Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 2 Drifting Duckweed

Meanwhile, Zhou the Matchmaker, unafraid of bad luck, went to the cemetery to watch a grand spectacle. Meng Chengwen, clutching his bleeding head, angrily picked up a pen and signed Meng Shu's indenture. Zhou the Matchmaker settled the matter on the spot.

I bought it out for fifteen taels of silver.

From then on, ten-year-old Meng Shu lost her freedom, and everything she did thereafter was like a drifting duckweed, adrift and without support.

Granny Zhou sat upright in the middle of the carriage, her eyes even showing a hint of appreciation for Meng Shu's performance. "I wondered why she had to resort to such underhanded tactics to sell her daughter. Turns out she's a stepdaughter. You won't lose out by leaving this family."

Meng Shu never learned her mother's gentle nature from a young age, and began to grow up in the eyes of her wicked stepmother from the age of six.

But this time she responded with a wry smile: "Grandma Zhou is joking. If there were no other way, who would be willing to be sold into servitude?"

Granny Zhou stared out the car window with her cloudy eyes. Meng Shu immediately lifted the curtain, and Granny Zhou nodded secretly.

Once you leave the village road, you go straight onto the official road. Several willow trees along the roadside have just sprouted new buds, their branches hanging down in a verdant green.

Amidst the rumbling of wheels, Granny Zhou sighed calmly, "Everything is predestined, and nothing is up to us. However, one can only understand one's own fate and destiny by going out into the world."

Meng Shu was surprised that Granny Zhou would say such a thing, and she looked out the window with her eyes downcast and remained silent.

Mengjia Village was just the first stop. Afterwards, Granny Zhou instructed the driver to go to several surrounding villages. When the sounds of crying and pulling came over, Meng Shu watched coldly from the car window, witnessing many tragedies.

It was early March, and the cold snap was fierce. Meng Shu was at least wearing a padded jacket, but the three girls who came up after her were all wearing patched thin spring clothes. They looked timid and huddled in a corner of the carriage. Zhou Ya Po closed her eyes and took a nap. None of them dared to breathe loudly.

Meng Shu looked him up and down. One of them looked about her age, while the other two looked to be thirteen or fourteen. The oldest one shrank his toes when he saw Meng Shu looking at him.

He was wearing worn-out straw sandals, with a few toes sticking out, and frostbite was faintly visible.

The carriage stopped in a village near Haijin Town. Before getting off, Granny Zhou told the four girls in the carriage not to move, and then went straight to a house.

Meng Shu introduced herself first, "My name is Meng Shu, and I am ten years old."

The youngest girl rubbed her hands together to warm them and then kneaded them over her ears, saying, "Huan Di is eight years old."

The two older ones also introduced themselves; one was called Er Ya Zi, and the other was called Dun Zi.

Er Yazi, the one wearing straw sandals, was twelve years old. When she opened her mouth, she revealed two large front teeth. With envy in her eyes, she said to Meng Shu, "Were you also sold? Your padded jacket is so pretty."

Dunzi was the same age as Meng Shu, short and chubby. She reached out and pinched the padded jacket, and said in surprise, "It's made of cotton? Your family is so good to you. Last year, I collected reed catkins for half a year and filled a thin jacket with them. Before I left home, I had my mother take it off, saying that she wanted to save it for my unborn fourth brother to make into cotton trousers."

“It’s good to leave it at home. We were sold, and I heard that the master gave us clothes.”

Er Ya Zi also started rubbing his ears. The frostbite was unbearably itchy and painful during the fluctuating temperatures of early spring.

"I wonder where we were sold to. Hey, how many taels of silver were you sold for?" Huan Di settled his ears and started scratching his toes.

“My mother knelt down and pleaded with the matchmaker for a long time. Five taels of silver was enough for my family to live on for two or three years.”

After Dunzi finished speaking, Er Yazi and Huandi also said it was five taels. Then the three of them stared blankly at Meng Shu, waiting for her to speak.

“Meng Shu, your name is beautiful, and you’re pretty too, so you’ll definitely fetch a high price,” Dunzi said confidently.

