Chapter 156 Buying Servants

Chapter 156: Buying Servants

In mid-May, they returned to Heshan County. By then, the newly purchased house had been completed. The vacant land adjacent to the Miao family had been converted into two small, separate courtyards, each with its own gate leading to the main residence, making them appear as a single unit from the outside.

The outer courtyard was temporarily given to Qin Jiao to live in, while the inner one was for Chu Ci. Now that the household was larger and had more people, they couldn't keep letting Chang Jinhua act like a maidservant, even if she was willing. Meng Wan disagreed with that approach.

"Our family isn't short of money. With such a large courtyard, we should buy a few servants for cleaning and chores." He had spent a significant amount on the road and bought several cartloads of medicinal herbs and fabric in Yangzhou to bring to Lingnan. After deducting the costs for sugarcane seedlings, hatching eggs, chicks, and setting aside a year's wages for the workers, he had only three thousand one hundred taels left.

From that three thousand one hundred taels, he also needed to set aside money for building the sugar workshop and various miscellaneous expenses. At most, Meng Wan could spend two thousand five hundred taels now, but that was still a considerable sum.

Meng Wan instructed Bi Yun to summon Madam Huang from the broker's agency and ask her to find a batch of servants, preferably those without parents or, if they had parents, with clear backgrounds and proven origins.

Madam Huang never dared to take his orders lightly. She quickly brought over thirty people for sale, along with other brokers from the agency. Probably drilled by Madam Huang, this group kept their heads down, not daring to look up.

Madam Huang presented them for Meng Wan's inspection. Looking at the rows of bowed heads, Meng Wan was quite speechless. "Raise your heads. Men stand on the left, women and young lads on the right."

Most of them were from impoverished families who couldn't afford to keep them, so it was no surprise they weren't as sharp as the servants from the capital. A few were slow to react and earned a scolding from Madam Huang. "Can't you hear Meng Fulang's instructions? Move quickly!"

Meng Wan actually didn't want too many servants in the house. More people meant more trouble. Unlike Xue Sheng, who had been rescued by the family and was fully devoted, Bi Yun had been bought when the household was still small, and Chang Jinhua's soft heart and long association meant Bi Yun had never truly been treated as a servant.

This time, he planned to pick just two: a male servant for rough chores like sweeping, and a female servant or young lad for washing clothes and wiping tables.

"Why isn't there a single one with decent looks?" It was truly strange. They weren't hideous, but they weren't presentable either. Since they would be around him all day, he wanted someone at least as fresh-faced as Bi Yun. After all, he was spending money for comfort, not annoyance.

"You want good-looking ones? That would be… I thought…" She looked hesitant.

Meng Wan immediately understood her little scheme. "Just do as I say. Don't try to second-guess me."

If Song Tingzhou really had such intentions, no amount of precautions could stop him. He hadn't even thought about it yet, yet others were already worrying on behalf of the young and vigorous county magistrate.

"I'll go back to the agency and bring a different batch." Madam Huang said hastily.

She hurriedly left with the group, surprising Chang Jinhua, who had just come over to see what was new. "Why are they leaving so soon?"

Meng Wan said, "Mother, don't worry about her. She was being too clever. What's for lunch?"

Chang Jinhua's spirits lifted at the mention of food. She lifted the bamboo basket she was carrying to show Meng Wan. "I went to the hills outside town this morning with Qing Xing. Look! I picked a whole basket of mushrooms."

Meng Wan nervously sifted through the basket. "Are they all edible?"

Chang Jinhua hadn't pinched him in a while, and his words made her itch to do so. She said testily, "Do you think your mother is an idiot? Qing Xing checked them all. Every one is edible and not poisonous."

Meng Wan skillfully coaxed her, "My mother is so capable, picking so many mushrooms. If we can't eat them all, we can dry them and fry them next time."

Seeing Chang Jinhua smile, Meng Wan made another request. "I also want to eat the dry-fried chicken you make, with potatoes in it."

"Alright, I won't bother changing clothes. Bi Yun is afraid to kill chickens, so I'll slaughter it and have him clean it, then change and cook for you. Do you want anything else? I learned to pickle sour bamboo shoots from someone last time, and I know you like them. I'll slice you a plate for dinner?" The sun was almost overhead, so Chang Jinhua finished speaking and headed out.

Meng Wan followed her, nodding eagerly. "Yes, yes!"

