What worthless token is this?

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Everything includes food and lodging, and they even pay wages. How many people will that feed? He had to send word back and have his sons, daughters-in-law, relatives, and friends all come here to work.

Han Lei then addressed the wounded soldiers of the Small-Character Unit. “Small-Character Unit, listen carefully. Over the next few days, you must learn from Uncle Wang how to deal with people, and how to supervise and assign work to those under you. Once the project begins, you will all be foremen.”

“Wow, we can become foremen too?”

“Then when I return to the village, won’t I be able to brag about it for the rest of my life?”

“Miss Han, you’re flattering us far too much.”

“You fool. Isn’t that exactly what she intends—to raise us up?”

“Thank you, Miss! Thank you!”

“Don’t worry, Miss. We’ll study hard under Uncle Wang and will never let you down.”

The wounded soldiers were all overcome with excitement. Some even wept tears of joy. They had already been content simply to work beside Han Lei and earn enough to eat. They had never imagined there would be opportunities for advancement as well.

“Don’t celebrate too soon.” Han Lei poured a basin of cold water over their excitement. “Qingshui County is merely our first trial site. We don’t even know yet whether it will succeed. If we want to turn Qingshui County into our first major base and live happily here for years to come, it will depend on all of you working harder and putting in more effort. Can you do it?”

“We can!”

The wounded soldiers of the Small-Character Unit shouted in unison, their spirits soaring just as they had in the military camp. Every member of this unit was disabled, elderly, or otherwise frail. Today, they had seen with their own eyes how Han Lei had spent a fortune building this base for them. It would be the place where they made their future home and livelihood. They would give it everything they had and would not betray the painstaking care Han Lei had devoted to them.

Han Lei nodded in satisfaction, then addressed the wounded soldiers of the Large-Character Unit. “Large-Character Unit, listen carefully. You are young and strong. During the early stages of the project, you will be responsible for transporting goods between the pig farm and the restaurant, as well as providing security. Tomorrow, I will equip every member of the Large-Character Unit with a weapon. Once the project enters its later stages and fewer men are needed, I will establish a courier and escort agency for you. You will be responsible for transporting goods between the various prefectures. Can you handle it?”

“We can!”

The roar of the Large-Character Unit was even more deafening.

After making the day’s temporary arrangements and bidding Uncle Wang farewell, Han Lei led the wounded soldiers back to the county magistrate’s residence.

By the time they headed back, it was already past lunchtime, and they had narrowly missed Zhao Zun and Ping Chuan as well.

Han Lei and the wounded soldiers had just reached the entrance of the government residence when the guards stationed at the gate stopped them.

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“Stop! Who are you people? This is the county office. Loiterers are to leave at once.”

The guards worked in three shifts and had only just changed over. They did not know that Han Lei and the others had moved into the county magistrate’s residence the previous evening, much less that they were guests of the magistrate.

“Brother, we’re all with the Carefree Prince. We’re staying inside the county office.” Han Lei hurriedly took the jade ring from around her neck and held it out for the guard to see. “Look—this is the Carefree Prince’s token.”

“The Carefree Prince? What Carefree Prince?” The guard was impatient and utterly bewildered. He had never seen the token before and had no idea who the Carefree Prince was.

Zhao Zun had been given the title of prince only a little over two months earlier, when the emperor had temporarily bestowed it upon him in order to take back his military authority. In this era, transportation depended largely on walking, communication on shouting, public security on watchdogs, heating on shivering, and government orders were difficult to disseminate. Many high-ranking officials might not yet have heard the details of the emperor’s decree, so it was hardly surprising that these gate guards did not know Zhao Zun had become the Carefree Prince.

Not knowing about the Carefree Prince was understandable. But County Magistrate Luo Hai was a family friend of Zhao Zun’s. Surely the guards ought to recognize Zhao Zun’s token?

With that thought, Han Lei held the jade ring out a little farther.

“Brother, take another careful look. This is the token of Marshal Zhao Zun, commander of the Northern Pass garrison.”

“Marshal Zhao?” This time, the guard knew who she meant. He descended the steps and examined the jade ring carefully, then shot her an exasperated look.

“Go on, go on! Do you take me for a fool? The tokens used in the military are made of iron. How could one possibly look like this? Move along.”

The guard drove them away without the slightest courtesy. Seeing such a large crowd, he assumed they had come to cause trouble at the county magistrate’s residence. How could he dare let them in casually?

“Brother, I’m telling the truth. Why don’t you go inside and ask Magistrate Luo?” Han Lei frowned. Since Zhao Zun’s token was useless, she had no choice but to invoke Luo Hai’s name.

“Move along, or I’ll have to drive you away. Do you think the county magistrate is someone anyone can simply see?” The guard refused to budge.

What a predicament!

Han Lei was speechless.

“Sister-in-law! Oh, you’re finally back!”

Han Lei was still feeling frustrated when Luo Hai’s daughter, Luo Yuanyuan, came out from inside. The moment she saw Han Lei outside, she greeted her warmly.

“Yuanyuan.”

Delighted, Han Lei hurried forward to meet her.

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When the gate guard saw the county magistrate’s daughter come out personally to receive them, his face filled with embarrassment. He did not dare say another word. Lowering his head, he immediately stepped aside and let them pass.

Han Lei was not petty by nature, so she naturally did not report him. Instead, she took Luo Yuanyuan by the arm and led the wounded soldiers inside.

The household had saved a meal for them. After paying their respects, the wounded soldiers returned to their own courtyard to eat.

When they heard that Han Lei had returned, Luo Hai and his wife hurried over. Only after seeing that she was unharmed did they finally relax.

This was, after all, their home, while Han Lei was their guest. Afraid that they would have trouble explaining themselves to Zhao Zun, the entire Luo family sat around the round table with Han Lei, accompanying her as she ate and chatting with her.

Zhao Zun and Ping Chuan, who had returned in great haste after failing to find her anywhere in the streets, asked the guard at the entrance and learned that Han Lei and the others had already come back. He hurried inside and, from a distance, saw the Luo family accompanying Han Lei at the table.

Only after seeing Han Lei with his own eyes did Zhao Zun’s anxious heart finally settle back into his chest.

“Why did you spend so long walking around the streets? I thought you had gotten lost. You didn’t run into any trouble, did you?” Zhao Zun asked with concern.

“No.” Han Lei answered indistinctly, her mouth still full of food.

“And you! If you wanted to go out, why didn’t you wait for me to accompany you? You were gone for half the day. Do you know how worried I was? I thought you had been resting in your room the whole time!” Zhao Zun could not help complaining. He had searched the streets high and low without finding her and had been thoroughly frightened.

Madam Luo quickly intervened to soothe him. “It’s good that Miss Han is back. Zun’er, don’t worry.”

In front of outsiders, they had to observe proper etiquette and address Zhao Zun as “Your Highness.” In private, they still habitually used the familiar names they had always used.

“Exactly! Brother Zun, look—Sister-in-law is perfectly fine,” Luo Yuanyuan chimed in.

Hearing Luo Yuanyuan call her “sister-in-law” so casually in front of Zhao Zun, Han Lei’s face flushed.

She swallowed the food in her mouth, took the jade ring from around her neck, gave a snort, and tossed it at Zhao Zun.

“Hmph! What a useless token you gave me. It didn’t work at all.”

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