Chapter 19

Qin Yuan's words of "wait a moment" made Tang Jie wait for several more months.

It wasn't until June that Qin, the steward, finally brought good news—there was an opening.

A few days ago, a servant responsible for tending the garden in the Wei family had died suddenly from an illness, and they needed someone to fill the position. After the news spread, several stewards of the Wei family recommended candidates, and Qin recommended Tang Jie.

The next morning, Steward Qin brought Tang Jie into the Wei residence.

As one of the five major families in Canglong Prefecture, the Wei family's wealth was indeed extraordinary.

The entire Qingyun Street was mostly occupied by the Wei family, with over four hundred rooms, including six gardens, and nearly three hundred people living there.

The current head of the Wei family, the eldest generation, was Grandfather Wei and Grandmother Wei.

Grandfather and Grandmother Wei had two sons and two daughters, all of whom were married.

The eldest son, Wei Danbo, was the current head of the Wei family. He had one wife and two concubines. His main wife, Wei Zheng Shufeng, had two sons and one daughter. The eldest son, Wei Tianzhi, was currently at Xi Yue Academy, the second daughter, Wei Qing'er, went to the Illusory Heart Academy of Qianqing Sect, and the youngest son was Wei Tianchong. There was also another son and daughter who, being born to concubines, had no inheritance rights and didn't even have the chance to enter an academy, making them less fortunate than servants in some ways.

From their names, Tianzhi and Tianchong, one could see the Wei family's aspirations, aiming for the heavens.

When Wei Danbo had his sons, the Wei family was already established in Canglong Prefecture, so their focus was no longer on making money but on cultivating and achieving immortality.

Unfortunately, their foundation was still shallow, and the family had yet to produce a true cultivator of their own, only hiring some spirit masters with high salaries. They still couldn't compare to the Jin, Zhang, and Gu families. If the Wei family could produce their own spirit master, it would ensure the family's prosperity for a hundred years. If they could produce a Heavenly Heart Realm cultivator, the Wei family would no longer be just the Wei family of Canglong Prefecture but the Wei family of Lingzhou.

As for a national-level family, they would need multiple Heavenly Heart Realm cultivators and a lineage of their own to be considered.

Besides Wei Danbo, Grandfather Wei's second son, Wei Qingsong, also had one son and one daughter, the eldest son Wei Ming and the youngest daughter Wei Die.

Wei Ming had also entered the academy two years ago, but like Wei Tianzhi, he had a low-quality aptitude, making cultivation difficult. Compared to Wei Danbo, Wei Qingsong could provide fewer resources to his son, so Grandfather Wei had little hope for this line. Therefore, the Wei family's main hope rested on Wei Tianchong.

The Wei family valued boys over girls and didn't pay much attention to the cultivation of girls—there was no need to waste precious resources on someone who would eventually become someone else's wife.

This was why there were few female cultivators in the cultivation world, not because they lacked talent, but because they received far fewer resources from their families. Wei Qing'er, for example, was said to have been taken by the Qianqing Sect due to her exceptional talent, otherwise, she might still be at home waiting to be married.

The hundreds of people in the Wei family were all there to serve the various masters, madams, young masters, and young madams of the Wei family. The garden laborer position Tang Jie was applying for was in the Tranquil Heart Garden, where the young master Wei Tianchong lived.

Because of this, the competition for the servant position was particularly intense.

Besides Steward Qin bringing Tang Jie, the second and third stewards each brought a young man, and some of the Wei family's external managers also recommended candidates. In total, eighteen young men stood before Lady Zheng Shufeng, the wife of the current head of the Wei family, and greeted her.

Fortunately, in this era, servants didn't have to call themselves slaves or kneel before people, unlike in the Qing Dynasty.

In fact, this era was more like the Tang Dynasty on Earth, with a more open atmosphere. Although there were various hierarchical rules, servants were not considered lowly and had their own dignity.

After all, in a world where cultivation was possible, it was a world full of opportunities, and even the poorest could rise to great heights.

Since this was for selecting a servant for their son, Lady Wei was particularly serious and came to select personally.

She sat in the hall, wearing a red silk robe with a hundred butterflies embroidered on it, and a jade hairpin adorned her head. Two maids stood behind her, gently fanning her.

After taking a sip of tea, she slowly said, "Report your names."

The eighteen young men reported their names one by one, and a scribe recorded them.

Then Lady Wei said, "Those who can read, raise your hands."

