The remaining twenty were all girls, thirteen and fourteen years old, in the bloom of youth. Their appearances were average, or slightly below, not particularly striking.
However, Shen Xiaoyan didn't care about that. She didn't need to buy a bunch of good-looking young girls to feast her eyes on; what she wanted were honest and diligent workers.
They could have their own thoughts and look out for themselves, but they absolutely could not harbor any improper desires.
Shen Xiaoyan hadn't forgotten that this was ancient times, and maids were known to try and curry favor with their masters in bed.
Especially since both Zheng Wei and Sima Han were exceptionally handsome.
Even Shen Xiaoming, who was growing up day by day, was becoming more and more outstanding.
If she really brought back a few ambitious maids, she would truly be inviting trouble for herself.
After asking everyone some basic questions, Shen Xiaoyan said, "Tonight, we'll have a feast for them, and also to welcome you all. Everyone will have a good meal, and tomorrow, we'll start getting busy."
The newcomers didn't understand what Shen Xiaoyan meant by "busy," but upon hearing there would be good food, their eyes lit up with anticipation.
When dealing with human traffickers, unless one was exceptionally good-looking, overly sweet-mouthed, and exceptionally good at fawning, ordinary people could only dream of good food and clothes. Therefore, they had been hoping to meet a good buyer.
When Zheng Wei and Sima Han went to select them, their hearts were filled with excitement, as both men looked like refined gentlemen.
After traveling for nearly a full day to arrive here, their hearts were filled with unease. When they learned that both gentlemen were married, their anxiety only grew.
But to their surprise, they met a stunningly beautiful young woman who showed no signs of being a mother.
Moreover, Shen Xiaoyan’s face naturally held a slight smile when she wasn't speaking, and her voice was gentle when she spoke, which greatly calmed their hearts.
Although they didn't know what they would be busy with tomorrow, living in the countryside, it would likely be farming. They had all done this since childhood. If their families hadn't been so poor, they wouldn't have been sold by their parents.
To earn a living with their own hands and hard work, and to have a stable life, they would be content.
The group of thirty people followed Huo Fen to the dining hall in the west wing. As soon as they entered, they were stunned.
They had never seen such a dining hall, nor had they imagined that even the place where servants ate could be so good and so comfortable.
They listened to Huo Fen's instructions and sat down separately, and then someone served the food.
The dishes were served in porcelain basins, and the portions were very generous.
Not only that, but the food was also very fragrant. Just taking a few breaths made their stomachs rumble.
"You've just arrived today, and there are many things you don't know yet, but it's alright. With us here, you'll get familiar with everything in just two days," Huo Fen said with a smile, standing there.
"Yes, you don't need to be afraid. Finish your meal properly, and I'll take you to your respective rooms later. Get a good night's rest, and we'll talk about anything tomorrow," Huo Ying added.
Looking at the sisters Huo Fen and Huo Ying, who looked very similar and spoke so kindly, the newcomers' hearts settled a little more.
After everyone finished dinner, the men followed to the east wing, which was their living quarters, while the women went with Huo Fen and Huo Ying to the back rooms.
Regardless of gender, each room housed two people. Clothes and daily necessities had been prepared, so they didn't need to worry about them.
Since it was summer, blankets weren't needed for now. They had a heated brick bed and a blanket to cover themselves.
Each room was equipped with ice to cool the temperature, which further excited them.
Such good living conditions were something they had never even dared to imagine before. Therefore, before falling asleep, they had only one thought: they must work hard, otherwise, how could they live up to such good treatment?
The next morning, after breakfast, Shen Xiaoyan and the others saw the refreshed newcomers in the courtyard.
Although only one night had passed, these people were no longer so reserved. Their gazes were filled with both gratitude and excitement.
Leading everyone to the herb garden and the workshop, Shen Xiaoyan carefully explained what they needed to do.
"Your specific tasks will be assigned by Uncle Fan. What you need to do is follow his arrangements, do your jobs well, understand?" Shen Xiaoyan asked loudly.
"Yes, Madam, we understand," everyone replied in unison.
Shen Xiaoyan watched Fan Yong assign tasks to each person and then watched them all get busy. She secretly thought that after these few busy days were over, she would have to quickly build more rooms. It was truly too crowded to walk.
Emerging from the room, Shen Xiaoyan shared her thoughts with Zheng Wei.
"It's the same as what I was thinking. I'll go find people to bring materials shortly and try to find more workers to build the rooms as quickly as possible," Zheng Wei said.
Building houses in ancient times wasn't like building skyscrapers; it didn't require very deep foundations.
And these were not meant for living, so they didn't require meticulous design.
Therefore, Shen Xiaoyan estimated that it would take at most eight days to complete the construction.
Over three days, more than forty people worked tirelessly, with no time off except for eating, sleeping, and using the restroom, to produce ten thousand boxes of talcum powder.
When Lu Taobao came to pick up the goods, he was so astonished by the sheer volume of talcum powder that his mouth hung open.
"How... how was this achieved?" Lu Taobao asked in shock.
"Well, we added new hands," Zheng Wei said calmly.
"Oh, I see." Lu Taobao suppressed his surprise. With more people, it made sense. Although it was still astonishing, it was at least somewhat more understandable than before.
"I'll take these away now. You don't need to rush too much from now on, but you still need to prepare some every day, just in case you need them later and don't have enough time," Lu Taobao said, and then hurried away.
His father at home was urging him daily, driving him so crazy he felt like climbing onto the roof. He'd better take them back quickly.
Watching the frantic Lu Taobao, Shen Xiaoyan shook her head and chuckled.
In the following days, specific responsibilities were assigned to these new hires.
Six new maids were exclusively responsible for household chores, with one assigned to each wet nurse.
Apart from these ten, the remaining ten, along with the previous eight, would stay with Fan Yong in the herb garden, responsible for preparing medicines and future cosmetic products.
Of the ten household retainers, five stayed in the herb garden, and five worked with others to manage the forest behind the house.
After the allocation, the next step was to focus on building the houses.
The people of Baiyun Village were very surprised that Shen Xiaoyan's household was building new houses again so soon. Along with their surprise, they were also happy because it meant another source of income for them.
Although the weather was hot, it didn't dampen their enthusiasm. The reason was simple: Shen Xiaoyan's wages had always been the most generous.
Besides that, there was another reason.
Although every household in the village now grew speckled watermelons, these were primarily for making money, and hardly anyone was willing to eat them themselves.
But Shen Xiaoyan was different. She didn't begrudge those speckled watermelons, so anyone who came to work, besides their wages, would be given sliced speckled watermelons to eat every day. This not only quenched their thirst and cooled them down but also helped her build a good reputation.
She wasn't afraid of being called rich, but she was afraid of being called rich but unjust.
Therefore, Shen Xiaoyan generally didn't place much importance on material possessions.
Her original requirements weren't high; she simply wanted to have enough to eat and wear and be a landlady.
The houses were built continuously for seven days and were all completed.
As it was summer and the weather was hot, the houses dried quickly. After airing them out for another two days, all the necessary tables, chairs, cabinets, chests, and various implements were moved in.
And during these nine days, Fan Yong and more than twenty people had already produced twenty thousand boxes of talcum powder.
Two days later, Lu Taobao arrived, beaming with joy.