Xiao Ji answered honestly.
"Oh, I know. By the way, Xiao Ji, your aunt prepared a gift for you, but I forgot to give it to you yesterday. Here, let me put it on you."
Yan Xia took out a small jewelry box from the cabinet, opened it, and took out a hollowed-out gold bracelet for Xiao Ji to put on.
"Auntie, this is too precious, I can't accept it." Xiao Ji said with some fear.
"Absolutely, this is a blessing from elders to younger generations, hoping that my little Ji will be healthy and happy every year on his birthday." Yan Xia smiled and patted Xiao Ji's head.
"Auntie... thank you." Xiao Ji's eyes instantly reddened.
"Alright, alright, don't cry. You'll look ugly if you cry. Here are two gilded hairpins. They're quite pretty. Take them and give them to Xiaoqing and the other girl. Tell them they're birthday gifts from me. I forgot to give them to them yesterday."
Seeing that Xiao Ji was about to cry, Yan Xia quickly changed the subject and took out two hairpins from the inside of the jewelry box and handed them to Xiao Ji.
It's just gilding; no matter how well it's made, it can't compare to the value of a hollowed-out pure gold bracelet.
Xiao Ji was moved and also a little excited.
Aunt Yan's kindness to her was truly unique!
(????)
"Okay, Auntie, I'll go get it for them right away." After saying that, Xiao Ji skipped away like a cute little rabbit, completely losing her usual composure.
Yan Xia raised the corners of her mouth, watching her leave, and muttered to herself, "That's right, at this age she'd still be a middle school student in modern times."
...
The Yan family was filled with joy and harmony. The master was kind and the servants were dutiful and loyal. The mansion was lush with flowers, grass, and trees, and was full of vitality.
Even if you randomly bump into a cleaning maid, you'll find that she looks very relaxed, without the slightest bit tense.
It felt just like being at home.
The food at the Yan residence was excellent. Rice was unlimited, and if people got tired of it, the cooks would switch to noodles and other wheat-based dishes, such as steamed buns, mantou, and noodles, all made from the most expensive refined flour. The meals consisted of a standard six-course meal, three meat dishes and three vegetable dishes, unlike other residences where servants could only eat what their masters left over, or where every meal was vegetarian.
After the meal, you can get fruit, sometimes watermelon, sometimes peaches.
All of them are fresh, seasonal fruits.
On holidays, Yan Xia would give everyone a holiday bonus.
Basically, it was one tael of silver per person.
There is also a day off every week, during which you can go out to play, go shopping, or sleep in your room. Even if you sign a contract, you still get a monthly allowance. The higher your level, the more money you get. For example, Xiao Ji, a first-class personal maid, gets a monthly allowance of two taels of silver.
Even the lowest-ranking maid who empties the chamber pots receives half a tael of silver a month.
That's not all. When servants enter the manor, Yan Xia has Xiao Ji write down everyone's birth date. If someone doesn't know their birth date, they are considered to have started their life anew from the day they entered the manor.
Each servant receives a gift on their birthday; for men, it's usually clothing and shoes, and for women, it's jewelry.
Yesterday's birthday banquet happened to coincide with the birthdays of three maids, including Yan Xia's favorite maid, Xiao Ji, which is why it was so lively.
The servants who were bought into the mansion were mostly orphans, so even on their days off, if the mansion was busy, they would willingly come to help. None of them would take advantage of their privilege; they cherished the Yan mansion as if it were their own home.
"Xiaosu, Youyou, each of you will receive one of these two gilded hairpins. They are birthday gifts from your aunt. Remember to wear them in your hair every day, so that your aunt will be even happier, understand?"
Xiao Ji looked at the two hairpins. One was a peach blossom hairpin with large, round flowers. It would definitely look bright and beautiful when worn. Xiao Ji thought it suited Youyou's lively and cheerful personality.
The other one is an orchid hairpin, delicately and elegantly carved, rather understated, and more suitable for Xiaosu.
Each has its own merits.
After Xiao Ji finished speaking, she placed the corresponding hairpins in their hands, and sure enough, both of them liked them very much.
"Thank you for your kindness, Master. Sister Wangji, shall we go to Master's room to kowtow?" Youyou, who had only been in the manor for twenty days, asked.
"No need to express your gratitude. Auntie doesn't like seeing us kowtowing to her all the time. If you happen to run into her, just be nice to her. You don't know this now that you're here, but you'll understand after you've waited a while. Alright, go and bring breakfast to the table. Auntie drank too much yesterday and doesn't like meat. So, just make some vegetarian porridge with a few refreshing side dishes this morning."
"Okay, thank you for your guidance, Sister Wangji." Youyou smiled brightly after hearing this.
"Thank you, Master, and thank you, Sister," Xiao Su added.
Xiao Ji is actually only fifteen. Youyou and Xiaosu are both older than her, but Xiao Ji has a high position. She manages all the servants in the mansion and even the two shops. Even Jin Yu is her equal, except that one is in charge of external affairs and the other is in charge of internal affairs.
Moreover, no indenture was signed.
Therefore, everyone calls Xiaoji "elder sister".
"No need to thank me, go ahead and get busy. I'll help Master with his washing up."
Xiao Ji brought the water back to Yan Xia's room. Yan Xia had already dressed herself. She had nothing to do today and didn't plan to go out, so she just casually put on a thin gauze dress. It was too hot in the summer, and Yan Xia wished she could go shirtless.
"Auntie, let's brush our teeth."
Xiao Ji applied expensive toothpaste to his toothbrush. This toothpaste contained pearl powder and various medicinal herbs, and a jar was worth eighty taels.
Only high-ranking officials and nobles could afford it.
But who is Yan Xia? She's a rich woman; money is something you can't take with you when you die.
She lived so frugally in the first half of her life, now that she wants to splurge a little, she'll use it!
Use whatever is expensive.
Not only she used it, but her son, daughter and daughter-in-law each had one in their rooms, and everyone had to use it. Even the servants all had their own toothbrushes.
The toothpaste they used wasn't that expensive; it only cost one or two taels of silver per jar, and the quantity was quite generous. Brushing their teeth twice a day would last them about six months.
Everyone in the Yan household had very clean teeth and fresh breath.
This was a rare sight in ancient times. Not every family could afford a toothbrush. At most, they would just poke their mouths with a willow twig or simply rinse their mouths with water, just like Yan Xia looked when she first arrived.
"Gurgle gurgle—"
"Pah, ptooey—"
Yan Xia rinsed her mouth five times until she spat out all the foam before putting down her toothbrush and water glass.
After brushing her teeth, she picked up a soft cloth to wash her face, and then applied a fragrant cream.
"Auntie, do you want your hair styled in a bun today? If so, I'll call Xiaosu in." Xiaoji was from a farming family, and even though she learned on the spot, she only knew a few simple buns, which were not presentable. So, on weekdays, if Yanxia was going out, she would ask Xiaosu to come in and help her style her hair.
"No need. I won't go out today. I'll just stay in the mansion. Just take a hairpin and put it on for me. By the way, the osmanthus flowers in the courtyard are in bloom and smell wonderful. Go and pick some osmanthus flowers. I'll make some osmanthus and red bean soup after lunch since I'm free. If it tastes good, I'll add it to the shop to sell."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
