Afraid that if she didn't act soon, her precious cabbage would get stolen, Wei Wei hurriedly began making arrangements for selecting personnel.
She had already spoken to Felix earlier that morning about choosing some female bodyguards. It wasn't a lie—she truly had that intention. However, it wouldn't do to call them "bodyguards" outright, as that would draw too much attention. So publicly, they would still be referred to as maids. Of course, if any of these young women had other talents, it wouldn't hurt to have them take on additional tasks. After all, capable people should carry more responsibility.
Now that Wei Wei had finally said she wanted to pick people, Qin immediately brought over the documents she had long prepared. On her way back, she also summoned Felix, Dolores, Butler Barton, and Madam Nancy to the master bedroom.
Recently, her excessive sleepiness had eased up, but Wei Wei's appetite had increased. She was enjoying an extra snack in the bedroom, where the fireplace was kept burning. A warm cashmere blanket had been added to the sofa, and she sat there with another blanket draped over her knees, eating while warming herself by the fire, looking thoroughly content.
Although she was still helping Felix with work, she now preferred staying in the master bedroom instead of the study—even though it had a fireplace too, it wasn't as warm. Besides, she was more wary of people now, so her new "office" had been moved to her bedroom, where she spent most of her day.
Felix, who worked on the same floor, was the first to arrive. As soon as he came in, he naturally sat beside Wei Wei and pulled her into his arms, his large hand cautiously resting on the slight bulge beginning to form at her waist. Wei Wei also leaned comfortably into her husband's embrace, her expression visibly relaxing.
Having a self-heating husband beside her in the middle of winter—what could be better?
Once everyone else had arrived, Wei Wei explained why she'd asked them to come: "From what I've observed, the children have all performed quite well recently. But I only need a few here, so if any of you need people, go ahead and choose from them." The young serfs were all around ten years old—prime age to instill loyalty. After a year of education and physical training, their foundations were better than most. Since she couldn't keep all of them, letting others choose would prevent waste.
She glanced at Dolores, then Madam Nancy, and added, "Lola and Caroline also need people around them for protection. Lola, you can pick your own. As for Caroline, I'll trouble Madam Nancy to handle that."
Madam Nancy nodded with a smile, accepting the task. Dolores was interested too—she quickly moved to sit on Wei Wei's other side and leaned over to look at the files.
The information Qin had compiled was a thick stack of papers, each with detailed profiles emphasizing personality traits and strengths. Even children with poor academic performance had their other talents noted—such as being good at housework, cooking, singing, carpentry, or socializing.
Of course, along with their strengths, Qin also noted their shortcomings. But these were all minor issues—quirks that could be corrected with a bit of guidance, not deal-breakers.
She even thoughtfully separated the students who had performed well in academics and those who excelled in swordsmanship, making it easier for the masters to select.
After skimming the files, Felix found himself quite tempted. He normally didn't pay much attention to the young serfs, but reading their profiles now made him think that some of the boys would make excellent knights-in-training. Although he'd technically reached his quota for knights, it wasn't a hard cap—so long as the estate could support them, a noble could knight as many as he wished. Many great nobles were technically counted as well, but they had two or three times as many knights as Felix did.
What's more, Felix now held two count titles. For the sake of Slot's development, he could easily appoint another 120 knights, and that was exactly what these squires-in-training aspired to.
He said to Wei Wei, "It's hard to judge just from paperwork. We should have them brought in for a look."
Wei Wei agreed and asked Qin to fetch them.
Qin asked, "Should I also bring the girls who just got engaged?"
She didn't think those soon-to-be-married girls were suitable for selection.
Wei Wei hadn't planned on selecting them either. That was the castle's policy, and she didn't want to disrupt it—it would make things harder for the butler. Besides, she believed that the early days of marriage were the best time to build a bond with one's spouse and integrate with the in-laws. If a new bride was selected and only got two days off per month, it might strain her relationship with her husband. If things turned sour, that would be on Wei Wei.
But if she brought everyone else and excluded them, that wouldn't look good either.
After some thought, she said, "Call everyone. Even if they're not suitable for work in the castle, we can assign them other jobs." There were plenty of positions to fill on the estate—some factories that weren't ideal for hiring outsiders badly needed clerical workers. Unfortunately, most of the serfs were still illiterate. Even those trying to self-study as adults didn't have as much time or energy as the children.
Qin immediately understood the assignment.
She went to the collective dormitory and informed everyone to report to the castle the next day.
She added a serious reminder: "The castle is selecting servants tomorrow. You all better make a good impression. Got it?"
At that moment, not many children were present in the dormitory, but those who were immediately grew excited. This was huge—the castle was choosing servants from their group. For them, it was the best news possible.
When the others returned later, they too heard the news and were thrilled. Even Hanke, who had known beforehand, tried to keep a straight face—but inside, he was dancing with joy.
That night, the matrons managing the dormitory received orders to boil extra water for the children. Even those who usually hated bathing began to wash up carefully. They all knew the castle's masters were very particular about cleanliness. A proper servant had to be spotless—no odors, no dirt under their fingernails, not even a smudge on their hands or faces.
