Xue'er cautiously surveyed the courtyard, glancing left and right. To her surprise, it was filled entirely with women. Not a single man was in sight, not even the soldiers who had escorted them inside.
Lowering her voice, she whispered, "Sisters, how long have you all been staying here?"
The eighteen women exchanged glances and thought for a moment. "Quite a while now," one of them replied. "A few months, perhaps. We never really counted the days."
Xue'er hesitated, then asked even more quietly, "Has the master who bought you ever come here to… favor any of you?"
The women burst into laughter. "No, nothing like that at all," one said. "After bringing us here, the master arranged food and lodging for us, had us spin silk, and then went off to suppress bandits. We have barely seen him since."
Xue'er and Chen Yuanyuan exchanged startled looks.
Xue'er continued, "Then are you allowed to leave this place?"
"Of course," one woman answered naturally. "We can go out whenever we want."
Xue'er frowned slightly. "But I saw guards at the gate."
"That's for our protection," the woman explained. "This manor is full of women. If bad people wandered in, the consequences would be terrible. So the master hired guards to watch the entrance. They only stop outsiders from entering. They do not stop us from leaving."
Another woman chimed in cheerfully, "I even went out yesterday to buy some patterned cloth."
"Yes," someone added, "you just tell the gate guards, and you can go."
Xue'er and Chen Yuanyuan were stunned.
They had assumed that once they were brought here, escape would be nearly impossible. Instead, it seemed they could leave freely if they wished.
Still suspicious, they were led to their temporary quarters. Inside, they found neat, uniform rooms furnished with simple beds, ordinary tables, and all necessary daily items.
The furnishings were not luxurious, clearly inferior to what they had used in the Pear Garden. Yet everything was arranged thoughtfully. Every daily necessity was present, placed with care.
This was not the kind of careless arrangement where people were dumped into a space and forgotten.
The courtesans understood this distinction well.
In their past lives, they had seen countless officials, corrupt bureaucrats, wealthy merchants, and extravagant patrons. For such people, tossing out a hundred or two hundred taels of silver meant nothing. That was not generosity, merely indulgence.
But genuine consideration was rare.
Chen Yuanyuan whispered, "Sister Xue'er, this monster did not just throw us here and ignore us. He arranged everything carefully."
Xue'er nodded slowly, though her vigilance did not lessen. "That is what makes it frightening. We can only wait and see when he finally appears. When that happens, we must deal with it carefully."
And so, with their nerves stretched tight, the two remained on edge.
Days passed. Then weeks.
Yet the "monster" never once came to the manor.
Life inside was unexpectedly calm. Food and necessities were delivered daily. No one demanded they serve others or perform for anyone.
Soon, however, another problem emerged. They had no spending money.
Before long, weaving machines were delivered to the manor. Anyone willing to work could raise silkworms, spin silk, or weave cloth and earn wages in return.
To the courtesans, such wages were insignificant. In their former lives, a single evening entertaining an official could earn a lump of silver far exceeding this.
Some of the women simply chose not to work.
Surprisingly, no one forced them. Those who wished to idle were allowed to do so.
Xue'er, however, could not remain idle.
Before being sold into the Pear Garden, her family had raised silkworms. Mulberry trees once filled her courtyard. After her parents died of illness and relatives seized the family property, she had been swept into the Pear Garden.
Now, seeing silkworm trays and mulberry leaves again stirred memories deep within her. She began spending her days helping the eighteen women tend silkworms and reel silk, finding a sense of peace she had not felt in years.
One evening, Xue'er and Chen Yuanyuan sat chatting in their room.
"When will that monster finally show himself?" Chen Yuanyuan sighed. "Being tense every day is exhausting."
At that moment, excited voices rang out from outside. "Lord Shi has arrived!"
The two hurried outside and saw Shi Kefa entering the courtyard, walking side by side with the very person they feared.
Their hearts tightened.
What they had dreaded had finally come.
They hid among the crowd, peeking out cautiously.
Shi Kefa spoke clearly, "Young ladies, after careful consideration, I have decided to convert this manor into a workshop."
The women exclaimed in surprise. "A workshop?"
Shi Kefa announced, "It will be called the Anqing Yingjiang Sericulture Cooperative."
Confusion spread across many faces.
He continued, "The cooperative will be divided into five departments: Mulberry Cultivation, Silkworm Rearing, Silk Reeling, Weaving, and Dyeing and Finishing. Female workers will be recruited and assigned to each department accordingly."
"You have all stayed here for some time already," Shi Kefa said. "Anyone willing to join may register for a department. Once operations begin, you will work there and receive proper wages."
The eighteen women rescued from pirates erupted into cheers. For them, this was the best possible future. Many were already discussing which department to join.
The courtesans, however, remained reserved. Such work felt unfamiliar and awkward to them.
None spoke up immediately.
Shi Kefa then turned toward them and smiled. "You are all literate, skilled in numbers, calligraphy, painting, music, chess, poetry, and prose. Assigning you to these manual tasks would be a waste of your talents."
The women listened intently.
"With so many female workers," Shi Kefa continued, "appointing male managers could lead to inappropriate situations. You understand what I mean."
The courtesans understood all too well.
Shi Kefa declared, "Therefore, I plan to try something bold. All management positions in this cooperative will be held exclusively by women."
A ripple of murmurs spread. "Only women?"
"For managers," Shi Kefa explained, "they must read, calculate, manage correspondence, coordinate with merchants and transport services, and possess social tact. After much thought, I believe you are the most suitable candidates."
The courtesans were completely stunned.
"Us?" they asked in unison.