Chapter 458 - 452_1
"Fine, the empty houses are already available. You can move in directly, and here’s what I’ll do—I’ll send you a carriage to pick up your family and move your belongings. But first, we need to sign the contract," Lin Yue said, instructing a servant to bring pen and ink. She wrote down the terms agreed upon with Zhang Qiusheng and let him review them.
Zhang Qiusheng, who could recognize only a few characters, was able to approximately understand the content of the contract. Realizing he had no other option, he promptly signed his name and affixed his fingerprint without hesitation.
Lin Yue took the signed contract and her face, previously stern and sharp, softened with a gentle smile, "Master Zhang, rest assured that although the contract has been signed, our family is not the kind to be harsh on people. As long as you do your work well and don’t harbor any ulterior motives, I will still pay you twenty percent more than the standard wage, as I said before. The household arrangements have also been made by a servant; your family will have a separate house to live in. As for any other living requirements, feel free to mention them; I will facilitate whatever I can, so just be at ease," she said.
Zhang Qiusheng had no choice but to sign the contract. Although his daughter had escaped the fate of becoming a concubine for Old Master Wei, thinking of the days ahead still left him with a chill in his heart. Given how astute and formidable the mistress of the house appeared, he feared that future days would be tough. But he had to endure for the next ten years, so when Lin Yue put away her sternness and treated him kindly, he felt surprisingly grateful and wondered if there might still be hope for the days to come. He couldn’t afford to lose heart just yet.
Lin Yue was adopting a strategy of combining sternness with reward. Her previous harshness was intended to let Zhang Qiusheng know he couldn’t be easily deceived, serving as a warning to deter him from underestimating her. Now that the contract was signed and Zhang Qiusheng understood her fierceness, she offered him benefits. Ultimately, she valued Zhang Qiusheng’s skilled craftsmanship, which would be highly useful in the future. It was always better to have servants who were willing to work out of gratitude rather than ones forced to comply.
"Thank you, Mistress. Since the contract is signed, I would like to pick up my family now," said Zhang Qiusheng, who was preoccupied with concern for his family’s well-being, fearing any delay might lead to unforeseen problems.
"Go ahead. I’m aware of Old Master Wei. He likes to use sneaky tactics and despicable tricks. Since he has set his sights on your family, it’s best to bring them here sooner. I’ll send two people with you; in case you run into Old Master Wei’s men, they can look after you," she said.
Knowing what kind of man Old Master Wei was, Lin Yue sent Zhao Fuquan and Liu Aniu to accompany Zhang Qiusheng. This way, should there be any complications, there would be no cause for concern.
Zhang Qiusheng thanked Lin Yue again before setting off into the city with Zhao Fuquan and Liu Aniu in the carriage. Meanwhile, Lin Yue had someone clean out a small courtyard house. Those were left over from the time they built the farm. Since she had hired help, Lin Yue thought it best to finish the houses intended for the servants on the allotted plot of land. This now came in quite handy.