Chapter 66: A Poor Family

  Xue Lengyu shook her head helplessly: "Did you hear what I said? In my home, there's no need to call yourselves slaves or kneel down to pay respects. I'm just paying you to come and help with some household chores, and you're just ordinary people like me, not my masters."

  Xiao An and Xiao Tao exchanged a glance, unsure of what Xue Lengyu was planning, and neither dared to speak up.

  Xue Lengyu looked at them again and could only say, "This is the rule in my household. If you really can't accept it, then go back to the Wang Manor. I'll find someone else."

  The two of them heard this and both changed their expressions, immediately kneeling down: "Miss, don't drive the slaves away."

  Xue Lengyu was startled and quickly helped them up: "What are you doing? I'm not going to do anything to you."

  Xiao An and Xiao Tao knelt on the ground, refusing to get up. Xiao Tao's voice trembled: "Miss Xue, please don't drive us away. If we return to the Wang Mansion, Master Shu will definitely think it's because we didn't serve you well."

  Xue Lengyu really couldn't take it anymore, but she also couldn't bear to watch the two people kneeling on the ground, so she said, "Alright, alright, I won't drive you away, get up first and then we'll talk."

  "Thank you, Miss Xue." Seeing Xue Lengyu say that they could stay, the two of them finally showed a smiling face.

  Xue Lengyu saw that the two of them had stood up and smiled slyly, saying: "You can stay, but you still have to follow my rules. How about it?"

  Xiao An and Xiao Tao fell silent for a moment before Xiao An finally spoke up: "We understand, Miss Xue."

  "That's right, it's great." Xue Lengyu smiled even more: "Here, there are no worries like in the mansion, just do household chores like laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking, take good care of my parents, that's all."

  "Yes." Little An and Little Peach said: "We will take good care of the young lady, as well as the madam and master."

  Xue Lengyu's eyelids jumped, "Madam and Sir?" I'm sure Xue's father and mother aren't used to being called that either. Thinking about it, he said: "This... just call my parents Xue Dama and Xue Dashu, don't use Madam and Sir, they're not used to it either."

  Xiao An and Xiao Tao no longer strongly opposed it, but instead said: "Yes, let's listen to Miss Xue."

  Xue Lengyu nodded in satisfaction and thought of a key issue, hastily saying: "Right, how much monthly salary do you get for working in the mansion?"

  Xiao An spoke up: "Miss Xue, Xiaotao and I are both third-class servants in the mansion, we only get one or two silver coins a month."

  "Alright." Xue Lengyu thought for a moment: "Here, I'll give you two taels of silver each month. Just do your best and that's all. But if I find out anyone has been dishonest or lazy, or shows disrespect to the elderly, don't blame me when I speak ill of you in front of Shu Li."

  In Xue Lengyu's view, with heavy rewards there must be brave men. These one or two taels of silver are not a big deal.

  Xiao An said: "Thank you, Miss Xue, for your gift. However, we can only accept one or two taels of silver per month."

  "What's wrong?" Xue Lengyu asked strangely: "Is there still someone who dislikes having too much money?"

  Xiao An explained: "Miss Xue, it's like this. Shu Daren said that you don't usually pay attention to money, so you're not very clear about market prices either. So whatever the young ones take from the mansion, they'll take the same amount from Miss Xue, no more or less."

  Fainted, it seems that Shu Li is afraid of Xiao An and Xiao Tao blackmailing his own money? Xue Leng Yu smiled: "It doesn't matter, you take it, I won't tell Shu Li."

  "It's no use." Little Peach said: "Miss Xue, don't make it difficult for us. In fact, with food and lodging provided, a monthly salary of one or two silver coins is already quite a lot for us."

  "Yes." Xiao An continued: "Miss Xue, if you insist on this, then we can only return to the manor and confess our crime to Master Shu."

  There are times when money can't be given away. Xue Lengyu looked at the two of them for a while, seeing that they had no intention of compromising, and could only say: "Alright then, I'll go along with you, one or two silver coins per month. However, if you feel it's not enough at any time, you can tell me anytime and I'll add more."

  If they really can be honest and diligent in doing things, saving some money for Xue Lengyu is not a bad thing either.

  "Thank you, Miss Xue." Xiao An and Xiao Tao showed respectful faces, but in their hearts, they couldn't help but think that this unusual gentleman's taste in women was indeed special.

  At first, it was said that the princess gave it to the king as a concubine, but overnight, she became the king's acknowledged distant woman. When they came, Xia An and Xiao Tao still had a hint of disdain in their hearts, but because they didn't dare disobey Shu Li's orders, they had no choice but to come. Now that they've seen Xue Lengyu and Yan Yuese, they even offered to pay more money, although it can't be done, but in their hearts, they feel much more comfortable.

  Xue Lengyu treats them as equals, not superior. Even if they are used to nodding and bowing to people, being careful with every move. But who wouldn't want to stand up straight and speak?

  "Alright." Xue Lengyu said: "I won't say much. Xiaotao, go to the kitchen and see what can be cooked, go make some dishes."

  "Yes." Xiaotao replied and turned into the kitchen.

  Xue Lengyu was thinking if there was anything for Xiao An to do, when he saw Xiaotao coming out of the kitchen again, looking at her with some difficulty.

  "What's wrong?" Xue Lengyu hastily asked.

  Xiao Tao hesitated for a moment and said: "Miss Xue, it seems that there is no food in the kitchen."

  "Huh?" Xue Lengyu really hadn't been in the kitchen of the Xue household before. She hadn't thought of this situation.

  It was called a kitchen, but it was actually just a thatched hut built on the side of the house that could barely block the wind and rain. Xue Lengyu walked in and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. The equipment wasn't worth mentioning, and she didn't know what should be in an ancient kitchen anyway. On the stove, there were two bowls of leftover vegetables, which looked like they were just cabbage and radish. On one side of the floor, there were a few radishes and some bok choy.

  In the kitchen, I took a look around and didn't see any meat dishes with a strong smell. In one corner of the kitchen, there was a small basket containing eggs, which seemed to be saved for sale rather than being eaten.

  Xue Lengyu sighed and rubbed her somewhat dry eyes, calling out: "Little Peach."

  "Yes." Xiao An hastily said: "What instructions does Miss Xue have?"

  Xue Lengyu said, "There are chickens in the courtyard outside. Go kill a chicken and stew some chicken soup. Then burn these vegetables and wait for Father and Mother to wake up before serving them dinner."

  "Yes." Little Peach said, and then hesitated: "But that chicken..."

  Xiao Tao also comes from a farming family and knows that those chickens are raised for laying eggs, not for making chicken soup.

  "It doesn't matter." Xue Lengyu said: "Just follow what I say and it will be fine. Be gentle, don't wake up the old man."

  "Yes." Xiaotao hastily replied. In her heart, she also understood that with Xue Lengyu and Shuli's relationship, would they still care about this little thing?

  "Alright." Xue Lengyu said, "It's still some time before noon, come with me to the street for a trip. Let's go buy some vegetables outside. It just so happens that I only have silver notes here and need to exchange them for silver coins to use." According to Xue Lengyu's knowledge, it seemed that silver notes needed to be exchanged at a place similar to a bank called a money house.

  "Yes." "Little An Dao."

  "Right," Xue Lengyu said: "The silver notes of the Wangfu should be exchanged in what place."

  Xiao An said: "Miss Xue, the silver notes in the mansion are all exchanged at Mu Rong Mansion's Da He Money House."