Cai Yan woke groggily, the discomfort in her body snapping her awake. Thinking of last night's novel, blissful experience accompanied by pain, a rosy flush once again spread across her face.
With no maidservant attending her, she slowly dressed herself. Having lived in Liaodong for many years, she naturally knew that under General Wang's rule, there were no true maidservants or household servants.
Previously, when she had lived with Old Cai, everyone in the household had been hired by Old Cai with money. During the spring plowing and autumn harvests, they even had to be allowed to return home. It was only because Old Cai's salary was high that he could afford to support them.
The General's Mansion was the same. Everyone here had been recruited locally, and the mansion paid them wages. Even the dowry maids and pages brought over by women from aristocratic marriage alliances had all been restored to free status. Once they came of age, they would marry. Of course, they still had to work at the General's Mansion, but as members of their mistress's natal household, they took especially attentive care of her.
She had no personal maidservant. The young girl from yesterday had been hired by the General's Mansion specifically to help her with odd chores, such as sweeping the courtyard and washing clothes. There was no need for her to cook or tend the fire. The General's Mansion had its own small kitchens and dining hall; one only needed to say what one wanted to eat. Though there could not be lavish feasts every day, the conditions were quite good. As for heating, the mansion had underfloor flues and centralized heating, so it remained warm as spring even in winter.
Under General Wang's rule now, one could truly say that the people were