Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 153 - 152: Bursting the Bubble

Chapter 153: Chapter 152: Bursting the Bubble

Chen Afu had Dabao take Er Gou and Er Niao to play at the Luo’s home, while she returned to the Lu Garden to fetch Mrs. Wang. Both of them boarded the carriage, and Madam Luo was also sitting in the cabin.

Madam Luo laughed, "Yesterday my daughter-in-law brought back to Tang Garden the vegetarian Luwei and stir-fry garlic sprouts that Afu made. Both my husband and daughter loved it. Especially my daughter, who couldn’t get enough. Please make another dish today, Afu. And if you could make more vegetarian Luwei, that’d be great. Our young master will return to his temple tomorrow. So, when she goes to deliver orchids to Master Wu Zhi in Lingyin Temple, she can bring him some Luwei as well."

Chen Afu laughed, nodding and said, "I can make more Luwei. But there’s not much garlic sprouts left in the pot, just enough to stir-fry a small dish. I’ll make it tonight and deliver it to you."

Manager Luo and his wife thanked her with smiles on their faces.

Chen Afu then talked about her own plans to purchase several people. Not only did she want to buy two or three laborers, but she also wanted to buy one who understood domestic affairs and one who knew management skills.

Manager Luo said, "Buying laborers is straightforward, as long as they’re grown-ups and physically capable. But buying servants who understand domestic affairs and management is not easy. Masters would not easily sell such capable servants. If they do, they must have committed big mistakes, and having such people at home would end up being a headache. There’s also the case where the master gets into trouble and the servants are sold by government officials. Such situations don’t always happen."

After hearing this, Chen Afu was a bit worried. It wasn’t necessary for her to buy a servant who understood domestic affairs, but she really desired to buy one. Chen Ming is quite naive and doesn’t understand many things, so he needs someone to guide him. Being busy herself, and due to her gender, it would be inconvenient for her to handle farming and business directly.

Manager Luo then proposed, "Here’s a suggestion: the Senator’s Mansion in Dingzhou has several people like the ones you’re looking for. If you trust me, I can discuss it with my husband and have them sent to you. Don’t worry, you’ll get their service contract, and they won’t pose any threat to you."

Chen Afu shook her head while laughing, "The servants from the Senator’s Mansion are used to their luxurious city lives. Why would they want to live in the countryside with us, let alone serve under a country girl like me?" She didn’t want someone whose body was in her home but whose heart was elsewhere.

Thus, Manager Luo didn’t push further.

Upon arriving at the county town, Chen Afu and her daughter bought some household items, some Lunar New Year’s groceries, one strand of ginseng, several jars of wine, and they even got two small pigs. Manager Luo and his son bought even more Lunar New Year essentials, as it seemed like Chu Lingxuan and the old Marquis would be coming to celebrate Lunar New Year at Tang Garden, so everything had to be perfectly prepared.

They hired a bullock cart so that Madam Luo could take the goods back first, while Manager Luo and his son offered to help Chen Afu and her daughter buy some help.

The group had a bowl of noodles at a noodle shop, with Chen Afu insisting on paying.

The county town only had two dental clinics. They visited both but didn’t see anyone who understood domestic affairs. Chen Afu ended up buying a mother and son, thirty-two-year-old Aunt Mu, and thirteen-year-old Shan Zi.

The process of buying people was almost like buying piglets, with a bunch of people standing there to be selected. This was quite unfamiliar to Chen Afu, who came from a civilized society.

Manager Luo glanced at the people being sold, inquired about a few things, and whispered to Chen Afu, "That woman seems nice. She looks capable and knows the rules. She should be able to settle in quickly once you bring her home."

Aunt Mu was a brisk woman with clear eyes. Even though her clothes were extremely dirty, they were neatly arranged, and her hair was slick and smooth. She stood out among the crowd.

So Chen Afu bought her.

But she didn’t like Shan Zi, deeming him too young to either work properly or fight. She planned to buy another strong man. However, Aunt Mu dropped to her knees and begged for mercy. As Chen Afu had already chosen Aunt Mu and couldn’t bear to separate them, she ended up buying them both. Both mother and son were very grateful and didn’t expect to be sold to the same place. They were crying while kowtowing to Chen Afu and her daughter.

Likewise, they had to rush to the County Government to get the service contract. When the carriage arrived diagonally opposite the County Government, Mrs. Wang suggested Chen Afu sit in the carriage while she and Luo Yuan went to process the contract. Manager Luo also got off the carriage and stood outside to observe the hustle and bustle.

In the carriage, Chen Afu chatted with Aunt Mu and Shan Zi, inquiring about their backgrounds.

Aunt Mu said they were all servants in the house of the County Magistrate in the neighboring county. When her husband died, the old master tried to take advantage of her. She resisted, causing a disturbance that alerted the old mistress, who then sold her and her son...

In the midst of her tale, a loud voice beckoned, "Mr. Luo, nice to meet you!"

Manager Luo quickly returned the greeting with a smile, "Junior Officer Zhao, what a coincidence!"

The owner of the voice said, "I just saw Mr. Luo in the government office. The woman with him seemed familiar. Was it Mrs. Wang, also known as Wang Juanniang?"

Once she heard this, Chen Afu quickly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain. He was a man in his fifties, wore a silk cotton gown, a knitted cotton hat, and had his hands tucked into his sleeves. His big nose was red from the cold, which was annoying to look at.

Manager Luo replied, "Indeed, it’s her. We have some relationship with her at Tang Garden, so my son is currently assisting her."

Junior Officer Zhao laughed awkwardly with a fake grin plastered on his face. He had just learned a few days ago that Wang Juanniang’s daughter was teaching needlework to the young master at Tang Garden, and he didn’t want Mrs. Wang and her daughter to get too close to Tang Garden.

It was said that the master of Tang Garden was a senior military official in Dingzhou and came from a prominent family in Capital City, making his influence tremendous. If he were a local official, it would be easy to handle, as he would then be under his younger brother’s jurisdiction. But he was a military official, and his younger brother, no matter how upright a governor he was, couldn’t control him...

He feared that the master of Tang Garden might be informed of certain things that could spell trouble for him.

Junior Officer Zhao laughed again, "We are hosting a ’Running Water Banquet’ in Zhao’s Village this time and have invited all the prominent young and old masters nearby. Mr. Luo, please do us the honor of coming over for a few drinks."

Manager Luo responded with a laugh, "Certainly."

Junior Officer Zhao moved closer to Manager Luo and laughed, "Seeing how honest you are, Mr. Luo, I thought I’d give you a heads up. Please don’t mind my being nosy. I hear that Mrs. Wang’s reputation might not be the best. With her daughter teaching needlework to your young master, it seems...hehe..."

Manager Luo laughed a couple of times, subtly suggesting, "Thank you for the heads-up, Junior Officer Zhao. To avoid tarnishing my master’s reputation, I have been very cautious in selecting and employing people. I always thoroughly vet prospective candidates before hiring them. Master Chen is excellent, both in terms of character and craftsmanship, and my master is very satisfied with her. I heard that Master Chen’s mother is also very good, virtuous, diligent, and thrifty. As a woman, she managed to run a family single-handedly, not only raising her two children but also curing her husband’s illness. Nowadays, with her daughter all grown up, she’s finally able to live a more peaceful life."

Junior Officer Zhao chokingly replied, "Yes, of course.". Once again, he made a polite gesture towards Manager Luo before leaving.

Chen Afu was quite upset. That old bastard was despicable enough to tarnish Mrs. Wang’s reputation and also make her lose her job. Fortunately, Manager Luo was supportive and managed to fend off the troublemaker.