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"Mom, mom, we can't go back home?" A little girl, only a foot tall, huddled in her mother's arms, crying.
The mother's eyes were red, but she still touched her daughter's head and said, "Don't worry, we'll have hot meals when we get off the boat."
When the thieves entered the village, it was her husband who risked his life so that she and her daughter could escape.
Unexpectedly, after the thieves left, the elders of the village actually said they wanted to sell the girl and use the money to support the elderly and children in the village.
Without her husband, how could she survive if she also lost her daughter? With her hair disheveled and a tantrum, she snatched her daughter back and lived with several other women who had daughters.
She can work hard to fish, can get up early and go to the sea late, as long as she can leave a way for her daughter to survive, she is willing to die of exhaustion!
Unexpectedly, the murderous Wang Wu still sold them, not only her daughter, but also herself.
Looking at that group of tall and strong men with gloomy faces, Wang was almost in despair.
These people came from a boat. Could it be that they wanted to use her as a boat prostitute? What would happen to her little girl? Would she be raped too?
Before boarding the ship, she thought about dying countless times, but unfortunately she was being watched and she couldn't bear to leave her daughter behind.
Unexpectedly, after they got on the boat, the men did not touch her. Instead, they locked her in the cabin with several other women, gave them food and water to eat, and provided them with a dung bucket for relieving themselves.
A few mouthfuls of cold rice helped Wang Shi hold on. Perhaps, as Wang Wu said, these people were really overseas tourists who bought them to be servants. As long as they were obedient, they could still have a meal.
With this little hope, they endured the long hours without daylight and without knowing the difference between dawn and dusk.
After finally reaching the shore, Wang, at the crew's call, hugged her daughter tightly and walked off the boat. The expected steward did not show up, and the person who came to greet them was a dark and thin little girl.
"My name is Lin Jing, come with me." The girl was young and didn't talk much. She said this and turned away.
The women were all startled and hurried to follow. They walked a long way before arriving at a place that looked like a camp.
Although they were all thatched huts and there were few decent houses, there were indeed many women living there. They were all busy with their own work and there was no sign of men.
Seeing this group of people, the old woman who was picking vegetables at the door stood up and walked over quickly: "Are these the new people that Master Cheng bought? Wow, there are quite a lot of babies!"
Hearing this, not only Wang, but other women also quickly hugged their daughters.
Seeing this, the old woman laughed and said, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. We in the Red Flag Gang are not bad people. We are here to work. The girls can also help, and there are people to help take care of the younger ones, so there is no need to worry about delays."
Someone's still taking care of the baby? Several women's faces revealed expressions of disbelief and joy. Their daughters were only two or three years old. What could they possibly do? When they were sold, they had cried so hard, thinking they couldn't raise the child. With this unexpected turn of events, who wouldn't be happy?
Wang was a little nervous. Her daughter was only five years old and could not move around. She couldn't do any work and no one would help take care of her. What should she do?
Just as I was worrying, the old woman spoke up: "Who among you knows how to sew? I need someone with skillful hands."
Is this a division of labor? Wang was startled and quickly raised her hand: "I can! I made the coat that Nannan is wearing!"
The old woman was a little surprised. She looked down at the girl's clothes and nodded with a smile: "Your craftsmanship is not bad, so I'll count you in. Anything else?"
Two more of the remaining group hesitantly raised their hands. Truly, tailoring was a job no one dared to take on without some skill. What if they messed up the work and ruined the employer's fabric? Wouldn't they be beaten?
The old woman didn't find it strange and nodded, "Okay, it's just the three of you. Go find He Yatou in the backyard. She will assign you tasks."
Wang's heart tightened, and she asked in a low voice, "Can I take Nannan with me?"
The reason why she raised her hand was that she really knew how to sew. She was a famous wife with skillful hands in the village and was not afraid.
Another reason was that he thought this job was easy, as he could just sit in the house and take care of his daughter.
The old woman glanced at the little girl holding onto her mother's clothes and smiled: "It's okay, take it with you."
That look was like looking at her own granddaughter, which made Wang's eyes warm. She hurriedly bowed her head to thank him and walked towards the backyard.
When I arrived at the yard, I saw many women busy checking cloth and hanging clothes to dry.
