Xu Lanyin grabbed his ear and twisted it hard twice, saying, "You said that when you were drunk."

Zhao Wu rubbed his ears. He drank in moderation. When had he ever been so drunk that he said that? Then he thought, maybe it was because he was a little drunk in front of Xu Lanyin that he told the truth.

He chuckled a few times in embarrassment and said, "Sister, next time I go to the capital, I will definitely go to Qinshu Pavilion to buy you some balm. It will make your face more tender after you apply it."

After saying this, he remembered that Xu Lanyin had a Jade Skin Regenerating Cream. He had thought he'd run out of it, but seeing how quickly her skin had improved, she probably still had some of that miracle medicine. If that were the case, it would be even better. Previously, he'd blamed himself whenever he saw Xu Lanyin's even slightly rough skin.

The next day, Xu Lanyin and Xu Lanzhou went to the county town with their money. They first paid for the house on Huaihua Street at a pawnshop, then went to the county government office to get the deed. According to Qin's wishes, the title deed would be in the name of Xu Lanzhou, the eldest son of the Xu family.

Afterwards, Xu Lanzhou went to a private school and Xu Lanyin went to the shop.

Ever since the notice for recruiting apprentices and waiters was posted, many young men and women have come to apply for the positions.

Xu Dashi didn't dare to make a decision on his own. He waited until Xu Lanyin arrived and decided on an apprentice to make pastries and a maid to do odd jobs. He hadn't hired a buyer and waiter yet, and the person he had previously selected hadn't arrived yet.

After returning home, Xu Lanyin gave the deed to Qin for safekeeping. They didn't dare to tell the old couple about the house purchase, and could only tell them after Xu Lanzhou returned.

In the eyes of the old couple, the one they value most among the people in the second house is their eldest son Xu Lanzhou.

The next day, Xu Lanyin went to the shop again and decided on the person to be the buyer and waiter.

This man was called Wang Li, in his twenties. He said he was the son of a woman and lived in the countryside. He had an ordinary appearance and was of medium height. This was the man Zhao Wu had asked Xu Lanyin to take in. He was a secret agent sent by the Fujian household to help Zhao Wu.

Xu Lanyin had already told Zhao Wu that Xu Dashi was familiar with the county's situation and had a meticulous mind, so he could be brought in. With the few of them keeping watch here together, Xu Lanyin wouldn't have to worry about the Yiju Restaurant all the time.

Afterwards, Xu Lanyin went to the Hong family with a bag of snacks sealed in oil paper.

Hong Wei had already left, so Xu Lanyin went directly to the inner courtyard and saw that the girl who served tea was a new face.

The Hong family had few servants, so Xu Lanyin could recognize the newcomer at a glance. Xu Lanyin was very wary of the newcomer at this time.

When the girl turned around, Hu and Xu Lanyin winked meaningfully at each other.

Xu Lanyin teased the two children and said with a smile, "I came here to ask Sister Hong for a favor. My family bought a house in the county town and we're looking for a few servants. It would be best if the men could understand some household chores and look after the family shop and fields. But I grew up in the countryside and don't know how to judge people, so I'd like Sister Hong to help me out."

Mrs. Hu smiled and said, "That's just right. I also want to buy two male servants. Uncle Hu is old and can only watch the door now. He can't do many rough jobs and can't run errands either."

As she spoke, Mrs. Hu asked someone to prepare the carriage and also asked the new maid Xiao Chan to go with her. She seemed to like and trust her very much.

As soon as they stood up, Uncle Hu rushed in and reported, "Grandma, I heard that the Zhang family's uncle, Zhang Gangdan, died of a sudden illness."

Mrs. Hu and Xu Lanyin were unfamiliar with Zhang Gangdan and disliked him, so although they were somewhat surprised, they didn't mind. Mrs. Hu asked Uncle Hu to prepare the items for the memorial service and wait for Hong Zhen to return to the Zhang family home that evening.

Mrs. Hu smiled and said, "Now that Zhang Gangdan is dead, the Zhang family can no longer make a comeback in Nanping County." The implication was that Zhao Wu's life would be better in the future.

Xu Lanyin smiled and said, "Isn't there also a Zhang Tongdan?"

Hu said, "Zhang Tongdan is in the station. I heard he's far inferior to Zhang Gangdan and can't cause any trouble."

They went out and took a horse-drawn carriage to the pawnshop, and they could hear faint crying sounds while walking in the alley.

There were three noodle shops in Nanping County. Xu Lanyin and Hu had visited all of them and even had lunch in noodle shops.

Xu Lanyin bought a twelve-year-old girl from the second pawnshop. The girl had just been sold to the pawnshop by her grandmother when Xu Lanyin took a fancy to her and bought her.

The girl was good-looking and seemed smart. Xu Lanyin was really worried that if she didn't buy it, it would be bought by the wrong person. The little girl knelt down and kowtowed to Xu Lanyin several times, never once looking at her grandmother.

The old woman was still very unhappy and snorted coldly, "Don't blame me. You went to a good family, where you could eat and drink well, and your uncle would have money to marry a wife."

The third dental clinic bought a couple in their early thirties.

Hu also bought a fifteen-year-old boy from the third pawnshop, named Zhu Xiaozao. This young man was also from Fujian.

After Xu Lanyin broke up with Mrs. Hu, she took the three people she had bought to her new house. She renamed the little girl Zhangqi. The couple's husband was named Ding Gu, and the wife's surname was Lu. They also had a twelve-year-old son, who was rumored to have been sold to the provincial capital. Their family had originally been servants to a wealthy merchant in the provincial capital. Because Mrs. Lu was beautiful and attracted the master's attention, the mistress of the family, infuriated, found a fault and sold the entire family.

When buying the people, Mrs. Hu privately told Xu Lanyin, "This couple is very smart. If they are used well, they can be of great use. But if they are vicious, they will be a disaster."

Xu Lanyin bought it very happily. She wanted to buy someone who could be of great use to her. She could understand people's hearts. If someone was useful, she would keep him; if someone was a nuisance, she would sell him.

The new house didn't need any renovations; they only needed to have a carpenter make some furniture and clean it up before they could move in. The three men first cleaned up the house and yard, and then asked Mrs. Lu to train Zhangqi, who had never been a maid.

After Xu Lanyin returned home, she handed the slave contract to Qin. Qin then returned the slave contract for the maid who played chess to Xu Lanyin, saying, "Train that girl well and let her stay with you forever."

Xu Lanyin thought so too, so she took the slave contract and put it away.

She took out another large pattern and handed it to Qin, saying with a smile, "Mother, use that piece of cicada silk gauze to embroider a folding screen. This pattern looks large, but it's actually not very embroidered and is simple."

This is a picture of wild poppies. It is not colored and does not stand out at all on the white rice paper.

Qin frowned slightly and said, "People admire the richness of peonies, the pride of plum blossoms, the purity of lotus flowers, the elegance of narcissus... but no one likes to paint or embroider poppies. Furthermore, when embroidering or painting flowers, the 'flower' or stem must be highlighted, and the flowers must be large. In this painting, the flowers are so small, and they are all mixed in with the green grass. Most of the space is empty, with only a few floating clouds..."

The peaceful Qin criticized the picture without mercy.

Xu Lanyin knew that this kind of painting didn't fit the aesthetics of the time. She smiled and said, "Mother, this isn't a painting of flowers and birds, but a landscape. It's a scene. Embroidered on blue cicada silk gauze, the empty spaces will become the pale blue sky. The result will definitely be stunning and unique. This embroidery isn't for sale; it's for Lord Min to cure his eye disease."