I am a Big Player
Chapter 246 - 244. Courtyard House Steward (Third Update)_1

Chapter 246: 244. Courtyard House Steward (Third Update)_1

It seemed that even Ren He himself hadn’t expected it, but the very fact that nobody knew the Knight’s true identity only made the mystery all the more intriguing.

Initially, he’d covered his face simply to prevent Ren and Mrs. Ren from finding out he was risking his life, but now, not only had the Red Scarf taken on a new meaning, but his identity had become the subject of countless speculations.

Liu Erbao called Ren He just as he was entering their renovated factory on his way home that evening: "Hey, brother, you can’t come to see me for a while—I’ve noticed that some paparazzi are tailing me!"

Some journalists had already caught on to the nuances in Liu Erbao’s tone; he and the Knight must be good friends, and the filming locations of those two possible videos were both in the Capital, so it was very likely that the Knight was in the Capital and in close contact with Liu Erbao.

Unearthing the Knight’s real identity would surely be another major news story!

Ren He, on the other hand, didn’t feel much about it. After meeting with Liu Erbao, he suddenly had a lot of free time. Waking up in his own yard that morning, he was struck by the sight of fallen leaves everywhere—autumn had truly arrived.

The wind had been too strong last night, stripping a fair number of leaves from the plants in his courtyard.

Some leaves had slowly turned yellow and crisp, and Ren He felt extremely happy stepping on them and hearing the crackling sound—they were his own leaves, in his own yard, and he didn’t have to worry about hustling for a living every day. Time was his own.

However, after stepping on the leaves, he felt a bit of a headache—they needed sweeping up...

In the Qing dynasty, a Courtyard House of such size would be serviced by four or five people, but now, just cleaning up the vast area by himself seemed daunting to Ren—over a thousand square meters.

Ren He went back and took a thorough bath, feeling refreshed in the crisp autumn air. He then found Cui Qiang’s business card and called him: "Hey, Brother Qiang? It’s Ren He, who bought your Courtyard House in Liu Hai Alley. Yeah, people who buy Courtyard Houses must know some housekeepers, right? Introduce one to me."

In today’s terms, they are called housekeepers; in the Qing Dynasty, they were called servants. The nature of the job is the same, but Ren He can’t treat them like servants—he just wants to hire someone to help with cleaning, preparing food supplies, and managing routine affairs such as paying bills for utilities, much like a matron.

In fact, in his previous life, as tycoons acquired Courtyard Houses, the profession of upscale housekeepers emerged, although the higher-end ones also had to host guests for their masters.

Ren He’s requirements weren’t high; he just needed someone who could live in a side room of the Courtyard House without causing damage, take care of his daily life, mainly cleaning.

Cui Qiang was momentarily stunned on the other end of the phone—this was a major client, one who didn’t even flinch when transferring tens of millions. Given the extravagance of such a client, Cui Qiang wouldn’t dare treat him poorly. After all, he himself lived in a villa worth only a few million; the thought of owning such a lavish residence was heart-wrenching for him.

By comparison, how vast must Ren He’s fortune be?

But that was Cui Qiang overthinking things; how could he know that Ren He was simply not good at saving money—with only 30,000 yuan left in his pocket after buying the Courtyard House, could you believe that?

After buying a drum set and a violin, he had just over 12,000 yuan left.

Cui Qiang asked out of curiosity, "What’s a Courtyard House housekeeper?"

Alas, Ren He slapped his forehead—so in this parallel world of 2007, there was no such thing as a Courtyard House housekeeper?

He explained, "The courtyard is too big for me alone; I need someone reliable to help me clean, take care of the plants, do some housework, cook and such. They can live in one of the side rooms."

Oh, so he was looking for a matron-like person; Cui Qiang got it now, and he happened to have someone in mind!

Cui Qiang said over the phone to Ren He, "My cousin and his wife have a daughter who was admitted to Peking University. They’re worried and want to move to the Capital to be with her while looking for a job doing odd jobs, because farming doesn’t pay much, and a year’s worth of harvest won’t even cover the girl’s tuition. I said I’d help them directly, but they are too Stubborn to accept handouts and insist on being self-reliant. You know, I only hire young and pretty girls here, so I really couldn’t help them. How about I bring them over for you to meet? They’re almost in their fifties, very efficient in their work, and they don’t pry into others’ affairs. I can vouch for their character—if you lose anything, I’ll compensate on their behalf!"

