From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 585: Chapter 587: Change of Hands

Jin Qianqian was also a little worried. Life had just gotten comfortable, and she didn’t want a move to a new place to send them right back to square one.

"Should we ask someone about this?" Jin Qianqian was already considering writing to her friends in Shangjing.

After all, they were much better informed than her, and they might even be able to lend a hand at a critical moment.

Gu Wenheng replied, "That won’t be necessary. Right now, the best thing we can do is nothing at all."

Jin Qianqian didn’t understand the intricacies of officialdom. "Sigh, I have no idea where we’ll be sent next. Everything else is manageable, but moving is such a hassle."

Even though she had already shipped off some important things and stored others in her space, she estimated that when it was truly time to pack up and go, they would still have a long procession.

"The other three officials will be transferred this time too, right?"

Gu Wenheng replied, "The positions here will likely all be vacated. I’ll be taking some people with me, so you should have the escort agency prepare in advance."

Over the years, he had cultivated a number of trusted subordinates. Now that he was leaving, they would naturally bring their families along, so they needed to make preparations ahead of time.

Jin Qianqian said, "A traveling party that large is too conspicuous. What do you think about splitting it into several groups?"

Gu Wenheng agreed. Traveling like that would indeed be too conspicuous. The two of them discussed the travel arrangements a bit more before separating to attend to their own tasks.

Lichun and the other senior maids had already found their partners. Once they relocated, their weddings would be arranged.

The men they had chosen were all from the Ming generation of subordinates, whose backgrounds were well-known. Even after marriage, the maids would continue to work under her as housekeepers.

"Madam, you built this sea trade from the ground up. Can you really bear to just give it away?" Lidong, aware of her master’s plans, was the first to protest the injustice.

Jin Qianqian replied, "You have to lose some to gain some. Besides, we’re leaving this place. If we continue to hold on to it, the new people in charge won’t be happy. Why bother with that?"

It was better to take advantage of the current strong momentum and make a clean exit.

This was a chance to sell at a good price and save herself from endless trouble over it later.

Jin Qianqian still had this much confidence in herself. Even without the sea trade connection, she could forge new commercial routes.

In any case, the word was already out. Now it was just a matter of seeing who was willing to put up the money.

Two years ago, during the first voyage, everyone had adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

No one expected them to return fully loaded in just a few short months, the three ships crammed to the brim with goods.

And the first people who invested with her all saw a return of more than five times their initial stake.

After that, everyone went wild, all trying to find a way to get a piece of the action from her.

Unfortunately for them, she had already sent the lion’s share of the profits upward, so even if these people had ideas, they had to think twice.

In just over two short years, the sea trade alone had allowed her to make a fortune.

Since their mistress had spoken, the other maids quieted down, no matter how unjust they felt it was.

&

Gu Wenheng arrived at the government office as usual. Ever since Lu City had gotten on the right track, everyone was focused on finding ways to earn more Silver, and the number of petty disputes had decreased significantly.

"Mr. Gu," He Gaofei said, walking over with a smile the moment he saw Gu Wenheng enter. "The seedlings have all been planted, and with this light rain today, it looks like this will be another good year."

Gu Wenheng replied, "They say spring rain is as precious as oil, and it’s certainly true. If you’ve finished with your work here, you can take some time to sort out your affairs at home."

Two springs ago, the wives of He Gaofei and the others had finally come to join them.

Over the past two years, their bickering and bustling had added a bit of domestic liveliness to their lives.

"Sigh, our clans have been marginalized now. I don’t know where we’ll be transferred this time, and whether we’ll ever have the chance to work together again is anyone’s guess."

He Gaofei and the others secretly hoped they could continue to follow Gu Wenheng. These days of effortlessly racking up political achievements would likely be gone forever.

Gu Wenheng said, "There’s no need for any of you to worry. With all your hard work over the years, a promotion is a sure thing."

"As for whether we’ll work together in the future, as long as we remain in officialdom, there will always be a chance."

He Gaofei laughed self-deprecatingly. "I used to resist coming here, but now I can’t bear to leave."

"We watched Lu City change bit by bit. We were just about to reap the rewards and head toward a better life, but now someone is swooping in to take it all at the year’s end."

"It’s not unheard of for Magistrates to be reappointed. Why can’t that happen for us?"

When all was said and done, it was because they had been too competent, turning a barren wasteland into a treasured land everyone was fighting over. It was a truly conflicted feeling.

Gu Wenheng offered some half-hearted comfort. "But if you stayed here, you’d only remain in your current positions. Don’t you want to advance further?"

He Gaofei and the others were speechless. ’Can we even say we don’t want to?’

’Here, we have the adoration of the common people, and we’re not short on Silver. Only a fool would want to move.’

At the thought of Silver, Lu Shenggen pinched his palm and said, "I hear Mrs. Gu is looking to sell her shares in the sea trade these days?"

Gu Wenheng said, "So you’ve heard the rumors. We’re leaving anyway, so it wouldn’t be proper to keep holding on to it."

"Then what about the shares we hold?" He Gaofei and the others were truly reluctant to let them go.

On the second voyage, they had shamelessly managed to get an extra share each from Jin Qianqian. Over the last few voyages, they had each earned tens of thousands of Silver.

This was Silver that didn’t come from corruption or bribes, so they could spend it freely and with a clear conscience. They were truly unwilling to just hand it over.

Gu Wenheng told them without hesitation, "You can keep your shares. I can’t guarantee anything for the long term, but there will still be profits for the next few voyages."

"There’s no need to foolishly push the Silver away. You only hold a small portion, so no one will be paying attention to you."

He Gaofei and the others all secretly breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how long the profits lasted, they had already earned a substantial amount.

Lu Shenggen was even more pleased, as he held more shares than the other two, meaning his averted losses were greater. "Actually, Mrs. Gu doesn’t have to sell everything. The crews on those ships are all her trusted men. Even if you aren’t in Lu City, they probably wouldn’t dare to get out of line."

Gu Wenheng didn’t give a definitive answer. "She’ll probably keep a small portion, more or less, but the share won’t be large."

He Gaofei and the others understood the situation. Though it was a pity, they knew this was the best choice.

If General Zhou hadn’t been transferred, it wouldn’t have been a problem for Mrs. Gu to hold on to all the ships. But now that all of their backers were gone, keeping it would not be a blessing, but a curse.

Still, her ability to make such a decisive choice—that was a mindset they couldn’t hope to match.