Chapter 343: Chapter 321, Choosing a Maid_1
The day after returning to Ningmen Prefecture, Daohua had breakfast in the old madam’s courtyard and then proceeded to the main courtyard with Yan Yihuan and two others. By the time they arrived, the courtyard was already full of people.
Four chairs had been placed under the eaves at the entrance.
Seeing this, Daohua walked straight over.
Yan Yihuan and her companions hurried to follow. As they passed through the crowd, they instinctively straightened their backs, employing all the rules and etiquette instilled by Master Shen to ensure they wouldn’t lose face in front of the servants.
Daohua took a seat in the center chair. Yan Yihuan followed suit without much hesitation and took up a central position as well, with Yan Yile and Yan Yishuang taking seats on either side.
Once all four were seated, Ping Tong approached with a smile, handing the register of maid names to Daohua and announced loudly, “Madam said that this time, the selection of maids is entirely up to the young ladies.”
Upon hearing this, Yan Yihuan, Yan Yishuang, and Yan Yile all straightened their expressions.
After moving to Ningmen Prefecture, they knew they would be adding maids and that these maids would eventually accompany them to their married homes, so they all took this very seriously.
Ping Tong observed their expressions. Compared to them, the eldest young lady seemed somewhat casual. She wanted to remind her but remembering that Madam had instructed not to interfere with the young ladies’ choice of maids, she swallowed her words.
“Eldest young lady, if there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave.”
Daohua swiftly flipped through the register, almost breezing past each page. Upon hearing Ping Tong’s words, she nodded, “Go on with your tasks.”
In just a short moment, Daohua had gone through the register and casually handed it to Yan Yihuan at her side.
Yan Yihuan, surprised by how quickly Daohua handed over the register, questioned, “Eldest sister, you’re done looking already? Don’t you want to look more carefully?”
Daohua smiled, “There are too many names; even if I read them, I wouldn’t remember.” The main reason was that the register contained only basic information like names, ages, and places of origin, which was hardly useful.
Yan Yihuan, not expecting Daohua to respond this way, fell silent for a moment before saying, “Then I will look through it first. If eldest sister wants to look at it again, just let me know.”
Daohua gave a nod and smiled, “Alright.”
As she looked over the large group gathered below, easily numbering fifty to sixty, Daohua estimated that they were all young girls, roughly between ten to fifteen years old.
Daohua glanced over at Guyu who stood behind her.
Immediately stepping forward, Guyu bent over and asked, “Young lady, what can I do for you?”
Using her fan to shield her face, Daohua whispered, “How many people did my mother actually buy this time? Can we even use so many?”
In a quiet voice, Guyu responded, “Madam bought over a hundred people this time, saying she wanted to fill all vacancies in one go. The maids in the courtyard here have all been selected through a careful process, and those who didn’t meet the standards have already been sent away.”
“It might seem like a large gathering, but once distributed across the different courtyards, it won’t be noticeable. The last time the lord hosted a banquet for Ningmen Prefecture officials, we were slightly short on staff.”
Daohua exhaled and began to calculate how many people she would need to select for the day.
There was one Senior Maid missing in her team of four, four second-ranked maids were needed, two floor-sweeping maids were absent, and two coarse laborers were also short.
So, she would need to choose seven maids and two laborers today.
Knowing how many people she needed, Daohua felt more at ease. Glancing at Yan Yihuan still perusing the register, she thought for a moment and said to Wang Manman, “Go, brew tea for me and my three sisters, and bring along two plates of sweets.”
This selection process wasn’t likely to end quickly.
Wang Manman bowed, “Yes,” and then hurried off.
…
Because they took it seriously, Yan Yihuan and her companions were very meticulous in their reading. By the time they put down the register, Daohua had already finished three or four cups of tea.
“Are you done?”
Yan Yihuan said apologetically, “I made you wait, eldest sister.”
Daohua waved her hand dismissively, “It’s fine, there’s nothing else going on today anyway.” Looking over at Yan Yishuang and Yan Yile, she said, “Then let’s start the selection. Who’s going first?”
Yan Yihuan glanced at Yan Yile who wanted to speak out, and instantly, Yan Yile, who had hoped to pick servants first because of her younger age, pursed her lips and fell silent.
Daohua noted the silent exchange between the two sisters but didn’t bother to intervene; instead, she quietly sipped her tea.
Yan Yishuang spoke up, “Elder Sister is the eldest, so it’s only right that Elder Sister chooses first.”
Daohua cast a glance at the demure Yan Yishuang, who, she noticed, had become much more low-profile since her return.
Indeed, she had grown smarter!
If she continued like this, her mother wouldn’t find fault with her; as for herself, she would care even less.
Yan Yihuan also said with a smile, “Younger Sister is right, Elder Sister should indeed pick first.”
Daohua looked at the three and said, “Since the three younger sisters are so courteous, I won’t stand on ceremony.” With that, she stood up.
At this moment, because they had been standing for a while, some of the people started to sway.
“You, you, and you, step out,” she said.
Daohua immediately dismissed those whose bodies were swaying.
Don’t think her heartless; after all, these were people being selected for work, and without a strong body, they couldn’t perform well.
Daohua walked down the line and kicked out those too striking in appearance or who trembled as she drew near. After completing a round, she returned to her seat.
“Let me state my requirements for maids: first, sincerity; second, integrity; third, discretion; fourth, abiding by rules; and finally, a certain level of capability. If you can’t meet these criteria, feel free to step out now,” she declared.
Those words caused a stir among the maids standing below.
They had been at Ningmen Prefecture for nearly two months, and while they had some understanding of and contact with the other three young ladies, they knew too little about the Eldest Young Lady. They only returned yesterday from the manor house, they knew her only as a formidable person.
Formidable masters were usually harder to serve, and many were understandably worried about this.
But the Eldest Young Lady was the direct and most favored daughter of the Lord and Madam, and surely, serving her promised a better future than serving the other three young ladies.
For this reason, despite many being wary of Daohua’s formidable reputation, they remained standing.
Daohua noticed the hesitation and struggle within some of them and smiled, “I have given you the opportunity to choose, and you should cherish it. This may very well be the turning point that determines your future.”
“I know many of you think that staying with me might promise a better future. But remember, reward and effort go hand in hand; the greater the reward, the higher the cost you must be willing to pay.”
“My standards are high, and not everyone is suitable to stay with me. If you lack the capability, yet insist on crowding into my courtyard, then you’ll only end up being sent away.”
“Choosing what fits you best is the most important thing.”
As these words were spoken, some people in the crowd couldn’t help but step forward.
With one person taking the lead, others gradually followed and stepped out.
Watching this scene, both Yan Yihuan and Yan Yishuang’s expressions changed slightly.
Yan Yihuan thought: Letting Elder Sister choose first was indeed the right decision. If it were they who had to choose, they wouldn’t consider these aspects – they’d simply pick whoever they liked.
With such a method of selection, the quality of the maids was left entirely to chance.
Yan Yishuang thought: With just a few words, she had expelled the indecisive and wavering ones and managed to maintain a good reputation. Elder Sister’s tactic is truly high level.
In the end, including those previously dismissed, fewer than thirty people remained.
