The next day, Wei Changying called Mrs. He to talk about arranging for people to serve tea in the front courtyard after noon.

At first, Mrs. He said she could ask her niece Zhu Shi and the other four to bring a few people over. But hearing that one of the guests liked to ask Shen Cangfeng for beautiful maidservants, she immediately changed her idea, "The young master's guests, Zhu Shi and the others have never seen them. I'm afraid they're not familiar with their habits and won't serve them well. It's better to let Tuanyue and the others bring people over?"

She had just got a promise from Wei Changying that she would find a good man for Zhu Shi in two years. How could she let such a lustful man take her halfway to enrich his rear courtyard? Mrs. He was not a greedy person but she had a plan for her niece's life, and she wanted her niece to marry a decent man as his wife.

Moreover, she was with Wei Changying, who was now the young madam of the Shen Family and the future Head Mother of the Shen Family, so she was powerful. Without hesitation she then gave the job to Tuanyue and Xinyue. These two maidservants were ugly-looking and served Shen Cangfeng all the time. They hadn't been taken away until now so it would be safe for them to go to the front courtyard.

"Tuanyue and Xinyue will go over, but there are three guests coming. You can't just ask two maidservants to serve them?" Wei Changying saw Mrs. He change her mind quickly and look at her worriedly. Mrs. He looked as if she would insist that Zhu Shi should go to the front courtyard. She thought it was a bit funny that the guest called Nian Shengyao hadn't even entered the door yet, but he had already frightened her fierce and capable wet nurse.

She was afraid that Mrs. He might be embarrassed if she saw her laughing, so she looked down to cover it up and flipped through the servant register, saying, "Granny, you get a few more people. While there is still time, you give them some instructions, ask them to change into newer clothes, and go to serve together later."

Mrs. He was relieved to hear that it was not necessary for Zhu Shi to go over. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Since among the guests there is someone who likes to ask for pretty maidservants, I don't know whether to choose pretty ones or ordinary ones."

This was the same thing that she had asked Shen Cangfeng yesterday. Wei Changying laughed, "Just the ordinary ones are fine. In the past, when we made staff arrangements, we only put cleaning servants in the front courtyard but forgot to arrange maidservants to serve guests. This time, we send some servants over first and then confirm designated personnel."

Mrs. He pondered, "In my opinion, it's better to choose the pretty ones."

Wei Changying was a bit surprised, "Why?" She'd said that although there was a guest who was a womanizer, there was no need to give them away now!

Mrs. He said confidently, "This is the first time you have helped the young master to serve guests. If you don't go, the maidservants you send over will represent your decency." Her voice lowered, "Young madam, look, if the guests see all the maidservants are like Tuanyue and Xinyue, they will definitely say you do it improperly and as for the young master, he doesn't even have a proper-looking maidservant! This is because of your jealousy! Anyway, our young master is a decent man, so let's take some good-looking ones there so that you will get a reputation for being tolerant and virtuous and the young master can keep face!"

Wei Changying didn't know whether she should cry or laugh, saying, "It's just a few maidservants. Today they are coming over to discuss something serious. Who would pay that much attention to them?"

But Mrs. Huang thought what Mrs. He said made sense, "In our courtyard, there are a few good-looking servants if they clean themselves up. This is the first time you have had guests since the young master and you married. If the maidservants are very ugly, will we have decency in our courtyard? It will also make you seem stingy!"

Wei Changying couldn't help but say, "What if she was chosen and was asked for by him?"

Mrs. Huang and Mrs. He said in unison, "She is just a servant. Since he is the young master's guest, just give him the servant."

Mrs. Huang added, "Young madam, you think it is for their own good to keep them inside instead of sending them over, but maybe some of them expect to be chosen by a guest. After getting there, if she is favored by the master, no matter how low her position will be, she will still live a good life!"

"That's it!" Mrs. He said, "Especially the ones who have good looks. Not all of them are willing to spend their days sweeping the courtyard and doing tough work. If you keep the people, who think when they are old enough, they should marry a manservant, in our courtyard, what do you think they will do? Why don't we just let them out and let them take their chances? They won't think you are not nice to them but think you are very thoughtful!"

