Chapter 47: Scrub-a-Dub-Dub

As Xu Xu Zaijing's personal attendant, Brother Qingyun mostly played the role of a sparring brother, a friend who grew up alongside him, and a comrade-in-arms to whom one could entrust one's life should they ever go to war.

In the future, when Xu Xu Zaijing married, had children, and established a separate household, Brother Qingyun would most likely become a steward or house manager.

Now, the choice Xu Xu Zaijing faced was that of a true female servant; she would be responsible for part of his clothing and attend him by his side during his daily sleep.

There was also the compulsory subject of warming the bed.

Before Xu Xu Zaijing took a wife, she might even become a bed-warming maid or a concubine.

Xu Xu Zaijing shook his head, casting these thoughts out of his mind.

"Subordinate, subordinate," he repeated in his heart.

His gaze swept over the faces of all the future maids in the courtyard.

Most of their eyes were filled with confusion, while a few who were early-maturing looked at Xu Xu Zaijing with eyes full of hope.

Xu Xu Zaijing pointed to the one among them who was the smallest in stature and had a dark, thin face, and asked,

"What is your name?"

"This humble servant's name is Seeing Seeing Qingcao."

"How old are you this year?"

"This humble servant is six years old."

"Then it will be you."

Xu Xu Zaijing turned his head to look at Brother Qingyun and said, "Your names are quite similar."

Brother Qingyun pursed his lips.

Nearby, Xiao Dan announced in a clear voice:

"The younger sisters chosen by the young masters and young ladies should acknowledge their respective masters; shortly, follow Sister Xiao Zhu to the courtyard next door to learn the rules."

Having finished speaking, Xiao Dan returned to Sun Shi's side.

After everyone had eaten, the three Xu brothers naturally continued their studies, while the two sisters learned knot-tying and various embroidery techniques, and would also go to the kitchen to learn some cooking knowledge from the female cooks.

Walking along the road, Brother Qingyun asked his Young Master in a low voice, "Young Master, why didn't you choose one of those with better complexions?"

"Brother Qingyun, I am no saint."

If I can help one person, then I will help one person.

'What if I raise a beauty similar to a certain celebrity from my previous life? I truly couldn't handle that. By the way, who did I like again?'

Xu Xu Zaijing thought silently to himself.

The cold of winter was unbearable; when Xu Xu Zaijing first arrived, he had thought his winters would be very difficult to endure.

But over these years, he discovered he had been blessed with a good reincarnation; he suffered no hardship and found nothing difficult to endure.

Furthermore, this super-city of Bianjing used coal, consuming very little charcoal.

Previously,

Xu Xu Zaijing had once heard Wu Wu Daniang and his own mother speak of how

Princess Princess Pingning's mother's maiden name was Chai, and the Chai family was the power behind the foremost coal merchants of the Great Zhou Dynasty;

most of the coal business in the Great Zhou belonged to the Chai family.

Xu Xu Zaijing clicked his tongue silently in his heart; this Qi Heng was truly Jin Zunyu, noble and precious, and counting up from him, there was not a single ordinary noble family.

Princess Princess Pingning's maternal grandmother's family was essentially the boss of the coal bosses.

From observations over these past few years,

Xu Xu Zaijing saw that even honeycomb coal had been developed by the Chai family's artisans.

Street vendors in Bianjing used honeycomb coal to heat soups and teas.

Moreover, at established restaurants like the prestigious Fan Lou, honeycomb coal was placed beneath food boxes to maintain their warmth.

The tea soup usually prepared in Sun Shi's room was also kept ready using a stove fueled by honeycomb coal.

Hiss.

Furthermore, heated kang beds and heated walls were already very common structural features in Bianjing houses.

Wealthy families naturally burned charcoal all day to heat the walls and kang beds, and there were also incense burners in the rooms to provide additional warmth.

Xu Xu Zaijing had once visited Wu Wu Daniang's home; at that time, she had just given birth to Liang Liu Lang.

Outside, the north wind howled and dripping water turned to ice, yet inside Wu Wu Daniang's room, wearing clothes suitable for summer or autumn felt somewhat hot, and the room was filled with a heart-refreshing fragrance.

The ancient nobility indeed lived no worse than modern people, but those were an extremely small minority; the ordinary masses still had to suffer hunger and cold.

The Xu family did not possess the extravagant luxury of the Liang family, but in daily life, no one froze.

At that time, Xu Xu Zaijing's little head did not overthink things; he simply found a blacksmith to forge an iron stove for his master's small hut and installed a flue pipe.

The flue pipe was also equipped with a hot water tank for the stove.

Although his master said nothing, he found it extremely useful; when clearing snow and feeding horses in daily life, his shoes and clothes would always become damp and icy cold.

But when laid upon the water tank, they dried completely within half a night.

The small hut was warm yet not dry.

This brought him far more comfort than any gold or silver could; this was the filial piety of a disciple.

Two years ago, servants of the Liang family saw this iron stove, reported it to their mistress Wu Wu Daniang, and thus the Xu family gained another source of income.

In Bianjing, many noble and wealthy families began installing miniature versions of this iron stove in their carriages, with the water tank attached to the carriage compartment.

By heating the water tank before departure, they suffered far less from wind-chill illnesses.

Marquis Marquis Yongyi's Hou Fu

The Female Servants' Courtyard

The future female servants chosen by the five young masters and young ladies all lived in this courtyard.

