From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 525: Chapter 527: Leaving

Although Village Chief Xiao was tempted, he still refused. "You can come back in a while. We’ll save some of the good ones for you then."

Jin Qianqian said, "Thank you for your trouble."

The guards behind her, each carrying a basket, escorted Jin Qianqian as she left.

Once she was far away, the villagers couldn’t hold back any longer. "Village Chief, should we follow them and see?"

Village Chief Xiao replied, "It’s just a small amount of goods. Wang Li and his men won’t care. Besides, you can tell these people aren’t ordinary. They wouldn’t dare cause trouble."

"Then why didn’t we sell them more just now?"

Village Chief Xiao gave him a light smack. "You foolish boy. You can tell at a glance they’re not from a simple family."

"We want to change our situation, but we don’t want to offend anyone."

"If a conflict really broke out and these nobles were harmed in the slightest, the consequences would be more than we could ever bear."

...

"Madam, why didn’t we buy more? With so many of us, are we really afraid of a minor merchant?" Li Qiu was indignant, seeing that they had failed to acquire so many high-quality goods.

Jin Qianqian lifted the curtain at that moment and looked outside. "There’s a saying: even a mighty dragon can’t crush a local snake. Besides, we can’t just listen to one side of the story."

"If both parties already have a formal agreement, what would it look like for us to just stick our noses in?"

"Moreover, from what I can see, these merchants aren’t that unscrupulous. Otherwise, do you think those villagers would be so diligent about cleaning the seafood so thoroughly?"

Li Qiu gritted her teeth. "They lied to us."

"That, I can’t say for sure," Jin Qianqian said, admiring the scenery outside. "Li Qiu, you’re still too impulsive. Can’t you see that life in Zhaoyu Village is much better than in the other villages we’ve seen?"

"Sometimes, people’s hearts are never satisfied. You can’t be rash, or you’ll end up being used as a weapon by others."

Li Qiu’s expression tightened. She, too, sensed that something was amiss.

"If there’s a signed agreement, then it should be followed."

"It’s perfectly normal for the other party to demand they fulfill it."

"No matter what’s going on behind the scenes, it’s not wise for us to get involved."

Otherwise, having learned that Zhaoyu Village had people skilled in the water, Jin Qianqian wouldn’t have given up so easily.

After the carriage traveled a bit further, another village appeared before them. Just by looking at it, one could tell the houses weren’t even as well-kept as those in Zhaoyu Village.

Just after their carriage passed, several men appeared on the village road.

"Brother Wang, are we just going to let them be?" Little Stone asked resentfully.

Wang Li watched the departing carriage and said in a cold voice, "Those people are not someone we can afford to provoke. Besides, they were deceived as well."

"It seems Zhaoyu Village is getting more and more restless."

Little Stone said, "They always think the price we give is too low, but they never stop to think about how much we have to invest in this?"

"They begged Brother Wang before, and he was the one who showed them this path to a livelihood. Now that their lives have improved, they want to tear down the bridge after crossing it."

Wang Li patted Little Stone’s head. "Everything is a two-way street. In any case, they are still supplying goods according to the agreement. Let’s just leave it at that for now."

"But the amount of goods they supply is getting smaller each time, and the quality is getting a bit worse too. Brother Wang, why are you putting up with it?"

Wang Li let out a short laugh. "Hah. We’ll just have to wait and see."

Little Stone didn’t understand. He just stared at the carriage, which was about to disappear from view. "Do you think those people will intervene on their behalf again?"

"Probably not," Wang Li said, pointing to the tracks on the road. "They have so many people with them, but they didn’t take much cargo. It looks like they don’t want to get dragged into this for no reason. They’re smart people."

Jin Qianqian and her group visited several more small fishing villages in succession, but in the end, they still felt that the dried goods from Zhaoyu Village were of the best quality and that their catches were the largest.

As for skilled sailors, Jin Qianqian asked in several villages before slowly giving up on the idea.

"Madam, after seeing so many fishing households, was there not a single one that caught your eye?"

On the carriage ride back, Li Qiu finally couldn’t help but ask.

Jin Qianqian replied, "I was too narrow-minded before. When we get back, help me post recruitment notices at all the shops. We’ll look for someone exceptionally skilled in the water to be an instructor for a while."

Lichun asked, "Madam, you mean we should train our own people?"

"But will there be enough time?"

Jin Qianqian said, "There won’t be. Hu Dong hasn’t sent the people over yet. By the time they arrive, the ships will likely be ready to set sail."

"But that’s not a problem. I can ask General Zhou for help."

Li Qiu cried out in alarm, "Madam, are you talking about those Water Ghosts the general trained before?"

Jin Qianqian glanced at her. ’This Li Qiu is getting a bit full of herself. She’s been so melodramatic lately.’ "You can’t say that. Those are the soldiers of our Rong Dynasty. ’Water Ghosts’ is what the bandits call them."

Li Qiu immediately detected the displeasure in her mistress’s tone and quickly composed her expression. "I misspoke."

Jin Qianqian continued, "No one will make a fuss if you say it in private, but if you said that outside and the soldiers heard it, imagine how disheartened they would be."

"Others may not know, but you’ve been by our side. You should know the hardships they endured during their training."

"Watch what you say from now on. Not everyone will be as tolerant of you as I am."

Li Qiu no longer dared to sit upright. She knelt on the floor in the corner. "I know I was wrong."

Jin Qianqian said, "Go to Housekeeper Fu and receive your punishment when we get back."

Lichun quietly reminded her, "Madam, Housekeeper Fu has gone to Sea City."

Jin Qianqian paused. "...Just keep it in mind for now. We’ll deal with it when he returns."

Lichun glanced at the back of Li Qiu’s head as she knelt on the floor. "Madam, those soldiers who are skilled in the water are General Zhou’s elite troops. Would General Zhou be willing to let them go to sea with the ships?"

Jin Qianqian replied, "The first trip definitely won’t be to a faraway place. We’ll just visit a few of the nearby island countries. Besides, we only have two merchant ships. It would be much safer to have a few people skilled in the water with us."

"We’ll see what General Zhou says first."

Not wishing to discuss it further, Jin Qianqian closed her eyes, wondering if her plan would succeed.

’Ever since he took several of the bandits’ ships by surprise, Zhou Shixiong has been paying even more attention to these soldiers skilled in the water.’

’He’s been secretly training more of them lately. He should be able to spare a few men, right?’

Zhou Shixiong let out a series of sneezes, making Ah Da, who stood at his side, anxious. "Marquis, should I go find a doctor for you?"

Zhou Shixiong waved his hand. "No need. It’s nothing serious."

"How is that matter I had you keep an eye on?"

Ah Da replied, "That Prince Zuo has been staying quietly in his cell. No one has come to visit, and he hasn’t made any suspicious moves."

Zhou Shixiong said, "We can’t let our guard down. Those people come to plunder every harvest season, and they succeed every time. There must be an informant for them here in Lu City."

"Don’t just watch him. Pay attention to anyone who was close to him, or anyone locked up in the nearby cells."