428 Better and Better
“Alright, alright, alright.” Li Qingshu nodded.
Li Qingshu’s father laughed. “Since you’re working for someone else, you should do it well. Erfu has been taking care of our family well. Every time Erfu has a job, he’ll be the first to come to our house.”
“I know, I know,” Li Qingshu’s mother nodded.
Li Qingshu laughed. “If it wasn’t for the fact that our family didn’t have enough people to tend to the crops, I could have been hired as well.”
Li Qingshu’s father laughed. “Actually, there’s not much early rice to harvest at home, but I can’t do it alone. Since your mother was hired, someone has to take care of the house. Erfu’s family is too kind. No matter how fast your mother works, she would still get paid fifteen coins a day just like a man who does physical work.”
Li Qingshu laughed. “I’ve talked to Erfu about this. He said that everyone will be getting fifteen coins per day.”
“His family is too kind.” Li Qingshu’s father sighed. “Their family knows what they’re doing. Just wait and see. They will get better and better, and our village will improve because of them.”
“I think so too,” Li Qingshu said with a smile.
After Jiang Yue and the others had dinner, they were not in a hurry to wash up and go to bed. Instead, they set up a few big pots that they had bought today and had been washed by Li Hehua in the open space in the courtyard.
Originally, they had planned to set up only one big pot to cook the sour plum juice, but seeing that there was still space next to the cooking shed, they set up another one. When the time came, these two big pots would be used to cook the sour plum juice.
These two big pots were a little far from the big pots that were used to boil saltpeter, no one would make a mistake even if they were busy.
While Xue Dafu and the others were setting up the pots in the courtyard, Liu Guixia and Li Hehua were kneading and washing the noodles. After Xue Dafu and the others set up the pots, they saw that Liu Guixia and the others were still washing the noodles, so they also helped.
The liangpi was also selling very well, so they made a bigger batch as well.
It was only until the water from the washed noodles had settled to the side that everyone washed up and went to bed.
The next day, he woke up before dawn again.
Everyone made popsicles, made ice, steamed liangpi, made breakfast, and cooked sour plum juice together, the house was busy.
After breakfast, Xue Sifu brought Li Qingshu’s mother, Jinshan’s mother, a few men who would help out at the stall, and the three people that would sell popsicles, including Xue Dagui, to town.
One ox cart couldn’t fit everyone, and he had brought many things, so he used four ox carts to set up the stall first. He couldn’t go late and set up the stall late like before.
The weather was getting hotter and hotter.
Xue Wufu followed them again, saying that he wanted to teach the popsicle seller how to sell popsicles. Xue Sifu saw that the family didn’t really need Xue Wufu to help out today, so he let Xue Wufu follow.
Not only did Xue Wufu go, but the three people who delivered the ice were also there. They wanted to drive the ox cart back and bring the ice to town.
One of the other three people who had delivered the ice was Jinshan. They didn’t have any work for them at the moment, so he sat under the big tree outside the courtyard and waited.
Under the tree, there was a square table and a few stools. There was also water and bowls on the square table.
“If you are thirsty, you could pour yourself some water.” Erfu instructed the workers.
Under another tree, there were two ox carts resting. Other than the ox cart at home, the rest of the people had borrowed it from the people in the surrounding villages.
He had originally planned to borrow three ox carts, but he realized that three were not enough, so he borrowed two more. In addition to the one at home, they now had six in total.
The three of them would occasionally help to carry water from the well and the river and place them at the entrance of the courtyard. If Xue Erfu and the others needed water, they would open the courtyard door and carry it in from outside, then bring out the empty buckets.
Jiang Yue and Xue Yan didn’t rush to the town as they would take the next ox cart there. It was a little early for them to go there now.
Besides, they still had to go to the field to tend the strawberries.