Chapter 30
Yao Chunnuan went to work diligently every day and didn't know the latest situation of the Wang and Han families, but she knew that it was not very good.
The Wang and Han families were high-ranking and powerful families. When they fell from high positions to the bottom, the first thing they found difficult was changing their mindset.
She was different. In her later life, she had come from humble beginnings and had worked her way up to the top. Her current situation was nothing more than starting over again, so she was more composed than them.
Sometimes when she met people from the Han family on the road, they behaved strangely when they saw her. Some looked at her not as if her eyes were not her eyes, and not as if her nose were not her nose. Some were scared, and some had complicated expressions.
Wei Qiuyu's face was haggard, and the look she gave her held resentment and a hint of fear. How strange it was that she had actually seen genuine fear on Wei Qiuyu's face one day.
Combined with the recent gossip about Ning Zhen, the small-time leader in charge of them, and the spread and use of the multiplication table within the army, Yao Chunnuan stroked her chin. She seemed to understand the reason behind the Han family's unusual behavior. Had the Han family, or rather Wei Qiuyu, been tricked by Ning Zhen? Wasn't that obvious? Ning Zhen must have been promoted thanks to the multiplication table, yet there was no news of any benefits to the Han family, including Wei Qiuyu. They were still doing their usual hard work. Clearly, they had been tricked.
But from what she knew, Ning Zhen wasn't short-sighted. He'd at least give the Han family some sweet treat, so they could continue to profit from him. But since he didn't, it was easy to guess he was worried about something. Following this line of thought, it wasn't hard to deduce that the Third Prince must have played a role.
Poor Han family, no wonder they acted so strangely when they saw her. It seemed she'd planted that thorn in their side well. The Third Prince really did dislike the Han family, Yao Chunnuan thought happily. Seeing them struggling, she felt relieved.
You can't talk about people during the day, and you can't talk about ghosts at night. Look, just when she was thinking about Ning Zhen during the day, he came to her in the evening.
He was a quick-witted man, and when he saw her, he got straight to the point. "...There's no future for you following Chen Jin. A wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. You're so smart, you should understand this."
Yao Chunnuan looked around. Is this Chen Jin's territory? Ning Zhen was truly bold, poaching directly from his territory. Even with people passing by from time to time, he showed no fear.
"I'm not saying anything, but look, you let him show up in front of General Shao, but did he give you any benefits? He didn't give you a better place to live, nor did he give you some food." Ning Zhen didn't hesitate to use his strength when it came to stepping on his opponent.
Hmm... Yao Chunnuan thought to herself, it's true that I didn't give you any benefits before, but now, I've sold you out, and Chen Jin will definitely give me benefits.
"If it were me, I would never do this. At least I would help you solve the problem of food and accommodation. Of course, you still have a chance now. If you come to my team, I will definitely not treat you unfairly. The more meritorious deeds you make in the future, maybe I can help you get rid of your identity as a criminal." Ning Zhen found that few prisoners could resist the temptation when he said this.
Yao Chunnuan found it funny. Was Ning Zhen just trying to paint a rosy picture for her?
She had mastered this tactic in her later life, appealing to emotions, reasoning, alluring them with benefits, and promising them fame. The pie she painted was big, round, and sounded delicious. Her team members were all fooled into joining her this way. After they arrived, each one cried out in frustration. She could talk better than she could sing; in that respect, he had to call her his ancestor.
"I've said what I need to say. I think I've been very sincere. What do you think?"
With so many benefits, anyone else would have been completely fooled out by them. But Yao Chunnuan was so smart that she could tell Ning Zhen's true character at a glance. Even if he said something nice, how much he could deliver on it was another matter. Someone who portrayed himself as a good leader in Daliang but had a low standard for what he did could turn against them at any moment. Yao Chunnuan wasn't going to gamble with his conscience.