"...." Both grannies thought so, so Wei Changying had to consider it carefully, and after thinking about it, she said, "You should also ask Granny Wan to see if she wants to keep anyone, so we don't send them over by mistake. Also, you should ask all the servants who are to be sent over privately, and if they really don't want to go, don't force them."

Wei Changying was afraid that Mrs. Wan would have her own opinions, so she specifically got Mrs. Wan here and explained it to her. However, Mrs. Wan had the same opinion as Mrs. Huang and Mrs. He, "Since the marriage between you and the young master, this is the first time you have had guests. In my opinion, it's better to send a few elegant maidservants over, which is decent. I have heard of Mr. Nian. He did ask the young master for two maidservants, but Mr. Nian is not an indiscreet person. He got two people last year, so there's definitely no reason for him to come back for more now."

Understanding the meaning of her words, Wei Changying knew she was in favor of directly sending Zhu Shi and the others over and thought that there was no harm in sending them there.

It was just that when it came to her niece's future, she still couldn't stop worrying, so she said, "Sister Wan, you don't understand that Zhu Shi and the others have been serving the young madam since they were children. They have all been spoiled by the young madam, so I'm afraid it's improper for them to go there in case they disturb the young master's business. There are a few slightly older ones, though they had been doing some rough work before, they're still steady and looking good."

How could Mrs. Wan not understand what she meant? She didn't argue but smiled slightly, "The little maids have always been in your charge. If you say they are good, I won't think they are bad."

So, after a long while, they chose six maidservants to serve in the front courtyard. Including Tuanyue and Xinyue, those who had been cleaning the courtyard and working in the kitchen were chosen. Wei Changying checked them personally. Their looks were still passable. One of the maidservants working in the kitchen was a maidservant named Luzhu, who just turned fifteen. Her eyebrows were curved like the moon and her posture was charming. Her appearance was better than Zhu Shi and the others who were not fully grown. The three grannies were very satisfied to see her. Mrs. Huang and Mrs. He thought that with such a maidservant serving guests, Wei Changying would never be regarded as a jealous woman who was used to envying others and didn't allow any pretty maidservants to be in the rear courtyard.

Mrs. Wan was satisfied that if Luzhu was sent over, Shen Cangfeng wouldn't be laughed at by his guests for being so controlled by his wife that he wouldn't even dare to keep an ordinary-looking maidservant around.

These maidservants did not do any close attendant's work. Although this time the work was only to serve tea and water and there wasn't anything complicated to do, Wei Changying still asked Mrs. He to use these hours to instruct them, so that when it was the time, they would not be afraid.

They were all in the same courtyard. What things could be hidden? Zhu Shi and the others were surprised when they saw Mrs. He suddenly instructing Luzhu and someone else personally, so they went over and asked. Mrs. He thought the time was tight so she was impatient with them, shooing them away, "This is the young madam's own words. They have been asked for by the young master. Now I'm busy instructing them. You are making things difficult!"

When they were kicked out by her, Zhu Lan glanced from side to side and dragged Zhu Shi away to find Qin'ge and Yan'ge, who had just been replaced by Jiaoge and Han'ge. After a warm greeting, they pestered them for the reason.

It was not a secret, and because of Mrs. He, Qin'ge and Yan'ge were called ‘good sisters’ a few times, then smiled and said, "After noon, the young master will bring guests back for business so he asked the young madam to send someone to serve in the front courtyard. Isn't Granny He instructing them at the moment?"

They also teased Zhu Shi, "Granny He is doing everything for you. She is afraid that you look too pretty so you might be taken by one of the young master's guests, who loves to ask for beautiful maidservants"

The maidservants laughed together and all said, "You must be careful, Zhu Shi! Since there is such a person among the young master's guests, even if you have escaped this time, there might be a next time! If there is, you'll be taken by the guest into his rear courtyard to be his concubine."