The poles are hung with gray-black linen material, which looks very strong and resistant to dirt.
None of them knew who to look for, but Wang was the bolder one and asked, "Excuse me, is Miss He here?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Following the response, a little girl walked out quickly. Seeing the few people, she asked, "Are you new here? How is your martial arts?"
Unexpectedly, she was actually a "girl" of eleven or twelve years old. Wang was stunned for a moment before she said, "She can make ordinary clothes. She can also sew according to the pattern of cloth."
"Alright, hurry up and get inside. There's a lot of work to do." Seeing how confident she sounded, He Ling said bluntly. She had come here specifically to keep an eye on these clothes, so naturally, the more people working, the better.
The few of them did not dare to delay and hurried into the house. There were indeed many women working hard inside.
The material used is that kind of gray-black linen, and the styles all look the same, with long sleeves and long pants, and it is obvious that they are worn by men.
"Just this?" Wang couldn't help but blurt out. This job doesn't look difficult at all!
"Well, that's it. It's not a big deal, but it's a lot, so we have to hurry. We have to work from dawn to dusk every day.
"A dry meal in the morning and evening, with vegetables and fish, and a bowl of porridge in between." He Ling spoke quickly, finishing the speech in one breath.
Wang's mouth opened wide when she heard this. After a while, her eyes felt sore and she suddenly squatted down, hugged her daughter and started crying.
This howl attracted many people to look over, their eyes full of curiosity and inquiry.
He Ling seemed to have guessed something, and her expression softened. She said softly, "With Master Cheng here, you all have food to eat, clothes to wear, and won't be bullied. If you take a fancy to a man on the boat in the future, it won't be difficult to find another one."
Isn't a woman's goal in life to have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a man to rely on? Wang's tears flowed even more violently, unable to stop.
She originally thought that her life was over and that she might even bring trouble to her daughter, but she never expected that she would be sold to such a good owner.
Three meals a day! And two of them are just rice, which she has never tasted even at home!
Frightened by her mother's sudden burst of tears, the little girl grabbed Wang's arm tightly and asked anxiously, "Mother! Mother! Is someone bullying you? Can we leave?"
Wang made a "gulp" sound in her throat, like a hiccup from crying, or like an unformed laugh. She hugged her daughter tightly and shook her head, saying, "No, we're not leaving. Let's just work hard here. We don't have to leave!"
The sound of crying and laughing made people's hearts ache. He Ling took a deep breath and clapped his hands vigorously: "It's done, let's get to work quickly, don't delay!"
The group of women lowered their heads again, some were cutting cloth, some were sewing clothes, but many of them had a tiny smile on their lips.
…
"It's done so quickly?" Cheng Xi picked up the clothes on the table and asked in surprise.
He Ling nodded vigorously: "Two hundred sets have been made. The summer short coats can wait a few more days."
This is too fast. Cheng Xi raised an eyebrow: "Aren't you exhausted from rushing so fast?"
It's only been a few days since this task was assigned, and there are only a few people who can sew clothes. How can there be enough manpower? Could this girl be greedy and reckless?
He Ling immediately said, "Of course not! I've been following the Master's instructions. I've given them good food and sleep every day, and have them help look after the children. These maids are grateful and naturally willing to work hard. And as for the 'division of labor,' I've assigned the work of distributing the materials and cutting the patterns to the clumsy maids, while the more skillful ones are responsible for sewing, so naturally they're faster!"
He Ling did not forget Cheng Xi's teachings. When he arrived at the camp, he thought about making people work hard.
She can't be beaten or scolded, and she only has two meals a day, with snacks in between. This is even more comfortable than being a maid in Pinfang Pavilion.
Originally, He Ling was wondering in her heart that the young master was too lenient towards these maids, but when she actually put it into practice, she discovered the benefits of doing so.
The fleet had nothing but plenty of food and fish, so how much could the women eat? Eating their fill daily gave them strength, and without having to worry about taking care of the children, they were more energetic. Furthermore, they were afraid of being kicked out if they didn't do well, so everyone fought tooth and nail.
A group of women gathered together, without cheating or chatting about family matters, they just worked hard from morning to night, and no one complained.
Not only that, the women who were bought were all very grateful. They said that as long as they had enough to eat every day and could take their children home at night, they could forget all the hardships and that no one in the world would treat them like this again.