"Do you know what crime the Wang family committed?" The key point is that she is pregnant with the Wang family's flesh and blood, and she has no intention of giving up this child. So, how easy is it to let her get away with this crime?
She knew that if she gave the child back to the Wang family after giving birth, her future would be much easier. If it were just a fertilized egg without any independent consciousness, she could have cruelly abandoned it. But now it had a little bit of independent consciousness, and she was also feeling fetal movement. After ten months of pregnancy, they were connected by blood. She really couldn't abandon it.
Yao Shi doesn't believe him? Ning Zhen thought unhappily. He thought about what he had just said and realized that he seemed a little too empty. So he said, "Even if there is no way to escape the crime in the end, I will try my best to make you a small leader or a manager. Do you really want to be inferior to others for the rest of your life?"
You're not giving up yet? She didn't think Ning really valued her that much. He probably just said it, not caring whether he could fulfill it later.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I'm a woman, and I don't have much ambition. I just want to have a little less hard work, give birth to the child safely, and survive. I don't dare to think about getting away with it or becoming a manager. So I'm sorry, I can't join your team anymore."
Ning Zhen's smile gradually faded. He had come here specifically because he had noticed that General Shao seemed to have some interest in her that day, but he hadn't expected her to reject his offer.
Yao Chunnuan sighed inwardly, this person's superficial skills are not up to par, but it is probably because the other party does not take him seriously.
"You really don't know how to appreciate it!"
"I'm really not capable enough to help adults."
"Hmph!" Seeing that she was determined not to give in, Ning Zhen turned away.
After Ning Zhen left, some teammates who knew her asked her curiously if she had been recruited by Manager Ning.
His teammates guessed so accurately, and Ning Zhen’s skillful gesture in poaching people just now, it must be a routine for him to poach Chen Jin’s people.
Yao Chunnuan nodded and told them she refused.
After hearing this, her teammates felt sorry for her.
Yao Chunnuan only asked, "So what happened to the people he poached earlier?"
The teammates were silent. Yes, we didn’t hear much about those people later.
Yao Chunnuan really didn't feel sorry at all.
All actions are ultimately oriented towards a result. Ning Zhen's promise was still very tempting, whether it was to help her escape punishment or to let her work alone.
Who wouldn't want to go it alone? Anyone with a bit of ambition would want to build their own power and territory. But what did she have now, a mere prisoner in Yichun? Money, capable associates, connections? Nothing.
Because of this clear understanding, she treated herself as a project. Flaws were allowed, but they had to be harmless and non-fatal. Because her current status was worse than that of an ordinary person, her moral standards were more stringent.
She was a cake baker, and choosing to assist Chen Jin was essentially a self-improvement exercise. She wasn't 100% sure whether he would make use of her, but she had gained an opportunity cost, demonstrating her abilities and value. Perhaps other people in power would notice her?
Yao Chunnuan didn't silently endure Ning Zhen's solicitation, but instead reported it directly to Chen Jin. Firstly, it was a show of loyalty, and secondly, she had to let her superiors know what she had sacrificed. If she had refused and kept it secret, and then let Chen Jin know behind her back, he would inevitably speculate darkly whether she was still hesitating. She didn't want to take that risk. If she didn't report it, what if Ning Zhen plotted against her, a sowing of dissent? Then she would be in a vulnerable position.
As for whether Chen Jin would be dissatisfied with Ning Zhen after knowing this, it was none of her business.
Ning Zhen and Chen Jin are at the same level, so let them fight it out on their own. She is just a small fry at the moment, so why should she get involved?
After Yao Chunnuan told Chen Jin what happened, she slowly walked back.
Their team worked for about ten days digging and sifting sand. During this time, they received a very good lunch every day. Although they didn't look fatter, they were definitely in better spirits.
This is already a rare achievement. Digging and sifting sand in the river is hard work. This time, countless prisoners were exhausted.
After the sand digging was finished, Chen Jin let them take a day off together. Everyone was very happy and thanked him again and again.
