Ye Shiqi saw their joyful smiles and rembered she had not prepared any reward money for them.
It was said that new masters are supposed to give customary gifts when eting workers for the first ti. Although she was short on cash, she was not lacking in this small amount of reward money.
So, while they were talking, she stealthily took out so broken silver of one tael each from her space and placed it into individual wallets, not only preparing for her elder sisters but also for her mother to use as reward money for the workers.
Ye Shiqi had the reward money ant for the people in the living room placed in a box within the chest, separately keeping aside so everyday money in this chest, which she would later entrust to a Maid by her side to manage.
"The four Maids, respectively, are Ming Yue, Nuanyang, Yu Ye, Bai Xue."
"Second-class Maids, Yueqing, Fenghua!"
"Little Maids, Yueji, Zisu!"
"Yes, thank you, Fifth Miss, for bestowing the nas!"
All eight Maids, big and small, now had their own nas. They found their new nas fresh and were very fond of them.
Ye Shiqi then moved the reward money prepared for her siblings and mother into a new chest and placed this chest in the room.
She then asked Bai Xue to take out a box from a chest in the room and also handed her the keys to this chest.
Bai Xue walked out with a very joyful expression, for the Lady had entrusted her with the keys to the chest, signifying an important task.
As Maids by the Lady’s side, of course, they needed to excel in everything. Only those who had been selected could serve as Maids next to the new master, and their abilities were to be slightly better than those of the second-class ones.
After Bai Xue left, Ye Shiqi silently drank tea and then quietly observed everyone. She did not utter a word; the tea leaves must have been arranged by the housekeeper.
As soon as she sat down, a Maid had made tea for her.
She noticed that after Bai Xue left, the faces of the other Maids showed no expression. As for what they were thinking inside, that was unknown.
The old won were also waiting silently, very disciplined. When they saw the group of people looking over, they all lowered their heads.
Bai Xue entered the living room quickly, holding a box carved from pear wood with a unique flower design.
Ye Shiqi had many such small boxes in her space, and even large chests; chests and jewelry boxes of pear wood, or those ant to hold silver, were common items in her space.
Over those seven or eight years, her father had prepared one after another set of items for her. These were done out of fatherly love, knowing she could collect items, he made them from wood for her.
The other daughters also had so, but not as many chests and boxes.
Hongji had actually prepared these items for his daughters in advance. Pear wood was not that easy to co by; it was the leftover material from the factory where they made jewelry boxes and furniture.
There were also other kinds of wood, which were sowhat more valuable, and he had to consult the Chief Steward before taking such wood to make items for his own family.
The Tang Family’s Chief Steward knew that Hongji was making these items for his children, and since the pieces of wood were not large, and Hongji did not take a lot of wood at one ti.
Therefore, over those seven or eight years, Hongji had made quite a lot of items for his children.
Aside from the items placed in the countryside room, he stored everything for his youngest daughter, preparing these items in advance for his children.
It was also a manifestation of a father’s love.
"Bai Xue, distribute a wallet to each of them and you," she said.
"Hmm!" Bai Xue beca even more delighted. When she opened the chest and picked up a wallet, she touched it and realized that it did not contain copper plates, but it felt like silver.
So she distributed them even more joyfully to everyone, and those who received the money said to Miss Ye Shiqi, "Thank you, Miss, for the reward!"
Then they all laughed happily. One tael of silver given by the new master was quite a significant amount, but for a large family like theirs, rewarding a servant with one tael was not considered much.
They had barely begun to work when, upon their first eting, the Lady from the countryside presented them with such generous gifts.
Those who ca from the Capital Manor were well aware of the human affairs and social etiquette in the suburban estates; one tael of silver could be a family’s monthly expenses.
In an ordinary family, that might be the case, but in a poor family, one tael of silver could last for half a year, and a year of labor might not even earn several taels of silver.
Feeling that there was hope with the new master, although they were servants, they too wished for their families’ happiness and to earn their own money.
"Alright, everyone do your own tasks. The four Maids, follow ; the rest of you, attend to your duties. I will not be eating lunch in the courtyard.
As for where I will be eating, a Maid will make arrangents; for now, the four Maids, do not take turns, I do not need anyone to stand watch over the night!"
"Yes, we will follow the Lady’s arrangents."
The people in the living room all took orders and went out to do their work, leaving only the four Maids.
"Bai Xue, Nuanyang, the two of you go to my room and carry out a chest carved with plum blossoms, then follow out, I have other arrangents to make."
"Mm-hm."
Bai Xue and Nuanyang left.
Ye Shiqi was left with Ming Yue and Yu Ye by her side.
"Let’s go to the courtyard and wait for them together," Ye Shiqi led the way out.
"Yes"
No sooner had Ye Shiqi arrived in the courtyard than the first two Maids had already carried out a chest.
"Let’s go, first to my mother’s courtyard."
The new Maids had already been inford of the layout of the house and knew the courtyards where the Madam, the Ladies, and the young masters resided.
Ye Shiqi did not know this; she had walked around the house once but had not determined who lived in which courtyard yet.
Back then, all the sisters felt that living alone in a courtyard was too lonely.
Moreover, her elder sisters had not planned to stay in the Capital at that ti; as for her mother and younger brother, they were just happy to have a place to live, with no other plans in mind.
Guided by the Maids, Ye Shiqi arrived at her mother’s courtyard, where both her parents were present; it was still early, and they might have been waiting for her arrival.
Ye Shiqi had told her parents the day before that today she would visit the estate or the shops with them; she must learn where their properties were located, how large the shops were, and if the estate had any other developnt potentials.
She also needed to promptly tidy up and prepare the shops for sale.
Ye Shiqi planned to earn back twenty thousand taels in three months by selling grain, which would require selling a substantial amount, and they would have to engage in other businesses as well.
Upon seeing the servants working in her mother’s courtyard and entering the living room, she found her parents there.
"Father, Mother, have you had the people of the courtyard and those serving us co in to et you?"
Mrs. Li shook her head, "We are not going to live here very long, so is that necessary?"
Hongji also said, "What your mother ans is, gathering them together, we don’t have much to talk about."
"This is a must, who knows whether you will live here more often in the future?"
And those who have already been assigned to you might need to follow you back to the countryside; when we sisters are not around, people must be there to help Mother with the work.
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