The soap Hanke had bought became a highly coveted item. Though he didn't refuse to share it, he did ask for something in return—it wasn't like he got it for free either. It was just a single bar, and if everyone used it, it would be gone in no time. So anyone who wanted to use it had to trade something. Luckily, most had received some holiday gifts from the castle during Christmas—maybe not as much as the adult serfs, but still something. Hanke didn't ask for much—just a small handful of flour or a bit of meat from each.
Some thought the trade was a bit steep—soap wasn't that expensive, after all. But time was short. This was their only chance to prepare. No one could sneak out to borrow from others either—the dorms were locked at night for safety.
Of course, Hanke wasn't the only one with soap. Mona, who also had advance notice, had bought a tiny bar of scented soap. She used it herself and shared a bit with close friends, but there wasn't enough left for anyone else. Others were in the same boat. Only Hanke had a larger, more shareable bar.
Everyone who wanted to borrow eventually agreed to the terms. Once they brought payment, Hanke had already dissolved the soap in hot water, making a basin of soapy water for everyone to scoop from using their drinking cups.
The dorm had a proper bathhouse with private stalls, separated by gender. Above each stall was a long bamboo pipe with openings in the middle. When bathtime came, hot water flowed out from the pipe. The water itself was poured into large wooden barrels on raised platforms outside the bathhouse, and the bottom of each barrel was connected to the bamboo pipes.
This setup had become common in new factory dorms—and was inspired by Wei Wei. She had wanted the construction crew to test the design first, then eventually renovate the castle's bath facilities the same way. After all, they had more and more bamboo, which made for a decent substitute for metal pipes.
Pierre, upon seeing the design, even began contemplating whether a rudimentary tap water system could be built for the new town. Though Wei Wei wasn't optimistic, it planted a seed of possibility.
That night, the children not only bathed thoroughly but also washed their hair. The boys had it easy—wrap their short hair in cloth, dry it by the fire, and they were good to go. But the girls, with their long hair, had to spend a lot more time drying by the fireplace, and most went to bed later than usual.
Even as everyone eagerly anticipated the next day, they couldn't help whispering and chatting about it in bed. Of course, not everyone felt excited—some who knew they hadn't performed well were anxious, worrying they wouldn't be selected.
Most uneasy of all were the girls who had just gotten engaged and already scheduled their weddings. Among them were some top-performing individuals who had been confident they would be chosen—until now. The timing of their engagements suddenly felt like a liability.
They were about to become brides. Would the castle refuse to choose them because of that? The castle's standards for selection were no secret, which only added to their unease.
Could this ruin their chances? A few girls, realizing this too late, were already regretting setting their weddings so early.
But what could they do? The decision was already made. Could it be undone?
Excitement, anticipation, worry, regret—emotions of all kinds swirled among the young serfs. But eventually, they all fell asleep, and the dormitory returned to silence.
The next day, a carriage from the castle came to pick them up.
When they arrived at the castle, Qin was already waiting in the grand hall, instructing them to line up in order and assigning the interview sequence. Boys and girls were separated, and each group entered the lounge in batches of twenty to be interviewed by the masters.
Naturally, the first batch included the top performers. But something quickly caught the attention of the more observant: a girl who normally performed just as well as the first group had been placed much further back. A closer look revealed that the entire group with her were girls who were engaged to be married.
Realizing this, their faces paled—especially when they saw Qin look at a few of the better-performing ones with visible regret.
Hanke was among the first ten called in. The group included both boys and girls, and the lineup was based purely on day-to-day performance. While Hanke's swordsmanship wasn't quite as gifted as his younger brother Qimi, he was still well above average. Combined with his top academic performance and strong work ethic, he easily made it into the first batch. His brother, though not as good academically, had remarkable talent in swordsmanship and was placed in the third batch.
Mona was also in the first group—and she was even ranked first. Qin saw her as the most outstanding of them all.
As they walked into the lounge, they saw the castle's lords seated before them: the Count, the Countess, and the rarely seen Miss Dolores. The butler and his wife sat beside them, and several male and female servants stood behind. When the hosts turned their attention to the newcomers, Hanke's palms instantly broke into a nervous sweat, even though he knew they weren't all looking at him. He wasn't alone—many of the others were just as tense.
Once everyone was inside, Felix picked up the roster Qin had prepared overnight and began calling names. "Who's Joe?"
A tall boy stepped out immediately and nervously replied, "My lord, I believe that's me."
There were no duplicate names in this batch, so the "Joe" Felix had in mind could only be him.
Joe was one of the profiles Felix had found interesting. He was tall and unusually muscular for a child his age—clearly built for combat—and surprisingly bright too, ranking in the top twenty academically. His swordsmanship was excellent. All this had earned him his current position.
Felix asked him a few questions and even handed him a wooden practice sword to perform a sword form. Satisfied, he nodded in approval. This boy had great potential—possibly a future knight, or at the very least, a capable swordsman. He marked a check next to Joe's name and told him to return to the line.
