Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 336: Negotiation

Zhao San and the others must be punished.

The eight servants were brought in and told to kowtow to Lian Fang Zhou to make amends.
Master Zhao promised that he would discipline them with thirty boards when he returned home and turn them out.
In the future, no one in the Zhao family would dare to do this kind of thing, he assured her.

Strangely, Lian Fang Zhou felt assured.

Thinking about it, she smiled at Master Zhao: “I think its best to forget about the thirty boards! After all, they are slaves.
If the master orders it, can the slaves dare to not listen?”

This remark embarrassed Master Zhao greatly but he was helpless.
Who told his daughter to make such a mess?

“Hurry and thank Miss Lian!” He shouted at Zhao San and the others, scolding them.

Zhao San sighed in relief and quickly thanked her.
For the other seven, their thanks was sincere.
Only Zhao San felt in his heart that Lian Fang Zhou was too easy.

Lian Fang Zhou continued to smile: “I have an unreasonable request, if Master Zhao could please agree!”

The power was in the hands of the other party, what else could he do? Master Zhao could only smile wryly: “It’s no matter, Miss Lian.”

Lian Fang Zhou’s smile widened.
She pointed at Zhao San and the others and said: “I want the slave contracts for all eight of them!”

Master Zhao’s expression changed slightly while Zhao San and the others all paled, gasping.
Their eyes were wide with horror and their hearts were cold with fear!

They had almost burned Lian Fang Zhou’s cotton fields and afterwards had said a lot of words.
It would not be surprising if Lian Fang Zhou hated them to death! If their slave contract fell into her hands, it would be no different than dying!

Not just the Zhao family members, even Zhang Li Zheng, Qin Feng, and the others were shocked.
Privately, they all thought: Miss Lian is really amazing!

Expression ugly, Master Zhao thought quickly about how to respond appropriately.
Before he could speak, however, Zhao San, who was so anxious he had almost lost his soul, hurriedly roared: “Master! Master! You must not promise her! Never! My Lord!”

Lian Fang Zhou curled her lips and sneered.

Furious, Master Zhao glared at him: “Shut up!”

This was a matter of life and death, where would Zhao San be willing to be silent? If he fell into Lian Fang Zhou’s hands, wouldn’t it be like a lamb falling into the mouth of a tiger? He would really die!

Zhao San begged: “No matter how Master wants to punish this slave, I accept it! Please don’t give this slave’s contract to others! Please Master!”

“Master Zhao, the rules in your house are really loose! A random slave dares to be so arrogant in front of his master!” Lian Fang Zhou laughed mockingly.

Put nicely, it was said to be a loose rule, put badly, it meant that the slave was bullying the master.
The master was so pathetic, even a slave dared to jump and shout in front of his eyes!

Master Zhao blushed, feeling embarrassed in front of so many people.
He glared at Zhao San and shouted: “I told you to shut up, did you not hear me! Just dare to say one more word!”

Zhao San went white.
He hung his head down and didn’t dare to make another sound but a bit of resentment flashed in his eyes.

“Miss Lian, this—” Master Zhao was very embarrassed and smiled bitterly: “Could we discuss this matter another time?”

Lian Fang Zhou smiled faintly: “Master Zhao, please let me finish.
I trust in Master Zhao’s words, its just that the Zhao family is big with lots of servants.
Some of them are tricky and difficult to deal with.
It’s not that I don’t believe your promise, but I can’t believe that no one in your house would think about it! After all, Master Zhao, you can’t watch the people in your house all the time, right? These eight people, leave their contracts with me for now.
After my cotton is harvested, if everything goes well, I will return their contracts to Master Zhao! If there are still people in your house who are not reconciled, then I will sell them far away and they will never return to Yuhe county in this lifetime! Since Master Zhao promises that no one will do such evil things in the future, he must give me some practical protection! Their contract is nothing more than a promise.
They will still go back to serve Master Zhao afterwards!”

As soon as Lian Fang Zhou said this, Zhao San and the other servants were all startled.
Although they could not completely relax, this was much better than before.

Zhao San cried secretly in his heart: He was the person most keen on destroying the Lian family’s business but in this way, he couldn’t do anything!

And this was exactly what Lian Fang Zhou wanted.

Before Master Zhao arrived, she had cross-examined the seven servants separately.
All of them had been born in the Zhao family manor.
They had parents, siblings, even some in-laws and children there.
This was good! They and their families would help her keep an eye on Zhao Ru Jun and not let her mess around again.
Otherwise, they would be separated from their loved ones for a lifetime!

Master Zhao was stunned.
After thinking about it for a moment, he understood Lian Fang Zhou’s purpose.
He couldn’t help but sigh in his heart: This girl, look at her young age with such deep thoughts and powerful methods! Jun’er was really confused, why had she provoked her so openly? She wasn’t her opponent at all! As a woman, she should have tried to befriend her!

“Miss Lian is so thoughtful! So be it! Tomorrow, this old man will send someone with their slave contracts to Miss Lian and take them back.” Master Zhao nodded, sighing.

“Then it is agreed!”

He thought for a moment and then took the initiative: “Anyways, this matter was the fault of our Zhao family tonight.
I will take another two hundred taels to give Miss Lian as compensation for the inconvenience.
Please don’t refuse, Miss Lian!”

“Then thank you, Master Zhao!” Lian Fang Zhou considered the offer and then smiled, nodding.
She glanced at Zheng Li Zheng and the others and stood up, blessing them: “Speaking of which, tonight has been very troublesome for you uncles, Cousin, and Big Brother Sun! I don’t dare to ask for these two hundred taels of silver, so I will borrow flowers to offer the Buddha* and regard this money as your reward for your hard work!”

The eyes of the village elders immediately gleamed like stars, their wrinkled old tree bark faces smiled like chrysanthemums.
They all smiled and declined with ‘Oh, how embarrassing!’ or ‘This was nothing, just being a witness!’ and ‘We’re all from the same village, how could we stand aside when our people are being bullied? If we refused to show up, what use is there in us old men!’ and similar statements.

Although the village elders declined, everyone could see the joy in their hearts.

It was not surprising.
Even divided, two hundred taels of silver was not a small amount.
Just by being a witness, they had earned so much money! Where could they find such a good thing?

TN: *This means to regift something