Chapter 106: A Different Kind of Man

The four households of artisan slaves were immediately sent back to Sendai Village. These slaves would undergo a period of vetting; only those who were truly sincere would be entrusted with important tasks. Any slave found to harbor ulterior motives would not only be resold but also severely punished.

After receiving a generous referral fee, Hao Ren returned to the county office to help Zhen Qian recruit displaced refugees.

Zhen Qian led Lucia into the backyard bedroom and, pointing to the adjacent room, said to Mother Wang, "Take her to wash up thoroughly, burn all the clothes she is wearing, and by the way, teach her the rules of the Zhen household."

Zhen Qian had no intention of bringing a germ-carrying foreigner into his home. Heaven only knew what this woman named Lucia had experienced before arriving in the Great Tang.

Mother Wang glanced at the woman, who looked almost like a sprite, and pushed and pulled her into a small wooden room. Watching as Lucia took off her tattered clothes, she ignored the whip marks on her back and pointed to a large wooden tub in the room. "Soak here for half an hour. The water inside will help disinfect you. There is soap here; rub plenty of it over your body..."

Lucia seemed somewhat dissatisfied, but Mother Wang gave her no chance to argue. She sniffed Lucia from head to toe and nodded with satisfaction. "No stench like other foreigners, though she is a bit too pale. She needs to eat more in the Zhen household; she’s as thin as a skeleton..." She then forcibly inspected Lucia’s underarms and private parts, and once satisfied that she carried no venereal diseases, prepared to take the clothes away to be burned.

Lucia, like a startled rabbit, clutched her clothes tightly, as if Mother Wang were a wolf-grandmother coming to snatch away her beloved doll.

Mother Wang chuckled coldly. "The clothes must not be kept. If there is anything valuable or important, you may take it out. The Zhen household will not take your private belongings!"

Lucia realized that Mother Wang’s expression did not seem like she was lying. She retrieved two rings from the hem of her garment and put them on her fingers before finally allowing Mother Wang to take the clothes away to be burned.

Mother Wang couldn't fathom why Zhen Qian had such habits, and of course, she knew nothing of the modern concept of "germophobia." At the very least, Mother Wang felt that Zhen Qian was excessively clean—surely even the Emperor wouldn't be like this.

Once Mother Wang left, Lucia relaxed. She looked around and found that this strange bathroom was covered with wooden planks several inches wide. On both sides, there were seats built from wood, and next to them sat a large brazier. She had seen Mother Wang pour cold water into the brazier earlier; the rising white mist made the pores of her entire body expand. In the corner of the bathroom was a small pool from which a stream of warm water sprayed, the splashing droplets bringing a touch of coolness.

The bathroom was exceptionally warm. She hadn't felt it upon entering, but as time passed, her whole body felt refreshed.

Petals floated in the tub. Aside from a faint floral scent, there was also a medicinal herbal smell. Lucia could recognize a few, but most were unfamiliar—this was the "disinfecting" bath liquid Mother Wang had mentioned.

"Am I really that dirty?"

Once this thought arose, it immediately dominated Lucia's mind. She suddenly felt as if she could smell a strange odor on herself, and she even began to loathe herself.

This place reminded her of her hometown, where there were also bathrooms with steam, hot water, and cold water—what the locals called a public bathhouse, known in later ages as a Turkish bath. However, this bathroom was smaller and could not compare to those in her homeland, and the building materials were different, but the effect was the same. The heating method was identical; the steam generated by the heating made it easier for the temperature and humidity in the room to reach a level suitable for the human body. It could achieve beauty, weight loss, improved sleep, and regulate the human nervous and endocrine systems, helping to lift one's spirits, eliminate fatigue, and repair damaged tissues.

This was completely different from any bathroom she had seen within the borders of the Great Tang, which gave Lucia a strange thought: perhaps this Tang man understood the Roman Empire, and perhaps she could receive help from him.

Lucia lay in the tub, wanting to moan in comfort. This feeling had been far from her for nearly two years; she could only recall it in her dreams. She thought of the tall, magnificent city walls, the vast sea like a mirror, countless sails resembling white clouds in the sky, horses running happily on the grass, and snow-white sheep...

The door creaked open. Lucia was so startled that she crossed her arms over her chest. Mother Wang’s orange-peel-like face poked through the mist. For some reason, she felt a bit afraid of this woman.

Mother Wang’s gaze swept across Lucia’s face like a sharp blade. She snorted coldly, "This is soap. Use it to scrub your entire body. Be quick. There is a set of new clothes by the door. After washing, come with me to see the Young Master... Remember, follow the rules in the Zhen household: do not look at what you shouldn't, do not say what you shouldn't, and do not walk around at will... Especially, do not enter the Young Master’s study without permission. From now on, the Young Master is your heaven, your only man. You must follow his wishes in everything. Your purpose for existing is to make the Young Master happy!"

