Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 223 More work, more gain; no work, no gain

The slave trader was taken aback, thinking that his thoughts had been seen through.

But at first glance, Lin Zhiqing had a smile on her face, showing no sign of suspecting anything.

Thinking of the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled, he put on a fawning smile again: "Miss Lin, you can't find such a good deal anywhere else..."

Seeing that the human trafficker was trying to fool Lin Zhiqing again, both Lin Congli and Lin Congyan frowned.

Especially Lin Congyan, who used to be in charge of this area, but after Lin Zhiqing got the clan seal, he replaced the human brokers that Lin used to use.

He had no objection in his heart, but he couldn't stand that human trafficker treating others like fools.

However, he couldn't tell whether Lin Zhiqing knew about the slave trader's ulterior motives, and he felt rather uneasy.

Lin Congli, however, did not show any particular reaction. Although he was worried, he did not show it on his face.

After handing over all his power to Lin Zhiqing, he kept the clan rules in mind and never interfered with Lin Zhiqing's decisions.

Even now, he has never offered a word of advice.

Lin Zhiqing was unaware of her elders' thoughts.

At this moment, she was quite impatient.

Seeing the people below craning their necks to look at her expectantly, she finally spoke, interrupting the slave trader when the time was up:
Is this your first time doing business with the Lin family?

The slave trader was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, Miss."

Lin Zhiqing understood his answer perfectly. Seeing the slave trader nod, he raised his hand and said, "In that case, you can go back after I've counted the two hundred people."

"What, Miss, what is this...?" The slave trader opened his mouth, but was stopped by Aunt Mu:
"You scoundrel, you think you can fool my young lady when you see she never does anything?"

"You have the nerve to bring up this buy-two-get-one-free trick? If you want to push all those old, weak, sick, and disabled people under your command onto us, just say so. Why do you have to act like some kind of philanthropist!"

"Look at them, each one of them looks like a wilted eggplant, even worse than this old woman. How dare they speak to our young lady?"

Aunt Mu started cursing from the very beginning, instantly suppressing the slave trader's arrogance.

The slave trader felt both ashamed and angry. He was about to retort, but when he saw Lin Zhiqing sitting calmly, he suddenly lost his confidence.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, and even the servants' expressions turning sour, Lin Zhiqing chuckled softly:
"Aunt Mu, you've gone a bit too far with your words."

Aunt Mu readily bowed and said, "Miss is kind-hearted. I have overstepped my bounds. I hope you will forgive me."

Anyone with eyes can see that the master and servant are actually putting on a show.

One played the good cop and the other the bad cop; with just a few words, they revealed the slave trader's purpose without making anyone resent Lin Zhiqing, their legitimate master.

Seeing the slave trader retreat in a huff, Lin Congli and Lin Congyan exchanged a glance, clearly approving of Lin Zhiqing's actions.

After all that fuss, Lin Zhiqing quickly selected the person she wanted and then sent the slave trader away.

It's easier to get things done behind closed doors.

Lin Zhiqing collected all the contracts from the new recruits, then had Chaoyan prepare pen and ink, and summoned the original accountant.

Once everything was ready, she stood up and began to speak:
"Everyone, the Lin family is not what it used to be. I hope you will not cause any trouble."

"I don't have any other skills, but I hate arguments the most. If anyone dares to cause trouble, I will not let them off easily."

Upon hearing this, the original servants of the Lin family had not yet said anything, but the newcomers felt somewhat uncomfortable.

"How come it's just a little girl? The Lin family really has no one left."

"What kind of profit can we make working for the Lin family? It's just bad luck that we've been caught here."

"Just like what people outside say, Miss Lin is a troublemaker. It would be better to let the elders of the Lin family take charge..."

Clearly, those words just now made some people uncomfortable.

Lin Zhiqing wasn't unaware of these people's emotions. Chaoyan, who could write, quickly memorized the appearances of the troublemakers who had incited the crowd. After doing all this, Lin Zhiqing began to read aloud the list she had just compiled.

The first to be affected were several elderly people.

"Aunt Mu is the head matron of my courtyard."

"Xiao Cui is my cousin's personal maid."

“Tingwen, the personal servant of my uncle.”

……

"The above people, please remain in your original positions. In addition, you may come forward to collect an extra three months' worth of wages."

Upon hearing this, not only were the people whose names were called stunned, but even Lin Congli and the others were somewhat taken aback.

Only Lin Yangyang cheerfully pushed Xiao Cui in front of Lin Zhiqing.

Aunt Mu quickly took out several taels of silver and put them into Xiao Cui's hand.

Xiao Cui almost lost her balance when she saw the silver in her hand. She had been in the Lin family for so long and had never seen so much silver except for the rewards from her young mistress.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank Qing-meimei." Lin Yangyang was even happier than Xiao Cui herself.

"Thank you, Miss Zhiqing, thank you, Miss Zhiqing." Xiao Cui clenched the silver in her hand and kowtowed twice to Lin Zhiqing.

"You don't need to thank me, you should thank yourself." After saying this, Lin Zhiqing turned to look at everyone:
“I have seen everyone’s performance on a daily basis, and there will be a monthly distribution of extra money from now on.”

"But this only applies to doing one's job well and not being a gossip, traitor, or someone who betrays one's own side."

As she spoke, several more people stepped forward to receive the silver.

No one had ever seen money being handed out on the spot like this before. They craned their necks, wishing they could be the ones whose names were called.

Especially the newly arrived servants, whose eyes, which had been dull and lifeless just moments before, immediately lit up with brilliance.

"The more you work, the more you earn; if you don't work, you get nothing." Lin Zhiqing's voice wasn't loud, but it was full of energy:

"There are still a few important positions available, which I will hand over to experienced people for now, but these positions are not permanent."

“I will compile a monthly report on everyone’s performance from the previous month. If someone performs well, their position can be moved up.”

"In general, whether you want to be in a high position or want to make money, you must do your job well."

"Of course there are rewards as well as punishments. Let me make it clear from the outset: if someone is the kind of person who cheats, shirks responsibility, or betrays their own side, they will be fined or even sold off."

"I hope everyone will consider this carefully and not make me the bad guy."

“Miss Zhiqing, I have a question!” A woman asked, her eyes eager yet hesitant. “Is that woman suitable to be the manager?”

As soon as he said this, some boos immediately arose from the surrounding crowd.

The woman's expression suddenly became somewhat uneasy.

Lin Zhiqing frowned slightly: "Of course, provided that you are suitable for that position."

Upon hearing this, the surroundings fell silent for a moment, and then cheers erupted like a tidal wave.

This was mostly cheering from the women in the crowd.

"I have a problem too!" a man said urgently. "What if the money gets taken by the higher-ups and never reaches us?"

This is a common problem that occurs in large, secluded mansions.

Lin Zhiqing stepped forward: "Every month, I stand here and personally take attendance, just like today."

"The money all comes from my hands; no one else will handle it in between. As long as everyone does the work, I will certainly not treat everyone unfairly."

Her powerful voice once again drew cheers.