Wedding ceremony tomorrow

Chapter 72 The Talented Scholar and the Maid

The hall was completely silent.

Even after Luo Qingfeng stopped, everyone was still immersed in the delightful little story they had just heard.

Upon closer reflection...

And you know what? Everyone remembered the little story from earlier.

And without even realizing it, he had memorized the entire meaning of that sentence.

Then, the phrase "If you want to do a good job, you must first sharpen your tools..." suddenly seemed so simple to even an uneducated maid. After reading it a few times, she memorized it word for word.

"This young master Luo is truly remarkable!"

"So young, so beautiful, such an interesting storyteller, and such a great teacher!"

The maids inside the room kept stealing glances.

The head butler, Mei Hanliu, sat upright in his chair, his expression returning to its initial coldness. He spoke in a cold voice, "You seem to have some skill, but if that's all you've got, it's definitely not enough."

Luo Qingfeng cupped his hands and said, "What skills does the head steward still require of me?"

Mei Hanliu said calmly, "You're a scholar, so besides the classics and essays, you should also know some poetry and prose, right? My Ningguo Mansion's school isn't just for children. Young masters and ladies, even the masters and mistresses, will naturally join in the fun if they feel like it. If you were asked to compose a poem, write an essay, or create some festive poems and couplets for a banquet, would you be able to?"

Luo Qingfeng frowned slightly: "Butler, this is a bit unreasonable. I am only here to be a teacher, to educate and nurture people, not to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy, or to write poems and songs to please them."

Mei Hanliu looked at him calmly and said, "You'll teach at the school four days a month, with a reward of twenty taels of silver. You'll live in a separate courtyard, with maids to serve you, and you won't have to worry about food or clothing. When there are banquets or other occasions that require writing essays, if you write well, you'll be rewarded with fifty taels, and there's more..."

Before she could finish speaking, Luo Qingfeng immediately said solemnly, "Butler, poetry and songs are nothing to me!"

The maids beside them all scoffed and covered their mouths.

The girl in the wheelchair in the room couldn't help but raise her hand slightly and gently cover her mouth.

Mei Hanliu snorted coldly and said, "Just because you say you can doesn't mean you can. We just tested your teaching skills, and now we need to test your poetry and prose."

Luo Qingfeng cupped his hands and said, "Please, Steward."

Mei Hanliu glanced at him indifferently a few more times, pondered for a moment, and said, "Use two characters from my name as the theme to compose a poem. You have half an incense stick's time to finish it. If you cannot complete it, no matter how eloquently you speak, I will not hire you!"

Luo Qingfeng asked, "May I ask the name of the head steward?"

Mei Hanliu's face turned cold: "Is it appropriate to use the words 'fragrant name' on this steward?"

Luo Qingfeng asked curiously, "Why can't we use them? The names of these women are all young and beautiful. The head steward looks to be in his early twenties, and as delicate and beautiful as the peonies in the garden. Wouldn't that be perfect?"

Upon hearing this, the maids on both sides widened their eyes.

Sun Er, who was lying prostrate on the ground, not daring to utter a sound or breathe, was even more dumbfounded. This kid! He actually dared to flirt with the head steward! This is really outrageous, he's gone to heaven again!

"presumptuous!"

Mei Hanliu slammed her hand on the table, her face turning cold, and said, "Don't you really want your tongue anymore?"

Luo Qingfeng said in a serious tone, "I am speaking the truth. If I have offended the head steward in any way, I am ashamed and ask for your forgiveness."

Mei Hanliu narrowed her eyes, stared at him coldly for a while, and then said, "Write a poem!"

He then ordered the maid beside him, "Light incense!"

Luo Qingfeng quickly replied, "Chief Steward, you haven't told me your name yet, how can I possibly address you? Perhaps I should use the title 'Chief Steward'?"

Upon hearing this, a soft laugh came from the inner room.

The maids in the room all scoffed.

Mei Hanliu was taken aback, her lips twitched a few times, and she said coldly, "Mei Hanliu!"

At this moment, the maidservant went to light incense.

Before she could even light it, Luo Qingfeng said, "The name 'Chief Steward' is so beautiful and evocative! Wonderful, wonderful! As soon as I heard the name, the words in my mind came to mind."

