Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life-Chapter 490 - 488: Poor Children

Wang and Yu, these two noblewomen, are accustomed to bathing with two or three maids attending them. Showing their bare bodies in front of fellow noblewomen of the same sex naturally doesn’t make them uncomfortable.

But Lin Wanwan can’t do it. Exposing her back is already the limit she can tolerate.

Every time she gets a massage, she lies properly on the bed first, and then allows the other person to lift her clothes and start the service, let alone asking someone to help her bathe.

If she were from the North, she might be able to accept communal bathing, but in the South, there’s truly no such environment. Even the public baths in universities are individual cubicles, each separate from the other.

To avoid being teased for too long by the two noblewomen about wearing a swimsuit, Lin Wanwan quickly called over a few small girls waiting on the side to manicure her nails and massage her back, thus changing the topic.

These little girls were all from ordinary families in Xiaoxi Town, only six or seven years old, skinny, with inexperienced hands for shoulder pinching and leg massaging, just for fun.

The hot springs have rules prohibiting maids from entering, so if noblewomen want attendants, they can only seek out these little children.

When Lin Wanwan visits the hot springs, it’s not just to soak; she also prepares a lot of food and drinks.

These children’s reward is the food Lin Wanwan prepares.

Don’t underestimate the allure of food; for children enduring hunger, it’s an irresistible temptation.

There are plenty of poor children in town who, with no boudoir or school to stay in, often hunt for treasures in garbage at street corners.

Since Qingyu arrived in Xiaoxi Town, every time after school, she loves to wander the blue-bricked streets with animals, attracting much attention.

Following closely behind her is her personal maid Rongrong, always carrying a small basket full of snacks for her. Inside are all kinds of pastries, buns, jerky, and dried fruits.

Qingyu has always enjoyed lively scenes and is generous. At Lin Family Manor, she was the one who loved to give out snacks to the children, and this habit naturally remained when she came to Xiaoxi Town.

Thus, every time Qingyu went out, she was surrounded like the moon by stars, accompanied not only by the family’s servants but also by half the children in the town, making her far more noticeable than Lin Wanwan.

Children covered in dirt, who were smelly with lice crawling all over, were not allowed near Qingyu. So, to eat the delicious snacks, every time Qingyu appeared in town, the children would diligently clean themselves.

The families of these children knew that the daughter of the Village Lady of Le’an would give food to clean children, so they wasted no time washing the dirt off their children, making sure not to fall behind others.

There were quite a few wealthy families in Xiaoxi Town, but it was rare to see them mingling with commoners or outcasts.

Nobles like Qingyu, when going out, would either ride horses wearing veiled hats or sit in spacious and beautiful palanquins, surrounded by servants, making it impossible for poor children resembling little beggars to approach, as they would be driven away in a heartbeat.

Previously, only County Magistrate Xiao Chong would walk around the town daily, observing the people’s conditions, treating beauty and ugliness, wealth and poverty, with equal regard. Later, there was also the Village Lady of Le’an, Lin Wanwan, who loved street vendor snacks.

The Village Lady of Le’an and her daughter most loved seeing clean children, and when they encountered cute and clean ones while eating snacks outside, they would always chat with them and share a little snack.

Because of this, the villagers near the Lin Mansion in Xiaoxi Town particularly loved and respected the approachable Qingyu and the Village Lady of Le’an.

Lin Wanwan, with many servants by her side and stunning looks that created a sense of distance, had a rather aloof and cold demeanor, resembling an ice-cold beauty. The Kunlun slaves around her looked like intimidating black towers, discouraging anyone from approaching.

But Qingyu was different. Initially, when Qingyu went out, she was only accompanied by Yun Shang, Rongrong, and the animals. After a kidnapping incident, Kunlun slave Ali and bodyguard A Jing were added to her entourage.

Even with the added guards, Qingyu remained approachable and naturally had a magnetic charm that drew small animals and children to her.

Most importantly, Lin Wanwan always supported Qingyu in distributing small favors to children.

As a result, Qingyu became even more popular. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

The children of Lin Family Manor will undoubtedly become allies for Lin Wanwan and her daughter in the future. And among the group of poor children in Xiaoxi Town, seven or eight out of ten may eventually become affiliates of the nobles.

If they are to fall one day, why not have them work for Lin Wanwan?

Lin Wanwan doesn’t actively purchase slaves of the same ethnicity, but after a year in the Great Tang, she no longer opposes it. For many at the bottom, becoming servants for a prominent family might seem like a good job.

Like Song Sulan, who insists on following and becoming Qingyu’s maid, even at a young age, she has already determined that a proper citizen’s identity is worthless compared to having enough to eat, warm clothes, and a roof over one’s head.

Lin Wanwan’s Red Face Smile is not open to the poor, but it welcomes children regardless of their status.

This became a tacit practice among Red Face Smile’s staff after Lin Wanwan, during her visits, noticed a few clean children loitering by the entrance and casually selected them to enter, giving them new clothes and allowing them to serve in the hot springs.

Noblewomen don’t like having maids with them when bathing, preferring the service of small children.

Quickly, the news spread, and more children began waiting at Red Face Smile for a chance to be picked by Lin Wanwan. Being chosen by her to go inside made the selected children feel as if they’d hit the jackpot.

Inside Red Face Smile, not only could they gain insight, but they could also enjoy delicious food. If they were lucky, there was an extra reward. Besides that, they could also take a free bath since bathing at the local Daoist temple or temple bathhouses cost a penny!

Today, Lin Wanwan invited a member of the Yu family, the granddaughter of Yu Shinan’s cousin, someone as closely related to Yu Shinan as Lin Wanwan could reach, within five degrees of kinship.

Yu Shinan is one of the twenty-four meritorious officials of Li Shimin during the 17th year of the Zhenguan era, whose portrait was painted by Yan Liben in the Lingyan Pavilion. He is currently the Secretary of the Secretariat.

In history, three years from now, in the 7th year of the Zhenguan era, he would be conferred the title of Baron of Yongxing County and appointed the Secretary Director, known as "Yu Yongxing, Yu Secretary Director."

With such a renowned figure, it was naturally impossible to bluntly state an intention to purchase his calligraphy. Doing so would likely result in Yu’s family blacklisting Lin Wanwan, never to interact again.

Therefore, Lin Wanwan thoroughly prepared for today’s conversation with Yu, researching her wording carefully, in order to convey her intentions indirectly yet clearly.

Under her deliberate arrangements, the three had a delightful experience at Red Face Smile, as warm as a spring breeze.

After leaving the hot spring pool, Lin Wanwan had said what needed to be said, and Yu had replied that she would do her best, which was enough.