Mi Yao’s suggestion about finding a woman for Xiao Chu was merely an offhand remark.
It wasn’t that she begrudged the silver Xiao Chu would spend on another woman—she simply found the idea strange and troublesome.
In the novel, Xiao Chu had neither slept with the original host nor with any other woman, which proved he wasn’t a man driven by desire.
If that was the case, why would he need someone to accommodate him now that she was here?
Though she thought this way, to make the matter seem properly handled, she still instructed the slave broker while purchasing servants to find a few beautiful women for her.
“They shouldn’t be too young, and it’s fine if they’ve been married before. The main thing is that they must be beautiful—preferably more beautiful than me. If not, they should at least be my equal in looks.”
The slave broker wore a troubled expression. “Madam, finding beautiful women isn’t difficult, but finding ones who are your equal… I’m afraid no amount of silver could secure such a rarity.”
When he first entered the room, he had been struck by Mi Yao’s beauty. Afraid of appearing improper and displeasing the noble lady, he had kept his head bowed while replying. Hearing her request, he cautiously glanced up at her.
That one glance further convinced him that Mi Yao was as exquisite as a celestial being, a rarity in the mortal realm.
Even if there were women in this world who could rival her beauty, they would never fall into the hands of a lowly slave broker like him.
“Take your time searching. There’s no hurry.”
After all, she was just going through the motions—having an excuse to present to Xiao Chu. It would be better if the broker couldn’t find anyone.
If he did find someone, she would have to go through the trouble of comparing herself to the woman and fabricating reasons to reject her.
After giving these instructions, Mi Yao began selecting servants.
After discussing with the Governing Mama of the Jiedushi Residence, it was decided that Xiao Manor needed to purchase at least ten to twenty more servants.
The current staff could barely ensure that the masters of the manor had hot meals to eat, clothes to wear, and water to use—far from enough to maintain the normal functioning of the residence.
Mi Yao agreed.
Having seen the estate in its picturesque state, she had no desire to return to the sight of withered branches and dead flowers filling the flowerbeds.
They would need two gardeners, four cleaning laborers, two more kitchen staff, two attendants for Xiao Yi and Xiao Liang, two for Xiao Shan—one a young girl to be her playmate and another an older woman to care for her.
She also needed two more maids for herself, so that when Shuang Hua and the others were promoted to managerial roles, she wouldn’t be short of attendants.
Initially, she thought she would struggle with the moral dilemma of treating people as commodities, selecting and purchasing them as an oppressor.
But when a row of people in patched clothing, of varying heights but uniformly emaciated, stood before her, and she met their numb yet hopeful gazes, she felt no guilt about oppressing them.
In this era, talking about oppression was pointless. It was better to adhere to the mindset that everyone else was merely paper characters—except for herself—so that both sides could feel at ease.
She carefully examined each person, first eliminating those she found unappealing, then calling the remaining ones forward one by one for questioning.
She further eliminated two whose accents she couldn’t understand at all. The slave broker had brought twenty people, and she selected fourteen.
Seeing that the number was too high, she sent someone to fetch Xiao Chu’s attendant, asking him to screen the candidates to prevent any spies from slipping in.
Pu Qing was pleased with Mi Yao’s discretion. After taking the candidates away, he returned half an hour later with ten people.
With the selections finalized, Mi Yao didn’t rush to dismiss them. Instead, she stood to the side and had them watch as the existing servants of the manor came forward to receive their rewards.
"I have been residing in the estate for several days and recognize many of your faces, but since I had not yet married the young master previously, I did not have the chance to properly acquaint myself with you. Now that you have come to pay your respects, step forward one by one and clearly state your name, age, how many years you have served in the estate, and your daily responsibilities."
Steward Zheng, who oversees the storerooms, and Steward Wu from the accounts office had already paid their respects to Mi Yao yesterday and received their red envelopes, so they were not required to attend this time.
The most distinguished servant present today was Pu Qing. Seeing that Pu Qing showed no intention of taking the lead, the dozen or so senior servants exchanged glances, and Mama Fan was the first to step forward.
Mama Fan dropped to one knee, smiling obsequiously: "Madam, this old servant's surname is Fan. I entered the estate to serve when the young lady was just one year old and share a deep bond with her. My entire heart is devoted to the young lady—the cloth for the robes she wears today was cut by my own hands."
