The male supporting character was actually myself.

"Oh, him?" The old man was thinking about the beautiful woman in the house. He had long forgotten his previous goodwill towards the girl. He waved his hand casually and said, "It can be said that he is thoughtful."

"You decide what to do; give him some money so he can do a good job in business in the future."

Jiang Chen whispered a few more words, and the old man frowned, clearly a little impatient, "You handle it as you see fit."

"I might let it go with other people, but I don't like greedy people."

A moment later, the steward led Lin Mubai, who was carrying a load of big red flowers, in to kowtow and offer his congratulations.

Master Xue glanced around and, finding himself all alone, immediately lost interest. He then gave his son a meaningful look.

"Although it's not very proper or elegant, it's still a pleasure to have you put in the effort." Jiang Chen walked outside with the help of her maid Mo Hua, signaled the steward to put down the load, and said weakly, "Master instructed that he has to entertain guests today and doesn't have time to talk to you."

If there's nothing to say, then so be it; if you have something to say, just tell me, it's the same as with the master."

Lin Mubai first kowtowed in thanks, then raised his head.

Jiang Chen noticed that he did indeed glance upwards, but quickly, unlike the others who looked at people with their eyes.

Is it more like looking at the forehead?

There is a height difference between standing and kneeling, making it difficult to judge at a moment.

The little white cat sniffed him, its fur bristling as it cried out, "Host, I scanned it and it really is a system! But it's too well hidden; I can't tell what type it is!"

"Thank you, young master!" Lin Mubai carefully considered his words, then bowed and said earnestly, "I shouldn't have said this, but I have no choice but to ask you for help today."

For no other reason than that the world is tough and business income is unstable, and the two children are growing up and have more to eat, and the children's mother is weak and sickly and really can't share the burden.

"If I could find a job in your household, I would gladly serve you like a slave!"

Jiang Chen was so sickly that she could hardly stand. If it weren't for the maid supporting her, she would have been blown over by a gust of wind. Seeing this, Han Hong quickly moved a chair for his master to sit down.

He waved his hand, panting, to indicate that he was fine. "I originally wanted to find a stable job."

So, when you think about it, our family is actually quite well-off.

They don't deduct from my monthly pay or beat or scold me easily.

"You have a skill for steaming buns, would you be willing to work as a helper in the kitchen?"

The kitchen?

Lin Mubai frowned upon hearing this. Of course not!

Once you're in the kitchen, you basically have no chance to get close to the sick young master and the old master. Besides, although the Xue family has few masters, they have a lot of servants, so the kitchen must be very busy preparing three meals a day, which must be very hard and tiring.

By then, when will we have time to learn to read and write?

Chapter Eleven: Contract of Indenture

"I, I want to learn about the nuances of facial expressions, how to move about, and all sorts of things, big and small, so I can broaden my horizons." Lin Mubai's words were somewhat sincere, after all, he didn't know much about the rules of this dynasty.

The original owner was from a poor family, illiterate, and had no access to the upper class. He was completely ignorant of rules and etiquette.

If one can spend some time in the Xue family mansion, gain a basic understanding of human relationships and customs, and further improve one's manners, etiquette, and literacy, then one will be able to avoid making a fool of oneself when becoming a wealthy man in the future.

Jiang Chen nodded in satisfaction and said, "It's rare that you have such an ambitious mindset, so then don't go to the kitchen."

You look only a few years older than me, and you're quite capable.

From now on, follow Han Hong.

Start by learning the rules of the household. Become a servant in the study first; if you do well, you can be promoted later.

Lin Mubai was overjoyed!

Listening to someone in the study is a great job; you don't have to do any physical labor, and you can even learn some knowledge on the side.

"Thank you, young master!" he hurriedly kowtowed and said, "I will certainly do my best to fulfill my duties!"

Then the steward, Lao Zhong, brought over a contract of indenture for him to sign, affix his fingerprint, and put his handprint on it.

Upon hearing the contents of the indenture being read aloud, Lin Mubai was momentarily terrified, but then he thought that the status of slavery was only temporary. As long as the plan went smoothly, restoring Master Xue's freedom would be a simple matter.

Therefore, he pressed his fingerprint in the designated spot without hesitation, received the money for selling himself into servitude and the clothes, hat, shoes and socks for the servant, and waited for the young master to bestow a name upon him.

"Logically speaking, our family has always purchased maids and servants, or even born into the household. Once they enter the mansion, they are given names and their surnames are rarely used."

Very few people like you join halfway through; most are still girls.

The original surname is usually discarded, and only the name bestowed by the master is used.

Now that you've brought your wife and children here, your surname will remain unchanged, but you cannot use it in the household anymore.

Forget about bestowing a name upon me; let's just call me Mu Bai, without the surname.

From today onwards, you shall remain in the manor at any time. As for your wife and children, arrangements will be made separately. I will have the steward go to the government office to make a registration and bring them over to live in the back alley corner.

You can go back to your place when you're not on duty.

Jiang Chen explained the situation to him weakly and intermittently, then gestured for Han Hong to take him downstairs.

The page understood his master's signal and had Lin Mubai accompany him to Hengzhizhai, introducing him to the various managers along the way.

