Chunying has traveled for half a month, and she also has a certain understanding of her own situation.

As a child of the family, you are born a slave, and if you want to be free, unless you have the permission of the master, and it is not enough to have ransom money, the master must be willing to let you go. In the Qingguo Marquis's Mansion, there has always been a tradition of "opening grace" to let slaves out of the house, so that the free domestic slaves will not only not offend the original owner, but may also have the opportunity to take away their accumulated property. If the owner is happy, maybe he doesn't even want the price.

Judging from the information I heard, usually the young master will release people when he gets married, and the young lady will also release people when she gets married, and Mother Lu also hinted that when the old lady dies, she will also release people. The identities of these people are also exquisite, and the close cronies may not be released, and it is difficult to say that the young and unvalued Yahuan is the most likely to be released. And that's what my family wants now.

In order to get more accurate news, Chunying asked: "Mother, eldest sister, will you really be released in the future when you go to be a young lady?" ”

"Not necessarily." Mother Lu raised her feet and got on the kang, "There are only four or five out of ten people, so naturally I want to ask for favors." Your sister has an old lady in charge, you don't have to worry about it at home, your favor and silver, your mother has her own body to take it out, and nine times out of ten you can do it. ”

Chun Ying made up her mind and asked again: "Then what will happen to us after we are released?" If my sister and I are out, what about you, my father, and Xiaohu? ”

Mother Lu said funny: "What kind of stupid thing is this? Only you two sisters were released, and your father and I were naturally still on errands in the house. As for your brother......" she thought for a moment and smiled slightly bitterly, "Your father and I have no ability, so I have to let him continue to suffer......"

Qiu Yu hurriedly comforted her mother: "Where did it get to this point? I see that my brother is a clever man, and he may have a great future in the future, and if he can be appointed as a steward, it will be considered a blessing. ”

Mother Lu thought about it, and her mood was better, but Chunying's face was a little unsightly. Only she and Qiuyu are free, and the fact that their families are still slaves is uncomfortable. So she stubbornly asked, "Isn't there a way for our family to let them out?" My sister and I are outside, how can we feel at ease? ”

Qiu Yu smiled and tapped her head: "I have a conscience when I hear what you say, but this matter is also forced." Let's go out, it's the master's grace, unless the father and mother have a decent errand, where can they get into the eyes of the master? ”

Mother Lu said: "It's enough for you to have this heart." Your father and I have grown up in this house since we were born, what can we do when we go out? I just hope that you can marry into a good family, no matter how bad you are, you can find an honest and reliable one in the house, and you will have a good life in the future, help your younger brother, and when I and your father are too old to be useful, give us a few more pension money, and that's it. ”

Qiu Yu's cheeks were slightly red: "What did my mother say about this?" It's weird and boring. Didn't you just cook? Beware of burnt paste. ”

Mother Lu remembered this time, hurriedly got off the kang and walked in the direction of the door, stopped halfway through, turned around and asked the eldest daughter: "There are still rice cakes sent by others at home, how about I cut a few pieces for you and fry a plate of shredded vegetables and meat?" That's your favorite one. ”

Qiu Yu nodded: "It's okay, you have to put more salt." I ate tasteless things all day long, and my mouth was light. ”

Mother Lu answered the door, Qiu Yu stretched her waist, crossed her legs on the kang again, and saw Chunying's face change, so she asked, "What are you thinking?" ”

"It's nothing ......" Chunying lowered her head, feeling very uncomfortable. She didn't expect that the "let go" mentioned by her mother and eldest sister is not really freedom, but it is just that she is no longer a slave in terms of status, which does not mean independence. If they are released, they will have to be married, if they are lucky, they will marry commoners, and if they are unlucky, they will still marry the servants in the mansion, and they will continue to be under the control of this wealthy mansion in the future. This is too far from what she originally thought!

After thinking about it, she asked Qiuyu: "Sister, you just said that there will be two young ladies in the house in a few months, how old are those two young ladies this year?" ”

Qiu Yu pinched her fingers and calculated: "The second miss is less than a year older than you, and it is her birthday in October, and the third miss is only eight years old this year, so she is still young." After a pause, she said: "It's best to go to the second miss, she is the same age as you, and when she gets married, you are the age to leave the house." If it's the third lady, I'm afraid that before she goes out, you'll be too old, and she is not favored, and the people in the house don't know if they will be indiscriminately matched. ”

Chunying immediately calculated: if she really can't avoid the fate of being a slave in the mansion, it doesn't mean that she has to be a maid for the rest of her life, as long as she finds a good way out, she may still be free in a short time.

She will turn eleven years old in a few months this year, and the second lady is the same age as her, and she will be about sixteen or seventeen years old when she gets married, and if she marries early, it is possible that she will be thirteen or fourteen years old, then she will only need to work for three to five years at most to come out. At that time, she was not very old, and her parents might not marry her off immediately, so she would have time to make her fortune.

In case it was the third lady who was only eight years old...... How many years will it take for her to get married......

Chunying immediately made a decision: "I also think that the second lady is the best." I wonder what her temper is? Do you get along well? ”

Qiu Yu saw that her sister was asking about serious matters, and she was very happy: "Although the second young lady is a concubine, she has the same mother as the second young master, and she is quite decent in the house, and the old lady also loves her very much." She has a good temperament, she is very good at talking, and she treats people kindly, and the people who follow her have never been beaten, and when they talk about it in private, they all say that she is easy to serve, and as long as she does her duty well, she will not be embarrassed. ”

Sounds good...... "What about the third lady?" Chunying asked.

