Feng Jingjing
The Battle of Jiangdong lasted longer than expected. After all, there was a vast ocean between them, and they had to fight against many aristocratic families. Even if they defeated the Tianding Army, it would be difficult to end the battle quickly.
However, for merchants far away in Panyu, these are unimportant. What they value is this year's trip to Southeast Asia.
Now that the strait has been opened, we can follow the Red Flag Gang's fleet to trade directly with countries such as Jiaozhi and Siam, and even go to the West through the strait.
This was something we hadn't seen in years, so which shop wouldn't be so focused? Some were stocking up, some were raising money, and the trading floor was bustling with activity, never stopping for a moment.
There are also rumors that the Red Flag Gang will sell some boat tickets this time. Not only the small vendors who don't have money to buy a boat, but even many landlords have become interested.
In the past, people went to sea out of necessity, either to make a living or hoping to make a fortune. Once on board, they risked their lives. But now, with a caravan as large as the Red Flag Gang, was there still a fear of being sunk into the sea?
As a result, the market in Panyu became more lively, and many workshop owners were grinning from ear to ear.
But for Feng Jingjing, none of this mattered; the key was how to quickly and efficiently supply her caravan with goods. With the departure date approaching, her time at the porcelain kiln inevitably increased. Fortunately, the government office had been busy recently, so nothing went wrong.
Today I rushed home again. As soon as I opened the door, a woman came to greet me: "Madam, you are back? It's a bit late today."
"I'm sorry, there was a lot of work at the kiln and I was delayed for some time. Aunt Wu, you should go back soon and don't let the children at home go hungry." Feng Jingjing said hurriedly.
Aunt Wu is the cook hired by our family. She comes to clean and cook every day. Since it is a temporary job, she has to rush back to take care of her grandson at night, so she cannot be delayed.
Aunt Wu quickly waved her hands: "Of course not, the family can still lack him for food! Even if my wife works so hard, it would be better to hire a live-in maid to serve her."
She had heard this countless times, but it was still a little unusual when it came from the mouth of the cook at home.
Feng Jingjing smiled and said, "There aren't many people at home. I'm at the kiln, my husband is at the government office, and my child is boarding at the school. Why would we need anyone to wait on us? Aunt Wu has such a good handicraft and is so hardworking and diligent, she's much better than any of the servants out there."
This was also what her husband had intended. He had never liked to order slaves around, and after joining the Red Banner Gang, he was even more reluctant to keep a laborer trapped at home for nothing. They were all doing work, so it would definitely be better for her to be sent out to work as a weaver or kiln worker.
Feng Jingjing naturally agreed that he could maintain such a mentality even though he was in a high position. However, since she was originally responsible for the household chores, it was inevitable that she could not take care of them all, so she hired a cook.
Hearing this, Aunt Wu couldn't help but smile and said repeatedly: "My lady, what you said is not true. It is my blessing to be able to help cook in Shi Daqingtian's home."
Shi Yifei had long been a renowned figure within the Red Flag Gang. After all, he was in charge of the Criminal Division, and had repeatedly dealt ruthlessly with wealthy individuals who bullied men and women, redressing grievances for the people. His rare integrity naturally earned him the respect of the people. It was said that someone had even presented him with a plaque, but he had simply declined it.
Feng Jingjing smiled as her husband was praised, and chatted for a while before sending Aunt Wu away.
As soon as there were no outsiders around, she changed her clothes and went to the kitchen to check the food on the stove. Before she had time to make other preparations, the door was pushed open.
"My lady, Jiangdong has won the battle!"
A high-pitched voice came, and Feng Jingjing's heart was filled with joy. She immediately rushed out, only to see Shi Yifei's face flushed with excitement, and his speed of speech increased a lot: "I heard that the leader of the Gu family's fleet was killed, and the Jiangdong families all surrendered!"
This time, the troops were divided in the attack on Jiangdong. The Red Flag Gang was mainly responsible for strangling the Tianding Army, while the Green Phoenix Gang was responsible for entanglement of the sea ships led by the aristocratic families.
Unfortunately, the situation at sea was complicated, and the noble families interfered, attracting officers and soldiers, making the battle tense and difficult to determine the winner. Unexpectedly, after only half a month, the outcome was suddenly known.
Feng Jingjing only needed a moment's thought to guess that the delay in maritime trade might have caused dissension within the Jiangdong family. After all, not many families had fleets like the Gu family, and if things were delayed too long, they might not even make it to Southeast Asia. How much money would that cost?
However, she didn't say these speculations out loud, but just smiled and said: "That's great, I can finally put my mind at ease."
Shi Yifei also breathed a sigh of relief: "Occupying Jiangdong will make our financial resources more secure. However, it is still an enclave, so I'm afraid it will be difficult to govern."
