Jiang Zhou asked Zhuo Bang to take him to the place where the slaves were imprisoned the next day.

It was the first time he came back, and he could not help but observe with curiosity. He found that such a place was indeed different from the prison in his memory. Although they were all criminals and prisoners, most of the criminals in the Qingping Department remained clean and respectable. All those who were found to be innocent after investigation were all locked together, waiting for selection.

Obviously, there was news that an official had committed a new crime. Many people knew it. Before the Qingping Department opened the door, there were a lot of gangsters standing at the door of the cell. They did not chat with each other. They all stared at the people inside and carefully selected what they wanted.

Their eyes seemed to be looking at goods, which caused discomfort to the people inside, and they all shrank down and tried to avoid it.

Jiang Zhou was brought by Zhuo Bang, and the official led the people to the front in a sensible manner. Therefore, Jiang Zhou could see the most clearly, and he had a good idea after looking around.

As a tall figure, he stood out among a group of maids, and his eyes didn’t resemble those scrutinizing goods. Several people inside exchanged looks and made eye contact. When he glanced at them, they boldly bowed.

Because of Zhuo Bang, the official gave Jiang Zhou the first chance to make a choice.

Jiang Zhou directly selected eight people.

As soon as those people stood up, the officials couldn’t help but take notice of Jiang Zhou.

Apart from him, the ones he chose were all well-dressed, good-looking, and well-mannered. Additionally, there were only a few eldest girls from the officials’ families who were raided, and they were all among these eight.

His discernment was truly remarkable.

They were also curious about what Jiang Zhou had bought them for. Could it be that they were going to serve others?

The chosen people were also curious, but they didn’t dare to ask yet, so they silently followed him back.

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Upon returning home, Jiang Zhou found a chair to sit down and slowly explained to them about the hot pot restaurant.

He noticed that among these people, the girl standing at the head seemed to be the leader. He asked for her name, Qing Ning.

Qing Ning and the others pondered their potential future. They might either be bought by old bastard, sold to a brothel, or even worse, sold as concubines. Alternatively, they might continue as maids in other families, but they doubted they would be lucky enough to be a maid again.

Even when Jiang Zhou bought them all at once, they doubted whether Jiang Zhou might be a benevolent master. Though his demeanor didn’t seem quite fitting, they couldn’t imagine anyone other than a kind master who would buy so many young girls at once.

Who would have thought they were bought to be waitresses?

Unaware of being seen as a benevolent master, Jiang Zhou continued: “You should also know that all your deeds of sale are in my possession. Frankly, if you perform well in the future, you can redeem these deeds. I would give it to you.”

Could the deeds be redeemed?

A group of girls suddenly raised their heads.

Most of them were girls with tragic backgrounds—either trafficked since childhood or sold due to extreme poverty. They were accustomed to their status as slaves and had never dared to hope for a way out. But today, someone actually told them they could redeem themselves.

Seeing their disbelief, Jiang Zhou continued: “However, it comes with conditions. You can only redeem them after three years. During this time, you can freely marry, but you must work at the hot pot restaurant. I’ll conduct monthly performance appraisals. If you fail, the redemption period will be extended.”

This was to ensure they understood the importance of working diligently.

Jiang Zhou explained their daily tasks and finally asked, “Do you understand?”

The girls looked around and nodded in agreement.

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Before the hot pot restaurant opened, news spread throughout the town, but the information was somewhat distorted.

Originating from an unknown source, rumors claimed that Jiang Zhou had brought eight stunning women to the store, each equally beautiful but uniquely captivating.

The gossip spread like wildfire, growing more exaggerated with each retelling. Eventually, it morphed into a tale of Jiang Zhou indulging in luxury, keeping eight mistresses hidden away while abandoning his original wife.

Concerned individuals approached Wen Yan to inquire about the rumors.

Though puzzled, Wen Yan patiently clarified, “Jiang Zhou is not that kind of person. You must have misunderstood.”

Trusting Jiang Zhou implicitly, Wen Yan brushed off the rumors. He didn’t even mention them upon returning home, knowing only those with malicious intent would bring them up to Jiang Zhou. Thus, when Lu Dalang heard the rumors, he subtly probed for information, and Jiang Zhou realized he was the last to know.

It was almost laughable.

Comforting Lu Dalang, Jiang Zhou said, “It’s alright, the truth will come to light eventually.”

As the rumors escalated, Jiang Zhou suspected who was behind them but was too preoccupied to investigate. Instead, he capitalized on the situation to publicize the new hot pot restaurant’s impending opening.

Compared to the previous hot pot restaurant opening, this one garnered even more attention.

After all, scandalous gossip always piqued people’s interest, especially when it involved family affairs, let alone eight women this time!

A crowd gathered outside the hot pot restaurant.

At the forefront stood Jiang Zhou, with a banner behind him proclaiming, “The best service, the most considerate staff, and the most delicious cuisine.”

But where were the eight beauties?

Feeling deceived, the onlookers were about to leave when they spotted a figure on the second floor.

With willowy figure and rosy cheeks, the beautiful waitresses appeared.

They were captivated and unwittingly stepped inside.

As they entered, they were taken aback – this was not the hot pot restaurant they remembered!