Number Seven Nursery was set up on the southern slope of the mountain. A row of cave dwellings had been carved along the cliff face, and as an attendant, his only privilege was that his cave had a considerably larger entrance than those of the menial workers.
Xu Yi was a hedonist. The first thing he did after getting his own cave was furnish it. He wasn't aiming for opulence, but it had to be fresh and elegant. Some flowers and plants on the Green Flat in front of the cave were a must, and so was a double bed with an especially soft mattress.
Once he had finished furnishing the cave, Xu Yi summoned the menial workers under him. There were twelve in all, divided into two squads. Their squad leaders were Jia Qin and Zhen Huang.
Xu Yi made a few courteous remarks, then took out three hundred Profound Yellow Stones and had Jia Qin and Zhen Huang distribute them to everyone.
His gesture stunned the entire crowd. The menial workers all bowed and thanked him in a thunderous chorus, their faces alight with joy.
As the saying went, menial workers were made of iron, while attendants came and went like water. Yet even the most down-and-out attendant came from a household of Imperial Scions. How could they possibly care about the menial workers beneath them, let alone give them rewards?
Xu Yi dismissed the menial workers, keeping only Jia Qin and Zhen Huang behind to talk. After everyone else had left, the two once again bowed and thanked him. The three hundred Profound Yellow Stones Xu Yi had given out amounted to his salary for a month; these menial workers earned only a few dozen Profound Yellow Stones each month.
Thus, in the menial workers' eyes, Xu