Chapter 427 Dragon Boat Festival Benefits

The Dragon Boat Festival is a custom that has been passed down for hundreds of years and has gradually become a major festival.

Last year there was a famine, so we didn't really celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival properly. This year, every household has a full harvest, so we are celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival in a lively and festive manner.

A few days ago, Cheng Wanwan asked her children to pick zongzi leaves by the river. The river level was high, and the zongzi leaves were growing very well. A large area of ​​them was picked by Sidan and the other children.

"How did you get so many bamboo leaves?" Cheng Yuanyuan asked in surprise. "How can we possibly finish eating all of these?"

She is skillful and is the main force in wrapping zongzi. Several girls have already learned how to do it and are all busy boiling zongzi leaves and preparing the string to tie the zongzi. It is not string, but a kind of grass called Malan, which is very tough and not easy to break. The villagers use this to tie zongzi.

Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "There are so many people in the workshop, I plan to give a few to everyone."

In my previous life in modern times, the company would give out holiday gifts every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Chinese New Year. This had become a long-standing custom.

Now that the workers in the workshop are all hardworking and dedicated, she has no reason not to give them holiday gifts.

They made the most basic glutinous rice dumplings, giving each person six, plus two salted duck eggs. The salted duck eggs had been pre-ordered from Old Lady Zhu and were already stored in the warehouse.

The whole family sat in the courtyard and started wrapping zongzi (sticky rice dumplings). There were thousands of zongzi, which really took a lot of effort.

The festival is tomorrow, so we need to wrap and cook the zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) today and distribute them to everyone in the workshop.

The bamboo leaves need to be rinsed with water and dried beforehand. Then, the stem at the top should be cut off. The glutinous rice also needs to be soaked in water for later use.

Then take a bamboo leaf, fold it into a triangle, fill the space with glutinous rice, close the bamboo leaf, add another bamboo leaf and wrap it around the edge along the grain to prevent leakage, and finally tie it with straw rope to finish wrapping.

After wrapping some, Wei Hongying would take them to the kitchen to cook. After cooking for a short while, she could smell the fragrance of the zongzi.

Although there were no other ingredients in this zongzi, it was still very delicious. The glutinous rice was infused with the aroma of the bamboo leaves. Dip it in a little white sugar, take a bite, and the zongzi and the sweet sugar will bloom on your taste buds. Cheng Wanwan ate two in one go and was very satisfied. It is truly a traditional snack that has been passed down for thousands of years.

With many hands making light work, before the workshop closed, all the thousands of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) were finally wrapped, cooked, and packed into several large buckets. They were all carried to an open space, and then the already washed salted duck eggs were brought over. A table was set up, ready to distribute Dragon Boat Festival treats.

The workers in the workshop hadn't even finished their work when they received the news that they were going to receive zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).

As soon as the appointed time arrived, everyone eagerly gathered in the open space.

"Alright, everyone line up!" Grandma Zhao held a roster in her hand. "Those who have received zongzi, please put your fingerprint after your name. No cutting in line!"

She had been the supervisor of the workshop for almost half a year. She might not recognize other characters, but she would become familiar with everyone's name after seeing it so many times, and she would never make a mistake.

Each person receives six zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), tied together with a string and carried, plus two salted duck eggs.

The workers were all beaming with joy.

These people had worked elsewhere before, and they were lucky if their employers even paid them their wages; they never dared to expect anything else.

They give out clothes, free meals, and even rice dumplings and duck eggs during festivals... These are things I never dared to dream of before.

"Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, and everyone will have three days of paid rest," Cheng Wanwan said to everyone. "Work hard when you're working, and rest well when you're resting. Don't worry, the workshop won't let you down!"

These people had heard Grandma Zhao mention the three-day holiday before, but no one took it seriously. They never expected it to actually be true.

Their wages are calculated monthly, meaning that even if they don't work for three days, they won't lose a single penny.

"Grandma Dashan... no, I just feel that the name Grandma Dashan doesn't suit you. From now on, we'll call you Lady Sui!"

"Only Lady Sui has such a broad mind and magnanimity. Having Lady Sui is the luckiest thing for our Dahe Village!"

"We people from Chengjia Village have also benefited, Second Aunt Cheng... oh no, Madam Sui, we will definitely work hard!"

"..."

The way everyone looked at Cheng Wanwan instantly became even more respectful.

Cheng Wanwan knew that in ancient times, capitalists also exploited people severely, and the welfare of some working people at the bottom of society was not guaranteed at all. She was powerless to change the times, and could only try her best to make the workers under her workshops be decent and dignified laborers.

"Alright, everyone go back now."

She clapped her hands and adjourned the meeting.

The news of this grand occasion reached Lord Wu's ears.

Although the coal mine exploded and collapsed recently, the poor people are still willing to risk their lives to work here. The coal mine usually finishes work an hour later than the soap factory. Right now, everyone is still working hard, looking exhausted and covered in dust.

"Sir, these are Dragon Boat Festival foods sent by Lady Sui." The official placed a basket on the table and took out zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and duck eggs. "Lady Sui said they are all cooked and can be eaten directly."

Lord Wu put down his brush, surprised that Lady Sui had also sent him zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).

He didn't eat the zongzi. He stood up and walked to the entrance of the office. Occasionally, villagers would pass by the entrance, all talking about the welfare distribution that had just taken place. Everyone spoke of Lady Sui with respect and admiration. They had been busy all day, but they didn't seem tired at all, and everyone had relaxed smiles on their faces.

He turned his head to look at the coal mountain, as if he could see the envy in the eyes of those coal miners.

He finally understood why Lady Sui was so popular with the people.

He spoke slowly: "What is the value of six zongzi and two salted duck eggs?"

The official behind him calculated in his mind and said, "I don't know if six zongzi contain a pound of glutinous rice. Ten coins should be enough. Duck eggs are more expensive, usually three coins each."

In other words, each person received less than twenty coins, yet these people were deeply grateful.

Why didn't other businessmen think of spending such a small amount of money to win people's hearts?

It's not that they're unwilling to spend small amounts of money, but rather that those businessmen simply don't care about ordinary people at the bottom of society.

Just like the officials who manage the coal mine, they don't care about human lives, so they never think about improving the coal mine facilities. Safety is irrelevant to them.

“They are all villagers from the surrounding area. Some of them have festival gifts, while others have nothing. This will cause people to speak ill of the court behind their backs,” Lord Wu said. “After work, all the workers on Coal Hill can go to the accounting office to collect thirty coins as a festival gift. Also, they can rest for half a day tomorrow morning and come back in the afternoon.”

Giving three days off is definitely not an option, as it would slow down the progress. He only has the authority to grant half a day off.

When the miners heard the news, they were all stunned.

They knew that Lady Sui was generous and really wanted to work for her, but all the positions there were filled, so they could only come to Meishan. They worked for the imperial court, so they didn't dare to make any demands. They just wanted to be paid on time. They never expected that this Lord Wu would be just as generous as Lady Sui!

The miners immediately knelt on the hilltop and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Lord Wu! May you live long and prosper, Lord Wu!"

Lord Wu watched from afar, his heart filled with inexplicable excitement.

He had always been a manager, in charge of the Ministry of Works, and rarely interacted with ordinary people. So this is what it feels like to be loved and respected by the people.

It's a wonderful feeling.