Ye Tang and the two sisters picked a total of seven women to take home. Two of the girls and two of the women had experience as maids, so they were suitable as personal servants. One woman was skilled at cooking, so she was fit to work in the kitchen alongside the servant woman whom Ye Tang had kept.
One of the country girls could not drive for the time being but knew how to handle a carriage. The other girl with the accent said that back home she tended fields every day and had a knack for growing plants, so Ye Tang planned to have her learn gardening.
“This… Madam, aren’t you planning to pick a few male servants? Wouldn’t coachmen and gardeners be better done by men?”
Someone from the “employment agency” could not help but interject when he saw Ye Tang selecting only women.
Ye Tang certainly understood that the man from the “employment agency” had a point. In this era, men’s physiques and strength generally crushed those of women, and women had always found it harder than men to secure proper jobs.
No-experience young country girls were the worst off. Upper-class families thought such country girls were crude and uneducated, unfit to serve nobles and officials. Slightly wealthier middle-class families were unwilling to spend time, energy, and money training country girls—many of whom dreamed of a rags-to-riches life upon seeing the city’s splendor. They either quit after a few months or were even worse, seducing city men while working as servants.
The only places willing to take in young country girls were practically the female brothels.
Country girls were naive and easily deceived; they wouldn’t even realize on the way back with the madam that they were headed to a brothel. Once they found themselves trapped in hell, they were easily intimidated or tricked by the madam into thinking they could earn enough to leave after a few months of “business.”
By the time they got pregnant or caught a disease, the madam would simply kick them out. Most country girls had no relatives in the city… and even if they did, those relatives wouldn’t confront a rich, connected madam over some country girl.
Ye Tang could not save everyone, nor would she naively try to save every single one. Behind the “employment agency” lay a complete industrial chain, backed by nobles, gentry, capitalists, the nation’s leaders, and the laws set by those leaders.
Forget Ye Tang not being strong enough to confront the entire nation alone—even if Ye Tang were this nation’s Queen, the nobles, the commoners who depended on this chain for their livelihood, and even neighboring countries would not allow her to dismantle the system that treated people as commodities.
But if she could extend a hand just a little to keep a few girls from falling into the pit of fire, Ye Tang was willing to do so.
“Oh, if I picked male servants, my husband would get jealous.”
Smiling as she paid, Ye Tang added: “Besides, we have many girls at home. I don’t want my darlings deceived by some little rascal from who-knows-where.”
His gaze swept over the flower-like faces of Claudia and Gloria behind Ye Tang, and the man from the “employment agency” immediately understood her thinking.
Influenced by the trend of free love, there had been many elopements among young couples lately. Just a few days ago, a scandal broke: an earl’s youngest daughter had eloped with the family’s male servant.
Such a cross-class romance predictably received no support or blessings. The earl offered a bounty on the male servant, promising thirty silver coins regardless of whether he was brought back dead or alive. Sure enough, a few days later, the servant’s friends dumped him at the earl’s feet.
That very day, the male servant was hanged for theft and other charges. The earl’s daughter was sent away somewhere to “recuperate.”
In an instant, both high society and affluent families launched a wave of dismissals, which was why the “employment agency” had so many women with maid experience.
The ten women marched out of the “employment agency” in a grand procession, drawing plenty of eyes.
Hedelin House had few servants before, of course, so there were no uniforms or living supplies designated for them. Ye Tang did not take the two sisters home right away but headed to Queen Road instead.
Queen Road was near Queen Square and was an extremely bustling commercial street. Most of the shops there were prestigious century-old establishments, though there were also new stores funded by the nouveau riche.
It was Claudia and Gloria’s first time personally selecting maids, and both spent considerable time deliberating. On Queen Road, they did not expect Ye Tang to hand the decisions over to them again.
“From today on, I won’t buy dresses, commission skirts, or jewelry for you anymore. If you want books, newspapers, or toys to read or play with, you’ll have to place the orders yourselves.”
Ye Tang’s words left the two sisters exchanging glances.
To ensure Claudia and Gloria weren’t fooled and always wore and used the best among girls of their station, Anna Rochel had always personally selected everything for her daughters.
