Lao Zhongbo moved five pots of begonias for Lin Qingwan, "Madam, these five pots of begonias are the best, you take them back first, and when there are new ones, I'll send them to you again."

  Lin Qingwan picked up the flower and instructed him, "Old Zhongbo, recently the outside world is not at peace. You must restrain the servants well and let them not go out unless necessary. Let them stay in the clan, the clan can protect you a bit. If something happens, preserving life is important. As for other things, they can be abandoned if possible."

  Lao Zhongbo smiled and said, "Don't worry, young lady. I've been through a lot and will definitely take good care of your family business. You should also be careful," he looked around and lowered his voice, saying: "If you don't trust the clan, then go back to Lin's mansion in the city. After all, you are the county princess, once you enter the city, the governor will not dare not protect you."

  Lin Qingwan nodded slightly and said "take care" before getting on the car and leaving.

  "Where shall we go first, madam?" Bai Mei asked in a low voice.

  Lin Qingwan thought for a moment and said, "Let's go to the Governor's Mansion first."

  Zhou's news is more reliable than Lin's family's rumors, and it comes from official channels, making it even more accurate.

  He had also received the news just yesterday, and he came to Lin Qingwen's place today. He thought that since most of their family's assets were donated, the source of information was limited, but he didn't expect to receive the news so quickly.

  Zhou Tong went out to play after the holiday and didn't go home at all, so Zhou Shi still doesn't know that the Lu family has already reacted to this.

  Zhou Zhi Shi thought that Lin Qing Wan had her own channels, and because of her identity, he didn't dare to be slow, so when she asked about the south, he picked out what he could say.

  Of course, Zhou Zhi did not dare mention anything involving secrets.

  Lin Run only knew that Lü Jing had rebelled and stationed troops at the border, but did not know that Lü Jing had actually succeeded in his rebellion.

  The Southern Han imperial family no longer exists, and in order to shift the domestic contradictions, Lü Jing deployed troops along the border. This battle is inevitable, but it's hard to say how big or long it will be.

  Zhou Cishi's advice to Lin Qingwan was to enter the city as soon as possible, lest something happen outside the city that they couldn't attend to.

  Lin Qingwan thanked Zhou for his help and then went to the Shang family's home.

  The news received by Shang's family is similar to that of Lin Run, and in comparison, Lu's actions are actually faster.

  Lin Qingwan sat in the carriage and thought that it was indeed a noble family, as soon as they received the news, they had already reacted and indirectly reminded others.

  I just don't know how much of it is really his credit.

  It seems she can no longer be confined to this land in Suzhou. This is a chaotic world, and it's not that she can live in peace just by guarding her fief well.

  She must have the capital to survive in a chaotic world, besides food, there are also sources of information and... armed forces!

  Can't reach Lu's family level, also can't compare with Lin Jiang when he was around, but at least don't be worse than the four major families in Jiangnan now.

  Lin Qingwan left the city when the sky had completely darkened, and Bai Mei and Bai Fen lit up the lanterns in the carriage to illuminate the road.

  The escorting guards rode horses closely guarding the carriage on both sides, their spirits tense.

  Although they didn't know what exactly happened, Auntie ran around the clan, the governor's mansion and the nunnery for half a day. Even if you just use your toes to think about it, you'd know something was up, and it wasn't a small matter either.

  Fortunately, everything went smoothly on the way back, although it was slow, but everyone returned safely to the other courtyard.

  Mrs. Xie and Lin Yubin were inside the door, hearing the gate creaking open, Lin Yubin rushed out without thinking, saw the little girl getting off the car, her eyes turned red, and she rushed up to hug her, "Auntie, didn't you say it was nothing?"

  Lin Qingwan patted her back and smiled: "It's nothing, I just went back to the clan for a trip, and I was delayed on the way."

  Mrs. Xie stood behind him and nodded slightly when she saw him looking over: "It's good that you're back."

  Lin Qingwan smiled slightly and pulled Lin Yubin and Xie's wife into the house. The two had not yet eaten dinner, and when they saw them return, Lin's mother hurriedly went to instruct the kitchen to bring up the meal.

  Lin Qingwan glanced at Lin Mama, and Lin Mama gave a signal to Bai Mei. The servants in the house immediately retreated, leaving only Lin Mama and Yang Mama to attend to them.

  Mrs. Xie gave Lin Qing a dish with her chopsticks and asked: "What's going on?"

  Lin Qingwan told her mother the news she had gathered and said: "Mother, you can go back to Yangzhou or return to Beijing."

  Mrs. Xie frowned and said coldly, "I'm not feeling well, I don't want to walk."

  Lin Qingwan sighed and looked at Yang's nanny.

  Yang's wife also wanted to persuade, but seeing the lady with a cold face, she knew that she had already made up her mind to stay here, so she didn't dare to lower her head and avoid Lin Qingwen's sight.

  Lin Qingwan furrowed her brow, but could only put this matter aside for now.

  "Are you going back to the Lin family clan or entering the city?"

  Lin Qingwan lowered her head and thought for a moment before saying: "The city may not necessarily be safer than the other courtyard, I think I'll stay in the other courtyard first."

  Mrs. Xie was puzzled, why wouldn't it be safer inside the city than outside?

  But on the second day, she vaguely understood that it wasn't that the city was safer than outside, but that other courtyards could be made safer.

