I was a god in the 18th century

Chapter 440 Alternatives
The child laborer was taken away for cleaning, and Xia Qingdai's good mood of going to the beach was affected, and she felt a little depressed.

Seeing this, Owen suggested, "Cousin, I have a piano in the living room next door. Would you like to come and listen to me play a piece?"

"Okay!"

Why would Xia Qingdai hesitate when she could listen to a piano master playing? She immediately turned around and followed Owen to the next room.

This is a very new piano, and its style is the mainstream cabinet shape of the 18th century. Owen had it custom-made at a piano shop in London after he bought the villa.

He bought this beachfront villa because Xia Qingdai had mentioned that she loved the sea, so that they could go to the beach for vacation occasionally. In this case, music that can cultivate one's sentiments is naturally indispensable, so the piano was the first new item moved into the beachfront villa.

Owen played a piece of music he had written for Xia Qingdai. It wasn't too difficult, but the melody was extremely beautiful, and it was especially in line with Xia Qingdai's modern taste.

"It's really beautiful." Xia Qingdai and Owen sat on the long piano bench together, closed their eyes, and quietly enjoyed the music. This song must be played by Owen himself to have the best charm.

After Owen played a solo, he played a few songs together with Xia Qingdai, whose interest was aroused.

After playing for an unknown amount of time, Xia Qingdai heard some movement at the door. She stopped her finger movements and asked, "Is he done washing? Bring him in."

"Yes, Countess Xia." Heim's flattering voice sounded outside the door, followed by the sound of the door being gently pushed open.

The boy, who had been washed several times, still looked a little dusty. He was wearing dirty and torn cloth shoes and stood awkwardly in front of the two men.

Xia Qingdai's sympathetic eyes fell on him gently, and she asked softly, "What's your name? How old are you this year? Who else is at home?"

The little boy blushed and didn't dare to answer. Heim poked him in the back with his fist, and then he stammered, "My name is Tom. I'm seven years old. I have a father, a mother, and five brothers and sisters."

"Aren't you an orphan?" Xia Qingdai asked.

"I'm not an orphan." Tom lowered his head and whispered back.

Xia Qingdai couldn't believe that there were parents who would let such a young child earn money by drilling into the chimney.

She was silent for a while before she sighed and said, "Is your family very poor?"

This is nonsense. Xia Qingdai felt a little dizzy when she asked it.

Tom said "hmm" embarrassedly. How could he not be poor?

He had never had a full meal since he was a child. There were too many children in his family, so when he was five years old, his parents sold him to his current master as an apprentice chimney sweeper.

After becoming an apprentice, he still couldn't get enough to eat. As for wages, of course, he didn't get any. His older brothers did get wages, but I heard that they were very little, only one penny a week, which was also difficult to fill their stomachs.

Spending the entire day in the dark and narrow chimney, he became a little hunched over at such a young age.

Xia Qingdai was really a little regretful. She would rather the child was an orphan. In this way, she would have a reason to send him back to the Fucui Welfare Home that she and Owen had run. It would not be difficult for her to raise one more child.

But now he has a father, a mother, and a master, so she can't help him.

After a pause, Xia Qingdai turned to Owen and asked, "Doesn't the law stipulate the age of child labor?" British gentlemen also learn about law since childhood, so she asked Owen. Moreover, the latter is now a sheriff and often studies law by himself, so he must be familiar with these.

Owen said with some shame: "In 1788, the management regulations on child labor were promulgated, stipulating that the minimum working age is eight years old. But you know, there is no special person in charge of this matter, so it is inevitable that it is perfunctory."

"Alas, the real version of Les Miserables." Xia Qingdai thought of Victor Hugo's novel and sighed.

Poverty is the most terrible disease in this world. Orphans without parents are very pitiful, and children born in poor and ignorant families are not much better.

Xia Qingdai didn't want to ask any more questions. She glanced at Owen, who understood what she meant and took out two shillings and gave them to the poor child.

Tom tightly grasped the two shillings in his hand, and was so excited that he couldn't even say a word, let alone thank you. The butler Heim standing next to him was so excited that his eyes almost popped out when he saw the new owner of the villa was so generous, and he thought to himself that this kid was really lucky.

When sending the child out, he wanted to accept half of the gift from the child, but when he thought of the kind-hearted countess's eyes as black as black holes, he suppressed his greed.

His intuition told him that he should not be greedy for the money, and should follow his master obediently so that he could have meat to eat!

As a person living by the sea, he still understands the principle of playing the long game to catch the big fish.

And it was a good thing he didn't take it, because Owen and Xia Qingdai were both standing at the second-floor window, watching the little boy leave.

Watching the little boy jumping for joy as he walked out of the iron gate, Owen whispered, "Although this housekeeper isn't very smart, he still has some sense and can be used."

"Yeah." Xia Qingdai couldn't read people's minds, but she believed in Owen's judgment. "By the way, Owen, how did we clean the chimneys of our Fucui Villa Castle? Was it also this kind of boy?"

Owen said frankly, "Although I am powerless to change everyone, I will not go along with them. Children are not needed to clean the chimneys of Fucui Villa. Our family's castle was built a long time ago, and the chimneys designed a hundred years ago were not as narrow as they are now. Child labor is not necessary for cleaning work."

Xia Qingdai exhaled and smiled, "Then I feel relieved. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to sleep well."

Owen looked at her and smiled gently, then said, "I will inform Heim that child labor is not allowed to be used for this kind of work in the future. After we leave this time, I will send someone to modify the chimney."

"That's not a big deal. Let me think of a replacement."

Xia Qingdai frowned slightly, and after pondering for a moment, she suddenly had an idea and said happily, "Ah, I got it!"

She stretched out her finger and pointed to the sky: "Use a high-pressure water gun to clean it from now on. It will be absolutely clean."

After all, high-pressure water guns can be used to wash roads, so cigarette ash is nothing. She doesn't need to buy additional equipment, she already has it at home, and she always has it attached to her drone.

Owen thought about it for a moment and found that it was feasible, but not the best solution. Because if this method was used, the dirty job of cleaning the chimney would become Xia Qingdai's job.

How could his goddess do such a thing? A goddess should enjoy herself comfortably.

But Xia Qingdai didn't care about it. Cleaning the chimney was not something that needed to be done every day. If it was done once every one or two months, it would be a piece of cake for her.

"Okay, Owen, I'm going to go back for a while. Wait for me to get some things to renovate the villa." After thinking of a solution to the cigarette ash, Xia Qingdai's spirits returned to high spirits, and she had the leisure to renovate the villa.