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After dinner, Chen Feng, along with Mama Song, old lady Huang, and Aunt Mu, washed the children’s faces and sent them to bed. Chu Hanyan, Yang Qian, and Luo Mei slept in Chen Feng’s bed, Dabao, Yang Chao, and Luo Ming Cheng slept in Lu’s bed, and Dahua and Daya slept in the guest room.
Later that afternoon, while the children were sleeping, Mrs. Luo led a few people to the Luyuan.
She mentioned that these were the people chosen by the master to serve Chen Feng and handed over a few slave contracts to her.
Looking at the six individuals, Chen Feng’s head began to ache. She couldn’t understand why he thinks they needed so many people to serve in her household. Lord Chu really didn’t understand the hardships of the common people.
Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang were distressed to see so many “freeloaders” suddenly appear. They worried about not having much money saved, and now they had to support these people. However, considering they were from the master of Tangyuan, they dared not show their displeasure.
Mrs. Luo seemed to sense the Chen family’s distress and pulled Chen Feng aside, whispering, “The two strong young men, Xue Dagui and Chu Xiaoniu, have some skills and also run errands in the master’s household. They are not just simple guards. My master said they are only temporarily lent to your family, and their wages will still be paid by our household. When you no longer need them in the future, or if you find suitable replacements, they can return. The other four are a family, and we have even given you their slave contracts. The old one is Old Zeng, fifty years old, and despite his age, he is quite skilled in carpentry. When he was younger, he even held a position as a village head. Zeng Shuang is Old Zeng’s son, twenty-eight years old, and before coming here, he worked as the assistant steward in the master’s external affairs department. He often runs errands outside, understands household affairs, and even knows many officials. Zeng’s Chu’s residence in the capital, surnamed Jiang from her maiden family, is in charge of needlework in the master’s household. The young girl is called Zeng Xiaoqing, eleven years old, and she can serve as your personal maid.”
After hearing Mrs. Luo’s words, Chen Feng felt grateful that Chu Lingxuan had considered her family. These two bodyguards could not only guard the courtyard but also work. Moreover, they were on loan, so once her family passed the dangerous period, they could return.
However, it seemed the Zeng family members were too good. She was very satisfied with each of them and was sure her family would be able to make use of them in the future.
The question was, would they willingly transition from being servants of the General’s household to her household? The disparity was significant. It was like a government official in a major city being reassigned to work in a remote rural enterprise.
If the individuals were resentful, it would cause distress, even if they were servants, they could be more of a burden than a help.
Chen Feng hesitated and said, “Thank you to your master. I am very satisfied with these individuals. However, my household is too small and located in the countryside. I’m afraid the Zeng family members, who have been accustomed to living in affluent city households, might feel uncomfortable.”
Mrs. Luo confidently said, “What’s wrong with our countryside? Ms. Feng, rest assured. Since my master has sent them, they are definitely reliable.”
Chen Feng added, “Let my household pay the monthly wages for the two guards. How can I have your master pay for them while they work in my household?”
Mrs. Luo smiled, “Ms. Feng, don’t be polite. Our Master is also considering your comfort. Also, only when your household is safe can my Master relax when her daughter play at your place, right?”
Afterward, she pulled Chen Feng in front of the group and said, “Don’t underestimate Ms. Chen here just because she’s a young lady. She’s extremely capable and has raised the young miss very well. Even the master and the young miss have praised and admired her greatly. Especially the young master, Dabao, he’s extremely talented and will surely enter officialdom in the future. If you serve this mother and son well, your future will be bright. There’s an old saying, ‘Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox.'”
Upon hearing this, the group quickly knelt down and kowtowed.
Chen Feng asked them to rise and thought to herself that with the addition of eight more people in the household, along with a few big eaters, she needed to make the best use of everyone and ensure that each person could shine to their fullest and be self-sufficient.
Chen Feng gathered the family in the main hall, had the group kowtow to acknowledge them as their master, reassigned their living quarters, and distributed their tasks.
Old Zeng was put in charge of guarding and managing the household, Zeng Shuang would mainly manage the fields and some external affairs, Mrs. Jiang, along with Aunt Mu, would manage the kitchen and assist Mrs. Wang with needlework, Zeng Xiaoqing would handle cleaning and serve Chen Feng and her son, Shanzi would take care of feeding the pigs and chickens, as well as serve Chen Lu.
As for Xue Dagui and Chu Xiaoniu, she didn’t need mere guards, they had to work. She had long set her eyes on the uncultivated land 200 meters northeast of their home, comprising roughly five acres, planning to buy and cultivate it to grow watermelons…
Old Zeng lived in the back room for now, sharing with Shanzi. Zeng Shuang and his wife, Xue Dagui, Chu Xiaoniu, and Aunt Mu moved to the rear room, while Zeng Xiaoqing stayed in the east ear room. She asked them to tidy their rooms and rest.
Later, Chen Feng took out money and sent Chen Ming to the home of Liu Lizheng in Shangshui Village to purchase the uncultivated land, which fell under the boundary of Shangshui Village.
Mrs. Luo, with a sly smile, watched as Chen Feng finished the assignments and then suggested, “Ms. Feng, you see, young miss doesn’t want to leave your house, and my master just returned. It’s so boring for him to be alone at Tangyuan. You should have Dabao invite him to your house as a guest. Let him have fun with young miss. Since you’re good at cooking, make a few dishes for my master in the evening to thank him for helping, right?”
True, this gentleman had helped her a lot. She would have to rely on him for more help in the future.
Chen Feng smiled, “I also thought of inviting Lord Chu to our house. I’m just worried that he might look down on our humble household and feel reluctant to accept.”
Mrs. Luo chuckled, “You are clever, but sometimes you can be a bit silly. Even if he doesn’t come, he’ll be pleased. Besides, my master cares a lot about young miss, and he has praised you quite a bit. He will definitely come.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Feng quickly called Dabao and Shanzhi and instructed them to go to Tangyuan to invite Chu Lingxuan.
Preparing for the arrival of their most esteemed guest, Chen Feng organized the ingredients, planning to make a lamb hotpot. Aunt Mu and Mrs. Wang were to make preliminary preparations, while she would personally prepare the soup base.
The children were awake. Usually, they would play games with Chen Feng as soon as they woke up, but today Chen Feng was busy, so she let them play with building blocks on their own. The other children could entertain themselves, but Chu Hanyan, who had a stable body clock, felt uneasy because she hadn’t done what she usually did upon waking. Instead of playing, she went to the western corridor to watch Chen Feng assigning tasks to the others, her gaze following Chen Feng’s every move.