"Okay, if you all are willing to join the special forces, I will select some people with good qualifications to join the special forces. The rest will be recruited into the secret guards, and the last ones will stay in Taohua Village. Those who are selected will have to sign a contract to sell themselves. Is there anyone who is unwilling? If you are unwilling, you can stand up now. I will give you ten taels of silver as travel expenses. Leave Taohua Village and go wherever you want." Yang Youxue said to the children.

After a quarter of an hour, no one stood up, which seemed to indicate that no one was willing to sign a contract to sell themselves.

"Since no one wants to leave, let me tell you the rules. Once you sign the indenture, you're mine. I don't want betrayal. If you dare betray me, I'll make you suffer a fate worse than death. Also, once you join the special forces, you must obey orders and not make decisions on your own. Each person in the special forces receives two hundred taels per year, not including bonuses. Your annual salary is the same as your instructor's, so be sure to cherish it."

"Those who join the Dark Guards receive one hundred taels per person per year, and this doesn't include any rewards. Of course, there are rewards and punishments, and any violation of the rules will be punished accordingly. If you wish to marry and have children in the future, and you haven't broken any of the rules before the age of thirty, and haven't betrayed me or my brothers, you can redeem your indenture for one thousand taels, and you'll be free from now on. You can stay and serve me, or you can choose to leave." Yang Youxue explained the rules to the children.

"Miss, we really do get silver," Xiaohua asked Yang Youxue in disbelief. It wasn't like signing a contract meant you got nothing. Besides food and shelter, and sometimes a little money and other things, nothing else. If you signed a contract with the young lady, you'd get silver. With that money, your younger siblings could live a good life.

"Of course. The reason we signed the indenture is to prevent traitors. Other than that, you'll be treated like my family, paying an annual salary." Yang Youxue never considered signing the indenture to be an excuse for exploitation. The indenture was a deterrent to those with ulterior motives. With the indenture, they wouldn't dare act rashly. After all, here, royal authority reigned supreme, and human rights were worthless.

"Miss, I promise you that I will never betray you. Not only did you save me, but you also gave my brothers and sisters a good living environment. You are my benefactor. My brothers and sisters and I will never betray you. If we break this promise, we will be punished by God!" Xiaohua was the first person to come out and promise not to betray.

"Okay, I believe you." Yang Youxue said.

"Miss, we will never betray you. If we break our promise, we will be struck by lightning!" The remaining children also expressed their loyalty to Yang Youxue.

"I believe in you too. First, those who are three years old and above will train here with Bai Chen. After seven days of training, I will take you to the mountains for training. Don't be afraid of wild beasts. I will prepare some medicine for you. These medicines can drive away snakes, insects, rats, ants and wild beasts. Those who are two years old and below, come back to the yard with me. I will rearrange you." Yang Youxue said.

"Miss, this one is five months old, and this one is eight months old. Please take good care of them." Xiaohua took the two babies, who were several months old, from Xiaolian and Xiaolan and handed them to Yang Youxue.

Yang Youxue took the babies and looked at them. Why were they so small? Had they not eaten anything? Looking at the two malnourished babies, Yang Youxue felt sad. Couldn't this evil dynasty be fair to the people?

"Didn't you feed them well? They became like this because you wanted to keep them for fun." Yang Youxue said a little angrily.

"Miss, I'm sorry! I don't want to do this either, but..." We have no other choice. Without money, how can we get porridge for them? Xiaohua didn't dare to say the rest of the words. She felt sorry for her brothers and sisters because she was useless and that's why they were starving and freezing.

"Miss, Xiaohua has done her best. She and her family often beg outside to support these children. Furthermore, she's been taking good care of the two babies for the past month and has done a good job," Bai Chen defended Xiaohua, not wanting the young lady to have any prejudice against her. Xiaohua had done well; she was a child herself, and the fact that she could take care of over twenty children was something he admired.

"Bai Chen, you are right. I said the wrong thing in a moment of haste. I apologize to you!" Yang Youxue apologized to Xiaohua sincerely!

"Miss, no! It's my duty to take care of my younger brothers and sisters." Xiaohua said.

"Okay, you guys start training." After Yang Youxue said that, she walked towards the yard holding a baby in one hand, followed by five one-year-old and two-year-old children.

"Youxue, whose baby are you holding? And what about these children?" Yang Zhongyi saw Yang Youxue holding two babies, so he quickly took them and gave one to Huang Lijuan before asking Yang Youxue where the children came from.

"Dad, these children were brought back by Bai Chen. Since they are too young, let's raise them at home. Parents, please raise these two babies well and give them to my second sister's child. From now on, their responsibilities will be to protect my second sister's child and take care of her child.

"I'll leave these five children with my eighth brother and my cousin Qingguang, and have them stay with them and serve as playmates." Yang Youxue informed Yang Zhongyi and Huang Lijuan of her plans.