Chapter 140: Servants and Helpers

Chapter 140: Servants and Helpers

At dusk, Zhao Xiping brought back twenty-four bed covers and twenty-four sheets, with two bolts of cloth left over, which Dongzi's Mother would deliver in a couple of days.

Knocking on the inn's door, since there were many men staying inside, it was Zhao Xiping who led Yin Po and her two sons in to lay out the sheets and fit the bed covers.

"The latrine is in the room next to the east gate; you mustn't relieve yourselves anywhere else in the yard," Zhao Xiping instructed as he left. "I've arranged for someone to collect the night soil; he'll come tomorrow morning and clean it once a day, so there won't be any smell."

Seeing his gait and build, and hearing Gan Da and Gan Er call him "Sir," the merchants guessed Zhao Xiping's status. Naturally, they listened to whatever he said.

As night fell, dinner was ready. Sui Liang came to call everyone, and the entire courtyard emptied out, with the keyholder being the last to leave, locking the main gate even though they were eating right across from it.

Throughout the day, apart from this large caravan, two more travelers arrived in the afternoon. These two had come with a small trading group that planned to sell some defective goods within the city but found this place too remote and turned back into town.

The food was served, and thirty-seven merchants and two travelers ate in the dining hall. Sui Yu's family squatted under the eaves, eating while watching the stars above.

After dinner, Sui Yu went with Zhao Xiping to check on the livestock pens. The camels were all inside, the pigs and sheep had settled down, and the four hens perched on the thick beam above the sheep pen, cooing softly at the sound of movement.

"Are Gan Da and Gan Er taking turns to keep watch?" Sui Yu asked.

Zhao Xiping nodded, "Today, I went to see Old Niu again. He'll bring four people over in a couple of days to build another small house near the livestock pens for the night guards when it gets cold."

"We should buy a dog too," Sui Yu added.

"Agreed."

Returning to the house, Sui Yu took out the wooden board to record the accounts. Today's income from room and board fees totaled one hundred thirteen coins, with an expenditure of fifteen hundred coins for the cloth and eight coins for labor.

"How much money is left in the chest?" Zhao Xiping asked.

"Not much, just over three hundred coins," Sui Yu said, propping her chin on her hand. "If we had enough money, we could get everything set up at once and wouldn't have to patch things up every day like this."

Zhao Xiping shared the same thought, "We need to hire a few more helpers. We can't skimp on this. A cook, a woman to wash clothes, and a purchasing assistant—these tasks should be delegated so you don't have to run around everywhere."

Sui Yu also wanted a break. Opening an inn was meant to avoid the constant busyness of running a food stall. With such a substantial foundation, she couldn't keep working like a donkey grinding grain.

"Yin Po's cooking skills aren't bad; we can hire another cook. With Xiaomi, having three people in the kitchen should be sufficient. Gan Da and Gan Er will be busy with farm work soon, so we should hire another helper to clean the livestock pens. For cleaning the guest rooms and washing clothes, we need to hire two more people," Sui Yu calculated. "In total, we need to hire four people. You handle the hiring."

Hearing Zhao Xiaomi and Sui Liang enter, Sui Yu realized something and asked, "Is it appropriate to assign Xiaomi to the kitchen? She used to help me, but now I'm the owner, and she's the cook. She might feel uncomfortable about it?"

Zhao Xiping went straight out to ask, "Xiaomi, we're hiring helpers. Do you want to take wages as a cook or rest and stay here with Sui Liang doing odd jobs without pay?"

"What about my sister-in-law?" Zhao Xiaomi asked.

"She's the owner. Unless there are too many guests, she won't go into the kitchen."

"Well, then... I have enough savings for myself," Zhao Xiaomi stammered, hesitating. "I'll do the same as Sui Liang."

"Decided?" Zhao Xiping asked, adding, "That works. You can stay here for a few months and go back with your parents next year."

"No!" Zhao Xiaomi protested.

"You'll be eighteen next year," Zhao Xiping reminded her, realizing that his sister wasn't young anymore.

Unhappy, Zhao Xiaomi rushed into the house.

Zhao Xiping ignored her and said, "We'll hire two more cooks."

Sui Yu nodded, having heard everything.

Zhao Xiping took off his outer robe, sat on the bed leaning against the wooden box, and said, "We need more servants. I'll ask Captain Qu tomorrow if he can give us two more."

"We'll save enough money by next year to buy servants," Sui Yu said, going out to fetch water.

Stepping out the west gate, she saw someone bathing in the river and retreated, asking Zhao Xiping and Sui Liang to fetch water from the kitchen instead.

...

Two days later, the rested caravan departed, and Zhao Xiping returned with two government slaves and three helpers. He specifically chose two skilled cooks among the slaves and assigned them to the kitchen, ensuring that the hired cooks wouldn't learn the recipes and start their own businesses elsewhere.

The merchants in the second guesthouse hadn't left yet, so the two female helpers went to the first guesthouse to wash the bed covers and air out the smelly mattresses in the yard.

Amidst the sounds of laundry being beaten, Dongzi's Mother delivered twenty bed covers, accompanied by Old Niu and A'shui.

"How's business?" Dongzi's Mother asked. "You've invested quite a lot. Even though it's not my money, I still feel for you."

Sui Yu smiled, saying, "It's lukewarm, just getting by."