At this point, he seemed to suddenly remember something and spoke hesitantly, "The gang leader seems to be interested in having me take up the post in Jiangdong. After all, it's a prosperous place. If anyone else goes there, they might be bribed and manipulated by the aristocratic families. Madam, I forgot to mention this to you earlier."
Feng Jingjing's heart skipped a beat. She opened her mouth, but for a moment, she was speechless. If he were to be transferred to Yuhang, would she still be able to keep her job? He couldn't open a porcelain kiln in Yuhang anymore. Was he going to give up the porcelain kiln she had worked so hard to build?
However, before Feng Jingjing could reply, Shi Yifei continued, "Yuhang has just been taken, so it may not be safe. I will be taking on the task alone this time. You and the child should stay home and don't worry."
Feng Jingjing felt her shoulders relax, but then she felt ashamed again. She whispered, "I'm delighted that my husband is valued by the gang leader. But we're thousands of miles away, and in a place full of aristocratic families and officials. You need to be careful and surround yourself with more talented people."
As a wife, she should worry about her husband's safety first. How could she think about her own job first?
These considerate words brought a smile to Shi Yifei's lips. "Look at what you said. We were plotted against in the past, but we managed to get through it. Now that we are in the Red Flag Gang, why should we be afraid of these things? Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's eat first."
The topic change was a bit hasty, but Feng Jingjing had no objection and immediately went to the kitchen to bring out the prepared food. It was all warm on the stove and tasted delicious.
Perhaps because he had gotten used to being in the Red Flag Gang over the years, Shi Yifei no longer had the habit of not talking while eating. While eating, he talked to his wife about trivial matters in the yamen. It was just about handling criminals and formulating new rules. He couldn't find anyone to chat about these things with elsewhere, so he had to talk to someone to feel relieved.
Feng Jingjing considerately served her husband some dishes, occasionally agreeing to something. Shi Yifei suddenly asked, as if he had thought of something, "By the way, how's your porcelain kiln doing now?"
Feng Jingjing paused with her chopsticks and smiled, "We've just recently developed a new type of porcelain. It has a delicate surface, is thin and translucent, but the process hasn't been finalized yet, so it can't be mass-produced..."
Before she could finish her words, Shi Yifei shook his head: "Don't just focus on firing the porcelain. You also have to pay attention to the movements of the people below. There was a corruption case at the cement kiln a while ago. You can't make any mistakes over there."
Feng Jingjing's smile faded slightly, and she nodded, "I understand."
Shi Yifei was still worried, so he gave a few more instructions before changing the subject and talking about something else.
The meal went by very quickly, as Feng Jingjing finished cleaning up the dishes. Then she grabbed some tea and hurried to the study. Sure enough, Shi Yifei was already sitting at his desk, reviewing official documents.
He would bring some files home every day to deal with, and sometimes he would write memorials, which would keep him up very late. Feng Jingjing gently picked the wick of the oil lamp to make the room brighter, and without disturbing her husband, she stood aside to grind ink.
She was used to doing all this, but she'd heard so much today that her mind was inevitably wandering. She thought about her husband's departure for Yuhang to take up his new post, wondering if he could take care of himself. Then she thought about Yuhang's surrender, wondering how many merchant ships would sail south again. Finally, thinking about the events at the kiln, Feng Jingjing couldn't contain herself any longer. She sat down on a small stool nearby, pulled out a piece of paper, and began writing as well.
How will we recruit workers for the kiln expansion? Can we increase the proportion of female workers? What's wrong with the craftsmanship of the new porcelain? Can we produce another batch before the voyage? And what about the porcelain of Jiangdong? There are countless folk kilns there. I wonder if they have similar craftsmanship. I need to investigate thoroughly and not be a frog in a well...
After an unknown amount of time, Shi Yifei stretched out the tip of his brush to dip it into the inkstone, but found nothing. He looked up and found that his wife had sat down opposite him, also writing something with her head down, her brows slightly furrowed, and her expression serious.
This was a scene Shi Yifei rarely witnessed. His wife was always gentle and quiet in his presence, handling all household matters meticulously and attentively, not even forgetting to grind the ink. Seeing her rare solemnity, Shi Yifei remembered that she was also the head of the porcelain kiln, and probably had a lot to worry about. When he went to Jiangdong, it would probably be even more difficult for a woman to stay at home.
An inexplicable feeling of pity rose in his heart. Shi Yifei did not call her. He rolled up his sleeves, ground the ink, poured a cup of tea and placed it next to his wife, then lowered his head and started writing again.
The moment she put down the cup, Feng Jingjing was awakened. She looked at the slightly cold cup of tea, then looked at her husband who had lowered his head to write again. A smile appeared on Feng Jingjing's lips. She took a sip, then lowered her head and immersed herself in her official duties.
For a moment, the only sound in the study was the rustling sound of writing.
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