Having heard that Mi Yao and the Town Envoy had separate bedrooms just two days after their wedding, Mama Fan looked down on Mi Yao. But seeing how many new servants Mi Yao had purchased, with most assigned to Tingsong Courtyard, she couldn't help feeling uneasy.
What did it matter if the Town Envoy disliked Mi Yao? As long as Mi Yao remained the Town Envoy's wife for even a day, expelling her from the estate would require but a few words.
After speaking, Mama Fan waited anxiously, only to find Mi Yao merely glanced at her twice without uttering a word. When she received the respect silver passed by Shi Ya, she began to think Mi Yao wasn't so fearsome after all.
A distantly married woman without favor, unable to read Xiao Chu's expressions, meddling in Tingsong Courtyard's affairs, keeping Xiao Shan by her side every day—she may appear dignified now, but misfortune would surely follow.
With Mama Fan leading the way, the next servant stepped forward. Before they could kneel, Mi Yao intervened: "Since no kneeling cushions were laid out, there is no need for you to kneel while paying respects. Standing will allow me to see your faces clearly."
At Mi Yao's words, the matrons in the room flushed crimson. Due to her connection with Grandma Ma, Mama Fan had always considered herself the most senior and formidable among the servants aside from Steward Wu and a few others. Being made to stand felt like a public humiliation before the other servants.
Yet Mi Yao seemed unaware, distributing the respect silver one by one.
When only the largest envelope remained, she turned to Pu Qing standing by the door like a pillar: "You've worked hard today."
"It is merely my duty."
Pu Qing had expected a reward but hadn't anticipated the red envelope would be so heavy. His thoughts swirled momentarily—aware this was all the master's silver—but meeting Lady Yu's smiling face, he swallowed his words and said, "May the Madam enjoy boundless happiness and longevity."
After he spoke, the other servants in the room tactfully repeated the blessing in unison. The synchronized chorus made Xiao Chu, passing by, pause mid-step.
Noting his personal attendant leading the proceedings, Xiao Chu's expression remained impassive. He still remembered when he first occupied this estate—these servants had never welcomed him with such earnestness.
He had originally intended to make an appearance in the hall to let the new servants know he was the master of the estate, while also giving the imprudent Mi Yao some backing.
But seeing she could command respect from his own attendant without assistance, leading the greetings, he turned on his heel—sparing himself the sight of her smug face.
Rewarding the estate's old servants wasn't the end. Knowing Xiao Chu required no additional attendants, Mi Yao dismissed Pu Qing and began assigning the new servants.
Currently, the estate had two areas most in need of personnel: first, rough laborers for cleaning and gardeners for tending plants; second, capable stewards for Tingsong Courtyard to manage the children, and staff for the main kitchen.
She usually ate and drank in the small kitchen and hadn't planned to manage the main kitchen. But yesterday, while inspecting ingredients, she wandered into the main kitchen and discovered it was filthy with grease everywhere, ingredients haphazardly scattered about.
Upon inquiry, she learned the cooks weren't professionally hired but were relatives recommended by Grandma Ma.
This was truly absurd. If she hadn't witnessed Xiao Chu's attitude toward Madam Ma, she would have suspected he was deeply infatuated with her, allowing the Ma family to continuously stuff their people into Xiao Manor.
"Form groups of two. For now, the senior servants in each group will act as supervisors. If you lack any supplies, report directly to Shuang Hua. After one month, I will assess your performance, reassign your duties accordingly, and select supervisors for each area."
As Mi Yao finished speaking, the hall erupted in murmurs.
The new servants hadn't expected an opportunity to become supervisors so soon after entering the manor, while the senior servants never imagined they might be surpassed by newcomers within a month.
Among them, Mama Fan and the main kitchen cooks were the most anxious, convinced Mi Yao was targeting them specifically.
Though many disagreed with Mi Yao's arrangement, none dared voice objections.
With few masters in Xiao Manor and Xiao Chu being hands-off, the servants had grown accustomed to their autonomy. Now that Mi Yao was taking charge, they wanted to complain but didn't dare bother Xiao Chu with trivial matters.
Mi Yao left the grouping to Shuang Hua without intervening.
Back in the Yu family, though Shuang Hua had been the head maid, Mi Yao's courtyard was small and managed by the wet nurse, leaving Shuang Hua with little actual management experience. While scolding a young maid or two posed no problem, facing nearly forty people made her legs tremble under their collective gaze.