After Chang Jinhua left with the basket, she thought about how Meng Wan liked sour bamboo shoots. While picking mushrooms today, she had seen a bamboo grove. In the afternoon, she would ask Qing Xing when she'd next go herb-gathering, and she'd take Bi Yun to dig up some bamboo shoots. It was a bit late for pickling in the hot weather, but she could add some vinegar and serve them cold for Wan'er—crisp and refreshing.

At noon, Meng Wan enjoyed his favorite fried chicken and fresh mushrooms. Maybe it was the local produce, but the mushrooms here seemed more tender and smooth than the ones he used to pick in Sanquan Village.

After lunch, Meng Wan lay down on a bamboo mat for a nap. In Changping at this time, there would still be a slight chill in the morning and evening, but in Heshan it was already so hot it was irritating.

All the windows in the bedroom were open. Bi Yun lit a scented stick that Qing Xing had prepared, placing it in the incense burner. The room was instantly free of any mosquitoes or insects.

Song Tingzhou reclined sideways on the bamboo mat, fanning Meng Wan, who lay beside him, drowsy.

After a while, a deafening thunderclap roared outside. Meng Wan opened his eyes sleepily. Sure enough, the sky had darkened, and another heavy rain was approaching.

"How annoying. It's going to rain again." Meng Wan grumbled in dissatisfaction. He usually liked the sound of rain, but it rained so frequently in Heshan that he was getting tired of it.

"This rain came suddenly, so it probably won't last long. You were supposed to pick servants this morning—why haven't I heard anything more?" Song Tingzhou gently wiped the fine sweat from the tip of Meng Wan's nose, then stroked the small red mole under his eye. The touch was delicate, and the more he rubbed the mole, the deeper its color became.

Song Tingzhou felt a surge of heat in his heart and unconsciously increased the speed of his fanning.

Meng Wan closed his eyes and hummed softly, "Madam Huang had her little schemes. Afraid that if I chose a pretty one and you took a liking to her, she'd be in trouble. So she brought thirty people—all either elderly or plain-looking." 'Plain' was an understatement.

Song Tingzhou paused his fanning hand, recalling the time when he had a broken leg and was nearly forced to stay in a village stronghold. He leaned closer to Meng Wan and whispered, "Aren't you afraid, Fulang?"

His tone was ambiguous, as if he wanted Meng Wan to be afraid, but then he felt it was ridiculous to talk like this between them—why had his emotions slipped back to that awkward period before they had confirmed their feelings? He'd probably make Wan'er laugh.

Meng Wan did laugh. "Afraid of what? I have no regrets about my past, and I'm not afraid of the future." He meant his past life, but Song Tingzhou misinterpreted it.

"Your past is me." Song Tingzhou's tone was dissatisfied.

Meng Wan, holding his belly, rolled over and hugged Song Tingzhou's lean waist. "It's you, it's you. This life, the next life, and the life after that—it's always you. Song Tingzhou, I love you."

Chang Jinhua happened to be passing by the corridor to remind them to close the windows. Hearing this, she stumbled and nearly fell.

She coughed lightly to announce her presence, then turned her back to the window. "It's broad daylight. Speak properly, or at least keep your voice down. Xue Sheng in the front yard almost heard you."

After marriage, Meng Wan's skin had grown thicker. He casually replied, "Got it."

He turned to look at the man on the bed, who sat bolt upright, ears already bright red.

Meng Wan, like a seductive demon, wrapped his arms around Song Tingzhou's neck from behind. "Embarrassed already? I said it, so why don't you? Hmm?"

Song Tingzhou, his flush spreading from his ears to his neck, stammered, "It's getting late. I need to go to the county office and handle business."

Afraid of dragging the Meng Wan behind him, he turned carefully, keeping Meng Wan's arms looped around his neck, and gently laid him flat on the bed. "You sleep a little longer. I'll be back soon."

Meng Wan watched him leave, then lay languidly on his side.

Given the weather, Madam Huang probably wouldn't bring anyone today. Meng Wan was about to remove his hairpin and take another nap when Xue Sheng ran from the front yard to report, "Fulang, Madam Huang has brought people."

"She's certainly taken it to heart this time. Have her wait for me in the front hall." With all this commotion, he had lost most of his drowsiness. He yawned, washed his face, and felt much cooler.

Chang Jinhua had also gone back for a nap. Meng Wan didn't disturb her and asked Bi Yun to hold an umbrella and accompany him to the front hall.

The front hall had been renovated. Several redundant rooms were removed, and the entire space was opened up, making it twice as spacious as before.

Madam Huang and her group stood in the drizzle. Xue Sheng was a man of few words; he advised them to come inside, but they refused.

Meng Wan said lazily, "Why all this posturing? Bring them all in."

