Chapter 209: Work Halted
More people indeed meant more strength.
As the group entered Changshu County, one of Wan Jing’s four attendants had already gone ahead. They had now found an inn and booked a small courtyard.
After settling in, Wan Jing took out a roster of the Jiangnan Weaving Workshop from a trunk and placed it in front of Li Xiaonan.
This roster also came with a map, clearly marking the location of each weaving workshop. Although the map was simple, it was sufficient for understanding the general locations.
Wan Jing and Li Xiaonan discussed the roster with the map for a few moments and then made arrangements: the four attendants, along with Li Wenru and A Wu, a total of six people, would each be assigned one or two workshops. Tomorrow morning, they would first visit these workshops to inspect them.
Wang Yuting poked his head in and asked about dinner.
Before Li Xiaonan could speak, Wan Jing quickly said, “We are all out on a task. According to the rules of our manor, our food, lodging, and travel expenses are all provided for. Perhaps…”
“Since there are provisions, you eat yours, and we’ll eat ours,” Li Xiaonan interrupted Wan Jing.
No matter what, Wan Jing brought these people to help her. It would be one thing if she didn’t have to pay for their food and lodging, but to also freeload meals would be too much. Besides, it wasn’t just her; A Wu and Yuting had hearty appetites.
“Let’s use the kitchen to cook ourselves. Steam some rice, top it with a few slices of cured meat, and stir-fry some egg sauce,” Li Xiaonan said to Yuting.
The cured meat, rice, eggs, and sauce were all brought from home and were on the carriage.
“I’ll eat by myself too. I’ve had a long day and want a drink to relax,” Li Wenru quickly said with a smile.
Tsk, these sisters were too good at managing their expenses. If it were just for a day or two, he could endure it, but this trip would take at least a month. He couldn’t stand eating pickled vegetables and cured meat every day.
“Alright then,” Li Xiaonan said with a dry laugh.
She also wanted to eat and drink well, but Eldest Sister had given her travel expenses calculated by the day. Of course, Eldest Sister had already considered her fondness for good food and enjoyment, and had added an extra thirty percent in copper coins on top of her own and Second Sister’s allowances.
Just as Li Wenru was about to stand up and ask the shopkeeper to cook a few dishes, he met A Wu’s glare. He paused for a moment, then realized, and quickly invited with a smile, “A Wu, you must be tired too. Shall we have a couple of drinks?”
Before Li Wenru’s words had even finished, A Wu nodded in agreement and looked at Li Xiaonan, chuckling, “I’ll have a couple of drinks with Second Master Li. You and Yuting…”
A Wu’s finger pointed from Li Xiaonan to Wang Yuting, and he chuckled a few times.
“I know what you’re laughing at. You’re laughing that my cooking is bad, like pig slop, right?” Wang Yuting immediately chimed in.
Li Xiaonan looked at Wang Yuting, who was eagerly declaring her cooking to be pig slop, and sighed.
“You can eat with me. I’m second-class, and I get a lot of portioned dishes. I can’t possibly eat it all myself. When we were at the villa, the two little maids in our courtyard always ate my portioned dishes. Those two little maids ate more than you do,” Wan Jing nudged Li Xiaonan and said in a low voice.
“Yes, yes, your appetite is very small. Mine isn’t big either. A Wu and I can share. If A Wu eats a little less, it’ll be enough for me,” Yuting quickly added.
“Alright, alright. Take ten eggs with you to add a dish for everyone,” Li Xiaonan sighed and waved at Wang Yuting.
She had quit her job and changed careers before because the cafeteria food was too terrible. Besides, Mei Jie’s cured meat was excessively salty, and it was indeed unpalatable.
The next morning, in just over an hour, everyone who had gone to inquire about the weaving workshops returned.
Changshu County had a total of eleven weaving workshops. Seven of them were branches of large weaving workshops whose main offices were in Hangcheng and other places. Of these seven workshops, Li Xiaonan knew of two:
President Zhu’s Xiangyun Workshop of the Jiangnan Silk General Store, and President Shi’s Ruifu Workshop of the Pingjiang Silk Trade Association.
