CHAPTER 299: CHAPTER 299: ESCAPE

"Hahaha!"

The Steward looked at the document Song Hu presented and laughed until he was breathless.

This is the Court’s quarry, and anyone who comes to be a steward here is appointed by the Court.

Where do you need to sign a document?

This document is clearly a labor contract.

Moreover, it’s the kind of contract where, once signed, you have to completely obey the quarry’s instructions.

Simply put, there are those sent by the Government to do hard labor, some who voluntarily come to work for money, and then there’s the kind who sign contracts to come.

Those sent by the Government, how long they work is decided by the Government. Besides providing meals, they don’t receive monthly silver.

Those who voluntarily come to work for money, the quarry provides meals too, but the meal cost is deducted from their wages. And, if they don’t want to work anymore, they can leave at any time.

But those who sign contracts are different.

Simply put, they can earn money, but they have no freedom, and they must follow the steward’s arrangements in everything.

General Zhao said that as long as their safety is ensured, they should be well honed.

"Look clearly, this is a labor contract!" The Steward pointed at the document in Song Hu’s hand and said, "Your family is here to work at the quarry, follow the quarry’s arrangements, no slacking off, or else, pay will be deducted."

"How can it be work?" Li was dumbfounded.

"Black and white, it’s clearly written, and you’ve stamped your fingerprint. How is it not work? Hurry up, I’ll have someone take you to familiarize yourself with the work. If you don’t follow rules here, you’ll be punished, see those people over there?" The steward pointed at the Government-sent laborers not far away, watched over by someone, if their work doesn’t keep pace, they get whipped.

"Must be a mistake, we’re related to the Zhao Family, my daughter is the wife of Zhao Family’s eldest son, now she’s the Heir’s wife!" Li anxiously argued.

"We don’t know about that, we only look at the document." The Steward said.

The three members of the Song Family were jostled by the people summoned by the Steward to go and familiarize themselves with the work they were going to do next.

Because Zhao Ting had given prior instructions, they didn’t have to do the explosive stone-breaking work, but the work they had to do wasn’t easy either.

They had to carry stones.

Transporting stones was real laborious work.

Li and Song Shizhu could still manage to bear the weight, but Song Hu couldn’t, he hadn’t done any physical work at home, now it was killing him.

Li and Song Shizhu were willing to help Song Hu, but they were being watched, and everyone had to do their own work.

It’s okay if Song Hu couldn’t carry so much, then start from what he could carry.

By the end of the day, Song Hu was utterly exhausted.

Fortunately, the quarry’s meals were decent, they had big steamed buns and meat dishes.

"Mom, what do we do?" After dinner, Song Hu finally felt a bit of strength, "Think of a way quickly, let’s get out of here, I don’t want to sell my strength every day."

Too tiring.

"That ruthless Meng woman, on the surface she reassured us, but secretly she strikes!" Li was very angry.

But Song Shizhu wasn’t as reactive as the mother and son.

Working is exhausting, but they ate well.

At home, working in the fields wasn’t easy either, and they didn’t eat this well.

At home, they ate coarse grains, here they ate steamed buns made with mixed flour!

The most important thing is, they also had meat dishes.

Though their family wasn’t unable to afford meat, they surely wouldn’t put so much meat in one dish.

So, Song Shizhu felt that working here wasn’t too bad.

"Let’s escape!" Li decided on this idea, "Once we escape, we go to find Meng to settle the score. Her trick to con us into labor can be used as leverage to threaten her. Zhao Dahe is a scholar, I’ve heard a scholar’s reputation is extremely important. Then we don’t do anything, let Zhao Family provide us with food and drink."

"Can it work?" Song Shizhu hesitated.

"Why couldn’t it? Meng was deceitful first." Li said.

The three slipped under the cover of night toward the quarry’s entrance, and along the way, they didn’t encounter anyone.

After a whole day’s labor, everyone was exhausted, having eaten, now they were lying down to rest.

Thus, no one was around.

Everything went smoothly, and Li breathed a sigh of relief.

But before she could finish exhaling, a chorus of dog barks rang out.

Soon, torches were lit.

The Song family was caught in the light, with nowhere to hide.

The Steward commanded people to pin the Song family members to the ground, "I didn’t tell you earlier, but unauthorized escape doesn’t just deduct money, it also means being sent to the Government. You’ve signed a contract! If sent to the Government and coming back here, you’ll be Government-sent laborers, whipped and no monthly salary."

"Send us, then!" Li stiffened her neck, sending them to the Government just means leaving the quarry, right?

With so many people in the Government, if she causes a scene, they would certainly contact the Zhao Family, and she’d be able to see Meng, with confidence she could control Meng, naturally preventing being sent back again.

"Just as well, tomorrow the Government is coming here for an inspection, saves us the trouble of sending you back." The Steward said.

Li was dumbstruck.

Song Shizhu and Song Hu pleaded quickly, saying they weren’t trying to escape, they were just walking around because they ate too much at night.

"Really?" The Steward frowned and asked.

"Really, really." Song Shizhu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said.

Being a laborer is much tougher, and they don’t eat as well as they do.

He definitely didn’t want to be like them.

The three dragged themselves back to the wooden house assigned to them.

"Hey wife, I’ve figured it out, Xiu’er’s mother-in-law deliberately bothers us. Even if we’re sent to the Government, it’s unlikely to cause any uproar." Song Shizhu said, "Better to work honestly here, maybe one day they’ll let us leave for Xiu’er’s sake?"

Li really didn’t want to admit it, but she had to agree that what her husband said made a lot of sense.

She initially thought she could leverage reputation to control Meng, but now it seems Meng was no longer that rural woman, controlling her would be difficult.

"We’re suffering here, but it benefits Xiao Feng’s uncle and aunt’s family! Eating well at the Zhao Family!" Li gritted her teeth.

"What they do isn’t our concern!" Song Shizhu said gloomily.

——

Under the strong request of Xiao Feng’s uncle and aunt, Meng Yao arranged for them to meet Xiao Feng when he had a break.

Xiao Feng, at the Hundred Embroidery House, had a master guiding him, and after understanding Xiao Feng’s nature, the master truly cared for him like a son. Besides teaching him embroidery skills, he also taught him the principles of dealing with people.

Xiao Feng didn’t hide anything from his master, openly telling him why he came to the Capital City.

His master was very clear-headed, seriously warned Xiao Feng, never to develop ideas of clinging to the Zhao Family. Or he wouldn’t even know how he’d die! He should obediently work as an embroidery girl at the Hundred Embroidery House, and if there really was an issue, the Zhao Family might even lend a hand since he was obedient. If not, he’d be asking for his own death.