Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 26 I can't finish it

Perhaps it was because Butler He and Chen Xuan, one big and one small, had relatively special status in the Gao family, that when they were talking, the nearby guards consciously kept their distance.

Even if what they are talking about is not some important confidential matter, it will never be wrong for the guards to listen less and watch less, and do their own job conscientiously.

When doing things in a wealthy family, one must have a keen eye, otherwise one might make a mistake at any time. If that happens, at the very least one might lose his job, at the worst he might be sent to the authorities or even beaten or killed. It is normal that even his family might be implicated!
"Xiao Xuan, what you have to do in the future is very simple. Just serve the young master well," the unhurried voice of Butler He reached Chen Xuan's ears.

This made Chen Xuan's mouth get stuck in his throat. Isn't that nonsense? But he still pretended to listen patiently.

However, in the eyes of Butler He, his reaction was confusing and clueless, which was normal considering his young age.

So he patiently said, "To be more specific, everything you will do in the future will revolve around the young master. I've already told you before that you are the servant that Madam has traveled all over to select for the young master."

"As a book boy, you not only have to accompany the young master when he studies, but also help him spread the paper, grind the ink, and check for omissions."

"For example, what kind of lessons will be taught every day? You have to help the young master prepare the corresponding books and supplies in advance."

"Then you have to remind the young master to complete the homework assigned by the teacher on time and review his lessons. I say reminder, but in fact it is supervision. If the young master is naughty, you can report it to the mistress or the master, or tell me to pass it on for you. There are family rules to punish him. Don't think of this as putting pressure on the young master, it is your responsibility. If you can't even do this, you are not a qualified servant."

"For the young master's future, strict discipline is necessary now. I have something to remind you. The young master you are going to serve will inherit the family business in the future. You cannot be uneducated or the huge family business may be lost in his hands. Of course, this is all in the distant future. Now that the master and his wife are in their prime, there is no need for the young master to worry about the big and small matters of the family."

"In addition, you are also responsible for the young master's travel arrangements. Whenever the young master goes out, you must arrange for guards and entourage in advance. If the journey is not long, one maid, two errand servants, and four guards will be enough. If the journey is long, separate arrangements will be made."

"Also, you have to pay attention to what the young master does every day, so that the master and his wife can ask about it at any time. This is not to let you monitor the young master, but to prevent him from making mistakes and going astray."

“That’s probably all you have to do.”

He said a lot, but Chen Xuan didn't remember everything. However, he nodded and said, "Okay, Butler He, I understand."

He was still young, so Butler He didn't expect him to understand everything right away. He smiled and said, "Just give you a general idea now. It won't be that simple when the time comes. But don't worry, I told you someone will be there to guide you for a while, and you'll get used to it slowly."

"Yeah." What else could Chen Xuan do except nod? Fortunately, someone led him, otherwise he would have been groping in the dark.

Then, Butler He changed the subject and said with a smile, "Now that we have discussed your responsibilities, let's talk about your treatment."

You won’t feel sleepy anymore after hearing this from Chen Xuan. Listen carefully.

Before this, he had never thought that he was being bought. To put it bluntly, his life and property were in the hands of others, and it seemed that there were benefits to be gained?
I only heard Butler He say: "You are the young master's servant, and you are going to grow up with the young master. Depending on your performance in the future, you may become the young master's right-hand man. In that case, you will sometimes have to act on behalf of the young master. That's why you are not given the status of a slave, but a good family child."

Qingyu had mentioned this, and Butler He mentioned it again. Chen Xuan probably understood that in this world, the identity of a slave or a daughter of a good family was definitely related to his future destiny. In fact, this was clear without any guessing.

As expected, Butler He continued, "Even if you are from a good family, you can go to school with the young master. If you are successful, our Gao family can guarantee that you will pass the imperial examinations. Once you have achieved academic success, you can enjoy the same treatment as other scholars in the court."

Hearing this, Chen Xuan was a little bit unbelievable. No, he was just bought, how could he actually pass the imperial examination? Although he had never lived in ancient times, Chen Xuan also understood the value of fame and honor.

