Chapter 171 Ji Wensheng looks for fragrance
It feels heavy and dense, and you can feel its excellent warmth with just a light squeeze.
I thought that if the government distributed disaster relief supplies, I would be lucky to get even a piece of tattered hemp cloth. I never expected it to be such good fabric!
These poor people, struggling to make ends meet, probably wouldn't be able to afford to buy such a fine piece of fabric to make clothes to keep warm, even if they worked hard all their lives!
"This...this fabric is so beautiful...is it really for me?"
The old woman tremblingly reached out her hand, her withered fingers suddenly stopping when they touched the cotton cloth, as if she couldn't believe it, repeatedly stroking the surface of the fabric.
"It's for you! Take it and hurry up, don't block the people behind you!"
The soldier's tone was unfriendly; in this environment, those maintaining order could only project more authority by having a cold expression.
The old woman dared not linger. Clutching the clean, thick piece of cloth, she leaned on her cane and shakily left the scene.
"Sir, this cloth is too good... I've never touched such good cloth in my life!" another refugee exclaimed as he received the cloth.
"Mom, we have thick clothes to wear! We won't be cold in winter anymore!" A boy, barely a teenager, excitedly shouted to his emaciated mother beside him, clutching a piece of cloth.
"Your Honorable Magistrate! Thank you! Thank you, Your Honor!"
Unable to contain her emotions any longer, a woman embraced the life-saving warmth and knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly in the direction of Zhao Jingxing and Cheng Fang.
This act of kneeling seemed to set a precedent; after receiving their cloth, the other disaster victims followed suit, kneeling down and kowtowing.
Some choked up and couldn't speak, only kowtowing repeatedly; others sat on the ground crying while holding the roll of cloth, their tears soaking the corners of the cloth, yet they couldn't bear to let go even a little.
Zhao Jingxing stepped forward, his posture upright, his voice clear and resonant: "Rise, all of you! The court is supposed to protect the people, and you deserve all of this. There is no need for such a grand ceremony."
Seeing the excited expressions of the disaster victims, Cheng Fang felt a warmth in his heart.
As the sun rose higher and the wind subsided, the disaster victims in front of the soup kitchen held hot porridge and new cloth in their hands. Their faces were no longer blank with indifference as they waited to die, and a few laughs could be heard from the crowd.
Zhao Jingxing stood not far away, looking at the scene before him.
He remembered that he was to pick up Jiang Ling and take her to the capital in five days, and a thought suddenly occurred to him:
When Miss Jiang arrives, perhaps we can take her outside the city to see for herself, so she can know that the supplies she sent are truly warming the hearts of those struggling in the cold wind.
In late autumn in Beijing, the morning mist dissipates late; even past 11:30 AM, the stone pavement on the street is still damp.
Cheng Fang rushed back from the resettlement site outside the city and went into a rather elegant restaurant to rest.
He found a seat by the window and sat down. The waiter quickly brought over a pot of hot wine and two small dishes, and said with a smile, "Lord Cheng, the usual?"
Cheng Fang nodded and casually took off his cloak and draped it over the back of the chair.
He took a sip of his drink, but his thoughts drifted away.
In a few days I will be going to pick up Jiang Ling and bring her to the capital. I need to go to the Western Hills to scout out the place beforehand, because it won't look as nice if the red leaves have fallen.
At Honghu Crab Feast, you need to book a window seat to enjoy the lake view;
There's also the issue of city security. There are a lot of refugees lately, so we need to inform the Prefect of the Capital to increase patrols and prevent any criminals from sneaking in.
As I thought about it, a smile unconsciously crept onto my lips.
Just as I was pondering this, a familiar voice, tinged with a hint of mockery, came from the side:
"Oh, isn't this our busy young master Cheng? We've finally caught you! What have you been up to lately? We've tried to contact you several times, but you always say you're too busy. You're getting more and more arrogant!"
Cheng Fang looked up and saw Ji Wensheng wearing a moon-white brocade robe, holding a folding fan, slowly walking over.
Without any hesitation, he sat down opposite him and poured himself a glass of wine.
Cheng Fang snapped out of his thoughts and smiled: "There are a lot of refugees outside the city lately, and I've been busy coordinating disaster relief supplies, so I really can't spare the time."
Upon hearing this, Ji Wensheng looked surprised: "You, a young marquis of the Wu'an Marquis's mansion, need to do such a thankless job? Didn't the palace send people to manage disaster relief?"
Cheng Fang smiled but did not elaborate.
Ji Wensheng had no idea of the special nature of this batch of relief supplies, especially since it involved Jiang Ling. How could the Crown Prince trust anyone else to handle them?
He could only vaguely reply, "I eat the emperor's food and bear the emperor's worries. Unlike you, Young Master Ji, who is so carefree."
Ji Wensheng was hit where it hurt, but he showed no sign of pride. Instead, he took a swig of his drink and sighed:
"Leisure? Snow is about to fall and close the mountain passes. There are refugees everywhere in the city, and it's not peaceful outside the city either. I've heard that bandits have increased in number. Several of my family's caravans have been forced to stop business and have suffered heavy losses. How can we possibly have leisure?"
Cheng Fang joked, "Come on, the Ji family has made so much money these past few years that it's almost a mountain. You might as well take this opportunity to rest."
"Sigh, you have the Empress and the Crown Prince as your backers, so naturally you don't know how much it costs for us seemingly glamorous little families to bribe officials. When have we ever had enough money?" Ji Wensheng complained.
Cheng Fang sighed and changed the subject, asking, "Don't talk about me, what have you been busy with lately? I saw your people asking around when I went out of town today."
At this point, Ji Wensheng became interested: "By the way, let me tell you, last night I smelled a strange fragrance in the Guose Fangxiang Pavilion, one I've never seen before..."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Fang immediately gave him a disdainful look. "I say, Young Master Ji, can't you find something worthwhile to do?"
Ji Wensheng waved his hand: "That's not the point. The point is this strange fragrance!"
Cheng Fang asked, puzzled, "When did you become interested in these cosmetics?"
Ji Wensheng sighed, "The porcelain business hasn't been doing well lately, so I was thinking of finding some other business. I've discovered that the women's business is still the easiest to do, whether it's rouge and powder, or clothes and jewelry. They're snapped up like there's no tomorrow!"
"Do you remember the Song Family Cloth Shop I told you about? It opened several branches in the capital in just a few months, relying on its unique rouge and face powder business!"
He gets red-eyed every time he thinks about it.
If we could get our hands on a source of that exotic fragrance... then what business would we have to worry about?
Speaking of Song's Cloth Shop, Cheng Fang thought of Jiang Ling.
When Ji Wensheng first mentioned the Song family's cloth shop to him, he worried that it might be an invasion by foreign tribes, so he sent people to investigate.
It turned out that the rouge and face powder sold in that shop were exactly the same as the ones Jiao Jiao bought from the general store, and even the soap and scarves were the same kind as those in the general store.
He immediately understood that the Song family was in partnership with Miss Jiang.
Jiang Ling's general store naturally has unique items, so it's normal that it's sought after by noble ladies in the capital.
After Ji Wensheng finished speaking, Cheng Fang did not react. There seemed to be a faint smile on his lips.
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