Chapter 50: Scrubbing

As Xu Zaijing’s personal attendant, Qing Yun mostly played the role of a training partner and fellow traveler who grew up alongside him, a comrade he could one day trust with his life on the battlefield.

When Xu Zaijing married, had children, and eventually moved out to live separately, Qing Yun would most likely become his steward or household manager.

Now, the choice Xu Zaijing faced was among actual female servants who would handle part of his clothing and sleep beside him daily.

There was even a required subject: warming the bed.

Before Xu Zaijing took a wife, she might even become his concubine or bed companion.

Xu Zaijing shook his head and drove these thoughts from his mind.

“Subordinate. Subordinate.” He repeated to himself.

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

Most of their eyes held confusion; a few of the more perceptive ones gazed at Xu Zaijing with hopeful anticipation.

Xu Zaijing pointed to the smallest, skinniest, darkest-skinned girl among them and asked:

“What’s your name?”

“This humble maid’s name is Qingcao.”

“How old are you?”

“This humble maid is six years old.”

“You’ll do.”

Xu Zaijing turned back to Qing Yun and said: “Your name’s not so different.”

Qing Yun snorted.

Xiao Dan spoke up loudly beside them:

“The girls chosen by the young masters and mistresses, step forward and recognize your masters. Later, follow Sister Zhu to the side courtyard to learn the rules.”

With that, Xiao Dan returned to Sun Shi’s side.

After the meal, Xu Zaijing and his two brothers continued their studies; the two sisters practiced knotting, embroidery techniques, and visited the kitchen to learn cooking from the cook.

On the way, Qing Yun whispered to his master: “Master, why didn’t you pick one of the prettier ones?”

“Qing Yun, I’m no saint.”

Help one if you can.

‘What if I end up raising a girl who looks like some star from my past life? I couldn’t handle that. By the way, who did I like?’

Xu Zaijing thought to himself.

Winter’s cold was unbearable; when Xu Zaijing first arrived, he thought he’d suffer through the winters.

But over these years, he realized he’d been lucky in his rebirth—he suffered no hardship, no misery.

And Kaifeng, this supercity, used coal, not wood charcoal, almost at all.

Previously,

Xu Zaijing had heard Wu Da Niangzi and his own mother say that

Princess Pingning’s maternal family bore the surname Chai, and the Chai family was the power behind the Zhou Dynasty’s top coal merchants.

Most of the Zhou Dynasty’s coal trade belonged to the Chai family.

Xu Zaijing inwardly whistled—Qi Heng was truly born into luxury; every ancestor above him was nobility, not ordinary meritocrats.

Princess Pingning’s maternal grandparents were the bosses of coal barons.

After years of observation,

Xu Zaijing had seen that even honeycomb coal had been developed by Chai family craftsmen.

Street vendors in Kaifeng used honeycomb coal to heat soup and tea.

Even upscale establishments like Pan Lou had honeycomb coal beneath their food boxes to keep meals warm.

The tea and broth kept ready in Sun Shi’s room were also warmed by honeycomb coal stoves.

Huh.

Moreover, heated beds and heated walls were already common in Kaifeng’s housing.

Wealthy households burned charcoal all day to heat their walls and beds, and used incense burners to warm the rooms.

Xu Zaijing had once visited Wu Da Niangzi’s home when she had just given birth to Liang Liu.

Outside, the north wind howled and water froze on contact; inside, Wu Da Niangzi wore summer-autumn clothes and still felt too warm, the air filled with a soothing, fragrant scent.

Ancient nobles truly lived no worse than modern people—but only a tiny few. The common masses still starved and froze.

The Xu household lacked the Liang family’s extravagance, yet no one ever froze.

Back then, Xu Zaijing’s young mind didn’t dwell on it—he simply had a blacksmith forge an iron stove for his master’s cottage and attached a chimney.

He even added a water tank to the stove.

His master said nothing, but he greatly appreciated it; when clearing snow or feeding the horses, his shoes and clothes always grew damp and cold.

But laid atop the water tank, they dried completely by midnight.

The cottage stayed warm and dry.

This comfort meant more to him than any gold or silver—it was his disciple’s filial devotion.

Two years ago, the Liang family’s servants saw the iron stove, reported it to Wu Da Niangzi, and the Xu household gained another source of income.

In Kaifeng, many noble and wealthy households began installing miniature versions of this iron stove in their carriages, with the water tank mounted on the carriage body.

Before traveling, they heated the water tank and suffered far less from cold and wind.

Hou Fu

Female Servants’ Courtyard

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

Xiao Zhu, Sun Shi’s maid, waved her hand.

