The time quickly reached early autumn.
This year’s cotton harvest was even more bountiful than previous years.
From the first wisp of autumn wind, the snow-white cotton bolls began to blossom one after another.
Tong Huaqiong’s business steadily progressed forward.
The Taohua Dessert was opened in Shengjing by Gu Taohua, Lu Zhaozhao, and Liu Yueer, and the Weaving Workshop’s scale continued to expand.
The border trade caravan had already arrived, filling up the shops opened by Gu Dashu, although the border trade routes weren’t completely open, the Tong Family’s border shops had already started doing business with Mo Bei.
Gu Jingzhe and Aunt Tang as well as Mrs. Hong sent letters to Tong Huaqiong one after another.
In Aunt Tang’s letter, she mentioned that she had invested in the Shengjing branch of Jufu Supermarket, the pearl business had reached the Imperial Palace, and Lian Hengruo had given birth to a son.
Gu Jingzhe’s letter brought the news of Gu Dashu being appointed as Customs Supervisor and Lu Zhaozhao being pregnant.
Through County Magistrate Liu’s explanation, Tong Huaqiong learned that the so-called Customs Supervisor belonged to Zhao Yang’s Ministry of Revenue, specializing in managing border trade, such as pricing and channels.
Well, Gu Dashu was indeed impressive.
He exchanged his life for a lucrative post at the border.
However, when the emperor asked Gu Dashu what reward he wanted, after discussing with Gu Jingzhe, they sought the position of Customs Supervisor. He had long decided that to truly develop at the border, an official identity was necessary. If it was a post on the Southeast Coast, it could not possibly fall to Gu Dashu, but the emperor readily agreed to a border post. Because the border had been at war year after year, even if Dasheng was victorious, it was not considered a good place for many people within the border.
Moreover, the border had six months of winter every year, so no one wanted to take on the post of Customs Supervisor willingly.
After Gu Dashu secured the position, many officials in the capital laughed at him, the country bumpkin, for wasting such a good opportunity for reward.
As for He Chao, he was going to the border with Gu Dashu, and managed to secure a deputy position, while also obtaining a seventh-rank title of honor for his wife, Mrs. Hong.
Gu Dashu decided to first inspect the Shengjing Department Store, familiarize himself with the Ministry of Revenue’s various affairs, and establish connections with all sides of the officials, planning to set off again to the border next spring.
Anyway, he had left quite a few people at the border, and with Qin Qingyou and Ma Huateng also heading there, Gu Dashu had little to worry about.
The news of Lu Zhaozhao’s pregnancy made Tong Huaqiong both happy and concerned. Happy because Lu Zhaozhao could finally have her own child in this life, but worried due to the dangers of childbirth.
She increasingly felt that delaying Lu Zhaozhao and Gu Jingzhe’s marriage by three years was the right decision.
Even now, when she’s at the appropriate age for childbirth, Tong Huaqiong is extremely anxious.
Tong Huaqiong decided to go to Shengjing immediately.
Originally, Tong Huaqiong had decided on Shengjing, and the family’s business had been postponed until autumn.
Now, with the Weaving Workshop’s business managed by Gu Daqiao and Song Qiaoniang, and with Mrs. Wei and Gu Xiaoxue there, nothing would go wrong at the Weaving Workshop.
The Taohua Dessert is entrusted to Hong Xiaoxi and Gu Xiaocao.
Jufu Supermarket has Manager Li and Gu Baishuang.
The pig farm has Tong Pandi.
Tong Huaqiong only needs to control everything from behind the scenes.
Therefore, her going to Shengjing wouldn’t affect the family’s business at all, and instead, she could expand the Tong Family Bank to Shengjing, then spread it throughout Dasheng from there.
Shengjing was where she truly needed to go.
Having decided on Shengjing, Tong Huaqiong gathered the shopkeepers from various shops to discuss matters and made a trip to the prefectural city.
Upon returning home, she began packing for the trip to the capital.
This time, both Gu Baishuang and Tong Huaqiong would travel to Shengjing together.
