After chatting with Liang Fei, Ning Buwen began to pay attention to the servants of the Xing family.
You wouldn't know until you see it. After counting carefully, you found that the number of servants in the Xing family was decreasing every day. But no information was leaked. Some people didn't even know where the people who moved things with them yesterday had gone.
This cannot be blamed on these servants.
Ancestor worship is already very busy, and different people are in charge of different areas, so it is common to transfer staff back and forth. In addition, new people are brought in from time to time, so naturally people have even less mood to care about who is around them.
This is a simple math problem.
Assuming that the Xing family had 120 servants at the beginning, and bought seven or eight servants every three days on average, the total number of servants is now around 100. So how many people have been quarantined
If smallpox could spread so quickly, I'm afraid all the Xing family members would have died out long ago.
It is better not to ask too much. If you ask too much, you will definitely be targeted. You should know when to quit.
When Ning Buwen returned to the yard again, she was told by her mother-in-law not to go to clean the eldest lady's yard recently.
"Then, what can I do?" Ning Buwen was a little worried, "You wouldn't keep a servant who eats for free, would you?"
"Don't worry, it's just a two-day break. Miss has been in a bad mood recently because her dowry was lost, and she doesn't like to be disturbed." The mother-in-law said, "If you feel uneasy without working, go to the kitchen to help. I heard that they are short of people recently. I will tell the mother in the kitchen."
The kitchen is not bad either. There are a lot of people coming and going there, so it's more convenient to get information.
"Okay, I'll go to the kitchen. Sorry to bother you, mother-in-law."
"I also see that you are diligent and hardworking." said the mother-in-law casually.
"Mother-in-law, you should try to persuade the young lady more." Ning Buwen thought for a moment, and said, "I am doing this for the young lady's own good." "If nothing else, you should visit the master more often. The young lady still has to live at home. I've seen that the master doesn't seem to be very friendly to the young lady before."
"I have advised her in the same way." The mother-in-law sighed, "At that time, the young lady wanted to marry the son-in-law, and the master was very opposed. In the end, he had no choice but to agree. As a result, the son-in-law died within two years. Of course, the master was angry."
"Then the young lady must love her uncle very much." Ning Buwen asked curiously, "What does her uncle do?"
"you guess?"
"The young lady looks gentle and refined, so the uncle must be gentle and refined as well. Is the uncle a scholar?"
"Pfft, now they are not called scholars, but foreign students." Grandma couldn't help laughing, "My son-in-law's surname is Gu, Gu Xuping. The Gu family was quite famous before and could afford to send him to school, but unfortunately the family fell into poverty halfway through."
Gu Xuping
No word "good"
"Which one is Xu and which one is Ping?" Ning Buwen continued to ask, "Does the young lady also call her uncle by his name like other female students?"
"Xu, which means the rising sun in the east, and Ping, which means peace in the world, is a good name." The mother-in-law couldn't help but sigh, "Young lady should call him Ah Ping. The two of them are so loving and affectionate, and they are the envy of others."
A Ping
Ning Buwen's heart was already in turmoil.
It turns out that his name is really not Aliang. Then who could that guy Xing Fangfang was talking to
Ning Buwen was assigned to the kitchen, and his days suddenly became busy.
The kitchen has to prepare meals for the entire Xing family, and there are not enough people, so they can only take a short break after dinner.
Ning Buwen spent the whole day in the kitchen, so tired that he didn't even have the strength to move a finger, so how could he sneak out to investigate the case
It was a bad idea.
It is better not to ask and regret it.
Seeing that such good time was slipping away, God probably heard Ning Buwen's thoughts and finally allowed the people in the kitchen to start chatting.
"Why is there always leftover food lately?" An aunt in charge couldn't help but complain, "We told them a long time ago that meals should be provided based on the number of people, and no more than that should be reported. We prepared the food, but there were still more than a dozen left over, what a waste."
We have all lived through hard times and cannot bear to see such a waste of food.
"Yeah, I find it strange, too." Another maid who was washing vegetables chimed in, "It stands to reason that since everyone is so tired, it's not strange for them to eat more. In the past, when we cooked more food, someone would immediately eat an extra portion, and there was rarely any leftovers. This time, there was really a lot left over."
"Third Manager, please say something." Several helpers in the kitchen turned their eyes to the manager of the kitchen.
The man called the Third Manager was in charge of the kitchen. It was said that he was a well-connected relative of the Xing family, and that was how he got this lucrative position.
"It's always like this during our ancestor worship service." The third steward scolded, "We can do more if we want. You don't have to pay for it. There are so many things to do now. We would rather do more than do less to avoid conflicts. You said so much just to get these leftovers. Just take them and divide them among yourselves."
"Hey, Third Steward, take a look at what you said."
"We don't really want to..."