Still, determined not to embarrass herself, she followed Mi Yao's instructions, clearly dividing them into groups and recording the senior servants leading each group in the register.
Hearing the tremor in Shuang Hua's voice, Mama Fan rolled her eyes inwardly, believing she should have been put in charge instead. How could such a young girl manage properly?
Resentful but seeing six new servants assigned to Tingsong Courtyard at once, she suppressed her anger, planning to seek advice from her sister later.
"Madam, I'm afraid I won't do well."
After the servants dispersed, Shuang Hua anxiously approached Mi Yao.
She knew her mistress wanted to groom her—a tremendous opportunity—but taking on a Governing Mama's responsibilities made her deeply insecure.
"If you can't do it well now, learn gradually. Consult the matron from the messenger residence or ask me directly about uncertain matters. Though I'd love to leave everything to you, I won't be completely hands-off until you're capable of handling things independently."
Then Mi Yao turned to Shi Ya.
Before she could speak, Shi Ya knelt and said, "Madam, rest assured. This servant will train the new courtyard maids, manage affairs in your courtyard diligently, and share burdens with Sister Shuang Hua to spare you worries."
Knowing she wasn't as close to Mi Yao as Shuang Hua, the more Shi Ya coveted the authority given to Shuang Hua, the more she understood she must serve Mi Yao wholeheartedly to earn her trust.
Pleased with Shi Ya's attitude, Mi Yao nodded and changed the subject: "Did Mama Luo pack up and flee back to Jiangnan, or what?"
Mama Luo was the only one missing from today's greetings. Anyone unaware might think she was some esteemed matriarch waiting regally for Mi Yao to pay respects.
"Mama Luo is staying in the back annex. The moment she arrived, she took the best room in the servants' quarters and doesn’t share with the other elderly women. Every day, she even gets her meals from the small kitchen."
Shi Ya answered anxiously, "Knowing that you dislike Mama Luo, none of us paid her any attention. But she’s shameless and constantly uses the elder madam to pressure us, so we had no choice but to let her be."
These days, she hadn’t heard Mama Luo buzzing in her ear.
Previously, she had been a maid in Li Shi’s courtyard, so Mama Luo automatically assumed they were on the same side, which annoyed her endlessly.
No matter how things were before, her contract was now in Mi Yao’s hands. With Jiangnan so far away, how could she not follow Mi Yao’s orders?
Besides, compared to Li Shi, Mi Yao had a much better temper. As long as one obeyed Mi Yao, she was the best mistress—never tormenting the servants and generous to those around her.
Only a fool wouldn’t know whom to pledge loyalty to.
"She’s living quite comfortably, isn’t she? Later, assign her to rough labor. She only eats if she works. If she disobeys, send two strong servants to watch her."
When she couldn’t be bothered to manage affairs, she let things slide. But now that she was taking charge, she would clean everything up thoroughly.
Moreover, she truly disliked the idea of someone living more comfortably than her. "If she needs watching, that means one person’s idleness is wasting two people’s labor. Unless she does the work of two people in a day, she doesn’t rest."
Hearing Mama Luo’s fate, Shi Ya shrank her neck in fear. She had thought the worst that could happen to Mama Luo was losing the mistress’s favor, but it seemed hardship was yet to come.
"And what’s wrong with you?"
After handling the matter, Mi Yao planned to take Xiao Shan to dine with Xiao Liang.
But then she saw Yu Xiu pouting, looking at her with a worried expression.
"Sister, why are you looking for beautiful women?"
"To suffer less," Mi Yao replied casually as she walked.
"What misunderstanding is there between you and brother-in-law? Can’t you coax him and resolve it?"
She had been holding back this question since hearing Mi Yao ask the slave broker to find beauties. Only when they were alone did she dare ask what it meant.
They had slept in separate rooms since their wedding day, and the household was already buzzing with gossip. If this continued, wouldn’t people like Grandma Ma and others become even more arrogant?
Meeting Yu Xiu’s earnest gaze, Mi Yao had to admit, this girl was worrying herself sick over whether Mi Yao was favored or not.
To prevent Yu Xiu from getting any misguided ideas, Mi Yao stated bluntly, "Your brother-in-law has unusual preferences. Women who end up with him are either dead or left with half a life. He pities me and wants to see me lively, not half-dead and miserable. That’s why he suggested separate rooms the day after our wedding. But entrusting me with the housekeeping power shows that, even though we sleep apart, he still values me."
