The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 88 A single spark can one day ignite a prairie fire.

After the assessment concluded, Zhu Yao personally attended the event and presented each of the ten women with a simple graduation certificate, his expression gentle.

After everyone had accepted the vouchers, he raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet and slowly began to explain the subsequent rules.

"Those who wish to remain in the government office after completing their studies may sign a contract with me, perform their duties in accordance with the rules, and receive remuneration according to their work."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the women present held their breath, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

Xu Miaoyun's eyes darkened slightly, her heart tightened instantly, and she leaned close to Deng Shengnan's ear, whispering in a low voice.

"As expected, a written contract is still required. When wealthy families hire maids, they always sign indenture contracts, making them servants for life and unable to escape."

Deng Shengnan's eyes showed disappointment, and she gently pursed her lips and whispered in agreement.

"I think this young master Zhu is no different from those worldly wealthy merchants. His previous insightful remarks were probably just a means to win people's hearts."

The two men, who had already felt admiration for each other, suddenly lost most of their goodwill and secretly prepared to decline and leave.

But as the servants distributed the paper contracts to everyone, the two women lowered their eyes and read the contents, and their bodies suddenly trembled.

Xu Miaoyun's pupils suddenly dilated, her fingertips lightly touched the paper, her eyes filled with disbelief, and she was completely stunned.

Deng Shengnan stared wide-eyed at the contract terms, her mouth slightly agape, her face filled with astonishment and disbelief.

There were no harsh terms on the paper, such as selling oneself into servitude or being a slave for life; the entire document was filled with rules for fair employment.

The terms clearly state that employees will receive their full wages each month, with pay increases based on performance and no deductions.

They have eight fixed days off each month, regular daily routines, and additional long holidays and holiday gifts during festivals.

The most surprising thing is that the contract states in black and white at the end that if the employee wants to leave, they can resign at any time, and there will be no obstruction or harassment.

As daughters of the current duke, the two had been accustomed to the rules of master and servant since childhood and were well aware of the cruelty of the servant contracts in wealthy families.

Ordinary maids and servants all sign indentures, which bind them to their masters and prevent them from leaving for life. Their lives, honors, and disgraces are all controlled by their masters.

Once you become a servant, you are considered lowly for generations, with no freedom or dignity, and are treated like an object to be disposed of at will.

But this contract completely overturns worldly norms; it contains no constraints, no oppression, only respect and preferential treatment.

A mere sheet of paper separates two worlds: on one side, lifelong servitude and helplessness; on the other, earning according to one's labor and freedom of movement.

Xu Miaoyun forcibly suppressed the turmoil in her heart, raised her eyes to look at Zhu Yao, and spoke with disbelief and hesitation.

"Young master, is this contract truly valid? Or is it just a gimmick to deceive us?"

Deng Shengnan nodded hurriedly, her face full of eagerness as she asked, "Yes, young master, can we really leave at any time without being punished?"

Zhu Yao smiled calmly, his eyes open and honest, and answered with composure.

"This contract is valid. My Liu family never binds anyone, not just you, but all the servants in the manor are bound by this contract."

"Anyone who works in my household is free to come and go. If they perform their duties diligently, I will also give them a generous compensation upon their departure."

Chen Zhong, Yue Ying, and others who were standing by stepped forward, bowed, and confirmed the news with unwavering certainty.

"What the two ladies said is true. We are all employed under contract. We can ask for leave at any time if we have family matters to attend to, and we can leave at any time if we do not wish to work."

Hearing the corroboration from everyone, Xu Miaoyun was even more shocked. After thinking for a moment, she spoke again to probe.

"What if... Shengnan and I don't want to sign this contract?"

Zhu Yao remained expressionless, responding with a faint smile, showing no displeasure or coercion.

"It's fine if you don't want to sign a contract. All the skills you've learned belong to you. You won't have to pay off any debts or be restricted. You can leave immediately."

Deng Shengnan was completely dumbfounded, her brows furrowed with confusion, and blurted out.

"Young master, why do this? You've spent half a month teaching us, imparting new knowledge and skills. If we all leave, wouldn't you have wasted your time and gained nothing?"

Zhu Yao looked at the two bewildered women in front of him with a gentle smile and a profound understanding in his eyes.

"Have you forgotten what I said before? I taught you to read and understand principles, and to acquire skills, only so that you would know that you are inherently free."

"You are all sparks in this world, and I am willing to protect these sparks from going out, because one day these sparks will spread like wildfire."

"This is the meaning of my painstaking cultivation; it is never for the purpose of confining you to my own use."

These words, insightful and profound, deeply moved Xu Miaoyun and Deng Shengnan once again.

The other eight ordinary women, grateful for the generous treatment and enlightened rules of the Liu family, all picked up their pens and signed their names, determined to stay and take up their posts.

Only Xu Miaoyun and Deng Shengnan, each with their own considerations, put down their pens and paper and decided to leave.

The two bowed slightly to Zhu Yao, turned around and walked out of the school and out of the heart of the Liu family mansion.

As they walked along the main road outside the Pentagon, they were surrounded by guards, but no one stopped them or questioned them in the slightest.

The two women paused, looking back at the magnificent building, their hearts once again filled with turmoil, unable to calm down for a long time.

They had seen countless mansions of the powerful and wealthy, but never before had any place placed such importance on the freedom and dignity of its servants.

Before they could dwell on their feelings, the two quickly composed themselves and hurried on their way to the post station where they would be staying.

After the two women had completely disappeared from sight, Chen Zhong, looking towards the door in the Liu family's main hall, stepped forward with a puzzled expression and spoke.

"Young master, these Xu Daya and Deng Erya are really strange. Ordinary women would be eager to stay if they had this opportunity, and few would actively refuse."

"Moreover, their demeanor, temperament, and vision are far beyond what ordinary daughters could possess; their identities must be extraordinary."

Zhu Yao picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and spoke softly with a knowing smile in his eyes.

"They are certainly not ordinary people. Xu Daya and Deng Erya are obviously pseudonyms that were made up on the spot."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhong immediately cupped his hands and asked for instructions: "Should I send someone to secretly follow them and find out their true identities?"

Zhu Yao shook his head slightly, his expression calm and clear, his tone resolute.

"There's no need to stop them or investigate. Letting them go out into the world is perhaps the best choice for them."

"This isn't the first time this has happened."

......

Inside the main hall of the post station, the atmosphere was tense and oppressive. Xu Da and Deng Yu paced back and forth, their faces grave and their hearts filled with anxiety.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and the two women disappeared without a trace after entering the Liu residence.

Deng Yu sighed heavily, his face full of regret, and spoke in a low, annoyed voice.

"If we had known this would happen, we would never have let the two children enter the mansion alone to investigate. If something had gone wrong, we would have regretted it too late!"

Xu Da frowned, his eyes filled with worry, and his tone was heavy.

"The Liu family's defenses are mysterious and their methods are unpredictable. The fact that there has been no movement for the past half month is truly unsettling."

Zong Yonghe, sitting upright in his chair, watched the two of them looking anxious and helplessly cupped his hands in a soft voice to comfort them.

"My lords, please calm down. My personal guards kept watch the whole time and saw the two young ladies enter the manor safely."

"Young Master Zhu Yao is insightful and upright, and is by no means a wicked or evil person. He would never make things difficult for the two young ladies."

Just as everyone was filled with anxiety, two graceful figures strode into the inn. It was Xu Miaoyun and Deng Shengnan who had returned.