Jiayin breathed a long sigh of relief. Perhaps feeling the warmth of her family, the deathly look in Zheng Sanjiang's eyes seemed to lessen slightly.
Ye Shan then called the remaining boys forward.
Unlike Zheng Sanjiang, they were all sturdy, robust young men, which made Grandma Li and the others beam with joy.
They introduced themselves, and needless to say, they all shared the surname Zheng, but their given names were shockingly simple.
Zheng Er, Zheng Si, Zheng Wu, Zheng Liu, Zheng Qi.
This made it easier to remember, as it corresponded perfectly to the order of the Li brothers.
Jia Huan wanted Zheng Er, Jia Xi wanted Zheng Si, Jia An wanted Zheng Wu, Li Ge'er wanted Zheng Liu, and Mao Ge'er wanted Zheng Qi.
Jia Huan is alright; he's always been honest and taciturn, and working in a restaurant has made him much more composed.
Even if he was interested in the new servant, he thought he would get to know him slowly later and wasn't in a hurry to ask anything.
But Jia'an, Jiaxi, and the others couldn't wait. They were so eager that after hearing just a few words from their elders, they swarmed off with the Zheng family boys.
Jiaren didn't leave either, partly because he was concerned about asking Jiayi why he hadn't chosen a personal attendant.
Secondly, these people all came from Zhengjiazhuang, which was the estate the Marquis gave to his sister. Would transferring so many people at once cause trouble for the estate, or make Zhengjiazhuang disloyal to his sister, their new master?
Zheng Feng and Zheng He, seeing that they were quite familiar with Zheng Sanjiang, consulted their master and then took Zheng Sanjiang to the neighboring Ye family's courtyard to settle in.
It's easier to talk to people if you keep your own people around.
Jiayi, looking completely unconcerned, exclaimed, "These people from Zhengjiazhuang are alright, but when I try to outmuscle them, not one of them can beat me. So I'm not going to bother choosing them. Rather than having a burden around me, I'd rather be free on my own."
Hearing this, the whole family wanted to roll their eyes. Putting aside the fact that there were few people in the world stronger than him, the servants were just there to run errands, not to carry stones or swing millstones every day. Why hire someone strong?!
But it was obvious that Jia Yi was stubborn and wouldn't listen to advice, so everyone decided to ignore him and stop asking.
Jiaren called his younger sister to his side, gently put his arm around her, and asked, "Fu Niu'er, Zhengjiazhuang shouldn't be very big, right? With so many people being transferred out, won't there be no one to do the work?"
Jiayin was pleased that her elder brother was so thoughtful, and quickly said, "Don't worry, elder brother. There are quite a few people in Zhengjiazhuang, and all of them have practiced martial arts since childhood. They all want to come out and see what's going on and find a way out."
“When Zheng Feng and Zheng He came to hear Second Uncle’s instructions before, Godfather said that he would pick a man for each of you. As for me, if we need manpower in the future, we can find dozens more in the manor at any time.”
Jiaren was relieved and said with a smile, "This shows that the Marquis and Zhengjiazhuang trust our family. Whenever someone goes there again, remember to send a message saying that we will definitely treat these people well and put their minds at ease."
"Okay, don't worry, brother. Shui Ling and Shui Yun, as well as Zheng Feng and Zheng He, must have said a lot when they went back. Everyone in Zheng Family Village knows about our family's righteousness, otherwise Uncle Dashan wouldn't have been able to bring back so many people so easily this time." Jia Yin reassured her brother.
Sure enough, Ye Shan nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, Miss is right. When the Zheng family heard that they were going to select servants and attendants for their young masters, every family in the village wanted to send their sons over."
"In the end, it was the manor lord who decided to send Zheng Er and the others over. They were one of the most outstanding young men in the manor, and they had received special training. The rest of the young men still need to be honed and trained."
Jiayin asked curiously, "Why aren't Zheng Yi and Zheng San here?"
Ye Shan replied, "Zheng Yi and Zheng San were sent out on business by the Marquis two years ago. I don't know when they will be back."