All eighteen young men raised their hands, and the scribe marked their names with a check, indicating they passed this test.

Actually, in Canglong Prefecture, few young men from poor families could read.

But most of the candidates this time were recommended by the old servants of the Wei family, who were well aware of the Wei family's requirements and wouldn't recommend unqualified candidates.

Even Tang Jie had been repeatedly questioned by Qin Yuan to ensure he met the requirements.

Tang Jie had learned to read in Xiaohetun Village. He had a good foundation and learned quickly. After following Xu Muyang, he practiced calligraphy every day.

According to Xu Muyang, if you couldn't write well, how could you draw talismans?

Tang Jie thought that among the eighteen candidates, there would be a few who couldn't read, but it turned out they were all well-prepared.

Lady Wei then said, "Those who can do arithmetic, raise your hands."

This time, a few didn't raise their hands, but most did.

Lady Wei continued, "Those who have worked in large households, raise your hands."

This time, even fewer raised their hands, only Tang Jie and two others.

Lady Wei asked the three about their experiences, and Tang Jie, who had already fabricated a story about working in a large household while at the Wu family, was now very skilled at lying.

After listening, Lady Wei asked, "What flowers have you grown? Tell me."

Few people spoke up.

Ordinary flowers weren't valuable to the Wei family, and noble flowers were beyond the reach of young men from poor families.

Seeing no one raise their hands, everyone sighed in relief.

Tang Jie thought for a moment and raised his hand, saying, "I have grown the Thousand Lantern Flower."

All the young men's faces changed dramatically.

"Oh?" Lady Wei became interested: "Tell me, how did you grow it?"

Tang Jie composed himself and answered, "The Thousand Lantern Flower is a needle-shaped flower with sharp thorns on its stem and leaves. It is an extremely drought-resistant plant, and its stem can be used as medicine. If cultivated for ten years, it can develop a certain level of spirituality. It blooms every three years, and because it has many needle-like leaves, when it blooms, it looks like a thousand flowers blooming, hence the name Thousand Lantern Flower."

"Good, very good!" Lady Wei nodded in satisfaction: "Did you learn this from the household you previously worked for?"

"Yes," Tang Jie replied: "The Thousand Lantern Flower doesn't like humid environments, so it is more common in the north. However, it is less common in Canglong Prefecture."

Actually, this flower was left behind by the previous owners when he bought the house.

Tang Jie had heard that the Thousand Lantern Flower was beautiful when it bloomed, so he kept it and took care of it. Unfortunately, after taking care of it for half a year, he never saw it bloom, but it came in handy now.

The Wei family's garden certainly had more than just this flower, but knowing about one was better than knowing none.

"Correct, so it should be treated with extra care," Lady Wei smiled and then turned to the others: "You haven't grown any noble flowers, and that's not your fault. If the Wei family's flowers were the same as ordinary households, it would lower our status. So don't worry, you can learn, and the Wei family will teach you."

Everyone sighed in relief.

Tang Jie felt a bit disappointed, though he didn't expect to be chosen based on this alone, it was a pity that this small advantage couldn't be used.

Lady Wei was patient, asking one question after another, determined to thoroughly investigate these young men.

In terms of performance, none of the eighteen young men matched Tang Jie.

However, Tang Jie knew his biggest problem was his unclear background.

Although he had the guarantee of the two elders of the Wu family, it still couldn't compare to the young men who were born and raised in the Wei family and whose backgrounds were well-known.

Fortunately, he had a plan, so he wasn't afraid of Lady Wei asking too many questions, only that she wouldn't ask enough.

After asking more questions, Lady Wei leisurely said, "If you enter the Wei family, how much salary do you think is appropriate?"

This was a clever question.

Fortunately, the young men were prepared. One of the clever ones answered first, "Of course, it's up to Lady. Whatever Lady gives is fine."

"Exactly, being able to work for the Wei family is a blessing I've earned in my past lives. How could I ask for a salary?"

Another young man, desperate for the opportunity, loudly said, "As long as I can enter the Wei family, I'm willing to work for free!"

Most of the young men were young but acted mature and sensible, which Tang Jie knew was likely due to their parents' guidance.

Seeing everyone express their willingness, Tang Jie thought for a moment and replied, "If Lady is willing, Tang Jie hopes to receive a monthly salary of three guan."

Three guan was equivalent to three thousand copper coins or three taels of silver.

In other words, Tang Jie was asking for a salary of three thousand.

