Just after the first lunar month, the renovation of the house in Yong'an Fang in the southern part of the city began.
Li Wanming had visited it before the Chinese New Year. There were five main rooms, three side rooms, and a row of wing - rooms at the back. Other rooms such as the kitchen, wood - shed, and side - chambers were all complete.
There were two more courtyards at the back. The main courtyard was not large, but the former owner had placed a rockery made of yellow mountain stones in the small yard. Carved on it were pavilions, plank roads, as well as lifelike cranes, fawns, green pines, and cypresses.
Within this limited space, the scenery was extremely delicate.
The second courtyard was extremely spacious, with pink eaves and white walls. Only honeysuckle, weigela, and wintercreeper were planted under the eaves, and several bamboo poles of Guanyin bamboo were planted near the side - door. Even in winter, they were lush, beautiful, and verdant.
Li Wanming thought that the back - yard could be reclaimed as a nursery to grow melons and beans, providing a place for the girls to practice.
The location here was also excellent. It was just two alleys away from Changming Street. One only needed to turn a corner to reach the bustling and lively Changming Street.
Moreover, the street - corner outside the door was planted with Chinese parasols and willows, among which the black - tiled and grey - walled house was faintly visible.
Once the main gate was closed, one could hardly hear the noise on the street. It was quite quiet and comfortable, fully meeting Li Wanming's requirement of "finding tranquility in the midst of bustle".
As soon as Li Wanming saw this house, she liked it very much. She immediately signed the house deed and paid the rent.
After the first lunar month, the renovation started in full swing.
"This room is bright. It can be used as a classroom in the academy. A batch of desks and chairs need to be purchased. Oh, school supplies such as writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones also need to be prepared."
"This place is close to the kitchen. It can be used as a dining - hall. Add a few long tables and benches."
"This row of wing - rooms should be re - divided and used as dormitories. After our academy is established, there will surely be students coming from afar. It will be inconvenient for them to go back, so they will need to live in the academy."
...
Li Wanming listed one item after another. Qinglan followed behind her with a charcoal pen, recording each item one by one. She also added a few words from time to time, already showing the demeanor of an academy dean.
When Li Wanming told her that she intended to let her be the dean of the academy, Qinglan was greatly shocked.
Who?
Her?
The dean!
She couldn't have heard wrong...
The position of dean was such a noble and respected profession. It was usually held by well - respected scholars.
In many places, even a scholar might not be able to be the dean of an academy!
But the princess of the heir apparent said she would give this position to her...
She was a maid!
How could a person in slavery be the dean of an academy?
She and Caiwei knelt in front of the Princess of Ning, nervously voicing their concerns:
"It's not that we maids have wild thoughts. It's just that the princess of the heir apparent trusts us so much that it's really hard to decline and make her sad."
"However, both of us are in slavery. If we really become the shopkeeper of the wine - shop and the dean of the academy, if someone with ill intentions reports us, it will cause trouble for the prince and the princess..."
After Qinglan finished speaking, she secretly glanced at Caiwei. Both of them lowered their heads and didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
They knew that this was a once - in - a - lifetime opportunity, but they didn't dare to accept it without reporting to the Princess of Ning.
The Princess of Ning pondered for a moment and said, "Since the princess of the heir apparent appreciates you two, I'll allocate you to her. Anyway, when we return to the prince's mansion in the future, Wanming will still need someone to serve her."
She ordered Nanny Yu to bring the slavery deeds of the two of them.
"From now on, you two will belong to the princess of the heir apparent. I'll give you your slavery deeds. Keep them well... In the future, whether the princess of the heir apparent is willing to go to the Ministry of Revenue to change your slavery status and set you free depends entirely on her will."
"In this way, you don't have to worry about being reported. Even if someone really intends to make trouble, since your slavery deeds are not in my hands, you are no longer the maids of my Prince Ning's Mansion."
"There's only one thing you two need to understand."
The Princess of Ning leaned forward slightly, and her tone became solemn: "You can get your slavery deeds all because of Wanming."
"From now on, you need to serve her more attentively, respect her, and help her. Remember, don't mess up the affairs of the heir apparent, and don't let down the princess of the heir apparent's kindness."
Caiwei and Qinglan took the thin slavery deeds and were almost overjoyed to tears!
Both of them were born - and - bred maids in the prince's mansion and had grown up there since childhood.
Since they could remember, they had known that they were slaves. They were not allowed to do business or hold official positions. If they were not set free by their master, their descendants would also be slaves for generations.
The only hope was to sleep with the male master and become a concubine with a moment of favor.
But a concubine was not a proper wife after all and could not be in the open...
But now it was different!
They had obtained their own slavery deeds and had the hope of being set free!
Both of them were in tears and kept kowtowing to the Princess of Ning: "We maids will surely remember this! We will serve the princess of the heir apparent attentively!"
After coming out of Qinghui Hall, Caiwei and Qinglan both let out a long sigh of relief. The winter sky seemed clear and bright to them, as if everything in front of them had come to life.
Qinglan said happily, "We've endured for so long, and finally we have a future! From now on, we must help the princess of the heir apparent do things well!"
Caiwei held her hand and nodded heavily: "Yes! In the future, you'll be the dean, and I'll be the shopkeeper. We'll be the right - hand women of the princess of the heir apparent and surely make her business more and more prosperous!"
After laughing for a while, a look of worry appeared on Qinglan's face again: "We have a future, but I don't know when Zifu... will turn back from the wrong path?"
Although Zifu didn't get along well with them, after all, they had grown up together in the prince's mansion since childhood, and Qinglan was a bit worried about her.
Caiwei spat: "Why do you think about her? That little bitch has only one thing on her mind, which is to sleep with the heir apparent. She should have known the heir apparent's heart when he drove her out of the yard back then! She still couldn't see clearly after being tortured for so long recently!"
Qinglan sighed: "Yes, that girl is just obsessed. I don't know what to say about her. She still refuses to mend her ways after suffering so much these days."
Caiwei said, "Don't think about it. Today is a good day for us sisters. I'll go to the counter and buy a pot of Jinyutang wine. Let's have a drink at noon?"
Qinglan smiled and agreed, then quickly admonished: "We still have things to do this afternoon. Don't drink too much..."
"Got it!" Caiwei snorted: "I'm the shopkeeper of the main store of the Li Family's wine - shop now. Can I not tell the difference between important and unimportant things?"
"Okay, okay, you're the most sensible~~"
Laughing and joking, the two of them walked away happily.
From then on, the two of them were even more attentive to everything and did their best to assist Li Wanming.
The main store was operating smoothly, and the affairs of the academy were also in an orderly manner.
But one day, Li Wanming was sitting in the carriage with a gloomy face. She felt a surge of anger in her chest and was almost furious.
She had just come out of the He and Chen families...
She had intended to invite her two elder sisters to be female teachers in the academy under the pretext of opening the academy and take them out... But before she could finish speaking, she was rejected!
Censor Chen even said arrogantly that one Zangshan Academy for women in the capital was enough, and advised her not to overestimate herself, seek fame by sensational means, and bring humiliation upon herself...
Li Wanming was extremely angry!