Originally, when Gu Jingzhe and the others set off for Shengjing, Tong Huaqiong had urged Gu Baishuang to go along.
After all, when Nie Xiaofeng was honored from the border to Shengjing, she, as a mother, should go to see him.
But Gu Baishuang refused.
First, the Jufu Supermarket’s business couldn’t do without her temporarily, and second, she had to suppress the two Nie Family stepsons who started acting mischievously.
Now, with the Jufu Supermarket’s business well-managed and the Nie Family business firmly in her grasp, she could go to Shengjing with Tong Huaqiong without distractions.
Upon hearing that Tong Huaqiong was going to Shengjing, Man Er clamored to join.
Tong Huaqiong originally planned to take Man Er along anyway.
In fact, Tong Huaqiong hoped to take the entire Lao Da family with her, but Gu Dahuan refused. He didn’t want to leave the Qinghe Bay where he grew up or the cotton fields he’d invested so much in.
As for Chen Sufen, she hesitated on whether to take Ying Er and Man Er to follow their mother-in-law to Shengjing.
For the two daughters, going to Shengjing would definitely offer better future prospects.
Yaozu had to be brought along too; he had been missing his father and mother for some time.
What troubled Tong Huaqiong was how to settle Xiao Long. She didn’t know what to do with the child.
Taking him to Shengjing felt like holding a ticking time bomb.
Leaving him in Qinghe Bay left her uneasy.
After some consideration, Tong Huaqiong decided to take him along.
The most dangerous place is the most secure place; she might as well keep Xiao Long under the Old Emperor’s watchful eye in Shengjing.
Deciding to take Xiao Long to Shengjing, her heart found some peace, and by then, Chen Sufen made up her mind to go to Shengjing too.
During casual chatting at Tong Huaqiong’s house, Mrs. Zhao learned that Tong Huaqiong and others were heading to Shengjing, and she was very envious. Suspecting that Tong Huaqiong might reside in Shengjing permanently this time, she clung to her grandson Yaozu’s hand with reluctance.
Tong Huaqiong remarked, "Why don’t you come with us, matchmaker’s mother?"
Mrs. Zhao surely missed her daughter, Liu Yueer.
Mrs. Zhao hastily waved her hand, saying, "There’s so much work in the fields, and the chickens, ducks, and geese at home need feeding. If I went to Shengjing, how could the family manage?"
Tong Huaqiong replied, "I don’t know if the Old Liu Family can manage without you, but I know Yue Er would surely miss you in Shengjing without a family present, and Yaozu needs your care along the way. Just think of it as accompanying Yue Er. Besides, whenever you want to come back, you can return with the Lu Family’s merchant ship."
Mrs. Zhao’s eyes brightened, and she nodded vigorously like a pecking chicken, "Alright, I’ll help take care of Yaozu."
Her previous excuses were all just that.
Who wouldn’t want to go to Shengjing, and having hardly left Qinghe Bay, getting to go to Shengjing was all thanks to the matchmaker’s mother’s help.
Mrs. Zhao went home and told her husband and her two sons and daughters-in-law, who also supported Mrs. Zhao going along, mainly because they were concerned about Liu Yueer getting distracted by the shiny allure of Shengjing, and wanted Mrs. Zhao to keep an eye on her.
Tong Huaqiong set the departure for five days later.
Unexpectedly, the situation changed the very next day.
Early in the morning, a large force suddenly entered Qinghe Bay.
Mr. Xu, who had gotten up early to pick up manure at the village entrance, was frightened, thinking bandits had entered the village, and ran scared to death toward the village, only to be stopped by a soldier.
Seeing the long saber, Mr. Xu passed out in fright.
The leading officer pinched Mr. Xu’s philtrum, waking him up, and led him toward the village, with Mr. Xu staring blankly, losing his ability to react.
The female workers of the Weaving Workshop who started working early saw the group of soldiers and thought a rebellion had occurred.
Gu Xiaoxue recognized the leading guard and quietly slipped through the back door to Tong Huaqiong’s house.
Upon hearing about the arrival of a large force, Tong Huaqiong’s heart skipped a beat, unsure if it was a blessing or a curse.