Chapter 718: Marrying a Servant

Chapter 718: Chapter 718: Marrying a Servant

Song Ci had just taken a sip of tea when Hong Ju announced, "Madam, Hongtao and Hong Zao have come to pay their respects."

Everyone fell silent and looked towards Song Ci.

Song Ci, however, smiled brightly and gestured, "Quickly, let them in."

Hongtao and Hong Zao walked in, and as soon as they reached Song Ci, they knelt down and kowtowed several times.

"Quickly, help them up. Oh my, I know your sincerity, but there’s no need to kowtow so hard. You’ll break the tiles in my room, and I’ll have to find someone to fix them."

Everyone: "..."

Someone couldn’t help but burst into laughter, and even Hongtao and Hong Zao, with reddened eyes, laughed too.

"Madam, you’re being playful again."

"It’s good to laugh. Get up now, holding respect is enough. There’s no need for such hard kowtowing. If you bruise your forehead, it won’t look good when you put on makeup as a bride," Song Ci said with a smile, pointing at the two.

With eyes red, Hongtao said, "Madam, I can’t bear to leave you, so I wanted to give you a proper farewell salute."

"And so do I," said Hong Zao.

Song Ci replied, "I accept it. You two, live well in the future. Live harmoniously with your husbands and have a few chubby sons, that would be the best repayment to me."

Indeed, the families of these two had asked for Song Ci’s favor, and she had agreed to release them this year to get married. The wedding was in a few days, and they had come to bid farewell and express their gratitude.

Besides them, Hong You and Hong Ju also had their marriages arranged. Their weddings were set for August. They couldn’t all be married off at once, as they needed to ease the transition and continue mentoring the newcomers.

"Madam, I still want to serve you and don’t wish to marry," Hong Zao said, sobbing.

Song Ci chuckled, "I’m not short of people to serve me. It’s not necessary for you, a young guard’s wife, to stay. Rest assured and go live your life with your husband. The same goes for you, Hongtao. No need to bring this up. Remember, you’re leaving from here, so always stand up straight, be self-reliant and independent, and don’t bring shame upon me, Madam."

The two knelt down again to listen to her admonition, saying, "We dare not forget your teachings."

"Alright, don’t keep kneeling. Stand up. If you’re ever bullied or feel overwhelmed, just come to me for support."

The two were deeply moved and began to weep softly.

Inside the room, Hong You and Hong Ju also had reddened eyes, wiping tears with the back of their hands.

"Alright, dry your tears. Hong You, you all go and chat with them. After today, you won’t have the chance to work together anymore. After all, you’ve been like sisters. You young girls too, go to Hongtao and their room to see if there’s anything good for you. They should part with something as a memento, and in a few days, you’ll enjoy their wedding feast too."

Everyone burst into laughter and gathered around Hongtao and her group to leave.

Listening to the girls’ lively chatter and playful banter, Song Ci sighed, "Year after year, the maids come of age, and I... have grown old."

She recalled at the time she first awoke, hearing these young girls worry about their future paths. In the blink of an eye, the maids had each found their place. Counting the days, she’d been here for two years, but it felt like it had been much longer, as if she’d fully integrated into this life.

Suddenly, Song Ci remembered her age, and asked with a start, "Gongma, am I approaching sixty years now?"