Chapter 107

Chapter 107

Lu Wei lifted the corners of her lips in a gentle smile. "I've heard everything you've said, and I understand your concerns about reputation."

Many present heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this opening remark. Some even wore obvious smiles of delight, thinking that if they dismissed the courtesans, new workers would be needed for the silk-reeling, and perhaps they or their family members could fill those positions. It was a desirable job, easy-going with little supervision, much better than being a weaver.

Observing the faces flushed with hope, Lu Wei pretended not to notice and continued, "Firstly, our founding emperor abolished the practice of honoring women with chastity monuments. Secondly, this is not some private household's backyard where a good reputation is required to demonstrate our family's virtue."

"This is a place to work, and here, it doesn't matter if one is a courtesan, a widow, a divorced woman remarried, or just an ordinary housewife. As long as the tasks are carried out well, my doors are wide open to all."

The women's expressions shifted instantly. Without waiting for them to speak, Lu Wei continued, "Of course, I understand your concerns. Our Second Lady isn't someone who bullies others with her power. She values fairness above all else. If you wish to leave for the sake of your reputation, we won't force you to stay. Mrs. Du, could you kindly delay your dinner tonight and settle the wages for those who have been queuing?"

"Alright," Mrs. Du replied sharply, picking up her abacus and addressing Dòu Zhī first, "You're the first in line. I've already calculated it. Since there was a flaw in the piece you wove and you didn't unravel it, you won't receive a bonus. The basic daily wage here is three copper coins. For eight days, that's twenty-four coins in total."

Xue Qing promptly counted out the coins and placed them on the table. Mrs. Du, with an abacus in one hand, looked at the woman before her and said, "I remember your worker ID is 618, and your piece wasn't completed..."

Mrs. Du's calculations were swift. As she called out the worker IDs, Ying'er fetched the unfinished silk rug corner. Xue Qing measured how many inches the woman had woven using a ruler, and the payment was calculated accordingly.

Their seamless collaboration left the group of women dumbfounded.

Over on Lady Du's side, they had already reached the third person, the one who had been prodded by Bean Branch. Lady Du gave her a glance. "Your worker number is thirty-six. You've already submitted one acceptable piece and woven more than a foot for your second one. With the base wage included, that amounts to six hundred and sixty-seven copper coins."

A collective gasp echoed through the room. Many people looked at Lady Xia, Worker Number Thirty-six, in disbelief. In just a few days, she had earned over six hundred coins.

Ever since the current emperor ascended the throne, prices, especially those of grains, had remained relatively stable. The exchange rate between copper coins and silver taels also remained at around one thousand two hundred coins to one tael of silver, as it was during the late reign of the previous emperor. Six hundred coins equaled slightly more than half a tael of silver.

At present, ordinary folk paid only six coins per catty for rough rice. In the capital, for a family like theirs, two taels of silver were enough to cover monthly food and living expenses. For a smaller, more frugal household, one and a half taels would suffice.

In just eight days, she had earned more than half a tael, so wouldn't she earn close to two taels by the end of the month? A woman's earnings could now support an entire family. This wasn't work; it was like picking up money off the ground. One couldn't have found such a fantastic job even by begging their ancestors!

Madam Xia was equally stunned. Her speed and dexterity were one thing, but her dedication was also crucial. During her idle moments these past few days, she had pondered over how to improve her work, never once considering the matter of wages. Now, staring at the shining silver coins and copper cash given to her by Xue Qing, she realized, for the first time in her life, that receiving money did not bring her as much joy.

"I-I didn't expect this much?" she stammered.

Lu Wei smiled. "It is this much. Since we've hired so many people this time, we won't be providing meals. Second Madam has decided to offer a higher commission to make up for it."

Madam Xia gazed blankly at the silver and copper on the table, her outstretched hand retracting as if they were scorching hot.

Dame Du noticed Madam Xia's hesitation and spoke up. "Take your payment quickly so you can clear the way for those waiting behind you."

The woman standing behind Lady Xia shrank back, suddenly losing interest in receiving her wages for the first time.

