Chapter 112: Lin Sanniang’s Guidance
Jian Xingxia was still riding the wave of pride that came with thinking, My manager lady is truly amazing.
Hearing the youth’s question, she shook her head with a smile. “No, this is Xingxia Manor, and I am the… well, the owner of this place.”
“Xingxia Manor?”
The youth repeated the name, his mind whirring. Compared to the others, this sharp-witted boy had long suspected that there was bound to be something strange—or rather, miraculous—about this place.
But since he was already here, he could only keep up his obliging smile and speak politely.
Yet in this short span of time, he had already downed two bowls of water and eaten a piece of fruit, and the lady over there had even asked if he wanted some chestnuts. Even the most terrifying-looking black giant had only helped him unload the things from his back before silently heading off to the side to work.
The youth instinctively felt that this wasn’t a bad place.
Jian Xingxia watched the expressions shift across the youth’s face before finally smiling after a long pause. “Figured it out now?”
The youth nodded. “I’ve figured it out. You didn’t harm me, you’re speaking with me, you didn’t mock my background, and you even showed quite a bit of concern for my grandfather’s leg injury… You shouldn’t be bad people.”
Jian Xingxia joked, “That’s not a guarantee. I haven’t paid you yet.”
This touched upon the youth’s bottom line, and his expression grew visibly tense.
“Older Sister, my grandfather is waiting for money to buy medicine. If it’s… if it’s not too difficult, please pay me.”
“And what if it is difficult?”
The youth wavered. “Then I can only leave one or two crates for your immediate use, and I will have to take the rest elsewhere to hawk them.”
Jian Xingxia looked toward Lin Sanniang, who pursed her lips into a smile. “He’s a sharp one.”
Jian Xingxia motioned for the youth to come closer and pinched his arm. “Not bad. You look thin, but you’ve got some muscle.”
Tickled by Jian Xingxia’s pinch, the youth broke away with a laugh. “Replying to Older Sister, I’ve been following my grandfather up the mountain to cut bamboo and traveling everywhere to sell goods since I was a child. I still have plenty of physical strength and solid bones.”
Jian Xingxia stopped teasing him. “Did your grandfather tell you that I don’t give money here… but goods instead?”
Hearing the first half of the sentence, the youth’s face fell instantly. Fortunately, Jian Xingxia finished her words quickly, and upon hearing the second half, the youth’s emotions underwent a massive roller-coaster ride.
Jian Xingxia had Lin Sanniang bring out the “wages” and explained the method of calculating them to the youth.
“A-Feng, I’m buying your crates and bamboo baskets for eight hundred copper coins. We’ll substitute it with goods; pick whatever you want.”
Young A-Feng looked at the various items laid out before him, his eyes involuntarily widening. “These… are all for me to choose from?”
Jian Xingxia nodded. “I don’t know the prices of goods back in your hometown, so just pick according to what you see fit.”
Jian Xingxia didn’t mention that within reason, she could give a little more or less, provided it stayed within the limits of A-Feng’s wage quota.
However, she still maintained the standard testing protocol for a new temporary laborer.
Human nature was a fickle thing. By all rights, the people who ended up here were sincere individuals who were either impoverished, pushed to a corner, or facing dire hardships. But since everyone’s character differed, Jian Xingxia didn’t intend to treat them all identically.
A-Feng had no idea that Jian Xingxia harbored the intention to test him. He simply stared at the items before him, his heart pounding with excitement.
He picked up a pair of shoes and asked Jian Xingxia, “How much are these shoes?”
Jian Xingxia smiled. “It doesn’t matter how much they cost here. Just calculate it based on the prices in your hometown.”
A-Feng frowned; this was far too bizarre.
But seeing Jian Xingxia state it so definitively twice, it had to be true. He began to make his selections, but he also shrewdly voiced his thoughts to her.
“Back where I live, a pair of cloth shoes like this sells for one hundred and fifty to two or three hundred copper coins.”
A-Feng weighed the shoes in his hands and carefully flexed them twice. “These shoes of yours are sturdy; they should easily fetch two hundred copper coins.”
