Chapter 1464 - Besties
Xiao Zishan stroked his chin, feeling that he and the Jurisprudence Society people were thinking too "modern."
Li Xiaolü continued, "The maidservants are all poor people from the old society. Becoming a concubine or chambermaid to a Chief means 'security for life' to them. Honestly, in this world, where else would they find men who treat them so well besides the Chiefs? How many would want to leave a Chief for another man because their life is too good? Besides, the so-called 'death-contract' of slavery, from another perspective, equates to 'lifetime employment.' Now with this change, maidservants go from 'state-owned enterprise employees' to 'contract workers'—what do you think they'll think? Both my parents were state-owned enterprise workers; they went through everything from the all-personnel labor contract system in the factories of the Northeast in the '90s to the later layoffs. They tasted all the sweetness and bitterness—for people accustomed to stability, that was truly a bolt from the blue, causing panic. Who could work with peace of mind then? What women facilitate is simply having a man they can follow wholeheartedly. Women of the 21st century can't avoid this cliché, let alone those of the 17th."
"You really are my worthy helpmate," Xiao Zishan said with a smile, increasing the force of his "demonic claws" by a few degrees. "Your analysis is spot on!"
"Hmph, as the old saying goes: 'He who consults with women deserves to die.' You'd better be careful."
"Not at all," Xiao Zishan shook his head. "Your analysis is very accurate. Sometimes human nature and worldly wisdom aren't seen clearly from high places. Sitting high allows one to see far, but it often also leads to self-righteousness."
"By the way, Qiqi has something she wants to report—to report to you specifically."
"Oh? What is it?"
"I heard her mention it and felt it was quite serious, so I had her specifically report it to you."
"Alright. Call her in."
Li Qiqi entered the bedroom and saw her master and Director Xiao sitting on the sofa waiting for her, looking grave, like the Earth God and Earth Goddess. She hurriedly stepped forward, bowing her body, and answered respectfully: "What instructions do the two Chiefs have?"
Li XiaolĂĽ said: "Repeat what you told me yesterday for Director Xiao."
Li Qiqi bowed her waist even lower: "Yes."
She immediately recounted a strange incident that had happened a few days ago when she went to Store No. 43 to buy things.
A few days ago, Li Qiqi had gone to Store No. 43 to buy some fabric. Cao Mama had brought an old-style sewing machine and could both cut and sew, even serving as a consultant for the clothing factory. In her spare time she cut and sewed, so Li XiaolĂĽ's seasonal clothes were the most presentable: other female transmigrators either relied on their own brought inventory or the unreliable skills of local tailors. Usually Cao Mama also made small clothes and quilts for transmigrators' children. Ever since Xiao Zishan sneaked into Li XiaolĂĽ's bed, his clothes had become more polished too.
After buying fabric, she routinely had a cup of tea and a snack in No. 43's tea room—although Cao Mama's cooking skills were top-notch, her snacks were dominated by pancakes, steamed buns, corn bread, and pulled noodles. Li Qiqi was originally a maid from a large southern household and "couldn't get used to all those noodles." The teahouse had rice cakes and baked cookies and pastries. She patronized it every few days to satisfy her cravings. Her favorite was a Yangzhou-style egg yolk thousand-layer cake. However, Li Xiaolü managed her finances strictly, giving her a fixed amount of pocket money each month, forbidding her from spending and putting it on the tab at will like most male transmigrators' maidservants. Thus her personal consumption was limited; to buy a more expensive item, she had to save money like a child. Naturally, she complained about this when socializing with other maidservants.
Recently, Li Qiqi had been wanting to buy a plaid pleated skirt. Just released for sale to maidservants, it had already become popular in their circle. Seeing others look good in it, Li Qiqi wanted one too, but Li XiaolĂĽ had a strict annual budget for her clothes: underwear and socks every six months; skirts, coats, and blouses once a year.
Every time she went to No. 43, she lingered before that dress for a long time, unable to resist touching and looking at it. Naturally, she never bought it.
Over time, the fact that Li Qiqi wanted to buy the skirt but had no money spread within the maidservant circle.
About ten days ago, while she was having tea and snacks at No. 43's tea room, a maidservant said she wanted to return a handkerchief Li Qiqi had dropped, though the handkerchief wasn't actually hers. But they got to know each other through this. Every time she went to No. 43, this maidservant was there too. The two often had tea and snacks together, and sometimes when free, the other would invite her out shopping. "Shopping" and "eating" were the two keys to becoming instant "besties." Back and forth, the two became close.
Maidservants hadn't learned the "AA system" (going Dutch) advocated by some transmigrators, so they mostly treated each other. Li Qiqi said the other party spent generously, paying the bill about two-thirds of the time.
"So rich. Who is she?" Xiao Zishan asked.