The atmosphere in the entire space became tense, so still that a pin drop could be heard.

Finally, a woman named Qi, who was queued up, stepped out of line. Lu Wei's gaze immediately fell upon her, causing Qi's scalp to tingle. A servile smile spread across her face as she said, "I, I'll go back and ask my husband's opinion. Yes, I'll ask my husband's opinion."

Lu Wei replied, "I don't think that will be necessary."

Lady Qi was taken aback.

Lu Wei: "If you had the intention to resign just now, it shows that you still value your reputation. Even if your husband says he doesn't mind, do you truly not care at all? If you're not at ease, you won't be able to do this job well."

Madam Qi: "No, I can..."

Lu Wei raised her voice to interrupt firmly: "Moreover, even though we wouldn't force anyone to stay and work here, this place is not somewhere you can come and go as you please. Since you mentioned resignation, then resign. Our relationship between employer and employee ends here."

Madam Qi's face instantly turned deathly pale. Her lips quivered as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, no word escaped her mouth.

Those who had just shouted about resigning but didn't join the queue were now secretly relieved. They hunched their backs, trying to blend into the background behind the other women, minimizing their presence.

Lu Wei turned to Madam Du and said, "Let's continue with our reckoning."

"Alright."

Lu Wei then looked at Ying'er, "I almost forgot. Go inform Manager Liu that he should have his dinner early and not drink too much wine." She glanced at the queue of women, "They all have money on them, and it might not be safe with so many of them. Ask Manager Liu to escort them to the city gate later for their safety. Oh, and also ask him to select a few elderly ladies to accompany them. We must avoid any misunderstandings regarding their reputation."

The women shivered simultaneously.

Ying'er giggled but quickly composed herself, "Yes, I'll go and summon Manager Liu right away."

Sobbing sounds could be heard, but Lu Wei pretended not to hear them. Addressing the group, she said, "We all signed confidentiality agreements beforehand. If any weaving techniques are leaked, don't blame me for turning cold-hearted. We'll settle it in court then."

The women shuddered, and some lowered their heads even further.

As they finished calculating the wages, Manager Liu arrived with the selected few. Lu Wei gave her final instructions, which he promptly agreed to.

When everyone's figures had disappeared from sight, Ying'er exhaled deeply. "Sister Xue Qing, why did you stop me just now? Moreover, I have this feeling, this feeling that..."

Xue Qing smiled. "What feeling?"

Ying'er glanced at Tao'er, who eagerly added, "I think Sister Lu Wei and Sister Xue Qing intentionally allowed today's incident to unfold. If they had suppressed them from the start, they wouldn't have dared to mention quitting."

Xue Qing replied, "Not bad, their wits haven0t completely left them."

Both Mrs. Du, who was walking alongside, and Lu Wei, chuckled.

Ying'er asked, "Why is that?"

Xue Qing elaborated, "We urgently recruited such a large number of workers this time; naturally, their characters would be mixed. There will undoubtedly be those who try to cut corners. Even tigers need their naps; how can we guarantee that we'll catch every single one trying to deceive us each time?"

Madam Du interjected, "There are also many who wouldn't deceive on their own, but once they see others succeed, they'll learn and follow suit. Such people might even be the majority."

Xue Qing agreed, "Sister-in-law is right. This kind of work ethic will be utterly ruined. Today is the perfect opportunity to give them a stern warning, so they understand that we won't tolerate being deceived or trifled with."

Tao'er looked puzzled. "Isn't today about maintaining our reputation? Why has it become..."

Lu Wei chuckled. "You silly girl, think back to why we started this in the first place. Wasn't it because Douzhi wanted to pass off her substandard silk as acceptable? While some might genuinely consider reputation, most are just using it as an excuse to gauge our stance. If we give in to dismissing former courtesans today, tomorrow they might force us to accept slight imperfections, and who knows what trouble will arise the day after. We mustn't let them have their way."

Ying'er and Tao'er gaped in astonishment. It took them a while to regain their voices. Tao'er said, "I think Madam Xia truly regrets her actions. She probably didn't intend to deceive with her work."

