After Tian Sangui finished his makeup, clear laughter gradually appeared at the entrance, with three or five people walking side by side into the main courtyard.
Madam Feng rose gracefully, her face elegant and poised, and walked to the door to greet them with a smile.
When it appeared before the ladies, they were all stunned.
Madam Feng stood gracefully in the doorway, like a beautiful woman, gentle and serene.
He was completely different from his usual anxious self.
Madam Feng took in the surprised looks on the faces of all the ladies.
"Madam Feng, it's been so long! You've truly transformed and become so beautiful, it's the envy of everyone!"
"Good sister, how did you do that? We're all close sisters, please teach us!"
After their initial surprise, the ladies surrounded Madam Feng, pulling her aside to ask for the secret recipe.
"Hahaha, there's no secret recipe at all, it's all thanks to the Third Manager!"
As she spoke, Madam Feng pulled Tian Sangui closer to her side and introduced him with a smile in her eyes.
"The rouge shop of the Third Manager will open on the sixth day of next month. Sisters, if you need anything, feel free to go and choose. Look at my face, it's all thanks to the Third Manager's rouge!"
"Wow, this is the best rouge I've ever seen before!"
"Hey, Third Manager, your restaurant had a lot of discounts when it opened, I wonder if your cosmetics shop has any discounts?"
Just by looking at Madam Feng's face, one can tell that the rouge is no ordinary product, and it must have cost a lot of money.
Tian Sangui smiled and nodded, then took out three bamboo tokens from his bag.
"This is a specially made bamboo tag from my shop. With it, you can enjoy a free beauty service when the shop opens. Of course, good things are limited in quantity, so please arrange for distribution, Madam Feng!"
Madam Feng took the bamboo plaque, looked at the eager ladies, and loudly proclaimed.
"Let's go to the pavilion, enjoy the flowers while we play games, and whoever wins the bamboo tokens gets them, okay?"
There are many colors but few colors; only in this way can things be truly fair.
Instead of complaining, the ladies were even more determined to win the prize.
Having achieved his goal, Tian Sangui now followed the ladies to the garden pavilion to watch the excitement.
After lunch, the three ladies left satisfied, while the other ladies bid farewell to Madam Feng listlessly.
Madam Feng sent a carriage to safely escort Tian Sangui back.
After lunch break, Tian Sangui sent Lanjuan to the West Market to find a matchmaker, and sent her with a female slave to the backyard of the restaurant.
The matchmaker, in her forties, wore a green floral linen dress and a large crimson flower in her hair. With a broad smile, she swayed her plump waist and greeted Tian Sangui.
"Third Manager, I, Cui, have come to offer my gifts. I have all sorts of fine goods behind me. You can choose some to use; you won't be at a loss!"
It's like Wang Po selling melons, praising her own wares; even in business, Hoshida Sanki is no exception.
After Cui finished her introduction, Tian Sangui took a sip of honey tea, looked up at Cui, and asked.
"Is the life-and-death pact ready?"
"Yes, everything's ready. We have both red and white ones. Third Manager, please feel free to choose!"
Granny Cui had a big smile on her face. The death contract was expensive, and she could earn two taels from each person. If she bought more, wouldn't she become rich?
Tian Sangui nodded, his eyes falling on the two rows of neatly arranged female slaves.
From tallest to shortest, Tian Sangui was easily recognizable: confident, humble, honest, cunning, and worldly-wise.
"I'm buying you out of your life-and-death contract, so you'll have to be loyal to me."
As long as one works diligently and remains loyal, one will have plenty of food, drink, and clothing, and will also receive a monthly interest of two taels of silver.
Just one point: if one person makes a mistake, everyone is wiped out!
After speaking, Tian Sangui paused deliberately, picked up his teacup to conceal his expression, and observed their reactions one by one.
"It's so unfair! One person makes a mistake, and everyone has to die..."
"But the wages are almost as high as those in the palace, it's just too tempting."
Such high wages even tempted the old woman standing nearby, but Tian Sangui demanded a life-or-death contract, something she couldn't do with risking her life.
He put down his teacup and continued, "I only need ten. If you've thought it through, come forward!"
Tian Sangui leaned back in his rocking chair, waiting for them to come forward on their own.
There's always a reason behind the old saying, "Where there's a large reward, there will be brave men."
After a heated exchange of whispers, three or four girls in their teens stepped forward one after another. Their eyes were timid. They first looked at Tian Sangui, and then at Cui Mama standing to the side.
Neither of them spoke; they stood there helplessly, heads bowed in silence.
With someone taking the lead, several seventeen or eighteen-year-olds came up next. Perhaps because of their age, they appeared calm and composed.
Two more were needed, and the last two women, both in their mid-twenties, stepped forward from among the female slaves.
"Third Manager, everyone's here. Do you think they're up to the task?"
Granny Cui urged Tian Sangui mainly because she wanted to get the silver as soon as possible.
In Cui's eyes, these female slaves were merely her commodities. All she cared about was keeping them clean and ensuring they didn't starve; she had no regard for human feelings whatsoever.
Tian Sangui glanced at them, straightened his posture, and solemnly confirmed it once more.
Have you thought it through?
"I've made up my mind!"
The ten people nodded and replied in unison.
"You only get one chance, and there's no room for any of you to make a mistake. It's not too late to regret it now!"
Tian Sangui tempted them again, hoping they wouldn't regret their decision today.
After all, the noble ladies in the city are all daughters of prominent families. If Tian Sangui makes even a small mistake on their behalf, he will be in deep trouble. Even with the help of the Shen family, he will still suffer greatly.
Therefore, she cannot tolerate her subordinates making mistakes, not even the slightest one.
"Please rest assured, Third Manager, we will not regret this!"
The girls knelt down in unison, expressing their heartfelt sincerity.
Tian Sangui then nodded and told them to get up.
"Alright, they're the ones. Aunt Cui, come inside with me!"
"Hey hey!"
Granny Cui was overjoyed and turned to the unselected female slaves, ordering them: "Go, wait outside, don't get in the master's way, you useless things!"
Female slaves who were not selected would be subjected to verbal abuse and beatings by Cui Shi upon returning home.
After all, they had to live under the Cui family's roof, and every extra day they waited meant that the Cui family would have to feed more than a dozen more mouths to feed.
Madam Cui valued money as much as her life; she would feel extremely distressed if she spent even a single extra copper coin on a stranger.
The female slaves ran tremblingly to the back gate and waited with their heads bowed.
Once inside, Tian Sangui invited Cui to sit down.
"Hehe, Third Manager, you're too kind. This is their life-and-death contract. Please take a look!"
Tian Sangui took the red deed, carefully examined its authenticity, and confirmed it again and again. After comparing it with the official seal on his own house deed, he determined that it was genuine.
"Tell me, how much?"
Tian Sangui tucked the life-and-death contract and the land deed into his chest, but secretly put them into Fei Wangwang's warehouse.
"Haha, not much, two hundred taels in total!"
Red contracts are priced between 20 and 50 taels on the market, while white contracts are much cheaper, ranging from one to ten taels.
Tian Sangui readily took out his money, and a bag of silver landed on the table. Cui's eyes were immediately glued to the money bag.
"There are exactly two hundred inside, please take a look!"
Upon hearing this, Cui immediately rushed forward and hugged the silver to her chest. Having handled silver for many years, she could tell at a glance that it was a good weight.
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