Reclaiming Wasteland: Carefree Mountain Farmer

Chapter 227 New Employees

Wu Yue became obedient.

There's no need for 498 to spout any grand principles; it's just that during the Mid-Autumn Festival, while others are eating, you kneel on the ground and watch, then work a day, and you learn to behave.

There are no doting fathers or mothers in the Arctic family.

He sold newspapers obediently every day, ate, bathed, and slept in a regular manner, and even dared not go home to use the toilet.

Fortunately, the shop has a separate toilet and a children's toilet.

The children from the Chen, Li, and Chai families stopped coming to play, and the other children from the neighborhood also stopped coming as often.

The main reason is that Wu Yue worked diligently every day and didn't have time to play with others, so after a few times, others stopped coming.

While Wu Yue was busy that day, two women in their forties came in.

Both women were dressed in the uniforms of palace maids, the kind of white shirts and black pants that resemble hotel attire, and their hair was tied up.

She's not particularly beautiful, but she's very pleasing to the eye.

The newspaper vendor, 498, looked up and noticed the two of them.

Seeing that the two of them hadn't waited in line and had come in directly, 498 quickly stood up and politely asked, "What can I do for you two?"

The two beautiful women smiled.

“My sister and I were palace maids who used to work in the palace. Because we got old and lost our looks and figure, the emperor made us come here to work as newspaper sellers. My name is Tian Gubo. It’s hard to pronounce. People just call me Madam.”

Another woman smiled and said, "My name is Fang Wen. Like Sister Tian, ​​I was originally a dancer in the palace. We are both literate and have some cultural knowledge."

"Please come in quickly!" Si Jiu Ba hurriedly invited the two in, and then said to Wu Yue, "Wu Yue, keep an eye on things."

"Okay." Wu Yue continued selling newspapers.

The men queuing nearby also stole a glance but dared not look again.

King Wu had many women he didn't want, and he actually sent them away.

There are millions of them.

However, we should still be careful.

Wu Yue is young, but there might not be one in ten thousand people who would dare to lie to her and cheat her with counterfeit money.

They really would risk their entire family's lives for a few coins.

If you're looking for thrills, don't offend King Wu; that's far more exciting than jumping off a cliff.

Even if someone jumps off a cliff and dies, at least one or two members of their family will still be heartbroken and grieving.

He sought thrills by offending King Wu's majesty, and his entire family wished they could resurrect him and tear him to pieces.

Despite the large number of people buying newspapers every day, Wu Yue always manages to sell tens of thousands of newspapers much faster than 498.

Wu Yue's advantage is that she has a good father. Now everyone in Luoyang knows who this child is, and no one dares to show the slightest disrespect.

Because she has a good father, Wu Yue can avoid many detours. Even when selling newspapers, she spends less time wasting time on unnecessary conversations, and no one dares to bargain with her.

It's truly wonderful to be able to cut out unnecessary time when doing business.

After Sijiuba and the two retired palace maids came out, Wu Yue's side was almost done with their work.

Four people sat in a row selling newspapers.

498 was responsible for explaining the things to pay attention to during the work.

"Today's newspapers are 20 coins a copy. After the newspapers are returned, they are checked and found to be in good condition, and then they are paid 10 coins a copy. This is a bit troublesome because they also need to check if the newspapers are damaged."

"In addition to the daily fresh newspapers, there are also various old newspaper packages. I've written them all down on the cardboard. Just take a look and remember them."

Before 498, I designed tutorials for Chen Xianzhi and a few others, clearly explaining several simple meal packages to them.

Sister Tian looked down at the various newspaper sets on the cardboard, nodded and said, "Okay, I'll remember."

Fang Wen chimed in, "You can memorize it after watching it a few times. Besides these, is there anything else? Can you talk while working?"

"Yes, you can." 498 asked curiously, "Can't you talk while working in the palace?"

