Chapter 61: The Landlord's Second Invitation

Although the Great Liang Dynasty permitted the keeping of slaves and servants, the human trade was actually strictly regulated.

For commoners to sell themselves into slavery and become private property devoid of personal freedom, they not only had to be registered in official government records under a slave status, but the master's household also had to pay a heavy tax. Otherwise, it would be considered illegal human trafficking, and both buyer and seller would be imprisoned.

This process was complicated and time-consuming, which was precisely why Madam Liu did not immediately think of turning Madam An into cash.

Once a commoner acquired slave status, subsequent trading and transferring no longer required official government inspection.

An eligible young woman with slave status was typically valued at around fifty taels of silver, while younger and more attractive ones commanded even higher prices.

For children, depending on their age, prices started at five, ten, or twenty taels, while adult males went for thirty taels.

Raising servants was costly and demanding, but they were luxury items, symbols of status, and manifestations of prestige and pride.

Whoever possessed throngs of household slaves was truly wealthy—either of high rank or immense fortune.

As for those cheap, undocumented drifters who were passable at odd jobs, few people actually dared to employ them as domestic servants.

Without knowing their background, no one could feel at ease!

Moreover, no one wanted their personal maid to lack an official identity and household registration; if outsiders discovered this when taking them out, it would become the laughingstock of high society.

The Tang family held a sixth-rank official post and maintained seven or eight maidservants and old hags.

The four junior pages, personal attendants, and gatekeepers who served Tang Erlang and Tang Pinshan were the children of tenant farmers from their own estate.

Although they were not sold into slavery, their roots were known, and they were bound by their families; naturally, they were obedient and reliable to employ.

The only servants in the Tang family who actually possessed deeds of sale were Yuanyang, the young maid Xiaoyun, and an accompanying wet nurse brought along by the second daughter-in-law.

All the other matrons and maidservants were hired from the employment agency, their contracts renewable every three to five years.

Yuanyang had been bought by Madam Liu for ten taels of silver when she was eight or nine years old, originally intended to serve as a dowry maid for Tang Yuexi to preserve the family's face.

Yet now, having suffered such a disaster, she could only be sold off cheaply, leaving the household with only Xiaoyun, who had been bought just half a year ago.

Presumably, they would need to acquire a few young maidservants to wait upon Tang Yuexi.

Such matters of purchasing household slaves required even Madam Liu to consult with Tang Pinshan for a long time; how could it possibly be decided by Concubine Ping, a mere concubine temporarily managing the household affairs?

Especially when proposed by Madam Qin, a guest lodging in their home!

Qin Mu took a fierce bite of his flatbread. No wonder Madam Liu had suddenly claimed illness these past two days and stopped scrambling to reclaim her authority over household management—she was setting a trap for Concubine Ping right here!

She was instigating Madam Qin to demand personal attendants, forcing Concubine Ping to purchase slaves from Tang Pinshan!

However, Concubine Ping was no fool. She merely stated that such matters should be decided by the master and mistress, glossing over the topic and deliberately steering the conversation toward Tang Yushu's upcoming marriage.

"Second Mistress, I heard the Mistress say that Young Lady Sun is coming to visit our Yuexi, and she also wishes to meet you, her mother-in-law."

Tang Yuexi had been back for half a month. Yuanyang had been sold, the household matrons had been replaced, and she had finally recovered from her terror.

Strictly speaking, Tang Yuexi's misfortune was related to Young Lady Sun taking her to Yue Lake, so Sun Ruyi really ought to come and offer some comforting words to make things proper.

Hearing mention of her prospective daughter-in-law, Madam Qin chuckled heartily. "It is high time she came to pay her respects to me, her mother-in-law! Tomorrow is an auspicious day—let her come!"

Concubine Ping smiled faintly and said gently, "When she comes is up to the Sun family to decide; the Tang family cannot call the shots for them."

A dull thud echoed in the room as Madam Qin slammed her palm onto the table.

Beneath the window, Qin Mu narrowed his eyes. *Purchasing slaves, and now that venomous Sun woman is coming!*

In this lifetime, he had not yet laid eyes on her!

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An Chunfang had no intention of going to the agency to see the landlord, but the agency's Third Master sought her out early on the third morning.

Standing in the courtyard that had been meticulously cleaned up by young Lin, Third Master smiled with measured propriety. "Though young Lin no longer works at the agency, he must always remember the long-standing teachings of his instructors.

