Chapter 174 The Guilty Etiquette Instructor
“I think Qing Xue has very dexterous hands, can I ask her to do a few accessories such as toggle-and-loop buttons and embroideries in the future? Mother says after the new shop opens, it will need many items like this. I’m afraid I cannot do them alone!” Xiuer said.
“Qing Xue has dexterous hands?” Qin Wanru smiled and asked.
“Qing Xue does have very dexterous hands, and her needlework is not bad, either. If she and I can work together, we will have more extraordinary items!”
Dong Xiuer said blissfully as she thought Qin Wanru had accepted her proposal.
Nanny Yu looked at Dong Xiuer unhappily, took a light cough, and seriously said to Qin Wanru, “Miss, Qing Xue is your great girl servant. It is not that our mansion has no money to spend and needs your great girl servant to work to make money for family running. If so, what will others think of you and our mansion?”
The close great girl servant of an aristocratic family’s miss was equivalent to the miss of a rich family. If the family were not in ruin, the servant would basically not go out to make money for family running.
Dong Xiuer blushed because of these words, lowering her head as she murmured, “Second Miss, I thought poorly!”
“If you are still in the mansion, then ask Qing Xue to help you!” Qin Wanru smiled and comforted her. After all, Nanny Dong and Dong Xiuer were not people of the Qin’s Mansion. After the shop’s business was on track, they would leave the mansion. For one thing, they would be freer; for another, they could manage the shop more conveniently.
“Yes, as Second Miss says!” Dong Xiuer said obediently and then left.
“Miss, what does Qing Xue want to do?” As Dong Xiuer disappeared from her view, Qing Yue frowned and said, only thinking this was Dong Xiuer’s business.
“Naturally, she doesn’t think she can stay here anymore!” Qin Wanru said slowly. Just now, she saw Dong Xiuer’s hairpin in the hair clearly, which was not ordinary. Nanny Dong couldn’t have had such a thing that time she was extremely poor, and she could not even afford it now.
This was the latest style in the capital city, not the old stuff from Jiangzhou.
So far, she had only given a few daily necessities to Nanny Dong, who couldn’t spare so much extra money to buy Dong Xiuer such a new hairpin. So, the hairpin should only come from Qing Xue.
After arriving in the capital city, Qing Xue had not walked out of the mansion for once. Unexpectedly, she had such a hairpin. It seemed that she had secret contacts with Mrs. Qin.
She took up the teacup at her hand and drank a mouthful. “Nanny Yu, tell Qing Xue to ask the grandmother’s servants when the invited etiquette instructor will arrive?”
“Tell Qing Xue to ask?” Nanny Yu said anxiously, realizing that Qing Xue was becoming stranger and stranger. “Why should you let her go out to work at this time?”
“Right, tell her to!” Qin Wanru drooped her eyelids and said slowly.
A girl servant gave away her hairpin, only wishing to make friends with Dong Xiuer, or perhaps work out ways to leave her. It seemed that the girl was really anxious…
Then, gave her the opportunity. Let’s see what she wanted to do so anxiously!
Inviting etiquette instructors was Qin Huaiyong and the Old Grandma’s decision. Initially, they only hired one for Qin Yuru, but considering that Qin Wanru, who was sensible but still young, was not so familiar with the etiquette in the capital city and had better have a teacher, they invited two etiquette instructors.
Since the etiquette instructors were mainly invited for Qin Yuru, Mrs. Qin also proactively asked Di Yan to tell his mother to ask the Duke Yong’s Mansion for help. It was said that the two instructors were famous in the capital city. Previously, they taught palace etiquette in the palace. Later, when they were old, they were released from the palace.
Today was scheduled for the two instructors to come, but there was no news of them even until now.
Qing Xue went to the Old Grandma’s Xinning Pavilion and found Nanny Duan, who told her the two instructors had been invited by another family and could not come, but there were two new ones, who were on the way to the mansion. When they arrived in a while, she would invite Qin Wanru.
Getting the information, Qing Xue went to report to Qin Wanru.
“New instructors?” Qin Wanru asked in surprise. “Is it that they were scheduled previously? Why have they been invited by another family now?”
“Nanny Duan says that family also had a schedule a long time ago, but Countess Yong didn’t confirm it when she mentioned it. She says they will be confirmed after they come to our mansion and let the Old Grandma, madams, and misses take a look.” Qing Xue asked clearly just now, and so she replied eloquently.
Getting her job just now, she must ask carefully!
This meant that Countess Yong just mentioned it casually and didn’t take it to her heart?
“What about the new instructors?” Qin Wanru thought about it for a moment and asked.
“It is said the new instructors are extremely good, even better than the two previous ones, and they were released from the palace. The palace etiquette is absolutely in accordance with the current rules. If they had not been affected by some affairs, they wouldn’t be released now.”
