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Chapter 28: Buying Hearts and Minds
Chapter 28: Buying Hearts and Minds
After Meng Qianqian and her entourage left, the room was in disarray.
Lin Wan'er was helped up by Lu Luo, who was in tears and angrily exclaimed, "How could they treat you like this? You are still the General's person... Moreover, you are carrying his child... Aren't they afraid that when the General wakes up, he will drive them out of the mansion? I believe that the eldest young mistress is deliberately taking advantage of the General's coma to torment you! Her heart is truly venomous!"
Lin Wan'er sat in the chair, her chest heaving, her fingernails digging deep into her palms.
All this time, Meng Qianqian had maintained a hands-off approach towards Feng Yard, even after cutting off their funding. She had never embarrassed Lin Wan'er in person.
Although Meng Qianqian had slapped Lin Wan'er in the shop, that was outside the Lu family residence.
Even Lu Luo believed that Meng Qianqian would never dare to mistreat Lin Wan'er within the compound.
Meng Qianqian's actions today were undoubtedly a message to Lin Wan'er that she was not fighting her because she was afraid, but because she deemed it beneath her.
Upon returning to Haitang Yard, Meng Qianqian asked Ban Xia to bring over three money bags as rewards for the three maids from Song Yard and Feng Yard.
The three maids were overjoyed as they received the heavy money bags.
Ban Xia said, "As long as you work hard for the First Young Mistress, you won't be treated unfairly!"
Wan Po, holding a money bag, smiled and said, "Ban Xia, even without the reward, we should still serve the First Young Mistress with all our hearts!"
Hu Po said, "Yes! Indeed! Who in the mansion doesn't admire the servants of Haitang Yard? To be honest, my husband also wants to come and serve the First Young Mistress loyally!"
Liu Po said, "Yes! First Young Mistress, if you have any instructions in the future, please don't hesitate to give us your orders!"
The three maids spoke from their hearts. When the First Young Master married into the Lu family, she was just a child under twelve years old, and the one truly in charge of the mansion was the Old Mistress.
All the servants tried to curry favor with the Old Mistress and the Second Young Mistress.
Who would have thought that after the First Young Mistress spent all her dowry, the Old Mistress would reduce the expenses of the mansion, and the servants' monthly wages and rewards would also decrease, to the point where they couldn't even get a single copper coin.
In contrast, Haitang Yard continued to provide monthly wages and rewards, leading everyone to praise the First Young Mistress for her kindness to her servants.
Meng Qianqian looked at the three maids and calmly said, "I'll make the rules clear from the start. If you work for me, you must listen to me and only me."
The three maids nodded in agreement.
Meng Qianqian continued, "Wan Mama, from now on, you will work in the inner court."
Being addressed as 'Mama' instead of a mere maid showed that one's status had changed.
Wan Mama was both surprised and delighted. "Thank you, First Young Mistress! Thank you!"
Ah, those two big slaps on the fox spirit's face were so satisfying!
Meng Qianqian said, "I'm going out for a while. You make sure to keep an eye on the yard, and don't let anyone touch my things."
Wan Mama patted her chest and assured, "First Young Mistress, rest assured. Even if the Old Madam comes—"
Meng Qianqian interjected, "My great-grandmother is an exception."
Wan Mama awkwardly said, "Ah, yes, yes."
Meng Qianqian, accompanied by Ban Xia, left the yard.
"Call Wu Ge over."
"Yes, Miss!"
The driver from the last time wasn't Wu Ge, and Meng Qianqian didn't trust him, so she and Ban Xia had secretly left the study room and headed to East Street.
"First Young Mistress!"
Wu Ge hurriedly drove the carriage over and set up the wooden bench.
Meng Qianqian nodded slightly and, along with Ban Xia, boarded the carriage.
"Let's go to East Street."
"Yes, First Young Mistress!"
When they arrived at the cosmetic shop, Meng Qianqian asked Wu Ge to stop the carriage. She and Ban Xia then took out the muslin veils and face masks from the package and put them on.
Wu Ge recognized this shop as the one that had been pawned by the Zhao family, and it was also the place where the First Young Mistress had been abducted by the Northern Liang spies.
Although he was curious as to why the First Young Mistress had come here, as a servant, he knew better than to ask questions that he shouldn't.
Meng Qianqian and Ban Xia were well-covered, so the people in the shop didn't recognize them.
