Yun Zhiyi carefully observed her surroundings.

There were still quite a few slaves with shackles on their feet working in the courtyard.

The government's slave trading company certainly wouldn't keep supporting these slaves for nothing.

They are given some tasks almost every day.

In addition to basic cleaning and tidying work, they also take on extra jobs.

For example, they would offer women jobs such as making clothes, weaving, and embroidery.

They would give the men jobs in woodworking, straw weaving, and the like.

They can take on any job they can handle, which is a source of income.

Then she saw several women sitting on the steps in the corner, embroidering in the sunlight.

However, he was called over and stood awkwardly in the courtyard.

There are rows of houses on both sides of the courtyard.

The doors were all open, and you could see many people working inside.

The sound of weaving can still be faintly heard.

The servant boy walked around outside the door, banging a gong and urging them to come out quickly.

The second ward is inhabited by women, but they are of varying ages, including both the elderly and the young.

They were all over thirteen years old, with withered faces and listless expressions.

Upon hearing the call, they all put down their work, lowered their heads, and quickly walked to the courtyard to line up, waiting for the guests to choose.

Clearly, they had done this many times before, and their queuing was exceptionally skillful and orderly.

Once everyone had stood still, the broker asked in a loud voice.

"Those who can read and write, and can read books from beginning to end, please step forward."

A few breaths later, six people stepped forward one after another.

"Come to the front, everyone."

The servant gave an order and then turned to the two men.

“Mr. Qing, Mr. Li, perhaps we should examine them.”

Father Li turned to look at the housekeeper beside him.

Yun Zhiyi's gaze swept carefully over the six people. "Raise your heads."

The six people looked up, their expressions numb yet tinged with unease.

Two of the six were women, around twenty years old.

The other four are around fourteen or fifteen years old.

He wasn't particularly good-looking, but he was decent-looking and had a refined appearance.

"Write one character first and let's see."

Upon hearing this, the broker gestured to the servants to bring paper, and then had the men line up and write down a single character.

Yun Zhiyi glanced at them, then her gaze fell on two of them.

Handwriting reflects a person's character and can reveal their skill level.

She singled them out and asked, "Have you two received any education before? How long did you study? What did you study?"

The two exchanged a glance, somewhat uneasy.

The older woman spoke first.

“My elder brother was a scholar in my family. When I was young, I learned to read and write from him. Later, I entered the mansion and followed the master. I also learned some things, such as laws, regulations for women and some miscellaneous notes.”

The younger one was in a similar situation, except he followed his master and learned along with him.

Normally, it serves as the master's scribe, so it needs to practice writing diligently.

"Can you do math?"

The older women, who served the lady and helped manage the household affairs, were more skilled in this area.

The younger one only knows basic arithmetic.

But it's enough for her.

She nodded to Li's father.

Li's father understood and immediately obtained the names and information of the two men from the broker.

The document briefly explains the origins of the two individuals, the reason for their master's crime, and some of their individual skills.

Yun Zhiyi had looked at it and thought there was nothing wrong with it.

Father Li then paid the silver and received the two men's indenture.

There were two people; the older one weighed three ounces, and the younger one weighed two ounces.

Having a few special skills makes it normal for them to be a bit pricey.

Yun Zhiyi then visited several more courtyards.

They selected four relatively strong male servants and one old servant who knew a little about flowers and plants.

The most sought-after slaves were strong, capable young men who did hard labor.

Then come the pretty young women.

It's too late for her to choose now; she has to settle for second best.

After buying the people, I went back to the restaurant to check on the situation.

It was only half an hour before the restaurant opened for business.

But the building was already full of people, bustling with activity.

Most of these people came yesterday after hearing the news, but couldn't get a number because it was too late and they couldn't enter.

Logically speaking, this way of driving away customers is very offensive.

There are other restaurants in the city, so why bother coming here only to be met with indifference?

So some people get angry and leave, never to come back.

But some people will take it to heart.

It's like the more you can't have something, the more you crave it; you have to taste the food at the restaurant no matter what, to see if it's really that good enough to fool customers.

Guests arrive on a first-come, first-served basis.

Li Kui was the only chef in the kitchen, so the food was served slowly.

This resulted in the rest of the people only being able to watch someone else eat at a particular table.

Unfortunately, the booths separated them, so neither of them could see what the food on the other's table looked like.

After the initial exclamations, all that could be heard was an immersive meal.

They didn't even have the face to go and take a look, which made them even more anxious.

People kept calling the waiters over to urge the food to be served, making the whole restaurant noisy.

The reason they were able to hold their tempers and not leave is...

That's because of the tea and snacks currently on the table.

Tea is free at the restaurant for three days, although there is no complimentary cheese promotion today.

However, each table will be given a complimentary tea and snack.

Today's tea snack is osmanthus cake, made from finely ground glutinous rice powder, which is then carefully sifted into a mold layer by layer.

Then, place the finely cooked red bean paste balls inside, sift glutinous rice flour over them to seal, unmold them, and steam them.

Once cooked, remove it from the oven and top it with honey made from osmanthus flowers.

The cake is delicate and moist, with a pure white color and a rich osmanthus fragrance. It melts in your mouth and has a light, sweet but not cloying flavor. The red bean paste is soft and has a slightly grainy texture. The two flavors do not compete with each other but blend perfectly.

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