Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 275 - 27: Picking Up Bargains (Third Update)

The number of servants who came with Susu wasn’t large. Besides the five maids, the two lads Chang Sheng and Bai Yue, there were Lin Sheng and his wife, Qi Qiao’s parents — Wei Rong and his wife, along with two rough servants and four coachmen.

However, even with this small number of servants, the courtyard appeared quite lively.

Susu entered the main room of the inner courtyard; the room was quite clean, not a speck of dust, but it was rather simple.

The middle was the living room with a table and four stools, which were made of rosewood.

The west room was the bedroom, with a bamboo bed inside, and under the window was a large kang bed. The two or three boxes that Susu prepared for Hong Sheng were placed on the floor of the west room.

The east room was the study, with only a simple desk and a chair, and against the wall was a camphor bookcase without a single book inside.

Fortunately, whether it was Susu or the servants under her, they were already used to moving. Since Susu left the mansion, they had moved four times in total, gaining experience, so everyone worked in their own way, quickly and efficiently. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

However, a lot was missing in this courtyard. Chang Sheng and Bai Yue helped run errands and deliver messages, Shuimo noted things down, and Fen Dai and others started taking items out of the boxes one by one.

Thanks to the experience shared by Mrs. Sun, the items they brought were fairly complete. Apart from lacking some large pieces of furniture, the courtyard was soon tidied up.

After waiting a bit longer, the people who went to move furniture returned. The three horse-drawn carriages they took were loaded to the brink.

Several strong laborers unloaded items one by one, practically filling half the yard. Susu looked around, not expecting to find such good items in what seemed like a bandit’s lair.

Not to mention a complete set of rosewood living room furniture, a set of huanghuali bedroom furniture, even a few mismatched pieces were all top quality.

There was a large black ebony screen with auspicious patterns inlaid with painted glass, an ebony-framed small screen of Kesi depicting the Turquoise Pool, a nanmu Eight Immortals table, zitan high table, and a huanghuali vanity table.

Four boxwood wardrobes with carved plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum on the doors, subtly beautiful with a stone green background.

Imperial concubine couches made of rare woods like teak, walnut, and ironwood — even Susu’s dowry didn’t include these, yet there were several here.

Other small items like kang tables, embroidered stools, jewelry boxes, and screen tables filled half a cart.

Susu picked up a somewhat worn three-tiered jewelry box. Upon closer inspection, it was actually the work of the previous dynasty’s master carpenter Liu Qiaoshou. Wei Rong discreetly nodded to Susu, indicating he recognized it as well.

Susu couldn’t help but whisper to herself, "These bandits probably aren’t just robbing merchants! Even this one jewelry box could easily be worth ten of the six hundred tael silver notes."

There were also some ordinary cypress, pine, and beechwood furniture, likely picked by Wei Rong for themselves.

Wei Rong returned the one hundred silver taels to Susu, saying, "I managed to persuade the steward in the warehouse to accept a five hundred tael silver note, and he said if the furniture isn’t enough, we could send someone back to pick more."

Susu hurriedly waved her hand, "That’s enough, enough. We’re not selling furniture, how could we need so much?" They’d already gotten a great deal, so why be greedy?

Susu privately instructed Wei Rong, "Soon, have Shuimo give you four boxes of pastries, a set of golden hairpins, two bolts of palace silk, and twenty silver taels to deliver to that steward. Just say it’s for the trouble caused."

Of course, these pieces of furniture weren’t ready to use immediately; they needed to be cleaned and polished. Wei Rong then led some soldiers down for tea.

By the time Fen Dai and others had finished cleaning the furniture, Susu had already assigned them, and then called a few soldiers over to move the furniture into the respective rooms as she had instructed.

This whole affair took nearly two hours, and as it approached five o’clock, Susu asked Fen Dai and the others to tidy up at home. She took Linlang, the Lin Sheng family’s couple, and two servants, asking Yang Xiaoshan to lead the way. The other soldiers carried two sides of pork, two sheep, some prepared braised dishes, a bag of white flour, and other condiments to the cookhouse.

The soldiers of the Vanguard Camp didn’t eat with the other soldiers; they had their own separate cookhouse.

Hong Sheng chose five younger or weaker soldiers to become kitchen soldiers. Since they had experience in this role previously, the food they cooked wasn’t delicious but at least edible.

Most of those who came here for military service were from poor families that previously struggled with hunger, so just having enough to eat at the barracks was already satisfying, irrespective of taste!

The cookhouse was located not far from the training ground. When Susu arrived, five kitchen soldiers were busy plucking chicken feathers and butchering rabbits. The trusted aide Qu Qi, who had delivered a message to Hong Sheng earlier, wasn’t idle either, as he was handling a small wild boar.

Seeing Susu arrive, they all quickly stood up. Qu Qi was butchering a pig without getting any blood on his hands, clearly showing skill.

"Sister-in-law, you’re here. Please head inside, it’s dirty here. Just instruct us with any heavy or rough work, and later you and Mrs. Lin can focus on cooking."

Susu entered the cookhouse, which had been cleaned in advance, and even the four large pots were wiped until they shone brightly.

Qu Qi brought in the five slightly nervous kitchen soldiers, "Quickly greet the sister-in-law. Listen to whatever she instructs later and try to learn a few tricks so you won’t have to serve pig slop to the brothers next time."

Among the five kitchen soldiers, Susu noticed there were even two child-like ones, one seemed about seven or eight, and another around eleven or twelve. The remaining three were all thin and weak, about fifteen or sixteen-year-old teenagers.

When Susu saw one of them, her gaze paused for a moment, then she nonchalantly looked away, sat on the chair Yang Xiaoshan brought over, and took off her helmet, saying, "They’re just kids, why place so many demands? Just have them keep the fires going for Aunt Lin and me later."

Susu’s appearance was quite striking, and even those like Yang Xiaoshan, who had been with Susu for two months, found it hard to resist her allure, let alone the other bewildered youths.

"If there’s anything you need to do, hurry up. As for that wild boar, I’ll make it into a roast piglet later, just for you all. Did your officer count how many people there are to feed?"

Naturally, Susu wasn’t foolish; she knew Hong Sheng couldn’t have everyone following his lead immediately. Of course, her sweet bribes weren’t for everyone either, only those loyal to Hong Sheng got to eat meat.

Qu Qi listened to this and glanced at the others, who quickly shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t told the sister-in-law anything.

The sister-in-law was clever and knowledgeable, no need for them to speak out!

Qu Qi quickly replied, "Including the servants from your house, making meals for 120 people should be enough. But Boss Hong said a few higher-ups might come over, and with their trusted aides, there could be more than twenty people. But sister-in-law, don’t mind them, just prepare a few dishes to go with wine, enough for five or six people."

Susu nodded, reflecting on how the Vanguard Camp should have 500 soldiers, but now only 120 were following Hong Sheng. The situation was quite serious.

But there was nothing she could do about that; at least the previously indifferent Commander Liu had become Uncle Liu. This allowed Hong Sheng to wield some borrowed authority, deterring some from openly harming him.

Once the soldiers departed, Susu looked at the kitchen soldiers, giving them a "loving" smile, "How should I address you all?"