Glory

He remarked, "Sun An is quite diligent in his work and treats these people very well, arranging their food and lodging quite properly. When the newly purchased servants encounter any issues, he prioritizes care and concern. There's just one thing—he lacks authority, so he commands little respect. Those who have been here for a while dare to cause trouble for him over any matter."

"What about Chen Xin?"

"Chen Xin is quite good. He manages people with a balance of firmness and flexibility, and his work is meticulous."

Initially, besides Sun An, Ye Yaming had also transferred stewards and matrons from the Ye residence to assist in training these people. However, the Ye household staff were accustomed to serving Old Mrs. Ye and Tao Shi, and if they were occupied for too long, it would disrupt the management of the inner household.

Thus, once the situation here stabilized, Ye Yaming sent them back.

Seeing that Sun An was overwhelmed with work alone, she selected the most outstanding candidate, Chen Xin, from the trained group to serve as Sun An's assistant.

Chen Xin had originally been a servant in a wealthy household but was sold off by Old Master Ye after his master made a mistake. He was literate, well-read, and knowledgeable. The only uncertainty was whether his character was reliable.

When Ye Yaming promoted him, it was with the intention of observing him closely.

"So, what is he like as a person?" Ye Yaming asked.

Zan'er shook her head. "Everyone speaks highly of him, and he gets along well with Sun An. But without encountering any real challenges, no one can say for sure."

"Come by tomorrow and have a private talk with Sun An. Give him some advice. Tell him that if he can't establish authority, I'll hand over this entire operation to someone else."

"Understood, Miss," Zan'er promptly replied.

Ye Yaming's words also reassured everyone present.

Sun An was originally a household serf of the residence and had later followed Ye Yaming, making him part of their small circle. If he were replaced without a second thought due to his shortcomings, everyone would feel a sense of collective unease, thinking Ye Yaming lacked loyalty to old acquaintances.

Now that Ye Yaming was willing to give Sun An a chance, offer guidance, and allow him to improve, it was a good sign. At least he was being given an opportunity. If Sun An truly lacked the capability and couldn't handle the responsibilities, then it would be his own fault.

Ye Yaming turned to Bai Rui and asked, "What about Lu Daya?"

The stack of evaluation forms submitted by Sun An was now in Bai Rui's hands.

These evaluation forms were made in duplicate, with one copy sent to Bai Rui. She would compare the original forms with the assessments provided by Sun An and his team, selecting those who excelled in all aspects to be sent to Ye Yaming's side for training as managers.

However, since Ye Yaming had been away in Minzhou for over half a year, this process had stalled. Now that she was back, she needed reports on the subsequent performance of those previously assigned to various roles to determine if they were suitable for use. If they were, they would be immediately promoted to minor leadership positions. Those who performed exceptionally well would be promoted further.

Ye Yaming's current operations were extensive, and talent was in short supply.

Fortunately, Bai Rui, Lve E, Zan'er, and others were now capable of handling responsibilities. Bai Rui handled secretarial work, while Lve E had been learning accounting in Minzhou under the old bookkeeper there. Under the guidance of the old bookkeeper and Ye Yaming, she had become highly skilled at auditing accounts.

"Lu Daya has performed exceptionally well in all areas," Bai Rui said. "Her hometown suffered a disaster, and she suggested her parents sell her. Otherwise, the whole family would have starved to death."

"Was she from a farming family?" Ye Yaming asked."Correct. But she's very clever. Since coming here, she's learned everything quickly, and her literacy is rated excellent. The only area where she received a 'good' rating is her somewhat impulsive nature."

"What about Ma Chunxiang?"

Bai Rui turned a page and said, "Ma Chunxiang is also quite good, with excellent ratings in all areas. Her temperament is rated excellent as well."

Zan'er interjected from the side, "We can't take this Ma Chunxiang. She's a scheming white lotus. Today's commotion was all instigated by her, not because she actually wants women to become tea masters, but because she wants to get noticed by the young mistress. As for Lu Daya, she genuinely can't understand why women can't become tea masters. She truly has no intention of seeking attention."

Having been by Ye Yaming's side for two years, both Zan'er and Bai Rui had grown considerably. Especially Zan'er - through gathering intelligence, he had developed a deep understanding of human nature and could immediately see whether someone was being genuine.

The term "scheming white lotus" was something he'd heard from Ye Yaming. He found it particularly vivid and had started using it himself.

Ye Yaming said to Bai Rui, "Mark it."

Bai Rui quickly made a notation on Ma Chunxiang's evaluation form with a charcoal pencil.

After she finished writing, Ye Yaming said, "For the next half month, Bai Rui, you take Ziyuan and follow up with the outstanding candidates. Prepare a report for me. Lve E, you take Qingzhi and audit all the accounts during this period. Zan'er, compile the intelligence from the first half of the year in the capital and Lin'an for me."

All three responded in unison, "Yes."

After resting at home for two more days, Ye Yaming went to the tea garden in Baiteng County to begin training tea masters and dark tea-making masters.

But before she had been there ten days, Ye Chongming sent someone up the mountain to fetch her: "Young mistress, someone has come from the capital. Old Master Ye wants you to return home immediately."

Noticing his troubled expression, Ye Yaming asked, "Is there something wrong with the visitor?"

The page replied, "They seem to be here to discuss cooperation, but Old Master Ye seems quite upset. Probably the visitor means trouble."

Ye Yaming frowned and instructed Bai Rui, "Pack our things. We're going down the mountain."

Ye Chongming must have been waiting for Ye Yaming. As soon as her carriage stopped at the entrance of the Ye residence, Meng Ji came out to greet her, saying, "The Old Master is waiting for you in the study."

Ye Yaming nodded and went directly to Ye Chongming's study.

Ye Hongchang and others were also in the study.

"Grandfather, what's happened?"

Ye Chongming ran his fingers through his white hair and sighed, "Do you remember Wang Kuan?"

Ye Yaming nodded, "I remember. I met him when I went to the tea market with you. He used many tricks to steal our secret tea-making recipes, and we refused to sell him our tea formulas."

"Yes, that's him," Ye Chongming said. "For the past few months, he's been opposing us at every turn - hiring people to slander us, bribing troublemakers to claim there are problems with our tea. I've countered all his moves."

Since Ye family's Dragon Well had become Tribute Tea and they had Qi Zhipei as their backer, the government officials naturally sided with the Ye family. The troubles caused by those troublemakers were merely minor irritations, and Ye Chongming hadn't paid them much mind.

"Unexpectedly, Wang Kuan came today with several people. The leader among them turned out to be a eunuch - he said he's a eunuch serving the Third Prince, here to discuss cooperation with us."At this point, Ye Chongming's face turned pale: "I told him I needed to go home and discuss it with my family. They said they would come to the teahouse to find me tomorrow."

He looked at Ye Yaming: "Ming'er, what should we do?"

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