Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Xu Ke hated the upper class. They had killed his innocent mother, and they had almost killed him. After losing all his dignity by becoming a “commodity” in the slave market, he had planned to avenge his mother one day by gaining importance in the court. Then he would be able to make those dregs of society, who viewed commoners’ lives as nothing but grass, pay.
Of course, that was his desperate and improbable imagination. The local gentry and nobles could kill him as if he were an ant. Besides, he had become a tattooed slave, and that crushed any glimmer of hope he had in becoming an official.
But then a door opened in his life when he was bought by the strange Langjun, who was now walking in front of him. He thought the Langjun would be too arrogant to listen to others’ opinions, but to his surprise, he accepted his suggestions readily.
The Langjun only heeded his advice because he found it helpful, but his open-mindedness surprised Xu Ke. He was certain that Jiang Pengji was like a seemingly lazy yet deadly tiger.
Jiang Pengji was not like those other pretentious b*tches. She was pure and true!
For instance, he had heard from other servants that the second branch of the Liu house was much more affluent than the other noble families. So why was the Langjun, the only legitimate son of Master Liu, so familiar with the prices of food at the market? His knowledge was the most up-to-date!
Or maybe he simply had an excellent memory.
But... why was he haggling with the shopkeepers? Isn’t that what peasants did?
Jiang Pengji was so skillful at bargaining that Xu Ke widened his mouth and wondered if the family had become destitute.
Stream viewers who were eating in front of the screen also dropped their food at the scene.
Shitang Dafan Ayi: “Host, is there anything you cannot do? My heart beats faster even when you are bargaining!”
Lancui Yu Buzhe: “That is very down to earth. But my host, don’t you see that the shopkeeper is going to cry?”
Wujiang Zhacai Ye: “Hahaha! A victim of the host bully!”
Bufu Nilaidawoa: “Sigh. I cannot imagine what would happen if the host lived in our dimension. I run a boutique, and I would probably have to sell at cost to myself for customers like the host.”
Though the viewers expressed sympathy for the shopkeeper, they enjoyed watching Jiang Pengji lowering the price lower and lower.
But they were not the only audience. Xu Ke, too, was witnessing everything.
“Langjun, this is...” He was going to say “too stingy,” but he feared that would annoy her. Instead, he said, “not good for your image.”
If others knew about this, they would criticize Jiang Pengji even if he had maintained his manner throughout the process.
Jiang Pengji said indifferently, “As if my image is not quite negative already. Who has not heard about the Lius’ dissolute son? The traders thought a young teen from a well-off family would be unaware about the price of food, so they raised the bill from one dollar to ten. We have money, but that does not make me an easy target. Does it?”
Chanshiguan: “All I see are the traders becoming easy targets.”
All the viewers agreed.
Xu Ke was speechless. What happened at Wan River brought Jiang Pengji some approval but also the reputation of being “dissolute.” However, the Langjun could not care less about what other people said, and he was not afraid of admitting it.
“Besides, how will they know my name? If they ask, I will simply say I am Xu Xiaoyu, the page boy of Liu Langjun.” Her response caused Xu Ke to stumble.
So he was not a page boy but a scapegoat?
After the two walked around, Jiang Pengji asked, “Have you got them all?”
Xu Ke nodded. His memory was not as strong as Jiang Pengji’s, but it was good enough to remember what he observed.
“Very well. You are responsible for the new servants’ daily lives, so you should make an accounting book to keep all the records. You must also monitor their training progress. Anyone who does not obey must be punished as stated in our plan, and those who perform well should be given rewards. There are not many servants right now, so this should not be a challenging task.”
Jiang Pengji had bought Xu Ke for multiple posts. Xu Ke needed to keep the maintain the accounting book, manage internal affairs, and supervise the servants’ training. Liu She had given her absolute freedom to decide over these matters. But frankly, she had never needed anyone to tell her what to do.
Before Xu Ke responded, she added, “This is my training for you. You need experience if you want to manage the farmhouse and prevent dishonest servants from deceiving you. Purchasing food may appear simple, but it is complicated.”
Both the quality and quantity of the food could make a difference, and he must not be fooled by greedy servants.
For a while, Xu Ke was too stunned to speak. He gazed at her longer than he should have.
Jiang Pengji asked, “What are you looking at?”
Jiang Pengji had changed his opinion about the upper class.
He mildly replied, “I never thought Langjun would be so familiar with these kinds of tasks.”
The Langjun had been raised as a precious child of the family. Then why did he know about the products in every shop and their corresponding prices even better than Xu Ke, who was once a commoner?
“Ha! You were going to say I am stingy. What changed your mind so soon?”