Chapter 98: Buying More People

 

Initially, Jing Yi had no intention of keeping this father and his two children. It was a delicate time, and he didn’t want to stir up any trouble.

 

Currently, the Jing family in Fuyang Town could only be considered nouveau riche, incomparable to the longstanding Liu family in terms of wealth and connections.

 

Previously, he had agreed with Director Wen to settle the accounts after autumn. Now, if he took in these three, wouldn’t it be tantamount to alerting the enemy?

 

However, upon further analysis, Jing Yi thought that although Lai Da appeared arrogant, he was actually foolish and incompetent. He probably didn’t have the qualifications to work for the Liu family, relying on his uncle’s influence. He likely wouldn’t be able to reach the Liu family.

 

Jing Yi realized that he could use this situation to manipulate Lai Da, have him take action, and then deal with him openly and honestly. This could also serve as a pretext to investigate toward his uncle’s side.

 

Feeling the need for more manpower during this busy season, Jing Yi decided that it might be worth the risk. Even if Lai Da were to find out, Jing Yi was confident in handling the situation.

 

In the autumn of many affairs, Jing Yi felt that his family was understaffed. While the wealthy families in the county and town had over a hundred servants, even some local households had dozens, or at least a few dozen, of servants, and some even employed thugs.

 

In contrast, his family had just over twenty people, including the master. With a baby on the way, Jing Yi feared they might be at a disadvantage in the future if they faced other families directly. He decided to recruit more people.

 

After leaving Chuxia at the backyard of the hotpot restaurant, Jing Yi went to find his father at the upscale mountain delicacy shop opened last spring. He planned to discuss the matter of buying more people in the county.

 

The Lin family were indeed skilled in business and had actively expanded in the mountain products trade. While Jing Yi’s family had numerous businesses, the Lin family had vertically extended their operations into the field of mountain products.

 

Their original shop, purchased near the Jing family’s small inn, had a modest storefront. Although the daily customer flow didn’t seem very high, many of them were wholesale merchants. Due to Fuyang Town’s favorable location, Lin Father had attracted many merchants from the docks to buy goods from their shop.

 

Some of these goods were shipped to Qingzhou Prefecture, and some even reached the central plains in the south and the coastal areas in the east. However, transporting goods beyond that became uneconomical.

 

As a result, many people assumed that their business was just average, but the Lin family was quietly amassing wealth.

 

A year later, Lin Mother made the decision to buy the adjacent shop, connecting the two and transforming them into a large store. Simultaneously, Lin Father increased the supply of goods. Due to fair prices and a discerning shopkeeper, now more than half of the hunters in Anchang County cooperated with the Lin family.

 

Later, after Jing Yi opened the “Ningxia Pavilion,” the couple was inspired by the graded sales of soaps and jade soaps. They bought a new shop in the core area of Fuyang Town, specifically for selling rare and high-quality mountain products.

 

With an upscale decoration and graded sales, the new shop attracted many high-quality customers and new merchants with strong purchasing power. After upgrading the packaging, the prices of the rare items also increased significantly.

 

Lin Father, understanding the hard work of hunters and mountain people, voluntarily raised the purchase price after the selling price increased. The hunters and mountain people were grateful and pleased, solidifying their cooperation.

 

Different from the previous “Lin Family’s Rare Items,” this mountain product store was named “Four Seasons Mountain Treasures.” However, beside the plaque, the words “Lin Family” were vertically inscribed. The shop was not far from the hotpot restaurant, so the two fathers often visited each other.

 

“Father!” As Jing Yi entered, he called out, receiving responses from both men, who were currently playing Chinese chess.

 

“Didn’t you go to buy silk for Chuxia’s baby? Why are you back alone?” It had become a habit for the Jing family to inquire about Chixia whenever they saw Jing Yi alone. Jing Yi and Chuxia were inseparable.

 

“I just dropped him off at the hotpot restaurant and came here with Mother.”

 

Jing Yi sat on the side, watching the two fathers play chess. His mouth twitched as a chess game that could be solved in three moves stretched into over a dozen moves between the two “experienced” players.

 

“Father, I plan to go to Anchang County. Chuxia is about to give birth, and with the increase in business and the manor, there’s a lot to handle. We need more manpower.”

 

“That’s true. I didn’t realize it before, but now I understand that it’s better to use our own people. It’s more reliable.” The “own people” mentioned here were those bound by the indenture contracts held by the Jing family.

 

“Indeed. Not to mention your big business, just my two shops and the fifty mu of land inside and outside the village, we don’t have enough people. We even hire day laborers from the village.” Lin Father spoke from his own experience.

 

“Then, Father, come with me. The earlier we buy, the earlier we can train them. Dongjiang and Dongshan are already fifteen. In the future, whether it’s settling down or establishing a career, we’ll need people.”

 

“You’re right. Time flies.”

 

After a brief discussion, the three of them immediately decided to set off for the county early the next morning. Qingzhou Prefecture was too far away, taking several days to travel back and forth.

 

Since Jing Yi couldn’t leave Chuxia for an extended period, this time they would buy people in Anchang County.

 

The next morning, the Jing and Lin families gathered, bringing along three young boys—Xiao An, Dongjiang, and Dongshan—specifically requesting leave from their studies.

 

Jing Yi always believed in the principle that traveling thousands of miles and reading thousands of books were equally valuable. All important family matters had to be dealt with alongside his younger brothers.

 

Exposing the boys to the world would broaden their horizons. Sitting idly and observing the world wouldn’t do. Although their shoulders appeared thin and weak now, in a few years, each of them would shoulder the responsibilities and burdens of a family.

