Shu Jian was very efficient. In just one or two days, he had found all the people Wei Qinglou wanted. He had found women with clean backgrounds, who were literate and had no one to rely on, just as Wei Qinglou had instructed.
Wei Qinglou said he wanted to see them, but he didn't show himself in front of them. He just told him to pass on the message.
The already cramped hall felt even more confined because of the ordinary-dressed, timid women huddled together.
They had only heard that they were being hired here, without even knowing what they would be required to do; they had only come here because they were desperate. At this moment, they looked at each other, unaware of what fate awaited them.
Having memorized the words the young master had taught him, Shujian entered through the door, instantly drawing everyone's attention. He cleared his throat and said:
“Our boss wants to do a business deal, but he can’t do it well on his own, so he needs a group of capable subordinates to help him. If you are not satisfied with your current situation or need some money to change the status quo, I believe this job would be a good fit for you.”
"But before that, you need to undergo a two-week closed training. It's not like everyone can stay if they want to. Your fate will depend on the results of the training. But no matter whether you succeed or not, you will receive a substantial reward. However, there is one condition: those who cannot stay must leave Yujing and never return."
"I have finished speaking. Now I have prepared the corresponding contracts for you. If you are willing to accept the conditions we offer, come here to pick up and sign the contracts. If you are not willing, you can still leave now."
After he finished speaking, some people thought the matter was unreliable, bowed to him, and turned to leave. Others hesitated and lingered in place, while still others gritted their teeth and took their share of the contract from his hand.
In the end, seventeen out of forty people were signed, which was more than Wei Qinglou had expected.
Shujian said, "From now on, you will live here. Someone will come to teach you for half a month. If your final evaluation is excellent, you will be able to stay."
After saying that, he pushed open the door and left. Not long after, a woman who looked like a housekeeper came in, assigned them rooms, and introduced them to their daily meals, accommodations, and other matters.
"Young master, you can tell me what you're planning to do now. You didn't just bring these women here for no reason, and you even arranged for people to teach them manners, etiquette, and social skills. Besides, can they really learn all that in just half a month?" After leaving the courtyard, Shujian finally couldn't help but ask again.
Wei Qinglou didn't hide anything from her. After telling her about his conversation with the emperor in the palace, he chuckled and said, "If they can't learn these things in half a month, then leaving Yujing might be the best option for them."
He paused for a moment, then said, "Have you ever heard of raising Gu? I've heard that Gu masters in the Southern Frontier put hundreds of Gu worms in a vessel. They devour each other, plundering nutrients, and the strongest one that survives in the end becomes the Gu King."
"Does the young master intend to raise Gu worms?" Shu Jian didn't quite understand, but he grasped the key point in Wei Qinglou's words, so he asked.
Wei Qinglou glanced at him in surprise, seemingly unable to understand why he would ask such a question, but after a while he understood. With Shujian's comprehension ability, it would be strange if he could really understand.
He explained, “It’s not about raising Gu poison. It’s just an analogy. It’s alright, you don’t understand now, but you will gradually understand later. Right now, the most important thing is to hurry up and pack up. Tomorrow I will bid farewell to my father and the emperor and prepare to go to Heling.”
...
Heling, Qiu Mansion.
The fact that Qiu Mingyan was tricked into falling into the water caused a huge uproar in the Qiu family.
The Qiu family was a prominent family in Heling City, but they never expected that their daughter would have such a thing happen when she went to someone else's house for a banquet.
Fortunately, Zhu Jiayu was mature and prudent, and had already handled the matter properly, so everyone belatedly breathed a sigh of relief.
After this incident, the third branch of the family sent Zhu Jiayu many fine things, including writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and rare ancient books, all of which are rare treasures that are hard to find on the market.
The third wife was not as well off as the first and second wives, who came from official families. In other words, her family was in business and had a fairly large business, which was why they were able to produce these things.
Unlike usual, Qiu Lingyan did not throw a tantrum or harbor resentment after hearing that her mother had given Zhu Jiayu a gift.
After falling back into the water, her smile wasn't as bright as before, and she seemed much more composed.
The third wife saw this and thought it was a good thing for her proud and arrogant daughter, so she didn't say anything.
Moreover, compared to her daughter's matter, there is clearly another matter that is more important at present—the old lady has recovered a lot, and the first thing she did after recovering was to ask the nanny by her side to invite Zhu Jiayu from Chunshan Residence over.
She couldn't help but wonder what the old lady would say to this granddaughter she had never met before.
The old lady was quite a figure in her youth. Born into a prominent family in Yujing, she fell in love at first sight with her father, who was then a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). Without hesitation, she asked her family to allow her to marry him to Heling. Later, when her father was promoted to the fourth rank and enjoyed a prosperous life in Yujing for more than a decade, it was thanks to the old lady's mediation that he was able to avoid offending too many people due to his upright nature.
Now that the old master has passed away, if the old lady is willing to plan and pave the way for her granddaughter, then Zhu Jiayu's future is limitless.
While the Third Madam was making plans in her mind, Zhu Jiayu was indeed in the Old Madam's courtyard, just as she had imagined, with the grandmother and granddaughter living in harmony.
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