The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 658 - 657: Consolation

Chapter 658: Chapter 657: Consolation

Lady Qian saw that Jinchai’s mind had been swayed by her own words and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After indulging in dreadful fantasizing about Wang Yongzhu falling into the hands of robbers and being violated and ruined, she finally felt some vindication.

Seeing that Jinchai’s mood had improved slightly, Lady Qian cautiously asked, "Jinchai, was the lord good to you last night? Now that you are the lord’s woman, you are no longer at home; you can’t throw tantrums anymore! You must serve the lord well! If you don’t know how, just think about how your mother served your father daily and learn from her. You must revere the lord as if he were heaven itself, understand?"

Jinchai was still but a young girl; although she had harbored resentment towards Lady Qian and Wang Yongan, a few coaxing words from Lady Qian had made her forget.

Hearing Lady Qian’s concerned inquiry, tears suddenly filled her eyes, and she choked out, "Mother, I’m afraid, it hurts so much—"

Tears also welled up in Lady Qian’s eyes as she held Jinchai, "My child, this is something all women must go through. Just endure it for now, and it will get better! The next time the lord comes to your room, remember not to look sullen, but to be cheerful, understand?"

"Mother, but I’m scared, it really hurts, Mother—", Jinchai thought of the previous night and could not help but turn pale.

"Jinchai, now that you have become the lord’s woman, your lifelong hope lies with the lord. If you don’t keep the lord entertained and make him stay in your room more often, how will you get by in the future? Take advantage of the lord’s initial fascination with you and conceive a child quickly; that is the true foundation for securing your future!" Lady Qian advised earnestly.

Jinchai’s face stiffened. She was still a child herself, and now she was expected to bear a child?

Moreover, when she had woken up that morning, a bowl of Contraceptive Soup was waiting for her.

For some reason, Jinchai had the words on the tip of her tongue, but they were swallowed back down as if by some demonic influence, and she vaguely nodded in agreement.

Noticing it was getting late, Hong Hua and Qing Ye had already knocked on the door several times as a reminder.

Reluctantly getting up, Lady Qian touched Jinchai’s face, "I have to go home now, my dear. Take good care of yourself and be attentive to the lord, understand?"

Jinchai gritted her teeth and nodded. Holding back tears, she struggled to get off the kang bed and escorted Lady Qian to the courtyard gate, watching her walk away. Then, wiping her tears and biting her teeth, she went back into the house.

Lady Qian returned home to find Wang Yongan had not left the house all day, waiting for the news she would bring back. When he saw Lady Qian return, he eagerly grabbed her and headed inside.

"How is Jinchai? Did things go as planned yesterday?" Wang Yongan asked anxiously.

Lady Qian nodded her head.

Only then did Wang Yongan relax, showing a smile, "That’s good, that’s very good! With Jinchai’s looks and her careful service to the lord, our family will be well-settled if she has a son or a daughter. Visit her when you can and teach her not to be contrary. Do you hear me?"

Lady Qian obediently agreed with eyes lowered.

Wang Yongan slapped his thigh excitedly, already imagining the good days to come.

As he reveled in his thoughts, someone knocked on the door: "Master Wang, Master Wang, are you home? Lord Gao has sent for you—"

Wang Yongan immediately rose, taking two steps at a time to the courtyard gate. Then he paused to straighten his hair and clothes before opening the door with feigned casualness, "I am at home. May I ask what Lord Gao needs from me?"

"It’s serious, the lord is very angry and has sent for Master Wang to discuss it immediately—" The one who came was Gao Jin’s young servant, who hurriedly pulled Wang Yongan onto the carriage and off they sped...

Upon entering the County Yamen, it was evident that something was amiss.

Only two or three people were in the study, each of them silent, not speaking a word, with Gao Jin sitting in the very center, his face dark as iron.

Seeing Wang Yongan come in and recalling the taste of his daughter from the previous day, Gao Jin barely nodded, "You’ve arrived just in time. Everyone is here, and I was about to discuss matters. A big incident has happened in Qi City, and if handled poorly, I’m afraid the whole place is going to turn upside down!"

As soon as these words were uttered, surprise showed on the faces of everyone present.

Everyone knew about Qi City, even if Wang Yongan hadn’t known before, but in the past few days, with talks of offering his sister to Gao Jin as well as the prospect of sharing the profits from the dye workshop, and given Wang Yongan’s naturally lovable face and gift of gab, every sentence seemed to scratch precisely where Gao Jin itched.

Gao Jin could tell that Wang Yongan was genuinely seeking to cling to him and indeed had some real skills. Although Wang Yongan’s reputation was a bit tarnished, for Gao Jin, that didn’t really matter.

Which scholar didn’t want to become an official? How did the saying go? "Having mastered arts and military skills, you sell them to the sovereign’s house."

An impoverished Scholar with neither connections, money, nor luck had no other choice but to rely on himself. Gao Jin was confident he could keep Wang Yongan under control, and therefore didn’t mind these things.

Thus, he had revealed to Wang Yongan a bit of the insider information about Qi City, information that Wang Yongan wouldn’t have known otherwise, allowing Wang Yongan a glimpse behind the curtain of Qi City.

Upon arriving in Qi City, Gao Jin quickly established relationships with the local snakes. Qi City was famous for its mines, which originally belonged to the Imperial Court.

Gradually, a portion of these mines, or the newly opened ones, became the private property of the troops that had originally been stationed there to guard them.

Latter on, the descendants of these garrison troops naturally took over these assets, and over the course of several decades, nearly sealed off Qi City tight as a drum.

The County Magistrates who came to Qi City either joined them, cooperating to hide the truth and make a fortune together while deceiving the Imperial Court.

Or they wanted to report the matter to the Imperial Court, hoping to eradicate this malignant tumor. Unfortunately, most magistrates who thought this way, including their families, hardly ever left Qi City alive.

Therefore, although Qi City was a rich and prosperous county, those who knew the score wouldn’t dream of taking office there; it was practically a death sentence!

Gao Jin indeed had gotten wind of some details about Qi City through Lady Xia’s connections. He was a bold man and decided to take a gamble, and it paid off.

The powers in Qi City were also aware that the constant death of magistrates would inevitably attract suspicion and investigation from the higher-ups at the Imperial Court. If it were truly exposed, it could likely lead to the severe punishment of extermination and confiscation of property for everyone involved.

So when they saw Gao Jin taking initiative to seek their cooperation right upon his arrival, why would they refuse?

The deal was struck smoothly, and both parties concluded this friendly meeting in an amiable atmosphere.

They confirmed that Gao Jin too would get a share of the spoils and that during his tenure, the operation would remain unshaken.

From then on, Gao Jin only needed to turn a blind eye, and hefty sums of silver would flow into his purse after every meet.

This private mine was Gao Jin’s cash cow, his treasure basin; he guarded it even more strictly than those local snakes.

Dealing with these local snakes and collecting silver was not something Gao Jin would handle personally; naturally, he needed a confidant for that.

At first, his choice was Zhang Pengju, but having seen that Zhang Pengju was getting on in years and wouldn’t last long, possibly retiring soon, wouldn’t that be troublesome?

Making more people aware added more risk, didn’t it?

After much consideration, Wang Yongan caught his eye, and now, seeing that Wang Yongan had even submitted his petition, what more was there to say? It was him! Young, ruthless, eloquent! Only someone like that could stand up to those local snakes and bite an even larger piece off them.