The seven-year-old girl sat there a little aggrieved. She sniffed, and the aroma of the glutinous rice balls and milk tea around her made her mouth water involuntarily. She swallowed and lowered her head. She wanted to hide her red eyes because she knew that her grandmother would not give her these things to eat.
Yang Haiyan couldn't tell what she felt. She did have some sympathy for the little girl, but this sympathy was just like seeing posts on forums about women being abused at home. It was only a short-lived sympathy. She would not help the little girl out of sympathy. She had no responsibility or obligation to do so. Taking a step back, she could help for now and give the little girl a cup of milk tea for free. Could she help for a month or a year? And then give the little girl free food? That was impossible.
As the saying goes, if someone like Zhang's mother helped the little girl now, she might become even more ruthless to the little girl later, forcing the little girl to come to her for free food every day.
Besides, the blood relatives didn't care, so why should she, an outsider, care? But she felt a little uncomfortable.
Guests came one after another, and Yang Haiyan focused her attention on entertaining them. By the time the number of guests gradually decreased, the Zhang family had already left.
Later, in early November, Yang Haiyan calculated the profit of the previous month, plus the profit from Yang Dahua's wholesale sales, minus the cost, and actually made 16 taels of silver. In fact, it was the last three days of activities and Yang Dahua's good performance. She didn't know how much Yang Dahua made from wholesale sales in the county, but Yang Dahua had wholesaled ten times from her this month, and she made a total of 5 taels of silver.
In October, the dim sum shop made a gross profit of 16 taels. After deducting the monthly salary of 600 taels for Aunt Hong and the other three, and their monthly expenses, there was still a surplus of about 12 taels. In other words, their family spent about 3 taels on food this month. You have to know that when Qin Fang was a centurion, his monthly salary was only 1 tael. So, the more you earn, the more you spend. This is really true.
"Haiyan... Haiyan..." The voice of Mrs. Lu came from the door.
"I'm here." Yang Haiyan came out of the room, "Sister-in-law, what's the matter?"
Mrs. Lu: "Hurry, the cabbage and radish have been delivered. They are outside the family quarters. Let's go get them."
When Yang Haiyan heard this, she exclaimed, “Here they come.” The cellar in their house had already been dug, and they could just put the bullets in.
There were huge crowds of people outside the family quarters.
There are 500 centurions and 50 thousand-man commanders in the family quarters. The ten thousand-man commanders, or guerrilla generals, live in the general's mansion in the county town. Although not every one of the 500 centurions has family members accompanying the army, more than half of them do, so there are many families buying cabbages and radishes at the door of the family quarters today.
Mrs. Lu called Yang Haiyan, and then went with Yang Haiyan to call Yang Dahua. The delivery of cabbage and radishes today was arranged in advance, so whether it was Mrs. Lu, Yang Haiyan, or Yang Dahua, everyone made time for it.
Even Zhang's mother asked her eldest granddaughter to stay at home to take care of her younger brother while she hurried over to buy cabbage and radishes.
Yang Dahua: "There are so many people here. These old vegetable farmers are doing really good business."
Mrs. Lu: "That's right. Many people here grow cabbages and radishes for a living. Buying a batch of them in winter can be regarded as an annual income for an average family." Military families like them seem to be more prestigious than ordinary people, but it is just a name. The soldiers here have no land, and their yards are not even as big as some ordinary people's yards in the countryside. Therefore, the homes of the locals are really more comfortable than theirs.
"Mrs. Lu, here." Cart after cart of cabbage and radish were lined up at the door of the family room. They were not from an old farmer's family. A woman from an old farmer's family saw Mrs. Lu and greeted her loudly. There were so many people and her voice was so soft that she couldn't be heard.
Mrs. Lu: "I'm here." She has been with the army for several years and has bought cabbage and radishes from this old farmer's family for many years. She also buys her daily eggs from them, so she is familiar with the place.
Mrs. Lu brought Yang Haiyan and Yang Dahua over. Several familiar centurions greeted Mrs. Lu and said, "Finally, you're here. We've bought everything. Let's go first."
Mrs. Lu: "Don't worry, there's enough food anyway."