Sister Tian replied, "There are many rules in the palace. You can say whatever you want normally, but when it comes to work, apart from daily practice, there are only one or two performance opportunities a year. You can't say anything carelessly at those times."

Si Jiuba said with a smile, "We don't dare to say anything out of line during meetings. Besides selling newspapers here, we do accounting and paying taxes. Now the team sends someone over twice a day."

"We deliver the newspapers in the morning and come over in the evening to inquire about our old newspaper subscription packages or any issues with the newspapers."

"Now I get up at five in the morning to eat breakfast, sell newspapers from five-thirty to nine in the morning and then it's easy. There aren't many people in the afternoon so we can take turns to rest. We close up shop at six in the evening and go home."

Both nodded.

Because there were still many people coming to buy newspapers, it wasn't until after 10 o'clock that things calmed down for a while.

Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Si Jiuba asked warmly, "Where do Sister Tian and Sister Fang live? Have they been assigned rooms?"

Both of them shook their heads. Fang Wen said, "Not yet. They just said that we've moved to a public household account, and we'll receive our salaries from here and live here from now on."

The shop is not Si Jiu Ba's property, but King Wu's property.

Public assets cannot be used by only one person.

Having received a government-run education since childhood, Si Jiuba happily said, "That's good. From now on, we'll keep each other company. This is His Majesty's daughter, Wu Yue."

Both women knew of Wu Yue's presence beforehand and politely replied, "His Majesty has already instructed us that everything should proceed as usual."

Wu Yue pouted and didn't say anything; she was very well-behaved now.

Si Jiu Ba stood up and said, "I see that the two sisters are wearing palace clothes. It's a bit inconvenient to wear these while working here. After all, we're facing outsiders here, not just the Emperor. It's also the change of seasons, so let's go buy some clothes first. In the afternoon, I'll go out with Wu Yue to buy her a nice outfit."

Both of them nodded. "Alright, His Majesty said we'll do as you say here."

Si Jiuba has been selling newspapers for ten years and is very confident in his work.

However, after going to the clothing store to buy clothes, the two women quickly raised some objections.

"The clothes here are fine for work, but if you really want to buy some decent clothes, I think it's better to go to Jinxiutang in the city."

Tian Gu Bo expressed his opinion, clearly looking down on the clothes from ordinary shops.

Si Jiuba said with a smile, "Okay, let's go to Jinxiutang. I've heard that their clothes are good, but in previous years they were exclusively made for high-ranking officials and nobles. This year they've started making clothes for government households."

It's not that the standards have declined, nor that the market has declined, but rather that public sector wages have increased dramatically, while the income of high-ranking officials and wealthy individuals has been decreasing over the past seven or eight years.

The three arrived at Jinxiutang. Nowadays, regardless of their income level or social status, 498 could easily find a clothing store like this that caters to ordinary families.

Beijiwu has its own tailors, and the palace has an inexhaustible supply of top-notch embroiderers.

Northerners don't care much about this. Although there are a few individuals who have learned from the Han Chinese and gotten into the luxury goods circle, after being severely beaten by Arctic Wu, they will definitely become more low-key in the future.

As soon as the three entered Jinxiu Hall, a woman came over to greet them.

"What kind of clothes would you like to buy, ladies?" Si Jiu Ba could tell at a glance that this woman with a voluptuous figure and elegant and graceful attire was Han Chinese.

Similarly, Song Qinghan could also sense the difference between Si Jiu Ba and the other two, not only in their clothing but also in their eyes and temperament.

Tian Gu Bo explained to Si Jiu Ba, "This shop was opened jointly by the palace maids."

"His Majesty gave out a lot of severance pay back then. Some palace maids had nowhere to go after leaving the palace. Some ended up in prostitution and became slaves to others. Some were cheated out of their bodies and money. But some people used the severance pay they received to open shops and do business."

"Because it came from the palace, and several palace maids partnered to open the shop, and the emperor bestowed great favor by exempting them from all sorts of trivial matters, they only need to pay 60% of the taxes each year."