Hearing this, Yu Xiu was stunned. She didn’t understand matters between men and women, nor what kind of preferences could leave a woman with half a life.
Could it be that he beat them?
Thinking of Xiao Chu’s stature, one punch from him would indeed leave someone with half a life.
"How could brother-in-law be like this…"
Yu Xiu trembled, finally understanding why her sister had bruises and swollen lips that day.
It wasn’t just Yu Xiu who was frightened. Feeling the small hand she was holding tremble uncontrollably, Mi Yao looked down and saw the little radish—Xiao Shan—also shaking, tears welling in her eyes.
Well, now not only would Yu Xiu keep her distance from Xiao Chu, but his own daughter, Xiao Shan, would also see him as a devil.
Xiao Yi’s break ended, and he resumed his routine of leaving early and returning late to the academy. With him gone, Xiao Shan followed Mi Yao everywhere, leaving Xiao Liang alone in Tingsong Courtyard.
When Mi Yao went to find him, she saw him sitting cross-legged on a stool, idly fiddling with the Nine Interlocking Rings in his hand.
Thinking that he might spend the entire day like this if she didn't come, Mi Yao's compassion began to overflow.
If Xiao Liang were a bit older, she might have been able to ignore him, but although he was two years older than Xiao Shan, to her they both seemed like little radishes of similar size—both rather clueless children who only knew how to look at people with moist, innocent eyes.
"Mother."
Seeing Mi Yao, Xiao Liang's eyes lit up, but he had been sitting cross-legged for too long. When he jumped off the stool, his legs went numb, and he collapsed onto the floor.
"How did you fall?"
Startled by his full-body prostration, Mi Yao expected to hear the child burst into tears. Instead, Xiao Liang got up, biting his lip, looking pitiful as he tried to hold back his sobs.
What had his father trained him into?
She had heard that Xiao Chu forbade the two children from crying, and she found that idea quite pleasing—who would want to listen to children wailing for no reason?
But now, seeing Xiao Liang holding back his tears, she couldn't help but think Xiao Chu was a bad person, which stirred her desire to be the good one.
"Where does it hurt? If you're injured, I'll take you to apply some medicine."
Mi Yao crouched down and, after getting Xiao Liang's consent, pushed up his pant leg.
His clothes were thick, and there was no injury on his knees, only a slight redness.
"Mother, I don't think it hurts…" He wanted to cry not because of the pain from the fall, but because he felt embarrassed in front of his mother, afraid she would think he was useless and couldn't even walk properly.
"Shan'er, come blow on your brother's knee."
"Haow…"
Xiao Shan obediently responded, leaned close to Xiao Liang's knee, and blew on it. "No… deng deng…"
"Shan'er, you can speak?!"
Xiao Liang forgot his embarrassment and stared at Xiao Shan in surprise. When Xiao Shan didn't answer him, he didn't know what to do, so he grabbed her arm and bent down to examine her teeth. "Your teeth seem to have grown a little bigger."
His sister couldn't speak, and his older brother had told him it was because her teeth hadn't grown in properly yet. Once her teeth were fully grown, she would be able to talk.
So he paid extra attention to the growth of his sister's teeth, counting them whenever he had the chance.
Twenty teeth, the same as the last time he counted.
Since she hadn't grown any extra teeth, the only explanation he could come up with was that her teeth had gotten bigger.
Xiao Shan felt uncomfortable being stared at and felt like she couldn't hold her saliva in with her mouth pried open. Pointing at Xiao Liang, she complained to Mi Yao, "…A bad!"
"Shan'er, how can you say your second brother is bad? He loves you so much."
Xiao Liang hadn't cried when he fell, but upon hearing his sister call him bad, he couldn't help wiping his tears. "Shan'er, Second Brother isn't bad!"
"Bad!"
"Not bad!"
"You… hi!"
Mi Yao initially intended to stop the two little radishes from quarreling, but seeing them go back and forth, with Xiao Shan trying hard to pronounce words seriously, she found it amusing. Instead, she asked Shi Ya to bring the meals from the small kitchen to Tingsong Courtyard.
