Dong Jia

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Dong Jia (董佳)
Alias(es)	Miss Dong; elder Dong sister 15 44
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Lu Shaolin’s household
Occupation/Role	Household worker; cook; caretaker of the household farmland
Status	Alive; resides in Lu Shaolin’s county-seat loft 48 50
First Appearance	Chapter 15 (introduced as the Dong family’s elder daughter; named in Chapter 23) 15 23

Background / History

Dong Jia’s father was a dockworker and gambling addict who lost the family home, accumulated crushing debts, and took his own life. Left responsible for her younger sister, Dong Linger, Dong Jia took work carrying cargo at the docks to support them both. Dockworkers noted that she did not let Linger suffer despite their hardship. 15

The Little Knife Society attempted to seize Linger as payment for the Dong family’s debt. Dong Jia pleaded for more time and tried to shield her sister, but Ma the Second assaulted her until Ma San intervened under Lu Shaolin’s authority. 22

After Lu Shaolin forced Liu Bao to cancel the Dong family’s debt, Dong Jia and Linger offered to serve him in gratitude. Lu instead gave them food and lodging in exchange for cooking and cleaning, and sent Ma San to escort Dong Jia safely while she collected their belongings. 23

Lu gave the sisters his late parents’ former room in Panshan Village. Dong Jia quickly took responsibility for cooking, cleaning, laundry, and managing the home; she later persuaded Lu to put his unused fields to use by growing vegetables and cultivating his family’s three mu of paddy land. 24 25

When Dong Linger saw a Vengeful Soul attached to Lu Shaolin, Dong Jia helped remove Linger from danger, verified that the spirit remained outside the sunlight, and explained her sister’s ability to see such entities. Lu then relocated both sisters to the county town temporarily while preparing to destroy the ghost. 42 43

Following Lu’s promotion to External Affairs Hall Master, Dong Jia moved with him and Linger into his gang-provided three-story loft in the county seat. She continued handling the residence’s cooking, cleaning, and organization until the arrival of Nian Chun and Nian Qiu eased her workload. 48 49

Appearance

Dong Jia is a tall, slender young woman with a pretty face and long hair. 42 43 46

• Her cheeks were swollen after Ma the Second assaulted her during the attempt to take Linger. 23
• She is repeatedly described as thin due to her family’s poverty and lack of regular food. 15 24
• She becomes visibly shy around Lu Shaolin after his dramatic physical transformations and during close travel with him. 28 37 43

Personality

Dong Jia is responsible, resilient, and fiercely protective of Dong Linger. Even after losing their home and being burdened by debt, she chose dock labor over abandoning her sister. 15 22

Initially reserved and formal toward Lu Shaolin, she gradually becomes more comfortable voicing practical opinions, particularly on household expenses and farming. She insists on contributing through work rather than remaining dependent on his protection. 23 25

She is diligent to the point of overworking herself, rising early to clean and organize Lu’s much larger county-seat residence. Lu notices this and considers hiring additional help for her. 48

Abilities & Skills

Household Management

Dong Jia is an accomplished cook and household caretaker.

• Prepares substantial meals suited to Lu Shaolin’s extraordinary appetite. 25 28
• Handles cleaning, laundry, food preparation, and the organization of Lu’s residences. 25 48
• Takes initiative without waiting for orders, including cleaning the newly acquired loft and arranging its domestic routine. 48

Farming

Dong Jia understands practical cultivation of land.

• Identified Lu Shaolin’s neglected farmland as a wasted resource. 25
• Proposed growing vegetables to reduce household expenses. 25
• Took interest in cultivating Lu’s three mu of ancestral paddy fields. 25

Relationships

• Lu Shaolin — Benefactor, employer, and head of her household. He protected the sisters from the Little Knife Society, cancelled the family’s debt through force of arms, and provided them a home; Dong Jia manages his household and is introduced by him as family. 23 25 44
• Dong Linger — Younger sister. Dong Jia has cared for and protected her since their father’s death, prioritizing Linger’s food, shelter, and safety. 15 22 24
• Ma San — Lu Shaolin’s subordinate who rescued Linger from Ma the Second and escorted Dong Jia while she retrieved the sisters’ belongings. 22 23
• Nian Chun and Nian Qiu — Household coworkers in Lu Shaolin’s county-seat residence. Their arrival reduces Dong Jia’s domestic burden. 49

Trivia

• Dong Jia’s cooking is good enough that Lu Shaolin considers it comparable to a tavern chef’s. 25
• She initially maintains strict servant etiquette, but Lu Shaolin repeatedly insists that she and Linger eat at the same table as him. 25
• She was the first to raise the issue of the household’s dwindling grain supply, prompting Lu Shaolin to purchase rice and flour. 35