Wu Ziya refused to take the blame. She quickly said, "The Chen family's monthly allowance used to be paid every month, but in the last one or two months, she often didn't go on night duty. The back door was locked during the day, making it inconvenient to go in and out. Many maids and servants complained to me, so I stopped her from guarding the back door."
"She has nothing to do in the mansion, so naturally she doesn't get any monthly salary."
The Chen family nodded and said, "I know it's wrong for me to ask for two cents of wages, but I also want to earn more. Later, Madam Yu was kind-hearted and didn't punish me or pursue my crime. But Madam Bai won't pay me. Old Madam, please make the decision!"
Old Lady Lu looked at Bai Wanyi: "Bai, what's going on?"
Bai Wanyi broke free from the restraints of the maids and turned to glare at Wu Ziya. "They're from the mansion, so naturally they should be paid their monthly allowance. Why are you asking me for it? I think you're just unwilling to pay, so you're putting the blame on me!"
Wu Ziya hid her mouth with a handkerchief to laugh. She was afraid that if she didn't, her smile would be too big and offend others. "Sister, what are you talking about? Well, I know you don't understand this very well, so I'll tell you."
"In a family like ours, most of the servants are family-born children. Every household has several children. If everyone is given a monthly salary, no matter how much wealth we have, we won't be able to support it. Therefore, we will not give monthly salary to those who don't work in the mansion. This is the custom in the mansion."
Wu Ziya added, "Throughout the Great Zhou Kingdom, every household is like this. Monthly wages are only given to those who work. Therefore, their children, when they are three or five years old and can run errands, are assigned to work in the mansion. The cleverer ones are placed with the young ladies and young masters, to accompany them from a young age, become loyal to them, and be able to serve them better."
"Capitalist exploitation, that's child labor." Bai Wanyi frowned.
Wu Ziya was surprised: "What child labor?"
Bai Wanyi said bluntly, "Children who are only three or five years old can't even speak clearly, right? Making them work like this, if not exploitation of child labor, what is it?"
Wu Ziya blinked, looked at Old Lady Lu helplessly, and then looked at Lu Yan: "Husband, my sister is like this, I don't know what to say."
Lu Yan frowned, then glanced at the maids and servants kneeling in the room and said, "Let's not talk about whether it's child labor or not. Wanyi, what's going on with their wages? Why aren't they being paid?"
Bai Wan was furious: "Isn't this what the mansion should give? Don't the people in the mansion get monthly allowances? Why are you asking me for it?"
"But they are helping you, sister." Wu Ziya explained patiently: "There are managers who manage the shop outside the mansion, and there are also clerks who work inside the shop. Everyone gets paid differently. The money for those working inside the mansion is paid by the mansion, and the money for those working outside is paid from the outside account. You get paid according to where you work and what kind of work you do."
Seeing that he couldn't convince Bai Wanyi, Lu Yan went to ask the Chen family, "Did the Madam tell you about your wages when you went to work in the shop?"
Chen Jia was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "No."
A young maid spoke briskly, "Madam Bai hasn't mentioned wages to us servants, but I've asked Yuchuan Tea next door about their wages. Whether it's Piaoxiangju, Jinyingzi, or Miguoxiang, except for the pastry chef and the steward, all the other servants are paid two taels of silver per month."
"Two taels!" Wu Ziya was surprised. She suppressed a smile and looked at Bai Wanyi. "The monthly salary for the servants in our mansion is five hundred wen, and the maids around us get one to two taels a month. Working in the shop is almost like serving the master. Sister is really generous."
Well, in a word, help Bai Wanyi to settle the salary.
Lu Yan said sullenly, "It's outrageous to make such a fuss during Chinese New Year, and you still don't give them the silver!"
"I..." Bai Wanyi didn't want to give it. Even if he did, it wouldn't be now, let alone in such an occasion. These people were really just trying to make trouble.
"Go!"
Lu Yan shouted loudly.
Bai Wanyi had never seen Lu Yan angry with her. She shuddered and reluctantly asked someone to go back to her yard to get the silver. She looked up and saw the smile in Wu Ziya's eyes. She pulled Lu Yan's sleeve and felt very aggrieved: "Brother Yan, she must have done it on purpose! She has to pay the servants every month. Why didn't she tell me if she didn't want to pay? I would have paid it if she had told me. It's not my fault."
Wu Ziya said innocently: "I thought you gave it to me, who knew you didn't know?"
Bai Wanyi's face turned green with anger, but he still had to put on an aggrieved expression and held Lu Yan's sleeve tightly.
Lu Yan had no choice but to coax her: "Okay, I know you don't know this, but from today on, you really have to learn the rules of the capital."
In fact, the most important thing is not the rules, but some common sense in wealthy mansions.
Wu Ziya heard the meaning of Lu Yan's words and knew that she was not going to pursue the matter. She frowned and looked at Bai Wanyi. Such a big thing, and she just had to cry and act like a spoiled child and it would be over?
Her gaze fell on the hem of Bai Wanyi's clothes. A mistress of a mansion, acting like this...
This is the method and attitude that only a concubine can use. Regardless of the occasion or identity, she will snuggle up to the man and act coquettishly.
It's not like Wu Ziya hasn't seen her parents together before. She had secretly watched them when she was young. They also flirted with each other, but whenever there was a servant around, they both acted as the mistress of a mansion and the master, and were very reserved.
Only my aunt would be like Bai Wanyi. Wu Ziya's brows relaxed again. Such a person is nothing to worry about.
After the silver was brought over, Bai Wanyi calculated their wages one by one. Of course, at this time, she couldn't use the roster to calculate how long they had worked one by one, so she could only pay them the silver according to the month they said.
The people in the room just watched Bai Wanyi pay the employees, and some even took the opportunity to teach their daughters:
"When you marry into a household, remember to treat the servants well."
"I usually only teach you the rules, but it's time to teach you about etiquette and social etiquette as a steward."
"Although our family can't afford you a generous dowry, you have to stand on your own feet. You should be frugal when necessary, but generous when necessary, and not save a penny."
Bai Wanyi was very unhappy when she heard what they said. She also didn't want people staring at her like a show. After receiving her monthly salary, she went back to Qitongju without waiting for Old Lady Lu to say anything.
Soon, the nanny who was supposed to teach her the rules arrived. Even though Bai Wanyi didn't want to learn, she forced herself to learn despite her displeasure. What would she do if she didn't learn? Would she make a fool of herself and be laughed at?
Didn’t you see that Wu Ziya’s mouth was about to split to the back of her head?
Bai Wanyi's departure did not interfere with the lunch banquet.
Everyone seemed to have forgotten this incident and they were toasting each other, enjoying the drinking.
After lunch, everyone dispersed. As the Marquis of Pingyang, Lu Yan was not required to see everyone off at the door, but after what happened today, he had to go to the door to relax and prepare gifts to present to everyone one by one: "Please don't tell anyone about what happened today."
"We are all family, Lord, don't worry."
Lu Yan was relieved to see that his clansmen were all sensible. Just then, a group of people rushed to the door and shouted:
"Marquis Pingyang, pay me back! Pay me back now!"
"Give us back our hard-earned money!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