The little white cat reminded him, "Host, the mission is complete!"

"Let's go, I need to go back and rest." Jiang Chen took a while to recover before letting the maids help her slowly walk back.

The lively atmosphere at Master Xue's place lasted until dusk, when the guests, having enjoyed themselves to the fullest, finally dispersed from the bustling stage and banquet.

Red candles illuminate the painted hall, their light lingering, as they drip until dawn.

The lingering warmth of spring goes without saying.

Meanwhile, Lin Mubai's first wife, Lin Zhangshi, was completely stunned when she saw the indenture stamped with the official seal.

She never imagined that one day her husband would rashly become a slave without consulting her, and not only that, he also made the decision for his wife and children to be sold into slavery to the Xue family.

I had been fantasizing that if I waited a little longer, during the big temple fair, I could go to the temple to ask for talismans to drive away the evil spirit that was possessing my husband's body, and our little family could return to its original warmth and beauty.

The couple will then send their children to school and bring their parents-in-law from their hometown to live with them...

However, all her expectations for a better life vanished the moment she saw the contract of servitude.

The neighbors were both envious and deeply regretful.

Madam Lin Zhang was well aware of the weight of this indenture, which bound the fate of her entire family to the Xue family.

Although life will be stable in the future, it will come at the cost of freedom!

Not only will they themselves be treated as inferior slaves and servants, but their descendants will also always be treated as inferior. Without the grace of their masters, they may never have a chance to turn their lives around!

The sudden shock left the woman, who had ventured deep into the mountains, in a daze.

Many people envied Lin Mubai for having the ability to work for a wealthy family like the Xue family, and for being a respectable person who would live a comfortable life in the future.

Even if you only work as a servant, if you're clever enough, you can get a managerial job after a few years.

Then, just like those powerful officials, they could help their relatives buy houses and land, and once they had received their freedom, they were guaranteed to enjoy wealth and honor for the rest of their lives.

Some people felt it was a pity, as the young couple who sold the steamed buns were very capable.

Life is tough right now, but we've saved up enough to buy a yard. If we can just tough it out for another two years, the kids will be able to work hard and make a good life for themselves.

If you become a servant at this critical juncture, and your master refuses to release you, your descendants will also be forced to remain slaves.

Moreover, Master Xue is getting on in years, and in a few more years he may fall ill and be unable to manage things.

Although Young Master Xue is gentle and kind, he is sickly.

To put it bluntly, if these two were to pass away one day, the entire Xue family would be left without an heir and might have to be confiscated.

At that time, all the servants in the mansion will be taken away and sold by the government!

If you're lucky enough to find a good owner, you might be able to save some of your property.

If you're unlucky, you'll be constantly scolded and berated, and then you'll suffer the consequences.

If you have freedom and a skill, why hand over your fate to others?

"Sir! Please, sir, have mercy! My two children are still innocent and naive, yet they were sold into slavery by their father. They are so pitiful!"

Lin Zhangshi was stunned for a while before kneeling down with her two children in her arms and begging, "Please, sir, give us three a way to live! We don't want to sell ourselves; we were tricked by his father!"

In this era, it was common for gamblers to lose money and sell their wives and children. After all, in an environment where the husband was the head of the household and the father was the head of the family, men had the right to dispose of their wives and children.

The steward, Lao Zhong, was ordered by the young master to handle this matter personally. Upon seeing the situation, he sighed helplessly and said, "Your man begged to sign the contract of servitude. In this kind of matter, it's up to the man to make the decision, regardless of whether you agree or not."

If you really don't want to, don't cry and make a scene here.

Let me show you the way.

Once you enter the city, a stewardess will arrange your accommodations. First, learn the rules, how to speak, how to tidy yourself up, and recover from your illness.

When the young master arranges for you to work in the garden, keep an eye on yourselves.

Find a good opportunity to ask the young master for help!

He is kind-hearted and compassionate, especially towards the poor and weak. If you explain the situation clearly and that you have been sold by a man, perhaps the young master can help you.

Putting aside the fact that I don't have that authority, even if I could help you get rid of your slave status, how would you, a sick woman, manage to live with two children?

Do you think this makes sense?

"Regardless of anything else, let's focus on getting well, feeding and caring for the children first, and then we can make other plans."

"Thank you for your guidance, sir!" Madam Lin listened attentively and kept it in mind. She quickly kowtowed to express her gratitude, wiped away her snot and tears, and led her two children into the carriage.

The steward, Lao Zhong, looked at the dilapidated courtyard and ordered the gate to be locked.

When Lin Mubai signed the indenture, it was clearly written that the house and courtyard where he lived would be confiscated.

As a servant, one is not entitled to own personal housing or real estate.

It wasn't worth much anyway, so the deed was put into the Xue family's accounts. Whether to sell it or keep it awaited the master's instructions.

The grand carriage quickly drove away from Pingzhuang, heading straight for the back street of Xue Mansion in Jinzhou City.

As the lamps were lit, the little white cat hopped in from outside to remind us, "Host, the script is updated!"

Chapter Twelve: Truth Revealed After Drinking

Jiang Chen let her hair down, put on her coat, got up, sat down at the table, and casually picked up a book to cover herself.