The managers of these two workshops were currently detained in the barracks at Linhai Town. She didn’t know the details of President Shi’s case, but President Zhu was definitely responsible for more than one death.
“These seven workshops were the same as usual until the day before yesterday. Around noon the day before yesterday, they suddenly stopped. They haven’t been working yesterday or today. The other four small weaving workshops always followed the lead of these seven. When these seven stopped working, the four small workshops also stopped operating yesterday.”
“Why did they stop so suddenly? Is there any news about the case in Linhai Town?” Li Wenru asked Li Xiaonan, instinctively lowering his voice.
Li Xiaonan frowned slightly and, without answering Li Wenru’s question, asked, “Did all seven stop at the same time?”
“The two I asked about stopped at noon the day before yesterday. What about you?” Li Wenru turned to look at A Wu and the attendants.
“The two I checked were small weaving workshops, and they stopped yesterday,” A Wu said, arms crossed, his brow furrowed, his expression serious.
The attendants replied that the seven large weaving workshops had all stopped working around noon the day before yesterday, the four small weaving workshops had gradually stopped working from yesterday, and none of the ten weaving workshops had opened today.
“What about the weavers? Did they go home?” Li Xiaonan continued to ask.
“They seem to be at the weaving workshops. On my way back, I went into a real estate agency to ask. They said no weavers had been sent there, not a single one,” Li Wenru replied.
“They only stopped working a couple of days ago. They’re all waiting for news. They definitely won’t sell weavers now; weavers are the hardest to buy,” Wan Jing added.
Li Xiaonan hummed. Wan Jing’s words were correct. If they stopped working the day before yesterday, it wasn’t yet time to sell weavers.
“Go and see what the weavers at each workshop are doing, quietly. It would be best if you can find a weaver to talk to. Ask the stewards what they were told, whether they’re being paid while idle or not,” Li Xiaonan said, looking at Li Wenru and the attendants.
A Wu also agreed and turned to leave, but Li Xiaonan grabbed him. “You’re too conspicuous. Don’t go.”
“You person…” A Wu glared at Li Xiaonan.
“You and Yuting go for a walk. See how many silk guilds and cloth shops there are in the city, and ask about business,” Li Xiaonan interrupted A Wu and beckoned Yuting.
Watching the two leave, Wan Jing stood up and sat next to Li Xiaonan, peering at Li Xiaonan’s expression. “Are you alright?”
“Why wouldn’t I be alright! These seven weaving workshops, one main office is in Pingjiang City, two are in Hangcheng, two are in Yangzhou, one is in Yuezhou, and one is in Danyang. How could they all stop working on the same day?” Li Xiaonan leaned forward, her face almost pressed against Wan Jing’s.
“That’s right! Why?” Wan Jing looked surprised.
“Let me ask you again, are weaving workshops generally on good terms, supporting each other, or are they rivals?” Li Xiaonan rolled her eyes at Wan Jing impatiently.
“Normally they’re rivals, but right now, they must be supporting each other to deal with our Young Lord, right?” Wan Jing leaned forward and whispered in Li Xiaonan’s ear.
“It must be because of this! They’re colluding to cause trouble! They must have agreed to stop working together! Hurry and write a letter to tell your Young Lord.” Li Xiaonan patted Wan Jing.
“Then what about us?” Wan Jing quickly stood up, leaned over to pick up the inkstone, poured water, and ground the ink. “Wait here?”
“What’s the use of waiting here? Once they get their information back, we’ll leave immediately and go to Wujiang County to see. If everything has stopped everywhere, and it all stopped the day before yesterday or yesterday, sigh, either we won’t be able to buy a single weaver, or there will be too many weavers, and we won’t be able to buy them all.”
Li Xiaonan sat next to Wan Jing, sighing as she watched her write the letter.
