This grand scene of the New Year’s Eve dinner is even more beautiful than last year.
However, what made Miao Wan regretful was that although she made a lot of money, fireworks were imported products and could only be obtained in the capital.
It would be possible to get some with some effort, but it would cost too much money, and Miao Wan was reluctant to do so.
If she had to spend the money, she would rather use it on more practical things, such as giving more bonuses to her employees.
The wages for the twelfth month have all been paid out, and even the little ones who started the fire received one string of coins.
As for where these copper coins ended up, Miao Wan didn't care.
What everyone is most concerned about is the bonus.
Even though everyone has saved a lot of wages and bonuses in a year, after working hard for a year, the boss is a kind person and has always been generous. It is obvious that the bonus is not a small amount.
Who would complain about having too much money in hand?
Miao Wan, who also ran a pig farm, knew very well that if the bonuses were not distributed, no one would be able to enjoy the New Year's Eve dinner.
So before the meal, the mobilization meeting and the bonus had to be settled.
This year, we invited the most prestigious head of the family, Qiao Shengwen, to come out and say a few words to the friends and family of Kuaibaihao.
It's not that they don't want to invite others. The Ruan Qi brothers and the old couple of the Zhang family are nervous about so many people. Only Qiao Shengwen and his son and Miao Wan are not afraid.
But in such occasions when the elders are all present, Miao Wan and her husband always speak in a way that is not very filial.
Of course, the Qiao and Zhang families are a little allergic to the word "filial piety", but they don't care.
But at the first mobilization meeting of Miao Shiren Group last year, Miao Shiren himself brewed for most of the day, waved his hand and said a few dry words. Whether the effect was good or not is another matter, she herself was scratching her toes for a long time.
In two lifetimes, this kind of earnest and heartfelt chat with everyone, and doing it in a very professional way, is not her forte. One must know one's own limitations.
So she just sat there quietly. No one would ignore her anyway. She was in charge of distributing the money. Hehe...
Qiao Shengwen was worthy of being the top scholar during the previous emperor's time and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue for more than ten years. He spoke without any nonsense, but started with the issues that everyone was most concerned about in plain language, and directly talked about the work arrangements for next year, which made everyone excited.
The Ruan, Zhang, and Sun families listened very carefully, and all the servants they bought had excited eyes, because this was related to how much money they could save to redeem themselves next year.
Qiao Shengwen knew what the servants and slave girls he had bought back were most concerned about, so he smiled gently and said to them, "We have all seen your performance this year and have recorded it on paper. Every month, your shopkeeper and the head will give you a score."
Scoring? The servants were stunned.
Even Adun, who had been hiding in the corner for fear of scaring others, raised his head.
Why do we need to give scores?
What’s the use of this score?
"After the new year, the scores will be posted in your rooms to help you gauge your own merits. It's similar to the imperial examinations. As long as you accumulate enough points and buy back your silver, you can not only redeem yourself, but the Qiao family will also support you in whatever you want. The higher your points, the greater the support you will receive."
Everyone understood what he said. Grades are a good thing, and the same applies to imperial examinations. The treatment of students and scholars when meeting officials is different.
Someone anxiously asked in a low voice, "Master, why do you have to put it up after the New Year? Can't you tell us now?"
Qiao Shengwen smiled and glanced at his daughter-in-law. "The scores are all high and low. Releasing them early will only cause more trouble and confusion. It's better to have a good New Year first and then think about it seriously after the New Year."
This was suggested by Miao Wan, as a way to improve the regrets of the previous life.
When she was in school, the teachers would always hand out the results before the winter vacation, and many of her classmates would have to have an extra dish of stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat at home before the New Year.
Moreover, as relatives visit and ask about it, the frequency of serving this dish will increase.
Although no one will be beaten now, the mental torment is more painful than the physical pain.
After Qiao Shengwen finished speaking, he gave the place to Miao Wan.
It was already dark, and the aroma in the tent made people's stomachs rumble. It was better to pay and eat quickly.
Miao Wan thought so too. She calculated the time and thought the roast duck would be ready in half an hour at most.
She asked Qiao Ruichen to move the boxes that had been arranged long ago to the square table in the middle of the tent. She patted the boxes with a smile and said, "This is the bonus for everyone this year."
