Chapter 8: An Yu Yu

Zhang Zhentian quickly thought of whose family Zhang Heng was referring to, and hesitated, saying: "The Chen family was once the wealthiest in Dagou Town, with ancestors who served as county magistrates. Although they have fallen somewhat now, they may not necessarily sell this courtyard!"

This is generally a form of self-selling, where individuals, unable to make a living at home, sell themselves to wealthy families as servants. In doing so, they not only support themselves but also receive a monthly salary to help with household expenses

Four little girls, from now on, will serve by my side

As for the remaining tasks, who will be responsible for cleaning the courtyard, who will take care of washing the clothes, who will handle the sewing, and who will be in charge of night watch and attendance, you may discuss and decide among yourselves

One type is a dead contract, which means that the person who is bought, upon signing, becomes a lifelong maid

However, after all, it is a rural courtyard; no matter how high it is, it is still limited to 3,000 taels of silver

My name is Xi Liu, I am from this county, and I seem to be 15 years old, or perhaps 16. My family is poor, unable to afford food, and cannot support me, so they entrusted me to the midwife.

Da Kui directly raised the gun in his hand and said: "You old fool, whatever our Brother Heng says goes, who gave you the right to talk back!"

Not for sale, it is merely a matter of price not being suitable

Zhang Heng did not respond to this but instead spoke of something else: "I noticed a large courtyard with five entrances and five exits to the north of the town."

The old woman took a look and, feeling wronged, stepped back, muttering: "I am doing this for the sake of the master."

My name is An Yuyu, I am fifteen years old, and I am also from this county

Upon the expiration of the contract, it may be renewed or not renewed

Zhang Heng looked at the third one again

An Yu Yu said that she would not speak further on this matter

The second one said so

Listen carefully

My name is Cuihua, I am 16 years old, I come from Nanhe. My hometown suffered a disaster, so I came to Dongguang with my family, having heard that there is food to eat here. As a result, I got separated from my family. Granny Ya said that if I followed her, she would give me food, so I agreed.

The rice seller alone takes a commission of three dollars, and the monthly payment is one dollar

Zhang Heng is procuring supplies all the way, preparing to hold a three-day banquet in one go after the ancestral recognition ceremony

First, regarding the kitchen, it will henceforth be managed by Granny Fan, and then handed over to you two coarse women, responsible for the three meals a day

Stop wasting time, how much is it

Cuihua speaks frankly; she is also the same little girl who, after being sold to Zhang Heng, had her eyes darting around.

In no time, money flowed like water, and several thousand dollars were gone in the blink of an eye

Zhang Heng intends to use these three days of banquets to make it clear to everyone in Dago Town that he is not an outsider

Boiling water, kneading shoulders, pounding legs, warming the bed, these are all your tasks

Order 100,000 jin of millet

Since you have chosen to follow me, you must adhere to certain rules; it cannot be the same as at home

If there is no signing, each will return to their own home, and the host family does not need to worry about matters such as old-age care. In fact, if life at home improves, one can even redeem their contract back.

He even booked the theater troupe

Whoever is gossipy and restless, I will send them to Baoping Mountain to keep company with the bandits

Rest assured, my dear sir, when there are good items available, I will certainly let you have the first look.

Zhang Heng looked at the others again

Zhang Heng does not care about money

Eight laborers are employed, each receiving a commission of three dollars, in addition to provisions for food and accommodation, along with a monthly stipend of half a dollar. (The monthly stipend is for a labor contract, signed for a duration of twenty years, similar to that of a permanent worker)

The local Zhao Zhao Sheng opera troupe has directly booked three days, aiming for a lively atmosphere

You all have families as well, and when you cannot afford to eat, you are forced to sell yourselves into servitude

Then I will communicate with the Chen family after I return

It is known that Mr. Zhou Shuren, back in the day, purchased a three-entry, 32-room courtyard house in Yanjing for merely 3,500 silver dollars

Of course, the Chen family courtyard has not been purchased yet, so you can take it easy for now. Once you move to the courtyard, you will each have to fulfill your respective duties.