The old farmer's wife said: "Yes, don't worry, there are enough cabbages and radishes. We have three carts ahead and there will be more to come. We will definitely finish the work today." The woman in her forties looked older than her actual age. She looked tired, but she was energetic. These days, we have been harvesting cabbages and radishes from the fields. How can we not be tired? But we can earn a lot of money, so how can we not be energetic
Mrs. Lu: "I still believe in my elder sister. The cabbage and radish in your house are very sweet. You can eat them raw after washing them with clean water."
The old farmer's wife said: "Mrs. Lu, you are too kind. In our village, we grow cabbage and radishes. Every household takes good care of them. There is not even a bug on these cabbages and radishes."
When Yang Haiyan heard this, she felt that this aunt was a smart person. She not only praised the quality of her own cabbage and radish, but also praised other people's cabbage and radish, so she would not offend anyone. However, there were many people who needed cabbage and radish, and there was no competition between her family and other families, so there was no need to belittle other families.
Not only this auntie said this, but several other households selling cabbage and radishes nearby also said the same thing. Perhaps it was the village chief who was in charge.
Three carts of cabbage and radish weigh about 2,000 jin, and at 2 taels of silver per jin, these three carts can earn 4 taels of silver. Although it is the result of the family's labor, life is more interesting with silver. Moreover, the prices in the border areas are not low at all, because there are many peddlers, and they make money. Just like the jade bracelets in the Treasure Pavilion, if they are placed in other counties, they may not be sold for 2,000 taels of silver, but here they can be sold. This is the reason why trade drives prices. (Peddlers: non-Qi merchants.)
Soon it was Yang Haiyan's turn. She asked for a total of 480 kilograms and paid 960 yuan. Yang Haiyan couldn't carry so many things, but the farmer's son and daughter-in-law would pull a cart to deliver them.
After 480 kilograms of cabbage and radish were delivered to the yard, Yang Haiyan called Uncle Hong and Aunt Fan and asked them to move them to the cellar. The cellar also contained bacon, pickled bones, pickled radish, and kimchi. Together with the cabbage and radish, it was packed full and had a hint of the New Year's atmosphere.
While moving things, Yang Haiyan asked Uncle Hong: "Uncle Hong, can we raise chickens in a yard in a busy city?"
Uncle Hong: "I'm afraid it won't work. People in the town don't raise chickens. It's a waste of time to eat noodles. When the chickens crow, they will disturb the neighbors and people will talk about it." In the countryside, every household raises chickens, so no one will say anything. But the people in the town think they are nobler than the country people. They look down on the country people, so they don't raise these. In fact, what's more important is that the yards in the town are almost all adjacent, not as big as the yards in the countryside. Because every household is close to each other, the crowing of the chickens will indeed disturb other people's homes.
Yang Haiyan originally thought that she couldn't eat fresh meat during the two months of winter, and eating bacon and pickled meat all the time was not good. If she could raise chickens, that would be great. But Uncle Hong said that it made sense. Humans are social animals, and they can't disturb others because of their own behavior. So she didn't think about it. If it didn't work, she would buy it on the platform. If others asked, she would say that she bought it from an old farmer in the countryside.
Early in the morning of November 19th, Qin Fang returned after his shift was over.
Yang Haiyan hadn't seen Qin Fang for more than half a month since she sent him several baskets of snacks at the end of October. When she saw him now, she suddenly realized that she missed him a lot: "Your face and lips are dry."
Qin Fang: "It's winter here, the weather is very dry, it's okay."
Yang Haiyan prepared hot water for him: "Wash your face first, I'll go get something. Oh, and wash with soap."
Qin Fang: "Got it."
When Qin Fang washed his face, he saw Yang Haiyan came out with a wooden box and a bowl of water. She put water in and opened the lid of the wooden box. A burst of fragrance came out. Qin Fang knew that this was what she put on her face. When he went to bed at night, he could smell the fragrance on her face.
Yang Haiyan: "Come here and sit here."
Qin Fang sat down puzzled and looked up at her. The look of her blinking eyes in confusion was a little silly and cute.
Yang Haiyan dipped a handkerchief in the water in the bowl. This was moisturizing lotion. She couldn't take out the original bottle, so she could only pour it into the bowl. She couldn't use a cotton pad, so she dipped the handkerchief in the water and gently patted it on Qin Fang's face.
