Chapter 291: Crashing The Scene
“Junior Brother, are you angry?” Feng Qingcheng followed behind her, coughing nonstop as if suffocating.
Li Xi’er turned around and returned to Zui Yue Pavilion. Feng Qingcheng followed all the way, but she ignored him.
“Senior Brother, since you’re not feeling well, go back to your quarters and have the imperial physician prescribe medicine. Take the medicine and rest.” Li Xi’er really didn’t want to hear him coughing!
Feng Qingcheng knew she was definitely angry. This was the first time she had resorted to violence!
“Junior Brother, Senior Brother wants to stay in your Zui Yue Pavilion!”
“Sorry, I’m tired today and need to rest early. Good night, see yourself out!” Li Xi’er escorted him out, then really extinguished the lights and went to bed.
Feng Qingcheng left dejectedly, and the lights in Zui Yue Pavilion lit up again.
First, the new factory construction on her side and Dong Wen’s side were being implemented simultaneously!
The construction workers were still the same crew Dong Wen had found last time, but because the workload for building this factory was enormous, in addition to the laborers doing odd jobs, several hundred more workers had been added.
Many hands make light work, so the daily progress was very fast: first clearing the land plot clean, digging the foundation, stacking bricks and stones…
They had now reached the final stages of digging the foundation. The required building materials had been delivered to the site by each boss according to demand. She estimated that at this rate, the factory would be nearly completed in two or three months and ready for use, with later work adjusted based on actual circumstances.
Over there, Boss Dong was mainly in charge, and he would report the progress to her!
From the letter he sent her, there were no tricky matters for now, so she could relax and focus on recruiting people!
On her side, she planned to have the recruited team work first in the office area of the old factory. The preliminary preparations for the new project needed to start, and they would move over once the new factory was built.
Next, Li Xi’er took out paper and pen to rewrite the recruitment notices. This time, she wrote only one copy of each. She decided to find a carving place tomorrow to have them carved, then find a place to print them with ink.
The next day, Feng Qingcheng returned from morning court when it was still dark, but he heard she had gotten up even earlier and had gone to the market early to recruit people.
Li Xi’er went by herself to Fengjing City to find a place for carving and copying, and had Honglian and Zisu go to the market first to set up the signboard!
Zisu helped set it up but was a bit worried: “Honglian, can you manage by yourself?”
“No problem, you go ahead!”
She had already watched how the master operated yesterday. Zisu saw her confidently sitting there and getting started, so she turned and went to Granny Dou’s house.
Near noon, Li Xi’er hurriedly arrived at the market, drenched in sweat. Honglian was waiting anxiously at the market, her eyes lighting up with joy when she saw her return.
More than a dozen people were already standing or sitting at the table waiting for her interview!
These people were all standing straight and proper, the atmosphere solemn, with no disorderly movement!
“Master, you’ve finally arrived.”
“Are these all copied?”
“Yes, tidy up these recruitment flyers, and you can distribute them later!”
“Good!”
Li Xi’er saw her puffed-up cheeks flushed red. If she hadn’t been mistaken from afar just now, this girl had her hands on her hips and seemed to be cursing at someone?
“What happened? Who provoked our Honglian to make her look so puffed up?”
“Hmph! A group of thugs came earlier to cause trouble, talking nonsense, even trying to flip the table. They said the glazed ware produced by Heng Can Glazed Ware was poor quality, with dismal development prospects and a bleak future. Recruiting people was just a front, they couldn’t even pay salaries on time. And most shamelessly, they dared to flirt with me!!!”
Not a chance! Honglian immediately lost her temper and pointed at the nose of the group’s leader, cursing them out loudly!
“This one-eyed oldest brother, you say the glazed ware produced by Heng Can Glazed Ware is bad? Empty words without proof. Please produce the actual glazed ware you bought, and we’ll go to the yamen to confront it!”
The man was stunned upon hearing this. Where would he have the actual item? They were just there to smash the scene!
“I, our glazed ware broke and we threw it away. Who keeps it?”
“Is that so? Well, that’s none of my business. To catch a thief, take the stolen goods. If you can’t produce evidence, you’re spreading rumors and deliberately damaging Heng Can Glazed Ware’s reputation. Hmph! That’s no light crime! Tell me, what’s your motive? I’m not to be trifled with, and my master is even less so. Do bad things against your conscience, and beware of losing everything you own!”
