Undercurrents are surging.
The head maid was smug when she saw that she had dispelled Wang Pan'er's doubts and made her start to reflect on herself in no time.
I told you, she's just a country girl who got lucky and opened a shop to make some money. What experience could she possibly have? She's just putting on airs to scare people. I've lived a much longer life than she has; manipulating people is a piece of cake for me.
The old woman lowered her hand from her shoulder and back, then held her hands instead, and said frankly, "The mistress is a truly capable young lady, and all the servants on the estate admire her. But for a young lady to work alone, there still needs to be a man to lead the family so that things can be managed."
"Oh, a man?" Wang Pan'er coaxed, "Then what kind of man do you think can handle all the affairs inside and outside this estate?"
"If you ask me, the master doesn't need to rush to befriend any important people. The master is all alone, and he has this younger sister with him. If he encounters someone with a heartless heart, he might just have his family property swallowed up. It would be better to find a man he knows well."
Wang Pan'er suppressed the corner of her mouth that was unconsciously twitching upwards: "I've only been here in Jinzhou Prefecture for a little over half a year since I fled from the village. How could I possibly have a man I know well by my side?"
“Master, you might want to take a look at my Baozong. Baozong is handsome and his indenture is in your hands. He will surely serve you loyally. If you marry Baozong, I will treat you like my own daughter and not let you suffer any more loneliness.”
The old woman's words were earnest and sincere, but the steward felt uneasy, as the more earnest her words were, the more uneasy he felt.
The steward couldn't help but cough twice, signaling to the nanny to be mindful of her behavior.
This facade had already laid bare her filthy heart. Wang Pan'er pretended not to understand, deliberately widening her eyes and innocently asking, "Who is Baozong? Have I ever seen him?"
The old woman gave the steward a disdainful look.
If her family's ancestral lineage were to be given to the main family through marriage, they could escape their lowly status. Forget about the future power to manage the household; if they managed things well, even after the main family passes away and their lineage dies out, it wouldn't be impossible for their descendants to reclaim their ancestral lineage.
The steward has been the undisputed leader on the estate for a long time. Now that her son has a chance to take over, she's probably getting desperate because she's afraid of being squeezed out.
She smiled and said in a kind manner, "Baozong is the boy who often finds storybooks for the master. Didn't the master say that he is a person who knows how to enjoy life? The master can use him to amuse himself and relieve boredom."
Wang Pan'er thought for a long time and realized that there really was such a person.
Not only did he find storybooks for them, but he also frequently brought the two sisters some clever snacks and interesting trinkets. He was glib, flattering, and quite adept at manipulating people's emotions.
Wang Xiaoyao found the items interesting, which is why he repeatedly sent him on errands. He never expected that the mother and son would be so audacious as to set their sights on their master.
The old woman was referring to someone with decent features, who wouldn't end up with ugly, deformed features, shifty eyes, or sparse hair.
The kind of mother who's blinded by greed and gives her son a ten-level beauty filter, even when she's just planting seeds, she wants to announce to the whole world, "My son can plant rice seedlings now!"
Wang Pan'er felt a chill and shivered. Her stomach acid began to rise, like she had swallowed a fly. Finally, she couldn't bear it any longer: "If you can't even afford four dishes in your whole life, don't put yourself out there and embarrass yourself."
The old woman didn't react for a moment: "What, four dishes?"
Wang Xiaoyao couldn't hold back and burst into a loud, booming laugh, startling Wang Chengxi behind them, who shrank back. She thought that her sister, Pan'er, was usually lazy and didn't argue with others, but when it came to a crucial moment, she was never shy. She was like a chef with a big knife, able to wreak havoc with her mouth: "You don't even know how to make four dishes, yet you dare to throw abacus beads at people's faces."
The old woman was truly bewildered; the sudden reversal left her completely confused.
Wang Xiaoyao couldn't bear to look: "Full moon celebration, wedding banquet dishes, funeral dishes, sacrificial offerings, your shifty-eyed son dares to show off in front of my sister, he really doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth."