Xiao Zhu, the female servant attending Sun Shi, waved her hand.

Servants carrying braziers lit the fire walls in the courtyard.

The large pots on the stoves connected to the fire walls were filled with clear water; the old women pumped the bellows, and the stoves roared to life.

The old women carried a large bathing tub into the room.

Xiao Zhu did not waste time, teaching the little maids in the room how to use the honeycomb coal stoves.

She also explained the daily schedules of the young masters and young ladies to them.

After the explanation, the five little maids stood respectfully in the room.

"You must all know that Hou Fu governs the household with military law; anyone who climbs into a young master's bed without the master's permission will be beaten to death on the spot!"

"Anyone who engages in illicit affairs with the household boys without the master's permission will be beaten to death on the spot!

Even if mutual affection arises, you must still report it to Wu Da Da Niangzi!

For the sake of your own lives, sisters, you must remember this well."

The little maids, who had undergone simple 'onboarding training' at the slave market, all bowed and said,

"Yes, thank you, Sister."

After speaking, Xiao Zhu lifted her chin, and several Guan Guan Pozi brought out scissors.

Some of the timid ones shivered, including Seeing Seeing Qingcao, the maid selected by Xu Xu Zaijing.

"Hold out your hands."

The Guan Guan Pozi used the scissors to inspect and trim the fingernails of the several maids.

By this time, the water in the large iron cauldrons outside was already boiling.

Bucket after bucket of hot water was carried in inside wooden pails.

Long strips of cloth were used to roughly seal the wooden doors within the room.

Xiao Zhu looked at the several maids and said,

"We are all sisters; take off your clothes and let down your hair. Let the several Momo inspect you; anyone with lice stand aside."

The slave market was quite professional; the several Guan Guan Pozi carefully inspected the little maids' heads and found none carrying lice.

Following this was a thorough scrubbing and washing by the old Momo, along with trimming their toenails, before the five maids, with hair hanging loose, changed into new clothes and were given new bedding.

Xiao Zhu then pointed to the iron stove and hot water tank by the window and said,

"This is a hot water tank; you can get close to dry your hair! Do not get too close to the iron stove, lest you singe your hair!

No one is allowed to sleep before their hair is dry; those who do will receive ten strikes on the palm!

As for those serving the young masters and young ladies, if I discover any of you letting them sleep with wet hair, you will receive ten lashes."

Hearing this punishment, Seeing Seeing Qingcao shivered again.

It seemed some unpleasant memory was attacking her.

Xiao Zhu continued speaking:

"Sleeping with wet hair can easily cause acne, thinning hair, and makes one prone to catching a cold. For the sake of the masters' health, and your own, sisters, you must be careful."

"That Seeing Seeing Qingcao, you must rise earlier tomorrow; Young Master Jing needs to practice martial arts, which is earlier than the others."

"Sister Xiao Zhu, will someone come to call?"

"The Guan Guan Pozi on gate duty and night watch will knock on the door; just stay alert."

"Yes, thank you, Sister."

Xiao Zhu exited the courtyard to return to the main mistress's courtyard and report.

There was still a maid from Sun Shi's quarters residing in this room to oversee the 'overall situation'.

The maids, now in new clothes with their hair hanging loose, began to talk.

Those who had never seen a fire stove or water tank curiously gathered around, instinctively smoothing their hair as it dried.

By the time their hair was dry, everyone was tired enough to squint.

Seeing Seeing Qingcao lay down in her bedding; Marquis Marquis Yongyi's Hou Fu was not yet wealthy enough to provide cotton quilts for the servants.

Because of the fire walls and the number of people, the room was quite warm.

It was much better than the lodging at the slave market.

Young and drowsy, she lay on the bed after drying her hair,

Perhaps the bath had been too comfortable, for she did not react even when she sensed someone touching her hair.

Lacking the energy to check her slightly hot and itchy ears and hands, she fell asleep in the warm bedding.

In her deep sleep, she felt someone pushing her.

Seeing Seeing Qingcao woke with a start!

It was Sister Qingzhi, who had come to Hou Fu with her, slightly older than she.

"A Guan Guan Pozi is pushing open the door."

"Oh, thank you, Sister."

After speaking, Seeing Seeing Qingcao began to dress in the dim light of the stove fire.

The other little sisters were still in sweet dreams.

Pushing open the door and stepping out of the room, a suffocating cold wind blew straight into her face.

Seeing Seeing Qingcao choked.

Then, bracing against the wind, she made her way to the courtyard gate.

"Guan Pozi, I am the maid of the Third Young Master; I am going to attend to him."

"Good. Do not go to the Third Young Master's courtyard; go to the horse racing grounds instead.

On the way, fetch a pot of hot water for the Third Young Master from the kitchen."

"Yes, Guan Pozi."

Seeing Seeing Qingcao held the hot water kettle; the cold wind blew, and the spot that had been hot and itchy last night now felt somewhat painful.

Arriving in the corridor outside the racecourse, Seeing Seeing Qingcao heard only the loud clanging sound of *clang, clang, clang*.

By the morning light, Seeing Seeing Qingcao saw that Young Master, who was several years older than her, drawing a bow to shoot arrows; the sound was that of arrows striking shields.

"Y-Young Master, your water has arrived."

Xu Xu Zaijing turned to look.

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(End of chapter)