Zhang Sanzhuang was a little surprised. Last year they used two big boxes, but this year they only used a small box as long as their arm?
He whispered to Ruan Jialin, "Do you think Awan is going to give us a banknote?"
After asking him, he was still a little excited.
In the northwest, people don’t use silver notes very often because the money houses are all controlled by General Dingbei.
If a large amount of money passes through it, and you donate too little to the military pay next year, you can expect to be in trouble.
Over time, in Xining Town, silver bills with a denomination of one hundred taels were the most common, but ordinary people did not have so much money to save, and there were many people who had never seen a silver bill in their entire lives.
Ruan Jialin shook his head. "For banknotes, a smaller box will do."
He had a more passionate guess in his mind—
Without waiting for him to continue his heated remarks, Miao Wan opened the box decisively. "I said last year that if we all work together, we can definitely break the gold barrier. Bonuses, bonuses! Let's not play games, just give out gold!"
Even Sun Laohuo, who was watching the kiln entrance at the door of the tent, couldn't help but turn his head. Although he had a golden knife, it was his master's relic and he couldn't spend it. He had never seen gold at any other time.
Not to mention the servants, they had never seen what gold looked like.
If Qiao Ruichen hadn't been standing next to Miao Wan, even Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wu would have wanted to squeeze next to Miao Wan to see what the gold looked like.
Miao Wan didn't mention queuing. The children were there anyway, and no one would just rush in without thinking.
After the Ruan family came to the northwest, except for the second branch and Ruan Qi who did some work with his apprentices, the first branch basically did not engage in production, so it would definitely not be appropriate to give bonuses at this time.
But since everyone else got it, it wouldn’t be appropriate for the Ruan family’s eldest wife not to get one.
That's why Miao Wan would force several children to dance on a fire in the winter. The Ruan family has many children, so she can make some money. Otherwise, she would have nothing to do and would have to force the little ones to dance in the middle of winter.
She is so considerate and smart!
Miao Wan was feeling quite pleased with herself, and a smile appeared on her face. "From now on, all our bonuses will be in gold. No matter whether you are getting married in the future, you won't have to worry about betrothal gifts or dowries. It will be the most respectable no matter where you go."
After a pause, she waved to the children and said, "Then let's start with the dowries and betrothal gifts for the little ones!"
Everyone was happy, and those who had children pushed their children to the front with a smile.
No one stopped the children from giving out money first. Anyway... once the children got the money, it would just warm their hands.
When the children grew up and became smart, the Ruan family's children were taught not to refuse to give it. The Yu and Yang families already had it, so if their sons didn't want to give it, then they didn't have to give it. It would be the same if they gave it to their mother-in-law for safekeeping.
Therefore, no matter what time, making money is a woman's confidence and the foundation of family harmony.
Miao Wan took out a handful of purses embroidered with the word "Fu" from the box, squatted down and gave one to each of the little ones.
This time, even older children like Donkey Dan and Cui Ya are treated equally, which will make the younger children of the Ruan family feel more comfortable.
As a new mother, Miao Wan is full of enthusiasm for children and is never stingy with her consideration.
The older children who mostly take care of their younger siblings privately have all received their wages in advance.
The people who were sticking their heads out shouted in disappointment, "Why is there a purse here?" They had thought they would see gold right away.
Some people, like Sun, who were anxious, had already snatched Tiedan's wallet and wanted to open it for him.
Everyone in the Zhang family leaned over to look. Sun opened her purse and poured out six goldfish the size of a little finger. The patterns on them were so lifelike that you could even see the fish's eyes.
All the gold had been newly blasted, and in the light of the fire, it had a layer of golden glimmer, which made people's hearts burn and their eyes flash with golden light.
The Ruan family's children also took them out and ran to their parents to show them to others.
The Ruan family rarely saw gold crafted so carefully, with the scales on the goldfish clearly visible. Such a small goldfish was estimated to weigh only one or two taels each.
It’s not that the children were given little. A total of sixty taels of silver was given to the children, which was beyond everyone’s imagination. It’s just that I feel that the wages for the goldfish alone must be quite a lot of money.