Signing the indenture was a last resort. The nanny's greatest wish was for her only son to be freed from this predicament and give birth to ten or eight sons, to carry on the family line and ensure its continuation. Protecting the family line meant ensuring the continuation of their ancestral rites.
Now, being cursed so viciously, she was consumed by rage. Her already limited rationality and composure were completely consumed by this fire: "Then what are you? Two orphans, cursed by fate. It's your good fortune that I even took a liking to you. You still dare to dream of climbing the social ladder. It's only right that I teach you a lesson."
"Who do you mean to punish?" Wang Pan'er glanced sideways and stared intently at the old woman on her left front side.
The old woman's eyelids twitched involuntarily. Then she saw the master slowly turn his head, as if a venomous snake had spotted its prey. She had let something slip and panicked, speechless.
The steward glared fiercely at the old woman, then knelt down heavily with a thud, prostrating himself on the ground, and said very respectfully to Wang Pan'er, "It is this old servant's fault for failing in managing the household. Please punish me, mistress."
As soon as the old woman spoke, Wang Pan'er realized that many of the unpleasant things happening on the estate were caused by the servants.
Moreover, this seemingly honest steward is actually extremely adept at assessing situations. The moment the old woman revealed the truth, he immediately declared he was severing ties. With such a modicum of behavior, only a fool would believe he was unaware of the servants' actions beforehand.
Even if he knew perfectly well that the servants still dared to cause trouble, it meant either that he tacitly approved of it, or that he and the nanny were jointly in charge.
The servants who were bought along with Zhuangzi turned out to be a den of snakes and rats.
Wang Pan'er sneered, "I'm still too naive. Good stewards and nannies are never found in the market. What good can you people be, having signed indentures and been sent away with the estate?"
Wang Xiaoyao and Wang Chengxi were both present, and they were amazed to see the group of servants.
Especially the naive Wang Chengxi, she should learn more about human nature.
The commotion was so great that the noble lady who had been pacing around the estate rushed back to the front hall.
Apart from the three sisters, everyone else on this estate is a wicked and disloyal servant. If Wang Pan'er wants to deal with them, she'll probably have no one to rely on and will need someone to back her up.
The noblewoman surveyed the front hall. The steward was obediently prostrate on the floor, while the head maid was spewing vulgarities. She looked at Wang Pan'er with disgust.
Wang Pan'er didn't seem too angry. She protected her two younger sisters behind her, as if she had already made up her mind.
Since that was the case, she naturally pushed Lüyi and Hongxiao over and decided not to interfere.
Wang Pan'er glanced gratefully at the noble lady and said to Lvyi Hongxiao, "Please, ladies, help me gag the steward and the nanny, tie them up, and throw them behind the screen."
He then instructed Wang Xiaoyao: "Summon all the servants to wait in the side hall, and have them come to the front hall one by one in order to be interrogated."
Wang Xiaoyao, not wanting to miss out on trouble, pretended to be overjoyed and called everyone over.
The servants looked at each other, wondering what good thing had happened. They were then pushed into the front hall and immediately ordered to kneel down by their master with a stern face.
Everyone was caught off guard.
Some of them were cunning and full of lies, but their lies were exposed in the urgency of the situation; others were more cowardly and would readily confess the truth after being slightly intimidated; still others were fence-sitters who, after confessing, would stammer and try to deflect responsibility and show their loyalty.
The servants who had been interrogated were also tied up, gagged, and thrown behind a screen. A group of people stared at each other, all of them looking pale and sickly.
Wang Xiaoyao clicked her tongue in amazement, and even Wang Chengxi's eyes widened in disbelief, wondering how these people could spout such nonsense.
In conclusion, Wang Pan'er has figured out the whole story.