  Yesterday, Zhong Daguantie informed the temporary workers that this year's employment has temporarily come to an end. Everyone can go back early to prepare for the Spring Festival and settle their wages today.

  The workers were amazed that this year ended so quickly, last year they didn't even settle their wages until just before the New Year.

  Lin Qingwan didn't hide it from them, and when she gathered everyone together, she frankly said: "The Southern Han is in chaos, with refugees pouring in. Recently, the outside might not be safe, and you all have parents and relatives at home, so it's better to go back home."

  "There's no need to worry," said the short worker, "Master Dong, what does the Southern Han have to do with us in Daliang? It's far from Suzhou, and even if refugees cross borders, they won't make it to our Suzhou."

  For them, leaving Suzhou was already far away, let alone from one country to another.

  But older people didn't say anything and quietly stood in front, planning to take things back home.

  Lin Qingwan certainly couldn't tell them how serious the situation was, that would only make people panic in their hearts. Intelligent people would naturally listen to her words and be prepared, while foolish people, even if she continued speaking, would only lose their composure due to panic.

  "So she smiled slightly and said: 'This is just one aspect, the main thing is that there's not enough money in the house. You all know, I've recently bought a lot of wheat seeds, added some farming tools, plus the livestock, fruit trees, and wages paid to you, as well as building rows of houses. Even if this autumn harvest goes well, we'll still be short on cash. I made a promise to settle your wages every ten days, but now that there's not enough money, I don't want to keep you all here any longer.'"

  Lin Qingwan saw that they looked a bit tense, and the smile on her face was even more gentle. "Anyway, this fruit tree will have to be planted after the spring opens, so it's better to invite you all after the New Year. By then, the fabrics woven in my house will also be sold out, and I'll have some extra money. I just hope that when I invite you all next time, everyone can still come, and don't raise your prices because of the farming season."

  Everyone heard this and felt a sense of relief in their hearts, and they hurriedly assured him: "Don't worry, Master Dong. The wages you're offering now are already very fair, we won't ask for more."

  As long as they are willing to work here, they have made a lot of money in this side over the past year.

  The village has now been opened up and only fruit trees and mulberry trees have not been planted, so I missed this opportunity. Who knows when the next good job will be found?

  Lin Qingwan saw that everyone was convinced, so she took a step back and said to Zhong Daguantie: "Let's start calculating the wages."

  Lin Shun led the people to carry out basket after basket of copper coins from another yard. Zhong Daguantie and Lin Quan, Lin An divided the ledger, each holding a table, shouting: "Come in order, when someone's name is called, they will come forward to check their working hours and settle their wages."

  Although Lin's family promised to settle wages every ten days, except for the initial period, very few people would come to settle once in ten days later on.

  It's safer to leave the money at Lin's house and settle it when I get back home.

  Some people's homes are close by, so they come to settle accounts every ten days and take the money back home to their families; some people's homes are far away, so they settle accounts once a month, take two days off to go home, and then come back; others, because they live even farther away, may only settle accounts once every two or three months, so everyone's recorded working hours are different, and their wages are also different.

  Shouted the name, the short workers took out the work hour slips that had been issued and came forward to check, calculated the work hours and then calculated the wages, while the family servant on the side took out string after string of copper coins from the basket.

  A string of copper coins is one hundred wen, a day's wages are twenty wen. Many people directly took off their clothes and wrapped the copper coins they received in a big bundle and hugged it in their arms.

  Brothers, neighbors and fellow villagers all gather together to avoid being robbed.

  Without a companion, he went forward and said to Zhong Daguantie: "I'll take my wages for the next ten days first, can I leave the rest with you?"

  Zhong Daguan looked at him and nodded: "Alright, just sign your name."

  He let out a deep breath, took two hundred coins, stamped his handprint and quietly withdrew.

  His wages were not small either, and he had to go home and call his family members, otherwise he would not dare to take so much copper money on the road alone.

  An old man with a hunched back came forward, rubbed his hands and asked in a low voice, "Sir, can I not have copper coins, but exchange them directly for grain?"

  Lin Qingwan was flipping through a booklet and looked up at the old man upon hearing this.

  The old man's face was slightly dark red, he bowed his waist, smiled at Lin Qingyuan with a flattering expression, and then bowed again, his eyes revealing a pleading gaze.

  It turned out to be a clever person, Lin Qingyuan turned her head and said to Zhong Daguan: "Exchange it with him at the market price."

  "But I don't know what the price of grain is today." Zhong Daguantie hesitated, now grain was much more expensive than money, and he had just exchanged his money for it yesterday.

  Lin Qing said faintly: "I don't know about today's, let's just do it like yesterday's, have someone go to the granary and move out the grain, whoever wants to exchange can exchange."

  The old man let out a sigh of relief and immediately knelt down to kowtow to Lin Qingwan, "Thank you, Master, thank you, Master."

  Lin Qingwan took two steps forward and helped the old man up, smiling lightly: "No need to be so polite, sir. It's all the same price anyway. But grain is much heavier than copper coins - can you carry it back?"

  "All right, there are many nephews and nieces at home here, everyone can go into town to hire a few donkey carts."

  Lin Qingwan nodded slightly and couldn't help but remind him: "Be careful on the road, if it's a long way, you might as well exchange it for money."

  The old man felt grateful in his heart and nodded his head, saying "yes".