The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 576: Big Family Gathering

Chapter 576: Big Family Gathering

So Xuan Jian hadn’t left the estate at all.

Xu Feng exhaled through his nose.

They really were all on the same wavelength.

They weren’t just waiting for him to make a move—his husbands were already moving in tandem with him. They knew what he was planning before he had even said it out loud.

A slow smirk tugged at his lips.

Good.

They were about to change Nanshan.

...

The large reception hall was filled with an unusual energy. This was the first time in Xu Feng’s Nanshan Estate’s history that nearly every resident was gathered in one place.

Of course, for Xu Feng, it still felt like a small crowd. The grand hall, designed to accommodate a much larger household, had plenty of standing space despite the gathered servants, stewards, and family members.

Only two of Jian’s men remained on guard at the gatehouse for security, and another was in town overseeing their store, but otherwise, nearly everyone was present.

Xu Feng stood at the head of the room, flanked by Xuan Yang and Xuan Jian, with Xu Zeng a step to his right. He surveyed the gathered faces, some familiar, some new.

He wasn’t nervous, but there was a weight in his chest—this was the beginning of something different for Nanshan. Change was necessary, but it wouldn’t come easily.

He cleared his throat, his voice carrying easily in the quiet hall.

"I’ll keep this brief." His gaze swept over the room, pausing here and there, noting expressions, body language, and the clusters of familiarity among the servants. "First, some of you already know my brother, Xu Zeng."

There was no need for an introduction—he had been living here for three months in Xu Feng’s absence. But this was about formality, about making it clear where he stood. Xu Feng gestured toward his brother. "If you haven’t spoken to him much, I suggest you do. He will be playing a role in the estate moving forward."

Murmurs of acknowledgment rippled through the gathered servants, some more engaged than others. Xu Feng didn’t linger on it. Instead, he moved straight to the next matter at hand.

"I’ve made several decisions regarding the structure of Nanshan’s household," he continued. "These changes are effective immediately."

There was a pause before he continued, listing the promotions first.

"Si will now take on the role of Personnel Steward. She will handle hiring, wages, assignments, and the training of new staff."

A few murmurs of surprise and quiet approval rippled through the room. Xu Feng didn’t stop.

"San is being promoted to Chief Attendant. She will oversee all household operations and ensure everything runs as it should."

This one had more reaction—San was well known and respected as the only official steward of their estate. She had been holding everything together in his absence, and many expected this promotion. Now she would be the person all the new stewards would look to.

Then, Xu Feng shifted slightly, glancing at Lee Hua. "Lee Hua will take on the position of Household Affairs Steward."

It was subtle, but two women in the crowd exchanged glances, their expressions openly displeased. Xu Feng saw it, but he didn’t acknowledge it. Not now.

"Lee Hua will oversee daily domestic operations, including cleaning, supplies, and organizing the courtyards." He paused. "He will report to San."

Silence followed. Then, there was applause—some polite, some genuine.

Xu Feng’s gaze swept the room, but he moved on quickly.

"Xu Hu Zhe will now serve as Outer Estate Steward," he continued. "He will be in charge of the barnyard, animals, greenhouse, farmland, and deliveries."

More murmurs. Some approval, some speculation.

"Min will take on the role of Security Captain and oversee all estate guards and security."

That one was met with more focused attention. Security was important, and Min was well respected among the guards, who had been working closely with them over the last few months.

"These two will report directly to Xu Zeng."

At this, Xu Zeng inclined his head slightly, his silver hair catching the light. He said nothing, but his presence alone was enough to remind everyone of his own authority.

After the final announcement, Xu Feng stepped back with these foreboding words. "There aren’t many staff for you all to oversee, but hopefully that will be a worry of the past, sooner rather than later."

He simply moved to sit beside his husbands, taking his place a bit away from the gathered group undisturbed by their abnormal silence. He had no interest in lingering in front of them like some ruler surveying his kingdom. Instead, he studied the room from his seat, allowing himself a moment to process everything.

There really weren’t many servants at all.