 

The main purpose of this trip to the county was to buy people, but Jing Yi also planned to scout out two or three good locations for new shops.

 

After the successful sales of scented soaps for over a year and the booming business of iced treats, Jing Yi thought it was time to expand the Ningxia Pavillion and Ice Nectar Pavillion into the county. The original agreement with the Huang family was for the Jing family to freely sell their products throughout Anchang County.

 

Jing Yi had been steadily establishing himself in the town, and with the backing of the Huang family and Dean Wen, he believed it was time to upgrade and explore Anchang County.

 

Moreover, Jing Yi had long known that some grocery stores in the county and other towns bought goods from their Ningxia Pavillion, marked up the prices, and sold them locally. He couldn’t let outsiders take advantage of this cheap source.

 

After hastily having a meal in the county, they headed straight to the government’s slave market.

 

Both families had experience in buying people, so they were quite adept at dealing with the brokers in the slave market. The broker in charge of receiving them, seeing their decent attire, was also enthusiastic and proactive.

 

“Esteemed guests, are you here to buy people or land?”

 

“Today, we’ll buy people first. In a few days, we’ll come to look at the shops. Let’s discuss the shop details after we finish buying people.”

 

“All right, I’ll take care of everything. If you have any requirements for buying people, let me know.”

 

“For our family’s purchase, although we mainly need young and middle-aged individuals, we’ll also consider others based on their appearance. Let’s not limit the conditions for now; take us to see them all.”

 

“Sure, please follow me. Let’s start by visiting the men’s section.”

 

The individuals for sale in the county’s slave market were not like the group that had sold themselves due to a snow disaster. The people here were those who had no way out or had been abandoned by their families. Some had even been resold several times, making many of them more numb to their situation.

 

Jing Yi and his group followed the usual criteria for selecting people: morality first, ability second, and external conditions like age and appearance last. However, considering their initial goal, they focused on choosing more young and middle-aged individuals.

 

After a round of selection and interviews, combined with the background information provided by the broker, the Jing family bought a total of eighteen individuals.

 

Among them, eight were men ranging from sixteen to thirty-five years old. These individuals would primarily be handed over to steward Tong, when they returned home. Jing Yi planned to let them engage in farming and various miscellaneous tasks to temper their character. Afterward, he would assign them to different positions based on their abilities and personalities.

 

The remaining individuals varied in age, taking into account the needs of different positions.

 

The oldest among them was a forty-nine-year-old grandmother. The broker was surprised by this purchase, wondering if they intended to take care of her in her old age. Jing Yi thought of buying her to do embroidery for his husband and child, considering her excellent needlework skills.

 

The youngest was a ten-year-old girl with a congenital defect – her right pinkie finger was only half the usual length. The broker casually remarked, “Who would buy someone with a disability for a good family? Perhaps she’ll end up in the red-light district.” This comment stirred a sense of compassion in soon-to-be dad Jing Yi.

 

His heart hadn’t softened; rather, he saw it as accumulating blessings for his unborn child.

 

The Lin family also purchased twelve individuals this time, as they needed manpower for both the trade of mountain goods and their household fields.

 

Not to mention that Mother Lin was a rare entrepreneurial gee, and their family also needed people to take care of things.

 

Moreover, Mother Lin had long been envious of Jing Yi’s two large manors, and he wanted his husband to experience the joy of living in a big manor. Therefore, he had been exploring the idea of acquiring a manor recently.

 

All these matters required manpower to handle.

 

After completing the business on this side, Jing Yi also briefed the broker named Lu about his requirements for the shops in the county. Of course, he didn’t go into too much detail, as confidentiality was crucial.

 

There were two shops, one for the trade of food and the other for general merchandise. The food shop didn’t need to be too large; it should have a backyard and be located in a place with a relatively high customer flow. The general merchandise shop should be more extensive, preferably with a second floor and a backyard. Since it would sell high-quality goods, it was preferable to choose locations on the main streets in the core area of the county.

 

“That’s troublesome for you, Broker Lu. I’ll come back in eight days, and we can visit each shop one by one. Thank you for your hard work.”

 

“Don’t mention it, Master Jing. I’ve noted your requirements. Rest assured.”

 

“Thank you. Oh, there’s one more thing. We are from Fuyang Town, and I heard that some manors from nearby towns are put up for sale in the county. If there are manors near our town for sale, please help us find them.”

 

“Indeed, many manors within the county are only listed for sale through the county government. I’ll keep an eye out for you.”

 

“In that case, thank you again. We’ll see you in eight days.”

 

“Farewell, esteemed guests.”

 

Broker Lu nodded and respectfully saw off Jing Yi’s group. His attitude now was five times more enthusiastic than when he received them. After bidding farewell to the esteemed guests, he walked back to the government’s main hall with his head held high and hands behind his back, welcoming envious and jealous gazes.

 

Of course, with the business from the Jing and Lin families today, the commission alone would cover his family’s living expenses for two or three months.

 

Not to mention the significant business in the future. If they could secure both shops and a manor, his status as a broker might even see a promotion.

 

Heh! Just thinking about it makes life beautiful. Tonight, he’ll buy some sauce-covered pork elbows to bring home. Last time, when he bought a pound of cured meat, even a small piece cost several tens of coins. Both his son and daughter said they didn’t have enough, scraping the bowl clean with bread to soak up the remaining soup. Now, he’ll let the children indulge!

 

Lost in these thoughts, he didn’t dare to delay and hurriedly ran errands for Jing Yi.