The market for scented soap had now spread completely. In just a few months, several new factory buildings had sprung up at Iron Pot Mountain. Every month the slave brokers in the commandery city sent another batch of slaves there.
When Jin Feng and Wan Yuhong arrived, they happened to meet one such group at the foot of the mountain.
There were not only young women, but several children too.
“Sisters, Iron Pot Mountain is just ahead. One last push!”
The broker leading the column shouted, “Once we reach Iron Pot Mountain, everyone will have full bellies and can work for wages to redeem your families!”
At these words, expectation lit up in many of the women’s eyes.
Most females received by the brokers had been sold because their families could not pay taxes or because relatives had committed crimes. Usually whole households were confiscated and sold together.
By now Jin Feng’s reputation in the commandery city brokers’ yards was legendary. Every slave knew that being bought by Master Jin meant no bullying, decent pay for work, and after the first full month, if there were no problems, an advance on wages so they could start redeeming family members who had already been sold.
Being purchased by Master Jin was the greatest dream of every girl and child in the yard.
The broker was still talking when he heard hoofbeats behind him. He glanced back, then hurriedly called, “Sisters, clear the path quickly! Master Jin is coming!”
“So that’s Master Jin. He’s so young!”
“Master Jin, thank you for taking in me and my little brother. A-Chun kowtows to you!”
At the news, the slaves quickly moved to the side of the mountain track, looking curiously at Jin Feng and his party.
One female slave pulled her younger brother down and knelt in the mud to kowtow.
“Get up, get up quickly! We don’t go in for kowtowing in Jinchuan, and I’m not worthy of it!”
Jin Feng leapt from his horse and pulled the kowtowing girl and the child to their feet.
“You are worthy, sir. If you had not taken us in, my brother and I might have been sold who knows where. We might never have seen each other again in this lifetime.”
The girl said excitedly, “Gengsheng, kowtow to the master quickly. You’re so little. If someone else had bought you, you would surely starve!”
Kowtowing was the only way she could think of to show her gratitude.
The boy, six or seven years old, looked blankly at his sister, then at Jin Feng, and started to kneel.
“The ground is all mud and water. There’s no need to kneel.”
Jin Feng stopped the child at once. “If you really want to thank me, work hard once you’re up the mountain, raise your little brother well, and educate him properly.”
“Master Jin, rest assured. From now on I belong to you in life and death. Whatever you tell A-Chun to do, A-Chun will do!”
The girl raised her hand as if to swear an oath.
“Enough, enough, it’s not that dramatic.”
Jin Feng pulled her arm down, shaking his head with a wry smile.
He inwardly marvelled at the simple sincerity of ancient people, then turned to the other girls.
Before reaching the brokers, girls who had been confiscated usually had everything stripped from them by the yamen runners, even their outer clothing.
Many wore only thin undergarments and had no shoes.
It was already late autumn, the temperature was low, and it had been raining continuously. Nearly all the girls had been caught in the rain on the way to Jinchuan and were now shivering with cold.
“Da Liu, when we get back tell the escort agency in Guangyuan that from now on, for any girls and children we buy, the brokers are not to escort them. The agency will send people to collect them.”
Afraid he would forget, Jin Feng turned specifically to Da Liu. “Also have the textile mill send a batch of women’s clothing and shoes to Guangyuan. Before they set off, give each person a full set. If it rains, don’t rush the journey. When winter comes, we mustn’t let them freeze.”
“Understood!” Da Liu noted it down at once.
“Old An, ride ahead up the mountain first. Tell the kitchens to prepare a big pot of ginger soup to warm them up, and inform Miss Zuo to get clothing ready.”
The previous manager of Iron Pot Mountain had been Wanniang. Now Wanniang had moved to Xihe Bay to develop perfumes and soaps with Guan Xiaorou, so Iron Pot Mountain was run by a girl named Zuo Feifei.
“Yes, sir!” An old soldier turned and galloped up the mountain.
“Thank you, Master Jin!”
Because of the constant rain, the group had travelled slowly, taking four whole days to reach the mountain. They had been cold and hungry the entire way.
A bowl of ginger soup would be sheer bliss.
“Right, hurry up the mountain.”
Jin Feng waved to the broker, remounted, and rode on.
“Yes, sir!”
The broker bowed, then led his column after them.
As he rode, Jin Feng reflected.
His businesses were growing ever larger, and management was gradually failing to keep pace.
If he had not happened to meet this group today, he would never have known the girls were walking barefoot through the rain all the way from Guangyuan to Iron Pot Mountain.
In the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce, over the past two months some clerks had secretly bought soap and resold it on the black market at inflated prices.
There had also been escorts who, while on missions, used heavy crossbows and trebuchets to extort bandits.
As the chamber and the escort agency expanded, such incidents would only increase. He had to find ways to strengthen oversight quickly.
Yet he was just an engineering man. What did he know about management?
Tang Dongdong had some natural talent for it, but she had never received systematic training. The textile mill was growing bigger every day, and she was already working herself to exhaustion, often staying until midnight. Adding more responsibility would probably break her.
Tang Xiaobei was in a similar position. The chamber of commerce was expanding rapidly, centred on Guangyuan and the capital, now reaching five or six commandery cities with shops in every county-level unit. She already had more than enough on her plate.
She had originally planned to lead the team opening the Jiangnan market herself, but there was simply too much to do, so the trip had been postponed.
Then there was Zhang Liang. He was excellent at leading troops into battle. After taking over from Qing Muluan to direct the bandit suppression, he had reversed the decline and achieved outstanding results.
In less than a month, he had divided his forces, swept through every county in Guangyuan like thunder, and wiped out all the large bandit groups, winning decisive victories almost every time.
But Zhang Liang was not skilled at administration either.
He was fine directing soldiers in open combat, but once the escorts were scattered in small teams across the region, control slipped away.
In short, Jin Feng had plenty of capable officers but lacked a true commander who could oversee the whole picture.
“I really must find talented people soon!”
Jin Feng sighed, then dismounted.
Today’s Iron Pot Mountain bore no resemblance to the place it had been when first captured.
All the thatched huts had been demolished and replaced with brick-and-tile buildings so more people could live there.
On the flattened mountaintop stood row upon row of tall drying sheds. Inside, racks were filled with layers of soap curing in the air.
Groups of girls moved between them carrying trays.
A rich fragrance filled the air.
Jin Feng felt refreshed and closed his eyes to enjoy it.
A woman in purple hurried over, curtseyed to Jin Feng, and said softly, “Greetings, Master!”
She was Zuo Feifei, the current manager of Iron Pot Mountain.
As soon as the old soldier informed her, she finished arranging food and clothing and came straight to the entrance to welcome Jin Feng.
“Feifei, it’s been a while. You’ve grown even prettier!”
Jin Feng opened his eyes and greeted her with a smile.
In pure looks and figure, Zuo Feifei was the equal of Guan Xiaorou and Tang Xiaobei, and she carried an air of scholarly refinement.
When Jin Feng had first chosen her to replace Wanniang, Tang Xiaobei had even suspected he fancied Zuo Feifei.
“Master, you’re teasing Feifei again.”
Zuo Feifei’s face instantly turned bright red, her tone half reproachful, half shy.
Yet inside, she felt sweetly happy.
