Immortality: Raising an Ant Queen to Cultivate by increasing stat points

Steward Yan Qi’s face was also filled with worry.

“Greetings, Master Qin!”

Young Master Yan stood up and greeted him with utmost respect.

It had not been this way when they met before.

For scions of noble families like him, no matter how much they cultivated their manners, they always carried an inherent pride.

Such arrogance was etched into their very bones.

In the past, when he met Qin Niu, a simple clasped-hand salute was all he would offer. The deep bow he performed today was unprecedented. The way he addressed Qin Niu was also quite thought-provoking.

In the past, he would call him Master Qin, but today he referred to him as Master Qin.

Taking into account the troubled expressions both master and servant wore, the Yan Family must be facing a difficult situation.

Qin Niu had been busy lately, taking his wives and concubines, along with Xiao Qing, into the mountains to cultivate, desperately trying to advance his cultivation level. Then there was also the cultivation of insects, and daily assistance with the War Bees in gathering Ice Lotus pollen to make honey—he was simply too busy.

Because of this, he hadn’t paid much attention to the outside world and current events.

However, he had heard the maids in the house discussing how the insect plagues were getting worse recently. There had also started to be a shortage of food, leading to refugees fleeing in all directions.

They were quite fortunate to have been bought by Qin Niu.

Here, they wanted for nothing. The workload was not heavy, mainly tending to the domestic needs of a family.

When they went out to do laundry, they could catch snippets of village gossip from the chatty women.

But the chatter was usually about trivial household matters from one family or the other.

“There’s no need to be so formal, Young Master Yan. Please, take a seat!”

Qin Niu gestured for Young Master Yan and Steward Yan Qi to sit down.

His two wives, on the other hand, went straight into an inner room.

Women generally did not show themselves easily.

When guests visited, they would usually stay in their rooms to avoid them.

Some particular ladies of stature and married women even ate and washed within their rooms. Seeing them could be difficult even for the household servants.

“Bring the tea!”

Qin Niu signaled to the maid.

The three maids in the house weren’t there just to eat for free—of course, they had to work.

Beyond cooking and cleaning, the basic domestic chores, when guests arrived, serving tea, assisting the master in dressing and undressing, handling shoes, and such were all part of their duties.

A diligent maid would get the master dressed after they woke, dispose of the chamber pot, and clean it. She would then bring hot water for the master to wash his face and rinse his mouth, while another maid served ready-made tonic soup and breakfast to feed the master.

This was why large households had dozens of maids.

Because there were many people to serve.

Besides the male head of the family, there were the mistress, the young masters, the grandfather, and the grandmother—all needing their service.

Since serving the master meant entering their private quarters, male servants were rarely used for this purpose.

Unless someone wanted their head to bloom green.

Probably no landlord would willingly let a male slave enter the inner courtyard and serve his wife or concubines, helping them dress or feeding them.

It’s worth mentioning that the status of a personal attendant is higher than that of a maid.

Personal attendants could be of humble or noble birth. They were often the confidantes of their masters, attending not just to their daily needs but also assisting with various matters, offering advice, and receiving guests on their behalf.

They were somewhat similar to modern-day secretaries.

But personal attendants were much more loyal than secretaries.

In times of danger, they would often be the ones to shield their masters with their own bodies.

In terms of feelings, masters easily develop deep affection for their maidservants and treat them like half relatives.

However, it is difficult for maids to receive too much care from their masters.

As long as they lose their value, maids could be sold again or driven out of the household.

Moreover, maids are servants who have lost most of their personal freedom and are also known as lowly registered.

Their sell-yourself contracts or indenture documents are held by their masters.

Therefore, they have no way to leave their masters.

Many maidservants have their freedom and could leave whenever they want to. However, they are very loyal to their masters and generally wouldn’t easily betray them.

Even when the masters go bankrupt and their family fortune declines, they still remain loyal and do not abandon them.

Some excellent maidservants may even try to earn money for their masters and help them make a comeback.

As for the maids, since they were bought, whether they are loyal depends entirely on their conscience.

Because they serve their masters daily and do house chores, it is inevitable that they make mistakes, which can easily lead to scolding and punishment. This can make them harbor resentment, but they dare not rebel and can only silently endure.

Over time, this resentment could accumulate and deepen.

When the master encounters misfortune, they are likely to clap their hands in glee, perhaps even wishing for the master’s death.

In this regard, most masters always guard against maids.

Discovering any disloyal behavior, they often impose extremely harsh punishments to serve as a warning to others.

Even if some masters are gentle in nature and lenient and kind, never berating their maids, it is impossible for their family members to be as gentle as them. This invariably means that maids find it difficult to be truly loyal to a master’s house.

What they want, presumably, is to save enough money so that when they get old, they can find a place to retire.

“Young Master Yan, how has the old Master Yan’s health been lately?”

Qin Niu thought to himself, could it be that Yan Ruohai’s health has encountered problems?

After all, no one can avoid aging, sickness, and death with advancing years.

“Thanks to your blessings, my father is healthy.”

Young Master Yan picked up the teacup, used the lid to push aside the leaves, smelled it, then took a light sip.

Young masters and misses of these large families have all learned the rules of etiquette.

They have particular standards for their clothing, food, and living expenses.

“We’ve come to seek Master Qin this time because we have a favor to ask.”

Steward Yan Qi saw that Young Master Yan had a thin face and couldn’t speak up, so he had to speak out on his behalf.

“The Yan Family and I have always had good relations. If there is a difficulty you’re facing that I can help with, I will definitely do my utmost. May I know what the matter is?”

Qin Niu asked.

“Our Yan Family’s Mulberry Garden has suffered a pest disaster, causing most of the silkworms we were raising to starve to death. As a result, we cannot deliver the silk on time to our buyers. After an initial estimate, we will need to pay at least Four Thousand Silver Money in damages and deposits.

If it had been in previous years, our Yan Family could have purchased silk elsewhere to fill this deficit when faced with such an eventuality.

This year, however, pests and floods have plagued everywhere, persisting for several months, and everyone is facing the same dilemma. Only a few powerful families have managed to protect their Mulberry Gardens and can deliver on time.

The silk on the market has long been bought up by some prescient textile magnates.

With the Black Tiger Gang engaged in war with two sects and the borders being locked down, our Yan Family can’t find a source of goods from outside.

My Yan Family has enormous expenses and currently, we are a bit strapped for cash.

I don’t know if Master Qin’s financial situation is more flexible? My Yan Family is willing to put up fertile lands as collateral and borrow some Silver Money from you at a 50% annual interest rate to tide us over.”

Young Master Yan finally clarified the purpose of their visit.

The larger the household, the more likely it is to be caught short when trouble arises.

This year has been fraught with numerous problems, a series of natural and man-made disasters, and the Yan Family, unprepared, has faced a major financial crisis.