Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1492 - 759: Bridal Gifts

Third watch, asking for pink.

Once Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi were ready, they found an excuse to gather the whole family together.

"You three, what exactly are you going to give your sister? Watching you sneak around these past two days, you’ve really piqued my curiosity," Lady Li said with a smile, urging them, "Hurry up, if you don’t bring it out soon, everyone will be too curious to sleep tonight."

"Exactly, hurry up," Zhang Caiyun also urged.

"You don’t know either?" Lian Zhizhi was also very curious about what her younger siblings were going to give her. She thought Zhang Caiyun might know and asked.

"If I knew, I would have told you already," Zhang Caiyun replied. Although Wu Lang was young, he behaved maturely. Zhang Caiyun, although older than Wu Lang, felt a bit restrained in front of him. Therefore, she naturally didn’t ask Wu Lang. She had asked Lian Manman and Xiao Qi, but unfortunately, they hadn’t told her a word, leaving her still unaware of what the three had prepared for Lian Zhizhi.

Lian Shouxin, Lady Zhang, and Lady Zhang Wang also smiled at Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi, eagerly anticipating their answer.

"Don’t rush, don’t rush," Lian Manman said with a smile, "Almost there."

As Lian Manman spoke, she pulled a scroll of paper from her sleeve and handed it to Lian Zhizhi.

"Sister, this is one part of the gifts we’re giving you," Lian Manman said with a smile to Lian Zhizhi.

"Quick, see what it is?" Everyone urged Lian Zhizhi.

Lian Zhizhi’s face was slightly flushed with happiness and emotion. Under the urging of everyone, she opened the scroll.

"A servitude contract?" Although Lian Zhizhi wasn’t passionate about studying, under the encouragement of her younger siblings, she had studied a few books. She could read and understand general correspondence, ledgers, and contracts, as well as write and do calculations.

What Lian Manman handed her was a servitude contract for a family of four.

"Yes," Lian Manman nodded with a smile, then signaled to Xiao Xi and Xiao Qing who were attending nearby.

The two girls left and soon returned with a family of four: a couple in their thirties and their son and daughter. This was a family who voluntarily joined the Lian Family’s estate. Because they were honest and capable, Lian Manman and the others chose them as a bridal accompaniment for Lian Zhizhi.

In those days, although having silver coins could buy people to serve, in practice, it wasn’t that simple. Official families could command servants without scruple, but families without official status could buy people to serve, but the rules were not as stringent.

This doesn’t mean these families wouldn’t set strict rules, but without official status, relying solely on silver coins, many people and matters were difficult to manage.

For instance, the Wu Family, despite their wealth, never bought people to serve. They only hired people to run errands and manage household chores. Most non-official landlord families hired long-term or short-term workers but rarely bought people outright.

This apprehension also applied to marriage. For most farmstead families, even if they essentially bought a bride, there would never be a servitude contract; it was still considered a marriage. On one hand, purchasing a bride was socially unpleasant. A decent man couldn’t find a match of equal standing, needing to buy a woman, was disgraceful. On the other hand, even if ordinary people had the money, the law didn’t prohibit it, but they lacked the confidence to buy people. Even if they did, they feared failing to manage them.

Thus, unless in remote mountain areas, farmstead families wouldn’t buy women from anyone to marry, let alone buy people to serve.

When Manman’s family had only the imperial plaque and Wu Lang as a scholar, Lian Manman didn’t plan to give Lian Zhizhi a maid as a dowry.

But now, Lian Shouxin had an official position, making the situation different.

Lian Zhizhi caught it at the right time!

Lian Manman had the family of four kowtow to Lian Zhizhi.

"This..." Lian Zhizhi hadn’t expected her younger siblings to give her four attendants and instinctively wanted to decline.

Lian Manman didn’t allow Lian Zhizhi to refuse and signaled Xiao Xi and Xiao Qing to take the people away for settlement, planning to send them to the Wu Family in due course.

"Sister, Brother Jiaxing’s house doesn’t have many people working. When you marry over, not to mention Brother Jiaxing’s family’s matters, just the fields, workshops, and mills you accompany with will already be too much for you to manage. These four people can be arranged by you then," Lian Manman told Lian Zhizhi, "Before, we could afford it, but we couldn’t flaunt it. Now, it’s just perfect timing."