Mother Wang stood in front of the tub, rambling on and on, regardless of whether Lucia could understand, until she had spoken Lucia into a drowsy state before finally leaving.

Lucia was completely mesmerized by the soap in her hand—round, smooth, and carrying a faint, clean fragrance. It produced many colorful bubbles that shimmered with rainbow-like luster, and even her skin became elastic and lubricated.

"What a magical thing. Why have I never seen this before?"

Lucia remembered the deep, profound gaze the man had cast upon her when she was muttering to herself—a look of confidence and inscrutability, as if he could understand her words.

"What kind of man is this?"

Lucia had seen all sorts of Tang people: elderly men, high-ranking officials from noble families, and dashing young dandies, but she had never seen a man she couldn't figure out.

Those arrogant Tang people never paid any attention to her words. Besides making her dance and sing, their only goal was to possess her body. Did all Tang men like to force themselves on women?

"Damn it! That annoying and frightening old woman is urging me from outside again!"

Lucia reluctantly stepped out of the tub, put on the Tang-style clothes, and followed Mother Wang to another room.

The man before her, like all the Tang people she had met, showed no sign of courtesy by asking her to sit, and he didn't even look up at her, which left Lucia feeling somewhat disappointed.

"Sit! You must be starving. This bowl of red date, lotus seed, and white fungus soup was prepared especially for you."

Lucia felt a little surge of excitement. Although she couldn't fully understand what the man was saying, his actions and tone did not carry a shred of arrogance; he was very calm... just like speaking to a friend!

"Oh, sorry, I forgot you still don't understand the Tang language. Eat... this bowl... of food!"

Zhen Qian noticed Lucia wasn't moving and assumed she hadn't understood. He gestured while pointing at the bowl of soup: "I imagine you are famished. A weak body cannot handle greasy food, nor food that is difficult to digest. Bear with it for these few days; let's clear your stomach and nurture your body first!"

Lucia felt an urge to cry. This was the most beautiful sound she had heard in the Great Tang. It felt like the music of heaven.

"This maid greets... the Young Master!" Lucia bowed to Zhen Qian, imitating the gestures of a Tang maidservant.

"I don't have too many rules. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Zhen Qian, and you..."

Lucia mumbled, "Zhen Jian..."

"Pfft..." Zhen Qian spat out a mouthful of rice. He was torn between laughter and frustration. "It is the 'Zhen' from 'vetting' and the 'Qian' from 'Heaven and Earth'..."

It seemed foolish to argue about pronunciation with a foreigner. It was just like people in the future learning English—the pronunciation often missed the mark. Some even used Chinese characters to annotate the pronunciation, leaving the Chinese confused and the foreigners baffled, resulting in nothing but jokes.

"Alright, from now on, you shall call me Young Master. By the way... where are you from? Looking at your appearance, you shouldn't be an Arab. Are you from the Eastern Roman or Western Roman Empire? Are the Arabs currently attacking Byzantium? Who exactly are you? Are you speaking Latin? How did you come to the Great Tang?" Zhen Qian asked a dozen questions in a row. He didn't have a very clear understanding of Central Asian or European world history; no one studied that for fun, as that was the work of old, dusty historians.

"Young Master... what did you say? This maid... did not understand!"

It was all for nothing—completely casting pearls before swine. It was certain that Lucia spoke a Latin-based language. After all, English hadn't even formed in the 8th century yet. Either he would learn Latin from Lucia, or she would learn the Tang language. If things went as expected, it would be Lucia learning the Tang language.

Since he couldn't find out anything for the time being, Zhen Qian gave up on inquiring about Lucia's background. Fortunately, Lucia could understand some Tang language, so basic living shouldn't be a problem.

"Eat!"

"Thank you... Young Master."

Lucia’s voice was sweet but stiff. It seemed her two years in the Great Tang hadn't had much impact on her, though that wasn't surprising. People bought foreign maids not to have them learn Tang culture, and Lucia clearly hadn't had a good life. According to Mother Wang, she had many whip marks on her body, so it seemed she had suffered plenty of abuse.

Zhen Qian watched with interest as Lucia ate the soup. He didn't have the wicked hobby of making her use chopsticks; instead, he had provided a spoon.

After finishing the bowl of soup, Lucia looked longingly at the plate in front of Zhen Qian.

"You can't eat that yet." Zhen Qian pointed to his stomach, then to his mouth, and waved his hand. "Your body is very weak. You cannot eat it, understand?"

"Vegetables... soup... eat!"

Zhen Qian was prepared to firmly refuse, but his heart softened. "Drink some mutton soup... add some flatbread... soak it to eat. Like this... yes! Break the flatbread into the mutton soup. Slowly... careful, it's hot!"

It seemed Lucia hadn't had a full meal in a long time. He didn't know what kind of life she had lived before, but judging by her stubborn personality, her days in the Great Tang must not have been easy.