Glossary
妹妹 meimei – little sister, younger sister; can be added to names to show affection
姐姐 jiejie – elder sister, big sister; can be added to names to show respect or a close relationship
小姐 xiaojie – young miss; usually from a good family, but can be used to refer to any young girl
嫡 di – related to the first wife, the children born of the first wife have higher standing
庶 shu – of common birth; in this setting, it means born to a concubine
奴婢 nubi – slave servant girl; referring to themselves in third person is a form of debasement
丫头 yatou – usually referring to a servant girl; can also mean girl, latter usually used as a form of endearment
姨娘 yiniang – concubine, not the legitimate wife; added to the end of the maternal name to show their (lower) status compared to the wife
老爷 laoye, 相爷 xiangye – old master, master; the head of the house
(Edit: I was advised that Zhao’s position 管家 guanjia was more equivalent to the role of a butler in feudal China. It certainly makes sense, since he seems to hold a rather high position amongst the servants. Might take a bit to get used to it.) 😅
“Yiniang and san meimei should sit too!” Entering the drawing room, Yun Qian Meng spoke as she took a seat.
However, now that Liu yiniang was depending completely on Yun Qian Meng to handle their affairs, she didn’t dare to sit at the same level with her. She only smiled and refused, “Nubi will serve da xiaojie dinner!”
Seeing how she was being flattered, Yun Qian Meng didn’t say much. She took the teacup offered by Mu Chun and took a few delicate sips, her inky-black eyes were dully looking towards the houyuan……
“Xiaojie, nubi has brought the evening meal over!” The darkness of night gradually descended. Only after Yun Qian Meng‘s teacup had been replenished twice, did Shui’er arrive at the drawing room with the meal-boxes!
“Nü’er greets father!” The sound of Shui’er‘s words had barely faded before Yun Qian Meng respectfully stood up and faced and bowed towards someone who had rapidly arrived!
Everyone reacted to her actions quickly. One after another, they similarly bowed towards Yun Xuan Zhi who was already standing inside the drawing room!
Not expecting to see her, Yun Xuan Zhi, after sweeping a glance at Liu yiniang and Yun Yan who stood deferentially behind her, couldn’t help but ask, “What is Meng’er doing here?”
This di daughter had always been cowardly from childhood. Unless there was an important occasion, she wouldn’t usually take a single step out of Qi Luo Yuan. But today, she came out together with Liu yiniang. He couldn’t help but feel curious!
Yun Qian Meng wore a brilliant smile as she moved lovably to Yun Xuan Zhi‘s side. Her pretty face was slightly tilted upwards, eyes filled with reverence towards Yun Xuan Zhi, “Nü’er is feeling much better today. After thinking that it has been a long while since last dining with father, I asked the yatou to prepare the evening meal here. Don’t know if father has spare time to eat together with nü’er!”
Stopping, Yun Qian Meng motioned towards Shui’er and the others who immediately served up the meal-boxes, carefully placing the two or three dishes of vegetables on the overly large dining table!
Yun Xuan Zhi wanted to decline at first, as he had promised earlier to eat together with Su Qing and Yun Ruo Xue today. If he didn’t go there on time, those two would definitely pout with discontent!
But Yun Qian Meng didn’t wait for his reply before immediately commanding people to set the table properly. However, the particularly large, round dining table only held a few pitiful dishes, causing Yun Xuan Zhi feel like he was losing face in front of all the servants. He immediately frowned and shot a severe gaze at butler Zhao who was by his side, “What’s going on? This is the dinner you’ve prepared for our da xiaojie?”
Butler Zhao heard Yun Xuan Zhi‘s voice and knew instantly that he was angry. His heart tightened as he hurriedly lowered his head to explain, “Xiangye, I’m afraid that the kitchen must have made a mistake! Nucai will reprimand the people in charge of the kitchen later; don’t know what’s going on in their brains for them to make a mistake with da xiaojie‘s food!”
Finishing, he gave a quick glance at the page boy standing beside him, intending for him to quickly report the matter to the kitchen!
But Yun Qian Meng who was paying constant attention to his every action, even more quickly, gave Bing’er a meaningful glance. Bing’er noiselessly moved in front of the page boy, blocking his path……
Yun Qian Meng herself strolled in front butler Zhao and smilingly said, “So you’re saying that there has been a mistake with the meals given to ben xiaojie for all these days? It looks like the kitchen staff and butler Zhao are all doddering with old age. If you can’t even handle such small matters properly, it would be better to go home and enjoy your lives in retirement!”