The Xing family's kitchen was strictly controlled, and everyone had a set amount of money to take. Especially their large kitchen that cooked for servants was not as respectable as the small kitchen that cooked for the masters.
Normally, servants were not allowed to eat this white rice. It was only during the ancestor worship that white rice was given to everyone, and there were more meat dishes. Even if there were leftovers, it would be a rare delicacy if you took it home and heated it up.
Ning Buwen heard what the third manager said and knew that the other party had experienced the last ancestor worship, so he wanted to ask a few more questions.
"Grandpa Steward, what on earth is this ancestor worship?" Ning Buwen asked with pretended curiosity, "We have been busy for quite a while. How long will it take for us to be busy?"
"Yeah, yeah, we've been really busy lately and we don't have enough staff."
"Why is this ancestor worship so tiring?"
…
As soon as someone started, people in the kitchen immediately started complaining.
"Quiet!" The third steward looked a little unhappy. "What do you know? As long as you are quiet and honest, the ancestor worship will be over soon."
The third steward obviously didn't want to say more, and left the kitchen after a while, as if someone was chasing him from behind.
Even if he didn't ask, he would use the excuse of going to the bathroom to escape and secretly follow him.
good.
He is stupid too.
You can just ask these housekeepers more about the last ancestor worship. Why do you have to keep focusing on Xing Fangfang
The third manager was kidnapped when he was walking across the rockery.
"Where is my brother!" Ning Buwen asked in a hoarse voice.
"Who, who is your brother? I have never seen him." The third manager trembled a little.
"Stop talking nonsense." Ning Buwen punched him directly, "My brother Xiaojun was bought by you to be a servant in your mansion a few days ago. I finally came in to look for him, but I couldn't find him."
"I, I work in the kitchen. I don't know who you are talking about." The third manager felt very wronged.
"But I can only catch you." The other party was silent for a while, "You must also know where they went? There are many strange rumors in your house. If you don't tell me, I will kill you. Anyway, it is normal for one or two people to disappear from your place."
As he said that, Ning Bu Wen put the dagger against the third steward's neck. With just a little force, it would be enough to send him to death.
The third manager knew that the other party was serious and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
"My dear hero, my dear man, I really don't know where your brother is. But, but I have an idea that may help me find your brother." The third manager couldn't help swallowing and begged for mercy.
"explain!"
"Actually, I was only promoted after the ancestor worship three years ago. The Xing family holds a ancestor worship ceremony every three years, and this year is the third year. You, you don't know that the Xing family's feng shui is too good, so some people with weak fates cannot stop it and are prone to offend the gods and get sick. These sick people seem to be placed on the farm to recuperate, and they almost never come back."
This statement is similar to the statement about smallpox isolation.
Ning Buwen knew that there must be different versions of the rumors about such a person's mysterious disappearance, so as long as they were similar, they should be similar.
"He's recuperating on the farm?" Ning Buwen sneered, "He's in quarantine, probably because he's afraid of infecting them."
"Yes, yes, you are right." The third steward did not dare to argue with Ning Buwen at all. "I don't know the specific place. Only the head steward knows. We are not allowed to talk nonsense. Besides, the staff changes every day. From time to time, the servants of the Xing family are released by the young master of the guild hall. We really don't know the specific number of people. Hero, please let me go."
The third steward begged for mercy here, but Ning Buwen gradually understood the routine of why the servants of the Xing family disappeared from time to time.
On the one hand, they "released" people under the pretext that the young master Xing Tianyou didn't like to see servants, and on the other hand, they "bought people" under his name. This buying and releasing of people happened so often that everyone got used to it.
Sometimes when someone was missing, everyone would automatically assume that they had been let out by the young master. In addition, the servants of the Xing family would change their positions every once in a while, which made it difficult for the servants to stick together and for information to flow.
Otherwise, the speed at which servants were replaced would have scared people away long ago.
This is not something that can be accomplished in a day or two; it must have been planned for a long time.
Ning Buwen knocked the third manager unconscious without asking. After thinking it over, he decided that he should muddy the waters so that he could fish in troubled waters!
In the next few days, Ning Buwen disguised himself as a relative of various people, specifically targeting lone servants and forcing them to ask about the whereabouts of his brother.
"Where on earth did you, the Xing family, sell my child to? If you don't give me an explanation, I will cry here every day!"
"Is there any law? My son only signed a temporary job with you, not a contract to sell himself."
…
Outside the gate of the Xing Mansion, there were several elderly and strong middle-aged women crying and wailing outside. Every time they made a scene, they attracted a large number of people to come and watch.
It would be even better if the police came. After they arrived, these aunties could start talking about how their children suddenly disappeared in the criminal house. It was really hard to know where to start. Some local tabloids also started reporting on the incident.
Before long, almost all the servants knew that someone's brother or sister had disappeared from the Xing family, and even the police and reporters came to inquire.
