Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"Apart from the tenants, there should be at least 100 households in Zhang Village, right? Just see how many of them want to join the project. If everyone wants to be part of it, then we can only divide them into two batches, one for every other day, and only one person is hired from each household."
Shao Yunduan added. "We only need strong young men, and other people can join if a family doesn't have strong, young men."
Ding Erzhu nodded and said with a smile, "Okay, okay, I understand what I should do after hearing your plan. 20 won a day with lunch, that is tempting for everyone, except for those who are too lazy to work."
The three of them talked more in detail, regarding how to separate the groups and exclude those who were lazy at work but active in eating and getting money…
Gradually, everything was sorted.
Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan would come to them again after three days, when Ding Erzhu and the Land Officer completed the final deal.
If all went well, the project could start real soon.
Qiao Xuan looked at their house and smiled., "This house is okay for the moment, but not for the winter. We need to have someone watch over the tea land, and to have grains stored and the creeping figs planted. We will need to have one place for that. When the tea trees are done, we will build a huge house here and both of you can move in."
Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou had been thinking about going into the town and buying some paper to add to the walls of this wooden house. They even thought about saving some money to buy coals and blankets and make some thick winter clothes, but Qiao Xuan started to talk about building a house.
Qiao Xuan had mentioned it once before, but she and Shao Yunduan never mentioned that again, so Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou did not take it seriously.
Maybe they had some other plans and decided to leave this one aside.
After all, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan did not owe them anything. They needed to solve their problems themselves rather than wait for the new house to be built.
Hence, they were both shocked upon hearing what Qiao Xuan said.
Shao Yunduan added his view as well. "It is time to have it built, otherwise it would be inconvenient."
"Yeah, I want to dig a pool to raise fish and plant lotus roots too."
Ding Erzhu felt quite embarrassed. "Alright… then, we will move into the new place, thanks to you again… when we have more money in the future, we will build two more rooms."
Qiao Xuan smiled. "Just live here if you want to and we will build the house next to ours, which is very convenient!"
They had a son and they could not possibly just live in the house which Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan built. So for a long-term plan, they still needed to build one for themselves.
Ding Erzhu smiled brightly and nodded.
Ms. Zhou was very glad as well.
Before the couple left, Ms. Zhou asked Qiao Xuan. "Dear Niece-in-law, can I ask my mother to help me with steaming buns? Shitou is still too young to go about by himself, and I need someone to watch out for him in case he runs into something unpleasant."
Ms. Zhou was a mild person but her mother was not so gentle.
Ms. Zhou needed her mother to back her up.
If the women who worked took them at will, or their children came to fetch
them, or even the children from the village offered the eagerness to fetch the steamed buns, Ms. Zhou would be too timid to say no.
Qiao Xuan smiled. "That is a good idea. I was worried whether you could spare more time and energy into it. It would be good that your mother comes over. The Land Officer's wife could help as well. Both your mother, and the Land Officer's wife can earn 30 won a day and you will be paid monthly, which is not included in this.."