Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 359: Su Zi Ji is back

Ah Jian thought for a while and then smiled: “This matter is actually not difficult.
Did you forget Qin Feng? Previously, he was an official and had a good relationship with many people.
He can make friends with the steward of the Ding family.
Wait until after the harvest.
As long as the Ding Steward sees the benefit of the cotton, he will naturally tell his owner.”

Lian Fang Zhou’s eyes lit up and she clapped her hands with joy.
“This is very true, let’s do it! The cotton will be harvested next month.
This is enough time for Qin Feng to find a chance to make friends with the steward of the Ding family!”

Seeing her look so happy, Ah Jian became happy without realizing it.
He glanced at the cotton and couldn’t help but ask curiously: “Is this cotton really so amazing? I can’t tell at all just looking at it, where is it so good?”

She laughed: “If it was easy to see it now, it wouldn’t be a surprise!”

“I can’t wait!” He sighed, smiling.

“It’s not just you that can’t wait,” Lian Fang Zhou said: “The country magistrate is also waiting to see the results!”

The country magistrate was not a vicious person, but neither was he honest and upright.
He was an average official.

Since this was not a pleasant topic, Lian Fang Zhou threw out these words and immediately changed the subject.
She looked into the distance and then chuckled: “Su Zi Ju should be coming back soon.”

In fact, Su Zi Ju was on his way home at this very moment.

When he had left, he was the only one, but now he was followed by thirteen people, seven men and six women, as well as a dozen boxes of miscellaneous tools.

When they disembarked at the pier in Shuangliu county, the docks were lively but everyone’s footsteps were rushed and tired.

Standing on the shore, Su Zi Ju was busy directing the workers to move the big boxes and everyone’s luggage off the boat.
He smiled at a beautiful young woman in an embroidered green silk shirt who looked around twenty-four yeas old.
“Miss Su, please wait.
I am going to find a cart.
We will have to stay in Shuangliu county for one night and should be home by tomorrow afternoon.”

Su Jin nodded: “Steward Su, please go.
I will take care of things here!” Her voice was soft and her manners were calm and generous, which made people feel very comfortable when they saw her.

The capital of Shuangliu county had always been very prosperous and wealthy.
There were many horse-drawn carriages and porters on the docks.
These people had been eating this bowl of rice for many years and had already developed a pair of eagle-eyes.
Seeing Su Zi Ju’s expression, they knew he was looking for a driver.
A large crowd of people gathered around him, all vying to recommend themselves.

Su Zi Ju had long seen this sort of scene along the way and was no longer at a loss from the initial embarrassment.
Skillfully, he picked one that seemed honest and pleasing to the eye and motioned him to the side.

Seeing that he had already picked someone, the rest of the crowd dispersed.

With all of their tools and luggage, they had to hire four carts.
After negotiating the price with the driver, he asked him to help find three more carts and direct them to a suitable inn.

Many inns had agreements with the carriages for hire.
Once a customer fully stayed at the inn, the owners would give the driver a small fee.

Su Zi Ji explained their accommodation requirements and budget and the driver recommended two or three places.
Su Zi Ji picked one and the driver happily went off to find three of his friends.

“Miss Su, please get in the carriage and wait with your luggage!” Su Zi Ju smiled, motioning to the carriage they had hired.

“Alright, you guys have worked hard!” Su Jin smiled.
She glanced over at the workers, who nodded and laughed, saying: “It’s okay!” Su Jin had brough several people with her.
Their names where Hong Hua, Cui Ni, Liu Xia, Feng Xi, and Lu Ying. Together, they all got into the carriage.

Although there were a lot of boxes, there were also a lot of workers.
With the help of the four drivers, all of the boxes were loaded into two of the carriages in the blink of an eye.
Su Zi Ji ordered two workers to escort the carriage separately and had the others load onto the remaining carriage.
Together they headed towards the inn like a grand processing.

When they arrived, he ordered rooms and a meal.
After traveling for so long, everyone was very tired.
They ate quickly, washed, and immediately went to sleep.

Only Su Jing was unable to sleep, tossing and turning.

The purpose of this trip had been for Su Zi Ji to visit Nanxun, the home of the silkworms in Jiangnan, where the textile industry was the most developed.

Su Jin had been the most famous weaver in the city but she was already twenty-five.
Her husband had died several years ago.
She had no children and no relatives and had lived alone.

It was just a pity that, after being framed and sued, she had been sent to prison and was about to sent into exile!

Su Zi Ji, who had served as a minor official, deeply understood the importance of talents.
Making a decisive decision to cut first and then play, he wrote to Lian Fang Zhou to explain the matter and spent three hundred taels of silver to rescue Su Jin.

When Lian Fang Zhou received the letter, Lian Fang Zhou quickly responded, agreeing with his decision and sending another five hundred taels of silver notes.

After this incident, Su Jin could no longer stay in Nanxun.
Listening to Su Zi Ji’s kind invitation and repeated praise of Lian Fang Zhou as a person, Su Jin agreed to take her maid, Hong Hua, who was equally outstanding in weaving, to Yuhe county.
At the same time, she also helped Su Zi Ji hired some more weavers and tools.

Before this catastrophic disaster, Su Jin’s life in Nanxun was very good.
If things hadn’t happened this way, she would have been unwilling to leave her hometown and move so far away.
The farther and farther away they traveled from the familiar bustle of her home, the more uncomfortable she was in her heart.

Thinking that she would arrived in Yuhe county the next day, her heart felt disturbed: full of anxiety about the unknown.
The more she thought about it, the more irritable she became.
Feeling like her mouth was very dry, she stood up and went to get some water.

Hong Hua shared the same room with her and had already heard her tossing and turning.
Seeing her get up, she also sat up and greeted her quietly: “Miss!”

When she saw that Su Jin was trying to pour the water, she rushed forward and took it with a smile: “This slave is still your maid!”

Su Jin took a couple sips of the warm water, put it down, and sighed bitterly: “How many times have I told you, don’t call me Miss anymore! I have said that, since you are willing to follow me, we will be sisters from now on!”

Hong Hua curled her lip: “If it wasn’t for the young lady’s help, this slave and maid’s life would have been long gone! It’s just a matter of avoiding speaking in front of one or two people.
In private, between just the two of this, this slave feels more comfortable speaking as before!”

Su Jin knew that Hong Hua’s stubbornness was very great, so she smiled and didn’t’ say much.

Hong Hua glanced at her, hesitating.
Finally, she said softly: “Is Miss worried about meeting Miss Lian tomorrow? Miss, don’t worry! In front of Miss Lian, I know how to speak properly!”

Su Jin glanced at her and nodded lightly: “Alright.”