Huh, it sounded like this Chubby Cui was quite a decent fellow, and judging just from these few sentences, Ren He thought his cousin and his wife sounded quite acceptable too. Unwilling to accept charity, preferring to rely on themselves, they seemed to be the kind of people who stood tall.

Unlike the news he had seen in his previous life, where parents were unwilling to use their own savings and houses to treat their critically ill children and only relied on donations, those people really had no backbone, as if the children weren’t their own flesh and blood.

"Alright, Cui Qiang, you can bring them over now and we’ll talk," Ren He said calmly. In his past life, he was the Deputy Director of Human Resources in a state-owned investment platform and had interviewed at least a thousand people. He was familiar with this.

One would know what a person was really like only after seeing them; details could reveal everything.

When Cui Qiang led a middle-aged couple to the Courtyard House in Liu Hai Alley, the courtyard gate was not closed. Cui Qiang knocked, and someone inside shouted: "Come in, leave the gate open."

Cui Qiang led the couple inside, and before they entered, he whispered instructions: "Uncle, Auntie, this family is definitely rich and noble. I’ll negotiate your wages so don’t say a word. But remember, if you do get the job, don’t look at what you shouldn’t look at, don’t listen to what you shouldn’t listen to, follow the house rules, perhaps they are connected to the heavens. There are things we are not supposed to know, understand?"

Cui Qiang believed he had made it to this point from a farmer’s family in Northern Shaanxi by knowing how to conduct himself. And behaving properly wasn’t just about being opportunistic, but about doing his own duty well!

Ren He’s family background was something he knew nothing about and had no intention of prying into. He had his own reasons for introducing his cousin and his wife, thinking it could be a favor he might rely on someday if he found himself in a tough spot.

Whether he could actually lend help when the time came was another matter. As a businessman, he valued the principle of having more friends and more paths. Plus, he had been really worried about how to find a job for his cousin and his wife that could support a family; this situation was perfect.

His cousin nodded, honest and straightforward: "I understand."

Upon entering the courtyard, the three of them saw Ren He climbing a tree to pick walnuts, and there were already many green-skinned walnuts scattered on the ground. Cui Qiang suddenly remembered what Ren He had said when he bought the property: he wanted a courtyard that bore lots of fruit...

Why not just lease a few acres of land in the countryside, for tens of millions he could definitely lease an entire hill by now...

Just as Cui Qiang was about to speak, he heard his cousin say: "Kid, come down quickly, don’t fall. Where are your parents?"

Cui Qiang slapped his forehead at that moment, realizing he had forgotten to inform his cousin and his wife about Ren He’s situation. He hurriedly stopped his cousin: "He is the owner of this place."

Ren He jumped down from over two meters high without any need for cushioning, and moreover, didn’t land on any walnuts, which gave Cui Qiang a cold sweat. He wouldn’t dare to jump like that himself.

Ren He glanced at Cui Qiang’s cousin and his wife: "Do you two usually work in the fields?"

"We do, but now we’ve rented our land to a friend in the village. We’re looking for work," the cousin answered honestly.

Cui Qiang added from the side: "If they live in the courtyard, you can give them both 6,000 yuan a month. That’s the salary. If you want them to help with shopping, that’s extra. As for working, you can be assured my cousin is known for his hard work, and if it wasn’t for my aunt getting seriously ill the year before last year, he wouldn’t have to look for a job."

In the Capital, back in 2007, a live-in housekeeper who provided meals could earn from 3,000 yuan a month, and as the level increased, it was possible to earn over 10,000 yuan, but then they would be called matrons.

Cui Qiang’s cousin and his wife weren’t educated but they were strong, so Cui Qiang couldn’t ask for too high a salary.

Ren He thought for a moment and then said, "Alright, but let’s get one thing straight. If I turn out to be lazy and leave everything in the courtyard to you, that’s all on you. Without my permission, you can’t bring anyone back. That’s the very least of the rules."

The couple looked troubled: "Our daughter might come stay with us on weekends when she’s off work. Is that... okay?"

...

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