Early the next morning, Chen Mo went out to discuss with the village chief about hiring people to reclaim the wasteland.

When I arrived at the village chief's house, he had just gotten up and hadn't had breakfast yet.

"Brother Chen, what's the matter with you coming to see me so early?" The village chief was startled when he saw Chen Mo. Was he here to buy land again? The village chief was so envious of Chen Mo. Why didn't he have the same luck as Chen Mo? He had a rich daughter-in-law.

"Brother Dachuan, you also know that our family has just bought a piece of land and we need people to open up the wasteland. My family's elders said that we want to hire villagers to open up the wasteland. The salary is 25 cents a day, and meals are not included." Chen Mo stated the purpose of coming here today straight away.

When the village chief heard that the villagers were asked to work, he thought it was a good thing. Now was the slack season for farming, and many villagers were idle at home, gathering together every day to gossip about others.

Now that it's 25 wen a day, many villagers will surely come to work. 25 wen is the wage in Tancheng. Without leaving home, you can earn 25 a day, saving on travel and food expenses. It's a good thing you can't even break a sweat to get there.

"Brother Chen, this is a good thing. I wonder what the requirements are for hiring someone." The village chief knew that such a good thing must have requirements.

"Brother Dachuan, the elders said that men between the ages of fifteen and forty should be hardworking and persevering, and not cunning or dishonest." Chen Mo stated Li Yun's request.

"Brother Chen, this is easy. Brother Dachuan knows exactly who in the village cannot be used. Just wait for Brother Dachuan to help you find people." The village chief was eager to help Chen Mo find villagers to start work right away. One more day means an extra 25 cents in income. For ordinary people, 25 cents can provide food for a family for ten days.

"Sorry to bother you, Brother Dachuan. My family's elders said that they would like to ask you to be the manager and help manage the villagers who are reclaiming the land. Fifty cents a day. Are you willing to help, Brother Dachuan?" Chen Mo asked the village chief if he was willing to help manage the villagers.

"Yes, of course I am. Don't worry, brother Chen, Brother Dachuan will definitely help you control the villagers and prevent them from causing trouble." The village chief was very satisfied with the Chen Mo family's appreciation of him, which showed that they also recognized his ability.

"We are impressed by Brother Dachuan's abilities. The elders also said that Brother Dachuan is a management talent." Chen Mo praised the village chief without hesitation.

"Brother Chen, Brother Dachuan will go gather the villagers now and tell them the good news." After the village chief said this, he asked his eldest son to take a gong and ask the villagers to gather in the ancestral hall.

Seeing that the village chief was going to do some work, Chen Mo also stood up and said goodbye, "Brother Dachuan, I should go back too. I'll leave this matter to you, brother."

"Don't worry, Brother Chen, Brother Dachuan will come to you when he finishes the job."

Seeing that the matter was settled, Chen Mo said goodbye to the village chief and went home.

Chen Yaoguang was holding a gong and beating drums in the village, shouting loudly: "Attention, villagers, the village chief wants you to gather at the ancestral hall. There is something good to tell you." Chen Yaoguang walked on every street in Qingshan Village, beating the gong and shouting loudly.

When the villagers heard that they were going to gather, they asked others if they knew what the matter was. Everyone looked confused and shook their heads, saying they didn't know.

Qingshan Village was in chaos, and the villagers ran around to tell each other.

Soon the ancestral hall was filled with people, and everyone was talking and waiting for the village chief to come and announce something.

"Do you know what's going on? Why are they gathering at the ancestral hall so mysterious?" Villager A asked Villager B.

"I don't know. I came here because I heard Chen Yaoguang calling us to gather. I wanted to ask you if you knew anything?" Villager B said to Villager A.

Villager A and Villager B also asked the people around them, but no one knew. Just as everyone was discussing this, the village chief walked into the ancestral hall with a cheerful step. His gait, which was so unconcerned with his relatives, left the villagers speechless. What on earth could have made him so arrogant?

After the village chief stood still, he cleared his throat and said slowly: "Dear villagers, I called you to gather in the ancestral hall today to tell you a good news. Chen Mo's family bought wasteland and needs manpower to reclaim the land. I want to find some people with good character and hard work in the village to do the reclamation. The salary is 25 cents a day, and food is not provided. If the villagers are willing to go, please go to my house to sign up. As we have agreed, if you want people with good character, those who are sneaky and cunning should not come to my house." The village chief released a bomb, which made the villagers dizzy and excited.

"Village chief, is it true? Twenty-five cents a day? This price is rare in the town and only available in the county. Does the Chen Mo family really want people to reclaim wasteland? Will they pay us silver when the time comes?" Villager Chen Baogang asked the village chief half-doubtfully, although everyone in the village had been talking about his family these past two days, saying that his daughter-in-law was the daughter of a wealthy family and had a lot of silver.

But what is heard is just hearsay, no one has ever seen it.

"Yes, we'll start working. Will we really get paid? If we do, I'll come back and start working," said villager Chen Yishen. He works at the county dock, earning 40 wen a day. After deducting transportation and food, he only has 30 wen left. If the village had 25 wen a day, he'd definitely start working there. Working close to home saves on transportation and food, and he can help with farm work at home in his free time.

"Yes, I want to start work too."

"I want one too. I want one too."

"Village chief, I want to sign up."

…………

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The villagers in the ancestral hall rushed to sign up with the village chief to reclaim the wasteland. The ancestral hall was filled with noise and chaos.

The sound of "clang clang clang" was heard, and the originally bustling ancestral hall suddenly became silent.

"Fellow villagers, please listen to me. Chen Mo wants a lot of people this time. As long as you meet the requirements and are willing to endure hardships, any man between the ages of fifteen and forty can sign up."

"Village chief, you know me. I can endure hardship the most. You will never lose money if you hire me to work." said a villager who was tall and strong.

"Village Chief, choose me. You've watched me grow up. You know me best. I'm definitely not someone who plays dirty or cunning tricks."

Another villager plays the emotional card with the village chief.

"Village chief, I am the most diligent. I don't slack off, I don't make trouble, and I am definitely the most obedient." Another villager boasted.

"Okay, everyone listen to me. I know exactly what kind of people you are. Don't try to deceive me. Don't forget what I do. I am the village chief." The village chief said to the villagers very rudely.

"I've already told everyone about it. Villagers who want to start work can now go to my house to sign up. Don't try to cheat your way through. Even if you sign up, I will still screen you again." The village chief spoke to the villagers without consulting them first, so that no one could take advantage of the situation.

"Don't worry, village chief. We will also help with the screening. Let's go to your house to register now." The villagers all asked the village chief to go back. They wanted to register to avoid any further complications.

The village chief was pulled away by the villagers, leaving only some villagers who did not meet the requirements. They also wanted to sign up, but the village chief would not accept them.

Many villagers signed up this time, and in the end the village chief crossed out twenty villagers, including his cousin.