Seeing the meticulous report, Du Jingyi felt a great sense of relief. Her spirits lifted. “Aunt Dou, you’ve handled this matter wonderfully. The team you found is truly excellent. Go tell their leader that if they can impress the General and me during the final inspection, their business will never suffer in the future.”
Du Jingyi’s own shops often needed repairs. So, if this team truly delivered quality work, she would be happy to send more business their way. Aunt Dou nodded solemnly, then promised, “Don’t worry, Young Madam, this servant will personally oversee them these days, and I will definitely handle this matter beautifully!” Du Jingyi had great confidence in Aunt Dou’s abilities. With such a guarantee, Du Jingyi naturally didn’t worry too much.
After Aunt Dou spoke, Butler He stepped forward. In his hand, he held a blueprint, followed by several thick lists. His tone was calm as he spoke. “Young Madam, this is the drawing of the martial arts training ground that this old servant and the General discussed. The row of houses across the west courtyard and the street have also been converted into residences for the guards, and the stables have been greatly enlarged. I’ve brought them here to show the Young Madam.”
Butler He’s efficiency was truly extraordinary. Du Jingyi thought about it, genuinely impressed. It was only yesterday that they had discussed this, and today, everything was meticulously laid out. Indeed, he was an old servant from a military general’s family, exceptionally capable. And she had only suggested a martial arts training ground, but he had thought even more carefully, arranging for stables and personal guard residences, which was truly excellent. She took the drawing, examined it, and found nothing amiss.
She handed the drawing back to Butler He, smiling. “Butler He has done a good job. Let’s proceed with this plan. However, we must pay attention to the doors of the west courtyard and the main courtyard; they need to be properly sealed. After all, we have a widowed sister-in-law in the backyard, and also a young lady who have not yet married. We cannot allow their reputation for purity to be affected.”
“Young Madam, don’t worry, this old servant has made arrangements. Three doors will be added between the west courtyard and the main courtyard, and there will also be a separate door for them to enter and exit the west courtyard, which is completely separate from the backyard.”
Du Jingyi listened to Butler He’s reply and inwardly agreed with his approach. Although the Daxing Dynasty hadn’t been established for a long time, the customs were relatively open. There weren’t many restrictions on remarriage. But this didn’t mean they could act without care. If her sister-in-law, Madam. Liu, wished to marry again, they wouldn’t stop her. But if she didn’t, then Du Jingyi felt it was her duty to protect her good name.
Next, Du Jingyi looked at several other books. Seeing this, Butler He immediately explained, “This is a list sent by the old slave broker who has many contracts with our Duke’s Mansion. We have a total of thirty-nine servants moving from Dongyuan to the General’s Mansion. I’m afraid there won’t be enough manpower, so this old servant brought this brochure for the Young Madam to look through and choose some people to work in the General’s Mansion, doing various tasks and sweeping.”
This was an important task. Du Jingyi nodded, then carefully examined the list. She had to admit, the brochure compiled by this old woman was truly thorough. It included names, places of origin, ages, where they were bought, how many years they had been trained, whether they had worked in other households before, and even records of their three generations of close relatives. This made it very easy for Du Jingyi to review. As she read, she checked boxes in the booklet.
It took Du Jingyi nearly two hours to go through the five thick volumes. While reviewing, she also discussed with Butler He and Aunt Dou whether each person should be hired. Both of them had years of experience managing affairs and people in the inner household, so they naturally had unique insights into character. If they and Du Jingyi all agreed someone was good, they would be marked as “first grade.” If only two thought them acceptable, they were “second class.” If only one person found them suitable, they were “third grade.”
The maid, Yingtao, was responsible for recording and copying, so the time passed very quickly. It was only when it was time for lunch that they finally finished selecting the staff. In this wave, a total of one hundred and ninety-eight people would be hired. With so many people, it was essential to be careful.
The copied list booklet was handed back to Butler He. Du Jingyi then explained, “This list is merely what a few of us have chosen after discussion. We still need to interview more people before making a final decision. Butler He and Aunt Dou are both experienced and can naturally handle this well. There is also Mama Cai, who works with me. She handles things properly. Let her and the two of you look over this matter together. It’s always good to learn more.”
It wasn’t that Du Jingyi wanted Mama Cai to seize power. It was only after getting to know Butler He and Aunt Dou more closely in the past few days that she realized the servants from the Duke’s Mansion, or rather the Gu family, were truly skilled. Mama Cai, with her four maids, had seen much of the world, but if they were truly compared, she was still far behind Butler He and Aunt Dou. So, when there was an opportunity, she should naturally seek advice, observe, learn, listen, and gain more experience.
Butler He and Aunt Dou weren’t surprised to hear this. After all, Mama Cai had learned the rules from Aunt Dou in the past, and their relationship was still close. Now that they were moving to the General’s Mansion, they would be in charge of at least three to five hundred people. Relying on just two people, there would indeed be things that couldn’t be fully managed. Hence, every person who could become a capable helper was a bonus.
Aunt Dou said with a smile on her face and sincerity in her eyes, “Don’t worry, Young Madam, Mama Cai is of the same mind as us, so we will naturally teach her.”
Hearing this, Du Jingyi felt truly relieved. After all, the two of them weren’t two-faced people who hid their true intentions. Since they had said this, they would definitely teach Mama Cai carefully.
“Okay, I’ll spare you the trouble. As for the things that need to be moved from Dongyuan, let the head mammy or maids in charge of each courtyard prepare them. It can be moved bit by bit, as there’s no shortage of manpower.”
“What the Young Madam said is true; I will make arrangements right away,” Butler He replied.
After arranging these matters, Butler He and Aunt Dou left. Du Jingyi couldn’t help but stretch her waist, glanced at the clock outside, and then said, “If I had known it would take so much effort, I would have eaten more just now.” The sweet-filled flower roll was her favorite, but unfortunately, she couldn’t eat it now even if she wanted to.
Yingtao, the maid waiting on her, opened her mouth to comfort her. “Don’t worry, Young Madam. I’ll ask Danruo to bring you lunch later. Don’t you really want to eat wild rice and winter melon? Just have more of that.”
“Mm,” Du Jingyi smiled and followed Yingtao’s suggestion. Then she asked her to massage her shoulders, and her fatigue began to melt away. Not long after, lunch was delivered. Danruo, being skilled, had cooked the winter melon soup until it was incredibly soft and tender. Du Jingyi took one sip and was utterly satisfied. Just as she was about to pick up her chopsticks and take two bites of the fried pork with wild rice, she heard Lizhu shouting from outside.