Upon hearing that the three had only sold for five taels of silver, Meng Shu's face paled, and a chill ran through her. Granny Zhou was willing to spend fifteen taels; she certainly wouldn't do a losing business.

No matter how clever she was, she couldn't help but feel afraid.

Seeing that she didn't speak and was busy rubbing her frostbite, the three men lowered their heads and didn't ask any more questions.

Half an hour later, Granny Zhou brought a child into the carriage. Huan Di opened his eyes wide in disbelief. His parents had tried their best but couldn't get a boy. And there were actually boys being sold in this village!

As soon as Zhou Yapo got into the carriage, she could tell that Meng Shu was distracted. However, at this moment, she had acquired two promising young talents, and her heart was filled with sweet joy. She loudly urged the carriage to set off.

Meng Shu squeezed the items in her package, sighing that she could only take things one step at a time, and calmed herself down to look at her new companions who had boarded the bus.

The boy was around ten years old, dressed in tattered clothes, but had a handsome face.

Her face was fair, and her big eyes blinked. A small beauty mark under her left eye added to her liveliness. Like Meng Shu, she also had a pair of shallow dimples on her cheeks.

With everyone present, the driver didn't linger any longer and soon arrived at Haijin Town. After purchasing food and water as instructed by Granny Zhou, they continued south.

After a 15-minute break at noon to eat some dry rations, they continued their journey at a brisk pace until it was slightly dark. Meng Shu, sitting by the car window, knew they had arrived in Jinnan County.

Granny Zhou leaned out halfway and respectfully handed over the travel permit, explaining the destination. Meng Shu looked closely and noticed a small piece of silver under the permit.

The guards, having gained an advantage, waved for the carriage to enter the city.

Meng Shu had been to the county town with her uncle before, but the other four had never been. Along the way, the matchmaker was not harsh on them, so the four of them carefully huddled together at the windows on both sides to look at the night view of the county town.

On the two main streets running north to south, shops on both sides lit lanterns in preparation for closing, and pedestrians hurried home.

As the carriage traveled to the street to the left of the county government office, it suddenly became brightly lit. It turned out that vendors were setting up their night food stalls, including an early-opening wonton stall with a large pot steaming hot.

Dunzi sniffed sharply and swallowed hard.

Granny Zhou was exhausted from the journey, and Meng Shu secretly observed her, wondering what she was thinking.

After passing the night market street, the carriage turned into a narrow alley, and after several more turns, stopped under a sturdy locust tree.

Meng Shu memorized the route, stretched her stiff legs, and knew she had arrived at her destination.

As Zhou Ya Po got out of the carriage, the door in front of her creaked open, and a young woman dressed as a servant in her early twenties came out.

"Grandma Zhou is back. Handkerchiefs and hot water are ready. Chunhua is listening for the sound in the courtyard. She has already brought dinner to your room. Let me help you back to your room to rest."

The girl in front of them seemed not to see Meng Shu and the others, and only diligently helped Granny Zhou, saying a series of words.

Granny Zhou pulled up her sleeves, looking tired. "Where did that wretched girl Chunyue go? Take them away and settle them down."

After saying that, he turned back and looked at the five people. Although he was speaking to them, his eyes were fixed on Meng Shu. "Since you've been sold, you should be aware of your role as a servant. Don't think that you can escape my brokerage just because you've memorized the route."

Meng Shu was alert and nodded in agreement.

As the footsteps approached, it must have been Chunyue. Meng Shu and the other three were then led into the courtyard. By the dim light of the lanterns, they walked straight ahead and stopped in front of the rear building.

Chunyue raised the lantern high, and Mengshu obediently took it. Chunyue turned her head and gave her a satisfied look.

He took out a tinderbox and lit the oil lamp. "There are five people in one room. It's late tonight, so you can rest here. Someone will bring you food later. Just so you know that Master Wu has people patrolling our brokerage. You can't just step out of the room."

The five responded timidly, and Chunyue took the lantern and went towards the main room.