Hui Niang sneered, "With so many people, there are bound to be a few ungrateful wretches. It's unavoidable, no matter where you go. They wish they could come here and do nothing all day while being supported by others."

"Actually, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Even if you want to eat stewed meat, you still have to start a fire yourself, right? The Li family has already been extremely kind by giving us this place and being willing to protect us after the Northern Expeditionary Army goes to war."

Xiao Cui nodded vigorously, "That's what I think too. You have to work hard to make a living. You can't always expect to get things from others."

Hui Niang instructed, "It's good that you've figured it out. Keep a close eye on these families from now on. After all, they're new here, and we don't know what kind of people they are. Visit those who are reasonable more often, and if there's any work to be done in the workshop or village, go to them first."

"If there are any fools, they should be given a good talking-to. The old lady and fourth sister-in-law are reluctant to argue with these people because of the Marquis, but we are the perfect ones to stand in the middle and play the bad cop."

"Of course, it would be even better if we could persuade them to change their ways. After all, they are all people who have suffered hardship and have not had it easy. Putting aside everything else, we also have to see us men fighting desperately against the barbarians."

"But if someone really won't listen to advice, we should send them away as soon as possible, so as not to ruin the village's relationship with everyone just to accommodate one ignorant person."

"I understand, sister-in-law." Xiao Cui nodded repeatedly. She had been a child bride since childhood, and had been mistreated and beaten as she grew up. No one had taught her so much.

Others might have been annoyed by Hui Niang's long-winded explanation, but she was overjoyed and even felt closer to her.

Soon, another batch of mooncakes was baked.

Hui Niang took charge and instructed Xiao Cui to bring a plate to the newly arrived families.

It won't be enough for everyone to have a piece, but the kids in the family can have a little treat beforehand...

In the Li family's courtyard, the day's work on fabrics and furs has come to a temporary end.

Jiayin then led Granny He, Dongmei, and Shuiling Shuiyun to start baking mooncakes with new fillings.

Shuiyun has an exceptional talent for cooking, Shuiling is diligent, and Granny He is steady; they are all skilled at their jobs.

Jiayin prepared the fillings and taught the instructor once, so there was no need for further effort.

However, in all my previous calculations, I had overlooked Zhengjiazhuang.

Jiayin carefully inquired with Shuiyun and urgently ordered an additional 500 mooncakes from the makeshift baking room.

What was originally thought to be a simple matter—just eating a mooncake during a festival—became so chaotic and hectic. This made Jiayin less dismissive of the management and more serious about it.

She made a schedule to free up some time in the evening.

Take into account the time difference gained from cheating both outside and inside the space, and make reasonable arrangements.

At first, she also felt tired, like a spinning top, but after a few days she got used to it.

The pastry shops in the city gave up competing for the prime Mid-Autumn Festival period and focused on renovations, but the final glass panels hadn't been delivered yet.

Meanwhile, at the Hundred Flowers Garden, Jiayin discussed with her second uncle about building a glass greenhouse ahead of time. They couldn't wait until the weather got cold before starting, and it would be convenient to do so at the same time as the pastry shop.

Even if outsiders suspect the origin of the glass, they can subtly point the finger at the Marquis, since few dare to ask him directly!

Busy as ever, on the tenth day of the month, Ye Shan actually returned with the newly forged weapon.

He had been focusing on this matter for a while, and he lost a lot of weight and his eyes were bloodshot, but the results were very significant.

The iron roller, along with various hoe heads and other tools, were used to forge thirty-five sabers and a dozen daggers.

It just so happened that Lao Hei and his group of thirty men each had a machete for self-defense.

Li Laosi, Jiang Cheng, Jiayi, and Liu Yang each got a share, and Jiayin decided to give the extra share to Ye Shan, the hero, making Ye Shan so happy he almost lost his bearings!

The remaining daggers were given to each of Jiaren's brothers' servants for self-defense, and Zheng Feng, Zheng He, Shui Ling, and Shui Yun also received one.

Keep the rest, in case Li Zhensheng recruits more people later.

Everyone who received the weapons was overjoyed, as the quality of these new knives was excellent.

I wouldn't dare say it can cut through iron like mud, but in terms of both hardness and sharpness, it's far superior to those on the market!

In addition, extra tight-fitting clothes, boots, backpacks, and various medicines were prepared for Lao Hei and his men.

Old Hei and his men were summoned to the Marquis's courtyard, where they quickly distributed the items.

Everyone had a backpack full, complete with all their clothes and belongings; they had considered almost everything that could be taken into account.

The newly forged sabers weren't the kind that were dazzlingly bright; instead, they had a rustic and understated feel, which would be perfect for their future travels.

Although Jiayin had checked the list item by item, she still asked a few questions, "Uncle Lao Hei, do you think these things are enough to take out? Is there anything missing?"

"We have everything we need, Princess!" Old Hei quickly led everyone in expressing their gratitude. "Thank you for your thoughtful consideration, Princess. With these things, we won't be afraid even if we encounter a hundred or so bandits on the road."

Jiayin quickly said, "What I asked you to find isn't anything valuable. In a critical moment, you can leave things behind. Your life is more important. We can always go look for it again later!"

The veterans were deeply touched by what they heard.

They weren't clever, but they could easily tell whether the princess was sincere or not.

In the princess's heart, their lives were indeed her top priority.

They had been staying in the second village for quite some time, and were so bored that they were practically crawling on the floor. Now that everything was ready, they couldn't wait any longer.

After a few words of discussion, Lao Hei took the lead and volunteered, "Princess, we are not familiar with medicinal herbs, but we always think that most things are harvested in autumn, right? We plan to set off tomorrow, complete the mission as soon as possible, and return as soon as possible."

“The Mid-Autumn Festival is just a few days away. In addition to distributing mooncakes, the village will also slaughter a pig and distribute the meat. You should leave after the festival,” Jiayin said, trying to persuade you to stay.

Lao Hei and the others insisted, "We have no family or relatives, so it doesn't matter whether we celebrate a holiday or not. Wherever we go on the road, we can just eat something good."

"Alright then," Jiayin stopped trying to stop them and had someone call Xiaocui over, instructing her, "Aunt Xiaocui, please bring Uncle Laohei and the others more flatbread, meat sauce, and dried noodles, and put them all on my tab."

"From now on, you will be responsible for their food, clothing, and shelter when they are at home, as well as for taking care of their house when they go out. I will pay you a wage. Of course, if Uncle Hei and the others don't want to do laundry or similar things, you can also do those for them. You will receive a hundred or so coins a month as a service fee."

“If you are too busy, you can ask the women from the second village to help, but you will be fully responsible. If I have any instructions in the future, I will only assign them to you.”

Xiao Cui nodded repeatedly.

Actually, she's the one who's in charge of organizing things in the second village now.

But with the title given to her by the princess, she felt more confident and would have a stable income to support her family.

With that, the matter was settled.

That evening, Jiayin gave Lao Hei another booklet, which contained pictures of the key Panax notoginseng they were looking for, as well as other medicinal herbs, and even fruit tree seedlings, flower seedlings, seeds, and so on...