Transmigrated Farmgirl's Scheme to Get Rich - Chapter 253
Delivering Winter Clothes
Back in the office, Chi Jie asked, “What was the point of that? You’re all from the same family, and with how tense the current situation is, you won’t be able to get along in the future.”
“We’re already fated to not get along. If you give them preferential treatment, the two of us won’t get along in the future either.”
Chi Jie looked around and whispered, “Yan’er, I have been looking for a way to go back all this time. If I find it, are you willing to go back with me?”
“We’ll talk about this again when you find it!”
Xiuying knew that she could not afford to offend Mo Yan, so she stopped playing workplace politics and could only work hard like other small managers.
In the blink of an eye, it was August, and the cotton fields had all turned white. No one was worried about the cotton being difficult to sell, and worked harder than in previous years, and the cotton they picked was cleaner and higher quality than usual.
After picking the cotton, it had to be fluffed to remove the cotton seeds before it could be used. There was only one cotton fluffing shop in the town, and if they solely relied on it, it wouldn’t be enough even if they worked non-stop.
Mo Yan recruited some people who knew how to fluff cotton to the workshop, since they would always be of use in the workshop.
Seeing the cotton clothes pile up more and more, she began to worry about safety issues. These are all easily flammable items, and it would be disastrous if they caught on fire.
The workers of the workshop naturally knew how important it was to prevent fire from starting. Just in case, Mo Yan and Chi Jie discussed asking the town guard to keep a closer look on the workshop in case something happened.
To keep out flames and humidity, the finished cotton clothes are packed in bundles of ten and wrapped in oilcloth.
Seeing that the deadline was going to be met soon, Chi Jie said that someone would come to transport these cotton clothes at that time.
One day, Mo Yan was about to go home, when Duan Caimei came to the workshop to find her, saying that she was tired from walking and came in to rest. She casually asked about how the workshop was doing.
After a while, Mo Yan wanted to go home together with her. Duan Caimei said she wanted to go to the toilet, so Mo Yan waited for her in the courtyard before the two went home together.
Often, the more you worry about something, the more likely it is to happen. That night, a fire broke out in the workshop’s warehouse. Fortunately, the town guard discovered it in time and only a few dozen winter coats were incinerated.
Chi Jie naturally did not sleep all night, and took Ze Wu to check on the warehouse overnight. Mo Yan heard about this as soon as she entered the workshop. She ran to the warehouse and saw that the fire started near the back window.
It seems like someone an incindierary in from the back window, which caused the fire. Fortunately, the back window was small and high, and no grease that could help with ignition was poured in.
The town guard said that no suspicious people were found around the workshop last night, and Bingtang hadn’t even barked once, so no strangers had entered.
If it’s not a stranger, could it be someone inside the workshop? These people make a living by working in the workshop! Who would hope that something would happen in the workshop?
Chi Jie, who had not slept all night, said with dark circles under his eyes, “Maybe someone doesn’t want these winter coats to be sent to the border, and does not want the Beiyan army to win.”
“A spy from Nanyong?”
Chi Jie shook his head, “No, this person probably doesn’t want the generals leading the troops on the front line to victory and gaining merit.”
Mo Yan suddenly thought of someone with a grudge against Lu Hong, Duan Caimei. She came to the workshop inexplicably yesterday, and said she was going to the toilet before leaving. The back window of the warehouse was near the toilet.
She should have spontaneously had an idea and threw an incendiary in from the back window, slowly igniting the winter clothing wrapped in oilcloth, so the fire was not big.
She wanted the Lu family to fall on misfortune so she would have a reason to call the marriage, but her approach was too naive.
The town guard came to ask if they should report this to the officials. Mo Yan said, “Since no one started the fire, there’s no need. Just be more careful next time.”
After cleaning the warehouse and sealing the back window with wooden boards, they pretended that this incident never happened.
When she got home at night, Duan Caimei came to ask about the fire in the workshop. Mo Yan said, “Fortunately, not much clothing was burned. Otherwise, if the delivery date was delayed, I would have to pay with my head.”
“Why?”
“Military orders are sacred. Who dares to disobey them?”
“Sister Caimei, it is impossible for you to not marry Lu Junming. However, if Lu Junming has achievements in the military and a good reputation, and he proposes to refuse the marriage, maybe things can be turned around.”
“Will he refuse the marriage, and does he actually not want to marry me? Didn’t he say that he would go to the capital to marry me after he gained some achievements in the military? ”
“Do you believe that he said that, and you weren’t being manipulated by your grandfather? Are you willing to marry him?”
“Of course not! But it’d be embarrassing for others to know that he rejected me.”
“Is your reputation or happiness more important?”
“Of course happiness is more important.”
The date for the delivery of the winter clothing was approaching, and Mu Yan went to the warehouse to check on it again and again, ensuring there were no more mistakes.
On the day, a team of soldiers came to receive the goods, saying that they were in charge of military supplies. They only came with people and money, but there weren’t enough carriages to load all of the winter clothing. Mo Yan and the others were asked to help supply vehicles, and they even sent out some accountants to explain in person.
The military leader asked his men to unload the wooden boxes containing Mo Yan’s payment, but she said, “No need. Take the silver with you to the border to assess the situation. If it’s convenient, I’ll buy some southern goods and bring them back.”
Chi Jie was surprised and said, “Are you going to the border?”
“Who else would! Do you want Liangsheng to go?”
Besides Zhou Liangsheng, Mo Yan knew the workshop’s finances best, but it was a long and dangerous trip to the border.
Chi Jie said, “I’ll go with you!”
“I won’t be alone, aren’t there these soldiers escorting military supplies?”
“They are all men, and you’re a girl. It’s not safe.”
“It’s up to you.”
Knowing that they were going to the border, Zhou Liangsheng, Chuzi, even Zhao’er and Cao Zhang all clamoured to go.
Mo Yan said, “How can we all go? The storefronts, commercial firm and workshop all need to be looked after. After we leave, Liangsheng will take care of the workshop temporarily.”
Xiaowu from the knife shop also came to see them off. He handed over a short knife with a leather sheath, “Take it for self-defence.”
Mo Yan unsheathed the knife and saw that the blade was streamlined and beautiful, with a sharp edge. The handle was made of mahogany, and it was dark red and shiny. The blueprint of this knife was drawn by her, and it imitated the shape of the Nepalese dog-leg knife.
“It’s a good knife, thank you. You have to take care of the shop when I leave.”
All 60,000 winter clothes were loaded into the carriages, as well as the boxes of silver. There were more than 30 cars in total, and they set off.
Mo Yan wanted to ride a horse, but Chi Jie wanted to take a carriage. He arranged the carriage comfortably, with food, tea, thick cushions, soft pillows, drawings and books. If he felt sleepy, he could even lie down and take a nap.
He didn’t want to suffer on horseback, experiencing cold winds and pain on his backside.
His horse was obedient and didn’t need to be watched as it followed the caravan. Ze Wu was also lazy and hid in the carriage to rest.
Mo Yan knew the road the caravan was taking was to Jizhou. After more than a thousand miles, the caravan arrived on the fourth day.
The Hongfu Inn outside Jizhou City looked the same as always, but there were no guests inside, and Jiang Qi and Liu Ba didn’t show up.
A gust of cold wind blew through the dead leaves, making the bird-scaring bells on the eaves of the inn jingle.
P.S. Thanks for reading!