Having said that, he recited aloud: "The mountain's spirit enters the spring sunshine, all is plum and willow. White and green, the sun shines on the wine in the wind. How about returning home? Don't look back on the road. Each of us celebrates the New Year, the willows sway and the plum branches are slender."

After he finished reading, the maidservant lit the incense.

Mei Hanliu paused for a moment after hearing this, then said with a cold face, "I didn't hear you clearly. Read it again, but slowly."

After saying that, he glanced at the maid on the other side.

The maid immediately went to fetch a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, while another maid quickly ground the ink.

Meanwhile, in the inner room, the girl in the wheelchair silently recited the words, then whispered in praise, "What beautiful writing!"

Then he added, "Abi, write this down."

In the front hall, Luo Qingfeng had no choice but to slow down and read it again.

After he finished reading.

Mei Hanliu stared blankly, silently repeating the question to herself several times before looking at him calmly and saying, "You didn't prepare this all along, did you?"

Luo Qingfeng said, "I only heard of the head steward's beautiful name, and it was just a sudden inspiration that led me to this conclusion."

Mei Hanliu looked at him in silence for a while, and just as she was about to speak, a pretty little maid in a green dress suddenly came out of the inner room, walked to her side, whispered a few words in her ear, and then quickly went back into the inner room.

Mei Hanliu suddenly added, "The poem is good, but I cannot dispel my doubts unless you compose another poem, also using two characters from my name as the title. If you can do that, it will prove that you were not prepared beforehand, but truly possess genuine talent. In that case, you can naturally stay."

Luo Qingfeng cupped his hands and said, "I hope the head steward will keep his word."

Mei Hanliu immediately snorted coldly: "I have been in charge of Ningguo Mansion for many years and have always been a person of my word. How could I tarnish my reputation because of a mere scholar like you?"

Luo Qingfeng cupped his hands in apology and said, "I am indeed a lowly person."

Mei Hanliu ordered the maid beside her, "Relight the incense, this time give him the time it takes for one incense stick to burn."

The maid immediately went to light the incense again.

Luo Qingfeng thought for a moment this time before clapping his hands and exclaiming, "I've got it!"

Mei Hanliu straightened up and pricked up her ears.

The person in the inner room, also holding a pen, sat at the table, listening attentively.

The pretty young maid, dressed in a green shirt and long skirt, was grinding ink on the side, and couldn't help but prick up her ears.

At that moment, Luo Qingfeng's voice rang out in the hall.

"Plum blossoms and willows vie in beauty, amidst the chaotic mountains, for whom do they adorn themselves? Trying on spring clothes, they still tremble in the east wind... Tomorrow I'll return, but the wind and rain will dim the fading red petals. Alas, the fleeting clouds of spring care not; skirts fade, hair grows loose..."

After the words were recited, the hall was quiet for a moment.

Mei Hanliu glanced at him and said again, "Read it again, but slowly."

At this moment, her tone was no longer as domineering and forceful as before, but carried a hint of respect.

The person in the inner room, who was holding a pen, had already memorized the text after hearing it only once.

As Luo Qingfeng repeated the words one by one in the front hall, she had already read it silently many times, and couldn't help but praise softly again: "This young master is truly talented! Even the most talented men and women in the inner city are probably no match for him."

Then a question arose: "Why have I never heard of him? With such extraordinary talent, why would he willingly enter the household as a tutor?"

at this time.

In the front hall, Luo Qingfeng had finished reading it once again.

After the maidservants beside him had all written it down, Mei Hanliu said calmly, "It seems you do have some real talent. In that case, from today onwards, you will be a teacher at my Ningguo Mansion School. But I still need to tell you about the rules of the manor first, lest you break the rules and the master and mistress say that I have poor judgment in choosing people, thus implicating me."

Luo Qingfeng cupped his hands and said, "Please speak, Steward. I will remember it and never forget it."

Mei Hanliu said, "First, you mustn't go where you shouldn't go. As for what places you should and shouldn't go, a maid will tell you later. Second, you mustn't look at people you shouldn't look at. Some nobles, if you even glance at them, your eyes will be gouged out. Third, you mustn't say what you shouldn't say. Nothing in the manor is to be spread, and you mustn't discuss any nobles in the manor in private. Fourth, you mustn't meddle in things you shouldn't meddle in. Whatever you see in the manor, you must forget it immediately, and you mustn't interfere. Fifth…"

Luo Qingfeng listened attentively.

