"Miss Xie, one is prepared by Miss Jiang!"
"Miss Jiang?" Xie Zhinuan felt somewhat surprised.
She thought of the Jade Pendant that she had left lying around carelessly.
She opened the package sent by Li Hengyi.
There was a letter, sealed with lacquer, which Xie Zhinuan opened.
After reading the letter, she smiled slightly.
She opened the other items, glanced at them a couple of times, couldn’t say she liked them or disliked them, and then had Chunyu put them away.
She opened the package from Jiang Hongyan, looked at it and saw the pearl hairpin and jewelry, perhaps because of haste, two items were even damaged.
Xie Zhinuan took one item and looked at it, felt almost no emotion, and also had Chunyu put it away.
Xie Zhinuan only then turned to Duobao and said, "Your master has instructed that you are at my service, are you willing?"
"..."
With pursed lips, Duobao responded with a curtsy, "I am at the young lady’s service!"
There was some reluctance, that was all.
Xie Zhinuan could tell, Duobao was unwilling.
But thinking of what Li Hengyi had said in his heart, after experiencing the kidnapping and losing the medicine, he had completely lost confidence in himself and was filled with self-reproach. Duobao originally was a loyal and outstanding person, a rare good talent, and she hoped that by her side, he could learn some of the kindness and joy that he used to possess but had been ground away by his experiences.
So Xie Zhinuan reluctantly kept him around.
Otherwise, she and Duobao mutually disliked each other so much that she really didn’t want to keep him by her side for reuse.
He could not compare to the few colorful guards, nor to Yuanbao, even less to those dozen or so guards; at least they respected her on the surface, no matter what they thought inside.
But Duobao? He really was the same inside and out, disdainful at heart, unable to pretend convincingly, always revealing scorn and contempt in his eyes.
Seeing him like that, she really wanted to smash his head in.
"Alright, then you will drive the carriage when we go out from now on!"
"..."
Duobao’s eyes widened.
Drive the carriage? A coachman...
Xie Zhinuan, however, waved her hand, "Chunyu, please arrange accommodations for Duobao and the simple girl!"
Xie Zhinuan thought for a moment, "Just by the side of Liunian Courtyard, those two small courtyards, arrange for a couple of people to serve them!"
After all, their status was different, and even though Xie Zhinuan intended to refine Duobao’s character, she still made proper arrangements for their food and accommodation.
The simple girl, as the main manager by her side, deserved more dignity; and she couldn’t have too few people running errands for her.
"There is a room in the young lady’s courtyard, just moving one out for me would be enough," said the simple girl softly.
She was still not accustomed to living on her own.
The main courtyard of Xie Zhinuan had indeed room and a small garden. She thought about it and then agreed, "Alright, then you will live with me!"
As Duobao was taken down, the simple girl asked Xie Zhinuan, "The young lady is really keeping him?"
"Otherwise? To send him back? That would truly humiliate him!"
Coming here, Duobao was already reluctant; if she were to not keep him, with nowhere to go and no courage to beg, he would be a man with nowhere to turn and completely broken in spirit.
"The young lady is too kind-hearted!" the simple girl couldn’t help but exclaim.
Xie Zhinuan smiled but did not elaborate on the matter.
After all, Duobao was a man who valued face.
Aunt Chen came with Nanny He and Nanny Zhang and asked how to arrange for those women and children.
Xie Zhinuan thought for a while and then said, "I’d like to ask them whether they want to start earning money now, or learn some skills first. If they choose to start earning money, then it will be an employment relationship; if they want to learn skills to serve me in the future, I will spend Silver to hire someone to teach them. Let them choose for themselves!"
Nanny He and Nanny Zhang were somewhat surprised, but Aunt Chen felt that this was very much like Xie Zhinuan.