The Painting Class Opens

Madam Xie was stunned for a moment. "Buy... buy people?"

"That's right," Zhao Ruxi nodded. "Once you buy someone, the indenture is in your hands. Unless they become runaway slaves, their lives are in your hands. Their interests are aligned with yours, and their fates are intertwined. If you prosper, theirs will prosper too; if you suffer, they will either suffer even worse or be sold off by you. Therefore, servants are more trustworthy than any relative. Of course, you must also be discerning when buying people and consider their character."

"But... we've bought people, where will they live?" Madam Xie asked.

It's not that she lacked experience; the business was developing too fast. They were still thinking like farmers or small merchants, and suddenly they had to do business involving the entire county or even the entire capital. They couldn't adapt or make a change.

Another Xu Family, in their minds, this house still belongs to Zhao Ruxi; they're only using it temporarily. The house is small, just enough for their family of four. Buying people? They have enough money for servants, but how would they arrange for their food and lodging?

So Xu Yongyi and Madam Xie never even considered that possibility. The two of them were constantly torn between asking a kind-hearted relative from the village for help.

"How much money do you have at home now?" Zhao Ruxi asked.

"Wait a moment." Madam Xie was about to get up to get the money box.

Zhao Ruxi pressed her hand down. "I just want to know, you only need to tell me how much money you've earned during this period. My share doesn't need to be calculated separately, I just need a total."

Xu Yongyi had always kept accounts. In addition, since this business was a partnership with Zhao Ruxi, he kept clear records. Madam Xie's greatest pleasure was listening to her husband report the numbers every night before going to bed, seeing how much money their family had made.

Therefore, Zhao Ruxi asked her question, she clearly and explicitly gave a number. "One hundred and thirty-six taels."

As she said the number, a smile appeared on her face.

According to the division of profits, they would receive eighty-one taels of silver. And eighty-one taels could buy the courtyard they were living in now.

In just over half a month, she and her husband earned enough to buy a house in the county town; they were laughing in their sleep.

She couldn't even imagine how much she could earn in a month if the business in the capital expanded.

Zhao Ruxi nodded and stood up. "Aunt, classes at the bookstore are about to start, so I'm going back with Xu Xue. Please wait a couple of days for me to discuss the business in the capital and the matter of buying people. I'll have Xu Xue pass on the message to you and Uncle once I've thought it through."

"Alright." Although Madam Xie was reluctant to see them go, she knew that the academy had very little time for a midday rest, and that it was not easy for Zhao Ruxi to come all this way, so she did not dare to keep them any longer and saw them off.

Before parting ways at the academy, Xu Xue said, "Sister, I've finished writing a storybook. I'll show it to you after class."

"Okay." Zhao Ruxi smiled and waved to her before entering the North Academy.

During this period, she took leave. The teachers of the Four Books and Five Classics assigned a lot of homework, which Zhao Ruxi needed to complete, so she didn't attend the afternoon classes in Class Ding. Moreover, she made a choice to skip some classes. She even considered going out to do errands in the afternoon and not staying at the academy.

However, all of this depends on her excellent exam results tomorrow. Otherwise, given Madam Cui's strictness, she probably won't grant her such an excessive request.

After school in the afternoon, Zhao Ruxi was packing her things in the classroom when she saw Madam Cui leading a woman in her thirties into the classroom.

"This is Mama Song, a servant in Master Kang's household," Madam Cui introduced to Zhao Ruxi first.

Mama Song bowed to Zhao Ruxi and said with a smile, "The old master specially sent me to serve you, young lady."

Zhao Ruxi was somewhat confused, not understanding what her newly recognized master meant, and couldn't help but look at Madam Cui.

Madam Cui, however, maintained her usual stern expression and showed no intention of explaining for Kang Shilin.

Zhao Ruxi could only smile at Mama Song and say, "Okay. I'll pack my things and then we'll go out together."

After the two bid farewell to Madam Cui, Mama Song said, "The old master cannot freely enter and leave the academy, so he sent this old servant to fetch the young lady. The Kang Family has a three-courtyard house in the county, and the old master said he would use it as a painting academy for now. If the young lady finds it inconvenient, we can find another place near the academy, so that she won't waste time on the way home after school."

"There's nothing inconvenient about it," Zhao Ruxi said. "Beining isn't that big; it shouldn't take much time to get there by car."

After leaving the academy, Zhao Ruxi did not get into the Kang Family's carriage, but instead took the carriage that Qingfeng had come to pick her up, and went to the Kang Family residence with Mama Song.

Half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of a vermilion gate.

Before she even disembarked from the carriage, Zhao Ruxi heard the gatekeeper call out, "Quickly go and inform the old master that Miss Zhao has arrived."

Immediately afterwards, someone came out of the door and said with a smile, "Junior Sister, you've finally arrived. If you hadn't come, Master would have scolded you again."

"Third Senior Brother." Zhao Ruxi bowed to Wu Zong.

"Don't stand on ceremony, come in quickly." Wu Zong waved his hand, urging Zhao Ruxi to go in.

Zhao Ruxi was quite exasperated by Master Kang's impatient temper. The old man knew exactly when she got out of school; was it really necessary to rush her like that?

Kang Shilin's residence is said to have three courtyards, but it's different from ordinary three-courtyard houses. After entering the main gate, you don't go any further; instead, you go through an archway to the side, which leads to a garden. Inside, there are lush flowers and trees, as well as pavilions and towers.

Zhao Ruxi followed Wu Zong along the covered walkway for a while, and then they arrived at an open pavilion.

"Oh, you're finally here. Quick, check if all the things I prepared are ready. If not, just say so, and I'll have someone else prepare them." Zhao Ruxi hadn't even gotten a good look at him before Kang Shilin pulled her away.

As the owner of a training center, how could she not prepare drawing materials if she could charge three thousand taels of silver in tuition?

"I brought something with me," Zhao Ruxi said with a smile.

Qingfeng, who had come in with her, quickly opened the bundle she was carrying, and Uncle Lu and a guard from the Bo family also put down the things they were carrying.

Only then did Zhao Ruxi have time to observe the trainees in the training class.

Including the master and his two senior brothers, there were actually twelve people in total.

Three times nine equals twenty-seven. Could it be that we'll earn twenty-seven thousand taels of silver today?

Zhao Ruxi was excited just thinking about it.

They've struck it rich.

Before she could finish her excitement, Kang Shilin handed her a box. "Thirty-six thousand taels of silver notes, they're all inside."

Before Zhao Ruxi could react, he pointed at the crowd and began introducing them. "This is Fang Jingye from the Imperial Academy, this is Chen Zhongqiu from Jizhou, this is Cen Song, the Cen Family, this is Lu Junyu, the young master of the Lu Family..."

After briefly introducing everyone, he pointed to Zhao Ruxi and said, "This is my little apprentice..."

He paused here.