The former owner of the manor was a wealthy merchant. A manor was nothing to him, and he didn't care much about its expenses. He only liked to go to the manor to soak in the hot springs for a few days during the coldest season. His servants reaped considerable benefits. The manor's precious flowers, trees, and scenic ponds were a feast for the eyes, and their lives were extremely comfortable and leisurely.
Having grown accustomed to a life of luxury, they had bred a group of lazybones. Unexpectedly, when the owner resold the estate, they were sold off along with the group. Wang Pan was merely a small business owner running a shop; the gold and silver that the former owner had squandered was more than all of her entire fortune. Furthermore, she had emptied the garden and ordered everyone to plant medicinal herbs. In an instant, cries of despair filled the air, and everyone was indignant.
The steward and the nanny learned that the new mistress was a wild girl from the countryside. Naturally, the country girl had little experience, so she decided to go all out and conspired with all the servants to deceive her.
The maid's argument with Mu Chuan's attendants stemmed from her disdain for the new master's family and their friends, feeling they were unworthy of her service. Outside the kitchen, Mu Chuan overheard the maid complaining about being stingy because the steward and nanny had stolen her New Year's red envelope. The steward's initial account books were also fake; they routinely kept two sets of books. As for the herbal seeds that Wang Pan'er valued most, they had been switched by the steward and nanny before planting; they had no intention of tending to these worthless herbs.
Wang Xiaoyao watched the whole thing with great interest, and even produced a handful of melon seeds from somewhere, intending to share them with Wang Chengxi. Wang Chengxi was intimidated by the serious atmosphere in the hall, but not understanding why, she didn't dare to take the melon seeds, and just tugged at Wang Xiaoyao's sleeve.
Wang Pan'er flicked Wang Xiaoyao on the forehead: "Your sister's seed has been fooled, and you're actually enjoying watching the show here. Anyone who didn't know better would think that these wicked servants had set up a stage and put on a grand opera for you."
"Isn't this a grand opera performance?" Wang Xiaoyao winced in pain, rubbing her forehead and calming down a bit. "Tomorrow I'll find someone to fill the vacancy at the estate for my sister."
Wang Pan'er glared at her, annoyed: "That's more like it."
These wicked servants could not be kept alive, so the noble lady instructed Hongxiao, "Go find human traffickers and sell them all."
Wang Chengxi was the youngest and unaware of the potential dangers of not eliminating the root of the problem. He gestured with his hands and feet to express his doubts: Why sell a servant who did not lie and confessed the truth?
Wang Xiaoyao explained, "Knowing the inside story but not reporting it to the master is disloyal and unacceptable."
Wang Pan'er nodded in agreement: "If Chengxi encounters such opportunists in the future, she should be more careful. Most people in this world are driven by profit rather than morality."
Wang Xiaoyao added, "Pan'er and I also thought that with the indenture, we would have no worries. We didn't even realize how rampant they were. From now on, we will have to be very careful in choosing who gets close to us."
After this incident, the noble lady held Wang Pan'er in even higher regard. Despite her young age, her interrogation methods and rhetoric were remarkably skillful. Most of the young men in the capital who were nurtured by their families with all their resources might not possess such aura and ability before entering officialdom.
The noble lady looked him over from all angles, admiring him greatly and now wanting to cherish him even more: "Master, you know I have a son, about the same age as you, whose character and appearance are both first-rate. If you are willing, I will have my son come and meet you. If you find him agreeable, the marriage will be decided by you. If not, I would like to adopt you both as goddaughters."
Before Wang Pan'er could answer, the old woman strained her way out from behind the screen, making a frantic, wailing noise.
It wasn't particularly dangerous, but it was annoying to look at. Wang Pan'er stepped forward and pulled the rag out of the nanny's mouth: "Do you have anything else to say?"
“You shameless hussy, do you really think this so-called lady is from some high-class family? Do you think a high-class family would even look at you? Since ancient times, when powerful and wealthy people marry their wives, it’s always a matter of equal social standing. I bet she’s just a poor woman from the capital who’s trying to act all high and mighty in our remote prefecture. You shameless hussy, what do you have besides this little bit of wealth? You’re neither virtuous nor kind. Marrying you would mean there would never be peace in our household.”
