The Princess of Northern Land
Chapter 311 Meeting an Old Acquaintance in a Foreign Land (7)_1

Chapter 311: Chapter 311 Meeting an Old Acquaintance in a Foreign Land (7)_1

"Ah?" Qiaoqiao exclaimed in surprise when she saw the poorly dressed convicts.

"What is it?" Lin Ziyin asked.

Before Qiaoqiao could answer, the officer had already noticed Lin Ziyin smiling at him. "Miss, this time I am again in charge of transporting convicts through here. I wonder if you need any more people."

"Miss." Qiaoqiao called out to Lin Ziyin in a quiet voice.

Lin Ziyin turned to look at Qiaoqiao, who looked hesitant and troubled.

"Is this maid one you bought last time?" The officer noticed the tattoo on Qiaoqiao’s forehead, his gaze inadvertently switched to the convicts that had been dragged along but offered a cold smile, "See, her kind heart is something you could benefit from. If any of you could catch her eye and be chosen to stay, you would have good days ahead."

Most of the convicts that had been brought in were numb from the cold, they all seemed in a trance, their eyes on Lin Ziyin were dull.

Similarly, among this batch, there were few old men, and not too many children. The majority were strong adults.

"Do you know any of them?" Lin Ziyin asked Qiaoqiao.

Qiaoqiao nodded, tears in her eyes, "A portion of them are from the escort agency, they just arrived at this timing, and there are a few who seem to be from Minsheng Hall. I don’t know how they ended up here. I don’t know who the rest are."

"Qiaoqiao." Someone in the crowd recognized Qiaoqiao, and a few young men looked at her with a surprised glimmer in their eyes.

"It’s me." Qiaoqiao answered tearfully.

"Oh, we have a familiar face in the crowd." The officer remembered that he could earn some silver and he beamed a smile.

"What’s the price?" Lin Ziyin asked.

the convicts hearing she was about to buy people, immediately perked up. Many of them were shouting.

One young man holding a sick old man begged, "Miss, please buy my grandfather, I beg you."

"That’s Doctor Xu from Minsheng Hall." Qiaoqiao explained, "Minsheng Hall ranks amongst the top medical halls in the Capital City, and to think it ended up in this state."

As Qiaoqiao spoke, she sighed.

"Six taels of silver for adults, four taels for children, two taels for the elderly." The officer, knowing they knew each other, immediately raised the price.

"Something doesn’t seem right about that." Lin Ziyin answered with a faint smile, "It was not this price the last time. Looking at their condition, I am worried that it will cost a lot to nurse them back to health."

"But Miss knows these people, why would she mind a bit of silver." The officer cut to the chase.

"I have the silver, but why would their life or death matter to me?" Lin Ziyin asked coldly, "With the asking price, I could buy healthy and strong slaves."

"Forget it, seeing that we know each other, I will stick to the old price. And I can’t go any lower." Seeing her firm attitude, the officer seemed a bit deflated.

"Qiaoqiao, go get the silver." Lin Ziyin ordered.

"Yes, I will go right away." Qiaoqiao hurriedly replied, "Ask your family to come over."

Qiaoqiao then immediately scampered off.

Shortly afterward, she came back, flanked by the hastily arriving Yu Shaohui and the Qian Family members. "Miss, my father and uncle are at the workshop, and they do not know yet."

"Pick out the ones you recognize." Lin Ziyin ordered.

Hearing the order, Yu Shaohui and the Qian Family members were filled with excitement. They quickly selected the people from the escort agency. Lin Ziyin took a glance: there were about forty people of all ages.

"Miss, these few are from Minsheng Hall and they have a good name in the Capital City." Qiaoqiao and a woman from the Qian family said as they looked at the youths and elderly men on the ground.

"Alright, buy them." Lin Ziyin nodded.

The Xu family members were not many, just six people and elderly in total.

Lin Ziyin selected more young men and children from the crowd. Most of these people possessed some sort of skill and many were skilled farmhands.

"You siblings should lead them to the Training Ground and make them comfortable. Then go to the market and buy some blankets and cotton clothes and distribute them. I will arrange work for them tomorrow." Lin Ziyin instructed.

"Yes, Miss." Qian Family members and the others cheerfully complied.

Everyone bought was ecstatic, as if they had escaped death. They now had a chance to survive. But for those that remained, they wailed and begged Lin Ziyin to buy them as well.

Qiaoqiao and Yu Shaohui hurriedly led the people to the vacant houses near the Training Ground.

Unwilling to linger, Lin Ziyin walked slowly towards the workshop with Jue Ming and others.

"Really? Did it really happen?" He Fuxing was so excited upon hearing the news from Lin Ziyin that he didn’t know what to do.

"Beginning tomorrow, I will arrange for you to have the materials needed. The yard next to you is large. You can turn it into a furniture workshop." Lin Ziyin said, "As for the minor parts that will be required, the prince will send someone to deliver them in a few days."

"Excellent." He Fuxing was delighted, "I promise we will work hard."

The news that Lin Ziyin bought more than 80 people spread throughout the village by evening. Many villagers felt insecure. With so many new people in the Lin Family, would they still need them?

"Bah, perhaps she is nothing more than a rich flesh peddler, thinking herself so grand?" the Yan Family woman facing the direction of the Lin Family house spat.

"Mother, calm yourself. Some things are fine to think, but speaking them aloud could lead to big trouble." Ma Zhicai glared at his mother.

"Don’t interfere with the Lin Family’s affairs. That young woman has a good relationship with Prince Lin. If she heard your words, she could sabotage Zhicai’s official future." Elder Ma also glared at Mrs. Yan, "Just be calm. Once our Zhicai becomes a scholar, you will be the mother of a scholar, and what will you have to fear then?"