"Third Miss...... Her biological mother, Aunt Rong, was originally a girl married by his wife, and was promoted as a concubine by Hou Ye, but his wife has always been faint. Although the third lady and the second miss generally have no worries about food and clothing, she is not favored in front of the old lady, and her temperament is also a little cowardly. The people who follow her will inevitably be a little angry, but Aunt Rong is extremely picky......" Qiu Yu thought about it and cautiously did not say any more, "In short, it is best to wait for the second miss, otherwise I would rather go to the needlework room, although it cannot be released, it is still stable." ”

Chunying knew it in her heart.

Since she has crossed into this body, this family is really good to her, she has no reason to eat rice, I am afraid that she is really going to enter the house, not only to reduce the burden of her family, but also to consider her freedom in the future. After all, whether it's to redeem oneself or make a living, you need money.

She decided, to fight for the second lady, not to get ahead, not to be the first, to be safe, honestly, to survive the past few years, and at the same time save the monthly money, when the time is to pay the money and leave, and then use the remaining money as the start-up capital for the business......

Although it is not pleasant to be a slave, if the top boss has a good temper, she will treat it as a job for a few years to accumulate capital for future entrepreneurship!

After thinking about it, Chunying's mind was also a lot, so she began to ask Qiu Yu about the second lady, including her preferences, taboos, the situation of the maid ring around her, etc., and asked the maid ring who was a young lady, what kind of work usually she had to do. Although Qiu Yu has been in the Hou Mansion for many years, after all, she is not the person next to the young lady, how can she know so much? But she also knew that her sister asked for business, so she had to explain them one by one, and if she didn't know, she secretly wrote them down, and promised her sister to inquire when she returned home.

However, Chunying still has a general understanding of the responsibilities of a maid. The rough maids are responsible for cleaning the house, taking care of the flowers, cats and dogs, delivering things, passing messages, etc., and sometimes doing needlework; The maids above the second class do the delicate work, they take care of the general clothes and utensils, and they are also responsible for the grooming and eating of the young master; As for the first-class big girl, there are usually only one or two people around each little master, who are responsible for managing valuables, and taking care of the young masters' daily life, studies, words and deeds together with the nurturing grandmother and others.

This kind of big girl ring is usually given by the elders, and it will not be arranged until the little master grows up. They have a respected status, and there are little girls as assistants on weekdays, and ordinary housekeepers dare not speak loudly to them. If it is the eldest girl ring around the elders, the younger masters should also be respectful when they see it.

Qiu Yu is only second-class, and there is a little girl waiting for her when she goes home, which shows her status in the house.

Chunying felt that her waist and liver were much straighter, as long as she could suffer less after entering the mansion, she would endure it in the past few years. Crossing the female can bend and stretch!

At lunchtime, Lu's mother made several of her eldest daughter's favorite dishes and kept blackmailing her to eat. Qiu Yu accepted them one by one, quietly held back her tears, smiled and persuaded her mother to eat more. Chunying was feeding her younger brother on the side, and she was also a little moved when she saw this.

After eating, Qiu Yu grabbed her mother and opened a bag she brought, revealing the clothes, shoes and socks inside: "Here is a shoulder and a skirt that the old lady rewarded, as well as a jacket I made myself, my mother kept it for herself, two pairs of shoes are for my father, and the craftsmanship can't be compared with my mother's, which is also my heart." There is also a piece of material, which is also rewarded by the old lady, and the mother will make a new dress for her younger brothers and sisters. ”

Mother Lu hurriedly pushed: "Since the old lady rewarded you, you can keep it for yourself, and there is still it at home." ”

Qiu Yu smiled: "I have a lot of them, these colors are too heavy, but they are more suitable for my mother to wear, you just have to keep them." After that, he took out a small silk bag from his sleeve: "Here is a pair of gold and two pairs of silver from the wife." The mother of gold has been put away, and the silver is kept for weekdays. She took out a silver bracelet inlaid with agate from her small bag and handed it to Chunying: "Didn't you say you liked this last time?" I got another one, and I took it. ”

Chun Ying was stunned: "This ......" is silver, but looking at the workmanship on it, she knows that this thing will not be cheap.

Qiu Yu stuffed things over without saying a word: "I'm not at home, how filial you are to your father and mother, take care of your younger brother, and you're a year older after the New Year, don't mess around anymore!" ”

Chunying took the bracelet in a daze, and her nose suddenly became a little sour.

Qiu Yu hugged her younger brother, kissed her twice, took her mother's hand, and said, "It's not too early, I have to go back." Take care. Dad came back and told him that I would kowtow to him...... "Mother Lu choked up, "Can't you really wait a little longer?" Qiu Yu smiled bitterly and shook her head: "Sooner or later, I will go back, and I will not come back." ”

Lu's mother wrapped two newly made jackets for her eldest daughter, stuffed a few snacks, and told her thousands of instructions, but she was reluctant to let her go out. The little girl who went home with Qiuyu was urging outside the door, and she let go of her hand.

Chunying sent her sister out of the courtyard with her mother, and Qiu Yu whispered goodbye to them again before reluctantly getting into the car.

Chunying looked at the car in the distance, and suddenly felt a little empty in her heart.