“Every year, new embroiderers join our palace. They can learn the needlework skills in a few years. There are only a few masters in the palace, so most of the embroiderers have nothing to do, so they often come over to play and watch.”

Upon hearing Tian Gubo's words, Song Qinghan knew that he was one of her own.

"So you're from the palace. Please come inside to talk."

Tian Gubo said with a smile, "We are two retired singers and dancers from the Feiyan Division. His Majesty arranged for us to sell newspapers together for this Miss Sijiuba. Now that we are registered in the public sector, we are no longer considered palace people."

Upon hearing this, Song Qinghan smiled and said, "What do you mean by 'public household' or 'people in the palace'? In the end, they're all the Emperor's people. We have so many clothes in our little shop that we can't sell them all. The three of you can take whatever you like; they're all worthless."

Because there are so many people, and so many clothes are being woven, they really can't be sold out.

Moreover, the three people in front of me are all true friends, so it's normal to give them gifts.

The three of them quickly followed Song Qinghan into the house. There were both women and men inside, and quite a few men at that.

The men all seemed to be working; some were emptying coal ash, some were moving cloth and repairing machines, and others were squatting in the corner of the yard brewing medicine and fanning themselves.

498 feels like... a high-class brothel.

The men here give the impression of being obsequious, servile, and lacking any masculinity.

The women are beautiful and delicate; they are all pretty and dress provocatively and attractively.

Exposing one's chest and neck is considered conservative; many are wearing short skirts that show their thighs, and some are only wearing tank tops.

The group went upstairs and sat down to talk in a quiet private room.

"The original manager went back to her hometown for the festival. I was originally a palace maid in the Imperial Household Department and I am also from Luoyang, so I came out to do some work temporarily. You have all seen the other sisters, so it is not appropriate for me to come out and show my face in public."

"After all, they all come from the palace, and they dare not disgrace His Majesty."

Song Qinghan explained why she was there, and also tried to find some excuse for her poor hospitality.

Si Jiuba didn't have that kind of idea. Instead, he flattered her, saying, "Everyone says that the clothes from Jinxiusi are beautiful and elegant, and are the best brand in the capital. The needlework skills of the embroiderers here are among the best in the entire Luoyang."

Song Qinghan smiled and said, "It's not that amazing. Most of the embroiderers in the palace came from Jiangnan, and many of them figured out the techniques and learned them on their own."

498 shook his head. "I've been learning how to do needlework whenever I have free time. After learning for more than ten years, the clothes I knit are still far inferior to those in the shops outside."

Song Qinghan possesses her own network of intelligence and is aware of some recent events in the capital.

Song Qinghan was very polite to this celebrity girl, 498, neither daring to be negligent nor overly enthusiastic.

"I'll say something that might offend you, but whether someone is good at needlework or not mainly depends on their hands."

“My sister’s hands are the hands of a mountain farmer, hands that are used to working.”

"The embroiderers here and those in the palace are all hands that do no work. Their fingers never touch the water. They can't even wash dishes or sweep the floor, let alone do laundry, cook, or farm. They are used to being waited on hand and foot."

"That's how professional embroiderers are. In Jiangnan, the men cook and do everything else, while the women only need to do needlework."

"This isn't about being idle; rather, these hands are incredibly soft and tender from not doing farm work or hard labor for so long. Besides serving the Emperor, they're used to sewing clothes on these soft fabrics."

"When ordinary people make clothes, their hands have to move around on the satin hundreds of times, and the hands used for farm work have made thousands of strokes on it."

"Good silk fabric will develop a layer of fuzz after just a few touches; we call this 'fuzz damage'."

"Light colors are not obvious, but dark colors like black and royal blue are very obvious. In short, the more beautiful it is, the harder it is to maintain. The embroidery thread is split very finely, and even the slightest unevenness on your hands will snag and pull the thread. However, if you apply too much hand cream, it will dirty the thread and the base material."

