Tianliangyuan

Chapter 230 Express your feelings

Xu Zhaozhao was a little reluctant: "It seems the two of them have taken a liking to each other. In that case, my decision to send Dingxiang over to deliver the reward later was the right one. But does Zhuzi's mother know about this?"

"It's hard to say. But Sister Dingxiang said that as long as Master doesn't give in, she can't agree to anything Zhuzi says. I overheard this. But Zhuzi is a man of principle. He insists that he wants to show his face in front of Master in the future, become a head steward, and then marry Sister Dingxiang to be his steward wife."

Xu Zhaozhao burst out laughing.

Zhu Zi can be considered to have ambition.

The head steward?

Xu Zhaozhao thought to herself, once her business empire is established, let alone a big manager, even an ordinary small manager can make him live a life of wealth for three generations!

So she waited and saw whether this pillar could become the head steward in her hands!

You should always have dreams; what if they come true someday?

Xu Zhaozhao considered the people she currently had at her disposal. Those who were in their prime and capable were Gao Da Kui, Xu De Gui, and the newly recruited Yan Shu and Li Sheng.

As for Uncle Zhong from the Marquis's residence, there's no way he'd follow me.

When I get married in the future, these are probably the only people I can take with me.

Among the younger generation, Zhu Zi is considered the leader, and there are also Chang Sheng and Gao Shouxin, all of whom are worth cultivating.

The most important thing is credibility!

When she hires people, she prioritizes loyalty first, and then ability.

Xu Zhaozhao's thinking was simple and clear. She was not short of money or power, so the speed of progress did not make much difference to her.

Therefore, the first thing to do is to ensure that no one betrays you.

In my past life, I was schemed against countless times!

This time, we must be extra careful, no matter what, and we must not let anyone know her trump card again.

The Xu family won't do, and neither will Xie Zheng!

Xu Zhaozhao secretly calculated how many useful people she had, how many could get things done, and how many could manage others. In short, she wanted to let them each perform their duties and give full play to their strengths.

Meanwhile, Dingxiang brought these gifts to the servants' quarters.

Because Zhu Zi is trusted by the young lady and is now considered a minor steward, his family has a separate courtyard in the servants' quarters.

Although the courtyard was small, with only three main rooms and side rooms on the east and west sides, the fact that they had their own living quarters made the servants incredibly envious.

Zhu Zi had just returned and kowtowed to his parents. They were talking when Ding Xiang arrived with her entourage.

"Oh, Sister Dingxiang, what are the master's orders this time?"

Dingxiang entered the house, followed by a group of servants who also brought in the items.

"These are all gifts from Miss. She said you've been efficient and meticulous in your work, and in recognition of your hard work these past few months, she's giving you ten strings of cash and some jewelry. Also, Miss said she probably won't call you back for the next couple of days, so you can go see your sister."

"Thank you, Miss. I would also appreciate it if you could put in a good word for me with my master, Sister Dingxiang."

Dingxiang glared at him, then looked around the house. It was clean and tidy, and although there weren't any fancy decorations, it was still a clean place.

"I've finished my errand, it's time for me to go back."

As Dingxiang was speaking, she was about to walk out, but Zhuzi's mother grabbed her arm.

"Oh, Miss Dingxiang, it's a rare treat for you to come all this way. Please sit down and have a cup of tea. You work for Miss Dingxiang, so your status is much higher than ours. You must be tired from your journey, so please sit down and rest. Zhuzi, please also have a cup of tea with the aunties below."

Zhu Zi understood immediately and pulled out a handful of copper coins from his sleeve, stuffing them into the hand of one of the maids.

"This is for you ladies to have some tea. My place is small, so I won't keep you any longer."

They were all running errands and doing errands, and since they could get benefits from it, they were all beaming with joy.

Just as Dingxiang sat down, Zhuzi leaned over again, gesturing for his father to go to the kitchen and boil some hot water for washing up later.

He does look rather unkempt now.

"Sister Dingxiang, these are some ornaments I brought back from Nanzhao. If you don't mind, please keep them."

Dingxiang glanced at it and saw that it was a silver hairpin, but she had never seen this pattern before.

"You fool! Since you're out on a mission for your master, why haven't I seen any sign of loyalty to him today?"

Zhu Zi immediately bowed and begged for forgiveness: "Of course I brought good things for Master, but those were different. Those were paid for with Master's money. But this was paid for with my own money."

Upon hearing this, Dingxiang's bright eyes flickered slightly, and Zhuzi's mother's eyes lit up. What else was there to understand?

"Please have a seat. I'll go check on the old man's water. He's clumsy and needs someone to watch over it."

Dingxiang blushed and got up to leave, but when she met Zhuzi's eager yet somewhat aggrieved gaze, she couldn't move her feet and sat down again.

“Sister Dingxiang, I am truly in love with you. This is not just empty talk. Now that I am serving you, I have earned some respect. I have already thought it through. I will study more and practice my calligraphy more diligently in the future. I will definitely not let you down.”

Dingxiang worked alongside Xu Zhaozhao, so naturally she was literate.

There are very few maids in the entire household who can do this.

This is why the head maidservant by the master's side has an unusual status.

Dingxiang had been with her master since she was a child, so she was literate and could even occasionally draw. If she were in a rural village, she could easily be paired with a scholar.

Therefore, Zhu Zi always felt that he was not good enough for Ding Xiang and was afraid of wronging his beloved.

Dingxiang lowered her eyes: "As I said before, I have no say in our matter. Everything is up to the master's arrangement. I entered the manor at a young age, and the madam and young lady have treated me with immense kindness. We are both maids. Just look at my hands and then at the hands of a rough maid, and you will understand."

Moreover, Miss has mentioned to me more than once that if I reach a certain age and take a fancy to someone, she will arrange it for me. However, this matter will have to wait until Miss is married and has children. If you can wait, then wait; I will have no other thoughts. If you think that's too long and are in a hurry to have an heir, then just pretend I never said this.”

Dingxiang's words were essentially a declaration of her feelings.

Now it all depends on Zhu Zi's attitude.

Zhu Zi was a hothead; in a moment of impulsiveness, he knelt down with a thud: "Sister Dingxiang, I am content as long as you have me in your heart. I will marry no one but Sister Dingxiang in this life. Not to mention waiting for two or three years, I am willing to wait a lifetime."

Dingxiang was startled by his behavior, feeling both ashamed and embarrassed. She covered her face with her handkerchief, stomped her foot at him, and ran away.

When Zhu Zi's mother went back into the house, she saw her son kneeling there, grinning foolishly.