In ancient times, I just wanted to be a salted fish

Now that she has a house, she has a home and feels at ease. Chen Ruotong slept well all night and woke up naturally.

Chen Ruotong dressed herself up and took out another 1,000 taels of silver and put them on the counter for spending. Then she admired the jewelry from more than a dozen large and small brand gold shops in the mall, tried them on, admired them once and put them back to their original places. Alas! Although these are all hers, with her current status, she can only look at them but not wear them!

She could have a jade pendant, so she chose a jadeite double fish pendant and tied it around her waist. If she also took a fan, she would look more like a nobleman. There were fans in the antiques and calligraphy section of the store, so she picked a simple bamboo fan and left the space.

She went to the West Street shop and spent fifteen taels of silver to buy some daily necessities, and then went to the pawnshop to find Zhang the shopkeeper to buy servants. Zhang the shopkeeper was a good man, and he helped her choose a janitor in his fifties with a little grandson and a cook in her thirties, both of whom looked honest and decent.

"Brother Chen, Old Man Zhao is a farmer. He is good at taking care of livestock and farming. His wife passed away, and he sold all his land to pay for her medical treatment. In the end, he was left with nothing and his little grandson to depend on. In order to make a living, he had to sell himself. The two of them were sold for ten taels of silver. Sun was the cook of a wealthy family. She was alone, and the master sold her here because of a lawsuit. She was also a poor person. She was strong and had good cooking skills, so she was sold for ten taels of silver." Shopkeeper Zhang introduced them one by one.

"Brother Zhang, let's take these three people." Chen Ruotong paid twenty taels and took the three people home.

The three of them had signed death contracts and had their records filed with the government, so she could use them with confidence.

Chen Ruotong did not think that she was superior to others because she was a modern soul. She did not do things in a unique way, advocated equality for all, or challenged the ancient rules. The master-servant relationship is the master-servant relationship. The proper degree must be grasped, and the rules that servants should abide by must be followed. Without rules, there will be no order.

She treats the ancients with caution, modesty and courtesy. If someone doesn't offend me, I won't offend him. If someone offends me, I will be courteous. If someone offends me again, I will give him a needle. If someone offends me again, I will cut the grass and root it out. She wants to be an ordinary citizen and live a free and comfortable life. This is enough. Contentment is the key to happiness.

She didn't have the ability or ambition to show off her skills and kill people everywhere. She didn't have any ability at all. In modern times, she was just an unknown little teacher. She couldn't do anything except teaching. Unlike the time travelers in novels who were good at literature, martial arts, and medicine, she only had the word "literature". She could only understand a few traditional Chinese characters, and most of them were guessed. The only thing to be thankful for was that she had a life-saving space and endless supplies.

Disguised as a man to take the imperial examination? Stop it. She came here to enjoy herself, not to suffer. She didn't come here to engage in internal competition. She has taught for a lifetime. Isn't it enough? Isn't it enough to learn? She has had enough dealing with school students every day. Please forgive her!

After Chen Ruotong and the three servants left the South Street pawnshop, Zhou Qian came in from the back door and asked seriously, "Brother Yishun, what did you see?"

Zhang Yishun touched his chin and said, "This person is not ordinary. Judging from his clothing, appearance, speech and behavior, he has an extraordinary demeanor. He is generous but cautious. He is a man who will not suffer any loss. At a young age, he speaks and acts very carefully. He drinks a lot of wine but does not get drunk. He has a good alcohol tolerance and his family background must be good."

Chen Ruotong: Haha, I didn’t drink a single drop, it all poured into the space, I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk.

"Well, I didn't find out who he is, but he doesn't seem to know much about the affairs of this dynasty. Could he not be from this dynasty?"

"Maybe not. Maybe he's just pretending to be confused? Interesting."

"Besides, I sent someone to follow him. He saved a little beggar at Renjitang. He seems to be a good person."

"Well, we can intersect, let's take our time!"

Chen Ruotong didn't expect that she would be followed and someone was paying attention to her.

Chen Ruotong and the other two cleaned up her room and study together, and put the daily necessities they had bought in place. Of course, there were only bookshelves but no books in the study, and she would slowly add those books later. As for the calligraphy and paintings and ancient books she had collected, she did not dare to take them out.

Old man Zhao and his ten-year-old grandson Zhao Tiedan lived in the gatehouse, which was the back house, and did the work of guarding the door and sweeping the yard for three hundred coins a month.

Sun lived in a room near the kitchen on the west side of the second courtyard, responsible for washing clothes and cooking, with a monthly salary of 300 wen, which was a medium salary for the city.

Chen Ruotong did not change their names. Since they were not personal servants, there was no need to do so.

Everything has been arranged. She said seriously, "Uncle Zhao, Aunt Sun, I am the only master in the house for now. There is not much work to do. You should do your best and fulfill your duties. If you do well, your monthly salary will increase. It is noon now. Aunt Sun will cook. Uncle Zhao and Tiedan will clean the backyard. Let's eat together when the meal is ready."

Chen Ruotong had already placed pork, eggs, vegetables, rice, millet, flour, oil, salt, sauce and vinegar in the kitchen. They were all packed in newly bought jars and cans with red labels on them.

Tired from all the work, Chen Ruotong lay on the big bed and muttered to herself, "I've been cooking for my whole life, and now I'm finally passing on the baton. Haha! Emma! I'm so tired, I'll take a good nap!"

Sun entered the kitchen and was stunned when she saw the vegetables and rice. This master is really rich. Spring is the time when there is a shortage of food, but there are fresh cabbages, eggplants, beans and cucumbers. The vegetables in the greenhouse are very valuable. The rice and flour are as white as snow, which I have never seen in the grain shops in the capital. And why are the white rice grains so long? And shiny! Even if the master was rich in the past, he would not eat like this. How many taels of silver would this meal cost? Without brown rice, what would the servants eat? They can't have the same food as the master, right?

Sun hurried to the main room to ask her master: "Master, there is no brown rice, what will the servants eat?"

Chen Ruotong was lying on the bed and said lazily, "You guys eat whatever I eat. I won't treat you badly when it comes to food."

"Yes, sir." Sun was very lucky to be able to work in this master's house. At least she could eat well, live well, and get paid well. She had to work hard and be sensible, and strive to be able to live in this master's house in her old age.

Sun was a woman of efficiency and neatness. In just one hour, the meal was ready. They were all home-cooked dishes: stewed meat with beans, eggplant sauce, cold cucumber salad, and scrambled eggs.

Chen Ruotong also woke up. Sun set the table and stood aside.

Chen Ruotong tasted every dish and found it delicious. The cook was worth the money. "The food you cook is delicious. I am very satisfied. Why are you watching me eat? You and Uncle Zhao should also go and eat!"

Sun happily went to call Old Man Zhao and others to have dinner.

The three of them looked at the bowl of white rice and four large plates of food, and they dared not eat anything. Old Man Zhao's eyes turned red: "I have lived for most of my life, and I have never seen such white rice and such delicious food!"

The three of them ate the delicious meal and felt very happy living here. They were all grateful for having met such a good master, and secretly made up their minds to work hard and be loyal to the master.

It’s so nice to have people at home and the atmosphere of home, it feels like home!