“Old lady has met the gentlemen. May I ask what business you have with me?”
Madam Zhu Chen looked at the escort masters with a flattering expression.
“We are escort masters from the Zhenyuan Escort Agency. Dare I ask if you are the mother of Miss Linglong?”
The lead escort captain asked with a smile.
To have given birth to a daughter like Zhu Linglong, Madam Zhu Chen was clearly a quick-witted woman herself.
Otherwise, she would never have thought, before the house was raided, to beat the women until their faces were bruised and swollen in order to avoid the entertainment quarter.
Seeing the escort captain ask with a smiling face, she immediately judged that he bore goodwill.
Her anxious heart relaxed at once. She nodded and said, “Yes, I am Linglong’s birth mother! Do the gentlemen have news of my Linglong? Please tell me where she is now?”
“Miss Linglong is currently with our master in Xichuan. It was our master who sent us to find you all.”
The escort captain replied.
“Has Linglong married?”
Madam Zhu Chen asked, then immediately lowered her head.
She knew she had asked a foolish question.
Zhu Linglong was merely a young woman. Apart from being bought by some powerful figure and becoming a concubine, what other reason could there be for someone to send people thousands of li to Jiangnan to search for them?
She wondered whether her daughter’s husband’s family treated her well.
Madam Zhu Chen could not help feeling worried.
Yet to her surprise, she heard the escort say, “I do not know whether Miss Linglong has married.”
“You do not know?” Madam Zhu Chen was stunned. “Did you not just say that Linglong is with your master in Xichuan?”
“Madam, have you heard of the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce? Have you heard of the female manager of the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce?”
Zhang Yunting, standing to one side, said with a smile. “Miss Linglong was chosen by Master Jin of the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce. She may even become a female manager. In future, I hope you will put in a good word for me and help promote my interests a little!”
At this moment, Zhang Yunting felt secretly fortunate.
Jin Feng had sent people on such a laborious search for Zhu Linglong’s family. Even a fool could see that he intended to promote her heavily.
Fortunately, he had not mistreated the Zhu women, or if Zhu Linglong sought revenge later, it might have become troublesome.
As for not feeding or clothing the Zhu women properly, Zhang Yunting was not worried.
In these times, even ordinary commoners went hungry. It was perfectly normal for household slaves to lack food and warm clothing.
Having kept every Zhu woman alive until now was already a kindness towards Zhu Linglong.
If she sought revenge over this, it would be unreasonable.
He, Zhang Yunting, also had considerable wealth in Jiangnan. Though not comparable to the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce, he was no pushover.
Madam Zhu Chen’s eyes widened upon hearing this.
Though Ruan Tongjie had not yet gone to Xichuan to establish a branch before her family fell, restaurants were places where news circulated fastest. Madam Zhu Chen had long ago heard the name of the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce from passing merchants.
She had simply not remembered it clearly earlier.
Now reminded by Zhang Yunting, she immediately recalled what merchants had said: the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce and the Zhenyuan Escort Agency belonged to the same family, both under a baron named Jin Feng.
“Is your master Baron Jin?”
Madam Zhu Chen asked, both shocked and delighted.
“Yes!” the escort captain nodded.
“Has Linglong become a female manager?” Madam Zhu Chen pressed.
Though she knew Zhu Linglong was quick with calculations, the idea of male superiority and female inferiority was deeply entrenched in Dakang.
Very few women appeared in public to work.
Most people believed a woman’s place was at home, supporting her husband and raising children. She should not work outside.
Even if the family could not survive, at most a woman was allowed to spin thread or weave cloth at home.
This was precisely why the female manager of the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce was famous throughout the land.
However, Madam Zhu Chen herself had once managed a restaurant, so her thinking was relatively progressive.
She would rather Zhu Linglong become a female manager than have her daughter rely on pleasing men to live.
Yet the escort captain poured cold water on her again. “I am sorry, madam. I do not know whether Miss Linglong has become a female manager. I was only ordered to find her family. May I ask, are you all willing to come with me?”
“Willing! Willing!”
Madam Zhu Chen nodded quickly. “Thank you to your master, and thank you for the trouble, gentlemen!”
Since Jin Feng had sent people to find them, it showed he valued Zhu Linglong greatly.
Even if Zhu Linglong had not become a female manager, her position must still be respectable.
She had heard that the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce had no household slaves. Whether manager or clerk, everyone received wages.
Though Zhu Linglong’s salary would certainly not allow them to return to their former life, it was still a thousand times better than doing hard labour here.
Even if they continued spinning thread, with a little extra from Zhu Linglong’s wages, they might at least eat their fill and dress warmly.
“Then please gather your things and come with me.”
The escort captain turned to Zhang Yunting. “Master Zhang, is this acceptable?”
“Of course!”
Zhang Yunting quickly took a stack of indenture contracts from his bosom and handed them to the escort captain. “These are their contracts.”
“Thank you, Master Zhang. How much should I pay you?”
The escort captain took the contracts directly.
“No need, no need. Meeting you gentlemen today is fate. Speaking of money would be vulgar!”
Zhang Yunting waved his hand hastily.
In truth, this was a perfect opportunity to extort money from Jin Feng.
If Zhang Yunting wished, even if he asked for a thousand taels, he believed Jin Feng would pay.
Yet he did not want to earn this money.
Compared to a thousand taels of silver, he preferred to establish goodwill with Jin Feng.
“Thank you, Master Zhang. I will certainly report your generosity to my master!”
The escort captain, experienced in the jianghu, was no fool. He smiled and cupped his hands.
“Thank you, Master Zhang. In future, if there is anything Linglong can do for you, just send word. I will ensure Linglong repays your great kindness!”
Madam Zhu Chen also curtseyed.
“Hahaha, you are both too polite!”
Zhang Yunting stroked his beard and laughed heartily, knowing he had bet correctly.
At this point, the Zhu women had all gathered at the hut entrance, looking curiously at the escorts and Zhang Yunting.
The escort captain noticed that most were wearing only summer single-layer clothes. He had men fetch several bundles.
“Madam Zhu, these are cotton-padded clothes. Put them on for now.”
“Thank you, gentlemen!”
Madam Zhu Chen did not stand on ceremony. She bowed to accept the bundles and passed them to her eldest daughter-in-law.
The daughter-in-law, long frozen stiff, squatted down on the spot and opened a bundle.
Once the Zhu women had all donned the cotton clothes, the escorts led them onto carriages.
The children, long starved, discovered steamed buns on the carriages and grabbed them to gnaw.
Early the next morning, the dozen or so people were placed on a fast boat returning to Xichuan.
After more than ten days of travel, the Zhu women finally returned with the children to Xichuan City, which they had left several months before.
Zhu Linglong had received word long ago and waited at the city gate from early morning.
Family members separated for months were finally reunited.
Zhu Linglong had rented a courtyard, but Madam Zhu Chen did not go there. Instead, she led the whole family straight to Jin Feng.
“For your great kindness, sir, the Zhu family will never forget it as long as we live!”
The moment Madam Zhu Chen saw Jin Feng, she led the Zhu women in a deep kneeling bow.
On the way into the city to the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce, she had heard from Zhu Linglong that Jin Feng had not only searched for the Zhu women but had also sent people to look for the Zhu men.
Unfortunately, the adult Zhu men had not survived and had all died at the front.
Now only two young boys remained in the Zhu family.
Yet Madam Zhu Chen was still deeply grateful.
Had Jin Feng not acted promptly to help, the Zhu lineage might have been extinguished.
