As soon as the teachers arrived, the clan school began classes. Since the Li Clan School was not yet completed, the classes were held in a larger room that had been expanded behind the Li Clan workshop.

Since it wasn't connected to the other workers' quarters, there wasn't a big problem; it was just a bit rudimentary.

The teachers didn't complain because of the payment.

The girls' school will start soon as well.

The gentleman was Yan Min, and the location was set up at the Li family's house.

In order to teach these lessons well, Yan Min spent several days sorting out the content she was going to teach before calling the women from several families to gather in the courtyard.

Mrs. Cheng was the most proactive, arriving early with her two daughters, while her son was sent to school.

Yan Min only came out after everyone had arrived, accompanied by a neatly dressed old woman.

"Today we will teach you how to choose servants."

Yan Min served everyone the main course as soon as she arrived.

"Matchmaker, you'd better bring over your best goods; misshapen ones won't do."

"Greetings to the Madam."

The matchmaker first bowed to Madam Cheng, then smiled at Yan Min.

"Madam Yan is joking. This is for the official's wife to inspect, how could we dare to be careless?"

She clapped her hands.

Then someone brought out a group of people, all tied up with ropes, strung together in twos and threes. They were clean, but looked rather pitiful.

Pan Jinhua glanced at it from behind, felt uncomfortable, and left.

"The goods are all here, ladies, please take your pick."

Yan Min glanced at it first, then raised an eyebrow.

"Take a look first, and I'll tell you later which ones are acceptable and which ones are not."

Hearing Yan Min say this, the "goods" didn't react much, all standing there blankly.

Cheng led the way with her daughter. She was indeed looking for someone to help her daughter and someone to do housework. She couldn't let her daughter suffer, nor could she let herself suffer.

Liu Yun also wanted to select some people. Back in Nanze, his mother-in-law was always taken care of when she came and went. Since the exile, she had relied entirely on Pan Jinhua. Now the family had money and their status was normal, so there was no problem for the family to buy people.

Liu Yun did know a thing or two about the art of selecting people.

A person's physical appearance and good health are paramount.

Another requirement is that they have to be pleasing to the eye, since they are the ones serving you. If you pick someone you don't like, wouldn't that just make things difficult for you?

Before long, Liu Yun had made a rough selection.

Yan Min was quite satisfied with how seriously everyone was taking the selection process.

"Alright, time's up. Now watch how I choose."

Having said that, she turned to the group of "goods" waiting to be chosen by their master.

"You, stretch out your hands and open your mouths."

The servants all did as instructed.

"Look at the hands; all five fingers must be neatly aligned, and the nails must be trimmed precisely."

"Secondly, look at their teeth. White teeth are the best. Bleeding or black teeth may indicate that their health is not good."

"Thirdly, observe the facial features; they must be symmetrical and harmonious. I don't want women who are too ugly or too beautiful."

"You, you, you, all of you, get out of here."

As she spoke, Yan Min called down several people, all of whom failed to meet the above three criteria in her eyes.

"Matchmaker, this stuff is of so-so quality."

The matchmaker next to her was already drenched in sweat. How could there be such a family in this dilapidated mountain village who knew how to pick servants!

Previously, I only focused on inquiring about Madam Li. I heard that Lord Li was an official who rose through the ranks from farming. Although I had also heard of the Li family's reputation, there are many twists and turns involved in buying and selling people.

Even wealthy families in the county weren't particularly professional in buying people.

"Hehe, hehe, Madam Yan is amazing. These remaining ones are quite good."

"Fourth, look at their eyes. If their eyes are darting around, they're too cunning and dishonest. They might even become a treacherous servant."

"You, you can go down too."

“….”

The women and girls in the courtyard were all stunned by Yan Min's selection process.

No wonder they come from official families; they handle things so effortlessly. Just thinking about it makes me wonder if they might be able to do the same in the future…

"It's best to buy people from the same family; it's safer that way."

A servant with family dares not betray his master.

"Alright, from the rest, it's up to you to choose."

After this exchange, Liu Yun and her two sisters-in-law learned a lot. They weren't from poor families, but they had never realized there were so many details involved in selecting people.

Fortunately, the matchmaker heard that it was a selection process for a government official's wife, and that the place was remote and not easy to come from. So she decided to bring more people with her.

Otherwise, with so many people eliminated at once, there wouldn't be enough to choose from.

The matchmaker kept chanting Amitabha Buddha in her heart, thinking that she needed to bring more people, otherwise she would have to bring them all back and waste her food.

With this in mind, the matchmaker became more proactive.

"Madam Li, look at this family. There are four people in the family, and two children, a boy and a girl. They would be perfect to be your young lady's maid and your young master's page..."

This one is good too. Don't let her appearance fool you; she's a woman with two kids, she's incredibly strong..."

Li Qingruo looked around. The elders were all listening to the matchmaker, so she looked around by herself, with Li Yin beside her.

For some reason, Li Yin took a liking to Li Qingruo from the moment she met her, and would always try to get close to her whenever they saw each other.

"May I have your name?"

These are a brother and sister; the boy looks to be around ten years old, and the girl looks to be seven or eight.

"My name is Bai Sha, and this is my younger sister, Bai Xue."

The boy's voice was a little hoarse, probably because he hadn't drunk water for a long time, and the corners of his mouth were chapped.

Looking at the brother and sister, Li Yin felt a little sorry for them, as if she saw herself and her brother in them. She couldn't help but clench Li Qingruo's skirt tightly.

Li Qingruo naturally sensed it, but didn't show it.

"Please, miss, buy us! We eat very little, and we can work!"

The young master swallowed hard, looking at Li Qingruo with some anticipation.

The brother and sister had been working under the matchmaker for over a year. Because they were too young to do much, he was just a half-grown boy who was going to eat his father out of house and home.

Nobody wants to buy them; even the matchmakers are no longer willing to waste food feeding them.

Before they came out, the matchmaker had already said that if they couldn't be sold, they would be sold separately. The younger sister would be sold to a brothel, as she was young and would be good for training.

How could you do that!

The little girl next to her also looked at Li Qingruo pleadingly.

"Miss, Bai Xue eats very little. Please buy us! Bai Xue can work too."

"What are you doing? What are you doing!"

The matchmaker noticed what was happening and rushed over, slapping Bai Sha across the face, knocking him to the ground. Bai Xue was stunned with fear, wanting to cry but not daring to, wanting to see her brother but not daring to either.

Slaves cannot be begged by customers to buy them; this has a coercive connotation. Some customers, however, cannot resist at the time and have no choice but to pay up. A couple of days later, they regret it and come back to ask for a refund.

This will damage her reputation.

"Don't fight, I'll buy them!"