Chapter 17 Using her own hands to get the justice she wants
Feng Qingsui felt something was amiss and asked with a smile, "Madam, you look like this, have you seen me before?"
The woman immediately lowered her head and said, "I've never seen it before."
"I heard that you were dishonest and were sold out by your own lady."
Feng Qingsui spoke while paying attention to her expression.
The woman's jaw tightened a little, and her hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt, but she was silent for a few moments, and did not defend herself, but just lowered her head even more.
There must be something else going on.
Feng Qingsui thought.
He continued, "Can you calculate accounts and manage people?"
The woman replied, "Yes, I used to be a steward in the shop."
Feng Qingsui looked at the broker and asked, "How much?"
The broker finally realized that she wanted to buy this woman and shook his head, saying, "Miss Ning said she must be sold far away and not allowed to stay in the capital."
Feng Qingsui smiled and said, "I'm from Wucheng. Isn't Wucheng far enough?"
The broker was surprised: "Are you from Wucheng?"
"Yes." Feng Qingsui nodded slightly. "I came to the capital to do some business. I will return to Wucheng after I am done. It is not against the rules for you to sell her to me, right?"
After hesitating for a moment, the broker nodded: "It really doesn't count."
He thought to himself that since this woman had been here for more than half a month and no foreign buyers had been found, and since this young lady was from Wucheng, selling it to her would meet the requirements, although she might not leave the capital in the short term.
"Then I'll sell it to you."
The broker agreed to the deal.
"But we don't have any women who can weave here at the moment. Do you want to buy one or hire one?"
"hire."
"Then please leave your address. I'll find someone here and contact you."
Feng Qingsui told him to find her in one of the houses he had just rented.
The broker said yes, and when Feng Qingsui was leaving with the woman, he reminded her, "It's best not to let her show up while you're in Beijing. Otherwise, if someone from the Duke's Mansion sees us, we won't be able to explain ourselves..."
Feng Qingsui agreed.
"Don't worry, I won't make it difficult for you."
She brought the woman to the house she had just rented, asked her last name, and then said with a smile, "Madam Xu, this place will be under your management from now on. I want to open a wool workshop here. I also rented the house across the street and plan to build a down workshop, which will also be under your management. Do you have anyone you trust? You can call them to help out. The wages will be easier to calculate."
Aunt Xu said, "There are two or three available."
Feng Qingsui took out three hundred taels of silver from his purse and handed it to her.
“It’s up to you to decide what to add.
I won't make many sweaters and down jackets, only about 200 of each. Twenty people in each workshop should be enough. I'll also have to take care of brunch, hire two cooks, and arrange for a shopping spree.
In the next few days, you should send people to various places in the city to buy wool, duck down and goose down. Once you find someone at the leather shop, you can arrange for them to be cleaned and dried.
I will ask craftsmen to make the tools needed for production and send them to you when the time comes.
..."
After listening to her explanation, Madam Xu repeated it again. After confirming that it was correct, she clutched the banknote and said, "Madam gave this servant so much money at once, aren't you afraid..."
"Do you know which family I am the wife of?"
Feng Qingsui asked with a smile.
Aunt Xu shook her head.
"I am Prime Minister Ji's eldest sister-in-law."
Feng Qingsui brought up Ji Changqing's name.
"With the Ningguo Mansion in front and the Prime Minister's Mansion behind, how dare you escape?"
Aunt Xu: “!!!”
"Aren't you from the capital? Why do you say you're from Wucheng?"
"My ancestral home is Wucheng."
“…”
Nanny Xu wanted to ask a few more questions, but when she looked at Feng Qingsui's bright face, she swallowed her words back.
After Feng Qingsui returned home, he began to draw sketches.
Spinning, knitting sweaters, and making down jackets were all skills her master taught her when he had free time.
The first time she wore a sweater and down jacket for winter, she was a little uncomfortable because it was so warm.
When she and her sister were in the orphanage, they wore jackets made of willow catkins and reed fluff in winter. They were fine in the early cold, but they were completely useless in the severe cold, and it was like wearing nothing at all.
The warden said that their lives were good enough. The poor families slept on straw wrapped in straw, and their houses were leaky. Due to the lack of firewood and charcoal, they couldn't even drink hot water and could only drink cold water.
These words could not comfort her, and she felt that every winter was very long.
My hands and feet were always cracked from the cold, and when the wind blew, it felt like countless knives were cutting across my skin.
His face was also cut into countless small cuts and was always red.
Sometimes it bleeds.
Her sister held her in her arms while she slept at night, shielding her from the cold wind that forced its way in through the window. Her hands and feet were never warm, and she developed a chronic illness. After her period, she always felt like she was going through a tribulation.
After she became his apprentice, she asked the master to examine her sister and prescribe a prescription for her to recuperate. Only then did she feel at ease to follow the master.
When I sent sweaters and down jackets to my sister, she lamented in the letter: If only I had met Master earlier, we wouldn't have to suffer from the cold.
Her sister replied, "From now on, we won't have to suffer from the cold, and we can also prevent other children from suffering from the cold."
My sister wanted to do good deeds, but she was an orphan who grew up in a charity home. Her brother-in-law came from a poor family and lost his father at a young age. He was raised by his widowed mother who did embroidery. When he first became an official, he was also short of money and never attended social gatherings with his colleagues.
It was not until Xiao Yu was born that he was promoted to Langzhong of the Ministry of Rites and his salary increased, and the family became more financially comfortable.
You can afford new clothes during the Chinese New Year and eat meat on a daily basis.
My sister no longer has to sell embroidery to supplement the family income.
But she continued to embroider, saving the money from selling her embroidery and planning to donate cotton clothes to the children in the orphanage.
Her brother-in-law supported her very much and saved his salary to donate with her.
Xiaoyu was born on the beginning of winter, so every year they would choose an orphanage to donate to on Xiaoyu’s birthday.
"Give small things and accumulate blessings."
This is what my sister wrote in the letter.
But Xiaoyu only lived for four years.
My sister and her husband did not have a good end.
Feng Qingsui put down his paintbrush and looked at the wintersweet flowers on the table.
Most of the flowers have withered and fallen, only a few are hanging on the branches, emitting a faint fragrance.
What’s the use of accumulating blessings and doing good deeds? God has never promised that good deeds will be rewarded.
Whatever you want, you can only rely on yourself.
She will use her hands to get the justice she wants.
Three days later, Aunt Xu sent someone to inform Feng Qingsui that the pawnshop had found forty or fifty people and asked Feng Qingsui to go and take a look.
Feng Qingsui took her to the pawnshop to select someone.
These people had experience in spinning cotton and linen yarn, so it was not difficult for them to start spinning wool yarn. Feng Qingsui taught them twice and they all learned it.
Aunt Xu has already prepared the raw materials, cleaning and drying utensils, beds, tables and chairs, pots, pans, stoves and other items, and has also hired a cook, so work can start as soon as he arrives.
Feng Qingsui praised: "Madam, you are worthy of being from the Duke's Mansion. You are very efficient in your work."
Nanny Xu had clearly adjusted her mindset. She didn't bow her head when she mentioned the Duke's Mansion, but said calmly, "Madam, you're too kind."
Feng Qingsui arranged the next matters and asked Aunt Xu to follow up.
He still accompanies the wife of the Marquis of Rongchang to lose weight every day.
There is a new piece of news from Wei.
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