Although Qin Fang was puzzled, he did not move. He stared at Yang Haiyan. He found that his wife had a very straight nose, very big eyes, and a very small and rosy mouth. Qin Fang swallowed unconsciously and felt his throat was a little dry. "Yanyan..." He couldn't help but call out.
Yang Haiyan applied moisturizing lotion to him and was about to apply moisturizing cream to him when she heard him shout, "Huh?"
Qin Fang: "Yan Yan, I want to eat your lip balm."
Yang Haiyan was stunned, and saw Qin Fang had already grabbed her waist with his iron arm, pulled her to sit on his lap, and then a pure masculine breath penetrated into her nostrils, and his lips pressed against hers. He was not satisfied with this kind of dragonfly-like collision, and when she was stunned and groaned, his tongue had already domineeringly stretched into her mouth.
Bang, bang, bang…
Yang Haiyan heard her own heartbeat. To be honest, she really liked this kind of man who was proactive and domineering in flirting. He was so damn charming.
He was still a 20-year-old boy, very innocent, but at this moment, he kissed her so hard that her legs went limp. She was as soft as cotton in his arms, holding tightly to his clothes on his chest with both hands: "Husband..." Her voice was charming and seductive.
This sound was the fuse that ignited Qin Fang's remaining rationality. He couldn't help himself and his forbearance were completely out of control at this moment. He held the woman in his arms tightly, because he had never held a woman like this before, so he was a little too strong and hurt Yang Haiyan.
Yang Haiyan regained her senses at this point, and she hurriedly stopped him: "You promised me that you would wait until you are 18."
Qin Fang held her hand and said even more aggrievedly: "I just touched it."
Two quarters of an hour later
Qin Fang returned to the kitchen after taking a shower. Yang Haiyan had already served the noodles: "Hurry up and have breakfast. After breakfast, go and have a rest."
Qin Fang blushed and sat down: "Well, thank you, wife." He grinned like a fox who had stolen some fish. In fact, he had indeed stolen some fish. The smell almost made him lose control, as he had never touched a woman before.
After dinner, Qin Fang brushed his teeth and went to rest. While he was sleeping, Yang Haiyan spread a carpet beside the bed and sat on the floor to start making boots.
Qin Fang turned sideways and looked at her lying quietly on the bed. "My captain's military department has arrived, and the captain's yard near the family quarters has been vacated. When do you want to move in?"
Yang Haiyan didn't know about this: "Aren't the yards different?"
Qin Fang explained: "Of course it's different. The captain is a seventh-rank officer and can have a few private guards here. Moreover, the captain's yard is a quadrangle with two entrances, which is different from the small yard here."
Yang Haiyan found that Qin Fang was a little different. Before, he was introverted and calm, and he spoke very little. But now, he was more energetic. This was probably the difference between being a centurion and a thousand-man commander. Becoming a thousand-man commander meant that he had stepped into the threshold of a military general and an official appointed by the imperial court.
But confident men are very attractive.
Yang Haiyan: "Are we living in the same courtyard where Captain Ao's family used to live?"
Qin Fang: "Yes, I'll take you to see it this afternoon?"
Yang Haiyan: "Yes, but the kitchen needs to be modified to be like ours. After we move in, we can take down the oven here." It would be wrong to leave it for people to know how to make pastries.
Qin Fang: "Well, I'll listen to you."
Not long after, Qin Fang fell asleep. He was already tired. They had just kissed before breakfast and they had sex while taking a shower, so he fell asleep quickly.
Yang Haiyan made Qin Fang's boots, which were made of wool fur. Actually, they were the same as modern snow boots, but they were truly made of leather and fur.
The material of the snow boots was thick, so she worked slowly. She had to make a hole for each stitch and then sew it up with needle and thread. Otherwise, she was not strong enough to pierce the leather with a needle. In fact, if she didn't have the original owner's memory, she wouldn't know how to make shoes.
However, although they are snow boots, they cannot be compared with modern snow boots, because neither rubber soles nor cow tendon soles can be made in this era. Even if she can buy rubber soles and cow tendon soles on her platform, she dare not buy them.