Servants carrying charcoal lit the courtyard’s heated walls.

Large cauldrons connected to the heated walls were filled with water; old women pulled the bellows, and the stoves roared to life.

An enormous bathtub was carried into the room by the old women.

Xiao Zhu wasted no time, teaching the young maids how to use the honeycomb coal stoves.

She also explained the daily routines of the five young masters and mistresses.

Afterward, the five young maids stood respectfully in the room.

“Remember this: Hou Fu enforces military discipline. Without the master’s permission, climbing into a young master’s bed means immediate execution!”

“Without the master’s permission, engaging in illicit relations with a male servant means immediate execution!”

Even if you develop affection for someone, you must report it to Lady Sun!”

“For your own lives, remember this well, sisters.”

The young maids, having undergone basic “onboarding training” at the slave market, bowed in unison:

“Yes, thank you, Sister.”

Xiao Zhu nodded slightly, and several old women pulled out scissors.

Some trembled—among them, Qingcao, chosen by Xu Zaijing.

“Extend your hands.”

The old women inspected and trimmed each girl’s fingernails.

At that moment, the large iron cauldron outside had boiled.

Buckets of hot water were carried in on wooden tubs.

The wooden door was loosely sealed with long cloth.

Xiao Zhu looked at the girls and said:

“We’re all sisters. Take off your clothes and let down your hair. The old women will check for lice—those who have any, stand aside.”

The slave market was highly professional; the old women carefully examined the girls’ scalps and found no lice.

Then came thorough scrubbing and washing by the old women, followed by trimming of toenails, after which the five girls, hair loose, changed into new clothes and fresh bedding.

Xiao Zhu pointed to the iron stove and water tank by the window and said:

“This is the water tank—you may get close to dry your hair! But don’t get too close to the stove, or you’ll burn your hair!

No one is allowed to sleep until their hair is dry. If caught sleeping with wet hair, ten strikes on the palm!

If I find any of you sleeping with wet hair while serving the young masters or mistresses, ten lashes.”

Hearing this punishment, Qingcao trembled again.

Something unpleasant seemed to be attacking her memory.

Xiao Zhu continued:

“Sleeping with wet hair causes skin boils, thinning hair, and makes you prone to colds. For your masters’ health and your own, be careful.”

“Qingcao, tomorrow you must rise early—Jing Ge practices martial arts earlier than the others.”

“Sister Zhu, is there someone who will call me?”

“There will be old women on gate duty who knock on your door—stay alert.”

“Yes, thank you, Sister.”

Xiao Zhu left the courtyard to report back to the main lady’s quarters.

One of Sun Shi’s maids remained in the room to oversee matters.

The girls, now in new clothes with loose hair, began chatting.

Those unfamiliar with the stove and water tank gathered curiously nearby, intuitively brushing their hair to dry it.

When their hair was dry, everyone was too tired to keep their eyes open.

Qingcao crawled into bed; the Yongyi Marquis House wasn’t rich enough to give servants cotton quilts.

With the heated wall and many people, the room was quite warm.

Much better than the lodging at the labor agency.

The young girl, drowsy from fatigue, dried her hair and lay on the bed.

Perhaps the bath had been too soothing; she didn’t react when someone touched her hair.

Too weary to check her itchy ears and hands, she fell asleep in the warm quilt.

In her drowsy sleep, she felt someone pushing her.

Qingcao jolted awake!

It was Qingzhi, who had come to the Marquis House with her, older than her.

“A maid just pushed open the door.”

“Oh, thank you, sister.”

Speaking, Qingcao began dressing by the dim glow of the stove.

The other girls were still lost in dreams.

She opened the door and stepped out—a chilling wind blew directly into her face, suffocating her.

Qingcao gasped.

Then she braved the wind and walked to the courtyard gate.

“Auntie, I’m the Third Young Master’s maid—I’m here to serve.”

“Good. Don’t go to the Third Young Master’s courtyard. Go to the horse racing field.”

“And stop by the kitchen to get him a pot of hot water.”

“Yes, Auntie.”

Qingcao carried the hot water pot; the cold wind bit at her, and the places that had itched last night now ached.

At the path outside the horse racing field, Qingcao heard a loud, rhythmic “dong-dong-dong.”

In the morning light, she saw the young master—several years older than her—drawing his bow and shooting arrows; the sound came from arrows striking shields.

“Y-Young Master, your water has come.”

Xu Zaijing turned to look.

Thank you for the support of our esteemed readers.

Please vote.

Please invest.

All kinds of requests.





(End of Chapter)