Although Xu Mo was not born and raised in Fengjing, he knew that prominent families cared most about their reputation.
Zhu Sihuan and Zhu Zhi both belong to the Zhu family. If something really happens to Zhu Zhi and it implicates the Zhu family, Zhu Sihuan will also suffer.
But the disgust in this person's eyes was so real and obvious that Xu Mo couldn't quite grasp his thoughts.
Back in the courtyard.
Xu Mo then told her younger siblings what had happened that day and asked for their opinions.
Zheng Ruqian nodded thoughtfully, then shook his head, then nodded again, and finally shook his head.
Wen Zhiyun pursed his lips, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly, and remained silent.
Jiang Sheng opened her mouth, but after thinking about it, she swallowed it back down.
On the surface, it was the eldest brother who was seeking the opinions of the whole family, but in reality, the second brother was at a loss, the fourth brother was helpless, and Jiang Sheng herself was also confused and could not offer any insights at all.
In a flash, Jiang Sheng suddenly understood the meaning of Chang Yan's words, "At least tell me." It turned out that Fifth Brother was not deliberately stirring up trouble, but that telling them would be of no use.
It's really heartbreaking to understand all this.
But Jiang Sheng's gaze, along with Zheng Ruqian's and Wen Zhiyun's, was fixed on the innocent and kind-hearted fifth brother.
"Xiao Wu, what do you think?" Xu Mo finally spoke up.
Chang Yan rested his chin on his hand, a thoughtful expression on his handsome face. "There are only two possibilities in this matter. One is that Zhu Sihuan has no hatred for Zhu Zhi and is simply framing you to make a move against you."
"Another possibility is that Zhu Sihuan really hated Zhu Zhi, but he had no way to take action against Zhu Zhi, so he could only try to incite others to hate Zhu Zhi."
If it's the former, that's one thing, but if it's the latter, Zhu Sihuan could see through Xu Mo's concern for Zhu Zhi and then take the opportunity to sow discord. It's even possible that he was deliberately flattering Xu Mo when he took the initiative to approach him. Then this person's thoughts can be described as terrifying.
Xu Mo's face turned slightly pale.
Whether in Xieyang County or Fengjing, Zhu Zhi, with the Zhu and Fang families as his backers, would not scheme against his six siblings in this way, because their statuses were too unequal, and Zhu Zhi had no need to go to such lengths.
That could only mean that Zhu Sihuan is a deep and complex person, so much so that he is frightening. This also left Xu Mo with mixed feelings, unsure whether he should continue to associate with such a person.
Fortunately, Chang Yan rested his chin on his hand and said, "Since it is the latter, it means that what Zhu Sihuan said is true. He really doesn't want Zhu Zhihao to be well."
This also means that Zhu Zhi is like a cracked egg, always ready to attract swarms of flies.
Xu Mo's spirits were lifted.
He almost immediately called Jiang San and Jiang Si in, instructing them to observe Zhu Zhi's movements and follow him to find the courtyard and location of the outer chamber.
Jiang San and Jiang Si accepted the order and left.
As Jiang Sheng watched their retreating figures, she realized for the first time the profound meaning behind her third brother's purchase of servants.
Perhaps even without Jiang San and Jiang Si, they could still stumble and find out where Zhu Zhi's mistress was, but it would be much more troublesome and they would have to put aside what they were doing.
In Ansu County, household servants were dispensable, and some even worked the same jobs as hired day laborers.
But in Fengjing, loyal and devoted servants will become the sharpest weapon of their masters.
Jiang Sheng clenched his fist, mimicking his third brother's posture as he wielded a long stick and chopped.
Zheng Ruqian saw this and came over like a monkey, "Little Jiang Sheng, what are you doing? Do you want to eat braised pork knuckle again?"
Jiang Sheng raised her head.
She didn't want braised pork knuckle; she wanted her third brother.
If her third brother could come home, she would never eat braised pork knuckle again for the rest of her life.
"Second Brother," the little girl suddenly looked up, "you said you could deliver something to Third Brother, is that true?"
The topic of how he had been perfunctory with his sister was suddenly brought up again, leaving Zheng Ruqian momentarily bewildered.
Seeing the expectation in Jiang Sheng's eyes, he forced himself to nod and asked, "Ah, really? What do you want to give to the third brother?"
“We’ve sent food, drinks, clothes, and money.” Jiang Sheng counted on her fingers. “We’ve settled down in Fengjing. Although the production of cured meats in the summer is low, we can still make some money and send things to Third Brother.”
It's clear that she's been thinking about this for a long time, but she hasn't brought it up because she doesn't have much money at home.
Zheng Ruqian sighed, his scalp tingling with tension, but he said, "Okay, don't worry, leave it to me."
But how should we arrange it?
Labor costs in Fengjing are simply too high. The aunties in the workshops are paying forty coins a day, and it's unknown how much it would cost to hire a deliveryman. Delivering goods to the northern frontier is even more expensive; no one would go even if you offered them money.
Jiang San and Jiang Si are fine, but there are only two of them, and even splitting them up wouldn't be enough.
Zheng Ruqian stroked his chin, also appreciating Fang Heng's good intentions in buying servants.
Having lived in Fengjing before, Fang Laosan not only learned martial arts from his father, but also deeply understood the importance of manpower.
Even a wealthy man has several farmhands to help him.
Moreover, powerful and influential families usually have loyal servants to do their bidding, or even contracted slaves to do their bidding, all to achieve their goals quietly.
Zheng Ruqian didn't have many extravagant hopes; he just wanted a few more long-term workers to ensure a stable supply of goods.
Looking back, whether it was Pang Dashan or Wang Xiaosong, we met them by chance and then took them under our wing, as if we were being pushed along by fate.
Upon arriving in Fengjing, Zheng Ruqian gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, deciding to take the initiative to hire long-term workers.
Then.
He appeared at the labor market in the west of Fengjing City.
Little Jiang Sheng was also with them.
It is said that good people attract good karma. The brother and sister could not find a place to hire long-term workers, so they wandered around the west side of the city and accidentally entered the vegetable market, where they met a fishmonger.
The vendor, remembering the generous gift of sausages, called out that he would kill two fish for them to take home and eat.
Jiang Sheng politely declined, then casually asked, "Uncle, do you know where I can hire long-term workers?"
The fishmonger recommended this labor market.
Fengjing was divided into the east and west parts of the city.
The eastern part of the city is prestigious, inhabited by high-ranking officials and noble families. There is basically no problem of hiring long-term or short-term workers; people buy people whenever they want. A maid or boy of marriageable age can be sold for as much as thirty or fifty taels.
The western part of the city was mediocre, inhabited by ordinary people who were unwilling to sell themselves into slavery or whose slaves were unwanted. They would squat in the dusty labor market, spending a day in exchange for a few dozen coins.
It was several levels higher than Anshui County, but still much cheaper than the money earned from selling oneself into slavery.
When Zheng Ruqian led Jiang Sheng to the market entrance, the bored people swarmed around them, but when they saw that they were just two ordinary-looking children, they lost interest and sat back down.
Even short-term laborers want to find employers who seem wealthier; perhaps a small piece of silver would be enough for them to work for a long time.
"Second Brother, is it really possible to hire long-term workers here?" Jiang Sheng asked in a low voice.
Zheng Ruqian gripped his sister's hand tightly, his heart pounding with anxiety.
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