Chapter 067 Cultivating Confidants
Xu Qingying's face turned stern. "Are you saying that as a woman, I shouldn't be out in the open doing business?"
"No, no, no, you are different, you are different from me..."
"What's the difference?"
"You're much more capable than I am. I can't do it... Miss Xu, please change your request. I can learn to cook, wash clothes, or take care of my daily life... But I really can't do something as big as this..."
"But I'm not short of people to take care of me." Xu Qingying smiled and stared at Qian Zhenniang, her eyes sharp, as if to tell her that there was nowhere to escape. "You can see that my soap business is a temporary stall. My subordinates are of varying quality. There are many people in the team who can read and have served as managers, but they are not on the same page with me, so I dare not let them go. You are the only one, without parents, relatives or friends, and nowhere to go. I saved your life, so you will definitely be loyal to me. Why shouldn't I use such a person?"
Qian Zhenniang pondered for a while, "But you still have Mr. Xu San and Mrs. Xu San. I heard that Mrs. Xu Si also came from a merchant family. If Miss Xu really needs help, why don't you go find them?"
"They are my elders after all, so there are things I can't ask them to do. Besides, you should know that this soap business technically belongs to the third branch of the Xu family. If I keep inserting other people into it, as the business grows, there will inevitably be open and secret struggles. So, why not just cut off their plans from the start?" Qian Zhenniang still refused. "No, I have a bad horoscope, and it would be a hindrance to you. I would feel guilty if anything happened to you because of me."
Xu Qingying laughed heartily and patted Qian Zhenniang on the shoulder. "To tell you the truth, the thing I don't believe in the most is the theory of eight characters. I only believe that man can conquer nature. And the eight characters are a matter of opinion. Some people believe in them, while others, like me, never believe in them. And even if you really think your eight characters are bad, I happen to be extremely lucky and have a strong eight characters, so I can definitely suppress you. You are penniless now and have nowhere to go, so why not come to me for help? I can't promise you anything else, but I can still promise you wealth and glory. "Yes. If you're not afraid of death, how can you be afraid of living? If I were you, I'd live well, live like a human being, and wear gold and silver and walk in front of your uncle, so that they can only flatter and fear you. When you're older, if you want to get married, then marry. If you don't want to, then adopt some girls with bad luck. You can all unite and help each other. You raise them, and they will take care of you until you die. When you're old, you'll be surrounded by your descendants, and your reputation will be passed down through the ages. Isn't it better than if you jumped into the river now and no one remembers you? If that's the case, why bother coming to this world?"
Qian Zhenniang's heart trembled, and a fire seemed to light up in her eyes. She couldn't understand why her heart was beating so fast.
She seemed to have caught a glimpse of a period in her long life. Unlike her gloomy past, it was another self in the glittering world.
Can she do it?
"But... I don't want to embarrass my uncle... Although my aunt is harsh, that's my fault. If only I were a man, at least I could support myself and not burden my family."
Qian Zhenniang subconsciously tried to find an excuse to shirk responsibility, but Xu Qingying's words made her feel a little itchy. "Actually... I'm not as ambitious as Miss Xu. I just want to live a good life. I hope others won't bully or humiliate me, and give me a place to settle down. Miss Xu, what you said is too good to be true. I'm not as capable as you think. I'm afraid I'll disappoint you."
"Just try it and you'll know." Xu Qingying smiled slightly and patiently encouraged her. She knew that most girls had low self-esteem and proper encouragement could help them regain their confidence, especially girls like Qian Zhenniang and Li Zhaodi, who had been oppressed since childhood and would subconsciously deny themselves before doing anything. However, Xu Qingying felt that their potential was far more than that.
"Don't rush to tell yourself you can't do something before you even start. Only after you've tried, learned, and worked hard can you prove that you might not really be suited to doing it. But even so, it doesn't mean you're incompetent. It just means that your talents and strengths lie in other things; you're just not good at this one."
Xu Qingying extended her hand, her eyes filled with a gentle, gentle smile, yet seemingly filled with infinite grace. "Miss Qian, the world is in turmoil, and being a woman is incredibly difficult. The place you seek, no one can give you. You have to fight for it yourself, otherwise you'll always be displaced and dependent on others like you are now. So, for your own place, to avoid being bullied, to be an upright person, do you want to try, do you want to learn, do you want to fight for me and for yourself?"
