Wanjin Lady

Chapter 361 Applying
Hongmei scoffed, "My daughter is in the kitchen, researching desserts. Since you're here to apply, please write down your name, age, family situation, etc. You'll just have to pass this test today, and we'll come back for the final interview the day after tomorrow."

"Ah." The girls applying for the job seemed not to have expected such trouble. They were just hiring a clerk, but they had to go through two rounds of interviews.

Someone immediately frowned and complained to the young lady who had led the way, "Didn't they say that since there are no applicants for the Red Mansion right now, we can get hired just by coming?"

Some people also complained, "The Red Mansion is such a grand place! We're only hiring a few waiters, yet they're making such a big fuss! Are they deliberately trying to make things difficult for us?"

"Yeah! We came all the way from West City! I even quit my job at the docks to come interview with you!"

Hongmei smiled and said, "The job posting says they're looking for waiters, but actually, after you're hired, it depends on your individual talents. Some of you will be waiters, responsible for reception; some will be cooks, responsible for kitchen affairs; and some will have to learn to be accountants, managing money."

A dozen young ladies looked at each other, seemingly not understanding what Hongmei said.

"Being an accountant? But we can't read!"

"Right! The cook should at least have some skills, right? What? Do you guys in the Red Mansion teach people how to cook?"

Hongmei stood in the corridor, not angry at what she heard. She simply repeated what her daughter had said, "My daughter said that it's not easy for women to live in this world. Men can earn fame and fortune on their own, but women have to marry early. They can't fight in the battlefield like men, nor can they study for the imperial examinations. They don't even have the chance to learn a skill."

"Since this Red Mansion is a women's business, it must unite all the women in the world."

"In Bozhou, there shouldn't be only one women's restaurant called Honglou!"

"As long as you enter the Red Mansion, as long as you become employees of my Wen Family Winery, as long as you are willing to work hard and have talent, I am willing to cultivate you!"

However, Hongmei was not satisfied with the girls' reactions. She saw them pulling each other and taking a few steps back, then whispering to each other.

Someone bold enough pointed at the Red Mansion sign and said, "They say free lunch doesn't come easy. We're just hard workers. How can we be hired as accountants or cooks? How can the boss pay for us to be teachers? How is that possible?"

"I think the rumors might be true. Why are they being so nice to us for no reason? Have you ever heard of a family hiring a teacher to teach their servants? Maybe they're just trying to trick us into drinking with them!"

Hongmei was so angry that she collapsed backwards. She was a straightforward person and spat fiercely on the floor. "Bah! They asked you to drink with them? Don't you even consider your age and appearance? What do they want from you when they buy you wine? Because you're old, because you have freckles on your face? You really don't want to flatter yourself!"

The woman was so embarrassed by Hongmei that she couldn't even lift her head. She angrily shouted, "When I was young, I was also the most beautiful girl in the village! I'm just getting older now, but can you stay young forever? You won't look good when you're old! With your attitude, it's no wonder we can't recruit female workers! Go, go, go, let's all go and not put up with her bullying!"

After saying that, the woman pulled the other young ladies away. This group of people had never had their own opinions, and after being instigated by the woman, they didn't know whether to advance or retreat. They were pulled away with their feet, but their heads were facing Hongmei.

Obviously he couldn't make up his mind.

The young lady who spoke first ignored her companions' dissuasion and took the lead to step forward to Hongmei. "Sister, I want to work in the Red Mansion! As long as the boss is willing to teach me, I will definitely learn quickly!"

"You're the smartest of this bunch!" Hongmei snorted, picking up a pen and paper to ask her about her situation. "What's your name? Where are you from? How many people are in your family? Where do you live?"

Seeing that even the maidservant beside the shopkeeper could write, the young woman felt even more at ease. "My name is Zhang Chunhua. I come from Ji County in Bingzhou. A few years ago, Japanese pirates attacked our village, and my parents died. Our ancestral property was also swallowed up by our clansmen, so I came to Bozhou with my younger brother and sister to make a living!" Hongmei paused, and couldn't help but look up at her.

The little girl was very young, about thirteen or fourteen years old, with a childish face and clothes that were washed white. While she was talking, she clasped her hands tightly together, and was obviously very nervous.

But such a thin and tender girl has to take care of a younger brother and sister.

Why are there so many miserable people in the world!
Hongmei lamented in her heart, but did not show it on her face. She asked her again, "Where do you live?"

"I live in the Jin Niangniang Temple on the outskirts of the city. Just walk west, out of the city, and after a few miles you'll see a dilapidated temple."

Hongmei calculated the distance and asked in surprise, "Then you'll have to walk for half a day, right?"

When she looked down, she saw the little girl's shoes with several toes sticking out.

Zhang Chunhua laughed and said, "Only in the city can you find work!"

As they spoke, the woman who had previously threatened to leave continued to earnestly dissuade Zhang Chunhua, "Oh, Chunhua, you're young and don't know the ins and outs of the city! Don't let anyone cheat you, or you'll have nowhere to cry!"

Zhang Chunhua turned around and said, "Thank you Aunt Feng for your kindness, but the salary offered by Honglou is the highest, so I want to give it a try."

She then asked Hongmei, "Sister just said that the second round of interviews will be held in two days? Will it also be held in this Red Mansion?"

"That's right. Our boss will interview everyone personally. You can come early the day after tomorrow." Hongmei subconsciously looked at Zhang Chunhua's feet, then said to her, "Just wait."

Zhang Chunhua waited for a moment and saw Hongmei go to the carriage to fiddle with it. When she came back, she was holding a pair of cotton women's shoes. "I see your feet are about the same size as mine. You can wear these shoes and go back."

Zhang Chunhua was stunned. Before she could refuse, Hongmei pressed her down and asked, "Why, do you dislike the fact that I've worn these shoes?"

Hongmei kicked the shoe back into her hand. "Don't worry, as long as you pass the interview, work hard, and are loyal to your employer, there will be plenty of opportunities for advancement." Hongmei pouted again, deliberately looking at the woman who had just caused trouble. "Who knows, you might even be able to become a female accountant soon!"

The woman snorted coldly and walked away!

The excitement had just died down when another older woman came to apply for the job. Chen Ma recognized her immediately and pulled Hongmei aside, saying, "I know this woman. She's been coming and going in our Red Mansion several times, like adults patrolling their territory. She won't tell you anything when you ask her, so be careful."

The woman seemed to guess what Chen Ma was talking about and quickly stepped forward to explain: "Sister, I'm not a bad person, I just want to come here to work!"

Aunt Chen looked surprised. "Why don't you just openly recruit people for a job? Why are you sneaking around in my Red Mansion?"

Aunt Chen already knew that Jia Ruzhen was spreading false information everywhere, so she naturally subconsciously regarded this person as a spy from the third branch of the Yuan family.