“Have you heard? Mr Jin from West River Bay is going to take on Black Water Ditch!”
“I not only heard, I went to Black Earth Mountain to see it. You wouldn’t believe it, the two passes at Black Water Ditch are nearly piled high with bandit corpses!”
“Good heavens, how many bandits must have died?”
“It would be best if all the bandits died. We can barely pay the annual taxes as it is, and the bandits’ tribute gets heavier every year. If Mr Jin doesn’t act, we won’t survive.”
“Yes, Mr Jin should kill all the bandits!”
“I went to Black Earth Mountain too. Mr Jin has so few men, I wonder if they can hold against the bandits?”
“They definitely can. My cousin’s uncle is from south of West River Bay. He says a few months ago, Mr Jin used just a few dozen men to wipe out several hundred from Iron Pot Mountain.”
“A few dozen against hundreds? How is that possible?”
“Don’t doubt it, Old Liu. My cousin’s uncle says Mr Jin not only beat hundreds with dozens, but didn’t lose a single man.”
“You’re making it sound more mythical by the minute. Are Mr Jin’s men gods from heaven?”
“Old Liu, Old Three isn’t lying. My sister’s husband’s neighbour has a son who served in the Iron Forest Army. He came back injured this year. He says in Weizhou City, Mr Jin led a few thousand Iron Forest troops and destroyed tens of thousands of Tangut cavalry!”
“Yes, I heard that too. Mr Jin just waved his hand, and stones rained from the sky, killing tens of thousands of Tangut cavalry in one go! If that’s not a god, what is?”
“If you put it like that, Mr Jin really might defeat Black Water Ditch?”
“Not just Black Water Ditch. Yesterday I went to the county seat to sell game, and I heard Mr Jin has surrounded Double Hump Peak and Tiger Head Mountain too. He’s sworn to wipe out every tribute-collecting bandit in the whole of Jinchuan!”
“If that’s true, Mr Jin is the great benefactor of all Jinchuan people!”
“Not just Jinchuan people, but all Da Kang people. Mr Jin defeated the Tanguts, so next year the court won’t have to pay them tribute, and our taxes might drop a bit more.”
“No bandit tribute, and the court lowers taxes a little, finally we can live a few good days!”
“Mr Jin is so brilliant in battle, why doesn’t he stay on the frontier and wipe out the Khitans too? Then our taxes could drop even more. Why come back to Jinchuan?”
“Isn’t it because Mr Jin has no powerful backers? Those court officials fear he’ll steal their credit.”
“Alas, those dog officials!”
“Shut your mouth quick, do you want to die?”
…
Similar conversations took place all over Jinchuan.
Countless common folk followed the confrontation between Jin Feng and the bandits.
Yet the central figure, Jin Feng himself, paid the matter little mind.
On the second day of the operation, Zhang Liang and the others all sent messengers back reporting success. They had seized the vital choke points of each bandit lair.
With the veterans’ equipment and combat quality, holding advantageous terrain, they would never let bandits escape.
But the veterans lacked the strength to storm in, and Jin Feng forbade heavy casualties, so both sides could only stalemate.
This would be a protracted battle, possibly lasting one or two years.
Jin Feng could not stay focused on it constantly.
At that moment, he, Guan Xiaorou, and Tang Dongdong had all been dragged into the courtyard by Tang Xiaobei to admire her achievements.
“Husband, Sister Xiaorou, Sister, look!”
Tang Xiaobei ran over and lifted the canvas from the cart, revealing two huge iron-bound chests.
Opening the lids, they were filled with gleaming new silver ingots that dazzled Guan Xiaorou in the sunlight, making her squint.
No one except Jin Feng knew better than her how soap was made.
She could scarcely imagine something so cheap to produce selling for such prices in the city.
In the past, she used soap freely when washing clothes, sometimes applying extra for a thorough clean.
But ever since learning a single bar sold for five taels in town, she became reluctant, as if rubbing silver onto the fabric instead of soap.
Jin Feng had teased her about it several times.
Yet she still used it sparingly.
Tang Dongdong also showed surprise.
A while back, Tang Xiaobei had sent one chest of silver, but this time there were two full chests, surely several thousand taels.
The textile mill employed several times more workers than the soap makers, yet its earnings barely covered a new workshop, even requiring subsidies from Jin Feng.
Thinking of this, Tang Dongdong felt a pang of defeat.
“Xiaobei, is all this from selling soap?”
Guan Xiaorou asked, eyes wide with disbelief.
“Of course!”
Tang Xiaobei lifted her chin proudly.
“Xiaobei, you’re amazing. I’ve never seen so much silver in my life!”
Guan Xiaorou gave a thumbs-up, full of admiration.
“Sister, this is just the beginning. Our soap is now famous in Guangyuan and several surrounding counties. We’ll earn more and more.”
Tang Xiaobei’s eyes shone with longing. “When we sell soap in the capital, that’s when we’ll really make big money…”
Before she could finish dreaming, Tang Dongdong slapped the back of her head. “Getting cocky, are we? Let’s see you bring back two more chests next month!”
“Hehe,” Tang Xiaobei stuck out her tongue and laughed. “Sister Xiaorou, actually this much came because we just opened several county markets and people bought in bulk. It won’t be this high again soon.”
“Opening so many new markets in such a short time is still impressive.”
Jin Feng smiled and ruffled Tang Xiaobei’s hair. “Now the sales channels are open, like digging a canal. Future silver won’t match this haul, but it will flow steadily.”
“I didn’t open the new markets myself…”
“But you selected and trained the people who did. That’s your achievement!”
Jin Feng praised with a smile.
“Heehee!”
Tang Xiaobei beamed like a schoolgirl praised by her teacher, happier than if she had earned two more chests.
“Xiaobei, you’re brilliant. Unlike me, I only know how to spend money. Sometimes I don’t even understand what Husband says, and I can’t help.”
Guan Xiaorou took Tang Xiaobei’s hand. “Husband is lucky to have married you.”
“I’m lucky to have you too.”
Jin Feng smiled and took Guan Xiaorou’s hand. “Who says you don’t help? Whether our soap sells in the capital depends on the new varieties you and Wan-niang create.”
Seeing Tang Dongdong looking downcast, he added, “And Dongdong, meeting you is my fortune too. Without you, the textile mill would never run so smoothly.
It doesn’t matter that it isn’t profitable yet. Don’t rush. Develop steadily, one step at a time.
Food, clothing, shelter, and transport are what people care about most. Clothing comes first. Trust me, once the textile mill grows, the profits will be enormous.”
