Listening to Mrs. Jiang, Lady Liang recalled that her two nephews and nieces had traveled with their parents to many places in the South and North.
"Now that the weather is getting hotter, we still need to be cautious."
"Your Highness, rest assured. We will sail back to Lingnan, and at this ti of the year, it’s not hot at sea, so the two children won’t feel too hot." When the sea ban was in place, traveling from the capital to Lingnan was only by carriage. After the opening of the sea routes, one can travel by ship to Lingnan, which is not only faster but also more comfortable. "Besides, there is ice on the ship. If we encounter really hot weather along the way, there is ice to cool off."
Seeing that Mrs. Jiang had prepared ice, Lady Liang felt much more at ease.
"By the way, have the two children been ill recently?"
"No, both of them are very healthy and rarely get sick."
"I heard that many children beco weak and susceptible to illness for a period after receiving cowpox vaccinations." So ti ago, Mrs. Jiang’s two children were vaccinated against cowpox. After they were vaccinated, Lady Liang was worried about their health and sent them a lot of supplents.
"After the vaccination, those two were full of energy as before, without even a sneeze." Mrs. Jiang’s children were robust and healthy, all thanks to Zhao Yao. "Both of them have drunk goat’s milk or cow’s milk since childhood, and they eat well, plus they learn martial arts from their master, making them exceptionally sturdy."
"But still, we cannot be careless." There are quite a few cases where healthy children passed away from illness. Until the children grow into adults, not a single mont of negligence is allowed.
Knowing that Lady Liang was concerned about the children, Mrs. Jiang expressed her gratitude, saying: "Your Highness, don’t worry, we always pay attention."
"Ah, I am so reluctant to see you go." Although Lady Liang couldn’t see Mrs. Jiang and the family every day, knowing they were in the capital, she felt happy.
"Your Highness, we return to Lingnan this ti because of the trade conference. Once it’s over, we’ll return to the capital." Mrs. Jiang understood Lady Liang’s feelings, as she was alone in the palace without her son or good friends. If she lived alone in such a grand palace, she wouldn’t be able to stand it either. "Your Highness, should I leave the children to accompany you?"
Lady Liang waved her hand and said: "You should keep the children with you. If they stay in the palace feeling uneasy, that would stifle them." For many, the Imperial Palace is the wealthiest place, and they long to enter, but the people inside feel it’s a cage, trapped for life without a way out.
"This ti as you head to Lingnan, it seems you won’t be able to return to the capital anyti soon; I guess you’ll be busy for quite a while." Lady Liang said, "Perhaps Yao Yao will have you go to Annan and Johor as well. Furthermore, aren’t you going to Swamp Prefecture to train female workers this ti?"
She quickly asked, "How many female workers are you taking to Swamp Prefecture?"
"Not many, just two to three hundred." Thinking of the backgrounds of these female workers, Mrs. Jiang showed compassion. "They’re all abandoned souls." So of the female workers Mrs. Jiang took in were divorced by their husbands, so were abandoned by their parents, so were orphans, and so were trafficked... In short, they all ca from very tragic backgrounds.
"Following you to Swamp Prefecture now, they’ll be able to support themselves in the future and will have a ho in Swamp Prefecture; it’s a good thing for them." Lady Liang was very supportive of hiring female workers.
"All thanks to His Highness." Zhao Yao suggested to Mrs. Jiang to hire female workers. "We have many female workers in our shops now, and they are doing well, so even becoming shopkeepers." Besides Mrs. Jiang’s branches having female workers, Liang Run’s shops, large and small, also employ female workers. They are capable, hardworking, and attentive, no worse than n, and so even better.
"Won are in no way inferior to n, just lacking the opportunity to showcase their talents."
"By the way, Your Highness, the few ’aunts’ you recomnded have finally agreed to follow us to Lingnan." The ’aunts’ Mrs. Jiang ntioned had just been released from the palace this year after serving as palace maids for ten years, earning them the title ’aunt’.
Among the palace maids released this year, a few were especially capable. Lady Liang took note of them, and once they left the palace, she asked Mrs. Jiang to check if they wished to continue working in Lingnan.
"Last ti you ntioned they didn’t want to go to Lingnan; what made them agree this ti?" Before they left the palace, Lady Liang wanted to talk to them, but upon reconsideration, she decided to let Mrs. Jiang handle it.
Reviews
All reviews (0)