After all, this world wasn't a familiar history, so I figured there was no need for Steward He to lie to me. Perhaps this situation was common? "But..."

As soon as the word "Butler He" came out, Chen Xuan immediately understood that there was no such good thing in the world and he was probably overthinking it.

Then, Steward He continued, "If you can achieve fame and honor, being the young master's servant will certainly bring honor to the young master, but you will almost never be able to serve as an official. The glory you achieve will only add some glory to the young master."

"You don't understand the intricacies of this now, so I'll tell you straight away. Regardless of whether you can remember it now or not, I won't mention it again in the future. To put it bluntly, your indenture is a stain on our Gao family. This alone makes it nearly impossible for you to enter the imperial court. Otherwise, with such a background, how can you cope with being a minister in the same palace with the upper and lower levels of the court?"

This is indeed true. Chen Xuan was unable to refute it, nor did he think about refuting it.

Moreover, with this stain in place, even if one really takes the imperial examination, the difficulty will definitely be more than ten times greater than normal!
Butler He continued, "It's the same old saying. Whether you understand it now or not, there's always a way out. What I said before was only almost, but nothing is absolute. If you're truly outstanding enough, outstanding enough to cover up your own flaws and identity, you'll have a chance to change your fate. If that time ever comes, our Gao family wouldn't mind giving you a hand and helping you rise to the top. But you have to remember that you can't forget your roots. If that day ever comes, you'll be leaving our Gao family too. If you become an ungrateful person, you'll be ridiculed and despised, and you won't be tolerated by the world."

After hearing this, Chen Xuan thought that although his fate might turn around, it was a very small chance and he could just listen to it. It was clearly just empty talk. If such a big pie fell from his mouth, he would never be able to finish it.

Chen Xuan didn't think he was such an outstanding person, otherwise he wouldn't have ended up in such a mess.

It is said that the strong will always be strong. It is not the environment that creates the strong, but the strong that creates the environment.

"Just listen to these for now. It's best to be down-to-earth. Don't think too much about unrealistic things, otherwise you will be laughed at." Butler He shook his head, his tone a little sad. He was probably going through the same thing himself.

Then he simply changed the subject and said, "You are from a good family, and you serve the young master, so you also have a monthly allowance. It is tentatively set at three taels of silver per month, and there are occasional rewards. However, you are still young now, and your food, clothing, and other expenses are all in our Gao family. The money is of almost no use to you, so it will be temporarily included in the account. When you reach a certain age, it will be paid out together, and we will not deduct a single cent from you. Of course, if you need it urgently, you can go to the account office to withdraw it. Our Gao family will not treat anyone who does their job unfairly."

And the monthly allowance? How much is three taels of silver? Chen Xuan had no idea. He didn't know the prices here, but he figured it should be quite a lot, right?
"From now on, you don't have to worry about the dirty, tiring or heavy work. You just need to serve the young master well as I say. To put it bluntly, you don't even have to wash clothes," Butler He said to himself while Chen Xuan was confused.

He thought of something and said seriously, "From now on, if you go out with the young master, you must eat at the same table with him. And you must taste all the dishes and drinks first. In crowded places, any food that is out of sight cannot be eaten. Just replace it. You must remember this!"

Chen Xuan understood it in his heart. To put it bluntly, it was just a poison test.

No, what kind of background does the Gao family have? Is it necessary to be so cautious? Besides, I'm just a small servant. Isn't it too much for me to take on?

No matter whether others can bear it or not...

Overall, Chen Xuan asked himself that the future described by Butler He seemed not bad. It was much better than working like a slave for a few thousand dollars a month.

Guessing that they had said enough, Chen Xuan also needed a period of adaptation. Butler He patted Chen Xuan's head again and said with a smile: "Let's talk about this. Take your time. It's windy at night, go back and rest early."

"Okay, Butler He, you should go to bed early too," Chen Xuan nodded, turned around and touched his head subconsciously. He always felt that Butler He was touching his head to warn him that if he dared to make trouble, he would twist his head off!

After talking for a long time, he didn't mention anything about the Gao family. Chen Xuan could only slowly learn about it later...

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(End of this chapter)