Of course, all of this was made up by Ning Buwen.
"You are too mean." Liang Fei couldn't help but say, "I thought you would investigate carefully, but I didn't expect you to expose it directly. Now people outside are talking about the affairs of the Criminal Mansion everywhere. We have already sent away several groups of police who came to collect money."
Ning Buwen, after this incident, no one in the Xing Mansion could live in peace.
"We can't do anything. Our power is too small." Ning Buwen shrugged. "We are both servants now. We have no way to get involved in the affairs of the Xing family. Instead of doing that, we might as well seek help from outside forces. People outside will definitely be more curious about the Xing family. If they expose the matter, at least the Xing family will be more cautious when they attack the servants. If they really need people and cannot attack the servants, they will definitely take risks and find people in other ways. That's when we can help them break the impasse."
If no one had mentioned this matter at the beginning, everyone might have just brushed it aside and ignored it, but once it was exposed, the servants could no longer control their panic.
"Come to think of it, my good sister is indeed missing. At that time, everyone said that she was released by the young master, and I blamed her for not sending me a message."
"Me too, me too, I've lost a single friend."
"Do you still remember Xiao Liuzi? The guy with fangs when he smiled. Haven't we seen him for a long time?"
…
It would have been better if this had not been said. After it was mentioned, the servants immediately realized that something was wrong.
More and more people began to go and ask the manager about things.
Finally, after the steward and the master of the Xing family severely punished a few gossipers, the open discussions died down a lot. However, the speculations behind the scenes were more terrifying than each other. Even the gossip that the master of the Xing family was a cannibal emerged. There was also a rumor that a deceased concubine wanted a substitute because of resentment. All kinds of ghost stories spread the fastest.
In order to appease people's hearts, the Xing family had to invite Taoist priests from Wuyang Temple to perform rituals in advance.
Wuyang Temple is the most famous Taoist temple nearby, and the Taoist priests there are naturally very famous. When the servants heard that the Taoist priests there were coming, they immediately felt relieved.
In order to welcome the Taoist priest and to make preparations in advance, there are naturally things to do in the kitchen.
"What to buy?" Ning Buwen was stunned for a moment.
"Buy a rooster and a black dog." The third steward's temper has been getting worse since he was found fainted in front of the toilet. "The Taoist priest needs them for the ritual. Hurry up and pack them. When the rooster and the black dog arrive, you will be responsible for taking good care of them. If one gets lost, you won't get your monthly salary. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Ning Buwen had no choice but to agree obediently.
Many people in the kitchen were very envious of Ning Buwen's job.
"Xiaoer, that's great. Black dogs and roosters can ward off evil spirits. You will be fine if you stay with them."
"Yes, Xiaoer, how about I switch jobs with you?"
"When you bleed me, remember to secretly leave some for me. I'll sprinkle it around the house."
"The masters of Wuyang Temple are really powerful. Whenever I got sick before, I just drank the magic water and it was cured. There will be no problem with their help."
…
Ning Buwen just felt extremely troubled.
The Xing family's move was brilliant; the good situation that he had worked so hard to create was reversed in an instant.
But the servants of this era were all very ignorant. They were frightened by Ning Buwen’s trick before, so they could naturally feel at ease because of this small action.
After all, it won't amount to anything.
Otherwise, the Xing family would not have lived in peace and stability for so many years.
Fortunately, there has been a lot of progress on Liang Fei's side. In the past few days, he has been sending messages asking Ning Buwen to stay put for the time being and not to be impulsive, otherwise Ning Buwen will definitely do something else.
"Hello, these are the one hundred roosters and fifty black dogs you wanted. Please count them and see if there are any mistakes?" The dealer who came to deliver the roosters and black dogs bowed and nodded outside the mansion. The roosters and black dogs were placed in cages, waiting for the servants to take them back.
“Woof woof woof—”
When Ning Buwen walked over, he heard a black dog barking particularly happily, which attracted the other black dogs to start barking as well.
"What are you yelling for?"
“Stop barking.” The dog dealer’s face turned ugly. How could he get a good price for the dog if it was so noisy
"Woo-Woof." Another dog was barking persistently.
Ning Bu Wen walked up to the black dog with a very complicated expression.
He had been wondering where his stupid dog had gone, and now he was sure.
This stupid dog Xiaoxin was actually locked in a cage and sold here
The author has something to say: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solution~
Thanks to the little angels who cast [mines]: Qi Jue 2; Cheng Chencheng, Meiying, Xu Yu Qian Yan Yan Yan 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
20 bottles of "Alone in the West Tower"; 10 bottles of "I Don't Know", "Sui Juran", and "Feng Douzi"; 5 bottles of "Abe Qingxue", "Tian Mian Jiang", and "Qingqiu"; 1 bottle of "Shuai Shuai", "Nuomi Ciba", and "Ziyue Dier";
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!