"Just last night, a few mysterious people came here, and the county magistrate received them."
“We overheard them discussing with the county magistrate that they needed to strictly compile statistics on the profits of all restaurants and shops, as well as the autumn harvest situation of all towns and villages under their jurisdiction, and then make a general report.”
Although she had been prepared, Qiao Lian'er's heart still sank.
As expected, what was bound to happen will happen.
"And another thing, those people have already confessed that they're not just counting the shops along the street, but also the food stalls. They're counting where the stall owners are from, especially those with good business."
"They said they would come back after the autumn harvest, and even more people would come."
Ah Da didn't know if this was something Qiao Lian'er was interested in. Before the heavy rain, Sister Lian'er had returned home from the county town and specifically instructed them to pay attention to any unusual wind directions. They should focus on observing the county government office to see if any unfamiliar people were coming this way.
After much thought, this is the one that best fits the bill.
"Sister Lian'er, there's also the fact that the magistrate's wife and brother have been secretly having an affair for two years. We just found out about this, and the magistrate has been kept in the dark. Oh, and yesterday, they brought in a large yellow pig that we've never seen before in this area. They say it's bred with wild boars from the mountains. A few of us went to see it, and it's quite big and rather novel."
Qiao Lian'er's lips twitched. Why was she listening to all this nonsense?
"Okay, I got it. Just keep an eye on the first thing you mentioned. Don't worry about the other odds and ends."
Hearing her say that, Ah Da understood the general direction and nodded emphatically: "Mm."
Qiao Lian'er took out three taels of silver from his sleeve and handed it to A Da.
"We won't be setting up a stall for a while. We're just asking you to inquire about some information. We don't need your help with anything else, and we won't be settling wages like before."
"Take this money first. You'll have the energy to run errands once you've eaten your fill."
Ah Da held the silver, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Sister Lian'er, don't worry, we will do everything you ask us to do."
"Even if you stop setting up stalls and don't need to ask us for anything anymore, we won't starve. We can still earn some income by doing odd jobs or short-term work at restaurants and hotels."
"This is the principle of being a person that you taught us, and taught us to be self-reliant."
"Alright, it's not like I'm going to abandon you all in the future." Qiao Lian'er laughed: "But things won't always stay the same. The most important thing is for you to improve your own abilities."
"Okay, I'll remember."
The weeds in the yard had long been cleared away, and the house inside and out was clean and tidy. In the kitchen, the original stove had collapsed in one corner, but the children had repaired it. The children's lives had become more organized and orderly.
Qiao Lian'er was thinking about when to get them to register their household here, but now was not the time.
This house has been abandoned for three years, but it's not something you can just take over as you please. If you go to the county government to request it now, I'm afraid the county government will have a hard time approving it.
Zhao Lizheng was about to report her bridge-building project; if she could receive some extra support, it might make a difference.
So, let's wait and see.
Da Yong returned in his carriage, his face beaming with joy.
"All two thousand catties of goods have been sold, and the restaurants still think it's not enough and want to place more orders."
One thousand catties of potatoes, five hundred catties of corn, and five hundred catties of peanuts were all sold out, earning forty-two taels of silver in one go.
They drove the carriage into the courtyard, and the three of them waited outside.
This unspoken understanding made Qiao Lian'er wonder if her family had guessed something.
In reality, it's unlikely that you can keep it from them for long; the Qiao family members aren't fools.
Their decision to avoid her was also because they didn't want to put her in a difficult position and wanted to give her space.
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