Anna Rochel never slacked on their upbringing either. Every week, she had etiquette teachers come three times to specifically instruct Claudia and Gloria on standing, sitting, walking, and curtsying.
Besides etiquette lessons, the class Claudia and Gloria took most was embroidery. Embroidery lessons ran five days a week, far exceeding the single weekly reading and writing session.
In Anna Rochel’s plan, Claudia could drop reading and writing lessons after half a year more. By then, at seventeen, Claudia should focus on socializing and securing a promising fiancé. After that came engagement, marriage, and childbirth in one smooth sequence. When Gloria reached her sister’s age, she would simply follow the same path.
Anna Rochel’s marriage had everything but love, seemingly. She did not think such a life was bad and only hoped her daughters would have the same stability in their later years.
“Mother, what do you mean…?”
Ye Tang patted the two daughters’ heads: “Exactly what I said. You’re both grown up now—it’s time you took charge of your own lives.”
“Take charge of your own lives”—this phrase terrified Claudia and Gloria, who were used to their mother handling everything and pointing out their paths. They had never considered acting on their own wills and now felt only panic.
“But Mother, we don’t know how to choose dresses or pick gems… Books… Can we read novels? Didn’t you say romance novels weren’t suitable for us?”
Claudia sounded timid, her eyes full of confusion, while Gloria nodded vigorously along with her sister.
“If you don’t know how to choose dresses or pick gems, then go learn. If you don’t know whether romance novels are suitable for you, then check for yourself.”
“One day, I will leave you. If you don’t start learning to think independently now, how will you live after I suddenly depart?”
Ye Tang’s words frightened the two sisters. Gloria’s eyes welled up; she hugged Ye Tang’s waist tightly and buried her face in her mother’s embrace: “No! Mama will be with us forever!”
Claudia’s eyes reddened too, and she bit her lip in silence.
—Their mother had nearly died of illness five days ago. Was that why? Mother had changed completely since recovering from her serious illness.
She had begun considering how her daughters would face the world without her.
Ye Tang sighed and led Gloria aside so as not to block the pedestrians. Only then did she say: “Silly child, where in the world is there any forever?”
Gloria wriggled unhappily in Ye Tang’s arms, her hot tears soaking Ye Tang’s chest one after another.
At that moment, the black enforcer whom Ye Tang had seen on the riverbank finally found her.
“Madam!”
The black man ran over, removed his hat, and said urgently to Ye Tang: “Madam, thank goodness I found you!”
“What is it?”
“It’s that boy from earlier—”
Shame replaced urgency on the black man’s face. He lowered his head, his gaze fixed only on his own legs and feet.
“It’s like this: the boy was returned…”
The Mixed Pleasure House wanted pretty little boys, not ones with ruined faces. That eleven- or twelve-year-old boy was pretty, sure, but he had a finger-length gash on his forehead. The wound might not fade in the future, and treating it today would definitely cost the doctor’s fee.
Would the Mixed Pleasure House’s boss pay to treat a child who hadn’t earned him any money yet?
Obviously not.
Being an enforcer didn’t pay much, and this black man had a family of six mouths to feed. Whether a shipment died or one got returned, he would be docked pay.
The black man knew he was selfish and had no right to take advantage after Ye Tang had already shown mercy to the boy. But Ye Tang was the only hope he could think of to save the boy without costing him personally.
“Would you buy that boy? He’s not expensive… I’ll tell the boss that since the kid’s injured, he’ll die without stitches. Better sell him cheap and make a little money.”
Ye Tang nodded to show she understood, then said: “If you sell for thirty copper coins, I’ll buy.”
Thirty copper coins wouldn’t even buy the skinniest child laborer, let alone premium goods like that boy. By bargaining down to this price, no one would think Ye Tang was some pure-hearted fool.
—Ye Tang could help people, but she had no intention of being taken for a sucker or mindless mark. This told the black enforcer: just this once, no more.
“Alright, Madam. Thirty copper coins—I absolutely won’t let you spend a single extra cent.”