By the time Nanny Lian had finished preparing the east wing, Aunt Fan's dinner was ready. Since they didn't know when they would return, the kitchen wouldn't have any good foods, so Aunt Fan prepared noodles. Unlike the vegetables and noodles they had eaten on the road, Aunt Fan prepared noodles with sauerkraut, kimchi and bacon.
It taste a bit sour and refreshing.
After dinner, Aunt fan took Qin Siya and Qin Shoucheng to the east wing to wash up and sleep, while Yang Haiyan and Nanny Lian returned to the study.
Yang Haiyan: " Madam Lian, please sit down and tell me about what happened at home".
Mammy Lian: "Yes". After sitting down, she explained the situation at home. " Everything is normal at home. Aunt Fan, Uncle Hong and Aunt Yu. Their daily work is the same as before you left. However, two female relatives have come to the servant's courtyard. One is from Meng Ping 's family and the other is from Huang Huzi's family."
Qin Fang has five private and only three of them are married : Kunshi, Husng Huzi and Meng Ping.
Yang Haiyan nodded: " You continued".
Nanny Lian continued, " Meng Ping 's family was the first to arrive. They returned three days after you and Master left. Before you left, you mentioned that in addition to the monthly allowance, each of the private guards are food from the mansion. Each day, they were given a vegetable dish, with portion based on the number of people. The mansion did not provide meals for the private guard's families: they were only allowed to live in the servants' courtyard with the private guards ".
Yang Haiyan said: " That's right."
She wasn't running for charity, so she couldn't afford to pay private guards a monthly allowance and she still had to support their families. She knew the cost of feeding an extra person three times a day would add another ten wen or about three hundred wen a month, enough to cover a private guard's monthly allowance. Of course, this calculation was based on their current diet. If they are sweet potatoes for three meals a day, it would be cheaper.
Aunt Lian: " Meng Ping has three family members: his wife, his daughter and his sister".
Yang Haiyan asked: " It's his sister here?". The servants' yard was small, but Yang Haiyan had modeled it after a modern apartment, so it was indeed habitable. It had two bedroom and living room, meaning two sleeping rooms and a living room. The was a small, shared kitchen in the yard that anyone could use. But why was Meng Ping's sister here?
Aunt Lian: " That's right. According to Meng Ping, his sister was originally married in the countyside, but the man later became a live in law and broke off the engagement. Although it was the man's fault, his sister's reputation was ruined and she was always pointed at by the villagers. He couldn't bear to see her get hurt, so she brought her here."
Yang Haiyan frowned. Theoretically, since they had a small courtyard for the private guards, she wouldn't object to them bringing their families. Even if they brought their parents, she wouldn't object. After all, she couldn't let them neglect their families just because they were Qin Fang's private guards. But why did they bring their sister instead of their parents? Even though the servants' courtyard was separate from this place, it's still made people think about it.
In truth, she didn't like dislike people with whom she had a crush, but it all depended on the situation. Just like Uncle Hong, he'd returned home on the other day and brought his wife and children directly back. At least hadn't just gone to live in the courtyard in the downtown area, but had come to ask for her permission first. But as for Meng Ping… Anyway, she felt a little unhappy.
Yang Haiyan: " Madam, this isn't all you want to say, right?"
Just now, Madam Lian seemed to be hesitant to speak and it seemed like she couldn't put in into words. This shouldn't be the only thing.
Nanny Lian said, " That's right. On the first day they arrived, Meng Ping's wife came to ask and what kind of work she did. I was completely stunned at the time. You didn't mentioned giving monthly allowance to the families of the private guards before you left".
Yang Haiyan: " I'm not sure, but you only hired a private guards, not a couple. How can a private guards's wife receive a monthly salary? Isn't that common sense?"
Nanny Lian said:, "That's right. That's why i felt very strange when Meng Ping's wife came. But say sorry. I don't know anything about this matter. I'll talk to you about this matter when madam came back ".
Yang Haiyan understood Nanny Lian's reasoning. After all, she was a servant and she wouldn't dare to take issues with things she didn't know about.
Yang Haiyan nodded: "And then, I guess there's more to it. Otherwise, she wouldn't have put Nanny Lian in such a difficult position just for this matter."
Mammy Lian took the opportunity to say something kind: " Madam, you are wise. Later, Meng Ping's wife didn't care about the monthly allowance and went back. But after Aunt Yu sent Meng Ping two meals, she came again. She said that the meals we sent was only for Meng Ping to eat, which would bed fine, but there are four people in their family now and the food is not enough. Did our kitchen withhold their food? Of, i have never seen such a person in my life, it's really.."
