CHAPTER 1293: CHAPTER 1292: BENEFACTOR?

Wang Yongzhu listened and felt that Yao Da’s arrangement was quite appropriate. However, when it came to the trafficker, her cooperation with Yan Zhongren had always been good, so she mentioned it and informed Yao Da of Yan Zhongren’s location.

Yao Da acknowledged it and prepared to withdraw.

Wang Yongzhu then remembered: "Wait, I’ll have Gu Yu bring you silver—"

Yao Da smiled sincerely: "Reporting to Madam, Yang Laoda gave us brothers silver before we returned to Jing County with Madam, and we haven’t spent it yet. When Madam is free, I will come to reconcile the accounts with Madam!"

Saying this, he left directly.

Wang Yongzhu...

Wang Yongzhu was used to worrying about things herself, and suddenly having someone smooth everything out and settle it made her feel a bit uneasy.

However, it was early summer, the sun was not very scorching, there was a grape trellis that provided shade, a cool breeze blew in, the courtyard was filled with the fragrance of flowers, and lying on the reclining chair, she felt rather sleepy.

She simply closed her eyes and began to enjoy this rare leisure.

Listening to the sounds outside, people were bringing in rice, noodles, fruits, and vegetables, hearing the personal soldiers moving furniture inside the house, listening to the maids cleaning the house, hearing Old Granny Wu carrying out the bedding, hanging it on poles to air out, producing muffled thumping sounds...

Everything was so familiar and relaxing, Wang Yongzhu couldn’t help but smile at the corners of her mouth; it’s good to be home!

Song Chongjin only rested for a while, then changed his clothes and brought four personal soldiers to attend the banquet.

Near noon, Yao Da returned, accompanied by two old madams, followed by several shop assistants carrying large piles of goods.

At the back, the restaurant staff followed, carrying food containers.

With so many people coming in, the courtyard immediately became lively.

Old Madam Ding had already cooked a big pot of porridge, leaving only a small portion, accompanied by side dishes, and the food boxes brought back by Yao Da. As the ladies didn’t eat much, it was enough.

The rest was taken to the front yard; even though Song Chongjin took four strong men out, the remaining were about twenty people, all men with hearty appetites.

Not very particular, it just so happened that near Song Family’s place were various stalls selling snacks. Shitou had already taken people to buy a large pile of steamed buns and pancakes and brought them back.

Everyone ate like a whirlwind.

The inside had been tidied up almost entirely, daily necessities were taken out and organized, and those not frequently used were simply left in the boxes.

The bedding, aired till afternoon, became soft and fluffy, full of the scent of the sun, and was taken inside and made ready.

In the front yard, they brought bedding from the Capital City, which wasn’t enough, but Yao Da went out and bought more.

The ones used on the ship for over half a month, the men weren’t particular about, so they were taken down, and the old madams went to launder them.

All the necessities were bought; by afternoon, this empty yard could now accommodate daily living.

Yao Da and Shitou leisurely brought the account books and silver notes to the rear yard to reconcile with Wang Yongzhu.

Only then did Wang Yongzhu realize, upon leaving the capital, Yang Zongbao had given them a full thousand taels of silver notes, plus the tributes from the commercial ships along the way, where they earned several hundred taels.

Throughout the journey, the thousand taels remained untouched; today, hiring ladies to cook and launder, in addition to buying bedding and various daily necessities, rice, noodles, oil, salt, it only cost less than thirty taels of silver.

Wang Yongzhu, looking at the accounts written clearly and transparently, along with a stack of silver notes, then glanced at the apparently sincere Yao Da and Shitou.

She gestured for them to sit down, then asked: "I’ve seen the talents of you two, I’m just curious, with your talents, why would you humble yourselves to help me with my affairs?"

"Let’s be honest, don’t say those grandiose things about me being the Wife of the Heir-Apparent, what my status is, and the like. Everyone knows, not to mention, my husband and I are to be dispatched to Chicheng County, you must know where that is."

"With your talents, not only in the Capital City but in any place, you could find people who appreciate you, or set up your own business independently. There’s really no need to follow my husband and me to that bleak place for several years."

Yao Da and Shitou exchanged a look, respectfully took a step back, and said: "Madam does not know, Madam and the Old Madam are our benefactors!"

"Benefactors?" Wang Yongzhu was perplexed; she hadn’t met these two before, how could she have benefited them?

Yao Da then began to narrate: he and Shitou’s families were lifelong friends, jointly running a silver building; as their business was fair, and both had adept skills, with several seasoned silver craftsmen engaged under them, they were quite reputable in the Capital City.

Their gold jewelry was well-made, not only liked by women from ordinary families, but even those from official families often came to buy.

This was initially a good thing, but precisely because it was good, it brought about a disastrous event.

Their silver building was coveted by a noble patron, who was none other than the Duke Qiguo’s daughter, Lady Wang.

When she remarried Song Yin, she took a liking to their silver building, wanting to buy it as part of her dowry.

Leaving aside the extremely low offer, the silver building was generationally passed down, how could it be sold?

They tried all means, implored everyone possible, and sought intermediaries to explain, but nothing worked.

Who was Lady Wang? An inherently self-centered person, every item she wanted since childhood never escaped her grasp, a silver building, in her view, being noticed by her was a blessing accumulated over generations.

Yao Da and Shitou, despite their adept skills, were merely ordinary merchants, how could they resist nobility?

If they didn’t sell it, they had to sell it eventually!

Not only did they forcibly sell their ancestral business at a low price, Lady Wang also declared they could not engage in the silver business ever again, otherwise, none of the family could remain in the Capital City.

But silver craftsmanship ran in their family, what else could they do apart from that?

Sit idly until destitution?

Having no choice, without a livelihood, they sought other ways out, leaving early each day to sell unvaluable trinkets, sometimes not returning for days.

Yet misfortune never comes singly!

During a time when Yao Da and Shitou were out and hadn’t returned, without clear reason, their residence caught fire.

Both families consisted of mothers and children left behind; the children, naive, finally fell asleep after fussing all night, while the adults, exhausted, slept deeply, discovering the fire only when escape was no longer possible.

When Yao Da and Shitou returned home, they were met with a courtyard of ashes and the heartbreak of family loss.

The two were nearly driven insane, numbly gathering their family members’ remains, planning the burial, only then recalling their household’s belongings had been reduced to ashes.

Pooling together all money they had left, with some assistance, they barely managed to conduct the funeral.

When they came to their senses, their greatest resentment was towards the Wang Family and Lady Wang.

If not for their excessive bullying, forcing them to sell their ancestral business at a low price and compelling them to seek means of survival.

Due to livelihood concerns, they had also sent away those who originally served them, leaving responsibilities to their wives.

Their wives, well-raised, suddenly had to manage chores, take care of children, and when free, embroider to earn money; if not for overexertion, how could they sleep so heavily and fail to escape?