Linglong shouted shrilly!
A crowd immediately gathered from the market, loving the spectacle and pointing fingers at the group!
The group had thought Honglian was a timid young maid who could be bullied silently, and would run off crying after a scare!
They never expected her to be so fierce, jumping up with hands on hips to retort and curse back. Now she even wanted to drag them to see the official to sort it out, and along the way sue them for flirting with a decent woman upon arrival—there were witnesses here. They slunk away on their own!
Hehe! “Well done, Honglian!”
No wonder these dozen or so interviewees were so well-behaved! After Honglian finished cursing, she saw them looking panicked, as if they wanted to flee?
She only said that they had registered their personal information earlier. If they wanted to leave, they could, but these names would be added to Heng Can’s blacklist from now on, with no future chance to interview!
Li Xi’er shook her head. This girl was formidable! She walked over confidently, nodded to them—seeming quite authoritative—sat down, and began one-on-one interviews.
When the interviews reached two or three in the afternoon, Zisu suddenly ran over in a hurry.
“Young woman, something’s wrong. Go check on Granny Dou quickly!”
“Godmother, what’s wrong? Has her illness worsened again?”
Li Xi’er saw Zisu’s face full of worry and tension, and she jumped to her feet in fright.
“No, Granny Dou fell. It was those people who did it. They’ve come again to drive Granny Dou away!”
Because the young woman had instructed not to reveal she was from the Prince’s Mansion, and she couldn’t fight them alone, she had no choice but to run find Li Xi’er first.
“How badly did Godmother fall?”
“From what Zisu saw, it seems she fell on that arm again. Zisu saw those people coming and hurried to notify the master first. Zisu doesn’t know yet how serious it is!”
“Good, I understand. Zisu, stay here with Honglian to handle the remaining matters, then return to the Prince’s Mansion.”
“But master, it’s too dangerous for you to go alone!”
“Don’t worry, I have a plan!”
Li Xi’er thought for a moment. “Right! This is my private matter. Don’t tell the Prince!”
“Yes.”
Li Xi’er rushed nonstop to Granny Dou’s house. Neighbors were also watching, sighing, wanting to speak up for her but helpless.
“Several oldest brothers, I beg you. Give me back my house. This is my only belonging. Without the house, how is an old woman like me supposed to live?”
“Hmph! Take it up with your nephew Dou Qiang. He wrote it in black and white. See, your handprint is clear as day. You’re his relative. If you don’t help him pay his gambling debt, who will?” These people had targeted her, knowing Dou Qiang was dirt poor and only Granny Dou had private property!
Of course, the house deed originally belonged to Granny Dou, but the transfer document Dou Qiang signed also had Granny Dou’s handprint. This was because Dou Qiang had sneaked in at night while Granny Dou was asleep and pressed her hand to it without her notice. This matter couldn’t be explained clearly; they would say it was voluntary.
“Qiangzi ah Qiangzi, you’ve ruined me!”
Granny Dou cried out in despair.
At this moment, Dou Qiang was hiding behind those people, looking innocent. “Aunt, you agreed to it. How can you go back on your word now? Aren’t you trying to get me killed? You’re my own aunt! If I don’t pay, my little life is gone!”
“What?” Before, didn’t they say only hands and feet would be chopped? Now it’s life-threatening? Granny Dou’s heart turned to ashes!
“You die then, it’s your own fault. What right do you have to blame Godmother for killing you? When you used Godmother’s house as collateral to gamble, did you ever think of her even a little?”
As she spoke, a man walked out from the crowd. His clothes were loose and baggy, making him seem indulgent. He stood opposite them and gently helped the person on the ground up.
“Who are you? Why meddle?” Dou Qiang had a bad premonition. This man called the old woman Godmother?
How did he not know when this old woman had taken a godson, and when? Could it be to transfer the house to him?
Li Xi’er ignored him. “Godmother, are you okay? Did you hurt your arm?”
“Xiao Xi, why are you here? Hurry and leave. These people beat without regard for life or death. Godmother’s old bones—worst case, I’ll fight them!”
“Aunt, what you’re doing isn’t right. You have a real nephew, so why take a godson?” Dou Qiang said viciously.
