The daily life of a peasant girl taking the imperial examination

June 29th, the 42nd year of the Xuande reign.

In a small courtyard in the western part of Jingling Prefecture, candles were lit early in the morning.

This day was a joyous occasion for the entire Zhuge family as they returned to their hometown.

Because three younger members of the Zhuge family, Zhuge Yunshu, Zhuge Yunchu, and Zhuge Yunjin, all passed the imperial examination and became scholars, the clan chief Zhuge Fengcang and the village chief Zhuge Fengtian unanimously decided that no matter what, they would hold a grand celebration in the clan for these three most outstanding descendants of the Zhuge family, and reopen the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors.

To show his importance, the clan chief Zhuge Fengcang personally wrote a letter and sent it by fast horse to Zhuge Fengnian's residence in the capital to discuss whether to build a scholar's memorial arch for Zhuge Yunshu and the other two.

Especially Zhuge Yunshu, who is a nine-year-old prodigy who has achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations. Even in the entire Great Xia Dynasty, only one such person has ever emerged.

Although there were two or three young scholars around ten years old in Daxia who achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations, Zhuge Yunshu was the most outstanding, passing the exam a year earlier than the other two.

At this time, the rest of the Zhuge family were packing up all the items they were preparing to take back to Zhuge Village.

However, Zhuge Laifu, Lin Siniang, and Zhuge Yunshu arrived at Guyunxiangfang early in the morning.

Zhuge Yunshu casually picked up a few bars of soap in the sample area and examined them. Although these soaps were not as exquisite and diverse as modern ones due to the lack of latex molds, one has to admire the superb craftsmanship of ancient artisans.

In particular, the characters "Zhuge" are engraved on the lower right corner of these soaps.

Upon seeing this, Zhuge Yunshu raised an eyebrow. She knew without a doubt that her parents wanted to create a brand of products exclusively for their family!

Half an hour later.

The employees of Guyunxiangfang also arrived at the shop one after another.

These employees numbered around thirty-two, and at a glance, women made up the majority.

The store has three managers, one head and two assistants; three accountants, one head and two assistants; three purchasing staff, one head and two assistants; in the VIP area, there are three female waitresses with good looks and temperament; in the high-end private area, there are three female waitresses; in the literary and artistic area, there are two women and one man; in the common people's area, there are three women and three men; there are six errand runners; and two cooks, etc.

Interestingly, the managers, accountants, and purchasing agents were all experienced men over thirty, while the assistants were women around their teens.

Zhuge Yunshu could understand her mother Lin Siniang's intention in making such an arrangement.

In this era, women had few opportunities, so very few could become managers, accountants, or purchasing agents. Therefore, Lin Si Niang thought of a model where an experienced master mentors two young girls to quickly train these inexperienced girls.

Of course, if you want a horse to run, you have to feed it more grass.

Zhuge Laifu and Lin Siniang discussed it and finally came up with a plan.

The rule is that if a master trains an outstanding apprentice, they will be rewarded with one and a half months' salary. Even after retirement, they will receive a quarter of their monthly salary for retirement. All of this is contingent on nurturing talent with dedication...

Even that wasn't enough. Zhuge Laifu and Lin Siniang painted a rosy picture for these master craftsmen, saying that their family's business would definitely spread throughout the entire Great Xia in the future. So, from now on, they would start training talents in this field. As a result, how much bonus these three experienced master craftsmen would receive in batches was already an astronomical figure in their minds without Zhuge Laifu and Lin Siniang needing to explain in detail.

Given such a huge temptation, how could these three master craftsmen not be tempted?

However, it must be said that in such a competitive environment, these women were able to withstand external pressure and stand out from a group of male applicants, which even Zhuge Yunshu felt was an honor.

The reason Zhuge Laifu and Lin Siniang came this time was to see how many of their employees, after a night of deliberation, were willing to go to Linxi County with their family.

"This time when we go back, we plan to open a branch of Guyunxiangfang in Linxi County. Its scale will certainly not be comparable to the one in Jingling Prefecture, but if you are willing to come along, your monthly salary will definitely be higher than in Jingling Prefecture..."

As she spoke, Lin Si Niang looked at the employees below her. Some of them were tempted, but when they thought about going to such a far place as Linxi County, most of them had second thoughts.

Upon seeing this, Lin Si Niang continued:

"This transfer is only temporary. If you have trained suitable replacements, you will soon return to Jingling Prefecture. Besides, you have all studied with your masters for so long; don't you want to give it your all and see how well you have learned these past few days..."

In the future, our Zhuge family's business will surely spread to every corner of the Great Xia Kingdom. As veteran employees, you are all pillars of the Zhuge family. Are you really content to remain in this corner of Jingling Prefecture forever? The world is vast, and there is much to be done. Don't you want to go to Linchuan County, or even the bustling capital, to see for yourself?

As soon as Lin Si Niang finished speaking, the young people present were instantly excited, especially after hearing the phrase "vast world, great opportunities." The two girls around fourteen years old next to Manager Liu looked at each other, and in the end, the girl on the left was the first to step forward.

He bowed to Lin Si Niang and Zhuge Laifu, and said firmly, "Master, I would like to give it a try."

This person's name is Zhao Ming'er, from Cixi County. She is the woman who wrote a letter to her future husband's family to break off the engagement. It was for this reason that she made her own mother faint, thus causing her to miss the interview time for Zhuge Yunshu and his batch of talents.

However, this woman proved to be a capable person. Even with a disastrous start, she eventually won over Zhuge Laifu and Lin Si Niang with her talent. Thus, they made an exception and hired her, even for the important position of deputy manager.

Originally, Lin Si Niang greatly admired Zhao Ming'er's intelligence, courage, and perseverance. Seeing this, she decided to nurture her even more.

Although Zhuge Yunshu had not met Zhao Ming'er during the interview, he had heard her parents mention the matter in a letter afterward. They said that she had personally broken off the engagement, which made her mother sick. She walked alone from Cixi County for three days and two nights before appearing at the gate of their family's Guyunxiangfang in a disheveled state.

If Zhuge Yunyi hadn't discovered her in time, this young lady might have been mistaken for a beggar by the patrolling officials and carried to the area in the north of the city.

Zhuge Yunshu took another look at the resolute and decisive Zhao Ming'er. She had personally broken off the engagement, angered her own mother to the point of illness, and left only a letter before traveling more than 50 kilometers alone to Jingling Prefecture to wait for him. Which of these actions was not a rebellious act that would be unacceptable to the world?

However, this person ignored these worldly prejudices and continued to do things his own way.

It must be said that this young lady was truly a rare and extraordinary woman in ancient times!