Finest Servant

Chapter 53 Promotion (Part 2)

The next day, he dragged his feet until late morning before reluctantly heading to the study. He had been staying in the courtyard for a while now, so he knew where the study was located.

The Xiao family's study was situated right in the middle of the garden, the core area of the residence, far more prestigious than the secluded garden. As Lin Wanrong walked, he encountered many familiar faces, most of whom were maids.

"Brother San, I heard you've been transferred to the study—"

"Brother San, I'll bring you some delicious food later—"

"Brother San, do you have any free time tonight? There's a new troupe performing in the garden, and I got us two tickets. Let's go watch the opera—"

"Brother San—"

...

Chirping and laughter filled the air. Fortunately, Lin Wanrong was already used to these sounds, so he casually chatted as he made his way to the study.

Inside, a thin, elderly teacher held a book, stroking his chin's few white whiskers while pacing back and forth, reciting, "The lovebirds sing, on the islet in the river. A fair maiden, a good match for a gentleman—"

A plump young man lay asleep on a table. The teacher looked at him several times, shaking his head helplessly with a bitter smile, clearly at a loss.

Hmm, the Xiao family didn't have a young master, did they? Where did this chubby young man come from? Was he Madam Xiao's illegitimate son?

Amazed, Lin Wanrong quickly stopped a passing maid: "Greetings, miss. I'm Lin San, and I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"You're Lin San?" The maid's eyes lit up, and she replied joyfully, "Feel free to ask anything, brother. I'm at your service."

Lin Wanrong shivered. It seemed that all the young ladies in the Xiao residence had a tendency to be flirtatious. He pretended not to hear her words and continued, "I've just been transferred to help in the study, so I'm not familiar with everything here. Could you tell me who are the young master and misses in the study?"

The maid stared at Lin Wanrong, covering her mouth as she laughed, "You've come to the right person with your question. As for the study, there aren't many people here. The eldest miss stopped coming to the study years ago. With her level of knowledge, she could easily teach these teachers a thing or two. The second miss is still young and comes here frequently under the orders of the madam, but she seems to have gone out recently. As for this cousin, he's here every day, and the teacher was probably hired for him."

Although the maid's words were discreet, Lin Wanrong's cleverness was not for show. In just a few sentences, he gathered several pieces of information: the eldest miss was learned and talented and wouldn't need any teachers; the second miss was naughty and mischievous but had to come under the madam's orders; as for the cousin inside, he seemed to be a fool who couldn't learn anything, so the teacher was specifically hired for him.

When talking about the cousin, disdain filled the maid's eyes. It was clear that the cousin's performance was extremely poor. Lin Wanrong secretly lamented that following such a cousin, who was looked down upon even by the maids, would make it difficult for him to hold his head high in the Xiao residence.

Lin Wanrong then learned about the cousin's background from the maid. The cousin's surname was Guo, his given name Wuchang. He was the nephew of Madam Xiao from her maternal family. His father (Madam Xiao's brother) was a county magistrate in a region in Yangzhou. In order to discipline his son, he sent him to the Xiao mansion, hoping that he would receive a good cultural education. Of course, whether there were any other motives was unknown.

Unfortunately, this cousin had no interest in poetry or literature and spent his days sleeping during the teacher's lessons. Both Madam Xiao and his uncle were at a loss for what to do with him.

This cousin really didn't care for learning, and while Lin Wanrong lamented this fact, he was also secretly relieved. Although the young man was not very promising, having to serve a studious young master who spent all day in the classroom listening to the teacher's lectures would be a nightmare for Lin Wanrong. On the other hand, following such a wayward young master, indulging in deception, eating, drinking, and having fun seemed not too bad.

With his spirits lifted, Lin Wanrong reluctantly said goodbye to the maid and stealthily entered the study. The teacher glanced at him with curiosity.

Smiling, Lin Wanrong bowed to the teacher and said, "Greetings, sir. My name is Lin San, and I've recently been assigned to help in the study. I was just outside listening to your lecture, and I must say, your extensive knowledge and mastery of both ancient and current subjects are truly impressive. I am in awe."

Flattery will get you everywhere, and the teacher was quite pleased to see this newcomer being so respectful. With a smile, he nodded and replied, "Oh, you're too kind. You're giving me far too much credit."

Lin Wanrong knew how to make a good impression, and the teacher appreciated his complimentary words. It seemed that Lin Wanrong was off to a decent start in the study, despite the cousin's lack of interest in learning.

The young master rolled over in his seat, drooling all over the table. He yawned, opened his eyes and said, "Who's making all this noise? Can't a person get some sleep?"

Mr. Xi, the teacher, looked embarrassed, wondering why the young master wasn't showing him any respect.

Lin Wanrong quickly said, "Young master, you're awake?"

The young master glanced at him indifferently and asked, "Who are you?"

"Young master, my name is Lin San, and I've just been assigned to the study. From now on, I'll be serving you."

"Oh? You're Lin San? Not bad; you seem quite clever." The young master carefully looked at him, somewhat surprised. Other servants called him 'Young Master Guo', but Lin San, meeting him for the first time, addressed him simply as 'young master'. This small difference indicated that the other servants didn't truly consider him their young master since he was just a relative of the Xiao family. Lin San, a lower-class servant, seemed to know his place and made the young master feel comfortable with his title.

Moreover, the young master had heard that Lin San was quite popular among the Xiao family's servants. He was handsome and charming, with a knack for winning women's hearts. The young master hoped that having Lin San by his side would help him win the affections of his two cousins, increasing his chances of success with them.

"Young master, young master," Lin Wanrong noticed that the young master was staring at him with a pleased smile on his face, as if recalling some good memories. Feeling slightly uneasy, he hurriedly called out to the young master.

"Oh, right. Lin San, you'll be following me from now on," the young master announced loudly.

"Yes, young master," Lin Wanrong replied respectfully.

Seeing that the master and servant had acquainted themselves, Mr. Xi said, "Young Master Guo, let's continue with our lessons."

Young Master Guo, already in a bad mood from being disturbed during his pleasant dream, couldn't help but yawn upon hearing Mr. Xi's suggestion. He gave a faint, disinterested hum through his nose. Mr. Xi, having received payment from the Xiao family, turned a blind eye to his disinterest, knowing that he already had the money.

Lin Wanrong, of course, had no interest in listening to lectures either. He figured that with the young master already in such a sorry state, it would be better to go along with his wishes and earn his favor, making life under him much easier.

"Young master, the weather is so pleasant today. Why don't we accompany the teacher and go outside to find some inspiration for poetry?" Lin Wanrong suggested enticingly.

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