Ying'er: "Not only that, I've thought it through carefully. Those who were the loudest about quitting today didn't actually resign. Instead, it was those who I usually thought were decent that left."

Xue Qing nodded. "Exactly so. Those who were making a fuss were counting on others to take the lead. They would never put themselves in the front line. Even Douzhi, who was the first to say she wouldn't continue, did she join the queue? When I offered to pay her, she moved even further away from the table. When Sister Xia calculated her wages, she glared fiercely at Sister Xia."

Ying'er grew anxious. "Then what about Madam Xia and the others? Are they...?"

Lu Wei interrupted Ying'er. "You don't need to feel sorry or worried for them. Second Aunt once said that it's not the god-like opponent you should fear, but the foolish teammate. They're no longer three-year-olds who don't understand. With just a few words of provocation, they rush forward blindly like a club. Such people can't be relied upon, even if they work efficiently. Keeping them around would only bring trouble sooner or later."

Xue Qing continued, "This harsh lesson will teach them a valuable lesson. If they truly learn from it and change, there might still be a chance for them to return in the future."

Ying'er and Tao'er nodded in unison, indeed, they still had much to learn.

Lu Wei and the others returned for a meal together. Mei'er and Li'er had also heard about the incident. After discussing it, they decided to share the story with their own people the next day as a cautionary tale.

After everyone finished eating, Manager Liu came back to report. He had gone ahead earlier, while the few elderly women who accompanied him stayed behind to recount the journey's events to Lu Wei and the others.

In fact, when the incident initially occurred, there were many women left, with over three thousand working on silk rugs alone. Originally, less than a hundred belonged to the village, while the other two thousand plus wished to return home.

At the end of the workday, some did indeed leave promptly to head straight for home in groups. However, human nature is inherently curious and fond of gossip. Most of the women stayed behind to watch the spectacle. With such a large group returning to the city, there was no real danger on the road. Manager Liu's escort duty carried no negative connotations, and these elderly ladies were simply there to help Lu Wei and her friends indulge in some gossip.

Mother Yan led the conversation, "At first, everyone was silent, only listening to her sobs. But as they saw Madam Xia crying so bitterly, some couldn't help but offer comfort."

Madam Xia wasn't one for idle chatter and didn't have any close friends. However, her gentle and non-confrontational nature made her unobjectionable. Since they had been working together for several days, someone said, "You shouldn't be like this. You've already resigned, and your reputation is intact. Why are you still crying?"

Another person chimed in, "Yes, at least you don't have to worry about damaging your reputation. Take a couple of days to rest at home, then look around for other job opportunities. It doesn't matter where you work, does it?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Xia's tears flowed even more rapidly. She knew she wouldn't find such high-paying work anywhere else, even with a lantern to guide her search.

Seeing her reaction, the two women who had been trying to console her fell silent. They were well aware that there wouldn't be another job paying such high wages anywhere else in the entire capital city.

Someone, annoyed by Lady Xia's weeping, couldn't resist the urge to snap at her, "Really, you're quite something. When you quit, you were so resolute and swift, but the moment they agreed, you turned to sobbing and wailing. One would think the Marquis's Estate had wronged you terribly. Wasn't it reputation you wanted? Well, now you have it, so what more do you desire? Everything, is it?"

A scoff rang out, "What reputation are you talking about preserving? You're just picking pleasant-sounding words. Those women live and eat on the mountain within the manor. Not to mention us, even the tenant farmers and servants rarely catch sight of them all day long. What does their reputation have to do with us, and how could it affect us in any way?"

"How could it be in the way?" Another woman, similarly dressed, expressed her displeasure with a full face of discontent. "When outsiders talk, don't they always say that we work together in the manor?"

"Madam Zhang, there's no need for you to be stubborn. You yourself admitted that the estate is a place for labor, where everyone works together under the bright sun. What is there to be ashamed of? It's as clear as day. I won't argue with you over this. Instead, you should consider how you will explain this to your spouse when you return."

