Since the ginseng competition ended, many medicine merchants have flocked to Qingzhou Prefecture, making this small border town unusually lively.
The street vendors' calls filled the air as they sold their wares, making a fortune every day.
" Shopkeeper Jin... What a coincidence..." Old Medicine Zhou from Hall of Saving the World, sitting on his medicine cart, came towards us.
He just returned from purchasing supplies in another county. He's been exhausted lately, spending his days either at the pharmacy or on the road. He's practically broken from all the work.
Jin Shanyao and said, " Shopkeeper Zhou, what's going on here?"
Old Medicine Zhou laughed heartily, "The shop was out of stock, so I brought some back from another county..." He couldn't help but sigh, "In previous years, the prefectural city was never this bustling."
"This is all thanks to you, Shopkeeper Jin. If it weren't for your seventy-year-old ginseng, who would know about Qingzhou Prefecture?"
" Shopkeeper Zhou, you're too kind. I heard from Old Qin that you've secured most of the deals in the prefectural city."
Old Medicine Zhou chuckled. He was a few years older than Qin Baitang Qin Baitang and had seen more of the world, so his victory was not honorable.
" Shopkeeper Jin... I went to Willow and Poplar County a few days ago and found that someone was sending counterfeit goods to the Anzhi Hall. Shopkeeper Qin handed them over to the authorities," he said with a sigh.
"I'm afraid things aren't going to be peaceful in Qingzhou Prefecture," he said, waving his hand. "I'm not going to say anything more. My family is waiting for medicinal herbs. If you need anything, come find me at Hall of Saving the World."
Jin Shanyao glanced at the cart full of medicinal herbs and smiled, " Shopkeeper Zhou, I've planted a batch of medicinal herbs on Hat Mountain. We can cooperate if needed in the future."
"Oh dear... that's great!"
Anzhi Hall's medicinal herbs are renowned for their quality, but unfortunately, last year's entire stock was purchased by the imperial court. If he could get in touch with the Anzhi Hall, he would have no trouble buying good medicinal herbs.
The two parted ways, Jin Shanyao went to the brokerage firm.
When the matchmaker heard that Jin Shanyao wanted to buy twenty servants in one go, her face lit up with a smile, and she almost knelt down before her on the spot.
Wow, she'd never encountered such a big customer before. She secretly called her husband and brought over the entire group of people her business associates had recently acquired.
The matchmaker Jin Shanyao and collect payment from one side, making a profit by passing the money between them. That's how she closed the deal. The matchmaker was all smiles.
The two spent the entire afternoon picking and choosing, and the matchmaker's face was stiff from smiling so much, but they finally arrived at the government office before sunset to complete the registration.
Jin Shanyao led a large group of people back to the Anzhi Hall, and the once spacious courtyard suddenly appeared crowded.
Qing He was stunned when she suddenly saw so many people. Did she have more power than Qin Baitang? She heard that he only managed a dozen or so people, but she was now in charge of about twenty.
Qing He subconsciously looked at her sister. Actually, this manager could have been replaced by someone else.
Jin Shanyao, oblivious to her ulterior motives, handed the roster to Meng Anzhi.
Meng Anzhi glanced at it briefly and handed it to Meng Anci.
He said in a deep voice to the crowd, "I don't keep idle people here. I've bought you here mainly to do three things: plant herbs, make ointments, run errands, and dry herbs."
Now, raise your hand according to my questions so I can see what everyone knows.
Her gaze swept across the crowd, and she announced loudly, "Those who can read and write, and can do arithmetic, raise your hands."
Of the twenty people, only one raised his hand in response. That person stepped forward and respectfully said, "Reporting to Master, I am Wu Yong, and I once served as the second steward of a wealthy merchant."
He was in charge of managing the estates and shops outside the city. However, due to the previous owner's financial ruin and the sale of the properties, the new owner brought his own steward, rendering him redundant.
Meng Anci found Wu Yong's name, noting. "Clear and organized, not stage-frightened, usable... Abilities to be verified!"
He nodded to Meng Anzhi, signaling her to continue.
Raise your hand if you know how to farm, understand the properties of medicinal herbs, and know how to compost.
As soon as he finished speaking, a whole bunch of arms shot up, tall and short, fat and thin, making up seven or eight out of ten.