Jian Xingxia watched him with a smile, neither confirming nor denying it.
A-Feng continued to browse, but instead of picking from the items on the table, he pointed beneath it. “Can this machete be traded for too?”
Hmm?
Jian Xingxia looked down. The machete, small knife, and shears the scholar had used for bamboo weaving yesterday were all gathered inside a small winnowing basket under the table.
Jian Xingxia nodded. “It can be traded.”
A-Feng looked a bit conflicted. “A single machete back home costs one tael and two mace of silver. This machete of yours looks like it’s made of refined iron, so it would easily cost over two taels of silver…”
Yet all the bamboo items he brought today combined were only worth eight hundred copper coins.
A-Feng pondered for a moment before making a decision. “Miss, do you still need crates here? I can bring some more over tomorrow. Once I gather enough goods worth two taels of silver, would it be alright if you traded this machete to me?”
If they had such a sharp machete at home, Grandfather would save a lot of effort when splitting bamboo. When cutting bamboo on the mountain, he wouldn’t have slipped and plunged down the cliff side due to a rusty, blunt blade slipping under exhaustion.
“Have you thought this through?” Jian Xingxia asked.
“I have.” A-Feng put down the shoes he had first picked up, curling his toes slightly inside his footwear to hide the holes in them.
Wanting shoes was an instinct, but after careful deliberation, the machete was far more useful.
Jian Xingxia smiled as she picked up the machete. “Work for me for three double-hours, and this machete is yours.”
A-Feng’s eyes snapped wide. “Really?”
Then he immediately shook his head. “Grandfather and Grandmother said that one must not take ill-gotten wealth. We are artisans who rely on our craft to eat, not bandits or beggars.”
“Who said you were a beggar?” Jian Xingxia laughed. “I am paying for your craft.”
Jian Xingxia pointed at the crates. “I still need dozens of crates like these. Weave as many as you can today. Da Hei can accompany you to select and cut the bamboo.”
The bamboo grove wasn’t far—just a bit over a kilometer away, barely a ten-minute walk. It was only because of the heavy overgrowth, which required checking for snakes and driving off bugs, that it would be a bit slower.
A-Feng was hit by a wave of shock and joy, yet he remained stubborn. “I can only make two or three crates in an afternoon. It’s not worth that much money.”
Jian Xingxia pressed a hand to her forehead.
Out of all the temporary laborers who had come so far, this kid was by far the most talkative and fluent in his responses. But he also had the most ideas and was the hardest to persuade.
Lin Sanniang stepped in at the perfect moment, leaning in to whisper in Jian Xingxia’s ear, “Miss, leave A-Feng to me. I understand his mindset right now; I will guide him slowly.”
Lin Sanniang found it rather amusing in her heart. She was afraid A-Feng had no idea what a blessed nest he had fallen into.
Since the young mistress was opening a guesthouse, Lin Sanniang would inevitably have to manage the kitchen, but they still needed a waiter to run errands and pass messages.
Lin Sanniang had previously thought that if the mistress couldn’t find anyone and ended up short-handed, she would let Taoya and Xingya come give it a try.
However, working at the manor was a top-tier blessing. Having just secured needlework for her sisters back home, Lin Sanniang felt too embarrassed to push her own children forward right away, so she wanted to wait and see what the mistress arranged.
She hadn’t expected a sharp young lad to be brought in by chance today.
Lin Sanniang felt this was for the best; having a boy greet guests and pass messages was safer than having a young girl, as he wouldn’t be easily taken advantage of.
Having secured Jian Xingxia’s permission, Lin Sanniang headed off to the bamboo grove to cut bamboo with A-Feng and Da Hei, intending to offer A-Feng some guidance along the way. She wanted him to quickly understand the extraordinary nature of the manor and what he was about to face.
Jian Xingxia wasn’t left idle either. Just as the trio left, her phone rang.
“Hello, Xiaxia? It’s your Uncle Lu. The tables, chairs, and benches are all finished. Are you home? I’ll deliver them to you right now.”
