Compared to the newly coined nas Yuan Yue and Er i, the two maids suddenly felt that their original nas were crude and earthy, but they liked them very much and quickly knelt to express their gratitude, "This servant thanks the young lady for granting us nas."
Mo Yan nodded and her gaze fell on the four grannies lined up, "You will continue to use your original surnas and just add the word ’Sister’ after them."
The four grannies’ faces lit up, readily accepting the new form of address, "This servant thanks the young lady for granting us nas!"
They were all of an age and long since past caring whether their nas sounded nice or not. To be called Yuan Yue or Er i would have actually made them feel embarrassed. Being able to retain their original surnas was good enough, and adding the word "Sister" was simple and pleasant to the ear, not causing anyone discomfort when heard.
Xin Er and Shengsheng, seeing this, also beca very interested in naming their own maids. Both had learned to read and would read books in their leisure ti. They quickly found nas that pleased them from the beautifully phrased and romantic Book of Songs.
As a result, Xin Er nad her two maids Jianjia and Handan. Shengsheng, following the solar terms, nad her two maids Guyu and Bailu.
The four maids thanked them for the favor, and also knew which mistresses they would serve from now on. These four had been specifically chosen by Mo Yan to be two years younger than Zhenzhen and Shengsheng. Since it was unlikely Xin Er and Shengsheng would marry into impoverished families, these four were sure to accompany them to their husbands’ hos as part of the dowry, becoming their right and left hands.
Once Xin Er and Shengsheng were settled in their marital hos, the four maids would also be getting older, just in ti to be sent out to marry, so no one’s prospects would be hindered.
It was a rather long-term plan, but Mo Yan had to consider her sisters’ futures. These four were all young and even with deep hidden intentions, over a few years their reliability and loyalty could be assessed. If they proved trustworthy and did not betray their masters, they would naturally be given a good future as previously envisioned; if, however, they were ill-behaved and disloyal, they would have to be dismissed early to avoid dragging their mistresses into misfortune.
Mo Yan’s prudent care was, of course, unbeknownst to Xin Er and Shengsheng. They were fascinated by their new maids, and having chosen nas for them, they took them aside to ask about this and that. Before long, maids and mistresses were well acquainted and understood each other to so extent.
The two head maids stood by, proper and dignified. Without a word from Mo Yan, they wouldn’t dare utter a peep, and the four grannies too kept their eyes downcast and behaved impeccably.
Not much later, the five elders and a child who had finished tidying the house also ca over. As usual, Mo Yan gave them new appellations, adding the word "Uncle" after their surnas. The only child, nad "Zhang Sheng", would continue to be called Zhang Sheng.
"Now that everyone is here, let’s proceed to assign each of your specific duties," said Mo Yan, exuding the authority expected of a master as she gathered everyone in front of her. She turned to Uncle Huang, who was standing at the far left of the front row, and said, "You have experience as a steward and I assu you are competent in such matters. You will continue as the steward, overseeing everything. You will be given one or two pieces of silver as your monthly stipend."
One or two pieces of silver was not a lot. A steward in the Han Family, for instance, earned two taels of silver a month. Of course, the Han Family had many affairs to manage, and the steward had a lot of work to do, so a monthly stipend of two taels of silver was just right, neither too much nor too little.
The Mo Family only had a few people and not much business. However, there would be tis when it was necessary to help Mo Yan manage so external affairs, so one or two pieces of silver was appropriate. If his performance improved or his duties increased, she would consider giving him more.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Huang slowly but resolutely knelt down and gave Mo Yan a deep kowtow. He said nothing, but as he stood up, he wiped the corner of his eye with the back of his hand.
Next, Mo Yan made arrangents for the Zhang family elders and grandson, "The family has raised a few bulls and horses. From now on, they will be under your care. In spring, sumr, and autumn you will take them out to graze, and during winter you will feed them and give them water every day. Every three days, just clean their stalls properly."
After Da Huang, Er Huang, and San Huang each had offspring, the Mo Family had six bulls. Mo Yan could not bring herself to sell any of them and chose to raise them all. Da Huang, Er Huang, and San Huang also couldn’t bear the thought of their children being sold to other families, but the Mo Family could not keep their descendants indefinitely.
So they took the initiative to tell Mo Yan not to breed them anymore. When they were too old to work, they wanted their offspring to continue reproducing, each bull only giving birth once in a lifeti. That way, their family would always be together, and they would not beco a burden to the Mo
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