Her voice was neither hurried nor slow, but it inexplicably had an inspiring power, as if if she said it, it would definitely come true.
Qian Zhenniang had never heard anyone tell her that she could do it in her life.
She can try.
Since she was a child, she heard more often the words "jinx" and "disaster star".
It seemed that since she was very young, she had been living such a life of wandering and relying on others.
She must live carefully, breathe lightly, walk slowly, and not say she is hungry or thirsty. She cannot say she is cold in winter with only a quilt. Cold dishes and rice are common. Otherwise, she would be ignorant and ungrateful.
Sometimes she felt like a wooden man, never daring to express her emotions. She had to stuff herself tightly into that box in order to barely survive.
She also wanted to be as elegant as Xu Qingying.
While speaking, she was giving orders about the country. No matter whether they were men or women, they all behaved properly when she spoke, just like the heroic female generals in picture books.
But she only dared to watch from afar, because she knew in her heart that Xu Qingying was someone she could never reach.
In this life, if she can have a place to settle down, find an honest and reliable husband, and give birth to a son, then God will treat her well.
She thought Xu Huijia was the one, so she tried her best to grasp that happiness, but it turned out to be nothing but an illusion.
Even Mrs. Cao, whom she tried so hard to please, appeared to pity her on the surface, but secretly called her a jinx like everyone else.
But now, there suddenly appeared a person who was blackmailing her to repay her life-saving grace, but in fact was encouraging her to live well. Qian Zhenniang felt that her already sore eyes began to feel sore again.
Feng'er was beside her, anxiously wanting to speak for Qian Zhenniang. However, she was concerned about her status and could only pull Qian Zhenniang's arm. "Miss, please agree quickly. We have nowhere else to go. We can't go back to our hometown, and returning to Bianjing is no longer realistic. Besides, we have finally escaped, so why bother going to my uncle's house and asking for trouble? The Xu family's letter of withdrawal has already been written, and you and the Xu family's eldest young master have nothing to do anymore. We are all alone, so why not follow Miss Xu? Didn't you always say that Miss Xu Liu has a kind heart and is capable of doing anything? If we follow her, we don't ask for wealth and glory in this life, we just want a place to settle down. We will stand up straight and be upright, and make all those who looked down on us kneel at our feet..."
Qian Zhenniang burst into laughter and said, "Little girl, I never realized you had such ambition before. Well, since you said so, even if I don't do it for myself, I have to consider you--"
Qian Zhenniang bowed gracefully to Xu Qingying, her eyes no longer tearful, but instead filled with a hint of tenacity. "Miss Xu, thank you for not despising me. From now on, Feng'er and I are completely entrusted to you. From now on, we sisters are yours. I swear that I will never betray you in this life. If I break this oath, I will be struck by lightning!"
Feng'er seemed a little excited. Her face was red and she followed Qian Zhenniang in swearing to the sky, but her eyes were always on Xu Qingying.
Qian Zhenniang pulled Feng'er and earnestly said, "Feng'er, you and I grew up together and are as close as sisters. I have returned the indenture to you. From now on, we are no longer master and servant. If you don't mind, just call me sister."
Feng Er was flattered, but then she started crying again: "Miss, I am yours in life and your ghost in death, please don't..."
Qian Zhenniang stopped her from talking. "Don't talk nonsense. Now you are a free man and an equal to me. From now on, you only need to listen to Miss Xu Liu's orders, silly girl..." Qian Zhenniang wiped Feng Er's tears and said, "Why don't you kowtow to Miss Xu Liu and express your gratitude? A bright future is waiting for us in the future..."
"No need." Xu Qingying helped the two of them up, smiling. "We're just starting out, and our conditions are simple. We're bound to endure hardships. Since you've followed me, I won't treat you unfairly. We'll wait until later. As long as you don't let me down, I won't let you down either."
Fang Ningmo, who was watching from the side, was overwhelmed with emotion. He admired Xu Qingying's ability to win people's hearts, but he also admired her kindness.
It is not difficult to keep Qian Zhenniang alive, but how to let her live well is the most difficult thing.
