Chapter 675: Chapter 675: Getting 50 Taels of Silver in Hand
Su Qing had been busy at the weaving workshop for a while when Tong Huaqiong sent her home to fetch the account book.
Mrs. Li had been waiting outside for quite some time and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Su Qing come out.
"Miss Su Qing." Mrs. Li welcomed her warmly.
Su Qing, with a stern expression, said, "This isn’t the place to talk."
As she spoke, she led Mrs. Li to a secluded corner of the village.
"Miss Su Qing, Ming Xiu must have told you, I want to join the weaving workshop as an embroiderer. You’ve seen my skills too..."
Su Qing interrupted Mrs. Li, saying, "Who isn’t skilled enough to be an embroiderer? This weaving workshop isn’t something you can just join as you please."
Mrs. Li pulled out some silver, grinning sheepishly, and said, "Miss Su Qing, here’s fifty taels of silver, please do me a favor."
Su Qing didn’t take the silver and sighed, "Mrs. Li, what do you want me to do? Yesterday someone sent silver, today you send silver, tomorrow someone else will send silver. The whole of this month hasn’t been peaceful. If I take your silver to let you join the embroidery workshop, then one of the names on the list has to come off, which is unfair to others."
Though she said this, her tone noticeably softened.
Mrs. Li glanced at Su Qing, thinking to herself, you’re just pretending, her attitude changed the moment she saw the silver, her eyes never left it.
"Good girl, everyone knows you have the final say at the weaving workshop. Whoever you decide to take no one dares oppose you. It’s just a slot for an embroiderer; it’s easy for you." Mrs. Li said with a smile.
Su Qing frowned and said, "There are two slots that haven’t been filled yet. To be honest, one of them is for a distant relative of Song Qiaoniang. I’m not too satisfied with her embroidery, but she’s willing to pay sixty taels of silver. You’ve paid fifty taels, but your embroidery is good, which makes it a bit tricky for me."
Internally cursing Su Qing’s greed, Mrs. Li gritted her teeth and promised, "Take these fifty taels first. Once I’m making money in the workshop, won’t I have more silver to make up the rest?"
"Miss Su Qing, as my mother said, once in the weaving workshop and earning wages, won’t I have silver to use for you later? If I can become a steward in the workshop, I’ll give you half my monthly salary."
Su Qing rolled her eyes internally at Mrs. Li’s second son. To become a steward, he sure has big dreams.
"Aunt, you’re good at joking, alright, since you’re so sincere, I’ll take this silver." Su Qing said playfully, deftly taking the silver.
Su Qing tucked the silver into her clothes.
"Miss Su Qing..."
"Su Qing, you were sent to fetch the account book, why are you chatting idly here?"
Mrs. Li was interrupted.
Su Qing turned to see Tong Huaqiong walking over, leaving Mrs. Li and her son behind with a playful smile, giving Mrs. Li a reassuring glance while Tong Huaqiong wasn’t looking.
The Li mother and son left Qinghe Bay with high hopes of making a fortune in the weaving workshop and marrying into wealth.
"Owner, Aunt Hong, the fifty taels of silver have been scammed." Su Qing counted the silver in front of Tong Huaqiong and Mrs. Hong.
Not one more or less, a total of fifty taels.
This time, the Li family paid a hefty price.
Fifty taels of silver could be a lifetime’s savings for a farmer.
Tong Huaqiong felt no sympathy for Mrs. Li.
Su Qing handed the silver to Li Mingxiu, who took thirty percent for herself, and tucked the rest away, saying to Tong Huaqiong, "Owner, let me treat you and Aunt Hong to a good meal at Fengle Building."
Tong Huaqiong and Mrs. Hong waved their hands dismissively.
Tong Huaqiong said, "Now that we’ve got the silver, the next step is to establish a female household."
Li Mingxiu nodded, saying, "I took this silver without any guilt. They tormented and mistreated me since childhood, made me do laundry, cook, and farm work. I was never idle even a day before coming to the weaving workshop."