It was understandable. Ordinary people were naturally intimidated by officials, and especially after Song Tingzhou's swift and decisive handling of the Tong family, Madam Huang, being a member of the Huang clan, couldn't help but feel uneasy.

She didn't understand proper etiquette, so she employed every bit of petty caution, putting on a display of utmost deference.

Since it didn't harm him, Meng Wan ignored it. "Raise your heads so I can see you."

This batch probably hadn't been trained by Madam Huang; everyone looked extremely timid. Meng Wan picked out a few who seemed pleasant and of appropriate age. "What are their backgrounds?"

A broker's memory was sharp. Madam Huang took a quick look at their faces and answered promptly, "This man you've chosen can read and manage accounts. He was exiled here from the Jiangnan region after his household was confiscated. He says his father was an Assistant Prefect somewhere, and his father committed a crime, so their property was seized…"

"Next." Meng Wan cut her off. When he had bought Bi Yun, it was because her family had been minor county officials, and the crime wasn't severe. At the time, the household needed someone to attend to him, so he had settled on Bi Yun, who was educated and polite.

This background, even Huang Mama didn't ask in detail — who knows if it's going to be a problem?

A flicker of disappointment mixed with relief crossed the man's eyes. He didn't want to be a slave, but the conditions in this household seemed simple enough. If he actually stayed, it wouldn't be so bad. Back at the slave market, he had no idea what kind of master would come next, so he dragged his feet, hoping Meng Wan would change his mind.

Huang Mama called someone to drag him away without asking why. Since this one wouldn't do, she immediately introduced the next. "Alright, alright. This young lad..."

"Fulang, choose me!"

The rejected batch of people had been quietly standing aside, some sneaking glances around, some numbly bowing their heads in silence. Suddenly, from the very back, a clear and crisp young voice rang out.

A young lad of thirteen or fourteen ran out with the sound, but before Xue Sheng could act, the slave dealer's people pressed him back.

Meng Wan found it interesting. He gestured, "Let him come over so I can have a look."

The others tried to follow suit, but Xue Sheng's cold eyes swept over them, and they dared not stir.

The youth was brought before Meng Wan. He wore tattered coarse clothes, straw sandals on his feet, and was thin — not ordinary thin, but just skin and bones. The most striking feature was a shocking purple-red bruise on his forehead, and also around his mouth. The bruises covered small red moles, as if he had been beaten, and the injuries looked just a few days old.

Taking in his miserable state, Meng Wan smirked and asked Huang Mama beside him, "No wonder you can run a big slave market, Huang Mama — you can even be cruel to a child this big."

"Oh, Meng Fulang, you've got me all wrong. This was not done by our slave market people." Huang Mama loudly protested her innocence, then turned to question their own slave dealer, "Did I pick him out when I left?"

The slave dealer shook his head. "He probably slipped in on his own." There were too many people, all messy and not as clean as the batch this morning, so they didn't notice him mixing in.

Meng Wan raised an eyebrow. "Not your people? Then where did you get this boy from?"

Huang Mama smiled wryly. "To tell the truth, Fulang, this lad has the same surname as me. Normally, I wouldn't accept him, but his wretched father insisted on sending him, saying if I didn't take him, he'd send him to the town's slave dealer."

Hexian County was remote. With the Deputy Magistrate in charge, things were mismanaged and chaotic. The town's slave market had all sorts of grimy and shady businesses — even specialized kidnappers. If he fell into their hands, he might be sold to some nasty place. Huang Mama had no choice but to take in this poor kid.

"His whole family are scoundrels. I didn't want to cause trouble for Meng Fulang. Originally, I didn't plan to bring him. But him? I didn't lock him up like I did the others, and he still goes and causes trouble for me." Huang Mama was furious, shooting a sharp glare at the young lad.

The young lad trembled all over, tears welling in his eyes, but he still stammered out, "I beg you, Fulang, buy me. I eat very little, I can sleep anywhere, even in a shed." Even though he was scared to the point of crying, he stubbornly held on and didn't let up.

Meng Wan rested his chin on his hand, looking at him. "It's pitiful indeed, but I already have a kid at home. You're so young, not even as sturdy as my Chu Ci. What can you do?"

Huang Mama, hearing this, thought Meng Wan would refuse. Out of kindness for someone of the same clan, she advised the lad, "Be good and come back with me. When I have time, I'll find you a good family — better than your cruel father and grandmother?"

The young lad shook his head violently without hesitation; he dared to say, "I can't go. If I go far away, my mother will be beaten to death by them!"