Chapter 2

Shen Yunyi

“Thank you,” Jirong said with a smile as she pulled the still unwilling Chunxiu to stand in front of Meixue. When the situation settled, Meixue remembered she hadn’t thanked the woman yet. She quickly bent her knees and said, “Thank you, sister, for your help.”

Meixue waited for a while, but the woman didn’t respond. Puzzled, she looked up and saw the woman staring at her in shock. The woman touched her face and, unsure, asked, “Sister, is there something on my face?”

The woman snapped out of her daze and quickly shook her head. “No, nothing. I was just thinking about something. I heard them say your name is Meixue, right?”

Meixue smiled and nodded, “Yes. When my father found me, it was snowing, and the mountains were full of plum blossoms, so he named me Meixue and gave me his surname, Wu. It’s already been sixteen years.” Then she added, “By the way, I don’t know your name. Which village are you from? I’ve never seen you before.”

The woman smiled faintly and said, “My surname is Shen, and my name is Yunyi. I’m the same age as you, from Xiaoyang Village. You can just call me Yunyi.”

As Meixue agreed, Yunyi unconsciously touched her plain-looking face. She had been standing behind Meixue before, and was so focused on arguing with Chunxiu that she hadn’t really paid attention to Meixue’s appearance until now.

How could this be... How could they look so alike? This... what is going on?

Meixue... she looks exactly like the face I’ve been hiding behind a human mask. At first glance, Yunyi almost thought she was looking in a mirror.

Right, Meixue said she was adopted—could she be my twin sister? This thought flashed through her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. Since she could remember, she had never heard of a twin sister. She did have an older sister, but she was much older and had been married for many years. Could it really just be a coincidence?

The handsome young man standing next to Yunyi was also stunned. Only when Meixue called him again did he snap out of it. “My name is Shen Moping,” he said, then pointed to Yunyi. “She is my sister. We’ve come to the governor’s mansion to seek employment.”

“I see.” Meixue nodded, then asked, “You two are here together to find work, but what about your parents?”

Shen Moping’s expression darkened, and he replied, “Our parents passed away long ago. For years, it’s just been the two of us relying on each other. We’ve come to find work in the hope that life will get better. We hope to be selected.”

Meixue, hearing this, comforted him, “You both have kind hearts. You’ll definitely be selected. Don’t worry.”

After returning to her place, Shen Moping quietly whispered to Yunyi, who was standing in front of them, “Master, how is it that Wu Meixue looks exactly like you? I’ve been with you for so many years, and I can’t tell the difference.”

Yunyi frowned, staring at Meixue’s back, and shook her head. “I don’t know either. It’s probably just a coincidence. Don’t dwell on it. Our main focus now is to accomplish our goal here.”

“I understand.” Shen Moping replied, and fell silent.

Amid the anxious waiting, the crimson-red gates of the governor’s mansion finally slowly opened, and a stir went through the long line of people. All eyes were fixed on the figure emerging from the gates.

Walking in the middle was a woman around thirty years old, with her hair styled in a high bun. She wore a hibiscus-colored wide-sleeved robe and a pomegranate-colored long skirt. A long scarf wrapped around her arms, and her demeanor exuded an air of noble elegance.

Behind her, several servants followed. One of them stepped forward and said, “Second Madam, these are the people who wish to work for our household.”

The woman called Second Madam swept her gaze over the long line and said, “There are indeed many people, but I’m not sure how many will meet our requirements.” After a pause, she added, “Lin, you’re in charge of the initial screening. Select twenty men and twenty women. After you have their names, give the list to me, and I’ll make the final decision. Also, I want to take this opportunity to select a group of women with good looks and talent as dancers. Pay extra attention to those who fit the bill and bring them to me for inspection. But remember, the most important requirement for entering the Li household is a clean family background. Anyone with a questionable origin, no matter how talented, should be dismissed.”

“Understood, Second Madam. You can rest assured.” Lin responded, and the woman turned to enter the mansion. Watching her refined and noble back, Chunxiu couldn’t help but say with envy, “Jirong, who is this Second Madam? She looks really impressive.”

Jirong said, “I know a bit about this Second Madam. Her surname is Wan. She was the first concubine taken by the governor, and her position is second only to the First Madam. After the First Madam passed away, she took charge of managing all the matters in the household.”

Chunxiu said enviously, “How nice! If we could be like her, we wouldn’t have to worry about anything in life.”

A trace of envy flickered in Jirong’s eyes as she softly said, “Who wouldn’t want to be like the Second Madam? But how many people can truly be like her? For us, the most important thing right now is to pass the screening and stay in the governor’s mansion.” She then chuckled and added, “Are you falling for the idea, Chunxiu?”

Chunxiu’s face flushed at her words, and she retorted, “That’s not the case! I was just saying it casually. Besides, the governor is older than my father. How could I possibly have any thoughts about him?”

Jirong smiled lightly and continued, “Yes, the governor is older, but I’ve heard he has several sons, all handsome and well-mannered. It just depends on whether you can catch the eye of any of them.”

Chunxiu was somewhat moved by her words but tried to remain indifferent, saying, “Jirong, don’t joke around. How could the governor’s sons possibly notice people like us?”

As they were talking, Lin, the steward, stepped forward and cleared his throat loudly. Once everyone quieted down, he said, “Today is the day the governor’s mansion is selecting servants. Those who are chosen will receive five hundred wen a month. If your performance is good, you’ll get an additional one hundred wen as a reward. Additionally, if you work on the first and fifteenth of every month, you’ll receive a daily supplement of twenty wen. Of course, these are for the most basic positions. If you have the ability to become someone favored by the madams or the young masters, your monthly pay will naturally be much higher.”

These words stirred the crowd. Normally, servants earned around two hundred wen a month, which was already considered good. But here in the governor’s mansion, they not only offered five hundred wen, but also various bonuses. Adding everything together, one could earn around six or seven hundred wen a month, which was a salary that couldn’t be matched anywhere else in Honghua County.

One man couldn’t help but speak up, “Sir, if you can help me get a position in the governor’s mansion, I would be willing to work like an ox or a horse!”