Chapter 448 – Money Blown in by the Wind (Part II)
“Then you come and coax her. If Changsheng cries her eyes out, won’t you be heartbroken?”
Wei Jingxian placed a huge responsibility on Feng Jin, rendering him speechless as he looked down at his daughter clutching his sleeve, unwilling to let go.
Feng Jin shook his head helplessly, “Honestly, it feels like I must’ve owed you two in my last life!”
Thus, when Feng Jin headed to the administrative hall today, he was a bit off-kilter… The people below dared not ask, only casting curious glances at him.
With a thick skin, Feng Jin made his way to the administrative hall early. He sneaked to his position, grabbed a cushion, and hid his hefty sleeves under a low table, but Changsheng’s temper was beyond comprehension.
She had been well-behaved on the way, but the moment they entered the hall, she didn’t want to stay in his sleeve anymore.
“Hua Yu, what’s the matter with you?”
Qi Guanrang wrapped up his work, having nearly registered 80% of the common people. With work not so rushed, he leisurely slowed his pace and stopped the madness of overtime to eat and sleep well.
After a few days, his sunken cheeks plumped up a bit, looking healthier with a rosy complexion.
So, these days, the first to arrive at the administrative hall wasn’t him, but either Feng Jin or Xu Ke.
Feng Jin felt his daughter squirming, and his expression shifted slightly. “N-Nothing…”
Just as he was about to reel her back in, she tumbled out of his sleeve.
Qi Guanrang was stunned, looking at Feng Jin and then at the chubby girl, mumbling for a moment, speechless.
“Surprising, I see you, Feng Huaiyu, are dabbling in human trafficking, huh?”
Qi Guanrang’s mind turned, and although he had already guessed Changsheng’s identity, he still teased with a smile.
Feng Jin’s face flushed. He simply gave in and confessed with closed eyes.
“Changsheng is too clingy; she held onto my sleeve this morning and wouldn’t let go. I couldn’t bear her crying for a quarter of an hour, so I just brought her along. She’s been good; usually, she doesn’t even cry. Give her a toy, and she could play all day.”
Qi Guanrang extended his hand to Changsheng, “Nothing wrong with your daughter being noisy. Come here, my little niece, let Uncle Qi hold you.”
Qi Guanrang actually adored children. His first wife fell ill early and left no offspring; later, he married Wei Yuan’s eldest daughter. They were loving, and it took them two years to finally have a daughter.
But he felt it was too chaotic outside, so when he left Chongzhou, he didn’t bring the mother-daughter duo along.
Changsheng was quite familiar, bold, and quickly climbed up Qi Guanrang’s clothes with agile movements.
“This little one has some strength; your sister-in-law knows how to raise kids.”
Qi Guanrang held the child perfectly, and Changsheng wasn’t afraid. She reached out to mess with his hairpin.
Feng Jin secretly turned his face, thinking this daughter was too mischievous and lively, lacking the gentleness expected of a Feng family girl.
Changsheng generously smeared a wet kiss on Qi Guanrang’s cheek.
Smack—
With a smile, she opened her mouth wide to reveal a tiny budding rice tooth.
“Your daughter is more likable than you,” Qi Guanrang gave a brief evaluation.
Unlikable Feng Jin: “…”
“Let her play by herself, don’t let her trouble you.”
Although Feng Jin brought Changsheng along, he didn’t want to delay his colleague’s work.
“It’s fine, really. The child is still too little. If not supervised, it’s easy for an accident to happen.” Qi Guanrang mainly oversaw the registration and sorting of household registrations. Fortunately, he still had nine girls busy on his side, so his boss could slack off a bit, “But you, you haven’t organized the case files yet. Looks like you’re going to be busy for a while.”
Feng Jin was left speechless, watching as Qi Guanrang took his daughter aside to play with her.
In no time, his daughter had already stuck to Qi Guanrang.
Wait… Whose daughter is this?
Changsheng was squealing with laughter, her big eyes almost turning into slits, climbing over Qi Guanrang affectionately.
Soon, Xu Ke arrived as well.
Seeing a girl in the administrative hall, he raised an eyebrow and casually walked around, exuding an icy attitude.
“Be careful and hide the kid, lest the Lord sees and snatches her away from you,” Xu Ke whispered.
Qi Guanrang raised an eyebrow, “Rest assured, with the Lord’s temperament, it’s three days of fishing and two days of drying the nets… He won’t come every day.”
Jiang Pengji didn’t come to the administrative hall daily; she was either playing with mud or tinkering with wood. Recently, Meng Hunyun and Luo Yue seemed entranced, following her around all day to mess with siege weapon models.
To be specific, following those models around.
Li Yun was busy mapping out the reclaimed fields, meticulously dividing them to rent to families during spring plowing. Issues about agricultural tools, oxen, and more were on the agenda, plus he had orders to go to Chengde County to purchase seeds, completely busy to the point of being footloose.
Construction in the county had reached the third phase; the main roads were nearly finished, covered in blue stone tiles that remained clean even in rainy weather. In Xiangyang County, there was an area affectionately called the “Noble District” by the common people, with newly built houses all in a row, stunningly beautiful.
Speaking of the “Noble District,” one must mention the twenty-some women that Jiang Pengji had previously taken in.
Most of them hailed from wealthy families or the gentry. After Jiang Pengji sorted through their finances, she returned their family properties, and they expressed their willingness to pay for new houses, as their old homes were long destroyed, with some of the land had even been reclaimed by the county, leaving them with nowhere to go.
Seeing the newly built houses, everyone was moved.
“You all can now be considered part of the county government, helping out immensely. It’s only right to reward your contributions. How about this, the fifth batch of two-entry houses will cost four thousand guan each. If you can’t afford it upfront, you can pay a deposit first and the rest in installments. If you agree, I’ll draft a new contract for you.” After considering their requests, Jiang Pengji offered a compromise plan, “Would any of you like to genuinely join the county government? The salary is paid monthly, and you can choose between food or equivalent silver.”
With the current number of hands, they could manage, but as their territory expanded, it would likely get frantic. Taking advantage of the breather now, they needed to cultivate a batch of personnel for when the time came to deploy them, which was a delightful thought.
Hearing Jiang Pengji’s proposal, the women’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Working in the county government during this time diverted their attention from their traumas caused by the Green Garment Army. Though tiring, the women found satisfaction in the work, much more fulfilling than staying in the inner chambers.
Learning that there would be a salary every month made them even more enthusiastic.
Some responded on the spot, while others hesitated a bit before agreeing.
Without Jiang Pengji, they would have long been tormented to death by the Green Garment Army. Even if they didn’t die, their wealth would have fallen into the hands of other clansmen.
Poor and alone women couldn’t survive in this current world.
The young county magistrate before them had offered them a glimmer of hope; it would be foolish not to seize it.
If the county magistrate gained a position, perhaps their unscrupulous clansmen wouldn’t dare press them anymore.
Without much effort, Jiang Pengji had gained twenty-three literate and skilled employees.
They were grateful to her, working overtime until late without complaint, eager to tackle any paperwork.
Ah, what a delightful situation.
