Fear of Power, Not Virtue

Not long after, the people from the slave market delivered the servants Lin Fei had purchased.

One was a housekeeper, only thirty-five years old, yet her attire and demeanor were already trending toward that of a dignified and steady elderly woman.

In Nanli City, the lifespan of an ordinary person is quite short; very few live to see their seventieth year.

Those in their fifties are already considered elderly.

Therefore, once a person passes thirty, they are considered middle-aged.

This housekeeper had previously worked as a maid in a wealthy household, served as a personal attendant, and later acted as a housekeeper; she had long since earned enough money to buy back her freedom.

She had been doing quite well, but due to her advancing age and a minor mistake, she was dismissed by her masters.

The two personal maids were both beautiful, with looks that were exceptionally pleasing.

Their skin was fair and tender, and they were a few years older than Peach Blossom. Every movement they made was filled with etiquette and decorum, as they had also served in wealthy households.

Personal maids like these, when sold off by wealthy families, usually had committed some grave error.

Others were trained and taught by the slave market itself; they had not yet truly worked in a wealthy household, but they could fetch a good price, being more expensive than ordinary maids.

The other two rough-work maids also possessed a fair amount of beauty.

Having spent the money, he naturally chose the prettiest ones.

Seeing several women suddenly added to the household, Peach Blossom immediately felt a bit uneasy.

Especially those two personal maids, who were better looking than she was, making her feel inferior.

She felt secretly heartbroken, fearing that she might not even have the chance to serve Lin Fei in the future.

However, as someone born and raised in Nanli City, Peach Blossom knew very well that it was common for wealthy families to have three wives and four concubines.

Thus, even though she felt a bit jealous and aggrieved, she considered it perfectly normal.

Moreover, as a poor girl who had sold herself to bury her father, she had suddenly moved into such a mansion and begun a life of luxury; she should be content and not complain about her husband.

Lin Fei took Peach Blossom's hand and spoke solemnly to the servants: "She is the mistress of this house. From now on, you must all listen to her and serve her with all your heart. Do you understand?"

All the servants hurriedly lowered their heads and bowed, not daring to be negligent.

"Understood, greetings to the mistress of the house!"

Peach Blossom was a bit flattered and flustered, not knowing how to respond.

"Husband... I don't need people to serve me..."

Lin Fei understood Peach Blossom's mindset very well; let alone her, even he had to slowly adapt to this life of being a master and enjoy the treatment of being served.

"Peach Blossom, from now on, all the rough and tiring work in the house will be done by them."

"If you feel bored or stifled, you can go out for a stroll. Or read books, practice calligraphy, or do embroidery—whatever you like. In short, you must learn to occupy your own time."

"If you go out to shop, you must take the guards and servants with you. Although the East City has good order, it is not absolutely safe. Only with people protecting you can I be at ease."

He had previously set up a stall selling cold drinks and was beaten by three small thugs from the Blood Wolf Gang.

This incident remained on Lin Fei's mind. Although there were laws and rules in Nanli City, they only constrained ordinary people.

For forces like the Blood Wolf Gang, the law was difficult to enforce.

Over the next two or three days, the five hundred servants Lin Fei required were all delivered to the haunted house in the South City.

Of these five hundred servants, the majority were men, with fewer than one hundred women.

The women were mainly responsible for cooking, tidying the rooms, and washing clothes for the men.

As for the men, besides cleaning the courtyards, their main job was to go to the back mountain to clear wasteland and farm.

To facilitate the management of these people, in addition to the male butler he had purchased, Lin Fei divided them into groups of fifty.

Each group had a leader, referred to as a manager.

If any group had a problem, he would question the manager.

Managing a team of five hundred people all at once was definitely a great test.

Although the butler Lin Fei bought was also an experienced old butler, Lin Fei was not entirely confident in his abilities.

A butler is different from a housekeeper; while both have the ability and authority to manage, the butler is more important.

A capable and efficient butler holds a high status in a wealthy family and can even be considered an important figure in the clan, the most trusted subordinate by the master's side.

Therefore, it is rare for a butler to be dismissed.

Moreover, those large families usually cultivate their own butler figures and do not buy them from the outside.

The butler Lin Fei bought was already over forty years old, named Bai Yansong.

According to Bai Yansong himself, he had previously been the butler for a wealthy merchant and had traveled far and wide with him.

Later, the business that the merchant conducted violated the laws of the Dragon Abyss Dynasty, leading to the confiscation of his property; those servants who had signed indentures were also treated as private property and sold off.

Before being bought by Lin Fei, Bai Yansong had been an accountant in the slave market, helping to train servants on the side.

"Old Bai, I am entrusting such a large mansion to you to manage. You can do it well, right?"

Bai Yansong hunched his back and lowered his head, maintaining an appearance of utmost respect.

"Master, I dare not boast that I can manage everything perfectly, but I will certainly give my all and shall not betray your trust."

"I have a few suggestions that I hope you will consider, Master."

Lin Fei glanced at Bai Yansong; it was clear that this was a shrewd man.

While pledging his loyalty, he did not forget to demonstrate his own competence.

"Speak your mind."

"Yes, Master."

Bai Yansong remained hunched with his head bowed, not daring to meet Lin Fei's gaze.

"Although most of these servants have signed life-long contracts and their loyalty is beyond question, as long as they are human, they will inevitably make mistakes."

"Mistakes must be punished, so rules must be established. Without rules, it is difficult to manage these people."

"Furthermore, they must not be given too much idle time. Once people are idle, their minds wander, and they may even engage in mischief."

"Servants are servants—they are of a lower class, sometimes even treated worse than livestock. Only by keeping them disciplined and occupied can they be considered good servants."

Hearing these words from Bai Yansong, Lin Fei felt a sense of revulsion.

There was no helping it; the education he had received since childhood was built on equality, democracy, and freedom.

Suddenly having to adapt to the "human life is as cheap as grass" mentality of Nanli City still caused him some resistance.

However, Lin Fei understood that Bai Yansong was right.

These people had little education, understood no etiquette, possessed a weak sense of right and wrong, and would certainly cause trouble without strict rules to constrain them.

"Very well, write down the rules and then explain them to them."

Bai Yansong continued, "I also suggest, Master, that you purchase more guards. Even if I establish the rules, without anyone to enforce them, I cannot command authority."

"These lower-class people fear power more than they respect virtue; a stick is far more effective than words at making them remember. We also need manpower for daily errands and shopping; it is best not to let these servants wander about, lest they bring trouble back to you, Master."

Only then did Lin Fei realize that his previous thinking had been too simplistic.

He had considered these servants as ordinary workers, but in reality, servants were far more difficult to manage than laborers.

Benevolence was not suited for this place.

If not for the counsel of an experienced steward like Bai Yansong, he truly would not have been able to consider these aspects.

"Understood. I will make arrangements regarding the guards."