When He Shi learned that Luo Yuan had found her a job, she didn’t hesitate about the confidentiality agreement and signed it right away. After tidying up a bit, she got ready to work at Jiang Huai’s place.

If it were just He Shi, the house in the city could accommodate her, plus one more recruit from Xiao Jingzhao. However, Xiao Jingzhao went ahead and hired three more people. While the rented house wasn’t small, cramming four additional people in made it feel crowded.

Adding to the problem was the increase in water use for washing wool, carding, spinning, and knitting. After some thought, Jiang Huai decided to rent—or perhaps even buy—a house outside the city near a water source. Houses outside the city were much cheaper than those in the city, and being closer to the countryside also made collecting wool easier. Transporting large amounts of wool into the city always drew attention.

When Shopkeeper Fang heard that Jiang Huai planned to buy a house outside the city to expand production, he became unusually enthusiastic in helping. After all, he was eager to see Jiang Huai scale up operations. Initially, he thought it would take some time, but Jiang Huai’s swift decision-making caught him by surprise.

Watching Shopkeeper Fang running around for Jiang Huai’s matters, to the point of neglecting his own shop’s business, Fang’s wife couldn’t hold back her complaints during dinner.

“You’ve abandoned your own business just to help someone else,” she grumbled.

Shopkeeper Fang set down his chopsticks with a sharp clack, giving her a pointed look. “You think I’m doing this for fun? This is for our shop.”

Seeing her skepticism, he sighed and explained, “Do you realize how popular Jiang Gongzi’s sweaters are? He could easily sell them in other shops instead of ours. There are plenty of ready-made clothing stores out there begging for his business, and some might even pay him to sell them!”

Fang’s wife protested, “But isn’t he already selling them at your store? Isn’t that a favor you’ve done for him? He wouldn’t just abandon you after that!”

Shopkeeper Fang’s gaze grew cold. “Abandon? Favor? Do you think just a few words to put his sweaters on our shelves amounts to some great kindness? Do you know how much silver I’ve earned from those few words? It’s a fortune.”

At the thought of the dozens of taels he’d brought home, Fang’s wife fell silent. The approaching New Year had seemed hard to get through, but the silver had made everything easier.

Satisfied with her quiet, Shopkeeper Fang resumed eating. In truth, there was something he hadn’t mentioned. He remembered when Jiang Huai came to buy winter clothes—clearly for two people—yet could only afford one set. That showed just how dire his situation had been.

But look at him now. With just one sweater, Jiang Huai had turned his fortunes around, earning dozens of taels. Shopkeeper Fang guessed that Jiang Huai might make hundreds or even thousands of taels this winter alone. Considering his hunch about Jiang Huai’s background, he believed Jiang Huai’s future was far brighter.

Better to lend a hand when it’s needed than to pile on once success is assured.

With a dedicated house for wool processing, production efficiency soared.

He Shi, already experienced in spinning and weaving, quickly picked up the sweater-making techniques Jiang Huai taught her. Her speed in knitting sweaters, even with complex patterns Jiang Huai had designed, was astonishing. Jiang Huai promptly reassigned her from spinning yarn to focus solely on knitting.

While He Shi’s skill was impressive, the three refugees recruited by Xiao Jingzhao also exceeded expectations. Though their learning curve was slower, after a few more attempts, they became proficient as well.

The result? The wool Jiang Huai had previously collected was used up far faster than anticipated, necessitating another trip to buy wool. After consulting He Shi, who confirmed the quality of wool from Wantou Village, Jiang Huai made a return trip there.

Unfortunately, Wantou Village didn’t have much wool to offer. It wasn’t a village dedicated to sheep farming, and Jiang Huai’s high standards meant that much of the wool was unsuitable. Even after visiting nearby villages, he found little success. Oddly, it seemed someone else was also buying up wool, and the villagers refused to sell.

Unbeknownst to Jiang Huai, other clothing shops, having failed to locate him, had dismantled a sweater to investigate its materials. Discovering it was made of wool, they too began buying wool in hopes of replicating his product. This sudden demand caused a noticeable rise in wool prices around Anyuan Prefecture.

“If you’re willing to travel farther, there’s good wool to be found,” He Shi suggested hesitantly after observing Jiang Huai’s frustration.

“Where?” Jiang Huai asked.