However, this is considered fortunate; if one were to lose to the casino and sell their cave dwelling, that would truly leave one without tears to cry.

However, how much you can obtain depends on your dedication

The price is sufficient

Afternoon

Zhang Heng was not in the mood to engage in idle chatter with the old woman.

It is best for the Chen family to move out on their own, as they do not wish to be the subject of gossip for the sake of a few thousand dollars

However, Zhang Heng believes that this expenditure is worthwhile

"I will return and bring a steward back; he will be your chief steward from now on"

However, I must say this upfront: there will be no betrayal from within my ranks.

The business of the person in charge is divided into two types

If it were not for the advantageous location of the Chen Family Courtyard, constructing another large courtyard would take a considerable amount of time. Even if one were to build a courtyard of the same specifications as the Chen Family Courtyard, with five entrances and five exits, it might not necessarily cost 3,000 taels of silver.

One watchman, one doorman, with a deduction of two dollars, no monthly salary, while providing food and accommodation, requires 30 jin of millet per month

Everyone lowered their heads

Zhang Heng looked at the last person

I understand you. At the beginning of the month, after receiving the monthly salary, we will also give you a few days off so that you can go home and take a look.

Seeing Zhang Heng intervene, the toothless old woman still intended to deal with the young girl

Zhang Zhentian knew that this was a difficult task

There are four young maidens, all of good appearance and suitable age, each requiring a commission of twenty dollars. A binding contract can be signed, and once purchased, they will be yours. If you are pleased, you may reward them; if not, you may deal with them as you wish, as long as no one is killed.

Order 50,000 jin of white flour

As for the monthly payments, I am not a landlord or a wealthy person who looks down on others. You can rest assured regarding the monthly payments

Zhang Heng did not ask further; he had heard from Granny Ya that An Yuyu was exchanged for rice by her gambling father

And you?

They were two individuals who, at that time, remained silent and obediently accepted their fate

Zhang Heng, seeing this, regained his smile and looked at the four teenage girls standing at the front: "How old are you all, what are your names, and where are you from?"

Zhang Heng sat on the chair, with the two brothers, Da and Xiao Kui, standing behind him, armed with guns. He said sternly: "Did you hear that clearly?"

Whether it is one thousand or two thousand, even if it requires three thousand, I will comply with them, as long as they are willing to move

After several thousand dollars, what is gained is the hearts of the people

Cousin, give her 150 dollars

Zhang Heng, after listening, did not haggle: "Bring the contract here. Furthermore, in the future, if you have good goods, remember to notify the Zhang family in Dago Town first. As long as I take a liking to it, I am willing to pay any price."

There is also a type of living contract, signed for ten years, twenty years, or thirty years

Ka ... ...

Order 50,000 jin of rice

10 head of cattle, 100 pigs, 100 sheep, 1,000 chickens, 100,000 jin of various vegetables, to be delivered within 3 days

My name is Song Qiuman, I am 15 years old, and I come from the neighboring Yangxi County. My father is ill, and I want to treat him, so I sold myself.

The Chen family has lived in the town for over one hundred years, so how could they just move at a whim

What about you

The midwife readily agreed with great joy

Chen Family Courtyard

The five-entry courtyard in the town, with 72 rooms, has a construction cost comparable to that of a three-entry four-sided courtyard in Beijing, or even somewhat inferior. After all, Yangjiang is a small place, and the cost of living is not as high as in Beijing, resulting in different construction costs

Zhang Heng did not take it seriously

After leaving the dental clinic, Zhang Zhentian couldn't help but remind them

Cousin, it seems that your old house is a bit crowded with so many people living there

After all, in this day and age, labor is inexpensive, and one can haul stones and timber from the mountains themselves, making house construction relatively simple. (The old house of the Lao Long family was built this way, back in the 1970s, with no wages; those who came to help were treated to two meals. According to my grandmother, the dishes contained large bones for flavor, along with a bit of leftover meat. People at that time had little fat in their bellies and could eat more than little piglets, with each person able to consume nearly half a bucket.)

Song Qiunan and Xi Liu