She finally stopped after listing eighteen points.

"That's all for now. Your maid will tell you about the other specific rules. As for your identity badge, it will be made for you tomorrow when you go to school. You must carry your identity badge when you enter and leave the mansion. As for your courtyard, your maid will take you there later. You can stay there today. Your maid will deliver two meals a day. You are not allowed to wander around the mansion, and you are not allowed to go to the kitchen or any place where food is stored."

After Mei Hanliu finished speaking, she looked at him and said, "There are six maids in this room. You can choose one to serve you."

Luo Qingfeng turned his head to look.

The six maids all lowered their heads, their faces flushed.

The two fierce maids who had just tried to cut out his tongue now lowered their heads tightly.

The maids in the mansion were all slaves who had sold themselves into servitude, their lives hanging in the balance with their masters.

Therefore, everyone wants to meet a good master.

Although Luo Qingfeng is just a schoolteacher now, if he takes them, they will be his masters. In addition to serving his daily life, they will even warm his bed and sleep with him.

Seeing the young man before them, so well-read and talented that even the notoriously picky head steward was captivated, and so handsome and dashing, with the integrity of a scholar who stood proudly and fearlessly even in the face of death, which of these naive young maids didn't secretly flutter in their hearts and yearn for him?

Luo Qingfeng suddenly cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask, Steward, did those previous school teachers also choose maids to serve them?"

Mei Hanliu frowned slightly, assuming he was disgusted, and said coldly, "The maids who served them before are not here. They were given to them when they left. The manor will not take maids who have become dirty."

The maids on both sides kept their heads down, their expressions unchanged, as if they were already used to it.

Luo Qingfeng paused for a moment, then said, "In that case, I don't need any maids to serve me. I prefer to live alone."

Upon hearing this, the maids on both sides raised their heads slightly to steal glances at him.

Mei Hanliu's eyebrows twitched. She stared at him for a while and said, "Tell me the reason."

Luo Qingfeng cupped his hands and said, "I still need to study, I like quiet and being alone, and I am not used to being disturbed."

Mei Hanliu sneered, "Which scholar doesn't have two or three maids serving him? One grinds ink, another spreads paper, another lights the lamp, another adds incense, and there are also maids who do the laundry, cook, massage his back, and warm his bed. Are you sure you don't want any maids?"

Luo Qingfeng cupped his hands and bowed his head, saying, "I truly do not need it."

Mei Hanliu said, "Don't tell me you don't like any of these maids?"

Luo Qingfeng said, "Of course not."

Mei Hanliu suddenly sneered, "Are you afraid that if you dirty them, they'll be kicked out of the manor?"

Luo Qingfeng was silent for a moment, and before he could answer, Mei Hanliu gave him another deep look and said, "Choose one. This is the rule of the manor."

As Luo Qingfeng hesitated, a maid in a pale yellow dress on his right suddenly mustered her courage and whispered, "Young...Young Master, this servant...this servant is willing to serve you..."

Upon hearing this, all the other maids looked at her.

Luo Qingfeng turned his head to look. The little maid had fair skin, a petite figure, a round face, and big eyes. She was quite cute. Although she had not yet fully grown up, she had a different kind of innocent beauty.

She was looking down, biting her lip, her face flushed, and her body trembling slightly. She looked very nervous, and it was clear that it was not easy for her to say those words.

"presumptuous!"

At this moment, Mei Hanliu suddenly slammed her hand on the table and angrily rebuked, "I, the steward, allowed Mr. Luo to choose, not you, girl! You have no shame and you are disgracing the family!"

He immediately shouted, "Guards! Drag him out and give him twenty strokes of the cane, then expel him from the mansion!"

Upon hearing this, the little maid trembled with fear, knelt on the ground, and cried, begging for mercy.

Two maids immediately came in and were about to grab her.

Luo Qingfeng frowned and quickly said, "Wait!"

He immediately cupped his hands and said, "Chief Steward, I will choose this little maid."

