The people arranged by Master Li arrived quickly: Uncle Li, the steward of the Li household, and Granny Wu, the kitchen maid; both were long-time servants of the family. Xiang Wan instructed someone to arrange seats for the two and inquired about the household's affairs from them.
Xiao Yuan had already gone outside to find a tutor for Shi Yuanyuan, as Xiang Wan had instructed, while Xiao Tuan served tea and water to her. Shi Liefeng didn't interrupt, sitting aside and listening to their conversation.
The conversation ended close to noon. Xiang Wan instructed her maid to summon all the servants in the mansion to her courtyard so she could recognize them and arrange various matters within the mansion.
The maidservant was quick; no sooner had she entered the courtyard than servants began to arrive one after another. Xiang Wan looked closely and saw that Shi Yuanyuan was also standing in the crowd, her head bowed.
Xiang Wan called her aside and, after everyone had arrived, began to give her a speech.
"Gentlemen, you all serve in the government, some of you are even senior members, and I have to respect you all. I have called you all here today because I have something to announce."
I just discussed it with my father, and from today onwards, the Li family will be under my control. That means everyone must obey my orders. The rules my father set before will remain largely unchanged, but I'm going to add a reward and punishment system.
As everyone knows, in the mansion, everyone has their own responsibilities. Whether they do well or not, as long as they don't go too far, there will be no punishment, and correspondingly, there won't be much reward either.
Today I'm adding a new rule: anyone who makes outstanding contributions to their job will not only receive a monetary reward but also have the opportunity for promotion. For example, a former cleaning maid who makes no mistakes or is reported for dereliction of duty within a month can be promoted to steward maid. Those who make false reports will be penalized with a monthly allowance and also demoted.
Those of you in the Li household, some have signed fixed-term contracts, while others have flexible contracts. As long as your contributions are significant enough, it's possible to change the nature of your contracts. For example, fixed-term contracts can be changed to fixed-term contracts, and those with flexible contracts can apply to leave the household and escape slavery at any time. In short, by contributing to the Li household, your future holds limitless possibilities.
My father is a man of great loyalty and affection, and I will not treat everyone unfairly. If the Li family prospers in the future, those of you who wish to return to serve can earn their travel permits based on your contributions to the Li family.”
After the words were spoken, there was a moment of silence in the mansion before everyone started discussing it.
Li Bo whispered in Xiang Wan's ear, "Miss, I'm afraid this is not appropriate."
"What's wrong with it?"
“The people on duty in the mansion are all quite familiar with the situation of the Li family. Some of those who have signed a death contract know a lot. If they leave and reveal the situation of the Li family, it may be detrimental to us.”
Xiang Wan pondered for a moment, then reassured him, "Uncle Li, I am just as worried about these things as you are. But I believe that as long as the conditions provided by the Li family are good enough, they may not necessarily be better off outside than they are inside the Li family. Moreover, the Li family will only get better in the future."
"But…"
"Uncle Li, the current situation is a bit special. You'll understand later."
Seeing Xiang Wan's resolute expression, Uncle Li sighed, nodded, and stepped back.
Changing the existing rules of the manor carries a certain risk, but Xiang Wan had no choice but to do so. The masters relied heavily on these servants to run errands, and even some news was leaked through their mouths. She didn't know how many of them had already been bribed by Shi Liefeng and Shi Yuanyuan. Spreading these rumors was also a way to break down their connections and have the servants monitor each other—perhaps with unexpected results.
After discussing it for a while, everyone nodded in agreement, and some even had a glint in their eyes.
Having ambition is good! Xiang Wan knew she had made the right move and said, "Next, we will make some personnel changes. Shi Liefeng is now my husband, the son-in-law of the Li family, and a very handsome man. For the sake of our livelihood, all the maids around him will be replaced with servants. Two will be enough."
"Wan'er?"
Shi Liefeng's face flushed slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable amidst the envious glances of the crowd.
Xiang Wan turned to look at him, and said with a hint of apology, "Lie Feng, please forgive my little thoughts. I was really worried, so you won't blame me, will you?"
With a playful look on her small face, Shi Liefeng couldn't bear to refuse and could only reply, "I'm not that kind of person."
"Hmm? Do you think I don't know what kind of person Lie Feng is? It's just that I can't stand the sight of other women around you, not even maids."
"Cough, cough." Shi Liefeng choked on his words, his face turning red.
"Young master, just give in to the young lady!"
"Yes, it's rare for Miss to be so attentive; it wouldn't be right to refuse."
"That's right!"
Some bolder individuals made fun of Shi Liefeng, making him even more embarrassed.
"Lie Feng, please?" Xiang Wan's sweet voice sent chills down her spine, but Shi Lie Feng was swayed by her charm and hesitantly nodded in agreement.
Xiang Wan quickly glanced at Shi Yuanyuan. She saw that Shi Yuanyuan had her head down and her face was expressionless, but her hands were gripping the hem of her clothes tightly. She must be very upset inside.
"Great! Well then, Lie Feng, I've arranged someone for you."
Shi Liefeng didn't speak, but Xiang Wan had already made up her mind. She pointed to the two strong and honest-looking men and instructed them to take good care of her son-in-law.
These two were laborers from the outer courtyard, and their sudden promotion to the young master's personal servants filled them with joy and gratitude as they repeatedly thanked Xiang Wan. Having just promised Xiang Wan, Shi Liefeng couldn't refuse out of politeness and had no choice but to acquiesce.
Well, doesn't Shi Liefeng have to have sex with women? If it were two men, especially men who clearly have no interest in women, well, their interactions would definitely be quite interesting.
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