Chapter 30: Handling

Lin Wen and the others encountered Qi Biao at the school. Qi Biao was also there to enroll, but unlike the others, he had no parents accompanying him—he was handling everything alone. After completing their respective procedures, Qi Biao, as usual, followed Lin Wen without needing an invitation. He completely ignored Lin Meng’s sarcastic remarks, glares, and provocations along the way.

“Little sister, little sister, look! Fifth Brother bought you candied hawthorns!”

As soon as he entered, Lin Wu rushed to Lin Fang, waving a stick of candied hawthorns in front of her but refusing to hand it over. He waited for her to call him “Fifth Brother” and beg him for it. He loved hearing his little sister’s sweet, soft voice.

*Hmph, trying to play hard to get, are you? Well, I won’t give in. Let’s see what you do—it’s not like you won’t give me the candied hawthorn eventually.* Lin Fang turned her head away, pretending not to care, and closed her eyes, basking in the warm sunlight. Little did anyone know, she had zero resistance to sweet-and-sour treats—her mouth was already watering.

“Little sister, these candied hawthorns are delicious. I picked the biggest one just for you. Won’t you try it?”

Little Lin Wu felt a bit defeated. *Dad said she’d like it, so why is she ignoring me?*

The candied hawthorn was right at her lips now—might as well take a bite. Lin Fang opened her mouth and popped one into her mouth, startling Li Cuimei and Nanny Liu, who hurriedly coaxed her to spit it out. Such a large piece could easily choke her. Lin Wu froze in shock, his little hand still holding the candied hawthorn in midair, unsure what to do.

“Giggle—” Lin Fang spat the candied hawthorn into Nanny Liu’s hand and burst into laughter.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Li Cuimei tapped Lin Fang’s nose and scolded playfully, “You little imp! You nearly scared me to death!”

“Nanny Liu, take the candied hawthorn and crush it for little sister,” Lin Wu said, no longer daring to tease her. He handed it over and added, “Make sure to remove the seeds.”

*Hah, this kid is really clever. Fine, I won’t tease you anymore—I’ll give you what you want.* Lin Fang opened her little mouth and called out, “Fifth Brother.”

“Yes—!”

Finally getting his wish, Lin Wu grinned from ear to ear, making everyone around laugh. Even the usually sullen Lin Cui’e cracked a smile, while Lin Juan reached out to pinch Lin Wu’s chubby cheeks. As for that dark-skinned boy, Lin Fang completely ignored him.

*Dark-skinned… Hmm, Big Brother once had a dog named ‘Blackie.’ That fits this kid perfectly. Haha, from now on, I’ll call him Blackie.*

“Giggle—” Everyone saw Lin Fang laughing happily and joined in, but no one knew that in that moment, she had just bestowed the mighty “Black-Faced God” with a dog’s name.

Nanny Liu’s second granddaughter, Er Ya, came in carrying a bundled-up toddler, followed by the newly bathed maids. They lined up to greet the family. Today, after handing over her duties, Er Ya would return to the village with her mother, who needed to prepare for farm work. Meanwhile, Er Ya and her elder sister would serve the Second Elder Madam’s household.

“You—why are you hiding?”

Lin Wen’s slightly stern tone drew everyone’s attention to an eight-year-old maid.

“N-no, I’m not.”

Though she denied it, the girl was clearly a step behind the neatly lined-up group, her head bowed lower than the others.

“You—lift your head.” Li Cuimei’s eyes flashed sharply. This maid was meant to stay by her side to help Nanny Liu care for Lin Fang—she couldn’t afford any carelessness.

“Yes, Madam.”

The maid raised her head, glanced quickly at Lin Fang, then lowered it again.

Nanny Liu barked, “How dare you! Madam told you to raise your head, and you disobey?”

“N-no, I wouldn’t dare!”

The maid slowly lifted her head, but her eyes remained downcast, fixed on the ground.

Now everyone understood. Lin Cui’e frowned and commanded, “Raise your head and look at the Sixth Young Miss.”