Tong Huaqiong said, "So, this silver is what you deserve."
Two days later, the weaving workshop announced the number of embroiderers.
As before, it was posted on the big trees at the village entrance.
Mrs. Li rushed to the village entrance early in the morning to check the notice. She couldn’t read, so she asked someone in the village who could to help her read it.
Her name wasn’t among the ten listed.
"Mrs. Li, what’s your full name?"
Mrs. Li answered, "Niu Sanmei."
The literate student checked carefully and shook his head, saying, "There’s no ’Niu Sanmei’ on the list, only a ’Tian Ermei.’"
Mrs. Li panicked, it couldn’t be. She had clearly given fifty taels of silver to Su Qing, and Su Qing had given her a positive nod. How could her name not be on it?
Suddenly, she realized Su Qing had never asked her name after taking the silver.
The recruitment process for the weaving workshop was known throughout the region; it always required the workers’ names, not titles like whose mother or whose wife or some matron title. Without a name, they’d just write it based on ranking.
Such as Li Daya, Wang Erni, or Tian Ermei.
Mrs. Li was from the Niu family, the third child, and everyone in her family called her Sanmei, so she named herself Niu Sanmei.
Since Su Qing never even asked her name, it was impossible for her name to appear on the list.
Mrs. Li ran desperately towards Qinghe Bay.
But she couldn’t find Su Qing or Li Mingxiu.
When she asked around at the weaving workshop, everyone said they didn’t know where they’d gone.
The weaving workshop had a rotating holiday system. It just happened to be Li Mingxiu’s turn, and she could go wherever she wanted. Nobody kept track of her whereabouts at the workshop.
In her panic, Mrs. Li considered confronting Tong Huaqiong but feared that if Tong Huaqiong knew she had given fifty taels of silver to Su Qing, her chance would be dashed.
She had no choice but to wait for Su Qing to return at the village entrance.
Where did Su Qing and Li Mingxiu go?
They had, of course, been taken to the county government by Gu Taohua, using Tong Huaqiong’s letter to request to establish a female household from County Magistrate Liu.
Actually, there was no need for Tong Huaqiong to intervene. Li Mingxiu’s tearful account of being orphaned young, having her family properties occupied by uncles who wanted to sell her as a concubine, resonated with County Magistrate Liu, who also grew up oppressed by his clan without a father.
In half a day, Li Mingxiu’s female household was established.
County Magistrate Liu sent two government officials along with them to the Li Family, gathered Li Mingxiu’s grandmother and uncles, and then summoned the Clan Leader and others from the clan to publicly announce Li Mingxiu’s establishment of her household separate from the Li Family.
Li Mingxiu’s grandmother, teary-eyed and pale, looked at her granddaughter, obviously disapproving of her decision.
Li Mingxiu’s uncles jumped up to vehemently oppose her establishment of a separate household, but Gu Taohua waved her government document, implying that even the government had filed it. Did they want to go to court at the county government?
With the two armed government officials present, the uncles were too scared to speak further.
The officials then inquired of the Clan Leader about the house and the five acres left by Li Mingxiu’s parents, which were to be re-measured, registered, and filed under her name.
This time, it was Li Mingxiu’s eldest cousin who protested.
The three-room house left by Li Mingxiu’s parents was currently occupied by his family, and he was farming the five acres.
"The house and land my uncle left behind belonged to the Li family. I’m the eldest son of the main branch; they’re naturally mine. What rights does Mingxiu, just a girl, have to contest this?" The eldest cousin said, pointing a finger at Li Mingxiu.
The other clan members and villagers nodded in agreement, thinking Li Mingxiu shouldn’t be fighting for the cousin’s property.
"Ouch."
The eldest cousin let out a wail and collapsed, curling into a ball as Gu Taohua and Li Mingxiu simultaneously attacked. One kicked him below the abdomen, while the other broke his finger.
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