Wealth and glory seek stability

The matchmaker happily took out the bronze mirror, checked her makeup again and again to make sure there was nothing wrong with it, then said:

"Good boy, you did a good job. It would be great if you could get in touch with the royal palace. Those dignitaries are much more willing to pay than the madams in the brothels.

When will the palace's steward arrive?"

"It'll be there soon."

Jian Xi heard every word of their conversation.

The goods should refer to these children.

Jian Xi was small and unnoticeable. She moved carefully to Shen Nanxing's side and whispered:

"Brother Nanxing, the palace steward will be here soon, you have to behave well."

Shen Nanxing has always listened to Jian Xi since he was a child, and nodded slightly when he heard this.

There was a cool breeze blowing in the capital city in early spring, mixed with a biting chill. There was no shelter on the pier, and Jian Xi, like many other children, was wearing only a single layer of clothing, shivering in the cold wind.

Shen Nanxing pulled Jian Xi's little hand over, rubbed it in his palm, trying to create a little warmth.

Jian Xi felt like her heart was stuffed with a ball of cotton. This cheap brother was really considerate.

The sound of a carriage was heard, and a servant was driving it.

"Butler, we're here."

Then a middle-aged man about forty years old came down.

The matchmaker and the big man next to her hurried forward to greet him.

"Butler Zhao, you are such a noble man. It's really hard for you to come all the way here. If I had known you were coming, I would have brought the goods to the palace for you to choose first."

The matchmaker's smile was as beautiful as a chrysanthemum, and she threw out flattering words as if they were free.

As the saying goes, there is a strict hierarchy among scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, and merchants have the lowest status.

Matchmakers are the lowest class of business people. Even though Butler Zhao is a servant in the palace, he is still unattainable in the eyes of people like them.

Butler Zhao has a square face and scowl. He walks with a steady step, has a sturdy body and is full of energy.

"Mrs. Feng, you are too polite. I am here today on the orders of my wife, to pick a few servants for our Third Young Master."

"We just arrived too. Butler Zhao, just take whichever one you like."

The man next to the matchmaker rubbed his hands, pointed in the direction of the children, his face full of flattery.

Butler Zhao saw a group of children on the dock at a glance.

Men and women were divided into two teams.

Butler Zhao first glanced at the boy and made up his mind.

"Are there any of you who can read?"

Jian Xi winked and Shen Nanxing understood.

He weakly raised his right hand.

"I can."

Butler Zhao became interested, but he didn't expect to get an unexpected gain.

Generally, the children who are sold are from families that cannot afford food, especially those that favor boys over girls. Families with slightly better conditions will not sell their boys.

Butler Zhao didn't expect to meet a literate child, he just asked casually.

"What words do you know?"

"I have read Hundred Family Surnames, Thousand Family Poems, and I have also read the Four Books and Five Classics."

Considering Shen Nanxing's age, this level is indeed quite good.

When Jian Xi's father Jian Yu was alive, he taught the two of them to read and write every day.

"Yes, come out."

Butler Zhao pointed and Shen Nanxing was chosen as expected.

Shen Nanxing, with a thin body and bright eyes, stood quietly aside.

Butler Zhao picked out a few boys who looked energetic.

His eyes glanced at the girl on the side and his eyes lit up.

"Mrs. Feng, these girls of yours are quite nice."

Although she looks young, she looks pretty and beautiful. I'm sure she will be pretty when she grows up.

"Of course, these are all girls from the south. Butler Zhao might as well take a look."

Butler Zhao nodded.

"Then I'll pick a few more maids. Several of the big maids around my lady have recently been released from their indentures and married off, so we just happen to be short of a few more."

Jian Xi heard that this middle-aged man was the butler of the palace.

The lady in the family must be a respected elder in the family.

If she could be chosen, it would be a great opportunity and she must seize it.

It is better to be a maid in the palace than to be sold to a brothel.

Jian Xi is not the only one who has such thoughts.

"Grandpa Butler, I can cook, please choose me!"

"I can clean up the house, please, choose me."

“I can mow the pig grass.”

"I, I can embroider..."

While Jian Xi was thinking about it, someone had already spoken.

Jian Xi:......

These people are too crazy!

Most children in ancient times matured early, and everyone heard the conversation between the matchmaker and the thugs.

With such a good opportunity in front of us, no one wants to miss it.

After all, he is a child, and he doesn’t know what to do after he says it.

It seems that competition for jobs is the same everywhere.

No!

She must enter the palace. Just now, when she came ashore, she took a picture in the water. Her face was not bad looking. If she couldn't enter the palace, she would definitely be picked up by the brothel.

Entering the palace is her only way to survive!

"I can read and read the account books!"

Jian Xi spoke loudly, her childish voice echoing at the dock. This was not the time to be humble.

The best way is to show your greatest value.

Butler Zhao walked up to Jian Xi, and it was unclear whether his face showed happiness or unhappiness.

"Write something for me to see."

Jian Xi didn't dare to delay. She looked around, picked up a branch from the ground nearby, thought for a moment, and started writing on the ground.

Jian Yu is a sour scholar. After passing the examination for the title of scholar, he never passed the imperial examination again. However, he is not careless at all when it comes to the education of his children. Jian Xi and Shen Nanxing's academic performance is impressive.

Jian Xi's hairpin-shaped calligraphy is very well written.

Finished.

"Fu Lu Shou, good! Good luck!"

Butler Zhao clapped his hands in praise, with a square face full of praise.

"Thank you for the compliment, butler."

"Well, you are a polite person. You should stand over there too."

"Yes."

Jian Xi was overjoyed. She threw away the branch and walked to stand next to Shen Nanxing.

This was also a lucky move for her. After all, who doesn't like auspicious words?

Shen Nanxing was so happy that he wanted to hug Jian Xi and spin around, but Jian Xi stopped him with her eyes.

Butler Zhao picked and chose, and finally picked four boys and four girls.

Butler Zhao took out a silver note of one thousand taels from his pocket, and the matchmaker handed the indentures and household deeds of several people to Butler Zhao with a smile, and both of them pressed their fingerprints on the contract.

Jian Xi watched the two people's actions without blinking, and her heart finally settled down.

At the moment, her life is probably not in danger for the time being.

After the handover formalities were completed, the few people selected by Butler Zhao got on the palace's carriage.

"Let them all get in the carriage. It's cold now. It would be bad if they caught a cold while walking home."

Butler Zhao ordered the servant driving the carriage to go slower.

The children didn't take up much space and could fill up the entire carriage by squeezing together.