Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life-Chapter 714 - 709: Chivalrous Women of the Jianghu
The servant who died in the water battle was only sixteen years old, a craftsman’s son, and both of his parents had passed away. He sold himself to earn a living and hadn’t yet had the chance to marry and have children.
Alone and solitary, Lin Wanwan wanted to give some compensation money but didn’t know to whom.
Due to encountering water bandits, Lin Wanwan’s fleet temporarily docked after dawn. They handed over the two water bandits captured last night to the government office, while holding a small funeral for the fallen servant.
Lin Wanwan bought him a plot of land amidst the green mountains and waters.
She intended to ask a local scholar to write an epitaph for him, erect a tombstone, and inform the world that he was a faithful servant.
However, no scholar was willing to earn this money, even destitute scholars born in poor families carried a sense of dignity, thinking slaves and servants deserved no more honor than livestock, unworthy of a tombstone, an insult to scholarly dignity. Lin Wanwan had to write it herself and have a stonemason carve it.
Such actions by Lin Wanwan were naturally seen as unconventional and unimaginable by the upper class. If she hadn’t secretly conducted the ceremony in a remote graveyard, surely the local gentry would have sent people to cause trouble.
But to the servants, Armed Department, and slaves attending the funeral, Lin Wanwan’s actions were profoundly moving, making them feel that dying for such a master would bring peace in the afterlife!
In this world, which aristocrat truly treats these lowly people as human?
People like them, who don’t even qualify to have independent household registers and can only rely on their masters, though exempt from taxes and labor, have no rights at all and are regarded by the gentry as being as insignificant as weeds.
However, today, their master, the Village Lady Le’an, actually treated them as human beings.
This shock to them was indescribable, allowing them to only repay with utmost loyalty.
Lin Wanwan spent all the compensation money meant for the deceased’s family on his funeral and grave, giving him treatment far beyond standards and conventions.
She did this partly out of conscience, but also perhaps with the intention of winning people’s hearts.
Besides the deceased, Lin Wanwan personally attended to the wounded as well.
To prevent wound infections, Lin Wanwan traveled through time to the modern era, going to a village clinic for penicillin.
After accomplishing all this and setting sail again, Lin Wanwan’s ship welcomed the leader of the "daughter army" vessels.
Since that night, Lin Wanwan had grown suspicious of their identity; it didn’t seem like aristocratic women heading south to Jiangnan with a group of maids to visit relatives, but rather like people from the Jianghu traveling through the martial world.
Unwilling to travel with those who conceal their true capabilities, Lin Wanwan had already told them not to follow the ship. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
As for the combat support they provided during the water battle, Lin Wanwan reciprocated with thirty pounds of pepper.
Thirty pounds of pepper in the Great Tang is indeed a fortune; an ounce of pepper equals an ounce of gold, this sum was more than enough to buy their lives, merely as repayment for their assistance.
However, this group of Jianghu women clearly had motives beyond wealth; their proximity to Lin Wanwan served another purpose.
Lin Wanwan guessed this after realizing their exceptional skills and the presence of weapons.
Selfless heroes who risk their lives helping strangers might indeed exist, but they would never be such a group who cloak their true prowess.
Simply observing their indifferent demeanor towards others daily made it clear they weren’t the kind-hearted type.
Nonetheless, they truly assisted Lin Wanwan; had it not been for them, Lin Wanwan’s fleet might have had a couple of ships sunk, resulting in more casualties.
Even if the ships didn’t sink, they would have been severely damaged post-battle instead of only having some canvas losses and small holes now.
Therefore, when the leader presented an invitation requesting to meet Lin Wanwan, she couldn’t outright refuse, needed to at least grant them a chance to speak.
However, given their formidable abilities, to prevent sudden violence, Lin Wanwan’s cabin was filled with robust Armed Department and Kunlun slaves, while two maids with the strongest capabilities but prone to seasickness were given seasickness patches and stood behind her.
In addition to slave Armed Departments, Lin Wanwan’s Sleeve Crossbow and pistol were naturally close at hand.
At such close range, no matter how poor her marksmanship, she was bound to hit someone.
The woman’s leader facing a cabin full of people scrutinizing her, kept a composed expression, gave Lin Wanwan a solemn salute, and expressed the wish to continue traveling with the fleet.
Beside her lay a sack containing the thirty pounds of pepper she was returning to Lin Wanwan.
In the Great Tang, for someone to remain unmoved by pepper was completely nonsensical.
Lin Wanwan coldly said, "Your own strength surpasses ours and you have more Escort Masters, then why insist on following us? Seeking protection? Don’t tease me. Moreover, the waterways are limited; if you truly wish to follow, I can’t stop you.
Speak up, what’s the purpose behind wanting my consent?"
The visitor remained silent for a moment, then raised her head and said, "Village Lady, we hold no malice towards you."
Lin Wanwan smiled slightly, "Whether or not there’s malice, I’ll make that judgment myself."
After pausing briefly, with the visitor not confessing, Lin Wanwan’s demeanor cooled. She yawned, lazily saying, "Is there anything else?"
The woman lowered her head, quietly replied, "Village Lady, we really hold no malice, my master’s surname is Xiao."
Lin Wanwan’s expression remained unchanged, although she had already begun to guess.
To train such a ship of skilled women is far beyond ordinary aristocratic capabilities; only the top Gate Valves possess the foundation for this.
Among top Gate Valves, the only one likely to secretly protect Lin Wanwan would be Lanling Xiao family.
These people were probably sent by Xiao Chong.
Xiao Chong managed to gain substantial influence in Mao County’s gentry-laden society within a short period, with his public Armed Department being one part of it, while there was also covert influence.
Each Gate Valve has covert influence disguised to appear unrelated to them; it’s one of their cards for family preservation.
Having forced the visitor to reveal her background, Lin Wanwan suddenly felt a bit lonely; merely knowing seems to sap interest.
She waved her hand with languid indifference, "Take the pepper, consider it payment for hiring you; leave now."
The woman didn’t leave, instead looked up at Lin Wanwan saying, "Before going to the palace, Lady should have received a brocade box, does Lady remember it?"
Lin Wanwan recalled, unable to remember; she was too busy to look at such things, all managed by Yun Shang.
She turned to Yun Shang, who stepped forward and softly replied, "Lady, it was sent along with the fan cost by Lord Gu, I stored it in the warehouse and brought it on the ship this time, should I retrieve it?"
"Go get it," Lin Wanwan waved her hand.
