Chapter 32: Taking the Bait

 

After Momo Zhu came out of Ren Yaoqi’s room, she saw the two maids, Qing Mei and Xue Li, standing in the corridor not far away, and they seemed to be arguing quietly.

Momo Zhu frowned, walked over, lowered her voice, and reprimanded: “What are you doing! Not only useless, yet still messing around! Tomorrow, I'll ask the Concubine to sell you outside!”

Qing Mei glanced sideways at Xue Li, and said with a sneer: “I’m afraid that someone will not pay attention to the old master after getting some good words from the new master! A certain someone has already climbed to another tall branch¹.“

- Metaphor for a person with high status

Upon hearing this, Momo Zhu glanced at Xue Li suspiciously.

Xue Li's anxious tears were falling: “Momo, don’t listen to her nonsense, this slave did not…”

”No? These past few days, Young Lady let you follow her wherever she went but dismissed me alone? Everyone said that you, Xue Li, had become Young Lady’s confidant just like Xi’er from Madam's room! Xi’er left just now. Sometimes, she deliberately pulls you aside to whisper, and when I came to ask you, you refused to say it! You are already in the same group!” Qing Mei gritted her teeth and raised her voice slightly.

Xue Li hurriedly defended: “Xi’er just praised the embroidery of the purse I gave her earlier, thinking…”

”Heh, finally showing your feet², huh? What kind of purse did you give her? How come I didn't know when I was with you all day long? Are you secretly currying favor over there behind my back? Luckily, I'm an honest person, being played by you like this.” Qing Mei curled her lips and yelled.

- Unintentionally exposing the truth, the hidden truth accidentally revealing

”It’s late at night, what the hell are you screaming!” Momo Zhu stretched out her hand and twisted Qing Mei’s arm, Qing Mei wanted to cry out in pain, but seeing Momo Zhu glare, she reluctantly swallowed her groans.

Seeing that Qing Mei was honest, Momo Zhu frowned and looked at Xue Li. Xue Li bit her lower lip, trying to say something but couldn’t.

Momo Zhu wanted to ask at first, but she temporarily held back, thinking that something still had to be done quickly. She only stared at the two servant girls and said, “I’ll settle accounts with you tomorrow! Hurry up and serve Young Lady!”

Both servant girls bowed their heads and said yes.

Momo Zhu just turned around when she turned again and asked, “You guys went to the backyard to ask for water, did you see Momo Liu?”

 

Xue Li spoke in a low voice: “Momo Wei invited all the momos for a drink earlier, Momo Liu drank a few glasses and was helped back to her room by a little maid to rest.”

It was only then that Momo Zhu remembered that Momo Wei thought she was older than Mrs. Niu, and had a capable eldest son who worked as the second steward in the coal warehouse. Therefore, she believed that being a foreign affairs momo was a sure thing, so in the afternoon, informed the people in the yard that she would invite everyone to drink in the evening.

She abstained from going today because she went to do something outside and only accepted a silver and 3 coins from Momo Wei as tea money.

Momo Zhu couldn’t help but sigh mentally: Momo Wei might be happy for nothing.

Although she thought so, this matter has nothing to do with Momo Zhu after all. Regardless, she also received the money for tea, but Momo Wei gave it to her on her own initiative, so there is no reason to spit it out and return it.

So Momo Zhu went to Momo Liu's quarters in the backyard without any hesitation.

When passing by a side room in the backyard where the servants rest when they are on duty, there is a little light and laughter leaking from the gap under the cotton curtain. It should be Momo Wei and the others chatting after drinking.

In the Ziwei Courtyard, it is not strictly forbidden for servants to hold feasts in private, after all, everyone will have a happy event. It’s only not allowed to miss an errand because of this. It is also only allowed to drink fruit wine that is not very intoxicating, and it is still limited. Momo Liu is probably a very light drinker, so she only drinks a few glasses of fruit wine.

Momo Zhu just stood on the edge of the curtain outside the side room and listened for a while, then looked around and walked towards Momo Liu’s quarters.

At this moment, Momo Liu was sitting on the head of the bed and being served tea by a little maid. When she heard the sound of someone pushing the door, she looked up and was taken aback for a moment before immediately saying with a smile. ”Momo Zhu? What wind has blown you here³?”

- It's the same as the sentence 'What brought you here?'

Normally, Momo Zhu is quite close to Momo Guan, Momo Liu’s archenemy.

Therefore, the relationship between Momo Liu and her is just average. Seeing her coming uninvited tonight, It's really baffling.

With a warm smile on her face, Momo Zhu glanced at the little maid who was serving at the side: “I want to talk to you about something, so I came here by myself. Don’t blame me for coming uninvited.”

”How can it be?” Momo Guan smiled politely, and said to the little maid, “Go to the small kitchen and look at the stove, Third Master is staying in the main room today, maybe he will ask for hot water later.”

The little maid responded and went away.

Momo Zhu turned her head to see the maid gently closing the door, and then she came forward with a smile: “It’s a good thing for me to come here today.”

”A good thing?” Momo Liu asked in confusion.

Momo Zhu nodded, and got closer: “I heard that you also wanted the job as a foreign momo before?”