During this period of time, Yang Haiyan has slowly finished most of the work. In two days, the pair of shoes will be finished.
When Aunt Fan came to cook at noon, she learned that the adults had returned, so she increased the amount of food she cooked. After lunch, Qin Fang took Yang Haiyan to see the Qianfuchang's house.
When going out, Yang Haiyan wrapped herself tightly, wearing a jacket inside and a cotton-padded cloak outside. She looked like she was carrying a quilt on her back. That was not all, she also brought a hand warmer because she was afraid of the cold.
Qin Fang saw this and couldn't help but hold her hand: "You won't be cold this way." His hands were warmer than a hand warmer.
Yang Haiyan joked: "I can hold the hand warmer in my hand all the time, but I can't always keep you by my side."
Qin Fang was helpless after hearing this. Since he knew more words and listened to the history of Qi State, his knowledge has gradually expanded. He is no longer the young man who only knew a few words before getting married. However, there is also a saying that men will gradually mature after they have a woman.
Qin Fang held her hand and led her from the centurion area to the thousand-man area. Occasionally, someone would pass by them and would stop to look at them, perhaps feeling a little surprised and a little at a loss.
On the way, Qin Fang introduced: "There are fifty families in the Qianfuchang District. There are ten families including us under General Ao. In the middle..." He briefly introduced the personality of each Qianfuchang and the situation of their families. These were all what he had inquired about during this period of time. Because he knew that his family would move there sooner or later, he inquired about the situation of the Qianfuchang families so that his wife would have a general idea.
This man is indeed careful when doing things, or attentive. A man will be attentive only if he has you in his heart. If he doesn't have you in his heart, he will probably do things in the way that is commonly referred to as a straight man in modern times.
Some people say that this man is straight, so they don't think too much about it. In fact, straight men and non-straight men are nothing more than intentional or not.
When they arrived at the two-story house, since General Ao's family had already moved out, the house was empty and there was no one at the door, so they went straight in. The inside was cleaned very cleanly and the house was empty. It could be said that there was nothing else except the house.
But there are also underground caves. Because people have lived here in the past, cellars and other places have been dug.
The two-story house was very big, and it was nothing compared to the small courtyard they were living in. A big house would seem empty, and if there were few people, it would be particularly lonely.
The house is a quadrangle with two entrances, divided into a front yard and an inner yard. The front yard is for receiving guests, and the inner yard is the living area. The front yard and the inner yard are separated by a hanging flower gate, and the division is very clear.
Yang Haiyan: "The location of this house is very obvious. My husband can entertain colleagues here in the future." If they were in the small courtyard where they live now, there would be no place to entertain.
Qin Fang was happy to see that she liked it: "Let's go to the inner courtyard and take a look."
Yang Haiyan: “Yeah.”
The couple looked around the inner courtyard, mainly looking at the main house. If nothing unexpected happens, they will live here for the next few years. As long as Qin Fang has not made any mistakes, it is impossible to be demoted, so if he wants to change his location, it will be unless Qin Fang is promoted or Qin Fang dies.
Therefore, Yang Haiyan would be more attentive to this house. She couldn't be attentive to the small courtyard she lived in now even if she wanted to. However, if she moved here, she would be a little far away from Lu's wife Yang Dahua. It would take about ten minutes to get there. By then, she would have to make new friends and would feel a little lonely. "Should we vacate the house we live in now for the new centurion?"
Qin Fang: "Yes, but there's no rush. He's alone right now, living in the military camp. If his family wants to come over, it will have to be after the New Year, when the two-month winter disaster is over." Here, the two-month winter is also called the winter disaster.
Upon hearing this, Yang Haiyan immediately said, "Then we can renovate our new house. We still have time."
Qin Fang: "I'll listen to you. Tell me which areas need renovation. I can ask someone to do it while I'm at home these few days. Even after the day off, I can still do it when I come back."
Yang Haiyan: "Yes. Let's go to the carpentry workshop and get all the furniture needed for the house first."
Qin Fang: “.”
