Chapter 333

If anyone else had said "You must be exhausted," Wang Xiujin might have offered a few hypocritical words in response. But coming from Li Linshen, Wang Xiujin found himself momentarily at a loss for what to say. Did he feel aggrieved? Yes, and quite deeply. All the hard work he had poured into his projects, the vast sums of money he had invested—and what was the result? It had all been burned to the ground. If it had been the work of simple drifters, he might have accepted his misfortune, but there were undeniable traces of outside interference that made it impossible for him to let it go. The frustration weighed heavily on his heart. Beyond the sense of grievance, there was a spiritual exhaustion; physical fatigue could be remedied with sleep, but the weariness of the soul was not so easily shaken off.

At times, Wang Xiujin fantasized about moving back to Wang Village to live, raising children and tending a few acres of land. Yet, such a life remained a mere fantasy, impossible to realize, at least for the foreseeable future. His enterprise had grown too large; turning back now was nearly impossible, and even years from now, it would be no easy task. Even if he began to shrink his operations, what worried him most was not the feasibility, but the fate of the laborers in his workshops. He did not consider himself a saint, but he could not bring himself to cut off the livelihoods of so many people.

Sighing, Wang Xiujin smiled bitterly. "It's not about being tired; I just want to resolve this quickly so the workers aren't left without a means of support. However, from now on, everyone entering the shipyards must be vetted thoroughly. Send a letter to Manager Wang later and have him conduct a complete audit of all our other workshops and shops. We cannot allow similar incidents to happen elsewhere."

"Don't worry about the capital or the border cities. Father will handle things in Xiangcheng; there is no need to worry," Li Linshen said, patting Wang Xiujin on the shoulder. "I'll have them bring up some hot water. Take a hot bath, get comfortable, eat, and then get some rest. I fear tomorrow will be a busy day."

Wang Xiujin did not object. He knew tomorrow would indeed be hectic; many who heard the news would surely come hoping to get hired. Who would turn down an opportunity to be paid without having to work? And those who saw others getting paid while they received nothing would inevitably feel resentful. Wang Xiujin could already picture the scene. As he rubbed his calves, waiting for the water, he felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him.

Before long, a servant arrived with several assistants carrying tubs of hot water. They set up a screen with quick, practiced movements, and the servant efficiently took away the clothes the two men had discarded. Once they were alone, Wang Xiujin stepped into the tub and let out a sigh of comfort. The water had been infused with medicinal herbs—a supply the servant had brought from the capital—which were highly effective at relieving fatigue.

Wang Xiujin did not know how long he had been soaking. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, he heard footsteps. He forced his eyes open to see Li Linshen approaching. Wang Xiujin squinted, unwilling to speak. Li Linshen leaned a hand against the side of the tub. "Do you need help scrubbing your back?" Too tired to talk, Wang Xiujin nodded, closed his eyes again, and shifted his body forward.

Li Linshen took the cloth from Wang Xiujin’s head, dipped it in the hot water, and began to scrub his back with care. Wang Xiujin let out a contented hum, while Li Linshen looked on with eyes full of tenderness.

That night, Wang Xiujin slept soundly until morning. After washing his face with cold water, he did not rush to the shipyard. Instead, he planned to look around, deciding to wait until a crowd had gathered before making his appearance. He had considered telling the manager to arrive late as well, but he feared that if the manager were late, those who hadn't worked before might stir up trouble. He had not accounted for the stationed soldiers; with them present, anyone thinking of inciting a riot would have to think twice.

Wang Xiujin arrived at the shipyard near noon, bringing plenty of food. Li Linshen and the servants were all carrying supplies; one servant even pushed a single-wheeled cart piled high with goods. They distributed two cartloads to the soldiers, who grinned broadly. In this era, soldiers were not bound by the "not taking a needle or thread from the people" discipline, so they did not refuse the gifts. A soldier whispered to Wang Xiujin that many had arrived in the morning, but because the soldiers were guarding the entrance, they had only allowed those registered in the ledger to enter; no one else had been let in.

"Where did the others go?" If they had all left, he would have arrived too late, and he would have kicked himself for it.