Let alone twenty strokes of the cane, even ten strokes would be fatal for this delicate young maid. Besides, she was probably bought by the household when she was a child and was only allowed to work there. How would she survive if she were expelled?

The two maids stopped and looked at the head steward.

Mei Hanliu said coldly, "Mr. Luo, you said you didn't want it before."

Luo Qingfeng said, "Since it is a rule of the manor, I am new here and naturally cannot break it. I have just thought about it carefully again. When reading and writing, there is no one to help grind ink and add incense; when teaching, there is no one to help organize the lessons. It will indeed be a bit chaotic. If mistakes are made, I am afraid it will affect the teaching effect."

Mei Hanliu snorted and said, "You're quite good at making excuses."

Luo Qingfeng cupped his hands and said, "I am speaking the truth, not making excuses."

Mei Hanliu said, "Then let's find another maid. Any maid here can do what you've asked for. As for this little girl, I, the steward, must punish her as a warning to others!"

Luo Qingfeng quickly said, "Steward, I have taken a liking to this little maid. I hope you will grant my request."

Mei Hanliu's lips curled into a sneer as she asked, "What do you see in her?"

Luo Qingfeng glanced at the little maid again and could only say, "She's beautiful and well-behaved. Seeing her every day will bring me joy. Writing and teaching with her will be much more effective."

Mei Hanliu immediately let out a few cold laughs.

Seeing that she remained silent, Luo Qingfeng had no choice but to say, "If the head steward is willing, I can compose another poem for you after I return to express my gratitude."

Mei Hanliu's eyes flickered, and after looking at him for a moment, she said, "Alright, this steward will reluctantly agree. Three days later, this steward will send someone to collect the poems. If they are not done well, or if they are just going through the motions for this steward, hmph, then this steward will beat that girl to death on the spot!"

Luo Qingfeng bowed and thanked him, but in his heart he couldn't help but think: The servants of this era are truly miserable.

Then it suddenly occurred to me: in the face of demons, we humans might be no different...

Thinking of this, my heart suddenly felt heavy again.

"Go ahead, this girl will take you to choose an empty courtyard. Just pick one and stay there for now. Don't go out until you get your identity badge."

Mei Hanliu said calmly.

Luo Qingfeng bowed and took his leave.

The little maid who was kneeling on the ground quickly stood up, wiped away her tears, and led him out with her head down.

After the two left through the main gate, Mei Hanliu thought for a moment before getting up and going into the inner room.

"Second Miss, what brings you here?"

The girl in the wheelchair, who was looking at the poems she had just memorized, smiled slightly when she heard this and said, "I was just passing by when I heard you getting angry and shouting for bloodshed, so I came to take a look. Who knew I would find such an interesting and talented person."

Mei Hanliu's cheeks flushed slightly as she said, "I was just testing that kid."

The girl turned to look at her and asked, "What do you think of him?"

Mei Hanliu pondered for a moment and said, "He's glib and a bit unreliable, but he does have real talent. He wouldn't be too bad as a teacher."

The girl chuckled softly, "You've forgotten the most important point."

"Oh?"

Mei Hanliu looked puzzled.

The girl said softly, "Judging from the matter of you asking him to choose a maid, although he is not very proper in his speech, he is very virtuous and kind-hearted, and he couldn't bear to hurt a strange maid. When he saw that you were going to punish and expel the maid, he immediately lowered his head and begged you. It can be seen that he is a good person, talented, compassionate, and doesn't care about social status. He is flexible and adaptable, and is an extremely rare talent."

Mei Hanliu said respectfully, "Miss's intelligence and insight have always been unmatched. It seems that Sun Er has indeed brought a talented person with him."

While the two were talking, Sun Er in the front hall remained obediently lying on the ground, not daring to move.

At this time.

Luo Qingfeng, accompanied by a maid in a yellow dress, had already passed through the corridor and gone to the back.

The young maid walked ahead with her head down, looking somewhat shy.

Luo Qingfeng asked, "By the way, what's your name?"

The young maidservant paused for a moment before realizing the question was directed at her. She quickly stopped and bowed her head, answering in a clear voice, "My name is Xiao Tao, Tao from peach."

"Xiao Tao?"

(End of this chapter)