Momo Liu smiled when she heard the words, “Momo Zhu is quite well informed.”

Momo Zhu shook her head and smiled, “Don’t act strange with me. I just want to ask you right now, do you still want this job?”

Momo Liu heard the words and expressed suspiciously: “What does Momo Zhu mean by that? Isn't that Momo Wei or Mrs. Niu has already been settled? Momo Wei must have a better chance of winning.”

Momo Zhu curled her lips: “Let me tell you the truth, Madam plans to appoint two foreign momos first, and choose one of the two momos to take over after a year. This Mrs. Niu is one, and the other… the other one is yet to be decided.”

Momo Liu was startled, and sat up slightly: “Is that true? Then Momo Wei…”

”Hey, why do you care so much about her? You just need to tell me if you want this job.” Momo Liu waved her hand, and smiled slightly, with an inscrutable expression on her face, as if whoever asked for this job was just a word from her.

Momo Liu pondered for a while, and asked with some doubt, “Do you have connections?”

Momo Zhu smiled again and did not speak, but her appearance acquiesce.

Momo Liu thought for longer this time. To be honest, who among the second-class momos in the courtyard is not jealous of the newly vacated seat? But now that the Third Madam is back, this matter is still up to her to decide, but they don’t have any friendship with the Third Madam, even if they want to go out of their way, there is no way.

But…

”Why didn’t you talk to Momo Guan about this? I remember that you have always had a good relationship.” Momo Liu is not stupid either. After thinking about it carefully, she felt something was wrong.

Momo Zhu seemed to have expected her to ask such a question a long time ago and said with a calm smile: “Even if I have some contacts, I still need to consider for my master. Momo Guan has some personal friendship with me, but unfortunately, her nephew is really a piece of mud that can’t support the wall⁴. You must also know that although the duties of the foreign affairs momo are quite oily and watery, our Third Master seeks perfection. If an errand goes wrong, I, the person who recommends it, would be held accountable. I don’t dare to recommend ordinary people. I looked at the yard, except for Momo Wei’s eldest son, Momo Liu, your second son is promising.”

- To be incompetent, having poor ability

Momo Liu felt very comfortable hearing these words, and she was not as guarded against Momo Zhu: “Then Momo Wei…”

Momo Zhu just smiled and said nothing.

Momo Liu remembered that Momo Wei invited everyone to drink today, but Momo Zhu didn’t go, and wondered if there was something wrong between the two of them? Or maybe Concubine Fang, Momo Zhu’s master, is not satisfied with Momo Wei?

Momo Zhu has been paying attention to Momo Liu’s expression. Seeing that she was a little shaken and seemed suspicious, she rolled her eyes, and suddenly patted her thigh: “Ai! Forget it, let me reveal to you a little bit. You have been in our Ziwei Courtyard for some time, and you should know that our Fifth Young Lady is the favorite of Third Master! And although Madam is in charge of the inner yard, everyone knows that as long as Third Master says a word, Madam will never say no.”

Momo Liu pondered what Momo Zhu said, and she seemed to have some understanding: “You're letting the Fifth Young Lady persuade Third Master…”

”Shhh—” Momo Zhu pretended to look around, “You just need to be clear in your heart, you don’t need to say it.”

Momo Liu pondered for a moment: “I know the rules in the yard. Presumably, Momo, you demand a bribe. I don’t know how much it will take…” Momo Liu gestured.

Momo Zhu was very pleased with Momo Liu’s approach, and pretended to hesitate for a while: “It stands to reason that I shouldn’t say this, but as you guess… I still need to take care of this matter. How about this number?” Momo Zhu made a gesture of twenty, which meant that she wanted twenty taels of silver.

Momo Liu was silent for a long time again, twenty taels of silver is not a small amount, but it is not impossible for her to take it out, not to mention that if she can really get this job, she can get the money back after doing a few things for the Third Master, and even let the youngest son in the family show his face.

It’s just, if this thing doesn’t work out… this money…

Momo Zhu seemed to be a roundworm in Momo Liu’s stomach⁵, and immediately smiled and said: “How about this, you pay five taels of deposit first, and then you pay the rest when I finish the matter tomorrow? I will also give you the receipt for the five taels.” Momo Zhu was an empty-handed wolf⁶, so she was full of confidence.

- Derogatory term for scammers not making investments but still going around cheating people.

- To clearly know other people's inner activities, know what they're thinking

Momo Liu was taken aback and felt that if this was the case, there would be nothing to worry about. If the matter failed in the end, she would have a receipt in her hand, and she would be able to get back the five taels of silver.

If she didn’t take advantage of this benefit, then she would have lived so many years in vain, so Momo Liu immediately smiled and said, “Momo Zhu is sincere, and I’m also naturally straightforward, so it’s settled.”

Momo Zhu covered her mouth and smiled, her heart was full of pride.

Momo Liu got out of bed and dug out five taels of silver from the bottom of her closet. Momo Zhu went to call the maids to fetch paper, pen, and ink pads. She couldn’t write, but there is a secret terminology and symbols for the exchange of money between servants. As long as the figure matches the number, and also the fingerprint, then it's done.

When the two finally separated, everyone was happy.

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