Wufu, in her previous life, was an orphan and didn’t have any particularly in-depth ideas about family development and inheritance. She understood her own circumstances well, unencumbered by attachments, which actually gave her a sense of freedom. Therefore, she also hadn’t bothered to learn how a family should develop or what exactly made a great household.
She was unaware, but Xiao Li was very much aware; not only aware but also intimately familiar—it couldn’t be helped, considering his master was no ordinary person.
Thus, Xiao Li’s suggestions were all aimed at what it meant to be a great household. If she were to act as a Clan Matron, how she should manage household affairs and take charge of matters.
Seeing Wufu’s bewildered look, Xiao Li felt, for a moment, as if he had become a housekeeper.
"We don’t need too many people to assist," Wufu pondered, thinking of Madam Zhou’s temperament—too gentle. It was essential to have someone smart and alert by her side, someone who could offer timely advice when necessary.
But Hongyu was too young. Still half a girl herself, she would only turn eleven next year. No matter how clever, how could she serve Madam Zhou?
"Miss, as long as you have an idea in mind, that’s fine," Xiao Li said with a smile.
In the midst of their conversation, Ji Yongqing and his family came to kowtow and pay their respects. Wufu allowed them to enter, formally meeting them as the master of the house.
"We’ve come to kowtow and greet the young miss."
The family of four knelt down and kowtowed in unison.
With a call from Wufu for them to rise, she looked at them. Ji Yongqing was the first she had met—an honest and loyal man with slightly thick lips.
His wife, Sister-in-law Qing, looked to be in her forties, wearing a round bun with clothes washed to a near white, yet very clean, and a smile on her lips that suggested a straightforward vigor.
And their daughter, Ji Mei, kept her head slightly lowered and hands clasping her dress, with her lips gently pursed.
Ji Tongzi, their son, was thirteen, with a round face and eyes that spun lively, displaying a certain cleverness.
"We’re short of hands at home for now. Uncle Ji at the gatehouse, Sister-in-law Qing will be assigned to the kitchen for the time being, and Tongzi will run errands and sweep in the front yard," Wufu said indifferently, looking at Ji Mei. "Ji Mei, your name coincides with Madam’s. Change it... Let’s call you Qiu Ye."
Ji Mei, no, Qiu Ye knelt down to kowtow: "Thank you for the name, miss."
"For now, Qiu Ye, you can undertake the rough chores and cleaning in the back courtyard," Wufu added.
Upon hearing this, a flash of disappointment crossed Qiu Ye’s eyes.
"Haven’t you thanked the miss yet?" Sister-in-law Qing nudged her.
"Qiu Ye thanks the miss," she said.
"You’ve just arrived, and I have not yet seen your abilities; that is why I’ve made such arrangements. But let me make it clear, I may not have good eyes, but I am not blind—I can recognize your capabilities and will place you where you fit best. However, there is one thing: I do not want to see any deceitful scheming or underhanded harm," Wufu’s voice carried a chill. "Once discovered, there will be no second chance."
The warning in her words sent a shiver through them, instinctively making them look at the seated young miss.
Not yet of age, still showing a hint of youthful tenderness, she might have been in coarse clothes, and her features not stunning, but her posture was upright, her eyes deep and dark with an imposing silence that discouraged direct gazes and any doubt about the seriousness of her words.
Ji Yongqing and the others quickly raised their heads and knelt down again, assuring her of their loyalty while, at the same time, wondering—wasn’t it said that this household wasn’t particularly wealthy? How could the young girl possess such an untouchable air, not at all inferior to an Official’s daughter, even perhaps surpassing them?
Was the miss truly only fourteen? How did she exude a sense of someone who had weathered a thousand sails!