Peasant Woman's Decreed Life as a Wife

Chapter 1368: Chapter 1365: Advantages

The young master had just arrived, and the servants hurried forward to greet him.

Within a mere fifteen minutes, Chu Jin had finished reviewing all the account books; the yearly expenses for five people, along with their monthly salaries, amounted to almost thirty taels of silver.

Although these expenses weren’t much considering the current assets of the Chu family, Chu Jin felt it wasn’t worthwhile to let things remain idle.

He pondered opening a store to put everyone to work.

“Second Housekeeper, what skills do you have?” Chu Jin began his investigation by asking.

The Second Housekeeper replied, “In response to the Young Master, this servant can read and manage account books and is familiar with the nearby counties. May I know what the Young Master requires of this servant?”

“No worries, I’m just asking for now.” Chu Jin understood that the Second Housekeeper was suited to be a Shopkeeper or Housekeeper for such major tasks.

He then asked Steward Xu, “What about you, Mr. Xu?”

“In response to the Young Master, this one can keep accounts and copy books to sell in the bookstore,” said Steward Xu with some hesitation.

He glanced at the Young Master subconsciously, worried that the latter might disapprove of this act, but the Young Master could easily find out with a casual check—hiding it would not be wise.

“I see, does that mean, Mr. Xu, that you can write?” Chu Jin stroked his chin as he mentally assessed what the other could do.

Steward Xu modestly waved his hand, “Not at all, it’s just writing some stories and copying books; nothing worth boasting about.”

“Got it, I understand.”

Chu Jin asked the Second Housekeeper, “Have the other three arrived?”

“They have, they’re waiting at the entrance.”

Since it was usually quiet, the living quarters were arranged in the back, close to the entrance, which made it convenient to communicate in case of any matters.

“Call them in.”

Upon receiving the instruction, the Second Housekeeper promptly called over the Kitchen Maid and two maidservants responsible for cleaning and introduced them, “Young Master, this is Chef He, and the round-faced maidservant is her daughter, He Xiaohui. The other maidservant is named Zhu Ya.”

“Chef He, how are your culinary skills, and do you have strength for daily tasks? What else can you do?” Chu Jin inquired.

The Second Housekeeper ordered, “Answer the Young Master’s questions.”

The nervous Chef He quickly nodded, “This servant’s cooking skills are mediocre, somewhat similar to those in small street eateries, not up to the level of those in restaurants.”

“I’m pretty strong, carrying two buckets of water is not a problem.”

“And you?”

He Xiaohui replied in a sweet voice, “This servant is fairly good at needlework and can embroider handkerchiefs to sell.”

Zhu Ya, the younger of the two, seeing the Young Master look her way, volunteered, “This servant has only learned embroidery for two years and has not yet mastered it.”

“What about your strengths?” Chu Jin wasn’t satisfied with the brief answers and pressed on, “For instance, something you can do that others can’t.”

Zhu Ya’s face turned red, “This servant knows a little about many things, but is not particularly skilled in anything.”

“This child is obedient and hardworking,” the Second Housekeeper now understood what Chu Jin was asking and helped explain on behalf of Zhu Ya.

Chu Jin nodded, “Right, everyone should have their strengths.”

He didn’t worry about the curiosity of the five servants as he planned to open a general store that sold everything. If the overseas venture was successful, by the next year, they could begin trading goods from abroad.

The reason he considered a fruit store was because he had previously visited the family’s orchard which yielded quite a lot each year, particularly in May and June, when the fruits ripened en masse, producing in large quantities. If the picking was even slightly delayed, it led to waste. The servants in the orchard mentioned that when the time came, the excess would have to be fed to pigs and such.

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