Bab 53: Picking Servants (I)
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After hearing Jiang Pengji's answer, the old housekeeper had a relieved smile on his wrinkled face. He had been worried that his inexperienced Langjun would mess up.
What concerned him the most was not the potential material loss of the house, which would be nothing at all to the family, but the impact on the relationship between the junior master and father. After all, the housekeeper had been part of Second Langjun's life ever since she was an infant, and he hoped the father and "son" could build an intimate bond.
After changing into a plain set of clothes, Jiang Pengji got onto a carriage and rolled up the curtain from time to time to look outside.
Soon she started the livestream and noticed that 3,000 viewers had been waiting a long time for the broadcast.
It was a pity that her stream did not allow for a larger audience. 3,000 was the quota for a level-one host; to expand her viewership, she would have to spend a huge amount of popularity points to move on to the next level. But she was determined to save her popularity points for other purposes and would not use them just to move on to a higher level.
She was playing with her sandalwood fan when she looked up and saw several comments on the screen.
Ouhuang Saigao: "I'm startled. I saw the host just when I suspected the show would be blank for the whole day."
Nongfu Shanquan Youdianxuan: "Why is the image shaking?"
Baigui Yexing: "Obviously she is in a cart, okay?"
Yimi Yangguang: "Carriages were only available for the rich during that time. It seems the host's family is quite wealthy. The cart is probably like a Maserati in our dimension, eh?"
The carriage was well-equipped with a desk, writing supplies, and snacks. She could also lean on a table whenever she felt tired or sleepy during the long ride.
But the most unique feature of the carriage was its rather advanced design that reduced jolts on the journey. She had not seen such a design before, but its effect was significant.
This reminded her of the butterfly hair clip that she had found in the stepmother's chamber. Apparently, the spring had been added on by Liu Lanting's mother. It made perfect sense, therefore, that she would also add springs to the carriages to minimize bumps and make the ride more comfortable.
Wojiu Bibi: "Host, you are still as handsome as ever! I love you!"
The audience could see Jiang Pengji in a long, forest-green silk robe that had fine embroidery patterns of blissful clouds on her sleeves and collar. A piece of white jade was tied to her waist. She opened and closed her fan leisurely, sometimes tapping her palm.
Toudu Feiqiu: "Are you going to family school?"
Host V: "No. A bunch of people were cast away, so I need to pick new servants from the slave shop."
But wasn't that human trafficking?
Although the viewers had read about it in novels and understood that this kind of trade was completely normal during the ancient times, they still felt strange watching it on a live show. But no one was going to criticize Jiang Pengji.
Liu Lanting's body was so weak that her back began to ache after sitting with her legs bent. As Jiang Pengji leaned against the table, she thought about writing a letter to Liu She.
Before long, the housekeeper drew close to the cart and reported in a low voice, "Second Langjun, we have arrived."
Among the many officially approved slave shops, this shop was the most credible one near their house.
Jiang Pengji closed her fan and glanced at the plaque that hung above the entrance. "One can hardly tell this is a place that trades humans."
As she walked in, she found it interesting that the interior looked no different from any other business.
She spoke softly to the housekeeper. "The place is much tidier than I expected."
The old man stood straight as he replied seriously, "There are various kinds of slave shops. The one Langjun imagined is probably the worst kind that obtains slaves by kidnapping or by forcing households to sell their family members. Our family would never purchase slaves from such backgrounds."
Besides, he would not dare to take Jiang Pengji to the bad shops, for he feared that the merchants would take advantage of his innocent junior master or disrespect him.
"I get it. Shops with an official approval are usually more high end," said Jiang Pengji as she smiled.
Generally, esteemed houses like the Liu's would simply order the housekeeper to inform the shop about what they needed. Only masters of less well-off families visited the shop themselves. Thus, when the elderly shop keeper heard that Liu Langjun himself had arrived, she could not believe her ears.
Her doubts disappeared when her eyes saw the housekeeper, and she approached them with a warm welcome.
"Good morning! May I help you?"
The shopkeeper was a stout, large old woman with chunky cheeks. She wore a crimson silk flower in her hair along with several shiny gold ornaments. One could feel her eagerness to show off from the moment she appeared.
On the contrary, the meager, tall housekeeper beside her looked like a bamboo stick.He lifted his grey eyebrow. "We have come for business. Go greet my master!"
As the manager of all the Liu's household matters, the old man knew everyone related to his work, including the shopkeeper.
The woman's grin froze for a second before it widened as she faced Jiang Pengji.
The Liu family was not the most influential family in Hejian, but their second family branch was unusually affluent. They had various businesses ranging from a well-known bamboo paper workshop to some popular publishers and book shops, and they also owned wine stores and diners.
The shopkeeper was overjoyed by the arrival of a wealthy customer. Having traded slaves for years, she had encountered different kinds of people, and she knew how to boost sales through her keen observation and persuasive tactics. That was how she developed her shop.
She quickly formed a plan and submissively led Jiang Pengji and the housekeeper to the guests' seats, which were a few steps higher. She then kneeled in front of them to show her excessive flattery.
Jiang Pengji once again opened her fan and told the trader, "We are looking for boys or teenagers between the ages of ten and thirty. They must be healthy without disabilities, from a clear background, and without any criminal record. Since we are looking for guards and servants in the yards, we can pay more for those who know a bit of kungfu."
The common practice was to choose adult men as guards because they would be able to protect the masters after some basic martial arts training. But she was recruiting her own troop, so younger men would be preferable. They would become more loyal as time went by, and they had greater potential to enhance their physical strength.
Hadiah
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