Qingzhi held the silver, her fingers trembling slightly. She had signed a five-year contract with the Cui family, and the thirty taels of silver she had sold herself into servitude had already been given to her family. According to the law, she would need to pay no more than sixty taels of silver after five years to redeem herself. She used to think she had no hope, but when she held these five taels of silver in her hand, she felt that it was not entirely impossible.
"Shopkeeper." Qingzhi choked up and tried to kneel down, but Meng Zhao helped her up.
Meng Zhao gazed into Qing Zhi's eyes and said solemnly, "Let me give you a few more words of advice. If you want to save enough money to redeem yourself, your monthly allowance will be far from enough. You need to be more clever. For example, on rainy days or when Madam Cui is not feeling well, that's the time you should seize to make her comfortable. You'll naturally receive a generous reward."
Qingzhi had always waited for Madam Cui to summon her, never taking the initiative to recommend herself. She remembered how Madam Cui used to love the strength of her massages; otherwise, she wouldn't have always sought her service at the Treasure Pavilion. Thinking of this, her long-dimmed eyes finally brightened again.
"I understand, shopkeeper." Qingzhi nodded vigorously.
Seeing the renewed light in Qingzhi's eyes, Meng Zhao couldn't help but smile. Qingzhi was kind-hearted by nature. If she could be enlightened by this and learn to plan for herself, there might be hope for her in the future.
For the rest of the time, Meng Zhao kept a close eye on the banquet, fearing that there might be some disturbance. Seeing that everything was normal, she was slightly relieved. She wanted to find an opportunity to thank Xiao Youzhi, but she did not see him until the banquet ended.
When Meng Zhao arrived home, as soon as she stepped through the gate, Aunt Chen hurriedly came to greet her and reported, "Madam, Young Master Xiao has been waiting for you in the courtyard for quite some time."
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