goods, Lu Man smiled with delight, though she wished she had cumin powder, MSG, onions, green peppers, and potatoes.

Craving barbecue, she lamented the lack of ingredients and settled for making an improvised version in a large iron pot.

Lu Ying complained, “Third Young Miss, the kitchen maids are too harsh. They charged me five silver ingots for such a small amount of food, which is equivalent to a tael of silver. They even refused to provide green peppers, claiming they were out, although I clearly saw some.” She scoffed, “Those mean maids have hearts darker than eggplants.”

Lu Man said, “We are in a weak position, not everyone can trample over us. It was my oversight before, currently, only the greenhouse has green peppers, and they must be reluctant to share them with us.” She smiled and added, “Today’s the day for the monthly salary, yours is inside.”

Upon hearing that Lu Man received thirty taels of silver and she had one tael of silver and five large coins, Lu Ying felt a sudden unease.

In a hushed tone, she continued, “According to the Wang family, Fifth Young Master has never been very healthy. She doesn’t know the specifics of his illness, only that he used to take medicine daily as a child and improved after ten years. Occasionally, he visits Dingzhou Prefecture to see the famous physician Master Qiu.”

The servants likely kept the details of the illness secret.

Lu Man then remembered that Second Madam’s eldest son seemed to have died shortly after birth and advised, “Let’s refrain from asking about Fifth Young Master’s illness in the future.”

Lu Ying nodded, adding, “When I returned, I saw Eighth Young Master and Second Young Miss playing with Qichang near the Sunset Pavilion. It’s said that all the masters in the household are at Crane Hall today for dinner, and the kitchen is bustling. Why weren’t they included?”

Lu Man thought to herself how difficult life was for the illegitimate children in the household. When all the masters were gathered, why were they left out? Judging by the children’s attire, they were well-dressed, indicating they weren’t lacking materially. However, they were treated differently when it came to political rights, ultimately being sidelined due to being seen as a nuisance.

Such differential treatment could be quite hurtful at times.

Thinking about the two children, especially the delicate little girl, Lu Man felt a surge of pity. Deciding to make something suitable for the young girl to eat, she planned to invite them over for dinner.

She instructed, “First, put the books back in the boxes, then clean these items, knead a small ball of dough, and I’ll go invite Eighth Young Master and Second Young Miss.”

The Sunset Pavilion was a pavilion built on an artificial hill, offering a high vantage point overlooking various corners of the estate.

After a walk of about half an hour, Lu Man spotted the siblings and Qichang playing at the base of the hill.

Upon seeing Lu Man, Qichang immediately ran over, paying no heed to Jiang Zhankui’s shouts.

Lu Man chuckled, patted Qichang, and led it towards the siblings.

Jiang Zhankui glared sternly at the Qichang, while Jiang Jiu timidly greeted Lu Man, “Sister-in-law.”

Lu Man ruffled her hair and said, “Today, I’ll be making some special dishes in the courtyard. I’d like to invite you to taste them.”

Jiang Zhankui lifted his head arrogantly, huffing, “What rare dish can you make? I don’t believe it.”

Lu Man replied, “I’ll be making teppanyaki. Have you ever tried it?”

Jiang Zhankui stubbornly retorted, “Even though I haven’t tried it, the name doesn’t sound appetizing.”

Jiang Jiu added, “Eighth Brother, I overheard a maid saying that Crane Hall hasn’t been this lively in a while. It must be because all the masters have gone there and left us out. I also want to join the festivity…”

She pouted, hinting that if they couldn’t go to Crane Hall, they’d like to be part of the gathering at Orchid Pavilion.

Seeing his sister’s pout, Jiang Zhankui relented, quickly saying, “Alright, we’ll go.” Turning to Lu Man, he added, “My sister has a weak stomach and can only eat easily digestible food.”

Lu Man reassured him, “Don’t worry, I’ll make wonton soup specifically for Second Young Miss.” She then asked, “Do you need to inform the people in your courtyard?” She was puzzled why these children of wealthy families always seemed to be unaccompanied, unlike most children who were usually followed by attendants.

Jiang Zhankui wisely replied, “Write a note for Qichang to deliver.”

Lu Man praised Qichang, “You’re quite capable, even delivering messages.”

Qichang hummed happily and wagged its tail even more energetically.

Taking Jiang Jiu’s hand, Lu Man, along with the siblings and Qichang, headed to Orchid Pavilion.

Initially entering the main house, Lu Man handed a paper and pen to Jiang Zhankui.

Jiang Zhankui wrote on the paper, “We are having dinner at Orchid Pavilion and will return after dinner.” After a moment’s thought, he added, “Don’t worry, I’ll ensure my sister doesn’t eat anything she shouldn’t.” He then tucked the note into a purse and handed it to Qichang, who eagerly ran off.

Lu Man marveled not only at Qichang’s intelligence but also at Jiang Zhankui’s. A six-year-old child writing so well and clearly thinking through his actions was impressive. Suppressing such talented illegitimate children would only be a loss. With proper guidance, they could greatly benefit the family.

In her mind, she saw their straight backs and determined profiles. These two siblings were not ones to accept being beneath others.

In the backyard, Lu Man let the children play while she and her maids, Hong Ling and Lu Ying, busied themselves in the kitchen.