Madam Zhang had intended to retort, but when she heard the mention of her husband, she shuddered. She might have just lost such a great job, and her spouse would undoubtedly be furious! She was now overwhelmed with regret, wishing she could go back in time to when she was queuing up. If she could, she would surely give herself two stern slaps.

Perhaps Madam Zhang was not well-liked in daily life, for someone added, "Indeed, what's the point of being stubborn? What does she have to do with those courtesans? Since she's out here working in public, why pretend to be a proper lady concerned about her reputation? If you think carefully about today's incident, you'll understand the real situation."

The procession fell into another bout of silence.

Madam Xia managed to suppress her sobs. "Where's Douzhi?"

"Beanstalk? She's long gone."

Madam Zhang could no longer hold back her sobs. Glaring at her neighbor, who seemed to be evading her gaze, she suddenly pounced and began pounding on the woman. "Didn't you keep talking about your reputation and how you wouldn't do such a thing? Why weren't you around when it was time to quit? You've betrayed me! Despite all the care I've shown you, you won't be able to plant in that land in front of my house ever again..."

The woman retorted while dodging, "Not planting then, not planting! Who needs your shabby land when I have this job? Besides, it wasn't me who pushed you out there..."

"Alright, alright, stop bickering..."

After saying this, Elder Yan sipped her tea. "They had a fight, and in the end, we had to intervene to separate them. But judging from their attitude, they'll probably still argue with each other when they return."

Lu Wei was quite satisfied. "Good, at least they've realized their mistakes. Those troublemakers, even if they don't quit, I'm sure everyone will remember them now. In the future, others will keep an eye on them without us having to intervene. If anything goes wrong, we'll surely be notified immediately."

Elder Yan nodded repeatedly. "That's true. But those women are cunning, and they probably know what's coming next. They'll definitely behave themselves and won't dare to play any tricks again."

Xue Qing: "Even tigers take naps; can they really avoid making mistakes if they try? With so many pairs of eyes watching, they'll slip up sooner or later. When that happens, we'll send them packing without hesitation."

Everyone in the room chuckled.

While laughter filled this residence, many households in the capital were either arguing, weeping, or rejoicing. For instance, the neighbor of Madam Zhang, whose sister-in-law missed the registration last time due to living in a neighboring county, had incited a commotion. Though she failed to control Lu Wei and her group, she managed to squeeze in over thirty spots. Conveniently, her sister-in-law was staying with her, allowing her to register at the manor early the next morning.

The following dawn, after freshening up, Lu Wei prepared to go out for breakfast. Another recruitment day awaited her, so she expected it to be a busy one.

"Miss," Mrs. Xia, who had crept over before daylight, hurriedly spoke as Lu Wei opened her door. "Miss Lu Wei."

At the sight of Lu Wei's furrowed brow, Madam Xia immediately winced and swallowed back her words, unsure of how to proceed.

Observing her shrinking demeanor, Lu Wei sighed inwardly. "How did you manage to enter?" The manor was indeed vast, but it still had gates. Due to fish farming within, the area was enclosed by fences and rose walls, making it nearly impossible to enter without passing through the main entrance.

Madam Xia's lips quivered slightly, her head dipping even lower. Her voice barely audible, she muttered, "I came from the small hill."

The small hill! Lu Wei was momentarily speechless. It was the lowest elevation in the manor; more of a hillock than a mountain, with infertile soil unsuitable for fruit trees. Originally, there were a few oak trees, but this year, Headman Wang had arranged for an extensive planting of oaks.

It was on this very small hill that a portion of the former courtesans raised silkworms. The low-lying terrain was close to the manor's dwellings, making it an ideal location for such activities.

Despite the apparent rivalry in their work between the servants bought two years ago and the former courtesans, the two groups actually had a decent relationship. The servants held no prejudice against the former prostitutes, likely because they understood that if not for Meng Die purchasing them, some of them might have ended up in brothels.

Due to their friendly rapport, these servants kindly offered the favorable spot for raising silkworms to the courtesans. The reasoning was straightforward: they were experienced in the task, so it made sense to let the newcomers take advantage of the easy-to-manage area. It was common knowledge throughout the manor that the small hill belonged to the courtesans for their silkworm cultivation, and this was understood by all who came to work, including Lady Xia.

