Chapter 241 The Noisy Women

Feng Er said with a smile, "My dear sister, these are all goods that customers have pre-ordered. As soon as the samples of our cotton-padded jackets came out, everyone in Xingyuan Prefecture went crazy for them! Right now, the owners of the clothing stores in Xingyuan Prefecture alone have ordered over 100,000 sets, and our city lord has reserved another 100,000 sets. That's enough for you to work for two months! I'm afraid you won't be able to buy much this year! There's only so much cotton, and everyone has seen how good these cotton-padded jackets are. Anyway, if you want to buy one, you'll probably have to pay a high price this year!"

"Oh my God!"

Someone was startled.

"Then I'll have to cut cocoons if I want to sew clothes!"

"If I stuff cotton into it, it will catch fire!"

"Alas, we in Jinzhou are very rich now, so there is no shortage of money for cotton-padded clothes!"

"That's right, we also work to earn money, I think it's better to buy ourselves a set of clothes first--"

The women burst into laughter, and the atmosphere became lively, dispelling the lingering homesickness.

Miss Qi Er frowned slightly as she looked at the women in front of her who were laughing so hard that they were falling over. She had never seen people under any boss speak and act so unruly.

She remembered that Xu Zhenying was a person who was very good at training his subordinates. The people under her were all very capable. Where did she get so many big sisters from? Why did she insist on using the big sisters from Jinzhou Prefecture?

Qi Erbai was puzzled.

What puzzled her even more was that they kept calling Feng'er Minister Xu. Feng'er had explained before that Xu Zhenying had done big business in Qianzhou and had long since gotten rid of his status as an exile. He also established many departments under him, hence the title of Minister.

But who is the city lord they mention again and again?

I only heard that there was a very powerful mountain king in Xingyuan Prefecture, who was said to have occupied Jinzhou Prefecture and Qianzhou Prefecture, and defeated the imperial soldiers. Therefore, Xingyuan Prefecture issued several decrees, prohibiting the people from going to Jinzhou Prefecture.

There were some skilled and courageous businessmen who went there, but no other rumors were heard.

Alas, the world is in such chaos.

I don’t know when the bandits from Jinzhou Prefecture will attack Xingyuan Prefecture.

Feng Er's face did not show any trace of impatience. Instead, she smiled and said, "So, as long as you are diligent, there is no place where you can't make money. My dear sisters and aunts, the female workers of Xingyuan Mansion are all in place. If we don't hurry up, we will fall behind -"

When it comes to making money, women become very serious.

The platform in the yard had been set up in advance, and even the wooden ruler, scissors, cloth, etc. were ready. Then, under the leadership of Feng'er, a large crowd of more than 200 people took their positions and started assembly line production.

This did cause some surprise to the local female workers in Xingyuan Prefecture.

Lian also came in and reached out to touch the luxurious fabrics. She calculated the money in her hands. This year's salary was at least more than one hundred taels, so buying a few sets of cotton clothes should not be a problem.

Think about last winter, they slept in the snow, chewed on snow blocks, braved the wind and snow, and almost died in the mountains.

Things are better this year. Xu Deyuan is dead, and no one is hindering her and Yinxi's future. It's time to buy something to reward herself.

Lian touched the fabric reluctantly. Feng'er came over and said with a smile, "Second Madam Xu, do you want to make two sets too?"

Lian was a little embarrassed: "If I had extra cotton-padded clothes made of such good material and so warm, I could buy a few."

"Is it for Yin Xi?"

Lian paused and thought that if she wanted to buy any, she would have to buy at least five, for her three daughters, Xu Zhenying and herself.

Feng Er looked around and said, "We have quite a lot of stock, so we should be able to spare one or two sets. What style would Madam Xu want?"

Lian hesitated for a moment, thought about it, gritted her teeth and said, "Let's buy one set first, the most expensive one."

Feng Er smiled slightly, "Yin Xi is so lucky to have a mother like you."

Lian just smiled but did not refute.

This cotton coat must be given to Xu Zhenying. Without Xu Zhenying, how could the three of them, mother and daughter, exist?

As long as I can please Xu Zhenying, what future do I have?

