Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 442: Arrangements

Qin Yao pointed to the stools and chairs inside the room, "Make yourselves comfortable, I’ll first explain a bit about the situation at home."

Mrs. Li looked nervously at Song Yu, unsure if this was a test from the new owner or something else, and didn’t dare to sit.

Song Yu nodded at her, giving a reassuring look, and took two chairs closest to himself, placing them on the lower right side of the main seat, signaling his wife to sit down with him.

Qin Yao was secretly pleased when she saw this.

Her requirements weren’t high; as long as people weren’t as stubborn as wood, it was enough that they could communicate normally.

Liu Ji asked, "Did you come by carriage?"

Mrs. Li was about to answer, but Qin Yao raised her hand to indicate her to stop, "You can speak while sitting, no need to stand up to reply."

"...Okay." Mrs. Li was a bit unaccustomed and responded a beat slow.

Liu Ji curiously asked Song Yu, "Can you read? How old are you?"

Song Yu replied, "To answer you, master, when I was young, I attended school for a few years. Later, my family suffered a misfortune. After entering the Song Family, Mr. Song valued my talent and found a teacher for me to specifically learn how to manage a shop."

"I am twenty-six this year, and Mrs. Li is twenty-five."

Liu Ji did some calculations and realized they were the same age. But he looked much older!

He nodded, indicating he understood, and reminded with a note, "Just call me ’I’, my wife doesn’t like to hear such formal self-addressing at home."

Song Yu immediately nodded, "Alright, I understand."

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that this new household wasn’t bad and not the kind that enjoys making life hard for the servants.

With Liu Ji’s questioning over, Qin Yao took her turn, playing good cop to Liu Ji’s bad cop, with their roles clearly divided.

Qin Yao warmly asked, "What are the two of you skilled at? Feel free to speak up about any needs you may have."

Whether they could be met would depend on the situation.

The first part, the couple could understand, but the latter part was the first time they had ever heard of a homeowner inquiring about a servant’s needs.

Not only did it not bring delight, it made them more uneasy.

Because this new household wasn’t following any conventional script.

Ever since they entered the door, their previously thought-out strategies were completely disrupted.

Song Yu and Mrs. Li exchanged a subtle look, forced to adapt to the situation and follow the new home’s line of thinking.

Mrs. Li answered first, saying, "I..."

She realized her improper use of address as soon as she spoke and quickly corrected it to ’I.’

Mrs. Li nervously said, "In reply to Madame, I am proficient in needlework and cooking, skilled in embroidery and making pastries. I have no demands; it is already my fortune to serve by the side of someone like you."

That last sentence even carried two-thirds sincerity.

Mrs. Li lifted her eyes, not daring to make eye contact with Qin Yao, glanced vaguely at her arm, but the slight admiration in her gaze was easily felt.

Qin Yao "cough cough" gave a light cough, secretly pleased; who could resist a female fan who could embroider and make desserts?

It was Song Yu’s turn, his skill in managing shops was precisely the solution Song Zhang had specially selected to address Qin Yao’s current needs.

He nonetheless made a minor request, hoping the family of three could live together.

And with Little Lai Fu growing older, he hoped Qin Yao could arrange a task for him as well.

Even being a runner for the young masters and missies, being an attendant student, or helping at home with cleaning chores would be fine.

Qin Yao looked up to see Little Lai Fu being incited by Second Lang to pluck scallions from the vegetable patch in the yard.

This was Uncle Ah Wang’s cherished seasoning patch, where scallions were pulled for noodle making, which Uncle Ah Wang usually did himself.

Because when he pulled them, the remaining scallions would remain neat and tidy.

If the kids at home pulled them and left a few uneven ones, he’d be bothered for a day or two until the scallions evened out.

Often Second Lang and Sanlang were up to these mischiefs, Uncle Ah Wang, with his good temper, never got mad at them, only bore the discomfort and occasionally glared at them.

This time, the mischievous little rascal Second Lang was eager to ’help’ Uncle Ah Wang again.

He didn’t pull them himself, encouraging the unsuspecting Little Lai Fu to pluck them, wanting to see how Uncle Ah Wang would react.

Little Lai Fu, completely oblivious to this, simply thought he was helping with chores and was quite willing.

Just when Little Lai Fu’s hand was about to touch the tip of the scallion, Qin Yao promptly shouted, "Liu Zishu!"

Second Lang’s reaction was astonishingly swift; he immediately grabbed Little Lai Fu’s hand and led him to pull a scallion matching the height of those already pulled.

Little Lai Fu didn’t know what happened, his big eyes widened in fright.

Second Lang hurriedly threw a fawning smile towards the main room, gesturing for his younger siblings and Little Lai Fu to bring the scallions to the kitchen.

Uncle Ah Wang intentionally looked back at the vegetable patch, neat and tidy, before exhaling a sigh of relief, accepting the scallions sent by the children.

Big Brother Da Lang stood watching from behind his younger siblings; in truth, had Aunt Yao not spoken, he would have stopped Second Lang in time as well.

It was just that Aunt Yao reacted a bit faster. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Da Lang lightly patted Second Lang on the forehead and explained the reason to Little Lai Fu.

Little Lai Fu showed a look of sudden realization, then glanced angrily and grudgingly at Second Lang, lowered his lashes, and ran back to the main room, standing behind his parents.

Si Niang wore a look of dismay, softly reminding, "Second Brother, you’ve upset someone, you should apologize quickly."

Second Lang awkwardly scratched his head, thought about it, and walked in with big steps, wanting to call Little Lai Fu away.

Little Lai Fu ignored him, so Second Lang sheepishly and quietly apologized.

Little Lai Fu looked at him with disbelief, and seeing the sincerity in Second Lang’s eyes, he started laughing, and the two were reconciled again.

Watching the kids play together again, even more noisily than before, Qin Yao remarked:

"Children at this age should really be attending school."

Mrs. Li’s eyes flickered with surprise, but fearing a misunderstanding, she held back her excitement, eagerly awaiting Qin Yao’s next words.

However, Qin Yao began assigning tasks first, telling Song Yu:

"From now on, you’ll come with me to the stationery factory. Once you’re familiar, you can become the Assistant Steward. We’ll have a trial month to determine your skills before deciding whether to keep you or send you back."

"At the stationery factory, the Assistant Steward’s monthly pay is four hundred cents, plus two meals daily for breakfast and lunch, and additional meat, egg, and rice bonuses on holidays."

"During the trial period, you’ll receive half the salary, and upon formal employment, the full amount will be given."

"I’ll find you a house, with the rent not on your account, and your family can live there."

She turned to Mrs. Li, saying: "Tomorrow, you’ll make breakfast, so we can first test your cooking skills. If the test is passed, I’ll then assign you specific duties."

Qin Yao reminded her, "I have a big appetite and prefer heavily seasoned food. Also, the children leave for school early, so you need to rise early and ensure their lunch is ready."

As the smell of noodles wafted from the kitchen, Qin Yao stood up and said, "That’s all for today. Have a bite to fill your stomachs; I’ll go prepare your room. If you have any questions, just ask Ah Wang."

With Qin Yao getting up, Liu Ji immediately stood too, calling the children to stop fooling around, motioning for Little Lai Fu to enter and eat noodles, leading away Da Lang’s siblings.

The children were readily available labor; Da Lang and Second Lang were strong, so they were responsible for putting on the quilts and sheets.

As for Sanlang and Si Niang... their little hands and feet didn’t have much strength; it was enough if they could stand steadily themselves, so they were assigned to the morale-boosting group—shouting encouragement was enough.