Chapter 357: Hiring The Refugees ( 4 )

Chapter 357: Hiring The Refugees ( 4 )

In the side hall of Yueling Courtyard, Xue Ya’er was having her meal when Chun Hua walked in and reported, "Madam, Steward Han is waiting outside."

Hearing this, Xue Ya’er swallowed her food and put down her chopsticks before she said, "Invite him in."

Just after she finished rinsing her mouth, Steward Han entered, following Chun Hua.

After bowing to her, Steward Han said, "Madam, there is a letter for you sent by Young Master Lei."

"Bring it over."

Chun Hua quickly took the letter from Steward Han’s hand and handed it to her mistress with both hands. Xue Ya’er checked the bamboo tube with raised eyebrows.

She didn’t see any seal, but the bamboo lid seemed to be sealed tightly. She pulled off the lid and saw the letter inside.

Opening the letter, she read it for a moment before saying, "Steward Han, please make preparations. Young Master Lei will come for a visit."

"Yes, Madam." After receiving the order, Steward Han left the courtyard.

Standing beside Xue Ya’er, Chun Hua glanced at her mistress with a complicated expression.

Since the Madam’s relationship with the General had been getting better, she didn’t think it was wise for Young Master Lei to continue being involved with her.

Noticing her strange gaze, Xue Ya’er said, "Chun Hua, if you have something to say, just say it."

After hesitating for a while, Chun Hua finally knelt and said with her head lowered, "Madam, please forgive this servant for overstepping."

"This servant thinks that since Madam has finally managed to improve your relationship with the General, it’s better not to get entangled with Young Master Lei anymore."

The moment she finished speaking, both Xue Ya’er and Dong Mei were stunned. It took them a moment to realize that this silly girl had misunderstood Lei Feng.

Xue Ya’er covered her mouth with her wide sleeve and let out a series of laughs. If not for her good upbringing, she might have fallen to the ground from laughing too much.

Seeing that her mistress still had the mood to laugh, Chun Hua pouted and complained, "Miss."

Whenever she felt wronged, she would call her mistress "Miss," like how they were in the Xue family’s manor.

Xue Ya’er laughed for a while before she managed to calm down. She reached out and pulled her personal maid up. She flicked her forehead and said helplessly, "Chun Hua, you should stop listening to those stories in the teahouse."

"Miss, this servant is being serious here," Chun Hua said.

Noticing her distress, Xue Ya’er patted her hand and said, "I know you are thinking about me, and I thank you for that. But you have misunderstood Young Master Lei."

Chun Hua was taken aback and said, "Miss, you mean that you and Young Master Lei..."

Xue Ya’er nodded and continued, "He is a good person, but our relationship is purely a business deal. The General also knows about this. So, you should stop overthinking."

Finally realizing her mistake, Chun Hua’s face turned pale. She knelt down with a loud thud and kowtowed heavily. "Madam, please punish this servant."

Seeing this, Xue Ya’er said nothing, but Dong Mei pulled her up and said, "Madam is magnanimous and won’t punish you. But you should change your reckless nature. Even though you have good intentions, if others hear your words, it might bring trouble to Madam."

Chun Hua felt remorseful and nodded. "Sister Dong Mei, I understand." She glanced at Xue Ya’er and added, "Madam, please forgive this servant."

Xue Ya’er didn’t take her words to heart and said, "There won’t be a next time."

"Yes, Madam."

After Xue Ya’er returned to her room to change her clothes, Chun Hua ordered the maidservants to clean the table and remove the dishes.

Half an hour later, a horse carriage arrived at the General’s mansion. Unlike before, the horse carriage entered the mansion directly through the side gate.

When Yao Zhi came out of the carriage, Steward Han and Ling Shiqi had been waiting for her.

Seeing her, Steward Han cupped his fists and bowed slightly. "Greetings, Young Master Lei."

Yao Zhi returned his bow and said, "Greetings, Steward Han."

"Young Master Lei, Madam has been waiting for you. This way, please."

She nodded and followed him. This time, both Ling Shi’er and Ling Shiqi went with her. As for the horse carriage, it was taken care of by the General’s mansion servants.

They walked for a while before they reached the main hall in the front yard. As usual, they exchanged greetings before Yao Zhi took her seat.

After the maidservants served tea and snacks, everyone withdrew from the hall, leaving only Steward Han and Dong Mei behind to assist.

Xue Ya’er waited until Yao Zhi drank her tea before she asked, "Young Master Lei, I already read your letter. Are you sure you want to hire the refugees? If you need workers, I can lend you my people."

Yao Zhi nodded and replied, "Madam, on my way here, I saw a lot of refugees living in the alleys. Haven’t the government already distributed land and houses to them?"

"Those people lost their household registers. Without that, they won’t receive any land allocation," Xue Ya’er sighed.

"Then, why didn’t the government issue new household registrations for them?"

"To issue new household registrations, the government needs to check their background first, and it will take a long time and a lot of effort. The current political situation is not as good as before."

"Most of the officials are corrupt and took office due to their connections. Not many officials truly work for the people. To get a new household register, they have to pay 10 taels of silver."

The moment Yao Zhi heard this, she frowned deeply.

For the refugees, it was already hard to even eat a meal. Asking them for 10 taels of silver was equal to telling them to die. Even if they sold themselves, they wouldn’t be able to get 10 taels of silver.

This was the ugly truth of this era, and Yao Zhi was not powerful enough to change the current situation.