"It's not peak season for merchants yet. In a month, those coming into the city will stay longer," Old Niu said.

Sui Yu nodded, "Yes, that's true."

"I found the masons Zhao Xiping requested, four of them, but they want to be paid upon completion of the house," Old Niu continued.

"That's fine. Have them start tomorrow," Sui Yu said, counting out six hundred coins for Dongzi's Mother as payment for sewing the bed covers.

After receiving the money, Dongzi's Mother chatted a bit more before leaving.

Old Niu didn't leave with her. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Sui Yu, do you still need workers here? Can I work here? If you want to go back to the city, you can."

Sui Yu was surprised. Was he addicted to earning money?

"I want to move A'shui somewhere else. The gossips in the village say nasty things about her. The family living to the west keeps bullying her, making her cry and constantly asking for her mother," Old Niu said, frustrated. "I've scolded them openly, but they continue to bully her behind my back. When I confront them, they beat their children, but afterward, those kids won't play with A'shui. As she grows older, she becomes more timid and won't even leave the house without me."

Sui Yu pondered for a moment and said, "We don't need a night guard right now, but I can find you another job. You can go to Yumen Pass and help promote our inn."

"Business isn't good?" Old Niu asked.

"Not as good as I hoped," Sui Yu smiled, saying, "I want to repay our debts and save some money by the end of the year."

"Alright." Uncle Old Niu agreed. "You get me a room and find two people to help me move. A’shui can stay here; I’ll lead a camel to Yumen Pass tomorrow."

Sui Yu asked Zhao Xiping to take Li Muto with two camels to help him move. Li Muto was the hired help to clean the animal pens.

After Uncle Old Niu left, autumn harvest began. Zhao Xiping took Gan Da and Gan Er to the fields to harvest wheat, while Sui Yu entertained guests at the inn. During her free time, she would ride a camel with A’shui to the East Gate, inviting incoming Hu merchants to stay at the inn in the northern part of the city.

After harvesting wheat, they harvested millet. After millet came soybeans and sorghum. Zhao Xiping had informed the village head; he brought back all the soybean stalks from their five mu of land and all the sorghum stalks as well. Then, for Uncle Old Niu’s twenty mu of soybeans, he sent Gan Da and Gan Er to help with the harvest, trading labor for soybean stalks.

Halfway through the autumn harvest, the summer heat subsided. As September drew to a close, the nights grew colder, and more travelers entered the pass.

"Old man, there’s a new inn in Dunhuang?" A merchant outside the city called out to an old farmer carrying grain into the city and inquired, "How is this inn?"

The old farmer pointed north, where the yellowish bricks of the wall were visible at the end of the city walls. "It’s in that direction. You’ll see it once you enter the city."

The merchant entered the city with the old farmer, paid the entry fee, and inquired, "Sir, how is the inn in the northern part of the city? We met an old man at Yumen Pass who insisted we stay in Dunhuang."

Huang Ancheng nodded and said, "You’ve come to the right place. This inn is excellent. Many caravans stay there, especially large ones. They all stay in one courtyard, just like home."

Upon hearing this, the caravan headed north after entering the city. No guide was needed; a path had already been trodden northward. Along the road, children with baskets watched the camels’ rear ends, ready to collect droppings.

"Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law, another caravan is coming." A’shui ran back with a little dog, tossing her basket aside as it got in the way.

"Sister-in-law, another caravan is coming. There’s no more room," A’shui shouted as she ran.

Sui Yu came out upon hearing the commotion. Only three rooms remained in the second courtyard. She watched the approaching caravan and considered clearing out the third courtyard.

Acting on her decision, Sui Yu called Zhao Xiaomi and Sui Liang to help move. She then greeted the new guests, introduced them, and led them to the second courtyard, saying, "Unload your goods first. Give me half a day to buy thirty or forty mattresses from the city, and I guarantee you’ll have a place to sleep tonight."

"Alright, then we’ll stay in the courtyard behind."

Looking south, snow was already falling on the southern mountains. If they continued east, the wind and snow on Hongchiling could be deadly. After much deliberation, the caravan decided it was better to spend the winter here rather than travel another half-month to Wuwei, renting a courtyard to celebrate the New Year in Dunhuang.

Sui Yu returned with mattresses on her camel. The merchant approached her to negotiate the room rate: "We’ll stay until February next year. Can you give us a discount on the rent?"

"I can’t lower the rent because starting in October, we provide hot water for you. Hot water for washing in the morning and soaking your feet at night." Sui Yu pointed to the small room against the west wall. "Go and see; the stove and pottery pots are already prepared. We’ll provide at least four pots of hot water per day."

This was indeed something other places couldn’t match. The merchant thought about it and decided not to haggle further, paying Sui Yu a month’s rent upfront.

"Oh, by the way, there’s an old man at Yumen Pass who keeps pestering caravans to stay in Dunhuang, saying the inn in the northern part of the city is good. Is he one of yours?" The merchant asked before leaving.

"He’s my father," A’shui proudly proclaimed, holding the little dog.

Sui Yu smiled and nodded. "The inn was newly built this year and has no reputation yet, so I had to use this clumsy method to attract business."

"Your place is quite nice. It might be fully booked next year." The merchant said, "Don’t raise the prices. We’ll stay here again when passing through Dunhuang, hoping there will still be rooms available."

Sui Yu smiled; these words were music to her ears.