Li Yuanzhao didn't dare to be so greedy; the agreement with the supply and marketing cooperative was for 8,000 pieces. The few dozen women in the weaving group definitely couldn't finish before spring planting. Let them go back to work! Their own men would naturally help. How they divide the profits is their own business. The weaving group not interfering would save them some trouble. But there were conditions.

Quality must be the top priority. If someone knowingly submits substandard work, Pan Bo and Huang Guoqing, who are in charge of quality control, will be penalized for each instance. The penalty is that the quantity of work assigned next time will be halved. A second offense will result in the entire assignment being cancelled.

The weaving team requires everyone to complete tasks in a harmonious and friendly manner; anyone who has a dispute over money will be expelled from the writing team.

Nobody's stupid; everyone understands what that means.

…

Li Yuanzhao spoke, and Song Yan listened. Song Yan exclaimed, "Li Yuanzhao is so clever!"

For the first two days, the woman brought the first piece she had woven to Song Yan for him to find fault with.

Only when Song Yan deemed the quality acceptable could they go to Li Yuanzhao to receive their assigned tasks. Usually, it was ten, and then they could go home and weave with peace of mind.

When it was time to hand in the task, Huang Guoqing and Pan Bo were in charge of checking. Each basket was woven very tightly, and they handed in the task very quickly. The 2000 earthen baskets were completed in no time, and when placed together, they were quite a sight to behold. This time, the brigade used a horse-drawn cart to transport them to the county town.

Song Yan felt it was wise of him not to get involved in management. Organizing loading and delivery, and even taking a horse-drawn carriage to the county—Li Yuanzhao had to do all that herself. Song Yan, on the other hand, could sit on the kang (heated brick bed) and tell stories to the children.

This time of year is usually the quietest time for everyone in the production brigade. But this year, almost every household is busy, because most families have a woman working in the weaving group.

If Wei Erzhuang hadn't separated from the family, his wife would have been in the weaving group, and the whole family could have helped with the work. As long as the baskets they handed in were up to standard, Li Yuanzhao wouldn't ask who wove them. When it came time to calculate the pay, the women in the weaving group received their share, and they could discuss how to divide it among themselves.

Has anyone in your family ever argued or quarreled over the unfair distribution of money? Probably not openly. If they did, wouldn't the fact that they were helping each other with chores just be exposed?

Li Yuanzhao and Song Yan were well aware of this. The task couldn't be completed by the knitting team alone.

Only a few households, like Uncle Wei's, had no one in the weaving group. They watched others make money while they themselves felt anxious and helpless.

After all, they are brothers, and every family brings along their relatives to help with chores. Erzhuang's wife might have agreed if it weren't for what happened last time.

When Wei Erzhuang was injured, someone needed to go to the commune with him. Erzhuang's wife was terrified. Dazhuang and Sanzhuang were planning to go to the commune with their brother, but Wei's aunt wouldn't allow it.

They say he and his wife just have to make a fuss over nothing. They could send Dazhuang and the others instead. They could have Erzhuang and his wife kowtow and apologize to him.

Ever since Erzhuang separated from the family and moved out on his own, his heart had been half-dead because of his parents' heartlessness. He had almost lost his life this time, and his own mother didn't care about him; instead, she took the opportunity to blackmail him. His father was right there watching. Erzhuang's heart was completely cold. Erzhuang said at the time, "I've only injured my arm, not my leg. My wife can come with me. I can't count on anyone else, and I don't expect anything from them."

This further strained the relationship between the two families.

I never expected that we would be making earthen baskets the following year. To think that Erzhuang's wife would lead the work was just a pipe dream.

Da Zhuang's wife was kicked out of the knitting group because of her bad character. Now that everyone else is making money, aren't Da Zhuang and his wife envious? Because her in-laws have offended Er Zhuang's wife so badly, she can forget about getting any benefits. I heard that Da Zhuang's wife has had many arguments with her mother-in-law over this.

Erzhuang's wife has an older brother and a younger brother. Her family has also separated from her husband's family. When she separated from her husband's family, her brothers all came to her aid. After the separation, she was so poor she couldn't afford to eat. Her parents wanted to help her out, but her sister-in-law was very unhappy. Even after the separation, she wouldn't let her parents-in-law help her married sister-in-law.

Erzhuang's wife, not wanting to trouble her parents, refused all help from her family. Before she got married, she doted on her younger brother. Now, seeing his sister's hardship, he gave her whatever he could find. Although his wife felt a pang of sympathy, her brother's words were wise: "My sister is in trouble now, so I'll help her in the moment, not for a lifetime." So she didn't say anything more.

When the weaving group needed men to work, Erzhuang's wife immediately thought of her younger brother. She said he was helping the women of the group voluntarily, but in the end, he would definitely be paid—the money would go to the women in the weaving group.

Erzhuang's wife immediately approached Song Yan. Erzhuang's arm wasn't fully healed yet, and she wanted her younger brother to help out first.

Erzhuang's family is having a tough time right now. As long as they don't cause trouble, Song Yan can help them out without any problem.

Because of Song Yan, Er Zhuang's wife's younger brother became the only outsider to help with the work.

Were Uncle Wei's family angry? Were they envious? Of course they were. They even went to the village committee to protest, how could they let people from other villages make money together?

Erzhuang's wife was no pushover, and she was also holding back her anger. A scene broke out in the village. My younger brother was working for Erzhuang, and he wasn't asking for a single penny. "What? You're planning to come and work for me for free too?"

Erzhuang's younger brother also insisted that he was just helping his sister for free. But who knows whether she actually paid him or not?

Song Yan and Li Yuanzhao had already spoken about this matter. From the brigade to the weaving group, who would listen to Aunt Wei's family anymore?

Uncle Wei's family became the latest topic of conversation in the production brigade. Even though everyone was busy with work, the gossip didn't stop spreading.

Captain Wu announced another important piece of news: since Li De was imprisoned, the brigade needs an accountant. The captain can recommend candidates.

Wu Meili kept pestering her father, wanting He Jianian to become the accountant.

Every time he saw Wu Meili, the brigade leader felt a headache coming on. He was the brigade leader, and the accountant was his son-in-law. What would the commune leaders think? Did they think Qingshan Brigade belong to their family? He had rejected his daughter many times, but Wu Meili still shamelessly clung to him.

Li Yuanzhao asked Shen Hanyang to go to Captain Wu and recommend himself. Shen Hanyang had beautiful handwriting and was also very skilled at using an abacus.

When Captain Wu went to the commune to recommend Shen Hanyang, he nearly drove his daughter to her death with anger. It's said that He Jianian, who had been holding her breath all along, also had a huge argument with Wu Meili.

New rumors are circulating in the village, with He Jianian at the center. Everyone knows why he took a liking to Wu Meili. But so far, it seems he hasn't gained anything.