The couple's order from the woodworking workshop is a big order. The furniture is all made according to Yang Haiyan's wishes. However, relatively speaking, the price of these furniture is still reasonable, because Yang Haiyan has no requirements for wood. She doesn't care about materials such as mahogany, and ordinary wood is fine. From the bed to the wardrobe, wall cabinet, shoe cabinet and bedside table, they are all similar to modern ones. It doesn't matter. The style is based on your own needs.
However, the furniture they ordered is quite a lot and it would take a while to complete it.
When he went to bed at night, Qin Fang talked about another thing: "On the fifth day of December, General Ao's promotion and housewarming celebration will be held in the General's Mansion. You have to go with me to the General's Mansion. In fact, General Ao's wedding banquet was originally scheduled to be held earlier, but because my military officer did not come, he deliberately chose to hold it after my appointment officer arrived."
When Yang Haiyan heard this, she said, "General Ao really treats you well."
Qin Fang: "Yes. He helped me a lot." So he respected General Ao very much.
Yang Haiyan: "It's November 19th now, and there's still more than half a month left. You should tell me about General Ao and Ao Baibai's personalities and preferences."
Qin Fang: "Well, General Ao has a rough personality, but he is quite cheerful. As for Ao Baibai, I haven't met her much. The only times I met her were when I went to the Qianfuzhang's mansion to look for General Ao. She...she is a bit like my mother."
Yang Haiyan was surprised: "Similar to my mother?" One is a captain of a thousand men, and the other is a peasant woman. Similar? As if thinking of something, Yang Haiyan asked, "General Ao is also from a peasant family, right?"
Qin Fang: "Yes. General Ao also started out as a military service officer and rose through the ranks. Ao Baibai is a local, and as a child of a border guard, he has a straightforward personality."
Yang Haiyan understood that Qin Fang was probably referring to Ao's personality when he said that Ao was similar to his mother. "Husband, the gift we prepare for General Ao doesn't need to be fancy, as long as it's practical. You were a centurion before, and your monthly salary was only one or two taels of silver. General Ao also knows our situation. If we prepare something fancy and it's too eye-catching, it will make people suspicious. What do you think?"
Qin Fang had no opinion on this matter, because he knew that his wife was knowledgeable: "You decide."
Yang Haiyan: "Tell me about the situation in General Ao's mansion, mainly the backyard, how many children the general has, and whether he has concubines..."
The couple chatted until late at night.
The next day, the couple went to the county town. Qin Fang is now a captain of a thousand men, a seventh-rank officer, and he must have servants. Although they are servants, they are actually messengers and other errand runners. Then, a seventh-rank officer is allowed to have five private soldiers to train as his own confidants. These private soldiers are different from the soldiers in the barracks, but private soldiers also have their own private soldiers, and these private soldiers are issued by the Yongzhou County Government. Moreover, the private soldiers and their masters share honor and disgrace.
On the way to the county town, Yang Haiyan asked curiously: "Husband, what kind of private soldiers do you want to choose?"
Qin Fang: "I plan to select from the soldiers who have completed their military service. The soldiers who entered the barracks earlier than me will complete their military service at the end of the month, and then I will select five. They were originally under my command when I was a centurion. I have a basic understanding of their strength and character, so I feel comfortable and at ease using them."
Yang Haiyan: "My husband, you are very thoughtful. How about letting Uncle Hong show off to you before these soldiers finish their military service? He is a local and familiar with this place. Then we can buy a few more people."
Qin Fang: "No, it will only take a few days. As for his affairs, you are the one who makes the decision. I will listen to you."
Yang Haiyan: "My husband, you are so kind. You always listen to me."
Qin Fang liked her to praise him very much. Every time she praised him, he always felt that his tail was about to rise. Oh, he didn't have a tail.
Yang Haiyan: "Then let's pick two people, both of them are permanent indentures. In the previous pawnshop in the town, since only Uncle Hong could read, there was nothing he could do even if he was a living indenture. This time, let's see if there are any permanent indentures that can read. Pick one who can read, and pick a woman who can do rough work." It doesn't matter if the woman who does rough work can't read. Otherwise, Aunt Fan has to go to the dim sum shop, buy vegetables, cook, and wash clothes, which is too much work. Aunt Hong is in the dim sum shop every day, after all, the shop can't be without people.
Qin Fang: "I'll listen to you."
