Chapter 103 A New Breakthrough
Yao Qingling smiled at him: "Do you know how I got out?"
Lin Shiyuan: "How did you come up with that?"
A cunning glint flashed in Qingling's eyes, while a hint of coldness shone through her dark pupils.
After being confined in the ancestral hall for three days, Yao Qingqi came every day to mock and provoke him.
She hoped that Qingling would lose her mind and, in a fit of rage, actually set the ancestral hall on fire.
In this way, Lady Hou could claim that Qingling had gone mad, lock her up forever, and confiscate all of her dowry.
However, Yao Qingling learned a deeper level of patience at the Duke's mansion, and she was not provoked by Yao Qingqi.
Three days was the limit of Yao Qingling's endurance. Even if she could endure it, the fetus in her womb would be in danger.
Furthermore, if she doesn't go out soon, the bandits hiding in the manor will probably become restless.
Qingling cut the skin on the side of her leg, causing blood to seep out and staining her clothes.
Then Taoye told the old woman guarding the door that she had started her period.
The ancestral hall is an important place, and women are not allowed to enter if they are menstruating.
They arrived quickly and unlocked the door.
Now that Qingling has been released safely, there's no way they'll lock her up again. She returned to Mulan Courtyard and instructed Louyue to quickly invite the Imperial Censor's wife over.
The Imperial Censor's wife had a mouth as sharp as Imperial Censor Cao's, and perhaps even more so; when she cursed someone, she didn't care who the other person was, and her curses were direct and harsh.
Madam Hou immediately recalled how badly Zhan Xingzhuo and Zhou Zhining were criticized under the public opinion offensive when Yao Qingling made a fuss about divorce.
She cannot bear the blame for mistreating the orphan of a loyal general.
Upon the sudden visit of the Censor's wife, Madam Ma immediately adopted a kind and approachable demeanor, saying nothing but flattering words.
She said she wouldn't look down on Qingling, nor would she make things difficult for her.
"...Qingling has no connection with the Duke's Mansion, but the Marquis's Mansion is her home. When she returns to this home, things will be the same as before."
The censor's wife asked Qingling what she planned to do after returning to her parents' home, and Qingling said she planned to start a business and be self-sufficient.
The censor's wife immediately expressed her desire to join, and in front of Madam Ma, she gave her a fifty-tael silver note.
It doesn't matter how much money is involved; what matters is that an official's wife is also involved, so this is no longer just Yao Qingling's business.
Even the old lady could no longer stop them.
And so, Yao Qingling was released from the restriction; the dowry she had was still hers, without her handing it over.
Qingling smiled and said, "It's a secret."
She took a sip of tea mysteriously, mainly to tell Lin Shiyuan that the Marquis's mansion would no longer be an obstacle for her; he could rest assured.
Lin Shiyuan had been looking forward to it for a long time, thinking that she would tell a thrilling story of wits and courage, but she only gave two words: mysterious and smug.
I couldn't help but chuckle.
He wasn't a curious person, so he didn't press for answers. Instead, he got up to correct Lin Qiao's marksmanship.
Then, he took a long spear and started twirling it.
The spear swirled and swirled, creating a vortex that sucked the leaves into it. Even the treetops swayed, as if the green leaves were trying to break free from the branches and grow onto the spear.
With another forceful swing, the clumps of leaves burst forth as if propelled by an invisible current. Upon closer inspection, the spear flew out and became firmly embedded in a tree.
If the person opposite him were a human, he would have already been pierced through the chest by a spear.
But Lin Shiyuan did not stop there. He leaped forward, grabbed the spear back into his hand, and the tip of the spear touched the ground, sparks flew, and the stone slab shattered. The long handle bent, and with a forceful flick, it shot straight through the air, revealing its sharp edge.
Even sitting in the main hall, Yao Qingling could feel the wind whipped up by the spear, making a whooshing sound.
When she was a child, her father practiced shooting every day, and she would watch from the sidelines, never getting tired of watching.
After her father finished practicing, her mother would hand him a cloth to wipe his sweat; her father would then stride towards her, lift her high, rub his damp head against hers, ask her if she smelled bad, and then put her on his shoulders and carry her into the house.