Jiayin nodded and didn't ask any further questions, since the brothers had enough manpower.
At this moment, Li Zhensheng actually returned from the city.
Everyone was puzzled, and Old Lady Li asked, "Why are you back so early today? Isn't the restaurant busy?"
"Busy!" Li Zhensheng laughed. "But the seafood stock is running low, and I want the fleet to set off as soon as possible, so I came back to see how the boys are doing with their preparations."
Grandma Li immediately said, "Fu Niu'er was worried that her brothers would suffer on the journey, so she just found a servant for them. Everything is ready, and the fleet can set off anytime they want!"
Tao Hongying also laughed and said, "There are already too many boys in the family. With these servants added, it's going to be a huge mess. Sending Jia'an and Jiaxi to the boat will give the family some peace and quiet."
Everyone laughed; that was absolutely true.
It seems the Li family has a nest full of boys; the fourth wife gave birth to seven boys, while Jiayin is their only daughter.
Now that all seven boys have their own personal servants, there are seven more, making it twice as lively and twice as troublesome...
We need to separate them quickly; those who should go south should go south, and those who should return to the academy should return to the academy!
Li Zhensheng said, "Mother, there's nothing major happening at the restaurant. I'll come south with you this time to check out the business in Quanzhou."
That's what he said, but Grandma Li, Tao Hongying, and Zhao Yuru all knew that he was worried about the children and planned to go and protect them himself.
Tao Hongying and Zhao Yuru were very grateful. Zhao Yuru quickly said, "Brother, Jiayi and Liu Yang are here, you don't need to come along. Don't delay the restaurant's business..."
Li Zhensheng waved his hand, "I already said it's for the business in Quanzhou, not for a few kids."
Grandma Li patted her two daughters-in-law and advised, "Don't try to persuade him. Your eldest brother knows what he's doing. When the boys grow up, they'll be more filial to their uncle."
That matter was settled, and that evening, the whole family had a reunion dinner.
The next morning, the Li family set off in two carriages.
First, take Li Zhensheng, Jiaxi, Jia'an, Jiayi, Liu Yang and others to the dock.
The Li family's small fleet had prepared food and water, and the ships were loaded with goods. They set off immediately after receiving their masters.
Li Lao Er, along with Jia Ren, Jia Huan, Li Ge'er, and Mao Ge'er, watched them leave from the dock, waving goodbye from afar.
Cat Brother was very disappointed, so Li Lao Er comforted him, "Your second uncle also wants to go, but wait a few more months. During the winter vacation, your second uncle will take the four of you brothers and set off immediately!"
Cat Brother was indeed happy, and Jiaren and Li Ge'er also smiled.
Only Jia Huan replied with a simple smile, "Second Uncle, please take my eldest brother and younger brothers with you. The restaurant is too busy; I can't leave."
Li Lao Er slapped him and scolded, "The restaurant is busy, so you asked your uncle to hire a cook. Does the restaurant not do business if you're not there? You're a man, not a coward. You have to go out and see the world."
Jia Huan scratched the back of his head and then stopped saying anything.
After exchanging a few more casual words, they boarded the carriage and escorted Jiaren, Lige'er, and Maoge'er back to the academy.
After returning to the city and leaving Jia Huan behind, Li Lao Er finally went back to Suijintan.
Jiayin suddenly lost her brothers as playmates and felt a little out of place, as if everything was empty.
So she called on Shui Ling and Shui Yun to mess with the dough together and try baking cookies.
When Li Lao Er arrived home, he could smell the sweet fragrance in the yard even before he entered.
Sure enough, as soon as I entered the door, my little niece ran over to show off, "Second Uncle, I baked cookies, Second Uncle, come and eat!"
He smiled and ruffled his niece's hair. Just as he was about to go inside, the village chief came looking for him.
The crowd welcomed the village chief to sit down, tasted the biscuits, and praised them. The village chief then said, "Lord, go and present the melons to the Emperor tomorrow."
"I was walking in the field just now when I accidentally bumped into a jade melon, and it burst open! The flesh inside was bright red, it was absolutely ripe!"
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