A hint of surprise flashed in Jin Shanyao's eyes, thinking she had struck gold. Little did she know that the Sheng Dynasty was mainly based on agriculture, and farming and composting were the simplest tasks.
Meng Anzhi turned around, "Auntie, Anci, is there anything else you want to say?"
Jin Shanyao her head with a smile, and Meng Anci coughed twice, "Raise your hand if you feel that you have something that others cannot do, whether you are male or female."
At this moment, a woman and a boy raised their hands.
The woman said, "My lady, I'm a good cook, and I can do sewing, mending, washing, and cleaning all by myself."
Qing He, who had been listening nearby, immediately stood up straight. What did she mean by this...? She dared to take the stove from her before even entering the house??
The boy looked nervous. "Master, I have an exceptionally good memory."
Meng Anci pointed around, "Take a look and tell me what you see."
The boy glanced at the items in the courtyard and immediately named them all, astonishing everyone with his remarkable memory.
Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing emotions that others could not fathom.
Meng Anci then turned to look at Jin Shanyao, "Auntie, I want this young man to stay at the Anzhi Hall."
It doesn't matter what the Jin Shanyao doing; these people were bought for the siblings to practice managing the household, so they can be dealt with however they want.
Meng Anci handed the roster to his sister, " Chen Guini, Zhao Caigu, Zhou Xiaosi stay here; the rest of you go to the estate."
Meng Anzhi whispered a few words to Jin Shanyao, then continued, " Wu Yong, you'll be temporarily in charge of the estate. I'll tell you what to do first thing tomorrow morning."
After making the arrangements, she turned to look at Qing He, who was already dumbfounded.
" Qing He."
"Oh, your servant is here!" Qing He exclaimed, startled.
"Take them to the estate, let them familiarize themselves with the surroundings, and settle them in the front wing."
"Yes, Master!" Qing He hitched up the oxcart and led everyone away... All the way, she kept thinking, "Was I deceived by my master? What happened to the stewardess I was promised?"
So she only manages three people... Wait, who knows whose side Zhou Xiaosi might be on!
After Qing He left, Qing Yang led Chen Guini and Zhao Caigu to their lodgings and pointed to the large kang (heated brick bed), saying, " Nanny Chen, Nanny Zhao, you two will stay in the seats by the window. The lower part of the wardrobe is empty; you can use it."
Let me know what's missing or what's lacking, and we'll make do with what we have today.
Chen Guini and Zhao Caigu quickly waved their hands, "This is already very good."
They found that the room was fully furnished, the bedding was about 80% new, and even the kang mat was intact, which suggested that the master was kind and would not mistreat the servants.
"Alright, you guys pack your things first. I'll take Zhou Xiaosi to his place, and then I'll show you around the other places later."
"Hey, hey..." Chen Guini and Zhao Caigu quickly responded.
Qing Yang led Zhou Xiaosi to the east wing, saying, "This room is close to the young master. If he calls for someone, be quick to respond."
Zhou Xiaosi nodded in agreement. After putting away their luggage, Qing Yang led the three of them to familiarize themselves with the surroundings.
Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci leaned against the window, and only breathed a sigh of relief after watching the others walk away.
Meng Anzhi clutched her neck, "Auntie, you have no idea, my heart was pounding in my chest."
This was the first time she had spoken in front of more than twenty people, and she held her breath the entire time.
Meng Anci wasn't much better off; her heart was pounding with nervousness.
Jin Shanyao and said, "Remember, you are the masters now. The life, death, honor, and disgrace of your servants are all in your hands. No need to rush, take your time."
"Once you have more people to manage, you won't be so nervous anymore."
The two nodded in agreement. Jin Shanyao asked Meng Anci curiously, "You want to take Zhou Xiaosi as your servant?"
Meng Anci, "We don't know anything about the temperament or character of this group of people. The formula for the ointment is a secret. This kid can memorize the ingredients with just a glance. Wouldn't it be like raising a tiger to cause trouble if we kept him in the manor?"
"Let's put him in the shop as a shop assistant. He'll remember everyone he meets, which shows Anzhi Hall values its customers. We'll make other plans after we've figured out his temperament and character."
Jin Shanyao's face was full of satisfaction. Her little one really knew how to use people well, not bad at all!