Chapter 479 - 481: Argument between Ruozhu and Mother
The coachman stared at Bai Ruozhu as if he was dumbfounded, seemingly not believing his own ears, he asked, "Are you really not making me sign the Indenture Contract?"
Bai Ruozhu just smiled and nodded.
"Why... why hire me?" the coachman asked cautiously.
Bai Ruozhu’s smile grew broader. Though the man seemed naive, he was not ignorant. He knew to ask for clarification.
"First of all, you have both a horse and a carriage, which saves me the trouble of buying them myself. Secondly, you seem to be a trustworthy person. Finally, it seems that you know how to take care of horses. I noticed on the way to Beiyu City that your horse was well cared for. Covering the same distance, your horse appeared less strained than others," Bai Ruozhu explained.
Wa San, the coachman, looked surprised. "Quite the eye for detail, madam. My family used to breed horses; it wasn’t until we fell on hard times that I began working as a couchman."
"How much do you earn in a month?" Bai Ruozhu asked.
Wa San thought for a moment, then replied, "After paying taxes, horse care and carriage maintenance costs, I’m left with about three taels of silver, sometimes even less."
Bai Ruozhu did a quick calculation. It seemed to confirm that the coachman was indeed a very honest person.
"Then, consider this - I want to hire you as our family’s coachman. I will handle the costs of horse care and carriage maintenance, and in return, I will provide you with six taels of silver every month. If you do well, we can negotiate a raise. How does that sound?" Bai Ruozhu proposed.
The coachman could not help but reveal his surprise. He spent a significant amount each month on horse care, carriage maintenance, and taxes. The six taels of silver that Bai Ruozhu offered him was an extremely good price. Even a first-rate maid or servant from a wealthy family only earned two taels of silver per month.
"Ma’am, I am honored and willing to accept, but it seems that you would be at a loss. That does not seem right," Wa San said, rubbing his hands together uncomfortably.
Bai Ruozhu laughed. "And that’s why you also have another job, which is to help me take care of the horses. Is that a problem?"
"No problem, no problem at all. I am the best when it comes to caring for horses." Wa San chuckled, relieved that this was something he was familiar with.
"Do you know where I can buy an inexpensive, decent horse?" Bai Ruozhu asked.
"Yes, yes, madam. Would you like to buy a horse right now?" Wa San’s eyes lit up. Whenever horses were mentioned, it seemed like he exuded a bit more confidence.
"Yes, I want to buy a horse for my two brothers to learn horseback riding," Bai Ruozhu confirmed.
"Alright, madam. If you could get in the carriage, I will take you there now."
Shortly after, Wa San took Bai Ruozhu to the horse market. Timidly, upon their arrival, they were greeted with the odor of animal waste. Wa San, however, displayed an aura of excitement in his face.
Fortunately, Bai Ruozhu had found an expert. If she had come to the horse market alone, selecting a horse would have overwhelmed her. Wa San helped her quickly select a horse with a suitable nature, calm and gentle, claiming it was best for beginners.
Bai Ruozhu nodded. She understood that things could not be accomplished in one step. Even if there were good horses available, she could not afford them. Even if she could afford them, she might not be able to take care of them. Most importantly, these fancy horses were not suitable for her elder brothers who were beginners.
After negotiating the price and making the payment, the seller’s staff followed them with the horse. Bai Ruozhu returned to Wa San’s carriage.
Actually, there was a whimsical thought in her mind to ride the horse back by herself, but she then thought it was not a good idea. She didn’t know how to ride horses, and it would be quite embarrassing to make a fool of herself in the middle of the street.
On the road, Bai Ruozhu asked Wa San about some of his circumstances. When she found out that he lived not far away from the Bai family, she asked him to continue living there, but come to the Bai residence a bit earlier each day.
When the Bai Family saw Bai Ruozhu coming back with a coachman, who was also leading a horse, they were quite surprised and came over to ask Bai Ruozhu about the horse.