Then, remembering what Xu Zhenying had said before he left, Lian pulled Feng'er to a secluded place, pulled out a letter from her bosom, and handed it to her. "This is the letter the City Lord asked me to pass on to you. He said it's extremely important and must be delivered to you personally."

Feng'er was delighted and quickly opened it to take a look.

Lian obviously noticed that Feng'er's expression gradually became solemn, and then there was a hint of indescribable meaning.

Lian wanted to ask a few questions, but then she thought that since Xu Zhenying only asked her to deliver a letter, she should turn a blind eye to other things.

Unlike the local female workers in Xingyuan Prefecture, although there were fewer female workers in Jinzhou Prefecture, they started chattering as soon as they sat down.

Although they were busy with their work and moved very quickly, they just loved to chat. It was as if they were doing odd jobs on the kang in their own home in the countryside. They were busy with their work and their mouths never stopped talking.

In contrast, the women workers in Xingyuan Prefecture mostly kept their heads down and their shoulders hunched, their eyes fixed on the fabric in their hands, constantly busy. Only occasionally would they frown and cast a disapproving glance when the women workers in Jinzhou Prefecture laughed too loudly.

Miss Qi Er saw that the team she had assembled had finally started to work in good order these days, but she didn't expect that the female workers from Jinzhou Prefecture would completely break all the rules such as no loud noises while working and paying attention to speed as soon as they arrived.

Qi Er had no choice but to go find Lian Shi and Feng Er. Although she and Feng Er had only met a few times, they were quite close due to Xu Zhenying's relationship. So she said directly, "Feng Er, aren't the people your young master brought here too lacking in discipline? This doesn't look like work at all, it's like being on your own kang."

Lian also felt that it was a bit unreasonable, but considering that Xu Zhenying seemed to have asked these women to leave Jinzhou Prefecture not just for work, and Xu Zhenying was a person who always looked far ahead and thought deeply, she did not dare to speculate too much and could only let the women do as they pleased.

Feng Er smiled and said, "Don't worry, Miss Qi, I will get them into work mode as soon as possible in the next few days. Jinzhou Prefecture is different from Xingyuan Prefecture. There are very few women working outside the city. Therefore, they are the first group of women to leave Jinzhou Prefecture. They always need some time to adapt."

Qi Er then said, "It's better to do this. If we delay your Master Xu's important matter, she won't let you or me off easily."

Although Feng'er agreed verbally, she took advantage of Qi Er's departure to disrupt everyone's positions. Now the women from Jinzhou Prefecture were inserted among the women from Xingyuan Prefecture.

Without their old companion to talk to, the women of Jinzhou Prefecture finally quieted down for a while. Unexpectedly, Sister Liu saw the female worker next to her, hunched over and working very fast. She hadn't even moved or gone to the restroom for an hour. She exclaimed in surprise, "Sister, I see you've been working all afternoon and haven't had a sip of water. Why is it so hard?"

This actually opened up a conversation, and another older sister named Li interrupted, "Ah, Sister Ma has had it tough. Her husband died young, leaving behind only three sons. The eldest is only thirteen, and already he's working as a laborer at the docks. The remaining two are ten and seven, and there's a blind mother-in-law at home. If the boss hadn't been willing to hire female workers this time, she'd probably be picking up leftovers on the street! She's the one who's been working the hardest these days among us. After all, a piece of clothing costs two cents, so working one more day can earn her several more days' worth of food!"

Sister Liu was shocked. "Why is life so miserable?!"

Then she suddenly remembered that there was another family in the village who had the same situation last year.

It’s just that this year the villagers raised pigs and worked in the city and had money, so they were able to repair their houses and give them sweet potatoes, etc. Otherwise, they would have starved to death.

How come the days have gotten better without me noticing?

Sister Liu thought about it carefully and it seemed that their lives had improved since this year... no, it should be said that their lives had improved since the city lord arrived in Lan County.