Yang Haiyan poured her cup of tea and said, " Nanny Lian, calm down".
Aunt Lian said, " Thank you, Madam. Meng Ping's wife went to the canteen to eat. Aunt Fan is in charge of the canteen. Madam has instructed that if a private guards eat, we should prepare meals for the private guard's family."
Yang Haiyan: " Yes, I agree with you".
Nanny Lian: " But the wife of Meng Ping didn't believe Aunt Fan's words, so she asked Aunt Fan to withhold their food. Then Aunt Fan angrily brought the wife of Ming Ping to see me. I testify that this is what Madam stipulated. The wife of Meng Ping said to me, so i don't want to say anything more. I think she will come to see you tomorrow."
Yang Haiyan chuckled: " What about Huang Huzi's wife? How is she?"
Aunt Lian: " Huang Huzi's family arrived five days ago. Only Huang Huzi's wife came and they don't have children yet. According to Huang Huzi 's wife, they got married two days before Huang Huzi came to serve in the army. After their wedding night, Huang Huzi came to join the army. She was not pregnant at that time.
Yang Haiyan; " Really?"
Nanny Lian: " That's right. According to Huang Huzi's wife, many of them get married before their husbands go off to serve in the army and then have a wedding night in the hope of leaving their husband with children.
Some succeeded, some don't. For someone like her , even if she didn't get pregnant, if her husband can returned home alive after five years, she considered lucky. For someone like her husband, it he can find work before returning home, he's considered promising. Food, clothing and shelter are all provided by the family.
With a monthly wage of three hundred wen, she can save more than three taels of silver. Finding work in the country side might offer higher wages, such in restaurant or accountant, but that's different f from working for the government.
For example,a seven-rank official in the minister's household is just like this. Being in a restaurant or cashier in a merchant's household doesn't hold the same prestige as being a private guards in a even higher-ranking official's household. Why? Qin Fang was a seven-rank official,a clerk in the imperial court. Just like today, some salesman earn over 100,000 yuan, earning more than a civil servants. Yet, why do some women still prioritize civil servants with slightly lower salaries when looking for a partner? It's a difference in status.
Yang Haiyan looked at Aunt Lian carefully and understood a little. " You seem to have good impression of Huang Huzi's wife".
Nanny Lian was shocked, worried that the lady would think she was forming a clique: " Compared to Meng Ping's wife,I think Huang Huzi's wife is more honest. I'm already old this old and i still have some discerning eyes when it comes to people."
She did not deny it, because it would be too guilty to deny it, so she simply admitted that she had good impression of Huang Huzi's wife.
Yang Haiyan thought for a moment and asked, " How old is Huang Huzi's wife?"
Aunt Lian: " Twenty-four years old, three years older than Huang Huzi, who it's now twenty-one. When they got married, Huang Huzi was fifteen and his wife was eighteen. The reason why Huang Huzi's wife married him was because the eighteen-year-old girl was being unloved at home. Otherwise, who would be willing to let their daughter marry and will become a widow?" Marrying a young man who was about to serve army meant that she was prepared to a widow, didn't she?
Yang Haiyan said, "Nanny, why don't we do this? Let's see what Huang Huzi's wife is like for now. If possible, let her work in the house. As for what she does, we'll arrange it later. There weren't enough people anyway. By the way, there's no need to hire any maids for now. If the private guards's wives are available, then we can use them. After all, the private guards may follow the master in the future, so using their wives would be more appropriate"
Aunt Lian: " Yes.."
Yang Haiyan: " There is another thing, unmarried girls are not allowed to walk around in the house, especially they are not allowed to walk around in the outer courtyard and the main courtyard". Although Qin Fang did not like to go the outer courtyard and his study was in the main courtyard, it was inevitable that he would run into her.
A ruthless light flashed in Nanny Lian's eyes: " Yes, old slave understand." She us more savvy than Yang Haiyan in these matter. Some girls are just thinking about that. The are so cheap at heart. They don't want to be a literate wife outside, but insist on being a concubine. If this is cheapness, what is it?
Yang Haiyan stood up and said, " I'm going to take a shower. I'm exhausted from traveling all day. I'll be home later tomorrow, so don't wake me up. And the children, don't bother calling
them".
Aunt Lian: "Yes,'. Then how about making rice dumplings with fermented gluttonous rice wine tomorrow? Waiting for you to come and eat them?"
Yang Haiyan was very surprised: " Do you have fermented rice wine at home?"
Nanny Lian: " Since you and the master will need back in the next two days, the fermented rice wine we made the day before yesterday can be eaten tomorrow".
Yang Haiyan: " that's great. I've been craving the taste of fermented glutinous rice lately".