Song Zhiyu left Lu Bai at the Marquis's residence and set off for Mount Li.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the carriage slowly came to a stop at the foot of Mount Li. Song Zhiyu lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage, striding towards the mountain.
At this moment, on Mount Li, beside an unfinished hot spring pool, several craftsmen gathered and argued with the manager of the resort, saying, "We are also injured and need to go back to rest."
Li Er only suffered a minor injury, yet he earned ten taels of silver for nothing. Some of them were even more seriously injured than Li Er, but they still forced themselves to work, hoping to earn more money.
In the end, all that hard work didn't earn them as much money as someone else made from making a scene.
They inevitably felt resentful and wanted an explanation.
That person is right. As long as they cause trouble, the owner of the estate will definitely get the news. Then, they can also get ten taels of silver for free.
Thinking of this, the leaders shouted even louder, their tall and burly figures standing in front of the steward, making his legs go weak with fear.
"Everyone, please don't be impulsive. Let's talk this out." The manager wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, his heart growing heavier.
The second young lady entrusted him with all matters concerning the hot spring resort, and he naturally did not want to disappoint her.
What you fear most is what happens. Now that the craftsmen are making a fuss, the Second Miss must have heard the news as well.
When Li Er got into trouble, he felt that people had it tough too, so he wanted to settle things peacefully by paying compensation. Who knew that other people would also interfere and treat him like a money-giving child.
The manager wiped his sweat again, wondering how these people came up with the idea of causing trouble. Weren't they afraid that if they failed to cause trouble, they would be taken to the authorities instead?
"Manager, Li Er was compensated ten taels of silver for a small burn. How much should I be compensated for these injuries?" The lead craftsman persisted. The man had said that the bigger the fuss, the more silver they would receive.
Upon hearing this, many people echoed his sentiments, saying that no one would complain about having too much money.
The manager looked bitter. "What kind of mess is this?" he said. "You're not like him."
Li Er was an honest and hardworking man. He had a blind elderly mother and a pregnant wife at home, and the whole family depended on him for their livelihood.
He was injured while building the hot spring resort, and they have a responsibility to provide him with appropriate compensation.
The manager only gave Li Er some extra silver because he felt sorry for him, but he didn't expect it would cause trouble among the craftsmen.
Because of Li Er's accident, the manager, in order to appease everyone, increased their wages to some extent, making them much better off than the craftsmen outside.
But human greed knows no bounds; these people want more.
Now, he suddenly regrets his decision.
If this matter were to reach the Second Miss's ears, he would be too ashamed to face her.
Meanwhile, Song Zhiyu, who had been being nagged by the manager, stood not far away and quietly watched the scene unfold, having gained a general understanding of what had happened.
As for those troublemakers, it seemed like they came with premeditation, so she kept a close eye on them.
"If you want compensation, that's fine. As long as you're missing an arm or a leg, I'll give you the money right away." A clear, melodious voice came from behind. Everyone turned around and saw Song Zhiyu walking step by step to the manager with a smile on her lips, exuding an imposing aura.
"You're the owner of this hot spring resort?" The leading craftsman snapped out of his daze, a hint of disdain in his eyes.
This enormous hot spring resort is managed by a single woman.
Song Zhiyu saw the disdain in his eyes, her eyes slightly upturned, and a faint smile appeared on her face. "How much compensation do you want?"
Her easygoing demeanor successfully fooled everyone. The craftsmen exchanged glances, a glint of cunning in their eyes.
Clearly, they all thought Song Zhiyu was easy to manipulate.
"Second Miss..." the steward couldn't help but speak, then hesitated.
Why did the second young lady agree to compensate these people? They are greedy and insatiable. Taking a step back will not only not solve the problem, but will also make them even more arrogant.
"It's alright." Song Zhiyu smiled and shook her head at him, not forgetting to observe the expressions of the leaders.
They instinctively looked at a man in black standing in the corner, as if seeking his opinion.
Song Zhiyu took in the whole scene and subtly sized up the man in black. He seemed somewhat familiar.
Before long, they seemed to have reached a consensus, cleared their throats and said to Song Zhiyu, "Ten taels of silver! Each of us wants ten taels of silver as compensation."
Everyone works here, so we should treat everyone equally; it's not like only Li Er was injured. Besides, our wages need to be increased again.”
The manager's face flushed with anger. He had never seen such shameless people. "You're simply asking for the moon!"
The second young lady paid them several times more than the average craftsman, yet they were still not satisfied.
Besides, these people didn't get their injuries while working at the hot spring resort, so why should they pay for them? That's ridiculous.
Song Zhiyu scanned the expressions on everyone's faces. "Do you all think the same way?"
Among these people, there were those she pitied and gave to them a job so they could support their families, and there were also those she had saved in the past.
In retrospect, she has actually helped create quite a few ungrateful people.
The craftsmen below turned their heads, looked at each other, and their expressions were conflicted.
Who wouldn't want money? But when they saw Song Zhiyu, they felt inexplicably guilty.
Some of them had received favors from Song Zhiyu, but now they were helping others to make things difficult for her, which made their consciences very uneasy.
Especially under the gaze of Song Zhiyu's clear eyes, they finally couldn't bear the pangs of their conscience.
“I think the salary is quite good. Miss Song has been very kind to us. I have no objections.”
One person backed down, and the others followed suit, stepping forward to state their positions.
They are not utterly wicked people, and they would never do such an ingratitude in front of their saviors.
Song Zhiyu smiled and gestured for them to leave.
As soon as those people left, half of the people on the field were left. The man in black, who was still standing in the corner, frowned. He hadn't expected that Song Zhiyu's appearance would cause those people to turn against him.
The master said that if the mission is not completed, the head will be taken back.
He gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and used the people in front of him as cover to sow discord again, "Miss Song, you come from a good family and don't lack money. But we are different; we have families to support and can't afford to make any mistakes."
"We were injured while working for you, and you should compensate us. Our demands aren't high; we just want the same treatment as Li Er. You can't be biased. Otherwise, we'll feel disheartened, and then no one will want to work for you in the future."
Song Zhiyu smiled without saying a word. This was the brilliance of Li Wang: he did things meticulously and never put himself in a passive position.
If she loses this money, it's like she's raising a bunch of spoiled brats who will be even harder to control in the future.
But if she doesn't compensate, the king can incite these craftsmen to leave, delaying the construction of the hot spring resort.
For him, no matter the outcome, he can achieve his goal.
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