Chapter 269 Two New Shops

Chapter 269 Two New Shops

When the old woman introduced the two children to Xie Wanniang, she frankly told Xie Wanniang that although the two children were from her relatives' families, they were really capable, otherwise she would not have recommended them to Xie Wanniang.

Xie Wanniang didn't mind at all that the nanny was introducing people she knew, because these days, only acquaintances can truly know each other inside and out.

Of course, she wouldn't believe everything the other person said. As the saying goes, true ability is revealed in a test.

As for the other party's character and professional ethics, Xie Wanniang will have to observe them carefully.

Anyway, she has a manager and an accountant in her shop to help keep an eye on things, so even if the two of them embezzle public funds for their own benefit, the losses they can cause are limited.

As for the remaining family of four, the old lady was too old to continue any strenuous work, but her excellent cooking skills made her suitable to teach at a girls' school.

Even Xie Wanniang, who is always praised for her excellent cooking skills, is eager to learn more dishes from that old lady.

And her grandson, that young man skilled in construction and artifact making, Xie Wanniang plans to set aside a separate place in the county lord's mansion for him to research and create all sorts of novel items.

In addition, Xie Wanniang also entrusted the repair and maintenance of the county magistrate's mansion to that young man.

In addition, Xie Wanniang also planned to try to get in touch with the Lady of the Marquis and ask if he could be given a larger platform to utilize his skills and talents.

After all, she is truly talented, and it would be a waste to keep her working as a carpenter.

This young man's parents are a bit of a problem. His father used to manage the imperial estates, and now if he wants to work in a field he can match, he has to give them an estate to manage as well.

He did go to Qingyuan County to look at estates some time ago, but he still couldn't find one that met Xie Wanniang's requirements.

His mother was skilled in Shu embroidery, but Xie Wanniang did not need an embroiderer with embroidery skills as exquisite as hers.

After much deliberation, Xie Wanniang decided to send the couple to the girls' school as well.

Women skilled in Shu embroidery can become teachers, while men who don't have estates to manage can help with all the trivial matters.

Of course, this is only temporary. Later, Xie Wanniang will still buy a manor or set up a medicinal herb garden for him to manage.

As for the remaining two palace maids, they were illiterate, could not do accounting, and had no other special skills, but they were very good at serving their masters and doing all sorts of chores.

Xie Wanniang tentatively asked them if they wanted to go to the girls' school to learn a skill, but they all said that they were too old and did not want to learn any other skills. They just wanted to live their lives in peace and quiet.

Seeing that the two girls were only twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, yet considered themselves old, Xie Wanniang experienced for the first time what it meant to be "speechless."

But she didn't force the two to change their minds. After all, there are all kinds of people in this world. Some like to take advantage of others, while others just want to stay quietly in a corner and do their own thing.

Although these two girls are not very smart or ambitious, they do their jobs very seriously and do them very well.

Xie Wanniang guessed that their obedient, cautious, and conscientious behavior was probably an indelible mark left on them by their long-term life in the palace.

Unlike Lady Jiang and the other two palace maids, who appeared weak but were actually intelligent, quick-witted, and resolute, these two were clearly not as clever or strong-willed. However, their ability to survive in the palace during the late reign of the previous dynasty and the years of war clearly demonstrated their own wisdom in survival.

Although Xie Wanniang regretted that their wish was to serve her and her child for the rest of their lives, she did not intend to force them to do something they did not want to do.

She nodded slightly to the two palace maids who looked anxious, "It's alright if you just want to live a peaceful life. As long as you are loyal and dutiful, I will definitely not treat you unfairly in the future."

Although the monthly wages of servants in any household are linked to their corresponding rank, and their monthly wages will remain basically unchanged as long as they are not promoted, those who are valued by their masters do not receive the majority of their income from the fixed monthly wages.

If these two palace maids don't betray their own side, Xie Wanniang will definitely give them important positions based on their work skills. In that case, even if they can't become managers, shopkeepers, or accountants, their future income will certainly not be much less.

Furthermore, Xie Wanniang promised that if they stayed with her until they were fifty years old, she would take full responsibility for their retirement and funeral arrangements after they lost their ability to work.

Upon hearing her words, the two palace maids' eyes immediately welled up with tears.

With Xie Wanniang's promise, their last worry—that they would have a miserable old age—was completely dispelled, and their previously wavering hearts turned completely towards Xie Wanniang.

After Xie Wanniang's two shops were on track, she took Haitang and the others back to Zijing Pass. Since she missed celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival with Jiang Yuan, she specially made zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) by hand after arriving home, cooked them, and shared them with Jiang Yuan.

Back at the military camp, her restaurant, as she had instructed, had already entrusted some retired soldiers from Yi County to deliver many zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) to Jiang Yuan's men and the garrison commanders, including Chang Yao.

Of course, like other foods sent before, the zongzi were inspected by the logistics personnel and military doctors in the barracks after arriving at Zijing Pass.

Only after confirming that the food had not been tampered with would they distribute the zongzi to the soldiers in the camp in batches.

Summer has passed and autumn has arrived. After another busy period, time quickly brings us to the end of autumn and the beginning of winter.

The portion of grain produced by each village that belonged to Xie Wanniang and Jiang Yuan was collected by the village head. Xie Wanniang arranged for a large number of guards and hired a caravan to transport it to Yi County.

Along with the grain came the rent from her shops and the medicinal herbs harvested from her gardens in various places.

After a simple processing, the medicinal herbs were sent to her herbal medicine shop for bulk sale.

With her purse bulging once again, Xie Wanniang sent the trial results of the improved farm tools, along with some of the design drawings for further improvements, to the county magistrate's residence in the prefectural city.

The young man, skilled in construction and manufacturing, was placed in the official armory of Baoding Prefecture by Lady Hou, but he still lived in the county magistrate's mansion most of the time.

When he wasn't working, he never wandered around; instead, he stayed quietly in his workshop, tinkering with new gadgets.