Chapter 74: Women are not allowed to attend school
Shunzi followed Qin Yao and ate five meat buns in a row. Just when they were still enjoying their meal, the logging work was finished.
Because of the internal competition caused by Qin Yao, they completed the work that would have taken half a month in just seven days.
After work that day, I suddenly heard Ding Wu say, "We've cut enough wood this time. Let's go to the tool room to put our tools away and go to the accounting office to settle our wages with the housekeeper."
"You don't need to come tomorrow."
Everyone nodded disappointedly, took their tools and went down the mountain to settle the bill with the housekeeper.
Because they worked so hard, their wages actually increased to twelve cents a day, and after seven days' work, they earned a total of eighty-four cents.
No one was deducted money. The top three got some extra money, which totaled 100 coins and were strung on a hemp rope. When it was shaken, it made a pleasant tinkling sound.
Shunzi was very happy. Although he didn't get 100 wen, 84 wen was more than 10 wen more than he had expected.
Everyone came here from various villages. The journey home was long, so they all dispersed after receiving their wages.
Qin Yao and the cook took the remaining four meat buns and called Shunzi. The two of them planned to go home together today.
Since she didn't have to go to work tomorrow, Qin Yao didn't want to rush home.
I also plan to go to town later to see if there are any shops open. It would be even better if they still sell meat.
"Madam Qin!"
The butler suddenly caught up with him.
Qin Yao and Shunzi turned around in confusion. The housekeeper smiled at Qin Yao and said, "Madam Qin, may I have a word with you?"
Qin Yao raised her eyebrows, and Shunzi retreated to the door consciously, "Sister-in-law, I'll wait for you outside."
Qin Yao nodded, followed the butler back to the courtyard, and looked at him in confusion.
No one would give benefits to another person for no reason. In fact, the breakfast prepared by the cook for her in the past few days has exceeded the standard. Qin Yao knows it very well, but since the other party didn't point it out, she pretended to be stupid.
The housekeeper waited until now to call her back, not knowing what they were trying to do.
Butler Yu hesitated, as if he didn't know how to start.
Qin Yao was a little impatient. "Housekeeper, just say what you want to say. I'm in a hurry to go home. It's not safe to walk at night."
The housekeeper then asked her, "Madam Qin, are you free next time?"
"Is there any other work to be done?" Qin Yao asked.
The housekeeper smiled and said, "My master and young master are planning to go on a long trip in a few days, but they are worried about the young lady, so I want to ask Madam Qin if she is free for about a month. She only needs to stay in the mansion and accompany my young lady."
As he spoke, he hurriedly added, "The wages are easy to negotiate. If it is inconvenient for you, Madam Qin, there are guest rooms in the mansion for you to stay in, and there is a kitchen to prepare meals. The cook knows your appetite now, and she will definitely not let you go hungry. See if you are free?"
Qin Yao: "You want me to be your young lady's temporary personal bodyguard?"
The butler nodded happily, "That's right."
Qin Yao asked again: "Food and accommodation are provided, and the duration is one month, right?"
Seeing that she seemed interested, the butler nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, yes!"
"How is the salary calculated?"
Unexpectedly, she asked about the wages so soon. The housekeeper felt that there was great hope, so he tentatively gestured to her, "How about two taels?"
Qin Yao raised her eyebrows. There is still room for raising the price.
She didn't expect the pay for being a bodyguard would be so high. If she had known this, she would have been a lumberjack and would have gone directly to the city to apply for a bodyguard job.
But that's just a thought. The high-ranking officials in the city have their own bodyguards, so it's almost impossible for them to hire from outside.
It's probably not that Mr. Ding's family really needs a guard, they just want to add an extra layer of protection for their daughter's safety.
According to her observations these days, the Ding family has no mistress, only a master Ding. The adults are gone, leaving only a little girl, which really makes her worried.
This place is three miles away from the village where the Ding clan members live. Unless Miss Ding is sent to be taken care of by relatives, otherwise if something really happens, the clan members will not be able to arrive in time.
But obviously, Miss Ding didn't want to live with her relatives.
Qin Yao glanced at the butler, and the butler also glanced at her. Their eyes met and the butler gave her a gentle smile.
Qin Yao asked him, "Butler Yu, after the Ding family school is built, will it only accept children from the Ding family?"
"Madam Qin, do you want your children to attend the clan school?" the housekeeper asked tentatively.
Qin Yao nodded, and the housekeeper suggested that she could ask Master Ding for help. If there were only one or two outsiders, there would still be hope.
But he didn't dare to guarantee Qin Yao, "It all depends on the arrangements of the clan leader, and the clan school will not be completed until the end of the year at the earliest, it's still too early."
Once the wood is cut down, it needs to be aired for half a year before it can be made into usable wooden planks and boards, so the process cannot be completed quickly.
Qin Yao knew that the housekeeper was giving her face by saying this, but she still asked one more question: "Is it okay for a girl?"
The housekeeper was shocked and waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, how can a girl go to school? This has never happened before!"
Qin Yao just asked this, but she knew it was impossible and still felt a little regretful.
She didn't know what the situation was like elsewhere, but in Zijing Mansion, no girls were allowed to go to school. If her daughter wanted to study and learn calligraphy, she could only hire a teacher to give her private lessons at home.
However, there are very few families who can afford to hire a tutor for their daughters.
The young lady from Mr. Ding's family was able to study because her father himself was able to teach her.
If it were other rich young ladies, not many of them would be literate. Those whose parents loved them very much would be taught how to read accounts and use an abacus so that when they marry into their husband's family in the future, they can help their husbands manage household affairs.
Not to mention the daughters of ordinary people.
"Then I'll go back and prepare and come back in a few days." Qin Yao said.
She just agreed.
The housekeeper was overjoyed. When he sent Qin Yao out, he was afraid that she would forget the time, so he repeatedly reminded her that she must arrive in five days at the latest.
Qin Yao agreed and called Shunzi, and the two of them went to the town together. Unfortunately, all the shops were closed, so they only bought two bags of fried broad beans from a farmer.
A package costs two cents and is wrapped in banana leaves. It is the size of an adult's palm. The broad beans are fried until cracks appear and the salt has seeped into them. It smells delicious at first glance.
Qin Yao put one packet into the cloth bag she carried with her, held the other packet in her hand, and walked home while eating with Shunzi.
Shunzi often sees adults buying snacks and bringing them home for their children. But this is the first time he has seen someone like Qin Yao, who would buy two snacks, one for her family and one for herself.
However, when Qin Yao handed it to him, he couldn't help but grabbed a small handful.
After eating it, I finally understood why children love to eat these things. It turns out that they really satisfy your appetite, are fragrant and crispy, and eating them makes you feel better.
When the two reached Xiahe Village, only half of the sun's face was left hanging on the top of the mountain.
Qin Yao thought that the rice jar at home was almost empty, so she bought 15 kilograms of fine rice from a family in Xiahe Village and spent all the 100 cents she had received that day.
Liu Ji, who had been waiting for Qin Yao to get his wages back, almost vomited to death when he saw the bag of fine rice.
(End of this chapter)