Be more diligent in your daily tasks, and keep your wits about you. If there is ever too much work to handle, do not forget to come to the agency for help."

Young Lin felt somewhat awkward at the moment; leaving the agency to find his own livelihood still stirred a lingering sense of guilt.

An Chunfang, however, wore a calm smile. "Third Master need not worry. Young Lin is very sensible and obedient, which is entirely a credit to the agency's fine training. When we need to hire extra hands in the future, we will certainly come to the agency to choose them."

Hearing An Chunfang shower such praise on the agency, Third Master beamed with delight. "It is settled, then. In the future, Mistress An must not forget to patronize the agency."

Even if a business deal falls through, goodwill remains; one must not offend a client over a lowly errand boy.

After a brief exchange, young Lin's private arrangement of odd jobs was put aside, and Third Master brought up the real purpose of his visit. "Mistress An, the landlord of this place suddenly expressed a desire to see you. He came once the day before yesterday, but Luo Chen reported back that Mistress An was having dinner and unwilling to come to the agency.

The landlord waited for over an hour without seeing Mistress An, so he rescheduled the meeting for this afternoon at the agency. I wanted to ask if Mistress An might be able to keep the appointment?"

"Oh! Was the landlord displeased?"

An Chunfang looked slightly surprised. She had indeed deliberately avoided the landlord the day before yesterday, but for Luo Chen to claim she was eating and unwilling to visit the agency was clearly a deliberate attempt to cause friction and stir up trouble.

Third Master frowned slightly. "The landlord was not angry, but merely requested that if Mistress An finds it convenient, she should please make the trip."

"Very well, I shall arrive on time this afternoon!" Since it was the second invitation, An Chunfang decided to go.

Third Master delivered his message and departed in a hurry.

With an afternoon appointment scheduled, An Chunfang still made a trip to the Autumn Waters Fabric Shop.

The first batch of autumn garments had been completed and delivered.

A total of fifty sets—ranging from close-fitting lace undergarments to lace-trimmed slip dresses and lace thigh-high stockings.

It was evident that no matter the era, men's aesthetic preferences remained identical; what they favored most were those colorful, tantalizing, half-concealed lace creations.

The earnings were also substantial. Autumn Water handed two hundred-tael silver notes to An Chunfang, casting a sidelong, flirtatious glance and smiling with infinite charm. "Sister An, this is the Hundred Flowers Pavilion's maiden transaction. If we keep this up, your prosperous days are yet to come!"

An Chunfang pinched the silver notes between two fingers, examined them, casually tucked them into her purse, and raised an eyebrow. "Shopkeeper Qiu, congratulations to us both!"

The two women exchanged a glance and immediately burst into laughter.

Having originated from a pleasure house, Autumn Water knew that as long as one could captivate a man's heart, one possessed a veritable money tree.

In the eyes of those wealthy young heirs who scattered gold like dust, this small sum of silver was utterly negligible. Their financial returns would undoubtedly gush forth endlessly hereafter.

An Chunfang was genuinely happy. Though she had told young Lin she didn't care about being evicted and having to rent elsewhere, living a life of wandering without a permanent home was ultimately uncomfortable.

Now, things were different. From being cast out of the house with a mere two taels of silver to pocketing two hundred taels, only three months had passed.

With this silver, she could consider purchasing a home of her own in the capital.

Having already recovered her son, once she secured a house of her own and hired a few maidservants to wait upon her, she wouldn't need to consider marriage or romance. She could simply focus on making money and embark on a life of luxurious feudal corruption in the near future.

Decades later, she would also be a wealthy, single elderly woman—what need was there to worry about her twilight years?

As for that ungrateful scumbag and the other members of the Tang family...

An Chunfang narrowed her eyes slightly. The original owner had died a wrongful death, and she naturally ought to vent this pent-up fury on her behalf.

However, for now, she only entertained the thought in her heart. After all, Tang Yushu was Tang Mu's biological father, and young Tang Mu was still small; he still needed to live within the Tang family and leverage his scoundrel father's influence.

Retribution could wait until the original owner's real son came of age, fulfilling the mission of vindicating his mother.

Since she had matters to attend to in the afternoon, An Chunfang returned to Pear Blossom Alley early, bringing back two dishes from the restaurant as usual.

At the courtyard gate, Little Bean was craning his neck in anticipation. The moment he caught sight of An Chunfang's figure, he immediately sprinted toward her like a joyful little puppy, crying out, "Mistress An! Mistress An!"