Chapter 215: Xu Shaoyin’s Wages
And wasn’t it the most fun thing indeed!
Since returning to the manor, Jian Xingxia’s absolute favorite thing was earning money. Whether it was running a street stall, selling fruit, or operating a bed-and-breakfast—as long as it brought in cash, she was ecstatic.
Her second favorite thing, naturally, was paying the temporary workers their wages.
She didn’t manage the regular employees’ pay; she left that entirely up to Lin Sanniang and Auntie Pang. They were both essentially department heads now and had their own ideas, so Jian Xingxia didn’t interfere too much.
However, the temporary workers were usually brand new or hadn’t fully grasped how things worked yet, so she had to arrange their wages herself.
Jian Xingxia absolutely loved this feeling of spending a small amount of money to achieve massive results.
Things she was completely accustomed to were nothing short of miraculous in the eyes of these ancient people.
And their reactions often helped Jian Xingxia re-examine her own life.
When she had first moved back to the old house, she had been a bit poorly adjusted. There was no cafeteria and no food delivery; eating sweet potatoes, corn, and eggs for every single meal had left her completely dazed.
But the moment her lovely employees arrived, their eyes practically popped out of their heads at the sight of the electric rice cooker, which could steam a massive pot of eggs, sweet potatoes, and corn all at once.
No need to kindle a fire! That meant no need to chop wood! No need to sharpen a woodchopping knife!
No need to trek for miles to forage for firewood! No need to carry dozens of pounds of kindling back on one’s back!
No need to split logs! No need to spend money on flint!
You didn’t even have to tend to the pot—once the food inside was cooked, the appliance would shut off automatically.
Even an old cook like Auntie Pang, who had ruled over kitchens for decades, would occasionally grouse that rice from the electric cooker wasn’t as fragrant as rice steamed over a wood fire, but she still honestly admitted: “This electric rice cooker really is handy! You don’t have to worry about the rice, which saves a ton of trouble when making a meal.”
It was nothing like cooking over an earth stove, where you had to boil the rice in water first, scoop it out to drain, and then transfer it into a wooden bucket or other utensil to steam inside the pot.
To say nothing of the running water that flowed on its own the moment you twisted a faucet, or the electric lights that required no oil or fire checks yet shone brighter than lanterns, candles, and oil lamps combined…
Every single piece of it was a miracle to these people from the past.
Listening to her employees’ sighs of awe and praise, Jian Xingxia finally realized what a blessed era she lived in.
So, of course, her favorite pastime was paying her ancient employees their wages.
She also loved dragging Lin Sanniang into it with her.
Before Shaoyin returned, Jian Xingxia and Lin Sanniang had pulled items out of the storeroom to test them one by one, selecting the most suitable combination tailored specifically to Shaoyin’s situation.
Lin Sanniang had said, “She ought to have a set of clothes. Miss Shaoyin’s previous garments were torn in several places… It’s hard for a young lady to even walk the roads without proper attire.”
Jian Xingxia had nodded. “The outfit she’s wearing cost fifty-five yuan, the white canvas shoes were twelve yuan, and the camisole and undergarments are the ones you made, which the system priced at fifteen yuan.”
The gear alone had cost eighty-two yuan. Out of a one hundred and twenty yuan wage, that left only thirty-eight yuan. The remaining balance had suddenly become quite tight.
Jian Xingxia had picked up a whole row of various cups, having Shaoyin test them one by one to see if she could carry them back.
“No need to try the plastic ones, your world probably doesn’t have that material. Let’s look at earthenware, porcelain, and glass.”
There were also bamboo and wooden ones, but Jian Xingxia felt they weren’t worth much and wouldn’t be of much use to Shaoyin if she took them back.
Right now, she needed to let the girl take back at least one cup that could match the value of that white jade wine cup.
Jian Xingxia had said, “You don’t necessarily have to use it or hand it over to them, but keeping one in your possession will give you a guaranteed fallback option.”
In case the other party proved utterly vicious and there was no way to reason with them, she could simply hand over an item of equal value to ensure her personal safety.
Jian Xingxia had explained it to Xu Shaoyin in meticulous detail: “Of course, it’s best if you don’t have to use it. If you can expose the truth through other means and bring the villains to justice, this cup will be your reward, and you can use it to better your life.”
Xu Shaoyin could only understand a little more than half of Jian Xingxia’s words; the remaining portion had to be pieced together through guesswork.
But she understood clearly that Jian Xingxia was planning for her sake.
Teaching her a method so she could stand tall without fear and face the battle bravely.
Yet also leaving her a way out, freeing her from anxieties and preserving herself.
The gratitude in Shaoyin’s heart had long since swelled into a chaotic torrent. In this world, apart from her parents and her wet nurse, only the young Manor Owner had ever treated her this way.
Since Shaoyin could carry glass cups back, Jian Xingxia had given her four different kinds.
“These two larger ones are for drinking water or tea.”
One was roughly 300ml—a relatively standard, transparent glass water cup, a clear cylinder with a slightly wider rim.
The other was roughly 260ml, with a short, stout shape. The glass was crafted with a ribbed, fluted pattern, a texture that would likely be incredibly difficult to replicate by human hands in the Dayong Dynasty.
“These two smaller ones are for drinking wine, or they can be used for Kung Fu tea… I can’t quite explain it, but basically, it’s tea drunk from tiny cups.”
Shaoyin quietly refrained from pressing further. Since the Manor Owner didn’t like to admit certain things, she shouldn’t ask too many questions; she just needed to follow orders.
Shaoyin took them. This time, the two small cups were only slightly larger than apricots.
One style was very similar to the teacups used in the Dayong Dynasty, only much smaller. Held in the hand, it felt exceedingly delicate.
The other was even more magical. It looked round, yet on such a fragile material, there were actually hammer marks textured onto the surface.
Xu Shaoyin didn’t know what kind of master craftsmen the Manor Owner knew who could carve such exquisite patterns onto glazed glass, and she froze in place out of sheer astonishment.
Not daring to take them back, she pushed the two cups back. “Miss Manor Owner, these are far too precious. I cannot accept them.”
Though her family had fallen on hard times, she had, after all, been a dancing girl at Feiyue Pavilion for over two years; she knew quality when she saw it.
She could tell that the four cups the Manor Owner had produced were each worth a fortune.
A white jade wine cup was rare, but ultimately obtainable.
But these four cups from the Manor Owner were, in Shaoyin’s eyes, beyond the capabilities of human labor.
Mortals could never fashion such things, no matter what.