Seeing how quickly Felix had selected someone, Wei Wei also picked from the list. "Mona?"
The brown-haired girl, outwardly composed but inwardly flustered, stepped forward stiffly and bowed. "Good morning, Lord Count, Lady Countess, Miss Dolores."
Though nervous, she didn't stammer. She was a beauty, and Wei Wei, who had a refined aesthetic sense and a decent understanding of the children, didn't ask any questions. Instead, she turned and softly asked Dolores, "What do you think of her?"—offering the girl to her instead.
Her voice was gentle, but in the quiet room, it sounded loud and clear. Mona couldn't help clenching her skirt in anxiety.
Dolores studied the girl—about her age—and hesitated before softly replying, "I don't think we'd get along."
She wasn't much of a talker, and Mona wasn't either. Two quiet people together would probably sit in silence all day. For someone she might spend long hours with, Dolores preferred someone more lively.
"Then I'll keep her for myself," Wei Wei said, circling Mona's name on the list. They had agreed on using different marks for their selections to make the final division clearer.
Mona returned to the line, but now all her anxiety had vanished. She'd heard with her ears that the Countess wanted to keep her. That realization brought a beaming smile to her face, and the others looked at her with open envy.
Fortunately, their jealousy didn't last long. All the children in this group were selected.
Hanke, for example, was seen by Felix as a promising future secretary. He planned to place Hanke by his side under the mentorship of his current valet, who would eventually move on to a different role.
Indeed, Felix's staff had become something of a revolving door lately—so many positions across Sardinson were short on managers that he couldn't afford to let good people stay in the same job for too long.
The group left the lounge grinning from ear to ear. Just looking at their faces made it clear how well things had gone.
The next batch was called in, while those left outside immediately gathered around the first group to ask what happened.
"They just asked a few questions. Whatever you do, don't get nervous," someone advised helpfully.
Hanke pulled Qimi aside and gave him some serious advice. "The Count is choosing knight squires. He told the Countess he wanted a few to train under the current squires. Perform well, and you might become a knight someday."
Squires had servants of their own—young boys called pages. Most knights without noble backgrounds started as pages. It was a legitimate path.
Qimi's eyes lit up. "I'll do my best!"
And he did. When asked what he wanted to do in the future, Qimi boldly said he wanted to be Wei Wei's knight. Felix was delighted and selected him—along with a few other promising boys—to become pages under the knight order.
In the end, Felix placed most of the boys—some to train with the knights, others to stay close and assist with various duties. Among the girls, Wei Wei chose six well-rounded ones to keep by her side. Dolores picked four lively ones with decent sword skills to be trained as bodyguards. Madam Nancy helped select four younger girls for Caroline, who could both play with and protect her.
From the remaining candidates, the butler chose a batch to serve as general servants. The castle had always had a shortage, so they could've kept them all without issue. Still, some children were ultimately assigned to work in the factories. Notably, the thirty-plus girls scheduled to marry were all placed in this group.
Qin read out the final assignments in front of everyone. Those staying at the castle were overjoyed—even if they were only janitors, the opportunities ahead were much greater than for those working outside.
Those assigned to the factories were disappointed, of course. But a formal job was still a good outcome—it meant they weren't being sent back to the fields like other serfs.
Only a few engaged girls who had once stood a real chance looked visibly disheartened. The moment they saw the results, they knew their fears had come true.
They'd missed their chance—because they were getting married.
But no matter how they felt, it was too late to change anything.
Qin finished reading the list and told everyone: "You don't have to work today. Go back and pack up. Those staying at the castle should report here tomorrow. The rest will be assigned to the factory."
"Miss Qin, do we still need to go teach the village kids?" asked one of the young teachers, finally realizing they now had real jobs.
"Of course not," Qin replied with a smile. "There will be other teachers for them from now on."
The young serfs had only ever taught the village children out of necessity. Their knowledge was limited, good for basic literacy at most. But Wei Wei had long planned to build a real school and had already begun selecting professional teachers. Once the school was completed, it would open—probably in warmer weather—and these teachers would begin teaching the serf children.
Incidentally, the group dormitory the serfs lived in was part of the future school. It wouldn't be open to everyone, though—admission would be through testing, open to both serfs and free people. If a child didn't qualify, their parents had only themselves to blame. Tuition hadn't been set yet, but it would be affordable for all. Dormitory students would pay more, naturally, but given how convenient Sardinson's transport had become—with carriages running on fixed schedules—many could commute from home.
Of course, kids living too far away probably wouldn't be sent to this school at all. Wei Wei planned to build others in different areas eventually. Even with plans for a new city, she wouldn't neglect the development and education of other regions.
The children were soon returned to their dormitory. No one had to work today, so they packed their belongings and said goodbye to the companions they'd spent a year living with. The goodbyes mostly concerned those headed to the factories, as the others—working in the castle or training with the knights—would still be on castle grounds. But those headed to the factories would move there, and with only two days off a month, future meetups would be rare.
And so, their paths finally diverged.