Luo Gong looked at Shen Xiu's face and said, "Actually, as I mentioned to you, Magistrate Zhen wants you to help embroider a double-sided embroidery. The price can be discussed easily."
"Now that Qiao Meier has married into the county government for you, I think you can put this matter down." Luo Gong said, "But if you don't want to, just pretend I didn't say anything."
Shen Xiu actually didn't want to deal with Magistrate Zhen anymore, but she really didn't have that much money on hand.
She thought about it and realized that Luo Gong was right. Now that Magistrate Zhen had Qiao Meier, he should not bother her anymore.
"You can help me embroider the double-sided embroidery, but you have to pay money first. When he sends you a thousand taels of silver, I will help him embroider it."
The thousand taels of silver Shen Xiu asked for was actually not much. The price of double-sided embroidery in Jiangnan was almost the same.
Luo Gong did not agree immediately, "I have to ask him what he means."
"Then do you know what he wants this double-sided embroidery for?"
Luo Gong said: "You don't know if you are not an official, but the county magistrate is not easy to do. You have to win over your subordinates, but also please your superiors. Especially with the officials in the capital, you also need to have good relations. I think Magistrate Zhen is in Huai'an County
After the stay is over, I probably don’t want to go out any more, so I made arrangements in advance.”
When Qiao Meier came the next day, she also mentioned this matter.
"We adults say that the original reason for going out was to relax. Now that my parents are old, it's time to return to the capital to fulfill their filial piety."
Qiao Meier is now dressed as an official wife, wearing a silver-red dark floral dress and a lake-blue pleated skirt.
She also wore a few beaded hairpins on her head, which looked delicate and pretty.
Shen Xiu was amazed at how much she had changed.
Clothes and jewelry are just external objects, nothing unusual. What has really changed from the inside out is her temperament, which has transformed from a country girl into a noble lady who works as slaves and maids.
When Shen Xiu faced Qiao Mei as a child, she couldn't help but change her mentality.
However, Qiao Meier still had the same attitude towards her. After talking about the release, she took out a thousand taels of silver note from her arms.
"I have brought the banknote that my sister asked for." Qiao Meier said, "My lord, what you mean is that the double-sided embroidery does not need to be too complicated, and the pattern is more elegant. Of course, if it can be embroidered before the end of the month, then it will be great."
Nothing could be better.”
Qiao Meier came here this time, firstly to see Shen Xiu, and secondly to pass along these few words.
Shen Xiu did not expect that Magistrate Zhen could so readily take out a thousand taels of silver.
She had just put away the banknotes when Qiao Meier dismissed the maid beside her, came over and sat next to Shen Xiu and said: "Sister, you once said that if I have any difficulties, I can come to you to discuss it. Now.
I have indeed encountered a difficult situation."
"What's the problem?"
Qiao Meier embarrassedly twisted the handkerchief in her hand and said, "My father came over a few days ago. What he meant was that he wanted me to help them. It would be best to find a job for my elder brother."
"Then do you agree?" Shen Xiudao, "Does Magistrate Zhen know about this?"
Qiao Meier whispered: "I'm not embarrassed to tell you. In fact, my monthly monthly silver is only ten taels of silver. I think my father thinks that ten taels of silver is too little."
"Besides, my lord has told me before that he doesn't like nepotism, and he doesn't like others taking advantage of his power to do evil. So I didn't even dare to mention it to him about helping my elder brother get a job."
Shen Xiudao: "It's right that you didn't mention it. I've heard others say that your parents used you to marry Magistrate Zhen, and now they are working together with others to make money. I think it's nothing more than asking for money from you.
I just want to get more capital. You'd better not lend him any money. And you should also warn him that if someone reports him about lending money, you won't be able to protect him."
"As for helping your eldest brother find a job, don't mention it. If your eldest brother really enters the county government and does evil by relying on his status as brother-in-law, do you think County Magistrate Zhen will spare him?"
Shen Xiudao: "If you want your parents' family to be safe and peaceful, don't go along with them in everything, lest they don't know how high the sky is and how high it is."
Qiao Meier lowered her head and thought for a while, and felt that Shen Xiu was right. Her parents knew very well that neither her parents nor her eldest brother were the kind of people who knew how to be sensible. Once something went wrong, Magistrate Zhen's character would
, maybe they really won’t be merciful to them.
As long as she thought that indulging them now, she would harm them in the future. Qiao Meier became determined and planned to give them a good warning when her parents came back.
After Qiao Meier left, Shen Xiu took the banknote and went to find Luo Gong.
The money had been collected, and Shen Xiu remembered that the owner of the fertile land was eager to sell it. It would be a pity if someone else bought it.
Fortunately, the owner of the farmland did not take action for the time being, so Luo Gong directly took Shen Xiu to the home of the farmland owner.
The owner of Liangtian, whose surname is Hao, was not originally from Huai'an County, but did business here all year round, so he purchased this property.
Now that he wanted to return to his hometown and spend his old age in peace, he wanted to sell this fertile land.
It's just that fertile farmland occupies a lot of land, and there are only a handful of families in Huai'an County who can afford to pay 1,500 taels of silver in one go.
Moreover, those wealthy families often own land, so they may not be interested in his fertile land.
So when Shen Xiu came over with the banknote, Hao Yuanwai quickly took out the field deed.
With Luo Gong present, Shen Xiu was not afraid of any tricks played by Hao Yuanwai. After reading the land deed, Shen Xiu handed the banknote to Hao Yuanwai.
"It's a total of one thousand five hundred taels of silver. Mr. Hao, please keep it."
Hao Yuanwai smiled and took the bank note, "Ms. Shen is happy, and I am also happy. When I bought this fertile land, in order to avoid trouble, I directly entrusted the tenant farmers to a steward. Now I
I’m leaving, but this steward is a local, and his family is all in the county, so he doesn’t want to follow me.”
"If Mrs. Shen is willing to use him, keep him. If she is not willing to use him, give him a sum of money and send him away."
Shen Xiu hasn't met anyone yet, so it's hard to make a conclusion.
If the steward is capable, she can stay. After all, she has not been able to find a suitable candidate for the time being. Rather than find a stranger, she might as well let the steward continue to help manage the property.
But if the person in charge is not only powerless, but also enriches himself, then she can't keep the person.
Hao Yuanwai saw Shen Xiu's expression in his eyes and continued: "Mrs. Shen knows it when she sees someone. This steward's surname is Ma. Her family has been working as the boss for generations. She is very honest. Other bosses will
He cheats and cheats, steals good seeds privately, and bullies the tenant farmers. But this steward will not take a grain of grain back to his home, nor does he treat the tenant farmers well."
"But just one thing, the salary of this steward is a bit high, one person is twice as much as others. Some customers don't want to use him because they think his salary is high. But I have been dealing with him for more than ten years, and I know how to use him.
That's right."
When Shen Xiu heard this, he asked: "Then why is his salary higher than others?"
Hao Yuanwai smiled and said, "You'd better ask him this question yourself."