Chapter 1 (of Maids and Marriage)
It was just turning spring in the providence of Xia Kou, snow still littered the ground in occasional spots and the flowers were yet to bloom. In the castle maids as young as twelve and fourteen move here and there in order to keep the place clean. One out of which groaned as she scrubbed the floor. Her crimson hair and deep blue eyes captivated most men, but with little to no dowry she was useless. Her name was Cai Meng, youngest daughter of Cai Mao; in fact she was the only one he could not marry out of three girls. Her height was fairly short; she looked about ten when really she was an energetic fourteen years old. She was thin, with little to offer body wise. But not even Huang Zu could resist her caring voice and personality.
Most of the maids were one of two things, Huang Zu's concubines or the young daughters of generals trying to scrape money up for a dowry before they are too old. Some were as young as ten while others as old as sixteen. Many were foal in mood from their lack of money and lose of dignity, Cai Meng however was different, and she made the best of things. Whether they were good or bad, she just wanted to make the money for her dowry.
It was noon when she finished scrubbing the floors of the main entrance hall; with her last chore of the day finished she started to put away her supplies. Zhong Ying, one of her childhood friends came up right beside her. "Hi Cai Meng, you ready to go?" The girl speaking was the same age as Cai Meng, but with the circles under her eyes and the lacks of brown hair falling from her bun made her look much older. "Yeah, I'm tired and the place is clean. Maybe there won't be another banquet tonight, we always have to clean the aftermath." "Well you never complain about it, last time I almost threw up after having to clean the mess in the lady-in-waiting's chamber."
"You two must not have heard…" Yi Bao, another of Cai Meng's friends, said as she approached the pair. The red head looked at her two friends in confusion.
"Well Bao, oh wait I mean, Lady Bao, we don't hear much." Zhong Ying emphasized Yi Bao's new title with so much venom it could kill a snake. Yi Bao was taken in to Huang Zu's harem when she turned fourteen so her father could have extra money, poor man died of illness and left a penniless wife and a concubine daughter.
"Please Zhong Ying, why must you be so hostile? Anyways Cai Meng, your father is attending and there is talk he is taking you. Lord Huang Zu has hired new general, I don't know his name though, and he's single. I guess Cai Mao wants to see if he can marry you off."
Cai Meng only stiffened at her words; what would she have said? Yi Bao holds power even over the other concubines. Though they girl was known to lie. "Well um, thank you for your insight Lady Bao I must really be on my way home then…" Pushing her anxiety down her throat Cai Meng hurried home.
"Ah there you are, you're ten minutes late!" Cai Mao, her father greeted her at the main entrance of their home. She only bowed at her father, trying to catch her breath. "Well child, get some air and head for your mother's chamber, I'm going to show you off to the new general, maybe I can marry you off then."
"Yes father," she finally said. When she opened the door to her mother's room, Cai Meng was shocked to see that there was a tub of steaming water and scented soaps. A dress was laid out for her and a simple hairpiece. Her mother sat in the corner peering at the sash she was just a bout to finish embroidering. Cai Meng gave a soft sound of recognition, making the older woman jump to look at her. A straight grimace formed on her mother's face.
"I'm glad your father warned me ahead of time about presenting you. Look at my little girl, you're filthy!" With that Cai Meng was striped and thrown into the tub where she was scrubbed head to toe. The scent was that of cherry blossoms and some other kind of exotic spice. After she was clawed, yanked, and scrubbed clean she was finally allowed out. "There all better, now through your dress on and I need to do your hair. I've embroidering this sash for you when you meet the matchmaker. I was devastated when you father told me you wouldn't be meeting him…." Cai Meng drowned out her mother's rambling while she pulled the dress over her head. It was simple enough for her, a pinkish orange, and a red sash, some flats. She peered at the dragons embroidered on the red fabric.
"And well…. Cai Meng? Cai Meng!" Her mother's raise voice brought her out of a daze. "Gracious child, pay attention. That is the first thing people look at is your concentration." "Oh, uh, yes mother." With humph, her mother started to dress her and groom her hair. After a while, Cai Meng was finally ready to be presented. And her carriage waited outside.
"Now listen Cai Meng, Huang Zu has hired a new general, his name is Gan Ning; you present yourself as a lady not a house maid. Do you understand?" Cai Meng nodded to her father. "Good now if all goes well, I could have you courted and married in two days." "Um father if you don't mind me asking, why two days?" "Because the faster I get you out the castle, the less time Huang Zu has to buy you as a concubine."
She suddenly felt sick to her sick, surely the lord she served was not the prudent. The carriage lurched to a stop at the banquet hall's entrance. With some help, Cai Meng was out of the carriage and following her father up the stair to the door.
The banquet hall was all too familiar to Cai Meng; she had cleaned it many of days. Now here she was about to be showed off to a complete stranger. The thought made her sick to her stomach. The food however got the better of her, and the sick feeling subsided as she grabbed a meat bun. Her father was clearly irritated. Taking the half eaten meat bun from her, he gulped it down just as Huang Zu came with a man beside him.
He was tall, not too tall, and had shaggy blonde hair. The poor man looked like he never wore a shirt with his perfect tan. "General Cai Mao how is it? This is Gan Ning, our new recruit." The man in question looked at the short girl in confusion.
"Oh hello Gan Ning, this is my youngest daughter Cai Meng. She doesn't talk much but she can be persuasive..." Cai Mao motioned to his daughter to speak, though Cai Meng was lost for words. The new man actually intimidated her, so she just bowed quickly. Huang Zu laughed at her folly; "She's never this quiet, Gan Ning, Cai Meng is one of my house maids, I let the daughters of generals who has little to no dowry work as maids."
Gan Ning looked at the trio with an unamused expression; why would he care? Cai Meng saw that in his eyes. The young girl was sure she had just screwed up another chance to be married. But when the man snorted an amused laugh she was sure there was some hope, not that he was particularly one she wanted to marry. It was only to make her father happy.
"You sure she can be persuasive, all I've seen is a child who can't even say a word." "Child? I'm no child, you brooding half-wit!" Cai Meng yelled to the general. The smirk that formed on his face made her even angrier. Now she was sure she was not going to get married.