Due to Lin Wanrong's late arrival, the recruitment for today was almost concluding, allowing the two old men the opportunity to engage in conversation with him.
The arrival of these literary talents was, in fact, Miss Xiao's idea. She intentionally spread the word among the scholars in Jiangnan, informing them that Miss Xiao was selecting a husband. This created a sensational effect, attracting these literary talents.
The arrival of these scholars not only greatly enhanced the reputation of the Xiao family but also unexpectedly boosted the family's business. It was, in essence, free advertising for the Xiao family. From the current perspective, the effect was quite impressive.
As for how to deal with these gathered scholars, these two old men seemed uncertain. Fortunately, due to their status as elders in the Xiao family, they were privy to many insider details. If it were someone else, they wouldn't have understood that it was all part of Miss Xiao's meticulous calculation.
Miss Xiao dared to use her own reputation for publicity, exhibiting a breadth of mind that ordinary women could not match. The two old men admired her deeply.
However, Lin Wanrong felt somewhat disdainful. Making a joke out of the entire world was underestimating people too much. If someone with ill intentions were to uncover the truth, let's see how this young lady would end up.
These two old men rarely encountered someone shameless like Lin Wanrong, and the conversation with him passed quickly.
Seeing Fubo walk in from outside, Lin Wanrong hastily stood up and asked, "Fubo, how did the discussion go?"
Fubo sighed and said, "Ah, after my arduous ideological work, they reluctantly agreed to give you a chance."
The other two old men obviously understood Fubo's talent for making a mountain out of a molehill and didn't believe his words about "arduous ideological work."
Playing along, Lin Wanrong didn't care about Fubo's previous words.
"Thank you, Fubo. In the future, I will definitely express my gratitude to all of you for your guidance." Lin Wanrong mockingly bowed to the three old men, elegantly lifting his satchel.
At that moment, as Lin Wanrong dictated, Fubo wrote with a pen, and the groundbreaking world's first labor contract was born. It stipulated the rights and obligations of both parties, placing two legal entities on an equal footing for the first time.
Of course, Fubo completely ignored Lin Wanrong's proposal of an eight-hour workday. Not selling oneself was already a cheap deal; wanting to work only four temporal divisions a day would make it difficult for other servants to get by.
Lin Wanrong wasn't too strict about this, as overtime was already a common occurrence for him.
In this regard, his experiences in the two worlds were remarkably similar—no overtime pay.
Satisfied with the characters he wrote, Lin Wanrong signed the contract. After Fubo went out for a moment and returned, a graceful signature had been added to the contract—Xiao Yushuang.
Who was Xiao Yushuang? Lin Wanrong was puzzled but chose not to inquire. Fubo and the other two old men, acting as representatives of the Xiao family, also signed and affixed their seals as guarantors.
As the brush touched the paper, Lin Wanrong's brows furrowed slightly. Old Wei, don't let me see you again, or you'll regret it.
Sighing in his heart, Lin Wanrong became an honorable servant in the Xiao family mansion from that moment on—a vivid reflection of his current mood.
Fortunately, it was only for a year. To become a person of integrity and high moral character, I endure!
Exiting the mansion, the sun had set. There were only a few people outside, while the clamor from the scholars' camp could still be heard, accompanied by some cries.
Lin Wanrong, always eager for chaos, decided to take a look since he had nothing better to do.
Approaching, he observed a slightly shabby-looking young gentleman in his twenties wailing, with someone beside him trying to console him.
"Forget it, Brother Jichang, there are talents everywhere in the world. No need to insist on marrying into the Xiao family. If you didn't make it, it simply means you and Miss Xiao aren't destined. Just accept it." The person advised.
Brother Jichang, wiping away tears, snorted twice. "Brother Quanguan, you did make it through. Of course, it's easy for you to say. I've dedicated so many years to literature, proficient in everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting. Why was I eliminated? Why can't Miss Xiao see my talents?"
"Brother Jichang, this seems unrelated to Miss Xiao. Neither of us has seen the young lady. How can we blame her for our elimination? In my opinion, Miss Xiao is truly intelligent, knowledgeable, talented, and exceptionally beautiful—a paragon among women." Brother Quanguan praised, earning admiring glances from onlookers. In today's scholar interviews, few passed, making Brother Quanguan rightfully proud.
"Brother Quanguan, you were lucky this afternoon to draw such a simple topic. Why do I have such bad luck? Is it fate against me? Wah—"
After listening for a while, Lin Wanrong understood the situation. This Brother Jichang, who was crying, and Brother Quanguan, who seemed to have passed, were the key figures.
However, a grown man crying so bitterly just because he was eliminated was a bit too delicate. Considering his humble background, why couldn't he withstand a setback?
Lin Wanrong, feeling indestructible, held some contempt for Brother Jichang's weakness. This guy named Quanguan had a thick skin, quite resilient in the face of setbacks.
Approaching, Lin Wanrong said, "Gentlemen, may I inquire about your situation?"
Quanguan and Jichang glanced at Lin Wanrong, seeing him dressed plainly and just emerging from the servants' area, they naturally looked down on him. Even the tear-streaked Jichang wiped his eyes, apparently not wanting to lose face in front of this "illiterate" person.
"What do you want?" Quanguan arrogantly opened his folding fan, lightly shaking it twice, and said haughtily.
Lin Wanrong didn't bother to argue with him. Smiling, he said, "Observing two distinguished gentlemen with such extraordinary bearing, I assume you are scholars here to participate in the examination at the Xiao family, correct?"
Quanguan and Jichang nodded together, their faces showing some pride.
"Great! I haven't read many books myself, and I truly admire talented scholars like you two. I'm curious, when you came to the Xiao family for the examination, what questions were you asked?" Lin Wanrong asked politely.
Jichang's face showed disappointment, while Quanguan proudly replied, "Nothing much, just a few challenging questions and a little poem. Passed it easily."
"Challenging questions? It seems like brain teasers. Scholars and servants aren't so different in that regard. But as for poetry, that's where the cultural disparity lies."