First Phoenix Lady - Chapter 23

After a long while, someone finally came out slowly. “Miss, the indentures for my whole family are all in Madam’s hands.”

Shi Anxia nodded slightly, then changed her approach. “Is there anyone else willing to sign an indenture? I can buy your indenture for thirty taels each, and your monthly wage will be raised to five taels.”

The few people looked at each other, each calculating in their hearts.

Thirty taels for an indenture was truly tempting. Even as stewards, their worth in the market would be, at most, twenty taels. As for a monthly wage of five taels, that was more than double.

Currently, their monthly wage was only two taels of silver, which was just enough to ensure their families would never want for food or clothing.

But signing an indenture would make them slaves, and none felt willing in their hearts. If they could maintain the current situation, who would want to sell themselves into servitude?

Besides, given their current savings, thirty taels didn’t look that attractive anymore.

None of them said a word.

Seeing this, Shi Anxia spoke blandly, “I’ll give you one hour to think it over. If you’re willing to sign, you can come to me. But if you wait until I’ve opened the boxes and checked the accounts, I’m afraid this offer will be off the table.”

The stewards were shocked.

Nanny Tan glanced at Bei Hui at the right moment.

Bei Hui took the hint. “You all should know very well in your hearts. The shops you’re managing haven’t made any progress after all these years. Now that our Miss has taken over, of course she’ll be looking for ways to revitalize them.”

The stewards all lowered their heads, knowing that she was right.

Business was getting worse year after year; these days, they were just barely breaking even, with little profit left. Fortunately, the master’s family hadn’t cared much and hadn’t picked at their faults.

Bei Hui continued, “Our Miss is kind-hearted. She remembers you’ve been working in these shops since you were young-maybe you haven’t achieved much, but you’ve at least worked hard. So no matter how poor the accounts look, as long as there’s no embezzlement, everything can be forgiven. But our Miss never employs stewards without indentures. You should think carefully.”

The meaning was clear: if you don’t sign the indenture, you won’t even have a job. It wasn’t a matter of your personal choice.

The stewards slunk off to the side hall to discuss. Only the steward who already had an indenture was relaxed.

Shi Anxia was about to flip through the account books that had been presented, when Nan Yan entered to report, “Miss, Aunt Gui’s family has arrived.”

Shi Anxia said indifferently, “Bring them in.”

Aunt Gui led her family inside, greeted Shi Anxia, and then stood properly to one side.

Bei Hui looked them over and said, “All of you want to sign indentures to work at the Marquis Mansion?”

A girl of seventeen or eighteen piped up, “That depends on how much silver the Marquis Mansion is offering. Just the other day, a family on Dong’an Street offered twenty taels to buy someone like me…”

“As a concubine?” Bei Hui interrupted.

The girl’s face flushed instantly. “O-of course not! Obviously as a first-class Maid.”

Bei Hui gave her a cold, sidelong glance. “You? You’re not even fit to be a third-class Maid, let alone first-class! Do you think the Marquis Mansion’s silver comes blowing in on the wind?”

“Hey, what do you mean by that? I…”

Shi Anxia frowned, her tone indifferent. “Noisy! Slap her!”

Nanny Tan immediately struck her across the face.

The girl clutched her reddened cheek, wilting instantly.

Aunt Gui had been worried her sister-in-law, Yang Yuhua, would make an even bigger scene after the slap, but to her surprise, she simply moved to stand behind her brother, full of aggrieved silence.

So she’s just a bully at home, after all.

Nanny Tan said sternly, “Seven taels for an adult, five taels for a child. Once you sign the indenture, you belong to the Marquis Mansion.” She paused, then pointed at Yang Yuhua. “You! The Marquis Mansion doesn’t want you!”

Yang Yuhua bowed her head, her eyes darting with anger, but she didn’t dare utter a word.
She had only come to watch the commotion and had never planned to sell herself into servitude, which was why she dared to act so brazenly earlier.

She had made arrangements with her older brother the day before: since her niece Xiao Die was just an idle mouth to feed, if the Marquis Mansion was willing, they’d just sell her.

That way, it would save the family an extra mouth to feed, and they could also get some silver. She just feared Aunt Gui wouldn’t agree, which was why she hadn’t said anything in advance.

Yang Yuhua not wanting to enter the Marquis Mansion herself was one thing, but the fact that they didn’t want her was another.

She didn’t dare utter a word now, but she blamed Aunt Gui for it.

Yang Yuhua felt that it was her sister-in-law who had ruined her chances.

The mistress of the house was so formidable, dishing out slaps at the slightest provocation. Yet what had her sister-in-law said at home? That the mistress was especially kind and considerate to her servants.

Wasn’t that just a ploy to trick her into servitude?

Since the mistress was so good, why not let your daughter sell herself into servitude instead? She quickly shot a look at her brother.

He understood, “I-we-we’re not… not selling ourselves, just… just…”

Seeing him stammer, another young woman beside him quickly took over, “Replying to Mistress, we only brought this girl for a look. Don’t be fooled by her age-she’s capable and can do any chore.”

Though Aunt Gui had originally planned for her daughter to enter the Marquis Mansion with her, now that her whole family was so ready to sell off her daughter, she couldn’t help but burst into tears.

She wept incredulously, “Die’er is only nine, and you’re already willing to sell her? Didn’t we agree to just bring her for a look? Why aren’t you selling yourselves, but instead selling my daughter?”

In front of the formidable mistress, Aunt Gui’s husband and Yang Yuhua dared not act rashly.

But her cousin Huang Bilian seized the opportunity, “Cousin, don’t be so stubborn. Xiao Die is just idle at home anyway, and being able to enjoy life at the Marquis Mansion with you is her good fortune. Besides, once I give birth to a son for Cousin-in-law, it’ll be even harder for the family to make ends meet.”

Aunt Gui was so infuriated by these shameless words that she trembled all over, “Huang Bilian, you lose your husband and come to fight me for mine? Have you no shame? Or should I just hand my man over to you!”

“Heh, that’s your idea, not me driving you out!” Her cousin stroked her belly. “You can’t give him a son and blame me? Even the best ox can’t plow good sprouts from a barren field like yours!”

Shi Anxia was thoroughly disgusted, “Aunt Gui, how did you end up with such a shameless cousin? She’s polluting my ears!”

Only then did Aunt Gui remember her own daughter was not yet married. Blushing deeply, she hurriedly knelt to beg forgiveness.

Seeing that Shi Anxia was already flipping through the accounts with impatience, Nanny Tan put on a stern face and asked, “Aunt Gui, if your family isn’t sincere about selling yourselves into the Marquis Mansion, don’t waste the young mistress’s time. Go home and discuss your family matters! I’ll ask one last time: is anyone selling themselves into the Marquis Mansion? If not, leave at once!”

The three exchanged glances and together shoved Xiao Die forward, “Her!”

Yang Yuhua couldn’t help but ask, “Then about Xiao Die’s monthly silver…”

Nanny Tan snorted coldly, “The Marquis Mansion is raising your child, providing food and lodging, and you still want monthly silver? Come back to discuss silver when she can truly work at fourteen. If you want to sell, sell. If not, leave at once.”

“Sell, sell, sell!” Xiao Die’s father was terrified the five taels of silver would slip away.

Outside, a Broker was already waiting as guarantor. He brought in the standard indenture contract, and after a round of formal questioning, wrote up the document for Xiao Die’s parents to press their fingerprints.

Shi Anxia had someone bring out five taels of silver to give to Aunt Gui’s husband. As the family was sent off, the stewards on the other side had also finished their deliberations.