Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 17 Making Money in a Right Way

Mother An smiled but didn't say anything. She had only wanted to find an excuse to see the girl, so she only picked two of them.

"You can either sell the rest or keep it for yourself. Now that you're here at the Tang residence, do your job well, and we won't treat you unfairly."

Donggua learned to make pastries under Aunt An and was quite familiar with her. Knowing that it wasn't just polite talk, he advised Meng Shu: "Aunt An is right. We've just arrived and haven't received our monthly wages yet. Since you have the ability to make a living, you can also save some money for yourself."

"I appreciate Madam An's kindness, but I was thinking that if these embroideries are to your liking, I would like to have a talk with you." Meng Shu sat on the rusty stool, looking at Madam An with bright, sparkling eyes.

Madam An was generous in showing kindness to the young girls. As the head of the household, she had earned their favor and they would remember it. So she took the initiative to say, "You want me to help you sell them? That's easy. Your embroidery is really good, and the patterns are novel. I can sell them for a good price when I take them outside."

Meng Shu was indeed very happy, but she was also a little embarrassed and clearly thought for a moment before speaking.

“Mother An, the fabric used for purses and handkerchiefs is small and scattered, it only wastes some thread. I’m thinking that the old ladies or favored maids in our household receive gifts from the old lady and the masters, and the fabrics they use must be of the best quality. After they finish making clothes, they always have some leftover scraps. Wouldn’t it be better if they sold them to me or if I embroidered them and sold the finished products, and then we split the profits?”

This was an idea that Meng Shu had been thinking about for a long time. If this matter could be accomplished, there would be two benefits.

Firstly, it would save her the cost of buying fabric. She could receive fabric and needles for free by signing a contract with the embroidery shop, and then have them returned after she finished embroidering. However, as a servant, she was not allowed to leave the mansion unless necessary, so the embroidery shop route was naturally not an option for her.

Secondly, it's about gaining favors and connections, which is the most important thing.

Just as she said, the masters in the manor are very generous. The fabrics they casually bestow as gifts are often not in bolts, but rather in small pieces. Many people keep these gifts to the bottom of their trunks, intending to sell them later. If they could trade directly with Meng Shu in the manor, or wait until the embroidery is finished and sold before splitting the profits, that would be fine. In that case, Meng Shu could build some connections.

To achieve this, the first step is to choose a reliable person to cooperate with. Meng Shu came to see An's mother today with the idea of ​​finding a backer.

After pondering for a while, Mother An couldn't help but look at Meng Shu with newfound respect. This girl was not lacking in cunning and scheming, and even when she wanted to win people's hearts, she did so openly.

“Your suggestion is excellent. We have quite a few embroiderers in our manor’s needlework room, but they have many jobs and may not be willing to earn this money. Besides, I think your finished products are slightly better than theirs.”

"The old folks in our household have quite a few scraps of cloth on hand. I'll go and make some connections for you. As for the rest, you can talk to them yourself. Our household doesn't forbid doing things privately."

Not only would they not prohibit it, but although the Tang family had a distant relative, a noble family, as a backer, their status was already comparable to that of a merchant family. Therefore, it was not unusual for a maidservant who was good at making money to be found in the Tang family.

Mother An acted decisively. When Meng Shu returned, she brought a lot of fabric. Dong Gua hopped and skipped to deliver it to her. When no one was around, Meng Shu handed her a handkerchief.

"This is what I promised you, Donggua, thank you."

Donggua happily accepted it, saying, "I knew you were thinking of me." But when she opened it, she was a little dumbfounded.

"This... why is there a huge winter melon embroidered on it!"

Meng Shu chuckled, her lively voice ringing out, "Isn't it very fitting? Look at the lush, vibrant melon vine I embroidered, just like you, it's pleasing to the eye."

Winter Melon chuckled, probably having never been praised before. Blushing, she said, "I'm not as good as you say, but it's a real pity about you—literate, literate, and good at everything..."