"They haven't gone far. Seeing you bring all these supplies, they'll likely gather here again soon. You must be careful; we can't be sure if any of the rioters are still among them. If you don't want to see them, we can hold them back," the soldier said righteously. Having received plenty of meat dishes yesterday and more today from the Imperial Merchant, they were more than happy to offer him protection.

Wang Xiujin smiled and patted the man's shoulder. "Thank you for the trouble. Here is the plan: when they come, don't chase them away, but don't let them in either. Have someone come find me. I will come out to assess the situation; perhaps I can catch a 'big fish' among them." He then had a servant secretly slip the soldier a small flask of wine, despite the strict military prohibition against drinking in camp.

The soldier looked at the wine, instinctively glancing at Li Linshen. Seeing Li standing with his back turned, the soldier understood, gave a foolish grin, and quickly hid the wine to avoid detection.

Wang Xiujin and Li Linshen entered the shipyard with the servants. While talking to Li, Wang kept glancing back, and sure enough, he saw people heading toward them. He didn't linger, leading his group into the workshop to invite the current workers to eat. The manager met Wang immediately, complaining about the workers, noting that they didn't even know how to keep their good fortune quiet. He had told them that if everyone came back, there would be no triple wages, and the promised base monthly salary until the shipyard reopened might even be docked.

"After you said that, weren't you afraid of their reaction?" Wang Xiujin asked with a smile, neither confirming nor denying the manager's actions.

"Some were full of regret, while others started demanding to know who the loudmouth was who had caused them to lose their chance at money, telling them to speak up if they didn't want to work instead of dragging everyone else down. They started bickering and arguing until my head was spinning," the manager said with a bitter smile. "What does the proprietor intend to do? Surely you aren't going to hire them all back?"

"Of course not. Even those here might not be kept on when we reopen. I decided last night to investigate the backgrounds of everyone in the workshop back three generations. Only those without any questionable history and who are truly trustworthy will be allowed back. I won't hire anyone with even the slightest issue; I don't want to lie awake in the capital every night wondering if someone is sabotaging the shipyard." Wang Xiujin looked at the workers eating in the distance; many were likely worried that he would let outsiders in, causing them to lose their triple wages or even their base pay.

After chatting with the manager, Wang saw the soldier who had taken the wine running toward them. Before the man could speak, Wang nodded. He called the manager and Li Linshen to head toward the entrance. The workers, who had been keeping a close eye on their employer, exchanged glances and pushed forward a cleverer one to see what was happening. The man looked at his food, then at the employer, and shook his head. "I'm not going. Let someone else do it. If the boss catches me, he'll send me home, and I won't be able to earn any money. I have elderly parents and young children to support." The others, all in similar straits, also refused to move.

Wang Xiujin stepped out and surveyed the crowd. He realized that not everyone gathered there was from the shipyard; many were just there to stir up trouble. He signaled the soldiers and servants to seize the agitators he identified. The soldiers, wanting to maintain their favorable standing with the Imperial Merchant, were happy to oblige.

After the soldiers and servants rounded up nearly twenty people, the noise from the crowd diminished. Wang Xiujin handed them over to the local authorities for interrogation. Whether they were linked to the original incident or not, they needed to be dealt with. With the troublemakers removed, Wang scanned the remaining crowd and immediately spotted two men with the invisible label of "spy" written all over them.

Wang Xiujin looked at Li Linshen. He wasn't certain if these two were involved in the arson, and he worried that arresting them might tip off any others. Li Linshen, however, was indifferent. After hearing Wang's analysis, he said only two words: "Catch them."

After a moment of thought, Wang nodded. "Catch them. We'll interrogate them first."

Li Linshen led the men to capture the two spies, whom Wang intended to question personally. Suppressing his excitement, Wang turned to the remaining crowd. "I know exactly why you are all here. Every one of you is the breadwinner for your family, relying on these wages to survive. I understand your difficulties, but you must realize: it is not that I don't want you to return, but as long as spies remain in the shipyard, any one of you could be an accomplice to the arson." His words were blunt, causing those held back by the soldiers to protest loudly that they were not spies.

"Whether or not you are a spy will not be decided by me, but by a joint investigation between the authorities and the soldiers stationed here. Once it is cleared up, those who receive notice that they may return to work on the day the shipyard reopens will receive their full monthly pay."