Clara stayed at the Ding estate.
The room Butler Hugh arranged for her was a side room within Emily's courtyard. It wasn't large—just enough space for a small bed and a set of black-lacquered table and chairs. The window was narrow, letting in little light, making the room rather dim, but it was clean, and the bedding had been freshly washed.
Though it was technically servant quarters, it was still better than the master bedroom in an average peasant household—cozy and just enough for one person.
Right next door was Emily Ding's bedroom. If she called out, Clara could hear it immediately—mainly because the walls weren't soundproof.
The courtyard wasn't big. There were only four other attendants.
There was Nanny Qiao, the senior maid and essentially the manager of the courtyard. She had come as a dowry maid when Lady Ding married in and was second only to Emily in status.
Under Nanny Qiao were two younger maids: one named Ivy, responsible for cleaning the courtyard, and another named Bea, who served as Emily's personal maid, handling her daily needs.
The last person was a male servant named Giles, who typically ran errands, guarded the gate, and served as Emily's coachman whenever she left the estate.
Clara was different from the rest of them—she was a commoner. The four others were born as registered slaves.
Technically speaking, their lives and transactions were entirely under their master's control.
However, the law did protect slaves to some extent: a master couldn't beat or kill them arbitrarily. While these protections were minimal, they existed.
Thankfully, the Ding household had an upright reputation. They weren't harsh to their servants, and their treatment was moderate—neither lavish nor cruel. So long as one did their job well, living a peaceful life to old age was entirely possible.
Clara had done some rough calculations on the cost of hiring people in the Sheng Kingdom. Buying a slave cost 20 to 30 taels of silver. And once they were brought home, they still had to be paid a monthly stipend and provided with food, clothing, and shelter year-round. That added up to a substantial expense.
If a master was too cruel, slaves would flee, causing the family to lose their investment.
So, by simply counting the number of servants and guards a household maintained, one could roughly estimate the family's wealth.
At the Ding estate, there were around twenty to thirty servants and guards. Keeping so many people fed, dressed, and properly housed while maintaining appearances and daily expenses was a fortune. For someone like Clara—now just an ordinary citizen—it was an astronomical figure.
She couldn't help but wonder: everyone was human, so how did Master Ding manage to earn so much?
First of all, his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had all been wealthy. The family had no prodigal son, and generations of wealth accumulation had laid a solid foundation for Master Ding.
Secondly, Master Ding had scholarly honors. He passed the county-level exam at nineteen and became a scholar.
Scholars were exempt from corvée labor and taxes, providing a stable foundation for further wealth.
At thirty-one, he passed the provincial exam to become a provincial scholar. That status extended tax exemption to all direct relatives. So the Ding family fields were all registered under his name. Additionally, many people seeking to avoid taxes would register their land under his name too.
These people then paid him a portion of their harvests annually, forming a self-sustaining economic chain.
Lastly, with scholarly rank came privileges bestowed by the imperial court. Master Ding had leveraged these to further his family's growth, becoming one of the region's most powerful family.
Butler Hugh once said Master Ding wasn't the only scholar in the family. He wasn't even the only provincial scholar. There were also kin who held official posts in the capital.
However, those were direct relatives. After so many generations, their branch of the family no longer had close ties with those in the capical.
Still, they were all Dings. Just sharing the surname made studying and test-taking more accessible than for others.
Even the teachers at the county school in Willowridge Town were surnamed Ding.
From birth, Ding children had access to education and knew all about the imperial exams and the benefits of being a scholar.
This year, Master Ding had even funded a private academy just for young children of the Ding clan.
In contrast, Clara's family didn't even own a single beginner's reader. Everyone said studying was good, but no one really understood why—or how.
Not that it mattered.
The imperial exams were a path open only to men. Women weren't even allowed into the schoolyard.
How messed up was that?!
Clara splashed cold water on her face and looked at her reflection in the bronze basin.
She had a classically beautiful oval face with balanced proportions. Even in rough clothes and unkempt hair, her looks stood out.
But since someone else now inhabited the body, the once gentle eyes now carried a sharp glint. That fierce intensity radiated an unseen pressure.
Such a gaze was rarely seen in women of Sheng. Most were reserved, modest, or like Emily—bright and curious, clear as spring water, with nothing to hide.
Master Ding and his son had left early yesterday morning for the province city, taking a good portion of the household bustle with them. The estate was suddenly much quieter.
Clara had already adjusted to her duties. Aside from eating, sleeping, and using the chamber pot, she stood guard at Emily's door like a loyal statue.
If Emily left the courtyard, Clara would follow at a distance of one meter, ready to defend.
She wasn't expected to do anything else. Meals were brought to her, and someone would call her when it was time to eat.
As a personal bodyguard, Clara couldn't leave her charge, so she usually squatted at Emily's door while eating.
If her legs got tired, she'd lean against the corridor pillar and keep eating.
The way she ate was shocking. After seeing her twice, Nanny Qiao and the maids told Emily not to watch. Too rough!
What if their young lady started copying her? The master would kill them.
Back during university military training, everyone hated standing at attention. Not Clara. She hated moving and loved standing still. It gave her an excuse to daydream all day long.
After washing up, Clara straightened her uniform, slung her bow and quiver over her shoulder, and stood before Emily's door.
It was barely dawn, and the room was already lit by candlelight. Emily was up early, getting washed and dressed with the help of Bea and Nanny Qiao.
Once ready, she ate half a bowl of fish porridge, then sat at the desk by the window and picked up a volume of the Book of Songs.
"Fat rat, fat rat, stop eating my millet!"
"For three years you have lived here, yet shown me no concern."
"I shall leave you, go to that happy land."
"In that happy land, I shall find my place."
The girl's voice was rhythmic and melodic. Clara found it endearing and couldn't help but join in quietly:
"Fat rat, fat rat, stop eating my wheat!"
"For three years you have lived here, yet given me no kindness."
"I shall leave you, go to that happy realm."
"In that happy realm, I shall find my justice."
Emily poked her head out the window, curious. "You can read?!"
Clara's soft chanting stopped. She turned to look at the girl, who was leaning over the windowsill with a face full of surprise.
"You like 'Fat Rat' too?" Emily asked brightly.
Clara shook her head. "I just thought Miss was reading it with such flair. I followed along without thinking."
She'd heard the girl read the same lines every morning and had memorized them by now.
(End of Chapter)
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