Meng Shu wasn't the type to complain or blame others. She changed the subject and showed Meng Shu the crickets embroidered on the handkerchief. Actually, she was quite satisfied with the design. Aren't ordinary flowers and plants worth appreciating?

Time slipped away day by day, and before we knew it, it was the end of May.

Mother An came to see Meng Shu in person once. Last time, she sold three purses and three handkerchiefs for 150 coins because of their good embroidery. The purses were 35 coins each, and the handkerchiefs were 15 coins each. Meng Shu carefully calculated that, based on market prices, the cost of the scraps of cloth plus the needle and thread was about 50 coins, so she made a net profit of 100 coins.

That's quite a lot. Actually, these tasks can be completed in just one or two days.

Even Cao Mama had sent some fabric these days, but she didn't intend to sell it. Instead, she commissioned Meng Shu to embroider some baby clothes. Cao Mama was her boss, so Meng Shu was naturally willing to help. Before long, Meng Shu was thriving in Langya Courtyard.

Of course, there were also those who were jealous of Meng Shu. They were both maids, so why did Meng Shu get to earn money? Many people had such thoughts, but no one dared to mention it in front of others because of Cao Mama.

Meng Shu's solution was to give a lecture, announcing a message in Langya Courtyard after dinner.

"If you want to learn embroidery, knotting, or tassel making, you can bring your own materials to learn for free in your spare time."

The main message is: if you're envious, then go for it!

But embroidery requires talent, and not everyone can learn it. Therefore, Meng Shu was not stingy, nor did she hesitate to teach others, even if it meant starving the master. Besides, if you learn it, we can take on jobs together and earn money together. Maybe I can even earn a ten percent from you. Others naturally couldn't see through Meng Shu's intentions. This reversed her reputation. At least the maids in Langya Courtyard became attentive to her, and she truly gained a lot of goodwill.

Before I knew it, the day to collect my monthly pay had arrived.

Early in the morning, Green Willow didn't even bother to go to the canteen for breakfast. She dragged Meng Shu out of bed and said, "You're not even enthusiastic about collecting your monthly allowance. Are you out of your mind? Let me tell you, every time we collect our monthly allowance, after the afternoon break, a peddler comes to the corner gate. We should buy some hair accessories and jewelry. Last time, Chunyue bought a peach blossom hairpin, and it was so pretty."

During this time, Meng Shu had already discovered that Lvliu was a big chatterbox, and her drowsiness had been chased away by her nagging.

"That hairpin isn't expensive at all; it only costs 120 coins. If we go too late, we might not even be able to buy it. After you collect your monthly pay, I'll call you this afternoon so we can go together."

While Meng Shu was washing up, Lvliu was still chattering. She had been learning embroidery for a long time but hadn't mastered it. However, she had learned to make simple knots, thinking that it would be a source of income in the future. Therefore, she wanted to buy the jewelry she had been eyeing for a long time.

The accounting office for collecting monthly wages was located in a separate small courtyard between the front and back courtyards, convenient for the maids and servants in the back courtyard and the servants in the front courtyard. When Meng Shu and the others arrived, a long queue had already formed.

About a quarter of an hour later, Meng Shu gave her name and the Langya Courtyard where she worked. The accountant, who had a goatee, skillfully took out the Langya Courtyard's account book from the ledger. "Meng Shu, you worked for sixteen days in May. Manager Cao mentioned that it would be paid for a full month. You are a third-class maid, and your monthly salary is two hundred coins."

With a loud voice, the accountant (an ancient cashier) next to the accountant took out two strings of copper coins from the money box. Meng Shu took them with delight. She thought she would only receive one hundred coins, but she didn't expect to receive such a pleasant surprise.

Green Willow had already received her money and was happy for her friend upon hearing this.

"The master will convene a council meeting next month. In the past, the managers who stayed at Langya Courtyard were always very generous, and they would always give generous rewards. Also, our monthly wages are doubled every month during the council meeting." On the way back, Green Willow was beaming with joy, and she and Meng Shu looked on with bright eyes, hoping that the council meeting would be held soon.