After speaking, a faint snort was heard from Yun Qian Meng‘s mouth. Butler Zhao’s heart was unable to stop trembling. He didn’t know since when could the eldest young miss give others such heavy pressure. A mere snort from her was enough to scare him witless!
“Butler Zhao, you really have too much guts, daring to mess with da xiaojie‘s food!” Since Yun Qian Meng had pointed out everything, Yun Xuan Zhi momentarily turned his shame into anger and pointed directly at butler Zhao who had not dared to lift his head from the beginning. The servants by his side had long since begun kneeling on the floor. Nobody dared to even breathe, afraid to implicate themselves in the matter!
The drawing room was suddenly completely silent. Liu yiniang and Yun Yan exchanged a glance, then looked towards Yun Qian Meng again; their eyes now filled with even more reverence.
Who would have thought that the Yun family’s eldest young miss barely needed to move to frighten the usually tyrannical butler Zhao into such a state!
They originally thought that Yun Qian Meng only invited them to the drawing room for dinner to handle Yun Yan’s marriage matters, but didn’t expect that she had been prepared long beforehand. It was very likely that the issues coming up would leave butler Zhao in an even more helpless state!
“Xiangye, nucai definitely doesn’t dare to dock food from xiaojie! Nucai believes that it must be the kitchen managers whom couldn’t control their greed! Xiangye, nucai is completely unrelated to this matter, please see clearly!” Butler Zhao knew at the moment that this matter concerned the reputation of the xiangfu. If outsiders with bad intentions caught wind of this farce, then he was afraid that even if Yun Xuan Zhi didn’t have the heart to deal with him, to stifle the long-lasting rumors, he didn’t have any route from which to escape!
It would be better for him to push the blame onto someone else so that he would at most be guilty of poor oversight. As long as Su yiniang helped him say a few good words, he could still keep his position as butler within the xiangfu.
But Yun Qian Meng didn’t give others any opportunity to speak. Just as butler Zhao’s words hit the floor, everyone heard her calm tone, “According to the hearsay over the past few days, a happy occasion will be happening in the fu. Butler Zhao must have been too busy with those things that he neglected to supervise the kitchen properly, right?”
At her words, Liu yiniang and Yun Yan visibly paled; butler Zhao’s body also trembled. Even Yun Xuan Zhi, in his anger, momentarily blanked out. He unwittingly looked towards the mildly smiling Yun Qian Meng, “Meng’er, what’s the happy occasion in our xiangfu?”
But Yun Qian Meng only gave him a veiled smile and calmly said, “Nü’er only heard the rumors, father had best ask butler Zhao personally!”
After that, she didn’t say more. Turning to stand beside Yun Xuan Zhi, she coldly smiled at butler Zhao, intent on watching his response!
Butler Zhao had absolutely no idea that she would bring this matter up. Especially now that Yun Xuan Zhi was in the midst of venting his raging temper, it was quite likely that his plan wouldn’t proceed smoothly!
However, Yun Xuan Zhi expression was now fierce and severe, causing butler Zhao to feel the cold sweat on his back. He had no choice but to harden his head and say, “Answering xiangye, Su yiniang promised nucai to betroth san xiaojie to nucai‘s eldest son!”
Plop…… At this moment, Liu yiniang and Yun Yan both tearfully rushed to kneel before Yun Xuan Zhi……
“Begging laoye for a favor! Su yiniang did plan to have Yan’er betrothed to butler Zhao’s eldest son as a concubine! Yan’er might be shu-born, but is still a xiaojie of the xiangfu in the end, how can she be a concubine to a butler’s son? How would laoye keep face if this happened?” Liu yiniang immediately brought up the importance of Yun Xuan Zhi‘s reputation. Also hearing Yun Yan’s heart-broken sobs, Yun Xuan Zhi, who was already full of anger, finally blew his fuse……
“You really have too much guts! You dare to even think about getting our xiangfu’s xiaojie!” Recalling butler Zhao’s ignorant and incompetent son, and seeing Yun Yan distinctly pitiful appearance, Yun Xuan Zhi only felt uncontrollable rage and strode forward to step on butler Zhao’s shoulders!
“Laoye, why are you like this?” Just at this moment, Su Qing who should have been staying in her room brought Yun Ruo Xue to appear before everyone……