Chapter 16: The Instigator

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Auntie Li took the money and said with a beaming smile, “Pear Blossom, come to us whenever you need anything in the future.”

“All right. Thank you, Auntie Li. There will be work to do over the next few days, so come whenever you have the time.”

After agreeing, Auntie Li left with her daughter and daughter-in-law.

Auntie Wang hesitated before saying, “Pear Blossom, while she was working, Auntie Li asked why you bought so much cabbage.”

Jiang Lihua smiled. “Auntie Wang, it’s nothing. Don’t worry. Auntie Li was probably just curious and asked casually.”

Since Jiang Lihua had said this, Auntie Wang did not say anything more.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll head home now, Pear Blossom.”

“All right, Auntie Wang. Remember to bring another cartload of cabbage tomorrow so we can continue working.”

“Got it.”

The busy days passed quickly.

After several days, all five hundred pounds of cabbage had been pickled in batches.

The processing workshop was nearly finished as well.

Once it was completed, she would have to hire several permanent workers.

Before she knew it, Jiang Lihua had been in Pear Blossom Village for nearly two months.

With good food and restful sleep over those two months, her formerly thin, sallow body had become plump and fair, and her hair was no longer so dry and unruly.

Jiang Lihua could not help marveling at how quickly children’s metabolisms worked, allowing them to recover so fast.

She no longer needed makeup to disguise herself.

In temperament, she was now completely different from the Jiang Lihua of the past.

Ni Wenyu brought an ox cart to collect the spicy pickled cabbage.

They hired a cart driver to load jar after jar onto the cart.

“Cousin, I’m thinking of buying an ox cart of my own and hiring someone to drive it.”

Ni Wenyu thought for a moment, then nodded. “That makes sense. Once your workshop is finished, you’ll also need someone to keep watch over it. Hiring a person would be useful.”

“After we deliver the goods, we’ll go buy an ox cart.”

“All right.”

Ni Wenyu gazed at the lively, radiant Jiang Lihua before him, his eyes filled with affection.

She had become even more captivating.

When they arrived at Wanfu Tower, the waiter recognized them at once and warmly ushered them inside.

The portly manager waddled over to greet them.

“Miss, I am the manager here. May I ask your esteemed surname?”

“My name is Jiang Lihua. Is Brother Gu here?”

“He is, he is. The owner has been spending these days here. I’ll fetch him for you.”

“Thank you.”

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When Gu Qingran heard that Jiang Lihua had arrived, he immediately came over with the manager.

“Lihua, what brings you here? Weren’t you supposed to deliver the goods in a few more days?”

“Brother Gu, I finished one batch early, so I brought it over first.”

“Lihua, come. We’ll discuss things in a private room. Brother Ni, would you mind staying here with the manager to check the shipment?”

Ni Wenyu nodded.

Gu Qingran led Jiang Lihua to a private room.

“We found the beggar from last time. He was merely a traveling beggar. He said someone from the village paid him to do it.”

“Who?”

“He didn’t know either. It was a young man and a young girl.”

“A young man and a young girl…” Jiang Lihua murmured to herself. “So it wasn’t the mother and son from the Yang family? Then who would want to harm me like this?”

Gu Qingran asked, “Do you know who it might be?”

Jiang Lihua shook her head. “No.”

“Do you suspect anyone? If so, I can send someone back to the village with you to draw their portraits and show them to the beggar for identification.”

“There are several people in the village who have a poor relationship with me.”

“Very well. We’ll draw all their portraits and confirm whether any of them are the ones involved.”

“Thank you, Brother Gu.”

“There’s no need to thank me.”

“Brother Gu, my processing workshop is finished. I still have to buy an ox cart with my cousin and hire a cart driver. I’ll probably return to the village late.”

“No problem.”

Jiang Lihua left with the person Gu Qingran had assigned and went to find Ni Wenyu.

“Lihua, who is this?” Ni Wenyu asked when he saw the man behind her.

“He works for Brother Gu. He needs to come back to the village with us for something.”

“Lihua, is there something between you and Brother Gu that you’re keeping from me?”

“Of course not. It’s just some business matters.”

“Oh.”

Ni Wenyu’s mood grew somewhat gloomy.

The three of them went together to buy an ox cart, then visited a broker who dealt in servants and purchased several household workers.

Gu Qingran had told Jiang Lihua that since she had built a workshop, she might as well buy several servants under permanent contracts. They would be more reliable that way.

As a modern woman, Jiang Lihua was still somewhat unaccustomed to the idea of buying and selling servants.

But when in Rome, do as the Romans do. That was simply the rule of this place, so she stopped making a fuss over it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, what sort of male servants or maidservants are you looking for?” the broker asked warmly when he saw a prospective deal.

Jiang Lihua replied, “One strong young man to handle heavy labor, and two older women.”

“No problem. I’ll bring some people out for you to choose from.”

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Before long, the broker brought out five men and ten older women.

“Miss, have a look. Which ones would you like?”

Jiang Lihua walked over to examine the five men. None of them looked particularly spirited.

“Can any of you read?”

Four shook their heads. One man with a scar across his face hesitantly nodded.

Jiang Lihua then went to the ten older women and selected two with kind-looking faces.

Pointing to the literate man, she said to the broker, “I’ll take these three.”

The scarred man dropped to his knees. “Miss, please buy my son as well.”

The broker lashed him with a whip. “I advise you to follow the young lady obediently.”

The scarred man did not move after taking the blow. “If the young lady won’t buy my son, I’m not leaving.”

“Are you trying to get yourself killed? Do you know how much business you’ve cost me this month?”

As he spoke, the broker raised his whip again.

“Stop!” Jiang Lihua called out. “Bring his son out too. I’ll buy him.”

“Miss, that boy is frail, but he won’t come cheap.”

“This young lady has plenty of money. Bring him out. I’ll buy him.”

The broker studied Jiang Lihua skeptically.

She wore nothing more than an ordinary cotton-padded jacket, and her large, glass-bright eyes were full of spirit.

But judging from his many years of experience, this girl was no more than a village woman with a little money to spare.

Gu Qingran’s subordinate, Gu Xiaoyi, noticed the broker sizing up Jiang Lihua. Fixing him with a cold stare, he spoke in a low voice.

“What? Didn’t you hear what my mistress said?”

The broker jumped and glanced at him before hurrying inside to bring the boy out.

The girl herself might have seemed unremarkable, but her servant was clearly no ordinary man. He had seen that same imposing bearing among the servants of many high-ranking officials and nobles.

“Brother Xiaoyi, thank you,” Jiang Lihua said, realizing that the broker had doubted whether she could afford a high price.

Gu Xiaoyi did not reply. He simply stood quietly to one side.

Ni Wenyu’s already somber mood sank even lower. He felt that he was unable to help Pear Blossom with anything.

The broker brought the boy out.

“Miss, here he is. He’ll cost at least three hundred silver taels!”

“What? Three hundred taels? Are you trying to rob me?” The scarred man and the two older women had cost only forty taels altogether.

Jiang Lihua turned toward the newcomer. She wanted to see what kind of boy could possibly be worth so much.

The moment she looked at him, she froze.

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