Chapter 250 - 250: Living
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three months had passed since Qin Zhenzhen and her companions arrived in the prefecture.
During this period, they accomplished a multitude of tasks. Their seasonings and soy sauce had found their way into several capital markets, garnering widespread acclaim and achieving impressive sales figures.
Their original workshop had expanded significantly, now employing a workforce of over fifty individuals. The techniques and ingredients used in crafting their seasonings and soy sauce were no secret. The true uniqueness lay in the addition of Qin Zhenzhen’s special spiritual water—a simple yet remarkable innovation. This spiritual water allowed for the creation of small particles, easily transformable into powder or swift dissolving agents when mixed with water, making their products incredibly user-friendly. Customers simply needed to incorporate these seasonings and soy sauce into their culinary creations.
Qin Zhenzhen took it upon herself to impart her knowledge to Qin Silong and
Su Ping, teaching them the art of seasoning and soy sauce production. Qin
Silong, once wary, had come to accept Qin Zhenzhen’s presence in their lives.
He remained true to his promise, having completely severed ties with his former associates. Despite several offers from individuals willing to work for him or even be his superior, Qin Silong turned them all down. He rejected those who persisted and had distanced himself so thoroughly that he did not even entertain the idea that some among his previous acquaintances might be genuinely seeking redemption and a fresh start.
In his view, he was still a work in progress, and during this period of self-improvement, he couldn’t afford any distractions. He worried that associating with his old friends might jeopardize his determination to better himself and lead to his eventual exhaustion.
If he decided to part ways with his former associates, it would be a complete and final break.
Once, driven by his ambitions, he had even sold the jade pendant his father had given him, earning him a reputation for callousness among those people.
When these acquaintances eventually distanced themselves from him, they did so without uttering a word. Being the young master of the Marquis Mansion, they feared offending him. It was a classic case of the strong bullying the weak and others avoiding confrontation with the true nobility.
Behind his back, they only dared to vent their frustrations.
“What a heartless individual! We were so naive in the past, treating him as a brother! ”
“Sigh, but what can we do? We were born with lesser status; he’s of noble birth, so naturally, he doesn’t want to associate with us. A selfish person gets what he desires!”
“I remember a buddy mentioning that he even reported us for a skirmish with his cousin’s brother. I didn’t believe it then, but now I’m starting to see the truth.”
“Is that so? No wonder our friends got captured and sentenced to three years of servitude!”
“Now that we know, should we seek retribution for our comrades?”
Silence fell among the group.
One person spoke up again, expressing a desire for revenge and even proposing a scheme to his companions.
“Su Ping and Qin Silong have always been close. Both of them are formidable.
It’s best not to provoke them.”
“But he has a sister and a niece in the village. What if we were to kidnap them for ransom?”
The leader of the group slapped him, his voice firm. “Who do you think you are? You dare to suggest kidnapping someone from the Marquis Mansion?”
“Before you even consider it, think twice! The man who recently became engaged to Sister Su Ping is a military officer with an ominous reputation.
Rumor has it he’s taken the lives of no fewer than a hundred people!”
“Despite his limp, word has it that his martial prowess remains unimpaired.
Just last month, he singlehandedly subdued a wild boar up in the mountains!”
“Are you seriously suggesting kidnapping his partner? You must be seeking trouble! “