Chapter Seventeen: Job Position and Salary

  It is undeniable that there are indeed people who sell good family children.

  However, that requires many conditions to be met, such as the seller being a tyrant, the person being sold owing money and being honest but unable to defend their own rights, and the buyer must be lacking in moral constraints and not caring about public opinion, being an unscrupulous wealthy merchant.

  Now none of these three conditions are met, so this kind of thing cannot happen to Xu Yuanshuo.

  Xu Yuansuo listened quietly and didn't interrupt in a hurry.

  Xu Cheng sighed with emotion and then looked at Xu Yuanshuo, smiling: "You are indeed as Mr. Lu said, steady."

  "You're overpraising me." Xu Yuansuo bowed slightly towards Xu Cheng and Lu Fuzi.

  "Don't you want to ask me why I'm recruiting people?" Xu Cheng looked at Xu Yuanshuo with a hint of curiosity.

  "You don't need to know, young one." Xu Yuansu said bluntly: "Master, just tell me what you want me to do and the results you want to achieve. As for why it needs to be done, that's your business. How to do it is my business. If I can't do as master says, then I'm incompetent. My brain isn't very bright, all I know is this."

  "Alas!" Xu Cheng sighed: "Very good, very good indeed!"

  Lu Fu-zi smiled complacently and chimed in: "What about this young man?"

  "Good." Xu Cheng said: "Only such a person can I feel at ease with."

  Lu Fu-zi looked at Xu Yuan-zuo and said with a hint of sarcasm: "Don't you think you should thank Xu the manager?"

  "Thank you, Master Xu." Xu Yuansu said: "However, I'm also afraid of delaying your errand and tarnishing your reputation. Please tell me what to do and to what extent."

  Xu Cheng stroked his beard and smiled, saying: "He's a reliable person." Only then did he say: "It's like this, my family's old master retired and returned to the countryside this year, you know?"

  "The old man returning home is a big deal for the local area, of course he knows." Xu Yuansuo said.

  "My second master built a mansion for the old master in Xiaoyuan, preparing for his retirement. It's located just across the river from Litahui, not far from Xiaozheng."

  Xu Cheng continued: "However, this house was built in a somewhat unsuitable location. The place is large, but there are not many houses. After the master returns, he will not be satisfied, so it's equivalent to wasting money."

  Xu Yuansuo nodded slightly, indicating understanding.

  Not many people can meet the old man, Xu Jie seems to be leaving Beijing in defeat, losing to Gao Gong in the political struggle, but soon people will realize that this powerful minister's energy is still there, even after retirement at home, it is easy to deal with one or two touring censors. So the Xu family's retirement home for the old man must not have built too many houses, but instead spent money on gardens and landscapes.

  The money spent on flowers in the garden is much more expensive than building a house. To say nothing of other things, just Taihu stone alone is difficult to estimate its value. If several rare and precious trees are transplanted again, the garden will be worth a city.

  If Director Xu doesn't want to live there, this mansion will be left vacant - it's unlikely that many wealthy people can afford to buy it. And the Xus definitely won't sell at a loss, otherwise losing money is a small matter, but letting people question the filial piety of the Xu family towards the old chief assistant would be a greater loss!

  Xu Yuansuo vaguely felt that this matter was a bit tricky.

  "This garden doesn't even plan to let servants in, the Xu family is big and wealthy but they don't have spare money to raise so many people for nothing." Xu Cheng's words were mixed with some anger: "Now that this has happened, do you know why I need to hire someone?"

  Xu Yuansuo hung his head and said in a low voice: "Please forgive me, sir. I still don't know."

  "You!" Xu Cheng suddenly became angry and looked at Lu Fuzi.

  Lu Fu's face was awkward: "How can you be foolish at a critical moment? Of course, it's up to you to find some short-term workers and strong women to clean up the garden." He paused: "This errand is simple and easy to do, but the position and salary are high, obviously Mr. Xu is promoting you!"

  Xu Yuansuo revealed a silly smile: "Master, doing such trivial things, dare to ask what kind of position and salary can be obtained?"

  Xu Cheng coughed and stood up, saying to Lu Fuzi: "Excuse me, I'll change my clothes." After speaking, he didn't pay attention to Xu Yuansuo and walked out of the flower hall.

  Lu Fuzi knew that Xu Cheng had deliberately left him to make things clear, and he was furious: "Come here." Xu Yuansuo had no choice but to step forward. Lu Fuzi suppressed his anger and asked, "Do you know what kind of person Xu Cheng is?"

  "The student didn't know." Xu Yuansuo naturally wouldn't know this unknown little person.

  "He is the steward of Xu Ge's household!" Lu Fu Zi said with a heavy heart: "I also have a childhood friendship with him, otherwise how could I get such a good job?"

  Xu Yuansuo slapped his forehead: "So that's it. He had been accompanying the official in Beijing, and when he returned, he found that all the family affairs were taken over by others, leaving him with no support inside or outside, so he was sent here to retire, and also given a small garden to humiliate him."

  "You're clever!" Lu Fu Zi also heavily tapped on that shiny forehead, saying in a low voice: "When the Grand Elder left the capital, he was somewhat disheveled... He indeed didn't have reliable people under him, just right for me to come find him, and I remembered your matter, so I came to speak of it."

  "Sir," Xu Yuansuo said seriously, "the key is still those four words: position and salary."

  Lu Fu Zi was speechless, and could only say: "In the Xu family's business, the highest position is the head manager, which refers to those two managers. Under the head manager are the managers of each store. Under the manager, larger stores also have second and third managers. Below them is the accounting department. Under the accounting department are the accountants. The accountants also have different levels, with the lowest being apprentices, who receive three years of free food and lodging without receiving a single penny." As he spoke, he glanced at Xu Yuan Zuo, clearly implying that now he had saved him from having to be an apprentice for three years.

  Xu Yuansuo was not satisfied with this and still looked dull, waiting for him to continue.

  "After three years of studying, you can listen to miscellaneous chores and get a little money every month as an allowance, this is called a small account. Mr. Lu continued: "After another three years as a small account, being clever and not making mistakes, you can follow the big account to learn how to do business, this is called standing at the counter. Standing at the counter for three years, if the boss nods in approval, then you are considered a big account!"

  Xu Yuansuo chuckled: "Thanks a lot, Master. You're letting me take charge of this big account directly?"

  "You really dare to be greedy!" Lu Fuzi's eyebrows rose: "I had a hard time persuading Xu Guanshi, and he only agreed to give you a place at the counter. At least wait until you've learned the rules of the Xu family before pursuing your big accounting dreams!"

  Xu Yuansuo slightly lowered his head and said: "That salary..."

  "Only accountants are paid a salary, apprentices only get wages." Lu Fu Zi said with annoyance: "With monthly room and board included, they're given three coins and five cents of silver."

  Xu Yuansuo rubbed his nose and looked up at the sky: "I see, let me think about it..."

  Lu Fu-zi almost burst into rage, just in time to see Xu Cheng return, and barely managed to hold it back. He still couldn't help but curse inwardly: This whelp doesn't know the height of heaven or the thickness of earth, and yet he dares to complain that three coins and five cents' worth of wages is too little!

  One month is three yuan and five cents, and in a year it adds up to more than four taels. Large households like the Xu family often give an extra month's wages during the New Year's festival as a kind of consolation, similar to the modern practice of giving double pay at the end of the year.

  This is the most inspiring news in Songjiang this year, that a young man like Xuyuan Zuo, who has no achievements or experience, can receive such treatment.