Zhu Shi blushed and ran into the house, holding her dress, "Nonsense, nonsense! Granny must have felt that we couldn't serve them well so that she is instructing Luzhu and the others!"

And she turned around and spat out, "What concubine! Am I that kind of person? You're all full of bullshit!"

Zhu Lan and the others were not actually teased, but they discussed how the guest who loved to ask their host for maidservants was lecherous. Talking about him, they spat a few times to show that they didn't want to be taken away like that.

However, after this fooling around, of the three guests invited by Shen Cangfeng, Gu Yiran and Liu Xixun were now totally ignored. Before Shen Cangfeng came back from seeing the guests out, Zhu Shi and the others had gathered around Luzhu, who was returning from this errand, to ask about Nian Shengyao.

As soon as Luzhu heard Zhu Shi say, "There was an indiscreet person among all the guests today. When you were serving, did you notice which one he was? What kind of a person was he who was so tolerated by our young master?" She immediately blushed, entered her room without turning back, and slammed the door!

Zhu Shi felt weird. One of the people who accompanied Luzhu to serve tea pulled them aside and whispered, "Isn't it just because of that one man who was called Mr. Nian by our young master? He looked like a gentleman, tidy, proper-looking and refined, but his behavior... Sister Luzhu was serving him tea but before she put the tea down, he touched her hand. Later, he wanted more tea, but sister Luzhu did not want to go and another sister went over. He was not happy about it and asked sister Luzhu to go over. Sister Luzhu was too afraid to refuse. However, not only did he touch her hand again but also took her pouch. The other two guests came with him today, one was the son of the Gu Family from the capital and the other one was the son of the Liu Family from Eastern Hu. They were both upset by his behavior! This Mr. Nian didn't care however much Mr. Gu and Mr. Liu gestured, and he even sniffed the pouch in front of everyone, shaking his head and saying that the beauty smelt good. The young master was almost unable to hold his tea!"

Zhu Shi and the others were dumbfounded, saying, "Did the young master say to give sister Luzhu to...?"

"The young master smiled resignedly and told sister Luzhu to leave, saying not to interrupt their conversation, and that was how sister Luzhu was able to get out of it." This maid called Shuang'er, who was responsible for sweeping the porch, and who Zhu Shi and the others were also familiar with, whispered, "It sounded like that Mr. Nian was not a young master from any family, but an assistant of the young master. I don't know where he got the nerve to dare to behave like that in front of the young master. Now what is sister Luzhu going to do?"

As the young maids were talking about the future of Luzhu, they looked at each other in dismay. Wei Changying, who had also heard that Luzhu had been molested, also had a headache, "The grannies all said to send some beautiful maidservants to serve and now Luzhu has been...What can we do now? Do I give her to him or not?"

Mrs. Wan was embarrassed. Although she hadn't openly vouched for him before, she had made it clear in her words that Nian Shengyao had already got two beautiful maidservants from Shen Cangfeng in the second half of last year and he would not be asking again so soon. She had even confidently suggested at the time to send Mrs. He's niece Zhu Shi over to serve. However, thanks to Mrs. He being cautious, she had insisted on keeping Zhu Shi in. If Zhu Shi had been molested today, she wouldn't be able to explain to Mrs. He.

So she apologetically said, "I have only met Mr. Nian a few times. Everything I knew was hearsay. I almost harmed...."

Mrs. Huang suddenly interrupted, "What is this about, sister Wan? Sister Wan is a good person, and we all know it. After all, Mr. Nian is an outsider, and we are the women who look after our rear courtyard. If we knew everything in the front courtyard, it would be strange."

Mrs. He was inspired by her and quickly said it didn't matter.

Wei Changying waited for them to finish their courtesies and then said, "Nian Shengyao is a man in the front courtyard. We should leave him aside, but Luzhu who was molested by him is a maidservant in the rear courtyard. What should we do now?"

The three grannies looked at each other and said, "How about waiting for the young master to return and asking him?"