Psst! We're moving!
The Dancer
When the man shouted, others immediately followed suit, all shouting to enter the governor’s mansion. Seeing the noise, Steward Lin, displeased, raised his voice and said, “What’s all this shouting? If you have the ability, you’ll naturally stay. If not, go home and reflect on yourselves.”
With his stern reprimand, everyone fell silent, staring at Steward Lin. He turned to the few people behind him and said, “Divide them into groups of ten and take them inside for questioning. First, check their background; second, ensure their features are proper; third, confirm if they can recognize a few characters or write their own name. Anyone too weak or ill should be dismissed.”
Next, everyone was led inside for questioning. Since there were too many people, it took most of the day to select over seventy people from more than two hundred who met the requirements, including Yùnyí and the others.
Steward Lin stood in the front courtyard and signaled for the thirty-odd men to move a large stone in the yard. Based on their strength, twenty men were chosen, and the rest were dismissed. Although Shen Moping appeared weak, he had some strength and was successfully kept.
Seeing that the ten or so men who were dismissed had left, Chunxiu nervously said, “They won’t ask us to move the stone, will they? I definitely can’t lift it.”
Jirong was calmer and reassured her, “No, they probably have another way to select us.”
Sure enough, Steward Lin ordered for the stone to be moved and then said, “If any of you can sing or dance, or play any musical instruments, step forward.”
The women looked at each other, and after a moment, several stepped forward, followed by more, until finally, nine women had come forward, including Jirong, Chunxiu, and Meixue.
Steward Lin instructed them to stand aside, then walked up to the remaining women and asked several questions. Those who could not answer or gave wrong answers were dismissed, and some of the women left in tears, clearly upset.
When Steward Lin came to Yùnyí, he looked at her and asked, “If the lady told you to do something, and you overheard some servants gossiping about the young master taking a concubine, what would you do?”
Yùnyí lowered her head and answered, “Replying to the steward, I should continue with the task the lady assigned to me.”
“Why?” In response to his question, she calmly said, “As a servant, I should focus on completing the task given by my mistress, not gossiping about private matters. Moreover, whatever the young master does is none of our business.”
“Good.” Steward Lin was satisfied with her answer. The governor’s mansion needed servants who adhered strictly to their duties and didn’t interfere with matters beyond their station. Although this woman was not particularly striking in appearance, she knew her place well.
After selecting the final twenty men and women, Steward Lin called over a servant and said, “Take them to register their names and bring the list to me.”
Chunxiu, seeing that Steward Lin was ignoring them, grew anxious and couldn’t help but ask, “Steward Lin, what about us? Don’t we need to register?”
“You’ll come with me to meet the Second Madam shortly,” Steward Lin replied. Hearing this, Chunxiu was surprised and cautiously asked, “Steward Lin, why is that?”
Steward Lin smiled slightly and said, “You’ll understand soon enough. If you catch the Second Madam’s eye, it will be much better than for them.”
With that response, Chunxiu had no choice but to suppress her curiosity and stand there. After a while, the servant returned with the registration list. Steward Lin took it and led the nine of them around the front hall and toward the back courtyard.
The governor’s mansion, with its curved corridors, pavilions, towering ancient trees, and artificial hills with flowing water, was magnificent and natural, making Chunxiu and the others gasp in awe. The more they saw, the more they wished to stay here.
After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Steward Lin stopped in front of a small courtyard with the words “Yùxiù Pavilion” written on it. He said solemnly, “This is the Second Madam’s residence. Once you go in, be careful. Don’t speak unless asked by the Second Madam. If you anger her, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Jirong knelt and performed a respectful salute, saying, “Thank you for the reminder, Steward Lin. We will certainly keep your words in mind and will not cause any trouble for you.”
Steward Lin nodded, leading them inside. Once they entered the hall, Madam Wan was resting with her eyes closed. Steward Lin dared not disturb her and signaled the group to stand quietly to one side. When Madam Wan finally opened her eyes, he handed her the register, saying, “Second Madam, the first selection of forty people is complete. Here is the register for your review.” After Madam Wan took it, he pointed to Meixue and the others and continued, “These nine women claim to be skilled in singing, dancing, or playing music. I believe they are also quite presentable, so I brought them to you for your consideration to see if any of them may be suitable to become dancers in our mansion.”
Upon hearing the words “dancer,” many of the women couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement. They hadn’t expected that Steward Lin had brought them here for this purpose. If they could indeed become dancers, it would be an incredible opportunity—no more hard labor, just practicing music and dance, with a monthly stipend far greater than that of ordinary servants.
Madam Wan glanced over Jirong and the others and said, “Their appearance is passable, but as for singing and dancing...” She paused before saying, “Show me what you can do.”
The nine women quickly began to perform what they were best at in front of Madam Wan. After watching, she furrowed her brows and turned to an older woman beside her, saying, “Xu Mamma, what do you think?”
Xu Mamma replied, “These are just country girls. The singing, dancing, and music they performed were barely even passable. However, their figures are quite flexible. If we have Yang Mamma teach them carefully, it might be possible.”
“You’re right,” Madam Wan said. “In that case, they will start practicing with Yang Mamma from today. One month later, on the Governor’s fiftieth birthday, if they can earn a good word from him, they may remain in the mansion. Also, the one who dances best within the month will become the lead dancer, with double the monthly stipend.”
The words “lead dancer” deeply imprinted themselves on the nine women’s minds. Being the lead dancer meant not just double the pay, but also a chance to stand out and perhaps change their fate entirely.
After the nine women thanked her, they were taken by Steward Lin to a place called the “Dance Studio,” where they would be managed by Yang Mamma. From this day forward, they moved into the Dance Studio to begin their one-month training.
As for the forty servants, Madam Wan conducted another selection, picking out twenty to stay in the Governor’s mansion. Shen Yùnyí and her brother were among those chosen.
Meixue, with her graceful and flexible figure, was diligent in her practice and quickly memorized the songs and dances taught by Yang Mamma. Not only did she master the movements, but she also grasped their meaning, often receiving praise from Yang Mamma, which made the other women secretly envious. Chunxiu, in particular, was furious, grinding her teeth in jealousy. She would often find ways to trouble Meixue, but Meixue’s good-natured personality meant that, even though she knew Chunxiu was deliberately causing trouble, she simply endured.