When the couple arrived at the county government office, they went straight to the pawnshop.
The matchmaker welcomed them warmly: "Sir, sir, are you here to buy a house?"
Yang Haiyan: "I want to buy two maids who are in a death contract. One is the most literate, honest and steady, the best at combing hair, and she must understand the rules and etiquette of officials. The other is for rough work, it doesn't matter if she doesn't need to be literate." Although Yang Haiyan can comb the hairstyle of this era because of the original owner's memory, it is really tiring every time she combs it. However, the person she buys still likes the maid, because the maid and Qin Fangzhi don't have to avoid risks, and if the young girl has bad thoughts, she will have to deal with it, which is troublesome.
Yes, Qin Fang is an official now, and there must be rules and etiquette at home. She understands it, but she finds it troublesome to ask her to do it, so it is better to find someone who understands the rules and etiquette.
The county government's pawnbroker is different from the town's pawnbroker. The pawnbroker in the town can't compare. When the pawnbroker heard Yang Haiyan's request, she immediately selected six people.
Matchmaker: "Xiao Xiao, the three on the left can read and write. They are from wealthy families. They were originally maids in wealthy families. The masters couldn't make ends meet, so they sold all the maids. The three on the right are servants, good at housework."
Of course, no one knew whether the maids the matchmaker mentioned were really sold for this reason. In order to sell the maid as soon as possible, the matchmaker listened to everything she said. However, she did not dare to deceive Yang Haiyan. When she heard Yang Haiyan say that she wanted to find someone who understood the rules of an official family, she thought that the young man in front of her might be from an official family. Although the matchmaker was an official, he did not dare to cause trouble.
Yang Haiyan: "I will select the maids first, and you three can introduce yourselves, and tell us about your previous families, previous masters, and the reasons for selling yourselves." She didn't want to cause trouble. Moreover, she was not afraid of them lying, because everyone's household registration in the county government would be recorded.
The first one: "Bai Bai, my name is Liu Yue'e. My home was hit by a flood and all my family members died on the way. That's why I sold myself. I just want to have a place to settle down."
Yang Haiyan looked at her and couldn't tell her age, but her unhealthy complexion vaguely showed that her facial features were in good shape. Yang Haiyan: "If that's the case, you sold yourself on your own initiative, why didn't you sign a living contract? Instead, you signed a death contract? Or, find yourself a man, even if he's a widower, so you have someone to rely on for the rest of your life, which is better than being a slave to others."
"this… "
Yang Haiyan knew at a glance that the other party was lying: "You can withdraw now, only one."
The second one: "My name is Yu Zhaodi, I am 36 this year. I originally had a son and a daughter, but my son died in an accident. The husband wanted to have a son to carry on the family line, but I was too old to have children, so he made me unconscious and sold me. He probably used the money to marry another one." She always knew that he wanted to divorce her and marry another one, but marrying another one would cost money, and their family didn't have the money. But she didn't expect that he would be so heartless as to sell her and use the money to marry another one.
Yang Haiyan didn't expect such a thing to happen.
Yu Zhaodi knelt down again: "Dear, please buy me. I can do any rough work or heavy work. I originally wanted to die, but I am worried about my daughter. Dear, please..." After saying that, Yu Zhaodi kowtowed to Yang Haiyan. She kowtowed very hard. The sadness in her expression did not seem fake, and her tears were certainly not fake.
After just a few kowtows, her forehead turned red, which showed how hard she was trying.
Yang Haiyan sighed: "You get up first and stand aside. I want to listen to this."
Yu Zhaodi refused to get up: "Xiao Xiao, I am really able to work. I don't need anything. I don't need to eat enough every day, and I don't need monthly allowance. Please buy me..."
Yang Haiyan frowned: "According to our country's laws, it is illegal to pawn or sell wives and daughters, unless they are concubines. You are the legal wife, right?"
Before Yu Zhaodi could speak, the matchmaker said, "Don't worry, we are a legitimate matchmaker. If the bride's identity is questionable, we will not sell her in. I have seen her sale contract. She was sold to her previous husband as a child bride by her family. Strictly speaking, she was a slave bought by her previous husband. Many child brides are slaves, but there are also charitable families who will remove the slave status after the couple gets married and return the sale contract to the bride. But her slave status is not removed, and the contract for a child bride is not a living contract, but a dead contract."