Qian Zhenniang, an orphan with nowhere to go, had her engagement broken off due to her birth date, making it difficult for her to remarry. Unskilled and unable to make a living, she couldn't even begin to support herself. One can only imagine how miserable her future would be.
But Xu Qingying directly suggested that she be the manager of the soap business, which was tantamount to giving her a way out.
Fang Ningmo suddenly thought: It turns out that giving a little hope to the dying is the most important thing.
"But..." Fang Ningmo really didn't want to be the bad guy, but seeing that the three of them seemed to be sworn brothers, he had to remind them, "Although Miss Qian and Feng'er are both good citizens, and this identity makes things easier for them, they can't register as households according to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty. This means that if your business really grows in the future, Miss Qian's uncle and aunt will be able to seize your property."
Xu Qingying frowned, "Is it not possible for women too?"
"The Great Zhou Dynasty allows the establishment of female households, but due to the tightening of social order in recent years, the court does not encourage the establishment of female households. Therefore, the conditions are extremely harsh, and the officials below naturally adapt to the situation. The court stipulates that female households must pay half of their income in taxes. So, with the numerous checkpoints set up by the lower levels, you must pay at least 70% of your earnings in bribes."
Xu Qingying didn't expect that a female household would have so many involvements.
With 70% of her income, after deducting costs and expenses, how much does she earn? Isn't she just working for the court?
Fang Ningmo felt a little sorry to see the three men lost in thought, but he had to say, "Besides, we are now exiles, the lowest class of slaves. Although the Great Zhou Dynasty doesn't have a stipulation that exiles can't be bought and sold privately, if someone with ulterior motives finds out, we'll be like fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered, and we'll inevitably be targeted."
Qian Zhenniang looked frightened and subconsciously looked at Xu Qingying.
Feng Er asked cautiously, "So, do we have to find a way to hide the money? For example, put the money in the name of someone who died but didn't report it to the authorities?"
Xu Qingying glanced at Feng'er approvingly. Feng'er was encouraged. Knowing that Xu Qingying liked girls who were bold and daring, she spoke even louder, "Or... maybe they bribed the officials to conduct a fake inquest?"
"These are all ways. In fact, the best way is to establish a female household. This way, you can solve the problem once and for all, avoid all risks, and you don't have to worry about your money being suddenly robbed one day."
Xu Qingying smiled. "It's just that our soap hasn't been exchanged for real money yet, so we don't have to worry about it for now. We can think about how to avoid risks and protect our money along the way. The most urgent thing is that Qian Zhenniang recovers quickly and returns to work as soon as possible. When you're well, you can learn how to make soap from me, familiarize yourself with the production line first, and then learn some management and operations. As for what to do next, we'll decide based on how well you two learn."
Qian Zhenniang and Feng'er were about to kneel and kowtow again, but Xu Qingying forcefully helped them to their feet. "The gift just now was for saving my life, so I accept it. But remember, my rule is not to kneel. I hate people with weak knees. Also, I'm a straightforward person. I hate spending time guessing other people's thoughts, and I hate others guessing mine. It wastes time and reduces efficiency. So, from now on, if you have any problems, any thoughts, or any grievances, just tell me directly. If I think you've done something wrong, I'll tell you frankly. Since you've decided to work, learn new things, reduce old ideas, and become stronger mentally. You two are women. If you want to gain power and status, you must be more ruthless, more hardworking, and more aggressive than other men, and you must bear greater pressure. And when things get busy, I won't be trying to persuade you like I did today. You need to process a lot of negative emotions on your own, so I need you to become stronger quickly. Can you do that?"
Qian Zhenniang and Feng'er looked at each other, feeling that Xu Qingying's words were very oppressive, but at the same time, they made their hearts surge, as if something in their blood had been suppressed for a long time and it all came out at this moment.
The more this happens, the more they want to do well.
Feng Er was about to kneel down out of habit, but then she remembered what Xu Qingying had just said. She immediately stood still and clasped her fists, saying, "Thank you, Miss Xu Liu."
"No need to thank me, just call me Boss Xu from now on. Feng'er, go get some medicine and help Qian Zhenniang recover. Remember, your bodies are your greatest wealth and must not be damaged easily. Get well soon, I still need your help—"
Feng'er responded.
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