"This horse is the one I just bought. I have hired Wa San to drive our carriage and take care of the horse. From now on, he will be responsible for it," Bai Ruozhu explained.
Lin Ping’er, Bai Ruozhu’s mother, was somewhat worried at the news and said with a frown, "We don’t have a stable source of income right now, and you’re going about hiring a coachman and buying a horse. How come you’ve become such a spendthrift?"
Bai Ruozhu sighed helplessly, "Mother, isn’t the dividend from the toothpaste business a source of income? Isn’t the money we just collected from the sale of fresh soup powder a source of income? There are places where we need to spend money. Beiyu City is much larger than Anyuan Town. Can you imagine how long it would take to get anywhere on foot? The amount of time wasted could bring in more money than the cost of a carriage."
Everyone else was silent, considering Bai Ruozhu’s point. They were either peasants or former merchants accustomed to being frugal. It was the first time they had considered this perspective.
"Besides, purchasing a horse is essential. If my elder brother and second brother want to fit into life in Beiyu City, whether they are doing business or studying, they will need to make some friends. If a friend proposes an outing, and everyone else is on horseback while my brothers are in a carriage, wouldn’t they be the laughing stock," Bai Ruozhu continued.
Upset, Lin Ping’er responded, "Let them laugh! We can’t pretend to be something we’re not, always trying to compete with others."
"Mother, this is not about competing. This is about fitting in. This is Beiyu City, our new environment. We now have to learn to fit into the new environment," Bai Ruozhu said.
In a fit of pique, Lin Ping’er responded, "No matter how you put it, you’re always right. There’s no winning with you!" With that, she stormed off angrily and retreated into the house.
Bai Yihong quickly gave his daughter a look and said softly, "It’s okay. Your mother just needs some time to come around. I’ll have a word with her."
The rest of the people in the yard felt awkward. They all started making excuses to go back to their work. Secretly, they regretted their decision to come over in the first place as they had unintentionally witnessed the mother-daughter conflict.
Wa San had already taken the horse to the stable in the backyard. No one knew if he had heard Lin Ping’er’s words.
The Meng Residence once belonged to the young master Meng Hanhong, so naturally they had already built stables. This really saved a lot of trouble for Bai Ruozhu.
Bai Ruozhu took Little Dengdeng from his elder sister-in-law’s arms and said to Wan Caiyue and Fang Guizhi, "Let’s go and see the horse."
In fact, Wan Caiyue and Fang Guizhi were also curious about the horse. Being girls from farming families, they had rarely seen a horse before, and if a horse-drawn carriage came into the village, it would be a spectacle for a long time.
"Sure, sure, let’s go!" Fang Guizhi said excitedly. After she had spoken, she remembered that Lin Ping’er had just lost her temper over this, and she became somewhat shy. She stuck out her tongue at her two companions.
Actually, Wan Caiyue approved of Bai Ruozhu’s actions, mainly because Bai Ruozhu had mentioned allowing her elder brother to learn horseback riding. She also felt that her husband often traveled for business. Therefore, learning to ride a horse was necessary.
She had heard that among the aristocrats, horseback riding was a popular activity, and if one did not know how, they would be laughed at.
"Not to worry, my mother will come around soon. Who knows, she might even come to see the horse," Bai Ruozhu said cheerfully.
Little Dengdeng appeared extremely curious about the big horse. Extending his hands and making noises, he was clearly stating, "Enough with the chatter, let’s hurry up."
All three of them laughed and headed towards the stable at the back of the residence.
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Now it’s time to give thanks. I wish to acknowledge the following contributors: Yun, Autumn End, Qian Yiwei Cool, Non-Hazy Love, Fruit Fragrance, Sprite and Brown Sugar, Innocent Face with a Poisonous Scorpion Heart, "If...", "After the Monster", Fade Away, An Xiaoxin, Floating Clouds Morning Moon, Yun Worry Grass, Baby, The Promise of the Finger. Thank you all for your support.
Also, on Mother’s Day, Mouka had a red envelope giveaway in the Book Friends Group. Why not come and join the fun?