It was only then that He Ling understood the meaning of Cheng Xi's words. "Treat people like humans, and they'll risk their lives for you." He Ling had seen countless people who treated humans like animals. Those high-ranking officials, pimps, and prostitutes—all of them devoured human flesh and drank human blood. Even the closest relatives, the shared destiny of a couple, could turn against you and sell you for money. This world didn't treat them like humans.
Only her son is different from others.
It was for this reason that He Ling mentioned her young master over and over again in the women's camp, the real master of the Red Flag Gang.
She wants everyone to know who makes them live like human beings.
Let them all be grateful and remember Mr. Cheng's kindness. Let their children and their descendants remember this kindness!
The two hundred sets of clothes that were made incredibly quickly were enough to show the sweat that everyone put into them. Looking at He Ling's sparkling eyes, Cheng Xi smiled and said, "Good girl, I really didn't choose the wrong person."
A little girl with no management experience can manage more than a dozen people older than herself and ensure that they complete their tasks ahead of schedule with guaranteed quality and quantity.
What if a girl like this knew more, could read and write? And how many people in this small crew were like this little girl, with potential talents that were delayed?
It was time to find a more suitable teacher for them. Recruiting intellectuals, the scholars of this era, would require greater power and more men.
Cheng Xi stood up and took off her coat. The long cloth belt was still wrapped around her chest, revealing only a slender waist. Her skin had been tanned to a tan, with a honey-like sheen.
He Ling didn't expect her to take off her clothes. Her first reaction was to blush and look away secretly.
The next moment, she realized that this was her "young master". What was she doing serving him like that?! However, it was too late to serve him now.
Cheng Xi put on the coarse linen shirt. The material was black with a hint of gray, making it very resistant to dirt. Even if blood splashed on it, it wouldn't be too noticeable. However, the low-key shirt was paired with a bright red belt, which created a very sharp contrast, like a flame tied around the waist.
While adjusting his cuffs, Cheng Xi turned around and asked, "Does this look smart?"
It was actually a short jacket worn by ordinary people, but when worn by Cheng Xi, it somehow brought out a sense of competence and boldness that attracted people's attention.
He Ling nodded her little head vigorously, almost as if she wanted to nod her head off.
Seeing her little look, Cheng Xi laughed: "Okay, go call the three captains over, I have something to tell you."
It is also time for the Red Flag Gang to gather strength and become a real group.
On that day, two hundred sets of clothes were distributed. Every crew member and every young and strong man who came for training received two sets each to change into.
They were all fishermen, so how could these men have ever made proper clothes? When they got the new clothes, they were all beaming with joy and excitement. Even the most mature and reserved ones couldn't help but put them on.
This set of clothes was modified by Cheng Xi. It is a bit like combat uniform. The cuffs and trouser legs are gathered, but the top and waistband are quite wide, so people of all body shapes can wear them. Just put on a belt and leggings and wrist guards, and you will have a set of tights.
Before being delivered, all the clothes were washed and beaten by women, making them fit neatly and crisply, and extremely comfortable to wear.
The gray-black fabric and the red belt are calm yet bright. When the cuffs and trouser legs are tied together, the spirit is simply overwhelming.
A group of rough guys tanned by the sun can actually look quite heroic!
So when the captains ordered them to change into new clothes and assemble on the beach, no one delayed anything.
There were about a hundred people, all of them with their chests puffed out and stomachs in, their eyes bright, wishing they could make themselves more conspicuous.
Standing on the stage, Cheng Xi was also wearing the same new clothes. Her eyes swept over everyone's face and she slowly said, "A country has its own laws, and a family has its own rules. Since you have joined the Red Flag Gang, we must establish some rules to let you know what to do and what not to do."
This statement caused a stir among the crowd. They were all from the same village, so which tribe didn't have some rules? The elders and captains all had to obey the leader, so it was only natural for the leader to set some rules!
Seeing everyone's reaction, Cheng Xi raised his right hand high and raised his first finger: "First, we are not pirates who come here to rob and loot. We came from the shore and we will return to the shore. How can we do evil at will? Without the permission of the gang leader, no one is allowed to attack the villages on the shore. Violators will be killed without mercy!
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