Jiang Yimian frowned. "Baozhitang has existed in Dajin for many years. It must have done a lot of disgusting things behind the scenes. How come it was only recently discovered?"
Lin Zhaozhao nodded and continued, "That's the problem. I heard that someone submitted an anonymous memorial to the Grand Secretary, which angered him and led to the closure of Baozhitang."
"Who else could have delivered a memorial detailing a crime to the Grand Secretary's residence so discreetly, except for Mo Ge?"
If it weren't for the message sent back from the capital, she wouldn't have known the reason behind it.
Baozhitang in Qingshui County was suddenly shut down by the government. Only the charges were announced, but the source of the information was not disclosed.
The people thought it was the county magistrate who had discovered it, and they all praised the magistrate for being powerful and unafraid of authority.
Jiang Yimian then understood and asked curiously, "What does the Ink Pavilion do?"
Lin Zhaozhao propped her head up and thought for a while before saying, "I heard it's for gathering information, the most powerful intelligence organization in the Great Jin Dynasty. I don't know anything else."
The two chatted for a while longer until Xiao Fu and the others finished loading the goods before Lin Zhaozhao left.
Before leaving, she told Jiang Yimian to visit her at the Lin residence in town when she had time.
Jiang Yimian was somewhat absent-minded all afternoon, but she didn't know who to ask about Mo Ge, so she could only suppress the things on her mind and busy herself in the workshop.
Fortunately, time flies when you're busy. As evening approached, people in the workshop gradually left. When she was about to leave as well, she noticed two people still squatting in the corner.
The two, one big and one small, were so engrossed that they didn't notice anyone else had already left.
As Jiang Yimian leaned closer, she heard Zhao Dahua muttering, "This box should be very good. My hands didn't shake at all; it matches the picture on the paper perfectly."
The mute woman nodded in agreement, both of them smiling.
Seeing this, Jiang Yimian just smiled and said, "It's getting late, aren't you going back?"
Zhao Dahua was startled and almost dropped the soap box in her hand. It was only thanks to the mute woman's quick hand that the box of soap was not ruined.
However, the various colored soap pastes inside had shifted and were stuck together, making it impossible to see the original pattern.
The two looked at the soap in the box, then at Jiang Yimian, and became a little nervous.
The mute woman waved her hands frantically, gesturing as if to say something, her face full of anxiety and worry.
Zhao Dahua was also a little uneasy and whispered, "Sister Jiang, my mother and I didn't mean it. We just wanted to practice more so we could make soap sooner. Please don't send us away, okay?"
Having finally found a job that pays well, she really didn't want to leave.
Jiang Yimian merely glanced at the soaps stuck together in the box and said with a smile, "It's my fault, I scared you."
Zhao Dahua quickly waved her hand, saying in alarm, "No, it has nothing to do with Sister Jiang. It was my mother and I who didn't hold it properly."
Seeing the two of them in a panic, Jiang Yimian could only say helplessly, "It's alright. I never expected you to learn it in a day. These soaps aren't a waste. Once they're made, you can take them home and use them yourselves."
Zhao Dahua was stunned, her big eyes filled with disbelief. "Sister Jiang, you, you're not angry?"
Even though everyone else had already left, they were still practicing with the tools in the workshop, and even wasting some more materials.
In the past, she and her mother would help their employers wash clothes. The employers complained that they were slow and always scolded them. Because her mother couldn't speak, and because she was young, she suffered a lot more.
Those people always acted superior, as if making them do chores was a favor. It was clearly because Mother worked harder that she could wash clothes that took others a whole day to finish, and she could wash them quickly and cleanly.
But those people still insulted my mother and still looked down on her because she couldn't speak properly.
But Sister Jiang didn't. Although they only spent a day together, she could see respect and equality in their eyes. They didn't look down on them because their mother couldn't speak or because they were young, nor did they show any pity or sympathy.
It is a form of respect that treats people equally.
The mute woman standing to the side also had red eyes, whether from being frightened or for some other reason, it was unclear.
Jiang Yimian found it amusing. "Why would I be angry? You've all worked so hard, I'm happy for you. Don't think too much about it, you've done a great job."
It's getting late, let's go home and rest. You must be tired after a long day. Come back tomorrow.
As she spoke, she reached out and rubbed Da Hua's head, then smiled at the mute woman.
The two girls responded with teary eyes, repeatedly promising that they would definitely study hard.
Jiang Yimian just smiled. Seeing the two leave, she was about to lock the door when a booklet suddenly appeared in front of her.
She was taken aback, but when she saw it was Lu Cijian, she took the booklet and said with a smile, "Luckily you kept the account book safe."
Otherwise, I'll have to rewrite it.
Lu Cijian simply hummed in agreement and didn't say anything more.
Jiang Yimian didn't pay much attention. She put the booklet away, locked the workshop door, and then the two of them walked up the mountain together.
Lu Cijian remained silent throughout the journey, walking very quickly, and his complexion was not good, as if he was in a bad mood.
Seeing the tall, long-legged person in front of her leave her far behind again, Jiang Yimian was speechless and helpless.
So what if she has long legs? Think about her!
Jiang Yimian followed and said helplessly, "What's wrong? Who made you unhappy? You're walking too fast. Wait for me."
Lu Cijian was taken aback and didn't speak, but his steps slowed down.
Jiang Yimian breathed a sigh of relief, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Do you know about the Ink Pavilion?"
Lu Cijian stopped and frowned at the person beside him, saying, "I've heard of it, why are you suddenly bringing it up?"
Jiang Yimian said, "I heard some things from Zhaozhao today. I learned that the Mo Pavilion is good at gathering information and has a lot of connections. There are some things I would like to know from the Mo Pavilion."
Lu Cijian remained silent for a long time before hesitatingly asking, "Is it about Uncle Jiang and my elder brother's whereabouts?"
Although the people of Xiaowadi deliberately avoided mentioning the two, he still learned from snippets of conversation that Jiang's father had disappeared and that Jiang Qingyuan had been conscripted.
They were also secretly investigating the whereabouts of the two, but the known information was too little and the Great Jin was too vast. After so long, they had made no progress whatsoever.
Jiang Yimian nodded and said casually, "There's been no news from the government for so long, I'd like to try other methods."
Although Zhao Da said that the two hadn't returned for so long, she guessed something must have happened, but she didn't think so.
If something really happened to the two of them, not to mention Jiang's father, even Jiang Qingyuan, since the other party went to the battlefield, if he died on the battlefield, the imperial court would surely come looking for them.
Whether it's ashes or something else, there will always be some kind of news.
Given the current situation, the other party might still be alive, but something has held them back, preventing any news from getting back.
Lu Cijian remained silent for a while before saying with disgust, "The rumors about Moge investigating information are just that. They don't mainly do intelligence gathering; they're a place that helps those powerful and wealthy people handle dirty business. They're not a good organization."
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