Later, Qingling started to imitate him by holding a wooden stick. Every morning, the two of them, one big and one small, looked quite the same.
Just like now, with Lin Shiyuan and Lin Qiao.
One large and one small, each move and stance performed simultaneously.
Tao Ye stared at the brother and sister practicing their spears, then moved closer to Qing Ling, murmuring, "Miss, I miss the General."
Qing Ling smiled faintly: "I'd like to too."
She took a cloth, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Lin Shiyuan stared blankly at her retreating figure, clutching the cloth.
Taoye walked over and said, "Miss instructed that Young Master Lin can come to the manor to teach Lin Qiao spear techniques and improve her martial arts."
That day, Yao Qingling received the various shopkeepers from the shops at her private residence in Tongluo Lane.
These shopkeepers have all become her people, doing whatever she tells them.
She ordered the shopkeepers to post job advertisements at the city gate, but when recruiting workers, she only hired those with straw ropes tied around their wrists.
This was Qingling's secret code with the bandits.
To prevent other people from being recruited and having their spots taken.
Eighty-six people entered in batches. The first batch of twenty people came in first and were trained by the manager to familiarize themselves with the buying and selling process and the goods.
The rest of the people remained in the village.
The village wasn't big, and it felt crowded with many people, but fortunately the weather was getting warmer, so you could just set up a makeshift bed on the floor and sleep.
The land in the village wasn't good enough either; it was rocky and barren. These bandits were originally farmers, and they couldn't stand seeing land where crops couldn't grow well. Every day, they would go to the fields before dawn to collect stones and cut grass, and return after dark.
They also paved a path with the stones they collected so that the road wouldn't be all mud when it rained.
The steward of the estate was delighted and said to Qingling, "Miss, where did you find so many capable farmers? We didn't have enough people to take good care of these fields before, but now it's much better. This year's harvest is expected to double."
To Qingling's surprise, some of these people actually knew how to keep bees.
It's already May, the time when all the flowers are in full bloom. As soon as this person sees the flowers, he thinks about raising bees.
He didn't need to worry about being given any tools; he found the materials himself and built the beehive.
"...In a few days we'll have honey to eat. When that time comes, I'll send someone to deliver it to the manor for Miss to try."
This was an unexpected surprise for Qingling.
She doesn't necessarily have to send everyone to work at the shop.
Firstly, she doesn't have that many shops right now to quickly absorb these 86 people; secondly, recruiting so many people would be too conspicuous and increase the risk.
Why doesn't she put their skills to use? Whatever they lack, she'll create the conditions.
Qingling asked the manager to inquire about their plans and compiled a list.
After reviewing the site, Qingling decided to convert part of the estate into an oil mill.
Rice and oil are daily necessities, consumed in large quantities.
The oil produced was sold in shops, which saved costs, solved the labor problem, and made more money.
Qingling made her decision and acted swiftly.
She went to the government office to register the bandits she had recruited. When the government clerk was making the registrations, Qingling noticed that there were very few shopkeepers coming to register.
"...Of course, the government hopes that shop owners can hire more workers to ease the burden on us. But with so many refugees and the state of the world, who would want to support another person?"
The shrewd and unscrupulous shop owner used unpaid labor, ordering people to finish their work, then kicking them out without paying them, leaving them to their fate.
A shrewd shop owner, not entirely unscrupulous, can save costs by using familiar workers, raising their wages by a few cents, and essentially making one worker do the work of two.
But these people all share one idea: they don't want to take responsibility or bear any risks.
To register migrants, you have to act as a guarantor for them, and if problems arise, the shop owners will also be in trouble.
Furthermore, the recent incident involving bandits caused a huge uproar.
The shop owners were worried that these people were pretending to look for work, but were actually there to test the waters, and they were afraid of letting a wolf into their house.
The clerk complained as he wrote the document.
After he finished writing the document, he handed it to Qingling: "You are the first shop owner to come and vouch for the refugees and help them register their household registration. As expected of a daughter of a military family, you are bold and responsible."
These compliments made Qingling feel guilty. Before she could say anything, the registrar continued, "The Prefect said he would like to invite Madam Yao to make an appearance at the Chamber of Commerce to set an example for the merchants."
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