CHAPTER 1032: CHAPTER 1030: 2 CHOICES

Upon hearing this, Loo Xiaoshan and the others first breathed a sigh of relief, but when they heard the words about reporting to the authorities, their expressions changed.

Sending us to the authorities is as good as sending us to our deaths! We’re just common people with no money or influence; once we go to the Yamen, there’s no way we’d come back alive!

Even if they don’t kill us, locking us up in prison, how are the women and children in our homes supposed to survive? What would they live off?

Loo Xiaoshan pleaded with reddened eyes, "Scholar’s Lady, I know we have no face to ask for mercy—"

"Since you have no face to ask, then don’t speak!" Song Chongjin said coldly.

Loo Xiaoshan was left speechless.

He could only signal to the others with his eyes.

The others looked at one another, both relieved to have survived and yet unwillingly.

Exchanging glances, they all knelt down in unison, "We beg the Scholar’s Lady to spare them this time! If they really report to the authorities, with the elderly and the young in their homes, there truly would be no way for them to survive! We ask the Scholar’s Lady to show mercy and spare them this time! They’ve learned their lesson and will surely never dare to do it again—"

Song Chongjin spoke, "Since you are pleading for them, then here’s the deal: all the previous contracts you signed will be nullified, including the apprenticeship contracts. The Settlement Silver given to you earlier will also be dismissed, but everyone must move out of Yingzi Gully and sign a contract that they will never set foot within ten miles of Yingzi Gully for life! If you can agree to this, then we won’t report to the authorities!"

Loo Xiaoshan and Li Dashan were dumbfounded, unsure what to say.

"These are the two choices now: either you stay, have houses to live in, and your children can become apprentices. Or you leave with them and move out of Yingzi Gully. If you’re unable to decide, you can go back and discuss." Song Chongjin finished, signaling to have them all driven out.

The group was dragged out in a haze, taking a long while to regain their senses.

Meanwhile, Zhang Quan and Sun Qi looked at Song Chongjin with a different eye.

However, seeing that Wang Yongzhu seemed to have something to say, they tactfully excused themselves.

In the room were left only Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin, Wang Yongzhu said, "Let me play the villain in this. Why did you have to speak up?"

Song Chongjin shook his head, "Such matters should be handled by men. In accordance with my nature, you shouldn’t have got involved; just instruct Zhang Quan and the others. But I know you still hold a bit of hope for the people of Yingzi Gully and wanted to see for yourself."

"Whatever you decide, I’ll go along with you! Being the villain suits your dark complexion perfectly!"

Wang Yongzhu playfully blamed, feeling sweet as honey inside.

"Those people, what if—" Wang Yongzhu worried.

"If those people can really harden their hearts and shake off those holding them back, keeping them wouldn’t be a problem. If they would sacrifice everything to protect those people, I’d also respect them as true men. Moreover, our tea plantation needs workers, we could bring these few over to our tea plantation!" Song Chongjin had long thought it out.

Wang Yongzhu’s eyes lit up, that was indeed a good idea.

Before long, Loo Xiaoshan and Li Dashan returned, each with reluctance on their faces, but they still shared the outcome of their discussion.

They chose the second option, to abandon everything and leave Yingzi Gully with the others.

It was the final option they had; if those people were really reported and arrested, they couldn’t just watch their families starve to death?

But so many people, they couldn’t support them? Not to mention, people would say, their men ended up in prison, yet you have new houses and apprenticeships for your children, with a promising future.

Wouldn’t they hate them?

Helping them now might raise future troubles instead.

It seemed like two choices, but in reality, Song Chongjin gave them only one choice.

They resigned to their fate, recognizing perhaps the generations of Yingzi Gully were not destined for wealth.

Only meant to struggle in these deep mountains.

However, Li Dashan bravely made a request, "We have nothing to ask but one thing from the Scholar’s Lady. My wife is heavily pregnant, can we be granted some time until we find a new settlement before moving away?"

It’s currently June, and they’re planning to search the nearby areas for a large cave or something, and then figure out other ways.

Luckily, it was summer; if it were winter, freezing, it would truly be life-threatening.

Naturally, Wang Yongzhu agreed to it.

Li Dashan left expressing thousands of thanks.

Zhang Quan handled the rest, voiding the old contracts and signing new abandonment contracts. Those who had wasted the Twenty Taels of Silver regretted it immensely, while those who had saved the silver breathed a sigh of relief.

Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin took a chance to visit the Tea Mountain.

Fortunately, being summer, the lush vegetation didn’t burn easily, but patches of scorched marks could still be seen.

Wang Yongzhu examined the tea trees, last time she mentioned needing branches from the tea trees.

People sent by the Lee Family had already selected suitable branches from each tea tree without harming them, pressing them with soil. Now, upon carefully uncovering the soil, tiny roots could be seen sprouting from those branches.

In a few months, these branches could be transplanted to the Tea Mountain at Dahei Mountain for planting.

Wang Yongzhu estimated roughly, there were hundreds of these branches, along with those cultivated from the tea mother initially; altogether still quite insufficient.

However, she wasn’t in a hurry; these branches, once transplanted, would take at least three years to produce tea. During those three years, branches could be pressed annually, and the numbers would be adequate in three years.

Meanwhile, the tea mountain needs to be managed.

Wang Yongzhu shared her plans with Song Chongjin, who considered it, "You’re right, besides those few from Yingzi Gully, we could select two or three households from Chongzi Gou. I’ll put two from the town in as well, and that’ll be enough."

Wang Yongzhu understood Song Chongjin feared another incident like Yingzi Gully, hence wanted people to oversee and manage.

She had no objections.

After this, they discussed the follow-up arrangements.

"First, keep these people in Yingzi Gully, let Zhang Quan and the others observe if Li Dashan and the others prove themselves, then it shall be them. And with Ninth Master Lee and Boss Zhang, surely they will send more people, from today, I’ll no longer intervene in the Yingzi Gully tea mountain situation."

"Moreover, to express my apologies, I have to give them a grand gift." Wang Yongzhu frowned, pondering what to give.

Song Chongjin couldn’t bear Wang Yongzhu’s distress, "Shall I have uncle seek around for something?"

Wang Yongzhu waved it off, and suddenly her eyes brightened as she looked at the tea trees, "Got it! This gift will move even the gods."