He Shi explained in a low voice. She was originally from the grasslands and was familiar with small tribes near the prefecture. While some tribes had collaborated with raiders in the past, smaller groups lacked the resources or audacity for such actions and relied on grazing sheep near Anyuan Prefecture.

She mentioned a specific tribe she was familiar with, whose wool stockpile from the autumn shearing should still be available.

Intrigued, Jiang Huai cross-checked her information with Shopkeeper Fang, who surprisingly knew about the tribe as well.

“Ah, those tribes,” Shopkeeper Fang sighed. “They’re mostly made up of women from the empire who were taken by the raiders, later having children with them. Some eventually escaped but had nowhere to go, so they turned to grazing sheep for survival.”

Jiang Huai hadn’t expected such a tragic backstory. Reflecting on He Shi’s demeanor and Luo Yuan’s circumstances, he realized why she was so familiar with the tribe.

After confirming the details, Jiang Huai decided to visit the tribe. He prepared not only silver but also essential goods they might need, converting some of his funds into supplies. Naturally, he brought Xiao Jingzhao and others equipped with weapons—better to be safe than sorry.

He Shi joined the journey as well, acting as their guide. Without her, misunderstandings could easily arise, as Anyuan Prefecture had long treated the tribe with indifference.

Her willingness to accompany them, combined with Jiang Huai’s thoughtfulness in bringing goods rather than just silver, left He Shi deeply moved. She resolved to repay his kindness by working harder.

Even on the bumpy ox cart, she continued knitting, determined to help Jiang Huai earn more. The three other workers followed her example, refusing to rest despite Jiang Huai’s warnings about potential eye strain. Seeing their dedication, Jiang Huai had no choice but to let them be, focusing instead on steering the cart with Xiao Jingzhao.

The journey was slow, with frequent stops for rest. By mid-afternoon, they finally reached the tribe’s territory.

Early winter had left the land barren, with no grass in sight. If not for the scattered tents dotting the landscape, Jiang Huai wouldn’t have believed anyone could survive here, let alone graze sheep.

As the cart approached, figures emerged from the tents, some on horseback. The first to reach them was a tall woman with a fierce demeanor. Though not particularly burly, her imposing presence suggested she was not to be trifled with.

“You are…?” the woman asked in a gruff voice.

“Sister Zhao, we’re here to buy wool,” He Shi quickly dismounted and explained.

The woman—referred to as Sister Zhao—squinted at the group, recognizing He Shi. Her gaze briefly shifted to Luo Yuan, who seemed healthier and sturdier than before. After verifying their intentions, especially Jiang Huai’s effort to bring goods for trade, her expression softened.

She led the group to her tent. Other tribe members peeked out from their tents, but seeing that most of the newcomers were men, they refrained from stepping outside.

Soon, wool was brought out for Jiang Huai to inspect. Its quality far surpassed the wool he’d bought from Wantou Village—a testament to the tribe’s skill in sheep farming. Convinced, Jiang Huai agreed to purchase their entire stock.

Hearing this, the tribe members beamed with joy. Though they sheared wool every year, selling it was always a challenge. Bringing it to Anyuan Prefecture involved costly fees and rampant undercutting due to prejudice against their origins. Many had simply stopped trying.

Moved by their gratitude, Sister Zhao even offered Jiang Huai a discount. Despite some reluctance from the others, they recognized that selling everything in one go saved them time and effort.

“By the way,” Jiang Huai added, “I’ve brought some goods. See if any can offset the payment.”

Hearing this, the tribe members rushed to the ox cart, delighted to find essential items they desperately needed. The scene turned festive, akin to a New Year’s celebration.

The only issue arose with transporting the wool back. The two ox carts they had brought couldn’t carry the full load, even if everyone walked to make room.

Sister Zhao immediately offered, “If Jiang Gongzi doesn’t mind, we can help deliver the goods.”

Grateful for the offer, Jiang Huai accepted. Sister Zhao organized the wool into large nets, a method Jiang Huai suspected He Shi had learned from here. They then secured the wool to the horses, ensuring it wouldn’t harm them.

As night fell, Sister Zhao warmly invited the group to dine and rest in their tents, promising a hearty meal of freshly slaughtered lamb. Aware of the dangers of traveling at night, Jiang Huai agreed.

Just as they were about to eat, a strange noise echoed from the distance. Jiang Huai looked confused, but Sister Zhao’s face turned grim. She recognized the sound immediately—it was the thundering hooves of a galloping horse herd.

But where could so many horses have come from?