Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life-Chapter 493 - 491: Xiao Yixun’s Servants

Xiao Yixun faced her former slaves who were sent back to her with an indifferent expression. She was now used to having just a personal maid following her.

This group of slaves, whom she didn’t take with her when she left home, were not her confidants. To her, they were dispensable.

"This one used to cook, the rest you can arrange," Xiao Yixun pointed to a girl with six fingers and gave Lin Wanwan a simple introduction.

"I’ll assign you a courtyard and let them serve you, how about that?"

"No need," Xiao Yixun immediately refused.

Now, whether at the Lin Family Manor or at the Lin Mansion in the small stream town, she shared the same house with Lin Wanwan. She didn’t care about slaves; it didn’t matter if no one served her, she just wanted to be with Lin Wanwan.

Lin Wanwan thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I’ll make the arrangements. You, continue working in the kitchen. As for the others, tell me your skills."

"Mistress, I can do embroidery."

"Mistress, I can hear very distant sounds."

"Mistress, I can harness horses and control them."

"Mistress, I know herbs."

"..."

The group reported their skills one by one, quite orderly; it was clear Xiao Yixun had trained them well in the past.

Standing before them were eleven people, five men and six women, with a harmonious gender ratio.

Among them, a tall man’s characteristics of being mentally challenged were very evident. Among the group, his face was the one filled with dullness.

Can someone with such intellectual shortcomings be a servant? What work can they do? Lin Wanwan was skeptical, so she pointed at him and asked, "And you, what’s your name and what did you do before?"

"Hehe, hehe, I’m Dabao, I work for the mistress," the big man scratched his head, smiling foolishly at Lin Wanwan.

Hearing his response, Lin Wanwan realized that he was someone with slightly low intelligence, not entirely mentally challenged, possibly with an IQ around 70, so she nodded.

She then looked at the group again, there were those with vitiligo, one with a horn growing on their head, one with one leg longer than the other, someone with a cleft lip, three-eyed, one-eyed, and someone with half their face covered with a red birthmark. They all had their own peculiarities.

Lin Wanwan didn’t want to question further; seeing a gathering of people with various defects was unsettling. She waved her hand and let Sun Chuyao take them away to make arrangements, and also instructed Yun Shang to record the court-rewarded silk cloths and gold ornaments into the inventory.

The two left with orders and soon took the group away.

Xiao Chong was already proficiently playing the host as he brewed a pot of tea. Seeing that Lin Wanwan had finished her arrangements and entered the hall to rest, he poured her a cup: "Cousin, this tea is a new blend I concocted, you should try it."

Lin Wanwan knelt in front of the tea table, picked up the cup, and took a sip, casually praising, "Not bad."

Then she put it aside and asked Xiao Chong quizzically, "Cousin, what leisurely reason brought you to tea brewing today?"

Xiao Chong laughed heartily, "The autumn harvest has come to a halt for a time, I’ve got time for brewing tea now."

"Is it time for labor conscription again?"

Xiao Chong didn’t deny it, "Indeed, after the farming lull, it is time for service; both the Ta Mountain Dam and Sun Lake need people."

"Then you’re going to be cursed again. During the service period, surely someone will be drawing circles and cursing you daily."

Xiao Chong chuckled, "Who is so bored?"

"Haha, cousin, don’t you think people will happily receive forced labor? Working for the court for free and providing their own food—who would willingly accept that? At times like this, people are afraid to even glance at you lest they lose a pound against the wind."

Xiao Chong responded with a serene smile, nonchalantly, "It’s my duty as the Ming Mansion of Mao County to handle these affairs; other people’s opinions do not matter."

"That’s true." Lin Wanwan propped her chin and asked further, "Cousin, how is the progress on the Ta Mountain Dam? How much longer will it take to build?"

Xiao Chong replied, "At the current pace, it will take nearly two more years."

"Oh, so it will take three years in total."

Lin Wanwan nodded understandingly; the project’s timeline was consistent with the historical timeline.

"Once the Ta Mountain Dam is completed, seawater won’t flood in, and Mao County will have countless fertile fields. In the future, people will understand your efforts, and I’m confident that with just this one project, you’ll be remembered through the ages, cousin."

Xiao Chong dismissed it lightly, "I’m not doing this for posthumous fame."

"Heehee, we know you have high ideals, cousin," Lin Wanwan laughed and added, "selflessly working for the people, not for fame."

After chatting for a while, Hua Nong came to announce that the meal was ready. The two walked side by side to the dining hall, chatting along the way.

"Cousin, why hasn’t Brother Dugu come with you today?" Usually, Dugu Di would eagerly join for a meal.

"Lately, there has been a major case in the county. Brother Xiwen and Minor Mansion went out early to investigate and haven’t returned yet." Xiao Chong didn’t go into detail about what the major case was, just mentioned it in passing.

Lin Wanwan curiously asked, "A major case? What kind of case, robbery or murder?"

This wasn’t a secret, Xiao Chong hadn’t directly spelled it out before just from the habit of leaving some words unsaid.

Seeing Lin Wanwan’s curious inquiry, he candidly explained, "Recently, there have been reports of mountain dwellers hiding in the hills, robbing passers-by, and several similar reports have been filed with the County Government."

"Highway robbery?" Lin Wanwan frowned slightly, sighed, "Where there is light, there must be shadow. The law enforcement is still lacking, too many people defy the law. Cousin, have there been any clues about these robbers?"

Xiao Chong replied, "Not yet. Cousin, be sure to take guards and servants while traveling to Lin Family Manor and stay safe."

"That is a given." Lin Wanwan wasn’t worried about herself; every time she traveled to the small stream town now, she brought a group of people. No bandit in their right mind would dare provoke her team; they would obviously target passing merchants or lone travelers.

However, Lin Wanwan found it puzzling; historically, didn’t they say that security was excellent during the fourth year of Zhenguan, with only double-digit death penalty cases nationwide? Why is it that in Mao County alone, there’s one case of kidnapping followed by another robbery case?

If Xiao Chong overheard Lin Wanwan’s question, he would surely chuckle. As an upper county, Mao County alone had six thousand households permanently in small stream town, with a population exceeding 40,000. What kind of case hasn’t happened? There are incidents every day.

On the next day, after Lin Wanwan finished reviewing the accounts and completed her tasks in the small stream town, she took her entourage back to the Lin Family Manor.

Regarding the county robbery case, Lin Wanwan didn’t give it much thought after hearing it from Xiao Chong that day, but on the way back to Lin Family Manor, an unexpected situation arose.

Mao County was mountainous with limited land. While traveling from the small stream town to Wanghai Town, unknown numbers of hills had to be crossed. At one point, near the foot of a mountain, her convoy came across a large tree blocking the road.

Riding on horseback, Lin Wanwan immediately sensed something was amiss as she surveyed the scene.