Chapter 361 Being despised

The master and servant were talking as they walked back. Before they reached the gate of Qingsong Garden, they heard scolding coming from inside.

"You stinky girl, I put you in the kitchen to work, but you were not happy and even complained to the steward. I am in charge of this courtyard now. Since you were assigned here, you should obey the instructions. You are just a second-class maid, so you can't be picky."

This was the voice of an old woman, and it sounded quite authoritative.

Qin Xiaoning recognized the voice and turned to Song Zhi to confirm, "Is this the one called Lai Mama?"

Songzhi replied, "The one who cursed was Mama Lai. Her husband is the manager of the purchasing department outside. He is highly regarded by the chief steward of the mansion. Mama Lai's status has also risen. I heard that during the time we were away, Mama Lai was in charge of Qingsong Garden."

Qin Xiaoning had just been married to Lu Ji for less than a month, and during this period, she was so busy with the complicated etiquette and rules that she had no time to get to know the people in the yard.

"Except for the day of our wedding, why haven't I seen Amber?" Qin Xiaoning said, "In the past, this yard was taken care of by Amber."

Songzhi glanced around, then lowered his voice and said to Qin Xiaoning, "After we left, I heard that the prince was furious and drove out all the people from Qingsong Garden. Aunt Amber was also implicated. It was your grandmother who arranged for Si'er to come here before you and the prince got married because she was worried that the people here didn't understand your personality and wouldn't be able to serve you well."

She had quietly slipped away at that time, and although she did not see Lu Ji's angry look with her own eyes, she could imagine that the man must have been furious.

If there is no place to vent this anger, it will definitely affect everyone.

"Silly girl, I'm telling you, I'm in charge of this yard now. If you dare to disobey, I'll go back to the housekeeper and sell you out immediately." In the yard, Lai Mama's scolding could be heard everywhere.

"Mother Lai, I just don't want to work in the kitchen. I haven't done anything wrong. Why do you have to be so aggressive?" The little maid was a temperamental person. Facing Mother Lai's scolding, her tone was filled with dissatisfaction.

Qin Xiaoning winked at Songzhi, who understood and pushed open the door. There should have been a maid guarding the door, but there was a commotion in the yard, so the gatekeeper dropped her job and went to watch the fun. So when Songzhi pushed open the door with a "bang", all the maids in the yard were startled.

After seeing Qin Xiaoning behind the pine branch, the angry Lai Mama hurried forward without any greeting, and replied, "Reporting to the princess, I am teaching this disobedient little hoof a lesson."

Qin Xiaoning glanced at her indifferently without saying a word, and walked into the house with steady steps and a cold face.

The maids in the courtyard looked at each other for a while. Then Lai Mama stepped forward and poked Songzhi, "Miss, is the princess unhappy?"

Songzhi pulled the corner of his mouth: "Don't you have eyes, Mrs. Lai?"

Mother Lai was choked and stunned.

After she was stunned, she forced a smile and said to Song Zhi, "Miss, what are you talking about? I have been ordered to manage this yard, so I must fulfill my duties."

As she spoke, she pointed at a little maid standing beside her and said angrily, "How dare this little rascal disobey orders? As the manager, can't I control her?"

Songzhi glanced at Lai Mama and smiled coldly: "I didn't say you can't control it, but you have to understand that this courtyard now has a mistress. Even if you want to show off, you have to see if the mistress can tolerate you."

After saying that, Songzhi waved his hand and went into the house.

Qin Xiaoning had already changed out of her casual clothes and was leaning on the chaise longue, eating small bites of fresh fruit brought to her by the maid.

She looked up and saw Songzhi coming in. She placed the fresh fruit in her hand on a small white glazed plate beside her. She washed her hands with a towel and asked, "Doesn't that Lai Mama obey you, too?"

Songzhi was surprised: "Did you hear everything I said to her outside just now?"

"Do I need to hear it with my own ears and see it with my own eyes?" Qin Xiaoning smiled faintly: "Just by looking at the way you came in, I guessed it." Songzhi sighed: "This lazy mother, relying on her age to bully others, is really annoying."

Qin Xiaoning stood up and stretched her waist lazily, muttering to the pine branches: "As a princess, I have never had the time to manage my own courtyard since I got married. It is better to do it today than to wait for a better day. I might as well take care of it today."

Songzhi heard this and immediately showed joy on his face: "Princess, are you going to kick Mother Lai out?"

Qin Xiaoning was amused: "Why should I chase him out when I haven't even asked him the reason?"

"Shouldn't she be kicked out for making such a scene in the yard?" Songzhi retorted.

"As the manager of this courtyard, it is her duty to manage the maids under her." Qin Xiaoning shook her head slightly: "She is driving people away because of this. She has no legitimate reason to do so."

Songzhi frowned, approached Qin Xiaoning, and said in a low voice: "Actually, I just hate her for not taking you seriously. Just now in the yard, she didn't even show courtesy when she saw you." The little maid snorted angrily: "Although she was punishing the maid, she was angry and her omission of courtesy was understandable, but her behavior also shows that she doesn't think highly of you as a princess at all."

Songzhi said it well.

This old woman really didn't take her, the princess, seriously.

Not to mention her, I'm afraid most of the servants in this yard and this mansion didn't take her seriously.

It is true that she is the head wife of the Lu family, but she is very different from noble ladies like Li Lanchun and Xia Yun who come from high-class families. The latter, because of their noble birth, have an invisible aura of oppression that makes people dare not look down on them, but she cannot.

This prestige can only be established by herself.

Songzhi was the closest to her, and what he said was the truth. Qin Xiaoning patted her hands and said softly, "I know you feel sorry for me, but the dignity of a princess like me cannot be established by chasing people away and scolding dogs."

"There's no rush for this, just take your time." Qin Xiaoning said to Song Zhi, "Go and get someone to call that Lai Mama in."

After a while, Lai Mama followed the maid into the house.

Although she was the manager of this courtyard, she was not allowed to enter the master's main house without permission, so this was the first time for Lai Mama to enter the main house.

Because it was a wedding room, there was a festive atmosphere everywhere. She glanced around quietly and was led to Qin Xiaoning by a maid.

At this moment, the young lady was wearing plain and elegant clothes, sitting at the top. Although she was pregnant, her figure still looked a little thin, especially her shoulders, which were narrow and thin, giving a feeling of being frail.

"Are you Lai's mother?"

When Mrs. Lai first entered the room, she just looked around quietly. When she saw Qin Xiaoning sitting in the main seat, she seemed to be in a trance for a long time. So, she didn't come back to her seat until Qin Xiaoning called her.

"Hey——" She bowed slightly towards Qin Xiaoning, then smiled and said, "I am just Mama."

Qin Xiaoning glanced at her indifferently and said nothing.

Mother Lai was waiting for instructions when she suddenly heard no sound from the person above her. She raised her head in confusion, only to see that the beauty at the table had turned her head away and was no longer paying attention to her.

How is this going?

She was just wondering, Song Zhi beside her said coldly: "Since Lai Mama is the manager of this courtyard, how come she doesn't know the rules? Don't you know how to show respect when you meet the princess?"