Chapter 246 Fang Shijie is missing
Happy times always pass quickly.
After the New Year, I attended the full moon celebration for Aunt Zhao's second grandson and the wedding banquet for Aunt Qian's eldest son.
This past month has been peaceful and warm in Jishui Village.
The porcelain pieces that were given to Mo Chen last time were all very well received by the old master Mo, and he kept them all.
Jiang Ling only charged them two-thirds of their quoted price. Even if they resold the porcelain, they could still make a lot of money.
Jiang Ling's trip was not only about making money, but more importantly, about maintaining her relationship with the Mo family.
That same day, Mo Chen brought her what she wanted.
He said that these things are being strictly controlled lately, and he could only get two for the time being.
Both weapons have been modified so that even someone like Jiang Ling, who has never been trained, can use them easily.
With Xie Penghui's help, the fireworks factory successfully reopened.
Jiang Ling knew she didn't have much time to manage the fireworks factory, so she hired a professional manager and brought back her father's former employees.
The business models are all very mature, so Jiang Ling doesn't need to worry about them.
Life went on uneventfully like that.
As the weather began to warm up, Daewoo finally overcame its biggest challenge.
The last time I went to town, there were significantly fewer migrants outside the city. Many people had saved up some food and were heading north with their families.
The family owns property, fields, and land. Walking back leisurely, they arrived just in time for planting.
Three days ago, Zhao Jingxing took away the last batch of grain from Jiang Ling, saying that the grain in the national treasury had been collected and that she would no longer need to trouble her to collect grain.
Jiang Ling was happy to be free from being a porter.
However, Fang Shijie hadn't come to see her in the past month or so, nor had she seen him set foot in Jishui Village.
The plan to build a house in Jishui Village after the New Year was originally agreed upon, but it fell through because we couldn't contact him.
While they were still wondering about Fang Shijie's whereabouts, Hongxiu came to their door that afternoon.
On a sunny afternoon, Jiang Ling was sitting behind the counter reviewing the expenses for rebuilding the fireworks factory.
Although the fireworks factory exploded, it did not cause any damage to the buildings.
With a little renovation, it can reopen.
Former employees are already working on purchasing new machines.
Once the machines expire, we can hire new workers, order raw materials from the manufacturers we've worked with before, and then start production again.
Everything is in good order and proceeding as expected.
Jiang Ling had just closed the ledger when she heard the sound of a carriage stopping outside the door.
"Sister, Sister Jiang!" Hongxiu's voice arrived before she did.
Jiang Ling stood up, and Hongxiu had already lifted the curtain and staggered in.
However, after just over a month, the once radiant and beautiful courtesan has become haggard and unrecognizable.
She had lost a lot of weight, her eyes were red and swollen, and she wore no makeup, exuding a gloomy anxiety.
Upon seeing Jiang Ling, she rushed to the counter, her voice trembling uncontrollably:
"Sister Jiang! What should we do about Sister Jiang?!"
Jiang Ling was startled and quickly put down the ledger, went around to the counter, and supported Hongxiu, who was almost collapsing, comforting her as she spoke:
"What's wrong? What happened? Tell me slowly."
She helped Hongxiu to a chair and poured her a glass of warm water.
Hongxiu held the warm teacup tightly in both hands, her knuckles white, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls, her words incoherent:
"Fang Shijie... we haven't heard from him for almost a month!"
Jiang Ling's heart skipped a beat, but her face remained expressionless:
"Don't rush, explain slowly. Young Master Fang... what happened to him?"
"Before the Lunar New Year, he said he was facing some business setbacks and needed to go to the capital to smooth things over. But when the agreed-upon return date came, he didn't come back, not even a word. I asked people to inquire at the places he usually stayed in the capital, and they all said he left half a month ago, but he hasn't returned to Ping'an County! It's like... like he vanished into thin air!"
She became more and more agitated as she spoke, grabbing Jiang Ling's hand as if it were her last lifeline.
"Don't worry, maybe he's busy with business and didn't have time to tell you. He also said that he travels all over the country all year round, so maybe this happened suddenly."
Jiang Ling patted her back and gently comforted her.
She had no good feelings towards Fang Shijie and was even quite wary of him, but his sudden disappearance was indeed strange.
"No, you don't know. I went to the capital to look for him a couple of days ago, and there wasn't a single servant left in his mansion there! The head manager of the Mulou Restaurant in Ping'an County also disappeared with him, and a few days ago, the Mulou Restaurant even closed down! He... he must have encountered some kind of trouble..."
By the end, she was sobbing uncontrollably.
It seems that something has indeed happened.
Even if you're busy with business, you shouldn't close down the well-run Mulou Restaurant.
Jiang Ling gently patted her back, trying to calm her down. "Calm down first. Did Fang Shijie make enemies in the capital? Or, was there anything unusual about him before he left?"
Hongxiu tried hard to recall, then shook her head: "His connections in the capital are intricate, with many business dealings, but as for his overt enemies... I really don't know. He didn't tell me much about his business dealings either. Before he left, he looked grave and only said a few words..."
Jiang Ling suddenly remembered the letter she had written to Cheng Fang.
Could it be that the investigation has uncovered something?
Is that why Fang Shijie fled in panic?
"Sister Jiang, you know many people, and many important figures in the capital are on your side. Could you please help me inquire about him? I am of lowly status, and those who used to fawn over him are now avoiding me! I'm desperate! I must find him, please help me..."
Jiang Ling was in a dilemma, unsure whether to tell her that she suspected Fang Shijie wasn't a member of the Dayu Dynasty.
However, a sixteen-year-old girl who is immersed in love cannot listen to anything.
Even if it's proven that Fang Shijie isn't from the Dayu Dynasty, she'll probably still go to a foreign country for love.
Jiang Ling pondered for a moment.
"In that case, I'll try asking the Song family first. They have a large business in the capital and some connections. But I really can't guarantee whether I can find out anything."
Upon hearing this, Hongxiu seemed to grasp at a sliver of hope and nodded repeatedly: "Thank you, sister! Please tell me any news, good or bad!"
Wiping away her tears, she took a small brocade pouch from her sleeve and stuffed it into Jiang Ling's hand, saying, "This is just a small token of my appreciation; navigating relationships always requires money..."
Jiang Ling pushed the brocade pouch back and said seriously:
“Hongxiu, I know you’re deeply in love with Fang Shijie right now. But you need to think about yourself. He’s such a big businessman, he won’t just disappear for no reason. If he really doesn’t come back, you…”
If it really was Cheng Fang who made the move, then Fang Shijie most likely won't be coming back.
It's a miracle that they escaped.
Hongxiu stared blankly at the brocade pouch that had been pushed back, then suddenly calmed down: "I know my sister means well, but there's no turning back now..."
After saying that, she touched her lower abdomen.
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