Chapter 252: Selection - Rebirth of the Noble Daughter

 Chapter 252: Selection

Xiao Ji looked at the lists in his hands with deep emotions.

People often say that merchants are profit-driven and heartless, which leads to widespread distrust of them. Yet, without these merchants who travel from street to street trading goods, how could Great Jin have developed to its current state?

Much like Jinling City, Liangzhou City was also a place where merchants gathered. However, after many years of Xiao Ji's defense and the previous old governor's tireless efforts, Liangzhou earned its reputation as the top city in the northwest.

The Feng family had been a prominent family here for a century, witnessing generations of officials come and go. Since their ancestors, they had followed a principle:

As long as the dynasty exists, the family thrives; when the dynasty falls, the family perishes.

Therefore, they were never stingy with their wealth. They were more than willing to contribute to Great Jin, its people, and even the foreigners.

Because of this, the people Xiao Mu Qian brought back had a place to stay.

They were provided with enough food, shelters to protect them from the wind and rain, and medicinal soups and medicines from the doctors. Everything was taken care of for these foreigners.

In the past, they had never considered aligning themselves with the Northern Di or Great Jin, always feeling that freedom was the best.

After experiencing this turmoil, however, having a place to settle down didn’t seem so bad.

After staying for over ten days, the best-spoken representative among them, named An Li, came to Xiao Mu Qian.

“General, thank you for saving us.”

“You’ve already thanked me many times. Don’t keep saying it every time you see me, An Li.”

An Li, now the new leader chosen by his people because he could communicate with Great Jin’s people and handle negotiations, was tasked with ensuring the stability of his entire tribe.

“General, if we want to stay in Liangzhou, would that be possible?”

Xiao Mu Qian frowned. What did he mean by staying in Liangzhou? Did they intend to settle down here?

Seeing Xiao Mu Qian’s confusion, An Li quickly added, “We won’t be a burden. We can work! We’re not afraid of hard work!”

An Li’s words were straightforward, but Xiao Mu Qian didn’t understand what he meant by staying.

“Are you saying that all your people want to stay in Liangzhou City and live here?”

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This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://eternalnovelhits.blogspot.com

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“Yes.”

“But aren’t you used to migrating? Would staying here disrupt your way of life?”

An Li smiled bitterly. The habit of migration was merely a means of preserving their dignity in the face of outsiders. They had no livestock to tend, no need to chase the grasslands, and no internal tribal conflicts. They had migrated simply for survival.

Realizing this, An Li looked at Xiao Mu Qian with determination.

“If people have a house to live in, they won’t need to set up tents. If there’s food to eat, they won’t have to forage for roots. We don’t want our children to live through the hard times we did. So, General, can we ask you to take us in? We can work, the elders and women can weave clothes, and we also have a skilled blacksmith who can make all sorts of ironware—pots, carts, helmets, and more!”

Hearing this, Xiao Mu Qian couldn’t help but chuckle.

While crafting household items wasn’t difficult and could be done by ordinary blacksmiths in the city, having someone skilled in their tribe was rare.

It wasn’t that he was unwilling to take them in, but he was concerned about their ability to sustain themselves here.

Liangzhou City was accommodating, but it couldn’t take care of them forever. To stay, they needed to prove they had the skills to make a living.

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Mu Qian said seriously to An Li:

“I can’t make a direct decision now. In an hour, I’ll bring my uncle and the head of the Feng family to see you. Have your people display their best skills, and if they can prove they can make a living in Liangzhou City, then they can stay.”

“Alright, we won’t disappoint you!”

An Li responded with enthusiasm, making Xiao Mu Qian feel a bit embarrassed.

An hour later, the four of them arrived as promised.

Feng Shan had brought his wife, Hua Shi, along. She was intelligent and had a keen eye, contributing significantly to the Feng family’s profits. It was not surprising that she was included in the inspection.

When they entered the shelter, they saw An Li and his people had prepared well.

Inside, they found some exquisite woven items with patterns they had never seen before. Xiao Ji and his nephew weren’t familiar with these, so they looked towards Feng Shan and Hua Shi.

Feng Shan didn’t understand these women’s crafts well, but Hua Shi’s eyes lit up as she stepped forward to examine the woven items. She exclaimed, “I’ve been in business for many years, but I’ve never seen such craftsmanship. It’s made from ordinary threads, yet it’s woven so vividly! Who made these?”

An Li translated her words to his people, and soon several shy women and elders came forward.

One of them explained to An Li, and he provided the answer.

“Old Granny said this is the simplest style. If there were more silk threads, she could make it even better. The women in the tribe all know how to do this. It’s a tradition passed down through generations—mothers teach their daughters, and grandmothers teach their granddaughters!”

Hua Shi nodded. With her experience, she thought that if these designs were applied to clothes and accessories, they would be much more valuable than the woven items.

“Do you know how to sew?”

An Li was a bit puzzled, and Hua Shi rephrased, “Can you mend clothes?”

“Yes, yes, the women all know how to do that.”

Knowing they could sew was one thing, but Hua Shi needed to see it in practice. She casually took a knife and cut a piece of fabric from a garment that had intricate embroidery on it.

She handed the fabric over and said, “If someone can repair this, I’ll hire her as an embroiderer at Tian Si Pavilion, paying one tael of silver a month, with a triple year-end bonus. How does that sound?”

A tael of silver was an unfamiliar concept to An Li’s people, so Hua Shi added, “One tael of silver can buy a thousand steamed buns.”

A thousand steamed buns was a figure they had never imagined.

Everyone was overjoyed and immediately began mending the fabric.

True to their skills, they quickly and neatly repaired the torn fabric. Though the stitching was a bit rough, it was a skill that could be taught.

Selecting a dozen or so with good aptitude, Madam Hua told them they could start working at Tian Si Pavilion the next day.

This solved the employment issue for most of the women. The rest, who could cook, were also absorbed into Feng’s business to work in the kitchen.