*Oh, is she scared of me? Really?* Lin Fang didn’t realize that the blood tumor on her face changed with her emotions, especially when excited—it turned so red it seemed to drip blood. Her family was used to it, so she hadn’t noticed. But for an eight-year-old girl, fear was only natural.

The little maid finally raised her head, her eyes flickering toward Lin Fang, but her lips trembled as she fought back tears.

Li Cuimei sighed. “Forget it, Cui’e. Don’t force her. If she’s afraid, call the matchmaker and send her back. As for the rest of you—if anyone else doesn’t wish to stay, step back now.”

The toddler in Er Ya’s arms squirmed free and hid behind the little maid, peeking at the group before ducking back again.

“This one can go too.” Li Cuimei had originally kept the toddler as a playmate for Lin Wu and out of pity for his young age away from his parents. But if he didn’t want to stay, she wouldn’t trouble herself over a stranger.

Another issue arose during the maid assignments. One maid, originally meant for Lin Juan, thought serving a niece of the household held no future. Another, intended for Lin Cui’e, loved embroidery and noticed Lin Juan always had an embroidery hoop in hand. The two had secretly agreed to switch masters while bathing. When questioned by Li Cuimei, they confessed—though the one disdainful of the “niece young miss” only claimed she preferred reading, since Lin Cui’e happened to be holding a book.

Lin Cui’e was too young to be called “Madam” or “Young Miss” properly, so Li Cuimei settled on “Niece Young Miss.”

Li Cuimei laughed in exasperation. “Hah! You’re not here to be maids—you’re here to be young mistresses yourselves! Switching masters behind my back? Who knows, one day you might sell off your masters instead! Nanny Liu, these two can’t stay either.”

“Madam, we won’t dare again! We won’t switch! Please keep us!” At the matchmaker’s, they only got half-full meals, endured strict training, and faced beatings for mistakes. Now that someone was willing to take them in, the thought of returning was unbearable—they knew life would be even harsher.

“Silence! Your fate isn’t yours to decide. Blame your own greed at such a young age.”

Nanny Liu’s sharp rebuke shut them up, leaving only quiet sobs.

Of the remaining two women and two maids, Li Cuimei asked, “Does anyone else have any ‘ideas’? Speak now.”

All four insisted they had none. Seeing how decisively Madam handled dissent, who would dare voice objections? If they had any, they’d wait for a better opportunity—speaking up now would be suicidal.

The matchmaker, seeing half her sold servants returned the same day, forced a stiff smile and muttered a few apologies before hastily leading her group away. Lin Fang was startled by how buying and selling people was treated like trading goods—complete with official documentation—but she reminded herself to adapt to this world’s rules.

“Young Master Qi, is there any dish you particularly enjoy? I’ll have the cook prepare it.”

Qi Biao had observed the household affairs without any intention of leaving, something the Lin family was used to. But since they were raising their children properly, Li Cuimei made sure to set an example—a guest was a guest, past behavior aside.

“Madam needn’t trouble yourself. I’ll follow Lin Wen’s lead.”

*Huh? Blackie knows how to be polite?* Lin Fang struggled to keep her drowsy eyes open, glancing at Qi Biao’s solemn face before drifting off to sleep.

After the day’s chaos, Li Cuimei was exhausted. Had it not been for setting an example, she’d have left the trivial matters to Nanny Liu. Since Qi Biao deferred to Lin Wen, she handed the remaining tasks to Nanny Liu and carried Lin Fang to rest.

Her husband, the eldest Lin brother, hadn’t interfered—household matters were the mistress’s domain. His role was to earn more silver for his family’s comfort. As he turned to follow his wife, Gui Cheng called from the courtyard, “Elder Brother, I’d like to discuss something.”

Once master and servant, now brothers, the transition felt natural. Gui Cheng spoke freely, and the eldest Lin brother listened with a smile. “What is it? If it’s about the carriage, just buy whichever you like—no need to consult me.”

“It’s not the carriage. Elder Brother, I went to inspect the land for fish farming and wondered—should we hire workers temporarily or buy servants?”

“What do you think?”

“I believe buying servants would be better. Hired hands might not be trustworthy.”

“I’m here—!”

Before they could continue, a little girl dashed in, followed by a panting Li Cuilian.