"What do I need virtuous and gentle for? It's my bad luck to have you on my mind." Wang Pan'er covered her mouth again. "If you make another sound, I'll poison you until you're mute."
The old woman finally quieted down.
The lady spoke urgently, and the nanny immediately followed up as soon as she had stopped talking: "May I call you Pan'er? My family has long since ceased to need our children to continue their prosperity through marriage. Life is short, and all I ask for is that my children live a peaceful and happy life."
Wang Pan'er guessed that the noble lady was Mu Chuan's mother, and the noble lady should have been aware of it. However, since she didn't bring it up, Wang Pan'er was also embarrassed to bring up their unspoken misunderstanding.
She replied, "I am delighted by your kind words, Madam. I already have someone I like, but I was hesitant before because of the difference in our social status. However, after hearing you say that life is short and all we should do is seek a peaceful and happy life, I have decided to work hard to win him over."
"Good, good, good!" This was the answer that satisfied the lady the most. She was overjoyed and gently stroked Wang Pan'er's cheek. "May you sisters no longer be lonely and helpless in the future."
Wang Xiaoyao was the most outgoing. Seeing that her sister had agreed to the noble lady's suggestion, she hugged her arm without any hesitation: "I never thought that after my mother passed away, I would have another mother to love me."
She chattered on and on, her words flowing freely and frequently. Her sincerity was irresistible, and the noble lady was equally pleased, being coaxed into rambling on and on for quite some time, which made the old nanny's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.
Once Hongxiao returned with the slave trader, the noble lady immediately left with Lüyi and Hongxiao. The aftermath wouldn't be pleasant, and she no longer needed to support Wang Pan'er. Exhausted after a day of running around, she got up and went back to her west wing to rest.
Lu Yi was puzzled and asked, "Miss Pan'er clearly already has someone she likes, so why is Madam so happy? What if it's not the eldest son?"
"How could that be?" The noble lady smiled slightly, confident. "In the capital, Chuan'er excels in everything, from talent and character to appearance. Among Pan'er's surroundings, besides Chuan'er, can you find a man who is a match for her? If he is outshone in Jinzhou Prefecture, then I've raised him for nothing."
Green Ripple immediately reflected on her actions. She shouldn't have lost faith in her young master. She quickly said to her mistress, "Madam is right. Madam can sit back and wait for good things to happen."
Hongxiao had just gone to find the matchmaker, and was confused by what she heard. She seemed to be listening to something very important, and winked at Lüyi.
Green Ripple met her gaze: "Let's talk properly after Madam has rested!"
When the matchmaker arrived at the main hall, she sized up the group, clicking her tongue in disdain, and began to haggle: "Being sold with your hands and feet tied up, you can't be any good people, can you? Evil slaves have a hard time finding new employers and can only do hard labor; they're the least valuable."
Wang Pan'er just wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible, so she waved her hand and said, "Forget it, I'm not doing this for money. Just take these troublemakers away."
A dozen or so wicked servants, at most thirty taels. Wang Pan'er took the money, handed the indenture to the matchmaker, and told them to leave quickly.
The matchmaker pointed at the contract and sneered at the group of people, "Your family is so easy to talk to, yet you don't know how to cherish it. Your good fortune is about to end."
Then, together with the pimp, they led them out of the village.
The substitute girl chosen by Wang Xiaoyao soon arrived at the manor.
Without having to sign a contract of servitude, they were chosen to work on the landlord's estate and would receive a very good monthly allowance, which made everyone quite excited.
Before any tasks were assigned, they dug out the herb seeds that the steward had hidden. After confirming with Wang Pan'er that they were correct, they went to the fields to sow the seeds as soon as it was light the next day, carrying hoes and huffing and puffing.
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