"Thank you, my Lord and Princess. Today, I will purchase all the slaves from Middleman Chen and offer them for Princess to choose and use.
Upon returning home, I will immediately submit all the property deeds of the entire street in the south of the city to Princess as gratitude for sparing my life.
In three days, I will personally deliver the donation for the new school to the East Shore Royal Palace, along with all the account books of my Yang family.
I, Yang BaiWan, swear under the ancestral grace of the Yang family that from now on, all members of my Yang family, along with our assets and fields, are at the disposal of Lord Mo and Princess for command and management."
"You can compensate as you wish. Finding forgiveness for your actions is your own affair. This Prince does not need the wealth, people, or anything else from your Yang family. Alright, you may leave."
With a sinister smile, Cheng Mo effortlessly sent off both the man and his money, directly presenting the situation and funds to Xiangbei. Unaware of the privileges he gained, Xiangbei wondered if he should feel disdain for benefiting from the ancient imperial power, but was content that Yang BaiWan's collision had sparked a charitable beginning for East Shore, Dongbin.
Chen Middleman understood the situation well. He had secretly instructed someone to urgently attend to the ailing old Uncle Fu, inviting an experienced doctor to go inside directly. By now, he had retrieved all the slave contracts related to those who had regular interactions with Xiao Xi and the rest. He handed one stack to Yang BaiWan and carried another to present to Cheng Mo. "Greetings, Prince. I am Chen Middleman. Here are all the slave contracts as mentioned by Mr. Yang. They include individuals who have had regular interactions with Xiao Xi. I present them to Princess for her arrangements."
"Middleman Chen, these are compensation from me to the Princess. How can you bear the expense? Bring them over. The steward will handle the transaction with you. I'll immediately go to the government office to process the paperwork, and the people will stay here for the Princess's arrangements." Yang BaiWan, now acting shrewdly to secure his wealth and life, spoke cautiously. "My Lord, please allow me to apologize and leave for a moment. I will quickly handle the transfer and documentation."
"If it's for the transfer to Miss Tong, there's no need for you to go. Steward, handle the transaction with Middleman Chen here. I'll go to the office for the procedures. The people are here for the Princess's arrangements." Cheng Mo directed his statement and, noting the urgency in Qiao Er's expression, added, "Sublime Brother, don't wait here. Hurry inside and check on Uncle Fu."
"Wait a moment, Mr. Yang. I heard you came today to select attendants for Miss Yang's dowry. How many in total? Have you finalized your choices? Are they willing? Or perhaps, Middleman Chen, could you shed some light?"
"Yes. To the Princess, Mr. Yang has selected a total of four males and four females as maids and servants for various household tasks.
There's another group responsible for miscellaneous chores in the third courtyard. One group has been taking care of Old Uncle Fu and hasn't arrived at this courtyard yet. Additionally, they've selected Xiao Xi to accompany the carriage. Due to delays related to Xiao Xi, the transactions haven't been completed yet."
"In that case, Mr. Yang, your daughter's wedding is a joyous occasion. If the people you've chosen don't have specific preferences, it's better to take them all with you.
I wish your daughter a happy life and hope she appreciates your deep fatherly love. I'd like to keep Xiao Xi and the person in charge of taking care of Uncle Fu to continue their services. Could I trouble you to select a few more people?"
"Thank you, Princess! The attendants for my daughter's dowry are sufficient. No need to add more. On behalf of my daughter, I express gratitude to the Princess! The Princess is truly benevolent and virtuous. I, Yang BaiWan, am ignorant and old. From now on, I shall serve the Princess faithfully and obediently."
"Call me Miss Tong. For today, let's conclude it like this. You can take your people back; there's a joyous occasion at home, so go and attend to your affairs." Miss Tong dismissed Yang BaiWan and then proceeded to organize the remaining individuals.
"My last name is Tong, and I come from the mountains. So, following me, you have two types of jobs: working on a farm or in a shop. It could be agricultural tasks or apprenticeship in trading. You can choose voluntarily. After three months, based on the actual situation, there will be an opportunity for a swap, and another three months of probation. If both sides are eliminated, it's possible that you may have to return to where you came from. Now, those choosing farm work, stand on the left; those opting for apprenticeship in the shop, stand on the right." Quickly, most of the people lined up, with a noticeable majority favoring apprenticeship on the right side. Two young women remained in place.
"Xiao Xi, step forward and point out the elderly person from the Qiao family and the people you wish to take with you." Xiangbei remembered that Qiao Er couldn't be bought, so he had to put them under Xiao Xi's name.