After living in Wanghai Town for more than half a month, Lin Wanwan has now become quite familiar with the surroundings here. She first went to the alleyway 500 meters away to rent a sedan chair and then went directly to find a broker by sedan chair.
This broker was originally recommended to her by Lin Mengli, and they had worked together several times for renting houses and the like.
Little Qingyu was very happy to be able to walk around with Lin Wanwan, showing no signs of the fever she had last night. Children usually don’t get lethargic with minor illnesses, and if they are, it might be serious.
As soon as the shopkeeper at the broker saw Lin Wanwan coming with a child, he immediately instructed a maid to take the child to play in the backyard, and then welcomed Lin Wanwan into the VIP room.
This past month, Lin Wanwan has taken care of their business several times. The shopkeeper thinks Lin Wanwan is a quality customer. So far, Lin Wanwan hasn’t bought any servants, but for a family like hers, they surely need some.
And here she is with business again.
In Xiaoxi Town, Kunlun slaves and New Luo maids are all the rage now. They are in very high demand, even in Chang’an. The three major enjoyments in the aristocratic circles are "Kunlun slaves, New Luo maids, and Pusa Man".
The shopkeeper believes that hermit nobles like Lin Wanwan, coming out from the mountains, should naturally enjoy these.
After presenting a cup of milk drink to Lin Wanwan, Shopkeeper Wang spoke with a smile in his eyes: "Madam Lin, here to buy servants? I have a channel to buy well-trained New Luo maids, are you interested?"
"No, I have other matters to discuss with you; we’ll talk about the maids later." Lin Wanwan indeed intended to buy one.
Because the little fellow is only four years old now, still an age when he can’t leave the sight of adults, but Lin Wanwan can’t take him everywhere she goes. It’s inconvenient and tiring for the child. So, it’s better to hire someone to take care of him. However, this choice must be made carefully.
While modern-day good nannies are hard to find, ancient times’ female servants aren’t hard to come by; just go to a broker.
Besides a nanny to take care of little Qingyu, Lin Wanwan also needs a maid to accompany her when going out. This is a Tang Dynasty custom; noble maidens shouldn’t go out alone. Lin Wanwan also plans to follow local customs.
However, these aren’t urgent matters; the important thing now is to finalize the house building.
"If it’s not for a maid, then what can I help you with, Madam Lin? Just let me know." Shopkeeper Wang lowered his stance because, in front of him, stood a generous patron. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
The one who pays is the esteemed guest, who wouldn’t love that?
Lin Wanwan got straight to the point: "I want to build a house by the sea; can you recommend some good masons?"
Shopkeeper Wang chuckled: "That’s easy. We have information on several well-known craftsmen, among them is an excellent craftsman, Wang Dulei, who designed and supervised the construction of the new temple at Houtao Mountain."
The architectural technology of the Tang Dynasty is quite mature; there are even specialized designers who can provide housing design services. They are collectively known as "craftsmen".
Lin Wanwan nodded slightly: "Oh, so this Wang Dulei is quite a character? When can we invite him for a face-to-face discussion?"
Shopkeeper Wang said: "Wang Dulei doesn’t usually live in Wanghai Town but in Xiaoxi Town. If you’re in a hurry, Madam Lin, I can send someone to invite him tomorrow."
Lin Wanwan replied: "Then please do so."
"Of course, of course," Shopkeeper Wang replied with a smile.
Lin Wanwan took a sip of the milk drink, finding the taste pleasant. She isn’t fond of Tang Dynasty tea, but other drinks like milk drink and dairy concoctions are acceptable.
Shopkeeper Wang, having entertained Lin Wanwan several times, naturally knows she doesn’t like tea. From then on, it was never served again, replaced entirely with beverages favored by children.
After drinking a couple of sips, Lin Wanwan asked curiously: "What’s the deal with the New Luo maids you mentioned earlier?"
As for maids, Lin Wanwan hadn’t researched much but vaguely remembered that there was a saying in history about Chang’an people loving to keep Kunlun slaves. Kunlun slaves actually refer to black slaves, but what about New Luo maids? New Luo—modern Korea. So, New Luo maids are maids from Korea?
Lin Wanwan felt a bit uncomfortable about using people of the same ethnicity as servants, but if it were foreign people, she had no such psychological burden.
In the early Tang Dynasty, the Korea Peninsula was divided into three countries: Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje. Due to the sparse population in early Tang, there was frequent population exchange between Tang Dynasty and Silla. Some Silla people ended up as servants in Tang Land due to war.
Shopkeeper Wang laughed and explained: "The three most popular treasures in Chang’an City now are Kunlun slaves, New Luo maids, and Pusa Man. Kunlun slaves are ugly but honest and strong, New Luo maids are gentle, obedient, hard-working, and capable, while Pusa Man are beautiful, skilled singers and dancers, the highest status among the three, and the most expensive."
Lin Wanwan commented: "In simple terms, Kunlun slaves and New Luo maids are for doing work for their masters, while Pusa Man serves with beauty. No matter how high the price, that is still superficial. Alright, help me keep an eye on Kunlun slaves and New Luo maids then."
Shopkeeper Wang clapped lightly, and a young attendant came in with a stack of drawing papers, placing them on the desk in front of Lin Wanwan to browse through.
Lin Wanwan looked through the portraits one by one, realizing that these paintings were not realistic at all. It’s pointless to look at them.
Relying on her intuition, Lin Wanwan picked out three sheets and said, "These will do. Can this Kunlun slave drive a carriage?"
Shopkeeper Wang glanced at them and laughed, quoting: "Madam Lin has a good eye. This Kunlun slave is the tallest one among them and has no problems with driving a carriage; all have been trained. He’s worth ten quans; the two New Luo maids are also the most gentle and hard-working among them, worth eight quans each."
Lin Wanwan smiled faintly: "I suppose you would say that no matter who I chose?"
Shopkeeper Wang exclaimed his innocence, followed by writing the contract and paying the deposit. After everything was settled, a maid brought little Qingyu back from the backyard. The little guy had crumbs from a pastry at the corner of her mouth, still holding half a peach pastry in one hand.
"Did you wash your hands?"
Little Qingyu nodded quickly: "I washed them clean before eating."
Lin Wanwan nodded with a smile: "Good, well done. Let’s go home."
When night fell, little Qingyu indeed got a fever again. Lin Wanwan took an ear thermometer from the locked box and measured her temperature—38.3 degrees, not at the level needing medication yet.
She tore off a fever-reducing patch and applied it to the little one’s forehead. The little one seemed uncomfortable and kept trying to take it off. Lin Wanwan held her hand still, and after a while, the little one got used to it and continued sleeping.
Lin Wanwan checked the time; it was 8 PM in the Tang Dynasty, which should be 6 AM in modern times. A day’s plan lies in morning; it’s just the right time to get things done.