Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 160 - 159: Sending Someone Off

Chapter 160: Chapter 159: Sending Someone Off

After dinner, Chen Afu, Mrs. Song, Mrs. Huang, and Aunt Mu washed the children’s faces and sent them to bed. Chu Hanyan, Yang Qian, and Luo Mei slept in Chen Afu’s bed, Dabao, Yang Chao, and Luo Mingcheng slept in Alu’s bed, Dahu and Daya slept on the bed in Chen Ming’s room upstairs.

In the late afternoon, while the children were sleeping, Madam Luo brought a few people to Lu Garden.

She said these were the servants Master Chu had selected for Chen Afu from the senator’s mansion and handed over the indenture contracts to Chen Afu.

Looking at these six people, old, middle-aged and young, Chen Afu had a headache. She wondered why her household needed so many servants and lamented that Mr. Chu really didn’t understand the hardship of ordinary people.

Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang, watching all these "freeloaders" arrive, felt a pinch in their hearts. They worried about the dwindling coins in their daughter’s savings. How would they now feed all these people? Despite their misgivings, they dare not offend, considering the visitors were from the senator’s mansion.

Madam Luo seemed to perceive the Chens’ dilemma and pulled Chen Afu aside, whispering, "The two stout men, one is Xue Dagui and the other Chu Xiaoniu, both have some martial skills and have worked as errand boys in the mansion. They aren’t merely guardians. Master told me they were temporarily on loan to your family, and we will still provide their monthly pay. Once you no longer need them, or find suitable replacements, they can return. The other four are a family. We have given you both their contracts and them. The older man is Mr. Zeng, who, despite being fifty, is a skilled carpenter. He also managed a village when he was young. Zeng Shuang is Mr. Zeng’s son, twenty-eight years old. Prior to this, he worked in the Foreign Affairs Room as a junior steward. He often runs errands, is good at housekeeping, and has connections with a number of officials. Zeng Shuang’s wife’s maiden name is Jiang, and she was in charge of sewing at the mansion. The young girl, Zeng Xiaoqing, is eleven, perfect to serve as your personal maid."

After hearing Madam Luo’s words, Chen Afu was truly grateful for Chu Lingxuan’s thoughtful consideration for her family. The two bodyguards, who could do more than stand guard and were temporarily assigned, could be sent back once her family was out of danger.

The people of the Zeng family seemed too good to be true. Each met her needs perfectly, and she was certain she would need their skills in the future.

But could they willingly transition from being servants in a senator’s mansion to becoming servants in her household? The status gap was huge. It would be akin to a government official in a big city suddenly being demoted to work in a remote, rural company.

If their hearts were still with the senator’s mansion while their bodies served in her household, even as servants, they would be sources of worry. There were defiant servants mentioned in "Dream of the Red Chamber" who were more trouble than their masters.

Chen Afu said hesitantly, "Thank you, Madam Luo. I am very satisfied with these people. I’m just worried that my humble house in the countryside might not meet the demands of the Zeng family who are used to living in a city mansion..."

Madam Luo, full of authority, said, "What’s wrong with the countryside? My husband returns to the Senator’s Mansion and is treated with great respect even by the Chief Steward. Even when he occasionally visits the Capital Marquis Mansion on business, those stewards dare not look down on him. Don’t worry, Afu. Since Master has given them to you, they are reliable."

Chen Afu retorted, "The two guardians should receive their monthly pay from us. It wouldn’t make sense for them to work for us while Master pays their wages."

Madam Luo laughingly replied, "Don’t be so formal, Afu. Master is considering his niece. Only if your home is safe can we feel relieved letting her play with you, right?"

When she finished, she led Chen Afu to the new arrivals and said, "Don’t underestimate Mistress Chen because she is young. She is highly skilled and has done a great job educating the children. The Master and the whole family have heaped praises upon her, and they think highly of her. In particular, young Master Bao is very talented and is bound to have a bright future. It is not a setback for you to serve them. If you serve them well, you may also enjoy great fortune. As the saying goes, it is better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox."

Upon hearing this, the newcomers hurriedly knelt and kowtowed.

Chen Afu asked them to rise. She thought to herself that her family instantly grew by eight members, all of whom had large appetites. She needed to make sure each person contributed their maximum potential and become self-reliant...

Chen Afu called the entire household into the main room, introduced their new masters to the newcomers, reassigned accommodations, and delegated duties.

Mr. Zeng was made the gatekeeper and the house steward. Zeng Shuang was assigned to manage the household’s farmland and some external affairs. Mrs. Jiang, together with Aunt Mu, was put in charge of the kitchen and assisted Mrs. Wang with the sewing work. Zeng Xiaoqing was assigned to clean and personally serve Chen Afu and her son, while Shan Zi was assigned to feed pigs and chickens and serve Alu.

As for Xue Dagui and Chu Xiaoniu, her household did not need simple guardians. They must work. She had set her sights on the wasteland approximately two hundred meters to the northeast of her house, which was approximately five acres. It would be perfect to grow watermelons once it was bought and cultivated...

Mr. Zeng lived in the guest room, temporarily sharing a room with Shan Zi. Zeng Shuang, his wife, Xue Dagui, Chu Xiaoniu, and Aunt Mu lived in the room at the back. Zeng Xiaoqing lived in the East Ear Room. Chen Afu told them to tidy up their rooms and rest afterwards.

Afterward, Chen Afu handed silver to Chen Ming and asked him to visit Junior Officer Liu’s home in Shangshui Village to buy those several acres of land, which belonged to Shangshui Village.

After Chen Afu had finished assigning tasks and responsibilities, Madam Luo, still grinning, suggested, "Afu, since young mistress does not want to return home and my husband has yet to return from a banquet, it must be boring for Mr. Chu to be alone in Tang Garden. Why don’t you send Dabao to invite him over as a guest, so he can spend more time with Hanyan? You cook very well, so prepare a few dishes and offer him a few cups of wine in the evening as a thank you for all his help, okay?"

That was true. Mr. Chu had helped her a lot and she would need his help even more in the future.

Laughing, Chen Afu replied, "I indeed thought about inviting Mr. Chu over as a guest. However, I feared Mr. Chu might not think highly of my humble household here in the countryside and have always been too embarrassed to invite him."

Madam Luo chuckled, "You are so intelligent and yet sometimes you can be so dense. Even if Mr. Chu doesn’t come, he would still be pleased with the invitation. Besides, Mr. Chu is attached to Hanyan and always speaks highly of you, so he will surely come."

Upon hearing that, Chen Afu immediately called over Dabao and Alu, gave them detailed instructions and sent them to Tang Garden to invite Chu Lingxuan.

Since the most distinguished guest was about to arrive, Chen Afu went through her pantry, decided to prepare lamb hotpot, asked Aunt Mu and Mrs. Wang to handle the preliminary preparations, and decided to personally prepare the soup base.

The children woke up earlier than Chen Afu expected. Normally, as soon as the children woke up, they would play games with her. But today she was busy and made them play with building blocks by themselves. The other children were able to play on their own, but Chu Hanyan, who already had a regular biological clock, was uneasy as she did not have her usual tasks to do upon awakening. She did not join the other children. Instead, she ran to the corridor under the west wing and watched Chen Afu allocate tasks to the people, her gaze following Chen Afu’s every move.