Chapter 12: Servants (Part 2)
After the inspection, they returned to the main hall. Gao Qing presented the household inventory. Xiao Zishan gave it a cursory glance and accepted it. The three men then huddled around the table, sketching a rough floor plan of the building on a notepad.
“You’re a real cheapskate, Zishan,” Wang Luobin said as he drew. “Worried about a little cured meat and rice? It’s not easy for them to support a family. Just give it to them. It would buy their loyalty.”
Xiao Zishan chuckled. “Engineer Wang, the gift list includes forty shi of rice alone. At late Tianqi prices, that’s forty taels of silver.”
“So what? Are you going to sell the rice?”
“Forty taels of silver is four years’ wages for Gao Qing and his wife. If we give them that much now, what will we give them in the future?”
“If we give too much, their expectations will be higher,” Wen Desi mused.
“Exactly,” Xiao Zishan said. “The Gao family is struggling, but they’re getting by. We don’t know their background yet. There’s no need to rush to be the good guys. I’m certain Master Gao has instructed him to keep an eye on us.”
“Yes, that’s likely.”
“So, it’s too early to try and win him over. He doesn’t know us, and he’s afraid of us. Besides, he’s done nothing to earn such a reward. If we give him so much now, he’ll just report it to Master Gao. We’ll have given away a fortune for nothing.”
“True. But we should try to win him over.”
“Favors must be given, but small ones, gradually. Over time, he’ll see the benefits of being loyal to us. And he’s not one of Master Gao’s confidants, so he’ll be easier to turn.”
“Not a confidant? This is Master Gao’s safe house. The caretaker must be a trusted man.”
“Didn’t you hear him? He was only assigned here a few weeks ago. And a true confidant, Master Gao would never give to us.”
“Maybe he was lying. Maybe everything he said was a lie.”
“It’s possible. But I don’t think so. Gao Qing has a look of sorrow about him, a dullness in his eyes. He’s not a clever man. And Master Gao’s attitude towards us is one of cautious utilization. He wouldn’t invest too much in monitoring us.”
“So what’s the plan?”
“We’ll still give them some small favors…”
As they were talking, Mrs. Gao came to ask about dinner. Xiao Zishan glanced at his watch. It was already four in the afternoon.
“No need for dinner. Call your family.”
“I’d like to try Ming Dynasty food,” Wang Luobin said wistfully.
“I hear it’s heavy on the spices…”
The family arrived. Mrs. Gao was dark and thin, her eyes downcast. She seemed a woman of few words. The boy had a lively spark in his eyes, though he tried to maintain a serious expression. The girl, however, was different. Her skin was fair, her eyes large, her nose small and straight. She was taller than her brother, over 1.6 meters, Xiao Zishan estimated. A doubt crept into his mind.
“What is your name?” he asked the girl.
She looked at him, startled, and stammered, unable to speak.
“The master is asking you a question!” Gao Qing barked, then bowed. “The girl has not seen the world. She has no formal name…”
“Let her speak for herself. You are her father. You can speak for her for a time, but can you speak for her for a lifetime?”
“This servant… is called Gao Dajie…”
Xiao Zishan nearly choked on his tea. Engineer Wang and Chief Wen were struggling to keep from laughing. Gao Dajie—Gao Big Sister. A grand name. Looking closer, she did have a certain slender, long-legged look, reminiscent of Michelle Yeoh.
The Gao family stared, bewildered, at their new masters’ strange reaction.
“A country girl,” Gao Qing said apologetically. “She was never given a proper name.”
“It’s nothing,” Xiao Zishan laughed. “Since you have no name, we’ll give you one.” A mischievous glint appeared in his eye. “We’ll call you Gao Lujie (Colgate).”
Wen Desi: “Our goal?”
Wang Luobin: “No cavities!”
The three of them burst into laughter. The Gao family could only stand by, a forced smile on their faces, as their new masters howled with mirth.
Wen Desi thought the girl was a budding beauty by modern standards, though not the type favored in the Ming Dynasty. She was a bit thin, her assets limited. With some proper nourishment, though…
“How old is this girl?”
“Re… replying to master,” Gao Qing stammered, a bad feeling rising in his gut as he saw Master Wen’s eyes roaming over his daughter. “Four… fourteen.”
Fourteen. A standard loli. A pity he was too busy to train one.
Xiao Zishan, who had practiced calligraphy as a child, wrote the three characters “Gao Lujie” on a piece of paper.
“Thank you, master, for bestowing a name,” Gao Qing said, leading his daughter to kowtow.
“Get up. We are master and servant, one family. There is no need for such ceremony,” Xiao Zishan said. “Your and your wife’s wages will remain the same.”
“Thank you, master.” Gao Qing was relieved.
“Your family has a heavy burden. I will give you half a shi of rice every month. This will save you some expense.”
“Master is benevolent!” Gao Qing was moved to tears. Half a shi of rice was enough to feed his family for a month. It was equivalent to a raise of five qian of silver.
“Here are twenty taels of silver. We will advance you one year’s wages. The rest is for the daily maintenance of this place. You can get the monthly rice yourself.” Xiao Zishan paused. “Can you read?”
Gao Qing smiled awkwardly. His son, however, spoke up. “I can read.”
“Oh?” Xiao Zishan was surprised.
“He has no job, and he hangs around the accounting office. He knows a few characters,” Gao Qing explained, then glared at his son. “What are you showing off for!”
The boy was only semi-literate, but he knew some bookkeeping and how to use an abacus, valuable skills in this era. His name was Gao Di.
“Since you can read and do bookkeeping, you will be in charge of the accounts here,” Xiao Zishan said. “Every transaction must be recorded. You will receive a monthly wage of one qian.”
“I understand,” Gao Qing said, overjoyed.
The accounts were not about the money. They were a reminder to the family that everything in the house belonged to their masters, to prevent any ideas of… appropriation.
The transmigrators decided to set up the wormhole’s exit in the study of the first courtyard. They instructed Gao Qing to clean the courtyard only once every three days, and not to enter at other times.
Gao Qing didn’t understand, but he knew better than to question his masters. He only found it strange that Master Wen had specified the exact start date for the new cleaning schedule.
After dark, the transmigrators opened the wormhole. The location on the other side was unchanged. They brought over the hydraulic cart and moved the pallets of goods, one by one.
The next morning, Gao Qing found the first courtyard empty. He hesitated for a moment, then walked out and headed towards the back gate of the Gao residence.