“Well….”
“Patriarch, did I say anything wrong? Do you mean that our daughters should be someone else’s maid for the rest of their lives? Of course they will come home and get married when they reached the right age. It’s not like we are selling our daughters to the Cheng’s. Now Xiao Xiao is just trying to bully us!”
An Hung niang interrupted the old patriarch and complained disgruntledly. The other villagers looked at each other. Nobody was really familiar with how this was supposed to work exactly, but they have somewhat heard about it in the past that when a poor peasant enter to work for a big family, it was more or less like signing their freedom over for the rest of their lives.
Shi da niang stood up slowly with an embarrassed look. She looked at the Cheng’s father and daughter then lightly to the old patriarch, “Old patriarch, we know that things are different when working for a big family, but the Cheng’s are part of this villager after all. We want meant is for our second daughter to work there for the time being until she reached the age of marriage. We would like to find her a good family. They shouldn’t not be allowed to get married just because of their work. Am I right?”
“Yeah, that’s what I mean, old patriarch. No matter what we should let our kids marry. Why do they have to say they are raising our children for us. Our daughters will be helping out. There’s no need to make it sound so bad!”
Listening to their words, a few other village women nodded as well. It was obvious that that’s what they had in mind as well.
What they said sounded reasonable, now it started to sound like the Cheng’s were taking advantage of them. The old patriarch wasn’t sure what to say, so he just looked at Cheng Xiao Xiao.
Cheng Biyuan didn’t look too happy either but he didn’t say anyway. He has already decided to let his daughter handle this one.
Cheng Xiao Xiao was already familiar with the village women’s thought process from a couple of days ago. She had an idea that this would be bought up again. The old patriarch looked at her casual look at her young age and couldn’t help but looked at her approvingly.
Cheng Xiao Xiao turned to the village women again and said nonchalantly, “Everybody has their own ideas. I can accept your terms but I have my own conditions as well. As long as you can accept my conditions as well, we will take in all your girls as well. Otherwise, I am sorry we won’t be able to do that.”
“What conditions?” An Hung niang was always the most impatient one!
“I don’t have a lot of conditions. Do listen carefully. One, your daughters will be separated from our family at age 14 and each family are free to arrange for their marriage!”
“Good! No problem!” An Hung niang was ecstatic!
The other village women started smiling too.
Cheng Xiao Xiao continued to talk, “Two, we will provide all the food and clothing for the girls working for us. But they cannot take a grain of rice or a head of lettuce that belongs to the Cheng’s. If they take anything of course, they will be treated as thieves. They will either be taken to the court or be punished at and banished from the Cheng’s and their employment will be terminated!”
“……”
“Three, the girls that work for us must follow our orders. They cannot pick and choose what they want to do or not want to do. They must carry out all orders. If they are lazy or disobedient, they will be banished from the Cheng’s!
“Four, and the most important one. No matter what they have heard or learned during their stay with the Cheng’s, they will not be allowed to divulge any of it to anyone outside of the Cheng’s, not even to their own families. If we discovered this situation, their employment will also be terminated!”
“Please do give this some careful considerations. That is all I have to say. If you feel that your daughters are up for this, we will accept them. If you don’t think so, well then, have someone else raise your children for you. We don’t accept this task!”
After listening to her words, everybody presence knew that what Cheng Xiao Xiao had asked for was not unreasonable, even expected. If they couldn’t even agree to these terms, it’s not unusual for the daughters to be denied.