The children have schools to go to, every household raises pigs, and last winter the city lord distributed so much food, otherwise who knows how many people would have died in their village—

"It's not that I'm sad, there's nothing I can do about it, it's just a hard life." The man sighed twice, "Which woman who can come here to work doesn't suffer? Some have been kicked out by their in-laws and have nowhere to go, some have families to support after their husbands died, and a few days ago there was an old and ugly prostitute who wanted to come here to work, but was kicked out. Fearing that our place would be infected with prostitutes and it would be hard to explain, she jumped into the river that night. Alas, there's nothing I can do... There's really nothing I can do, it's just my fate... Who made our lives so hard..."

Someone nearby sighed and echoed: "Don't mention it, those who can come here to work as female workers must have exerted great strength, otherwise ordinary people can't even get in here!"

The people in Jinzhou Prefecture were a little puzzled. They thought that they had come here reluctantly, so why did the locals say that they had to rely on robbery to make cotton-padded clothes?

The woman explained, "There are so few jobs women can do here in Xingyuan Prefecture. Outside, no shop is willing to hire female workers. We're lucky to have met a kind-hearted owner like Miss Qi Er. They said it's not easy for us women, so they specially hired female workers this time. Otherwise, we would have no place to use our strength!"

Several people in Jinzhou Prefecture were stunned. It seemed that they had lived in comfort for too long. Oh, no, not too long at all. They actually felt a little uncomfortable with the outside world.

Sister Liu was a very honest person, and at this moment she couldn't hold back her words at all: "Then why don't you go to our Jinzhou Prefecture? In Jinzhou Prefecture, you can pick up money just by bending down. It doesn't matter if you are a man or a woman, or if you work less. As long as you are diligent, you will not starve to death!"

Someone laughed bitterly: "There's a war going on in Jinzhou Prefecture, and it's rebel territory. The court won't let us go there."

"Yeah, that's the rebel's territory. Legend has it that the mountain king has three heads and six arms, likes to drink children's blood, and likes to snatch married women to his cave..."

All the women in Jinzhou Prefecture fell silent.

Then, someone burst into cheerful laughter.

The laughter could not be suppressed no matter what, and seemed to be about to break through the roof, attracting the attention of all the women in the house who were concentrating on their work!

"Oh my god, what a joke! Everyone, come and listen! This lady said our city lord likes to drink the blood of children and also likes to snatch married women!"

The women in Jinzhou Prefecture all laughed when they heard this, while the other women looked at them with horror and confusion.

Sister Liu finally stopped laughing and said, "Oh my God, how could our city lord steal a woman? She...she...is just a girl!"

When the women in Xingyuan Mansion heard this, they were all stunned. Even the woman who was working most attentively turned her head and frowned with curiosity.

"Girl?"

"Is your mountain king a girl? Wasn't he said to be a nine-foot-tall man—"

"Right, right, right. Didn't they also say he killed people without mercy and drank human blood?"

Sister Liu immediately defended Xu Zhenying in a resounding voice, "Who is talking nonsense about our city lord? Our city lord is a girl, very cute and polite. We just met her before we set off, and she even came to take us to Xingyuan Mansion!"

This time, the women in Xingyuan Prefecture were completely shocked and began to whisper to each other.

This Sister Liu looks very simple, so why did the mountain king come in person to see them off?

"What? You still don't believe it? Our city lord said that he encourages us women to be self-reliant. So let us set a good example. When we make money and go back in glory, other women will be bolder and dare to go out." Sister Liu waved her arms when she was emotional, and everyone's eyes fell on her face.

She was completely oblivious, speaking with complete selflessness, "Our city lord is a very kind and benevolent man! He gives us food in the winter, teaches us composting and sowing in the spring, and makes ice in the summer. Now, in the fall, he's finding us something to do to earn a little money. Things are much better in Jinzhou Prefecture now. The city lord has opened a free private school to teach children to read and write. If any child is left out, the village chief will be criticized!"

"Is this true?" someone said in disbelief. "If all the kids in Jinzhou Prefecture come to study here, how much money would that cost? How could she, a bandit, get so much money?!"

"That's right, you haven't been drugged by your city lord, have you?"

When the city lord was mentioned, the women of Jinzhou Prefecture became obviously anxious.

No matter what you say, you can't say anything bad about the city lord!