Yao Chunnuan planned to use this day to collect some firewood at the foot of a nearby mountain.
These days, the firewood they used was collected from the nearby bamboo forests, beaches and bushes after work every day.
Almost all of the firewood was burned that day, and they needed to store firewood for the winter. Winter in Yichun can be very tiring, and without sufficient firewood, they would have a hard time surviving. Some time ago, they began consciously accumulating charcoal.
Aunt Yun and Old Man Luo knew that they were going to collect firewood, so they nodded repeatedly and said, "Let's go together."
Xiao Jieming and Luo Suyi disagreed with her proposal. Firewood must be collected, but she, a pregnant woman, didn't need to go. They could do the physical work, so why should she go through the trouble of climbing up and down with her belly bulging?
Yao Chunnuan thought about it and decided not to refuse their kindness. She was indeed not suitable for doing too much physical work at the moment, so she thought about going to the market to take a look.
She had recently inquired and found out that there was also a market in the prisoner area of the Tuntian Station, held every ten days, and on the fifth day of each month. Her family still lacked many things, so she went to the market to get them.
A few days ago, she took apart the uppers of the two pairs of shoes that the Yao family gave her when they came to see her off. As expected, she found two silver notes from Huitong Money House inside, one worth 80 taels and the other 50 taels, which were sewn in by her family.
When she took out the banknotes, she did not avoid Xiao Jieming and Luo Suyi.
Then, the two of them performed magic tricks. Xiao Jieming took out a silver note of two hundred taels from a hollow Buddhist rosary that he had been carrying in his hand. Luo Suyi took off the wooden hairpin on her head and broke it. Two small gold beads the size of a little finger rolled out, but the luster was not very good.
Yao Chunnuan was speechless at the time. She thought her family was very smart to sew the banknotes into the shoe uppers, but she didn't expect that the friends around her were all experts in hiding treasures.
She mourned for the escort officers who tried to rob them in the end. They probably only caught some small fish and shrimps, and missed the big fish.
*******
Chen Jin was scratching his head. Yao Chunnuan was not poached by Ning Zhen. What should he do now?
When in doubt, one asks the superiors, so Chen Jin went to Zhao Hong.
Zhao Hong shook his head after hearing this. "You really aren't cut out to be a leader."
Chen Jin smiled innocently. He was not that kind of material at all. He knew his own limitations, so he just wanted to be his personal soldier.
Zhao Hong asked curiously, "Why did you agree to let her make a wheelbarrow and a double-layered sand screening net half a month ago?"
Chen Jin thought for a moment and honestly said, "My thinking at the time was, if she wanted to try it, then let her. She would bear the consequences anyway. Later, she and her companions succeeded, and it really worked, so I wanted them to make more for other prisoners." He also wanted to impress his superiors. The mission was successfully completed, earning praise from General Shao, something he hadn't expected.
"Fools are lucky."
"Sir, you haven't told me what I should do yet."
Zhao Hong thought for a moment and said, "Don't you only have Lin Hui by your side? Yao is quite capable and can resist temptation. Let her be a subordinate you can trust and entrust with your duties. Isn't she pregnant? She should be able to read. You can assign her the record-keeping tasks."
Looking at everything she does, it really suits her superiors' taste. It is not ruled out that she is very good at guessing her superiors' intentions.
Zhao Hong thought this was a good idea. He had too many foolish subordinates, so it was rare to find someone who was both capable and sensible. She was capable yet loyal, a potential capable general. He was just worried Chen Jin wouldn't be able to control her. He'd wait and see how she handled things, and it would be a good opportunity to get a better feel for her character.
Chen Jin also knew that the Lord was not very satisfied with his brother Lin Hui. His arrangement for Yao overlapped with Lin Hui's work. However, he had come to seek advice from Lord Zhao in the first place, and since he had given the advice, he naturally would not object.
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