Let's Have Military Training
Before leaving, Wu Zong was worried that his junior sister would be bullied by these people, so he specially left Wu An here to take care of her. Although Wu An was called a servant, he was actually over twenty years old, married and had children. He was very mature and capable, and he handled all the miscellaneous affairs around Wu Zong.
He knew his master's intention: to stay out of trouble and only intervene when Zhao Ruxi was struggling or being bullied by the servants. So he stayed inside the room, observing the scene outside through the window.
Seeing that Zhao Ruxi had handled the matter properly and led the group away efficiently in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he was extremely impressed.
He used his connections to get to Wu Zong's place, reported the matter, and even praised, "Miss Zhao truly lives up to her reputation as Master's junior sister; she's amazing."
Upon hearing this, Wu Zong became even more pleased with his junior sister.
Back then, when their master rashly decided to take on a junior disciple, he, his eldest brother, and second brother were actually quite helpless. Things are different now; the three of them are now people of status and prestige. If an unreliable junior sister were to come along and cause trouble everywhere by taking advantage of their power, they would have a real headache.
When he first came to learn painting, his senior brother told him to keep an eye on his junior sister and make sure she didn't cause any trouble.
Unexpectedly, the seemingly unreliable master had a very sharp eye and could see the extraordinary nature of his junior sister at a glance.
Based on Wu Zong's observations over this period, his junior sister is far superior to many officials in their Court of Judicial Review.
When Zhao Ruxi arrived at the market, she didn't get out of the carriage. She only sent Qingfeng down to pay the bill, while she herself lifted the carriage curtain to look outside.
Then Zhou Chun called down the four male heads of the household, and Sister-in-law Sun called a few people to the woman's side. Their children were left in the car, and the couple each led a group of people into the general store and the clothing store.
Zhao Ruxi nodded secretly again.
These newly hired servants were most afraid of escaping if they weren't careful. Zhou Chun and his wife only allowed the male and female heads of each household to get off the cart. If they didn't have enough people, they would call an older child. Each household would leave a child in the cart as a hostage. This way, with the servants tied down, they wouldn't have the thought of running away.
This Zhou Chun is a sharp-witted and meticulous person; he's quite a formidable individual. It's just a mystery why he only served as a minor steward in the original owner's household.
Because the distribution was done properly and the statistics had been prepared in advance, the goods were quickly purchased, and everyone got back on the bus and headed to the farm.
"Miss, they chose relatively inexpensive fabrics," Qingfeng reported to Zhao Ruxi after getting into the car.
Zhao Ruxi nodded.
It seems Zhou Chun is quite good at managing the household and knows how to save money for her.
These people undergo training and are then categorized. Capable individuals like Zhou Chun and his wife, if they have no moral issues, will inevitably become managers. However, some people are not bright enough, cannot be taught no matter what, and can only do dead-end tasks, so they will become the lowest-ranking servants.
These people's monthly wages and benefits are definitely different, and their clothing is also different. She will have to buy them new clothes later.
Thinking this, she instructed Qingfeng, "After we get off the bus, tell Sister-in-law Sun to make clothes for both men and women in the style of short tunics, with the length ending at the hips. Tell her these are what they wore during training. If they keep them, we'll make them regular-style clothes later."
Why are modern schools so keen on military training for students? Because military training can achieve the effect of "obeying orders and not obeying commands," making them move when told to move and stop when told to stop. Through these monotonous and repetitive actions, all elements of disobedience are eliminated, turning them into disciplined and obedient individuals.
Military training is short, but it can reveal a lot about a person's character and intelligence in a short time—whether they follow orders; whether they can quickly understand instructions, make corresponding judgments, and find ways to meet requirements; whether they have a sense of teamwork; whether they have the perseverance to stick to their goals; and whether they honestly complete tasks without shirking responsibility.
After two weeks of military training, she was able to select the best and eliminate the worst.
Zhao Ruxi had been a student for many years and had also experienced military training several times. She felt that, in addition to these experiences, the shared hardships and joys among people during military training could quickly bring people closer together.
From now on, these people will be comrades-in-arms in the same trench, so it's natural to use military training to break down their barriers and bring them closer together.
Among the servants we've bought, some are wearing short tunics, some are wearing long gowns, and some women are wearing long skirts. These are definitely not suitable for military training.
She doesn't need to design clothes; the short brown style is fine.
A short tunic is a style consisting of a top and trousers, with the top typically ending around the hips and knees. It differs from everyday wear and formal attire, being casual clothing designed for ease of work.
It's estimated that people like Zhou Chun, who have worn silk gowns before, or women who usually wear skirts, would have a resistance to this style of clothing. So, obedience begins with clothing.
The group got out of the car at the entrance of the manor, knocked on the door and went inside. Qian Duoduo rushed over upon hearing the knocking.
He was both surprised and delighted to see that Zhao Ruxi had brought so many people and moved into the servants' quarters that the original owner had built at the back.
He didn't dare ask Zhao Ruxi directly, but instead secretly asked Qingfeng, "Are you staying here, Miss?"
Qingfeng chuckled, "No, please."
Qian Duoduo's eyes darted around, as if she wanted to say something but dared not, remaining silent.
Qingfeng was a quiet and steady person by nature. Since Qian Duoduo didn't say anything, she naturally didn't ask. She went into the house, took the set of writing materials that Zhao Ruxi wanted, and then turned back to her side.
Zhao Ruxi handed the set of writing materials to Zhou Chun and said, "Take this. Keep accounts for all the expenses during this period. You will be in charge of this group of people, and you will also be responsible for their living arrangements. You can choose a few people to help you. Carefully observe who performs well and who does not, and report back to me later."
"Yes." Zhou Chun quickly bowed. "Don't worry, young lady, I will do my best."
Zhao Ruxi nodded and asked him, "I think you're quite capable. How come you were just a manager before?"
Zhou Chun didn't expect Zhao Ruxi to ask him directly instead of going to Broker Wang to find out.
He paused for a moment before saying, "The original master had many concubines. Several of them were promoted from among the servants born into the household, and their parents and brothers all lived in the mansion. Therefore, the master valued the relatives of these concubines, and everyone else had to take a backseat."
Zhao Ruxi nodded.
She didn't need to verify with Broker Wang; she believed what he said was true.
She said, "I don't know if Broker Wang told you this. I bought you all not to be servants in my house, nor to work on this estate. I'm putting you in the shop to help me manage the business."