This amount, in the modern world, was normal, but for the young servants of the Wei family, it was astronomical.

No one had ever dared to ask for such a high salary!

For a moment, all the young men looked at Tang Jie in shock, and Qin Yuan was even more surprised. Was this boy crazy? How dare he ask the Wei family for three guan?

Even Lady Wei looked at Tang Jie in surprise: "You want three guan?"

Tang Jie put on a difficult expression and bit his lip, "Yes! Please understand, Lady. I came out to work not only to climb the social ladder but also to earn money for my adoptive parents."

"For the two elders of the Wu family, do they not have enough money?"

"Not exactly," Tang Jie replied: "My adoptive father is old and has a chronic illness from his hard work in his youth. He suffers from joint pain and weakness during rainy weather. Canglong Prefecture is a city with plenty of rain, and I want to buy some spirit medicines for my adoptive parents, but they are very expensive..."

Tang Jie didn't continue, but Lady Wei understood.

"Is that so?" Lady Wei nodded: "I've heard about your story from Qin Yuan. It's quite a coincidence that you were also picked up from the snow by the two elders of the Wu family. You treat the two elders well, and the neighbors speak highly of you. It's rare to find someone who knows gratitude and is a good child."

She smiled and said, "That's enough for today. You can all go now. We will notify you when we make a decision."

The eighteen young men left.

Back at the Wu family, the two elders asked Tang Jie about the situation, and he answered.

When they heard that Tang Jie had asked for three guan, the two elders were dismayed. The old lady complained, "You, who are usually so clever, how can you be so unreasonable today? The other children are willing to work for free, but you want three guan. This is... hopeless."

Tang Jie didn't explain, just smiled, "If it's hopeless, then it's hopeless. Being able to serve the two elders is also good."

The two elders sighed, but there was nothing they could do.

The eighteen young men left, but Lady Wei was still reviewing their profiles. The two maids behind her, seeing no one around, started chatting.

One said, "I think the young man surnamed Li is good," and the other said, "I think the young man surnamed Liu is more suitable." One added, "I think you have a crush on him because he's handsome," and they started to play around.

Lady Wei found it amusing, shook her head, and lightly coughed. The two maids immediately stopped and giggled.

Lady Wei asked, "What are you laughing about?"

One maid replied, "We were thinking about the young man named Tang Jie, who actually dared to ask for three guan. He really has the nerve."

"Exactly, he really thinks the Wei family is begging him to join."

As they spoke, Steward Qin entered. Hearing this, he blushed and bowed, "Lady, the young men have been sent back."

"En."

Qin Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Please don't take what Tang Jie said today to heart."

"To heart?" Lady Wei asked: "What do you mean?"

"About... the three guan salary," Qin Yuan replied.

Lady Wei slowly sipped her tea, "Why, do you think the Wei family can't afford to pay a few guan to hire someone?"

"Of course not, but the boy is unreasonable..."

"I think he is very reasonable," Lady Wei replied: "The two elders of the Wu family saved his life, and he is willing to give up his future to take care of them, showing his kindness and sincerity. At a young age, he understands the importance of filial piety, which is a good thing."

She sighed, "Not everyone you treat well will return the favor. There are many ungrateful people in this world. So when choosing servants, loyalty is the most important. Being clever and quick-witted is good, but sincerity and integrity are even more important."

Qin Yuan was delighted, knowing that there was a chance.

One of the maids said, "But the boy's background is still shallow. You can't know someone's true nature just by their appearance."

Qin Yuan was furious but didn't dare to scold her. Lady Wei hummed, "Are you taking the Li family's side? Just because he's new doesn't mean he's not trustworthy. Even brothers can turn against each other, and a small favor can be repaid with a great one. I chose Qin Yuan as the head steward because he is grateful and reliable. Tang Jie's background may be unclear, but he has a good character and a good heart. I think he is more reliable than those with a clear background."

"Then we'll have to pay him three guan a month," another maid grumbled.

Lady Wei glared at her, poking her forehead with a sharp finger, "You're so petty. What's a few guan? To produce a spirit master for the Wei family, the master would be willing to spend a million taels of silver. You're so short-sighted. Besides, Wu Xing is now studying with Tianzhi. If he knows that we chose the most expensive candidate from his family, he might think we are giving them special treatment. So, it's decided. We'll choose Tang Jie!"

"Your wisdom, Lady!" Steward Qin bowed deeply.

——

PS: Sorry, I overslept.

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