Yang Haiyan didn't expect there would be this question. She asked Yu Zhaodi: "Is that so?" When she heard the name, Zhaodi Zhaodi... Yang Haiyan also believed what the matchmaker said. This woman must have been bullied in her parents' home.
Yu Zhaodi nodded: "Yes. But bastard, I can work. I was very hardworking when I was at my parents' home, and I served the whole family when I was at my husband's home. Please buy me." After saying that, she continued to kowtow.
Yang Haiyan: "Okay." She said to the matchmaker, "Give me her deed of sale." She was not opposed to anything within her ability. Of course, if the person was not of good character, she could still resell him.
Upon hearing this, Yu Zhaodi kowtowed several times: “Thank you… Thank you…”
Yang Haiyan: "You stand aside for a moment. The three of you here, please introduce yourselves."
The first one: "I am a wet nurse in a wealthy family. Because I ate the wrong food..."
Yang Haiyan knew that many families would choose a wet nurse from among those who had given birth at home, and they felt at ease. However, if she gave birth to a child, she would definitely feed the child herself, unless she had no milk. Otherwise, she would not feel at ease letting her child eat someone else's milk. I heard from this person that the child got sick because the milk had problems because he ate the wrong food. Even if the child was fine in the end, it could not be entirely blamed on the wet nurse, but Yang Haiyan did not dare to buy such a person. No matter what position you are in, being careful is the most important thing. She can tolerate the stupidity of people below her, but she cannot tolerate the carelessness of people below her, which can be fatal.
Yang Haiyan: "The second person, please introduce yourself."
The second maid stepped forward and bowed to Yang Haiyan first: "I don't have a surname. I'm 42 this year. I was sold to the young lady to serve her since I was a child. The young lady named me Xiaolian. After the young lady got married, I followed her. Later, the young lady gave birth to a little boy, but she was not healthy and died after a few years. Originally, I and a few others were left to take care of the boy, but the son-in-law later married a wife, so we made a mistake and sold the young lady."
Yang Haiyan heard her talk and manner, and her posture was respectful. She could tell at a glance that she had been trained, just like before. She couldn't help but ask, "Which family are you originally from? Which family did your daughter marry into later?"
The second maid said: "I was originally the daughter of the Yuan family in Qingzhou. Mr. Yuan was once a second-rank official, and the daughter married into a family of good status."
Yang Haiyan: "With your status, how dare the wife you married later sell you out? Even if she wanted to save face for the Yuan family, she wouldn't sell you out. Otherwise, she wouldn't have your sale contract."
The second maidservant said: "After the young lady passed away, my indenture was in the hands of the son-in-law. The family of the young lady behind me is more powerful than the Yuan family. Otherwise, although I used to be the young lady's maidservant, I was not a despised wet nurse. Like the young lady's wet nurse, the young lady behind me would naturally not sell her."
Yang Haiyan had a good impression of her, mainly because she was well-spoken and had seen a lot of things. However, she did not make a decision immediately. She nodded and said, "Let me introduce you to the third one."
The third woman stepped forward and said, "I don't want to sign a death contract, and I haven't even signed a contract with the broker. The broker is my friend, so I was allowed to give it a try."
Yang Haiyan heard this and asked, "What's going on?"
The third maid spoke slowly, "I was originally from Qingshui Village. My parents died when I was young, and I grew up with my uncle and aunt. When I was thirteen, the imperial court held a beauty contest, and all fifteen-year-old unmarried women were selected to enter the palace. My aunt was reluctant to let my fifteen-year-old cousin be selected to go to the palace, so she asked me to pretend to be my cousin... So after I entered the palace, I became a maid in the palace. According to the laws of the court, maids can only leave the palace when they are twenty-five years old. When I reached that age, I thought that I had no relatives at home, and my relationship with my uncle had been severed since I entered the palace, so I cut off the relationship and stayed in the palace. Until I was forty years old, the master of the palace passed away, and those of us who served were sent out when we reached the age..."
Wait, when Yang Haiyan heard this, she was completely stunned.