"In short, they are very pampered. After one wash, they will mostly lose their original luster. Therefore, those who are good at this are usually embroiderers and young ladies from wealthy families."

"This technique is easy to learn. You don't need an embroiderer to teach you. You can figure out how to sew just by looking at the clothes. The fabric is also easy to get. The hardest part is supporting a group of people who specialize in this work."

"My sister wants to buy clothes, she can just come here to pick them up. Let the professionals handle the professional matters. My sister has no idea how envious we are of the rural residents' household registration!"

Song Qinghan explained her core competitiveness, as well as why there were men involved and why women seemed to be so immoral.

Si Jiuba understood why Jinxiusi's clothes were so good, and then rubbed his palm down two or three centimeters down the thigh of his pants.

The pants weren't damaged, but the friction between his palms and the threads on the pants made 498 realize that his hands weren't suited to touching such fine fabrics.

"I noticed that His Majesty wears ordinary clothes. Are the clothes he wears in the palace made by you?"

Song Qinghan shook her head seriously, "The palace maids who serve the Emperor are not just any group of people. They are all top-notch palace maids carefully selected. Not only are they beautiful and eloquent, but even their hands are specially made to serve the Emperor. They are like warm white jade, caressing the Emperor's body. They are especially careful when touching the Emperor's clothes."

"If you don't sweat easily, there are many places to check."

Si Jiuba gained a little more understanding of Beiji Wu's luxurious life in the palace. It was obvious that Beiji Wu wore different clothes and enjoyed different things inside and outside the palace.

Tagani Bo said with a smile, "There are also close maids who sweat easily. In addition to those who serve at the hot spring palace, His Majesty has a wide range of tastes. I remember there was a wonderful woman who was added to His Majesty's Hundred Flowers Album because she sweated a lot and her face was flushed.

498 was extremely curious, "What is the Hundred Flowers Album?"

Fang Wen frowned and warned, "Sister Tian, ​​don't talk nonsense. Don't gossip about the Emperor's private affairs. Even if everyone here is one of us, we shouldn't talk too much about the Emperor and the palace. Otherwise, we might all suffer the same fate."

Tian Gubo realized she had spoken too quickly and hurriedly said, "I was being nosy. Sister, please don't mention it to anyone else. I thought everyone here was from the palace and that they were talking about palace matters."

498 nodded and said, "Definitely!"

Song Qinghan quickly changed the subject, "Let me recommend a few clothes to the ladies: one to wear outside, one to sleep in to keep warm, and one as a spare personal outfit, you never know when you might need it."

Upon hearing Song Qinghan's words, Tian Gubo and Fang Wen both smiled.

“We’re all getting on in years, we don’t need this anymore. But let’s prepare a couple more, just in case His Majesty comes, we can wear them and make him happy.”

At first, Sijiuba didn't understand what private clothing was, but he quickly understood, blushing with embarrassment.

***
After seeing the three off, Song Qinghan had just returned to her room when she saw the second manager, Wang Yan, coming out.

Wang Yan smiled and said, "His Majesty is wise and powerful, shining upon the world. In addition to allowing us poor people to make a living in the capital, he has also arranged a way out for people in the palace. People in the palace will have another good place to go in the future."

Song Qinghan didn't have time to think too much before she realized that King Wu had indeed given the people in the palace a good place to go.

Tian Gubo and Fang Wen were just the beginning. In the future, palace maids who performed well would have someone to rely on, whether they left the palace or retired.

Some palace staff were allowed to remain in Luoyang, and they were provided with means to make a living and retire. Entertainment venues were also built for palace maids to rest and relax during their holidays.

Regardless of how many people Beiji Wu killed outside, to many in the palace, he was a benevolent King Wu.

Everyone willingly became King Wu's female slaves; anyone who grants them freedom would surely harm them.

If summoned, these retired or eliminated women would surely respond to the call and return to the palace to serve King Wu.

(End of this chapter)