Xingxing was slightly relieved to find that a third of the people were willing to stay. It seemed that her father's reputation wasn't so bad after all; at least quite a few people still believed in him.
All the foreigners will definitely leave. They have long hated this godforsaken place and just want to return to their own countries as soon as possible. The merchant ships they left with are still there. They were previously seized by the Japanese, but they were repaired and maintained in the meantime, so they are not damaged and can still be used.
To show their sincerity, Xingxing said, "Since you provided potato seeds, we won't let you suffer any losses. There are quite a few mines on the island; you can take some of the silver extracted from those ores."
"If you want anything else, like tea, silk, or porcelain, you'll have to come back with us. You can rest there for a while longer before leaving. What do you think, Jones?"
Xingxing didn't want to antagonize the foreigners. She hoped they would continue to bring other grains to the Great Jin Dynasty in the future, so her attitude was very gentle.
Jones and his group were indeed eager to obtain tea, silk, and porcelain, but they realized that this place was too far from the Great Jin Dynasty, and they had been mining on the island for more than three years. It took them almost a year to travel from their country to this place, and they had been away from their homeland for five years.
They once thought they might die on this island and never be able to go back. Now that they are finally free and can go home, other things have become less important. Anyway, there is silver on the island, so they might as well take some silver back with them.
“We won’t go to the Great Jin Dynasty. We need silver and food for the journey. You need to provide us with enough food,” Jones said with a weary expression.
"Of course we'll provide food. You can take some of the tomatoes, corn, and even barley grown on the island." Xingxing readily agreed and immediately arranged for someone to weigh the food.
Jones looked at the stars and casually ordered the servants around. Her blue eyes flickered, and she took a few steps closer and whispered, "You are a princess of the Great Jin Dynasty, aren't you? I overheard your subordinates calling you princess."
Xingxing did not deny that Jones and the others were under her control and could not cause trouble. Even if her identity was exposed, it would not be a big deal, and the foreigners would not kidnap her to demand benefits.
This was just a minor incident and didn't affect anything. Jones and his group soon boarded a ship and left the island where they had stayed for more than three years, taking the silver they had dug up with them and heading home.
"We dug this silver ourselves. The silver mine was originally unclaimed. The silver we dug was originally ours. How did it end up being paid to us by the Great Jin Dynasty?" Tom realized belatedly and felt a sudden pang of heartache.
Jerry chuckled and replied, "But in the end, it was indeed occupied by the Great Jin Dynasty. Our country is too far away from here. Even if we go back and bring troops to plunder, it will be too late. I'm afraid that by the time we arrive, the mine will have been mined out. Are we supposed to attack the Great Jin Dynasty?"
Let alone attacking the Great Jin, even attacking the East would be difficult. It's not that they're afraid of death, but as I said before, the East and the West are too far apart, making it impractical.
Xingxing didn't care how conflicted the foreigners were. After finally sending them away, she felt much less pressure. Otherwise, she was always worried that the foreigners would be unruly and cause trouble.
For now, we only need to guard against the Japanese and Koreans. However, there's no need to worry too much. They have a considerable number of troops, and the island is situated in the middle of various countries' waters, making it difficult for any country to send troops over.
However, the Great Jin side had the Snow Hummingbird leading the way, giving them a significant advantage.
Xingxing, Zhulin, and the others stayed on the island for another month. During that time, those who were willing to stay and mine rested for a few days before starting work again.
For the past month, we've had three meals a day on time, with plenty to eat. Sometimes, if Brother Fu and his friends hunt in the mountains or catch fish in the sea, they'll add those to their meals. The workers often get to eat meat, and their food is dozens of times better than before.
When they were in the hands of the Japanese, they were only allowed to eat two meals a day, and only until they were half full. If they made the slightest mistake, they would be punished by not being allowed to eat for a day.
Now, when someone is sick, there are doctors who can take their pulse and prescribe medicine. Everyone's complexion has visibly improved, a treatment they never dared to hope for before.
Those who didn't want to stay weren't idle either; they were busy planting seasonal crops and even clearing wasteland to grow vegetables.
At first, some people were unwilling to work, feeling that it was a loss not to be paid. But Zhao Mingyue said that the food he provided was not free and had to be earned through labor. Who would be unwilling to work?
Sure, you can take care of your own meals, and then no one will dare to make fun of you anymore.
When it was time to go back, Erfu and Sifu refused to leave together and insisted on staying on the island as supervisors.
While Xingxing does need someone trustworthy to guard the island for her, there's no need for Erfu and Sifu to stay. Their parents are eager to arrange marriages for them; they've already met a dozen girls, and they're just waiting for them to go back and give their opinions before settling down.
Life's major events should not be taken lightly; they do require careful consideration and cannot be delayed indefinitely. This year, Brother Fu is already twenty, and in a few months he will be of legal age. He can't be out on his legal age day, can he?
"Father and Mother, the palace is very poor, and the national treasury is not very full either. Although the court acquired a silver mine in Quanshui Prefecture, it has been used to resettle disaster victims, help people rebuild their homes, and fight wars on the border for several years. The money has been squandered and there is not much left."
Why is His Majesty always ill? It's because the national treasury is empty; there's nowhere to raise money, and that's causing him to worry and become ill. His Majesty is always preoccupied with worries; how can his health improve? If His Majesty isn't well, how can Xingxing be well? How can she be happy?
Zhou Erfu used his silver tongue to fool Zhou Laoda and his wife.
Old Zhou nodded in agreement, "What Erfu said makes sense. Think about our small family. When we were poor, we couldn't even afford a full meal. There were years of natural disasters, and there were refugees everywhere. We couldn't even find temporary work. We often had no rice to cook, and we had five boys crying for food."
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