Qing Mulan originally wanted to ask about the situation between the Ninth Princess and Jin Feng. However, the Ninth Princess either changed the subject or simply did not answer. She buried her head and kept eating.
Qing Mulan stamped her foot in frustration, but there was nothing she could do, so she finally left.
Watching Qing Mulan’s departing figure, the Ninth Princess put down her chopsticks and let out a soft sigh.
She knew exactly what Qing Mulan wanted to ask.
It was nothing more than when she and Jin Feng planned to get married, and what would happen to Guan Xiaorou and Tang Xiaobei.
From what the Ninth Princess understood of Jin Feng, he would never abandon Guan Xiaorou and Tang Xiaobei.
The subtle probing during breakfast in West River Bay had already confirmed this.
So the Ninth Princess had never even brought it up with Jin Feng.
She already knew the answer.
Avoiding Qing Mulan’s questions was simply to avoid breaking the current harmony between them.
When he returned to the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce, Ruan Tongjie was still waiting at the entrance.
Seeing Jin Feng come back, she quickly stepped forward.
“Sir, how is Her Highness’s condition?”
“The physician said it is not a big problem.”
Jin Feng jumped down from the warhorse and handed the reins to Da Liu. “Get someone to prepare some food for us. I am starving to death.”
He had been running around all day and had only eaten a bowl of noodles at Zhou Youda’s place.
Bei Qianxun and Da Liu were in the same situation. Their stomachs had been growling for a while.
“The food is already prepared. I will have it brought over right away.”
Ruan Tongjie said quickly.
“Alright.” Jin Feng nodded and led Bei Qianxun, Da Liu, and the others towards the dining hall.
The group did not bother with distinctions between master and servant. They gathered around a large round table with a big basin of noodles in the middle. Everyone slurped noisily.
Bei Qianxun even propped one foot on the stool.
Having been trained by great families for years, she was used to waiting until the master finished eating before quietly finding a corner to squat and eat her own meal.
When she first started following Jin Feng, Tang Xiaobei had called Bei Qianxun to eat together, but she had refused, thinking Jin Feng was trying to buy people’s loyalty.
Later she discovered that Jin Feng was completely different from other nobles.
Many nobles were extremely particular about food, clothing, and daily habits. Even when travelling, everything had to be refined and meticulous.
Jin Feng, however, did not care about any of that.
All the way back from the East Sea, Jin Feng ate and lived exactly the same as the bodyguards.
When hungry, he would scoop a bowl of noodles from the big pot, grab a couple of garlic cloves, squat by the roadside, and devour it like a wolf.
Even when he occasionally ate in the tent with Tang Xiaobei, he never secretly prepared special food. It was always the same communal meal.
She had originally thought Jin Feng only behaved this way while on the road. Only after arriving in West River Bay did she realise that his household was the same. Meals were extremely casual, with none of the complicated etiquette found in other great households.
Gradually, Bei Qianxun grew accustomed to and even came to enjoy this lively atmosphere at meals.
The young girls she had brought along had now been arranged to attend school in West River Bay. They ate, lived, and studied together with Xiao’e every day. Bei Qianxun began to genuinely accept and trust Jin Feng from the bottom of her heart.
After finishing one bowl of noodles and refilling his bowl, Jin Feng noticed Ruan Tongjie still standing nearby. He asked, “Is there something else?”
“The government sent someone today to inform us that the grain merchants have withdrawn their false accusations against the chamber. Tomorrow we can open the granaries.”
Ruan Tongjie said as she handed over a stack of documents.
“Lord Qing acted quickly enough. He caught the people yesterday, and today the complaints were already withdrawn.”
Jin Feng nodded. “Find a way to inform them outside the city. Send a batch of grain to Zhou Village tonight. Also notify Miss Linglong to have her people ready. Tomorrow morning they will leave the city with me.”
With grain available, the disaster relief could officially begin.
And Zhou Village would be his first pilot project.
Whether the people’s benefit loans would work depended on Zhou Village.
Early the next morning, Jin Feng led Zhu Linglong and dozens of bank clerks out through the west city gate of West Sichuan City.
When they arrived at Zhou Village, Zhou Youda had already gathered the villagers on the open ground.
At the edge of the open area stood a row of temporary sheds.
Behind the sheds were carts loaded with grain.
“Folks, Mr Jin has returned! Starting today, everyone can resume work!”
Zhou Youda stood on a high platform, shouting through a tin megaphone.
Jin Feng also smiled as he climbed onto the platform and waved to the crowd.
“Mr Jin is back! That’s wonderful!”
Most of the villagers below had been disaster victims previously captured by Danzhu. They were already very familiar with Jin Feng.
When they had heard earlier that Jin Feng had been lured to the East Sea, the villagers had been extremely anxious, terrified that something might happen to him.
Now, seeing that Jin Feng had returned safely, they all waved their arms in response to his greeting.
Zhou Youda had the gong struck several times before he finally quieted the crowd’s excitement.
“I believe the grain at your homes is almost gone, right?”
Zhou Youda shouted through the megaphone. “The granaries of the Jinchuan Chamber of Commerce have been unsealed. Mr Jin was worried you would go hungry, so he had a batch of grain sent to our Zhou Village overnight!”
“Mr Jin is truly a living Bodhisattva!”
“Yes, my family has been eating only one meal a day recently. In a few more days we would have run out completely!”
“My family already ran out yesterday!”
“We are considered lucky. Those of us who worked at Mr Jin’s construction site saved up some grain. My father-in-law’s side already had people starve to death. Even with money, no one could buy grain!”
“Yes, all thanks to Mr Jin!”
“Mr Jin coming back is great, but even if we start working today, we will not get paid until next month. My family’s grain is only enough for two more meals. How can we hold out until then?”
“Trust Mr Jin. He will surely find a way!”
The villagers had previously worked at Jin Feng’s construction sites and had some grain stored at home.
During the recent stoppage of work, they had relied on that grain to get by.
They had been worrying about what to do next when Jin Feng returned.
This gave them hope again.
Sure enough, Zhou Youda soon shouted through the megaphone, “Folks, Mr Jin knows that grain is running low in your homes. So you can use your deposit books from the Jinchuan Bank to advance grain as wages!”
As soon as the words were spoken, the open ground erupted.
In the current situation in Sichuan, having money did not necessarily mean you could buy grain.
Jin Feng was not only advancing wages but settling them in grain. This literally saved the lives of many disaster-stricken families.
Many villagers immediately knelt and kowtowed to Jin Feng with tears streaming down their faces.
Once one person started, others followed.
Soon the entire open ground was filled with people kowtowing.
“Mr Zhou, what if I do not have a deposit book from the Jinchuan Bank?”
Some villagers shouted anxiously.
“The bank staff are already here. Those without deposit books can get one right now!”
Zhou Youda shouted, “But let me be clear upfront. The grain you receive today is borrowed from Mr Jin, not given. You must work to repay it. You cannot take the grain and run!”
“Mr Jin is willing to lend us grain now, which is saving our entire family’s lives. If I took the grain and ran, would I still be human?”
“Mr Zhou, rest assured. In times like these, where could we run to earn grain? Even if you beat me to death, I would not bear to leave!”
The villagers pounded their chests and made solemn promises.
