Liu Residence
Later on that evening, in the lounge of the chambers of the Masters Courtyard. Housekeeper Gao, Butler Zhou, Commander Jiang, Zhou Yù and Liu Tián Qǔ all sat around the long low table that sat near the bank of opened doors leading to the beautiful Peach Blossom gardens of the inner courtyard.
Several gorgeous ten branch floor candelabra candleholders were strategically placed all over the lounge. The lit candles that the ten branch floor candelabra held pushed back the dark of the night. They brightly cast light throughout the lounge. The bright glow of the ten branch floor candelabra threw the glow of the moon that was beautifully visible through the bank of the opened doors into the shadows. The gentle breeze of the warm night carried in the lovely fragrance of the garden creating a calm and beautifully relaxing ambiance in the lounge.
The sign language class had already ended, and everyone took a moment to sit around the table, drink tea, and unwind from the long day while enjoying each other's company. "Good tea," Housekeeper Gao exclaimed after taking a sip of tea. "What kind of tea is this? I must get some."
"This is a tea that Hòu Dao bought back earlier today for me to try. It is called White Tea. It is an excellent tea. Find out where Hòu Dao bought it from and secure as much as you can." The White Tea had a delicate flavor that was subtly sweet and silky in texture. The flavor also had hints of melon. The Tea made Liu Tián Qǔ think of her sister and yearn for her family of her past life. The White Tea tasted ridiculously similar to Liu Tián Qǔ sister's favorite tea called Silver Needle.
Other than two or three other teas, Silver Needle was pretty much the only tea that her sister would drink. Liu Tián Qǔ hoped her family of her past life were doing well and wasn't too devastated over her absence.
"Um," Butler Zhou hummed as he nodded. "Good Tea, very good tea."
Pushing everything from her mind Liu Tián Qǔ focused on the matters at hand. "The reason I wanted to hold this meeting was to discuss a few things. First Commander Jiang, let's bring you up to date. I'm sure you were informed that the Decree had arrived?" Liu Tián Qǔ had phrased the statement in the form of a question.
"Yes, several servants of our residence actually took it upon themselves to kindly inform me," Commander Jiang said with a wry smile and a shake of his head.
"Good, this is the kind of atmosphere I want in my residence. Where a person with the most insignificant of duties is not afraid to approach the people in authority of the residence and inform them of things like this." Liu Tián Qǔ said, allowing her approval to show.
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
"I've been in residences where certain servants consider each other enemies and plot against each other. Where discordance and animosity are rife amongst the servant. And the servants fear those in authority. It wasn't that different amongst the masters of the residence either." Liu Tián Qǔ shook her head at the foolish masters that fail to govern their homes properly. As she thought of the environment, some of her wealthy associates grew up in, in her previous life.
Housekeeper Gao and Butler Zhou nodded knowingly in agreement. The worked in homes that were run that way as well.
"That is not what I want in our home. We all have to live with each other. I want our home to be a comfortable, welcoming, cheerful home where everyone from the clothes washing ladies and the people that clean the latrines. All the way up to the Commander and his wife to be happy, comfortable, and respected in our home. I understand there will be fights and disagreements amongst us at times. Even the closest of family fight at times, but for the most part, I want a harmonious home for all of us. Where servants are not afraid to approach the people in position of power and help out. I want us all to work hard to that end." Liu Tián Qǔ said with a beautiful smile.
"Good, I will help you work towards that end," Butler Zhou said.
Commander Jiang quietly nodded his head as he looked at Liu Tián Qǔ with a strange expression on his face.
Housekeeper Gao stared at Liu Tián Qǔ in a daze before quietly asking, "Young Master is that even possible?"
"I aim to make it happen. A fisherman will occasionally catch an inedible fish and toss back into the sea." Liu Tián Qǔ said, reminding them of the words she spoke to them yesterday evening.
"Those that come that will disturb the peace of our home or try to prevent me from attaining peace and happiness for our home will be discarded the same way. It's not easy, but it is possible. We will be dealing with hundreds of different personalities, and each one will have their own thoughts. However, a house that is divided will fall, and a house that is united will stand in the toughest of storms." Liu Tián Qǔ said, repeating her father's company motto.
Liu Tián Qǔ's father made it happen in a company of tens of thousands of employees. In the toughest of storms that shook the foundation of her father's company, all the employees stood united with Liu Tián Qǔ.
In the end, the company only came out stronger after weathering the storm. Liu Tián Qǔ didn't see any reason why she couldn't apply the same approach to her home.
"So I aim to create a home where all the residents in it stands united. Be it servants or Master. It's not something that we will achieve overnight, but I wish to create an environment that even after the slaves buy their freedom, they won't want to leave because this will be home. Like in any home, those that misbehave or err must be punished or admonished, and those that do well must be rewarded, and everyone, regardless of their station, will be treated fairly and with respect." Liu Tián Qǔ smiles inwardly as she though on her father.
Zhou Yù stared at Liu Tián Qǔ with wide admiring eyes. What Liu Tián Qǔ was proposing was a thing of beauty to her. She won't have to worry anymore about being bullied or teased because she can't speak. She loved it in the Liu Residence nobody bullied her, and everyone was kind to her.