By the time Xiao Shan grew tired of arguing and slumped against Mi Yao's leg, Xiao Liang noticed that Mi Yao was still in the room. He shyly lowered his head for a moment before mustering the courage to look at Mi Yao again. "Mother, my sister can speak now. She's not a foolish child."
"Of course your sister isn't a foolish girl. She just didn't want to learn how to speak before."
"Did Mother make Shan'er want to learn?"
Xiao Liang's eyes sparkled, thinking that his mother was like a fairy from a storybook—not only gentle and beautiful but also kind-hearted.
Not only did she keep his sister by her side, but she also made his sister able to speak.
Meeting Xiao Liang's gaze, Mi Yao realized this boy was exceptionally skilled at providing emotional validation. Every time he looked at her, his eyes brimmed with such intense emotion that she felt she had accomplished some monumental good deed.
She wondered how Xiao Chu managed to resist such eyes and respond with cold words.
"It's not my credit. Your sister can speak—she just chooses not to. If you talk to her more often, she'll learn when she's in a better mood."
"Mother, I understand."
During the subsequent meal, Xiao Liang kept chattering incessantly to Xiao Shan. At first, Xiao Shan responded with a few syllables, but eventually, she covered her ears in irritation.
Amid his prattling, Mi Yao identified one reason why Xiao Shan was reluctant to speak.
After Xiao Chu's mother passed away, the two children lost their grandmother. Xiao Shan, not yet one year old at the time and in need of constant care, had a wet nurse assigned to her. Yet she still cried and screamed daily.
Xiao Chu, annoyed by the noise, instructed the wet nurse to stop her from crying.
Having no other choice, the wet nurse often covered Xiao Shan's mouth to prevent her from making sounds. Over time, when Xiao Shan began learning to speak, she refused to open her mouth. Only then did the wet nurse realize the severity of the situation.
It was under these circumstances that Grandma Ma seized the opportunity, suggesting Xiao Chu replace the wet nurse and bring Mama Fan into the household.
Learning this, Mi Yao couldn't help but wonder if she had a face that looked easy to bully.
Otherwise, why would Xiao Shan, who hadn't cried for so long, rely on tears to get her to hold her upon their first meeting?
She got her answer half an hour later about whether she had such a face.
Because Mama Luo, upon hearing her orders, didn't take them seriously and escalated the matter to Xiao Chu, demanding he discipline her.
Before Mama Luo found Xiao Chu, he was dining alone.
Previously, whenever he was at the residence and Xiao Yi had left for the academy, he would eat with the remaining two children.
After Mi Yao's arrival, first Xiao Shan went to her, and now Xiao Liang had also disappeared.
Hearing that Mi Yao had directly ordered the small kitchen to deliver meals to Tingsong Courtyard, Xiao Chu stared at the greasy, stir-fried meat and vegetables before him. "Wasn't the main kitchen supposed to have been replaced?"
Pu Qing had paid his respects to Mi Yao and left, but that didn't stop him from having people report back on what Mi Yao had been doing.
Hearing his master's question, Pu Qing replied, "The main kitchen hasn't been replaced, but a few people were added. It's said that if the head chef performs poorly, he'll be replaced immediately."
Xiao Chu scoffed at this.
Lady Yu didn't even eat food from the main kitchen—how would she know whether the head chef was competent? She'd probably be in her grave before the main kitchen saw any real changes.
"Town Envoy, do you find the dishes unappetizing?" Pu Qing ventured cautiously.
Everyone in the household knew the head chef's skills were lacking, but since Xiao Chu, as the master, had never raised any objections, the servants simply followed suit.
However poorly the head chef cooked, at least he was honest—he didn't skimp on ingredients, so even the servants got to eat meat and vegetables.
Xiao Chu didn't answer Pu Qing's question, merely furrowing his brow.
It wasn't about whether the food suited his taste—he had little interest in women or fine dining. But the thought of what Lady Yu ate made his own meal hard to swallow.
Lady Yu lived extravagantly and freely on his silver, while he ate stews where meat and vegetables were tossed together into a pot, every dish tasting the same.
What kind of logic was that?
It was at this moment that Mama Luo burst in front of Xiao Chu, loudly accusing Mi Yao of being cruel, unfilial to elders, and disrespectful to her husband.
Xiao Chu didn't know whether it counted as filial piety toward elders, but as for the latter part about disrespect, he set down his chopsticks and actually felt inclined to nod in agreement.