Counting every face in the room including his own, there were only 18 people. Nanshan was enormous, yet they had been managing everything with such a small number.

Even with 18 workers, the burden had been uneven. The original servants had done most of the work, striving to maintain Xu Feng’s high standards, and in his absence, they had worked even harder to keep themselves occupied.

Not that everyone wasn’t working hard. There was much to do, but still...

That had to change. And in the much shorter meeting with Si, San, Zeng, and Hu Zhe, he had held just before this, he had made that clear. There would be no arguments on this.

There were now six children in the estate, several dogs, domestic animals, and an estate wide business to maintain. The workload had to be better managed, or it would fall apart.

And that was barely even including the jam and wine business that was just starting to gain momentum and needed more man power.

The store in Yilin Town had seen slow sales at first, but by the second day, demand had picked up dramatically. Xu Feng had another major project in mind, something much bigger—but before he could act on that, this had to be settled first.

He glanced at San, catching her eye. She nodded slightly, understanding the unspoken signal.

Now came the next step: dismissing those who were no longer a fit for their home.

San stood before the gathered crowd with effortless confidence, her spine straight, her posture composed, and her sharp eyes scanning the room. The flickering lanterns cast a warm glow over her, accentuating the quiet authority that radiated from her very being.

She didn’t seem like a young teen at all.

Instead, she looked like a woman who was meant to lead.

Xu Feng leaned back slightly, watching her with quiet admiration. The more responsibility she was given, the more she radiated strength. It was a shame that it took someone like him—a transmigrator—to see her potential when this world had long overlooked it.

Women in this world weren’t given the same opportunities as men, and their strength was ignored or repressed. Gers had it slightly better, but even their autonomy was questionable.

Xu Feng wanted to change that. That was why he had been so excited when Jie brought him that group last winter—a group of mostly women and gers who were looking for real opportunities.

But now...

Xu Feng almost sighed aloud.

But now, he had to keep his ’young mistress’ face on and let San shine. And she did.

San’s voice rang out, clear and even, carrying through the grand reception hall like a bell.

"Master Feng has given us far fewer rules than other households," she began, her tone steady, firm. "I have only ever served in Nanshan Estate, but some of you have a variety of experiences."

There was a shift in the room. The gathered servants straightened slightly, some looking at Xu Feng with expressions that hovered between skepticism and veiled dissatisfaction.

Some of them had far more experience running large estates—so why was he trusting children to manage their homes?

Xu Feng feigned ignorance, his expression cool and unreadable. But Bai Mo had been right. Last year, when the original eleven new servants were reduced to eight, the ones who remained had been much more restrained.

But now?

Now, after his long absence, some of them had lost their sense of discipline. They had lost respect for him—or perhaps, they had never truly respected him to begin with... that wasn’t true.

Xu Feng thought he could trust these people. But there were spies among them.

His mind drifted to Xuan Jian’s words. "A bad seed can rot the entire pile."

And that was exactly what had happened.

Two women stood among the crowd, young and healthy under the roof of Nanshan, and once, they had been loyal.

But they had been led astray.

One of them, a woman who had served in Nanshan for a year, had been spreading misinformation and sowing dissent. She had taken any findings she could back to Lady Xuan, thinking herself clever, thinking she was securing favor.

The second woman was also serving the main house. She had been nothing more than a mole for Old Lady Xuan. Every whisper, every plan, every moment of progress—she had funneled all of it back to the old woman.

But the hardest mole to uncover had been the young ger.

Xu Feng sighed this time.He hadn’t expected this one.

Unlike the others, the ger had been close—too close. He was the only one of the new servants who had spent time in Blooming Courtyard before Xu Feng’s ’death’ three months ago.

He had made clothing with Si.

He had spoken to Xu Feng personally, acting harmless, appearing loyal.

And yet, he had been bought not by the Xuan family—but by the Sun family in Yilin Town. He couldn’t even keep it within their family.

Sun Minghua’s family was his stronghold.

This was the same Sun family that nurtured Bai Mo’s former love rival.

...