Li Xiaolü said: "I noticed these past few days that Qiqi's spending was abnormal—different from her usual habits—so I asked her."
"What, did you interrogate Qiqi?" Xiao Zishan joked.
"I wouldn't be that harsh. I just asked her a few questions. She told me everything. I felt something was wrong right then," Li XiaolĂĽ said. "This felt like deliberate ingratiation. I said, 'Didn't you always want to buy that skirt? Put the word out that yesterday was your birthday.'"
"And the result?"
"The result was that yesterday this maidservant gave Qiqi the pleated skirt, claiming it was a birthday gift." Li XiaolĂĽ said smugly, "Indeed, a person with intentions."
Xiao Zishan nodded, somewhat surprised inwardly. He knew Li XiaolĂĽ seemed reticent and uninterested in anything, but was actually very clever. He hadn't expected her scheming to be no less than anyone else's, always attentive to her surroundings. Just "not contending, not speaking," that was all.
However, although Li XiaolĂĽ held a bunch of titles in architectural planning, she had no real power and was a typical technical cadre. Someone deliberately cultivating her maidservant was obviously taking a roundabout route to target him, the Administrative Office Director.
His expression turned grave as he asked: "What is this maidservant's name?"
"Her name is Sun Shangxiang."
"Sun Shangxiang?" Xiao Zishan remembered many transmigrators' maidservants' names, but this one left no impression. But he knew she must be a maidservant of some "soy sauce transmigrator."
Seeing he wouldn't speak further, Li XiaolĂĽ waved her hand and said to Li Qiqi: "Nothing else for you, you can go."
Li Qiqi, having been bowing nervously while answering, felt granted amnesty upon hearing this. Just as she was about to back out of the room, Xiao Zishan suddenly spoke: "Wait a moment."
Li Qiqi was so scared she nearly sat on the floor. She hurriedly stood still, took two steps forward, and bowed again, awaiting Xiao Zishan's question.
"What do you usually chat about?" Xiao Zishan asked slowly.
Sweat poured down Li Qiqi's face from nervousness. Head bowed, she stammered: "Just household gossip, trivial matters unworthy of the Chiefs' eyes..."
"You never mentioned my coming to your house?"
"The Master gave strict instructions about that. Chief Xiao's visits are matters that can absolutely never be told to outsiders even upon pain of death." Li Qiqi's voice began to tremble.
Li XiaolĂĽ nodded: "I did instruct her. Though it can't be hidden from everyone, family matters shouldn't be spoken of lightly."
"You haven't talked about what you heard at home? For instance, about the maidservant school being abolished?"
This sentence struck like a thunderbolt. Li Qiqi couldn't hold it in anymore and fell to her knees with a thud, nearly kowtowing:
"This slave deserves death! This slave deserves death!"
"Stop with that feudal remnant stuff, stand up and speak!" Xiao Zishan waved his hand in disgust. "We aren't mandarin overlords, nor feudal remnants who beat and scold slaves at will. Just speak the truth! Otherwise..."
"This slave—I know, I know..." Still in shock, Li Qiqi stood up and poured out everything like spilling beans from a bamboo tube, confessing what "things that shouldn't be said" she had roughly mentioned in the tea room at No. 43.
Li XiaolĂĽ grew angrier as she listened. Fragments of her chats with Xiao Zishan had been chewed over and spread by this girl as gossip. Fortunately, she had given preventive shots beforehand, so at least the bedroom secrets between her and Xiao Zishan hadn't been told.
"Besides that Sun Shangxiang, which other maidservants are you close with who might have heard you say these things?"
Trembling all over, Li Qiqi tried hard to recall which households' maidservants might have heard.
Xiao Zishan casually pulled a notebook and a stubby pencil from his pocket, quickly noting down these maidservants' names.
"Just these people?" Xiao Zishan asked. "Anyone else?"
"And then, the waitresses at the teahouse. They might have heard when serving tea..."
"Think carefully again! Did you miss anything?" Li XiaolĂĽ reminded her, majestic without anger.
Li Qiqi racked her brains to recall some details, then replied: "That's all I remember."
Xiao Zishan waved his hand: "Go down. If you think of anything, tell your master immediately. No concealment, understand!"
"Understood." Seeing neither the master nor the director intended to question further, Li Qiqi hurriedly withdrew from the room.
"Women just love to gossip!" Xiao Zishan complained dissatisfiedly.
Li XiaolĂĽ was unhappy: "Obviously it's you not being careful, talking about work as soon as you get home! You violated work discipline first!"
Xiao Zishan acquiesced silently, his brow furrowing. Come to think of it, he had indeed been too careless. He had thought of this household as containing two "quiet gourds"—Cao Mama and Li Xiaolü—forgetting there was also a lively young girl. He had clearly noticed the frequent social activities among maidservants, and the Li house was small... He really had been too careless!
(End of Chapter)