“Instructors teaching etiquette released from the palace now?” Qin Wanru was surprised. She suddenly thought of a person, showing a profound look in her eyes. If it was really that person, she must let the person stay this time.
If it was her, she believed Qin Yuru would not want her. This person was definitely sent to her, but this was just what she wanted. She hoped it was the person she thought of…
Nanny Duan invited her after a short time. After arriving at the room, Qin Wanru found Qin Yuru had not come. The Old Grandma sat on the head seat, unexpectedly with two women of 30 or so standing on each side. They didn’t look like the wrinkled old nannies.
It was especially the one on the left, beautiful, 30 or so. She had a nice face but didn’t have a smile on it, looking a little severe. She was not talking with the Old Grandma, but only sitting there, cold-faced and seemingly unhappy. Wearing this look, she was, in fact, not agreeable.
The other one looked a little older and was skilled at talking. She chatted with the Old Grandma relatively happily and smiled while chatting, looking kind. Thanks to her talk, the Old Grandma smiled heartily, showing she liked her a lot.
Qin Wanru came in, bowed to the Old Grandma routinely, and then moved to one side, looking curiously at the two nannies who looked relatively young.
“Zhuozhuo, they are Nanny Zheng and Nanny Huang. Come to bow!” The Old Grandma said as she smiled and waved to her.
Qin Wanru bowed naturally to the two nannies again.
Outside the curtain, a girl servant reported the coming of Qin Yuru. Qin Wanru moved a little to the side, the little girl servant raised the curtain, and Qin Yuru along with Mei Xue walked in. Dressed in light green clothing, she was tall and beautiful, completely different from Qin Wanru, who was still not mature yet.
Being a lady in her season, she looked exceptionally gorgeous and graceful.
As a famous beauty in Jiangzhou, Qin Yuru was undoubtedly outstanding. Standing casually anywhere would make others feel she was extraordinary.
That smiling nanny seemed to have a deeper smile. After seeing Qin Yuru, she couldn’t help turning to Qin Wanru. Initially, she didn’t think the sisters from a small area would be impressive. Surprisingly, they were extremely excellent. The older one was stunning, and the younger one was a more exquisite, unrivaled beauty. Being too young was her only flaw.
Qin Yuru stepped forward and bowed to the Old Grandma. Taking a look at the two nannies, she made her decision. Taking two steps forward and holding the Old Grandma’s hand, she shook it lovingly. “Grandma, I want this nanny!”
The one she meant was that smiling, kind-looking nanny.
“Why Nanny Huang?” To some extent, it was the Duke Yong’s Mansion that made the thing done. Done for Qin Yuru’s good, it was natural for her to select. But instantly choosing the smiling nanny still made the Old Grandma a little surprised. So, she asked.
“Grandma, I’ve heard that Nanny Huang taught well in the past. She was a little severe, but her teaching worked quite well. I’ve just arrived in the capital city and have no idea about many rules. Previously due to my ignorance, I made myself ridiculed. So, I want to choose a more severe teacher this time.”
Qin Yuru’s words sounded quite reasonable. With a shallow smile on her face, she looked like an easy-going lady who knew herself, and she should be a rule-abiding miss.
Nanny Huang was also extremely satisfied, nodding inwardly. In fact, she liked the second miss of the Qin’s Mansion at the beginning. The girl was beautiful but young, but she would be an unrivaled beauty when she grew up. In addition, it was easier to teach a younger student.
But since the first miss was also such a rule-abiding, sensible lady, it was not bad to teach her, either.
“Grandma…” Qin Wanru tugged at the Old Grandma’s sleeve with her hand, looked up at her, and also looked at Nanny Huang.
“Second sister, don’t embarrass our grandma. You act like a spoiled child to make our grandma speechless. But Nanny Huang was specially chosen for me by our auntie. Second sister, don’t beg anymore.” Qin Yuru said smilingly, sounding like a joke, but if Qin Wanru begged again, it was proof she tried to take the person her sister wanted.
She said it was Countess Yong’s choice because she didn’t believe their grandma would stubbornly give the person to Qin Wanru! In addition, it was Countess Yong who specially made turns and twists to choose the person for her.
Nanny Huang was also somewhat famous in the capital city’s etiquette teaching circle. She could teach her well, and Qian Yuru could also use her previous relations to enter the noble ladies’ circle of the capital city. How could Qin Yuru allow Qin Wanru to take this good opportunity?
For Qin Yuru, she felt the other nanny bore bad luck. “A maid lost the favor of the emperor’s concubine and was asked to leave the palace. How come she knows rules so well? Besides, even if she knows, I must try to avoid her. A guilty maid coming out of the palace always carries bad luck. If the nobles in the palace think of her someday, the one she teaches will not be appreciated or is even likely to bear anger.
“No doubt, Nanny Zheng was specially sent to Qin Wanru to disgust her!”
“Zhuozhuo, you learn from Nanny Zheng!”