Before encountering the man in black, Song Jiyun might have considered ways to persuade Yuan Yunzhong.
But now, all she hoped for was to avoid further conflict with him.
She sat down beside him with a smile and teased, "Persuade Young Master Yuan?! I’m afraid I have the will but not the power! You, who cannot be bent by force or corrupted by wealth, while I only carry a few pieces of silver, truly find it challenging to move you."
Yuan Yunzhong paused with his tea in hand.
Yet, Song Jiyun had made up her mind to commit the blunder without correcting it, and her smile grew more sincere as she said, "I will go check on Song Li in a bit. Would you like to rest in the elegant room, Young Master Yuan?"
Yuan Yunzhong said, "Aren’t you going to interrogate that thief?"
"What’s there to interrogate if I cannot employ private punishment?" Song Jiyun shook her head.
Yuan Yunzhong scrutinized her unabashedly, his face full of suspicion.
Song Jiyun pursed her lips and smiled, standing up: "I’m off to see Song Li!"
Yuan Yunzhong slowly took a sip of his tea.
Song Li had already checked last night’s guards: "No one left their post, no one broke the rules, and we have no clue how that thief got in!"
He said anxiously, "How about, we still leave this matter to Brother Zheng Quan?"
Song Jiyun considered, "I have other tasks for him, so let’s leave the Kiln Factory’s security to you for now. I’ll take the thief back to the county town shortly."
Song Li seemed not to agree entirely but said nothing in the end.
When Zheng Quan brought the thief out from the storeroom where the Kiln Factory stored its firewood, some of the young Kiln Workers gathered around.
One said, "Miss, he spoiled our clay material. If you just hand him over to the governmental authorities like this, it’s letting him off too lightly! He should be dealt with according to industry rules."
Another said, "Miss, leniency doesn’t keep troops in line. You can’t let the thief off so easily. Otherwise, anyone will dare to steal from our Kiln Factory in the future."
Song Jiyun soothed the crowd, "If we keep him here, at most we would beat him, resulting in his disability, which would still be letting him off too cheaply! By sending him to the Yamen, he could be sentenced to an immediate execution or banished for three thousand miles, and he would also have to compensate our Kiln Factory for the losses. It’s better to send him to the Yamen!"
Some hesitated, "But isn’t it said that the Yamen only acts if they are paid off?"
That was in the past.
Now was there not Yuan Yunzhong?
Had he not surrendered the man to the local Yamen?
She might as well ride the tailwind.
"Our Song Family is also considered a notable household in Liang County," Song Jiyun joked with them, "so why can’t we spend some silver to stuff those who dare to set their sights on our Kiln Factory into the dungeon?"
Of course, no amount of silver could make up for the loss of the Sacrificial White Porcelain clay, but it would serve to strike fear into the hearts of others, to see who would still dare to abet those plotting against the Kiln Factory!
The young Kiln Workers all laughed.
The thief, with his mouth gagged, looked at Song Jiyun in panic and made several muffled noises. Song Jiyun seemed not to hear them at all; she spoke amiably with the Kiln Workers, saying they could come to Luo Zixing directly if they had any issues. If Luo Zixing wasn’t there, they could come find her in the county town too, earning a round of cheers from everyone.
Song Li stood on the side and laughed along with everyone.
The crowd said farewell to Song Jiyun as she mounted the mule cart.
The mule cart rolled away from the Kiln Factory.
In the swaying carriage, Song Jiyun poured a cup of tea for Yuan Yunzhong.
"Young Master Yuan," she said lightheartedly, "I would like to treat you to a meal at the VIP Tower in the city! Their specialty is braised lion’s head, which I’ve tasted and found to be very authentic."
Yuan Yunzhong sniffed the aroma of the tea and said, "I’m afraid that although the VIP Tower specializes in braised lion’s head, the chef they hire might come from Suzhou and Hangzhou. It’s a case of ’a sheep’s head displayed, dog meat sold!’."
Song Jiyun’s mood was complex.
Living two lifetimes, she had never met anyone who could follow her train of thought so tacitly.
"You see through everything, Young Master Yuan," she said with a beaming smile, "but as long as the dish is well made, why should it matter so much to you?"
"It’s better to be clear about such things..."
The voice faded away into the distance.
Shao Qing scratched his head on the side.
What were the young master and Miss Song discussing?
He understood each part separately, but when put together, why did it all become more confusing the more he listened?
But why could Miss Song not only understand but also respond back and forth with you, Young Master?
He really wanted to talk to someone but when he looked around,
Liu Zi couldn’t speak.
Zheng Quan’s mouth was tightly sealed, obviously not someone who spoke casually.
So, he just swallowed his words, thinking that if he couldn’t understand, these two probably wouldn’t either!
*
At night, under the sparse light of the moon and stars,
inside the Sacrificial White Porcelain Workshop, where the throwing was done, was pitch-dark. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
But if you opened the door, you would see the inside was brightly lit, with the windows blocked by thick felt, where seven or eight master throwers together with four or five apprentices were so busy they didn’t have a moment to raise their heads.
Beneath the quiet moonlight, the neighboring drying room already had over a hundred clay bodies placed inside.
A shadow passed by, and a soft "plop," "plop" noise came from the drying room.
In an instant, the drying room was as bright as day.
Song Li, wearing a short dark cyan jacket, stood in the center of the drying room, surrounded by the shattered remains of the Sacrificial White Porcelain clay bodies at his feet.
Song Jiyun, who should have already left, stood quietly at the door of the drying room, accompanied by Zheng Quan, Luo Zixing, and a few young kiln workers from the Kiln Factory.
Song Li was shocked, his face turning deathly pale.
Luo Zixing asked him angrily, "Why would you do such a thing?"
Song Li looked down, silent for a moment, then looked up with a normal expression, retorted, "What have I done?"
"Caught red-handed, and you still try to deny it!" The people from the Kiln Factory trembled with anger.
Song Li sneered, "I was just passing by!"
Luo Zixing was about to say something when Song Jiyun stopped him and said indifferently to Song Li, "In that case, I shall hand you over to our clan for handling."
Song Li’s eyes shimmered slightly.
Song Jiyun stepped aside.
The constables from Liang County came in with several men.
The people from the Kiln Factory were taken aback.
With a dejected demeanor, Song Jiyun said to those who came in, "Thank you for your troubles, gentlemen!"
"Not at all, not at all!" The constables replied modestly and amiably, quite courteously, "It is our duty!"
Song Li’s expression changed drastically, shouting at Song Jiyun, "Miss, what is the meaning of this? I want to see the Clan elder!"
Song Jiyun said coldly, "They will be here shortly. I asked these gentlemen to come over just to serve as witnesses!"
Song Li’s forehead was covered with beads of sweat.
Being handled by the clan, that would be an internal matter of the Song Family, and everything could be negotiated.
But if those from the government were involved, everything said and done could become evidence.
And knowing Song Jiyun’s character, who in the clan would dare to speak out for him, she could drag them all down with him.
To protect themselves, not only would they not speak for him, but they would also place all blame on him.
His gaze at Song Jiyun was obscure.
The constables took out their ropes.
All of a sudden, Song Li sprang up, throwing a punch and charging towards Song Jiyun, "You’re framing me! Slandering me!"
Song Jiyun unconsciously stepped back behind Zheng Quan.
But someone stepped in front of her and kicked Song Li in the chest, sending him stumbling back several steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, until he fell seated on the ground.
Song Jiyun turned her head.
She saw Yuan Yunzhong, his face cold as frost, standing tall beside her.
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