Lady Xia nervously clutched her garment, mist forming in her already swollen red eyes. She had summoned all her courage to venture onto the small hill, hoping to avoid encountering the others by arriving early. However, she hadn't expected them to be up and about so early, tending to the mulberry trees and collecting cocoons. Seeing her, they kindly inquired about her presence there.

"I-I took a wrong turn," Lady Xia stammered, her lifetime of dishonesty being scarce. After speaking, she lowered her head.

The person across from her wore a surprised expression. "Took a wrong turn? You must be careful, as there are many hills around here. Getting truly lost would be disastrous. Follow this narrow path, and you'll reach the manor soon. There will be plenty of people there; inquire with them instead of wandering alone like this."

"Thank you... thank you very much."

"On this path, don't turn at all, just keep going straight."

At that moment, Madam Xia's face flushed red with embarrassment.

Recalling everything that had transpired that morning, Madam Xia blushed again. She stole a glance at the silent Lu Wei and mustered her courage anew. "Miss Lu Wei, I... I want to come back. This time, I'll work diligently, and I won't listen to those people's provocations anymore."

Lu Wei let out a long sigh. "You said yesterday that you wouldn't continue, but now you want to come back today. That doesn't make sense, it definitely won't be allowed."

Madam Xia, ignoring her embarrassment, pleaded anxiously, "Miss Lu Wei, please spare me this once, just this once. From now on, I'll be mute, I promise I'll only work and nothing else."

Lu Wei replied, "This isn't about what you choose to do or not. If I let you off today, what about others? Should they also be spared? How will the rest perceive this? Will they think they can come and go as they please here?"

Madam Xia was taken aback. She hadn't considered these points, no, it was more that she had subconsciously avoided thinking about them. Miss Lu Wei's words yesterday were already clear – this wasn't a place one could enter or leave at whim.

Lu Wei continued, "Since things have already come to this, there's no going back."

Tears immediately streamed down Madam Xia's face. "Miss Lu Wei, please, give me another chance. Punish me, I understand now that I can't just come and go as I please. This time, when I return, please punish me. If it's truly unavoidable, then reduce my wages, please."

Madam Xia's body stooped, about to kneel down. Lu Wei promptly caught her, "What are you doing? Get up quickly. If the wages aren't standardized, how will others perceive it? This can't be allowed."

Madam Xia wept uncontrollably, overwhelmed with regret.

Observing the despair gradually creeping into Madam Xia's eyes, Lu Wei felt a mix of frustration and sympathy. She was both angry at her for not recognizing people's true nature and pitied her impoverished life, "Stop crying for now. Under no circumstances can you return here. Do you know that our Second Lady has built many houses in the northwest of the capital?"

Madam Xia hastily wiped her face, "Yes, yes, I heard they're workshops."

Lu Wei confirmed, "That's right, they are workshops, prepared for everyone. Once they're completed, silk reeling, dyeing, and weaving will all move there. It's precisely because of this that the place here remains open-air, with just a makeshift shed."

Madam Xia was utterly astonished, and then a deeper sense of regret filled her eyes. Her husband had been working there, praising how well the construction was going, with fine blue bricks used, even better than their own home. If she could work there, she wouldn't have to endure the wind and sun, and it would be close to her family.

Lu Wei: "The three thousand positions aren't all that's needed; it's just that the site can only accommodate so many. Once the workshops are built and everyone moves in, they'll surely hire more workers for silk reeling, dyeing, and weaving." Seeing the spark return to Madam Xia's eyes, Lu Wei knew she understood. "Then you can come back to apply. This issue will be resolved, not just for you, but for everyone else as well."

Madam Xia wiped her face vigorously. "Miss Lu Wei, thank you, thank you so much."

Lu Wei took out a handkerchief to help dry her tears. "There, now go home and get some rest. Take good care of your eyes. If your vision is impaired, I won't be able to hire you."

"Ai."