Meng Qianqian sat in the shop for an hour.
"Let's go."
"Miss, aren't you going to take over the shop?"
"She already knows about the shop."
Meng Qianqian said, "Let's hold off on taking it over for now."
Ban Xia was perplexed. "Then why are we here?"
Meng Qianqian returned to the carriage and instructed Wu Ge, "Let's go to Sifang Pavilion."
Sifang Pavilion used to be a place where nobles and aristocrats recruited talented individuals. However, due to the infiltration of spies from various countries, posing as scholars and advisors, it was shut down by Lu Yuan's secret police.
Nevertheless, the nearby market still thrived, with small businesses and brokers operating.
Meng Qianqian entered a broker's establishment.
Despite her concealed appearance, the broker, who had seen countless faces, immediately recognized her as a wealthy and influential patron. With a broad smile, the broker invited Meng Qianqian to take a seat and promptly offered a pot of fine tea.
Meng Qianqian wasted no time and asked, "Do you have anyone in your establishment who is good with accounts?"
"Yes, of course! What kind of person are you looking for, my esteemed patron? Someone older, younger, or perhaps—"
Meng Qianqian placed an account book on the table. "Find someone who can make sense of this book of accounts. They can name their price for the month, and I shall return in three days."
This was a big spender!
The broker suppressed her excitement, cleared her throat, and said, "In our establishment—"
Ban Xia placed a tael on the table.
The broker's smile widened, revealing her teeth. "Rest assured, my esteemed patron! I will take personal responsibility! I will find you eight to ten candidates, and you can pick whoever you like!"
Meng Qianqian asked, "Do you have any maids available?"
The broker laughed. "Do you want one with a live contract or a dead contract?"
"Either will do," replied Meng Qianqian.
The broker stood up, waving the handkerchief in her hand, and shouted towards the back courtyard, "Girls, come out and meet the customer!"
Meng Qianqian tilted her head, looking at the broker.
The broker smiled awkwardly. "They, they used to work in a brothel."
Indeed, the girls who emerged were not only beautiful but also delicate and soft-skinned. They didn't seem cut out for hard labor.
Meng Qianqian stood up.
The broker quickly grabbed her sleeve. "My esteemed patron, what kind of person are you looking for? I will find you someone in three days!"
Meng Qianqian pointed towards the back courtyard. "No need. I want her."
The broker followed the direction of her finger and forced a laugh. "My esteemed patron... I'm not trying to miss out on your money, but that girl... she's unruly... She's been here for three days, beaten up seven guards, and scared away three patrons! I was just thinking of getting rid of her—"
Meng Qianqian started walking towards the back courtyard.
The broker hurriedly followed, panic-stricken. "My esteemed patron! Don't go near the cage! She bites!"
Meng Qianqian approached the scruffy and dirty little girl locked in the cage. She took out three pieces of sugared hawthorn wrapped in a handkerchief from her purse and offered them to the girl.
The girl snatched them and devoured them greedily.
After finishing, she wiped her mouth and, without looking at Meng Qianqian, asked, "Where are we going?"
The broker was stunned. "You can talk?"
This girl had been in the broker's establishment for a month, and she hadn't uttered a single word. Whether she was beating someone or being beaten, she remained silent. The broker had assumed she was mute!
But that accent...
"Come with me," said Meng Qianqian.
The little girl asked, "Will there be food?"
"As much as you want," Meng Qianqian assured her.
Only then did the little girl raise her head, revealing a pair of strikingly beautiful eyes. "Alright, I'll follow you, but you have to promise me first. If you don't, I won't be your servant."
Meng Qianqian smiled. "Alright."
The broker hastily tried to stop them. "No, no, no, my esteemed patron! This girl is very cunning! Let me be honest with you. She once escaped and injured more than ten officers. I had to pay a fortune in compensation! If you take her, she'll be a disaster!"
The little girl looked innocent. "She's lying. I'm a good girl."
Ban Xia also felt that it was unlikely for a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl to be so vicious. However, she was worried about something else. "Miss, what if she runs away without paying her debt?"
The little girl gripped the cage bars and looked at Meng Qianqian with utmost sincerity. "Sister, I won't run away. I never lie!"
Happy Children's Day! Meng Qianqian was about to start building her own power base.
(End of Chapter)
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