"What kind of magic potion am I trying to fool you with? If you don't believe me, you can go to Jinzhou Prefecture and see for yourself! We now have not only female doctors and female teachers, but also female soldiers and female clerks! Humph, that...that person...that Sister Luo, tell me, has your daughter passed the exam to become the county magistrate of Hengshan County?"

Sister Luo, who was shoved out by her companions, was a little shy, but she couldn't resist the crowd's enthusiasm and had to speak up, "That's right, my daughter is very hardworking. She attended the city lord's literacy class and then taught herself the intermediate course. She ranked eighth in the civil servant exam this time. Alas, it's not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning!"

Although Sister Luo said it was not worth mentioning, she couldn't stop smiling at the corners of her eyes and eyebrows, and it was obvious that she was proud.

Seeing that the women from Jinzhou Prefecture spoke with such confidence, the women from Xingyuan Prefecture were somewhat skeptical.

"This...this...how can a woman be an official? The world is so chaotic these days, what if a woman goes out and gets kidnapped?!"

"That's right. Look at us here. Although women do the work, there is a clear distinction between men and women. We also have security guards outside. Otherwise, if anything happens, we really won't be able to defend ourselves!"

Someone immediately retorted, "Why can't women be officials? Our city lord is a woman, and she is the highest official in Jinzhou Prefecture! Moreover, our Jinzhou Prefecture is very safe. There are patrols on every street. If anything happens, soldiers will come immediately. And the city lord punishes those men who cause trouble very severely! If we walk on the street and are looked at by those men for even a second, they will be sent to do hard labor! Now there are more women going out on our streets. Even unmarried daughters from wealthy families dare to go out alone!"

"That's right! Our city lord said that women don't dare to go out. That's because the court didn't do a good job. It's the court's problem, not our problem! We women not only have to go out, but also leave the county and the prefecture—"

"That's right. Go to Jinzhou Prefecture and see that many of the people setting up stalls are women! Who says women can't go out? The court shouldn't be concerned about whether women can go out, but about keeping those bad men out! Why can't we women go out? Women are human beings too, and we have the right to go out!"

This statement drew unanimous approval from the women!

The women in Jinzhou Prefecture were talking at once, sometimes spitting when they spoke of something unfair.

They completely forgot that they had previously firmly opposed women serving in the military and holding official positions.

The women in Xingyuan Mansion even forgot what they were doing and all came over to listen to the fun. From time to time, bursts of exclamations broke out in the crowd, making people's hearts fluctuate.

"Really? Can women in Jinzhou Prefecture really go out and work as they please? Even myself? Even a widow...even a widow?" The woman's voice was a little anxious, tears flashing in her eyes. "Can a widow go out to work?"

The woman on the side looked at the person with some sympathy, and then quietly explained to Sister Liu: "Her husband died of illness last year, and she has two hungry children. She lives in an alley, where there are many people and gossips. Everyone knows she is a widow, and there are constant rumors. Especially the male dogs in the alley, when they see her, they chase her like flies, and they can't be driven away even if they beat her. In the end, they even call her a slut. She dare not go out, and can only rely on taking on odd jobs at home. But the little copper coins she earns are not enough to feed three mouths. She is so poor that she doesn't even have paper to paste on the windows. If it weren't for the kindness of Miss Qi Er, she would have starved to death at home. Amitabha, what a sin -"

Sister Liu was furious: "Humph, if this kind of man were in our Jinzhou Prefecture, he would have been captured by the patrol team and forced to do hard labor!"

"But there are so many people, how can we catch them all? Today it's Zhang San, tomorrow it's Li Si. We can't just arrest all the men in this area, right? They're all neighbors. If we act too ruthlessly, we'll always bring disaster upon ourselves!"

"Sister, what you said is not right!" Sister Liu said with a dry mouth, completely forgetting that she had complained the same thing last year when she heard that those men were sent to do hard labor.

We are all neighbors. Just looking at or touching each other won’t hurt you. Why are you being so unreasonable?

They even insist on sending people to do hard labor. It will be so embarrassing that they will see each other everywhere in the future!