Chapter 971: No Arrangement
Gao Family Village's ships arrived in Anqing Prefecture, one after another.
There was no rushing it. Firstly, Cai Xinzhi had to build each river-sea vessel individually. Then, cannons had to be installed, sailors recruited and trained, and finally, the ships embarked on their long journey. It was a process that could only unfold step by step.
But with each vessel that arrived, Shi Kefa's fighting power grew.
The Anqing Prefecture detachment of the Gao Family Village Militia saw its combat strength steadily rise. From merely dispersing the Huangmei river pirates, they eventually became capable of blockading the river, sweeping for pirates as if with a net.
After a major naval battle at Jiujiang Estuary, the main force of the Huangmei river pirates was annihilated. The remnants fled into Poyang Lake, scattering among its numerous inlets. These dispersed pirates posed little threat, barely a match for even local villagers.
On land, too, the army's strength continued to increase with the constant arrival of militia soldiers.
Shi Kefa formed a formidable force, using several hundred Gao Family Village Militia members as its core, supplemented by Anqing garrison troops and local militias. This combined army repeatedly defeated the "Sweeping King" and "Peaceful King" who attacked from land. In the final decisive battle, they razed the "Heavenly Stockade" that the bandit army had fortified within Anqing Prefecture.
They drove both the Sweeping King and the Peaceful King out of Anqing Prefecture.
“All aboard, ladies! We’re heading to Shaanxi.”
Over a hundred women boarded the ship in an orderly fashion...
Meanwhile, the ten women who had decided to stay and manage the Anqing Yingjiang Sericulture Cooperative stood by the dockside, bidding them farewell.
Xue'er waved to Chen Yuanyuan. “Take care! Write to me if you get the chance.”
Chen Yuanyuan replied, “I will!”
Although they spoke these words, deep down they both thought: It’s unlikely we’ll ever meet again in this life.
However, neither of them felt much fear anymore.
Xue'er had truly been restored to civilian status; no “monsters” had harmed her.
On the contrary, Shi Kefa relied heavily on her. In the process of establishing the Sericulture Cooperative, he granted her considerable authority and highly valued her opinions.
After all, Shi Kefa, as Right Vice-Censor-in-Chief, had an immense workload: grain storage, military farms, military affairs, courier services, water conservancy, maintaining order...
Originally, Wang Gongbi, the Right Provincial Administration Commissioner, had been above him, responsible for these matters. However, Wang Gongbi's distribution of eight thousand *shi* of rations to the common people was reported to the Emperor. A few days prior, an imperial decree arrived, demoting Wang Gongbi and reassigning him to Nanjing.
With that, the entire burden of responsibility fell squarely on Shi Kefa’s shoulders.
How could Shi Kefa possibly have time to oversee a mere sericulture cooperative? Naturally, he delegated the authority to Xue'er.
Restored to civilian status, now entrusted with significant responsibilities, and with no “monsters” to devour her or forcibly take her as a wife, Xue'er grew increasingly confident. She tackled tasks with newfound boldness, transforming from the cowering, obliging woman who smiled subserviently at dignitaries in the Pear Garden just days earlier, as if she were now two different people.
Dressed in a dignified yet simple outfit, her face alight with a confident smile, she frantically waved at the Black Pearl. “Sisters, we must find a chance to meet again!”
The Black Pearl set sail...
First, it sailed from the Yangtze River into the open sea, then along the coastline into the Huai River. From there, it carefully navigated upstream, eventually returning to Xiaolangdi.
Fortunately, these courtesans were no ordinary delicate women. They had experienced hardship and long journeys before; many had been transported by traffickers hundreds, even thousands, of *li* from their homes to Suzhou.
They could endure such extended travel.
Moreover, the sailors on board treated them with courtesy and respect, making them feel warmth and care, which further banished any fear.
Several days later...
Zhu Piaoling pointed to the forward-left, shouting, “Xiaolangdi is almost here, ladies! This is one of our bases, but we won’t disembark here; we still have a bit further upstream to travel.”
No sooner had he spoken than a small boat approached from the riverbank.
Onboard, a camera was mounted, and Zhou Daya, a war correspondent and a Heavenly Lord’s disciple, stood waving frantically at Zhu Piaoling and his group. “Heroic Brother,” she called out, “could my humble self come aboard for an interview?”
The moment she spoke, something felt off.
A jolt went through the women on the ship. “Oh? Her way of speaking... it’s remarkably similar to ours?”
Under their astonished gazes, Zhou Daya and her companions boarded the Black Pearl.
Her camera, with its two-meter diameter, was hauled aboard with immense effort by the sailors, using ropes. It was no small feat.
Once on board, Zhou Daya set up her camera, turned it on, and then...
...she turned to Zhu Piaoling, smiling. “Heroic Brother, your trip to Nanjing certainly yielded quite a harvest! You’ve brought back so many ladies. Are these...”
Zhu Piaoling chuckled. “These are courtesans I redeemed from Suzhou and Nanjing.”
Zhou Daya smiled. “Ah, then aren’t they just like my humble self?”
The moment she uttered those words, the courtesans nearby secretly thought: *Just as we suspected! We noticed her way of speaking was similar. So, she was also a courtesan who was redeemed.*
With this realization, their gazes towards Zhou Daya shifted.
Evidently, Zhou Daya might very well represent their future.
Chen Yuanyuan, especially, paid close attention from among the crowd. She keenly wanted to know what life was like for women “bought” by the “monsters” now.
Zhou Daya turned to the courtesans, a sweet smile gracing her lips. “Sisters, by coming here, you’ve truly escaped a living hell. Your future lives will be wonderful.”
Chen Yuanyuan mustered her courage and asked, “Elder Sister, we’ve just arrived from Jiangnan and are truly unfamiliar with the customs here. How will we... be arranged for our future?”
Zhou Daya chuckled. “Arrangement? Well... you’ll arrange it yourselves.”
“What?” Chen Yuanyuan gasped. “Ourselves?”
Zhou Daya laughed. “No one will force you to do anything. You are free to choose what you wish to do. Of course, you cannot go back to your old profession! In the Heavenly Lord’s territory, the brothel industry is illegal, and anyone caught will be punished.”
The women gasped collectively. “!!!”
This truly stunned them. In this place, the brothel industry was actually illegal?
Chen Yuanyuan bowed gracefully. “Elder Sister, may this humble one dare to ask: if no one supervises us once we arrive, will we then need to earn our own food, clothing, and daily necessities?”
Zhou Daya smiled. “When you first arrive and haven’t found work yet, you’ll receive some relief supplies and be provided with temporary housing. Once you find employment, you won’t even care for those relief supplies and temporary dwellings anymore.”
The women exchanged glances, their eyes filled with astonishment.
Comments