The servants and female workers who had never seen gold were even more fascinated by it. Gold actually had its own glow, which was so beautiful. No wonder it was the most valuable.
When they received silver and copper coins as their wages, they thought they were the most beautiful things in the world. Now they all think that the most beautiful thing in the world must be gold!
Ruan Qin whispered to Qiao Ruichen, "This is really well made. Even when our family was at its wealthiest, even the rewards we received couldn't be made this fine. Where did this come from?"
Qiao Ruichen smiled and said, "Awan got it, I don't know."
In fact, judging from Bayinnanahan's appearance, he roughly knew where the gold came from.
He just didn't expect that his wife and Su Rina could have such a relationship. Su Rina even wrote a letter asking Bayin to take better care of Miao Wan. Bayin was confused and kept wondering what was going on.
Miao Wan chuckled, "This is the work of a goldsmith from the Western Regions, who specializes in making work for the Western Regions royal court. Ordinary people can't hire him. Goldfish, goldfish, there will be surplus every year. It won't be outdated at all when given to daughters-in-law and sons-in-law in ten years."
Zhang Sanzhuang couldn't wait any longer and urged them.
When Tiedan's purse was snatched away by his mother, he immediately asked his grandmother to take it back. She watched it very closely and didn't let him see it at all.
Instead of saying so much, it would be better to just send it down so we can see it ourselves.
Miao Wan snorted, "Why, Third Brother, are you anxious to get another wife?"
"Hmm?" Sun raised her eyelids and glared at Zhang Sanzhuang with a half-smile.
Zhang Sanzhuang: “…”
He quickly raised his hand and said, "I have your third sister-in-law, that's enough for me. You can do whatever you want."
Miao Wan nodded, and with an idea in mind, she interjected, "Regardless of whether we are from the elders or the younger generations, there is one thing we do particularly well, and that is having only one daughter-in-law. It is said that a harmonious family is the root of all prosperity, but there are too many examples of families being disturbed by having too many daughters-in-law.
I just want to make good money, so don't blame me for preferring to be unjust. No matter how many shops I open or how much business I do in the future, I will only cooperate with people who have a wife. My father-in-law and mother-in-law both support me."
These words shocked everyone and they couldn't help but look at Qiao Ruichen. Miao Wan's words were a bit shocking in today's era.
To put it in a more serious way, this is extremely jealous, even meddling in other people's families.
Even if the elders support it, the husband can still divorce.
That's right. Everyone looked at Qiao Ruichen, who was holding Taotao and staring at his wife, especially the women. Even though their husbands didn't have concubines, they all felt they had lost.
Qiao Ruichen felt everyone's gaze and immediately added calmly, "I also support my wife's decision... the most."
Although in his wife's heart, the most supportive one is definitely ranked last, he still has to emphasize it to avoid being ranked behind the duck tongue.
Everyone: “…”
The men all felt an inexplicable chill on the back of their necks. Qiao Ruichen's words made them feel less hungry, but they also had an inexplicable foreboding feeling. Why was that?
Some people were dissatisfied, "What if the wife is unfaithful and has an affair with someone else?"
The person who was speaking was Ruan Jialin's younger brother Ruan Jiayue. Although he also only married a legal wife, that was because his wife's family was powerful in the past, not because he didn't have any extramarital affairs.
Now that he has finally left Jiangnan, his wife's family is too far away to reach him, and he is much more submissive than before. He is thinking of taking a concubine when he makes some money.
Isn’t it too cruel that his cousin directly deprived him of the opportunity to be with his wife?
Seeing his wife's face turn pale instantly, Ruan Jiayue, who had been timid for a long time, subconsciously explained, "I'm not talking about my wife, I'm talking about the future partners of my cousin Awan. Since it's a rule, we have to make it clear. We can't just let the officials set fires and not let the people light lamps."
Miao Wan looked at her third cousin's wife, whose expression was not particularly good, and her third cousin, whose eyes were rolling around, and snorted in her heart.
The smile remained unchanged on his face. "Third cousin, you're right, but I'm the type who only allows officials to set fires but not allow ordinary people to light lamps. Life is already difficult for women in this world. If I can force my wife to cheat, it must be that my husband has done something wrong. What do you think, third cousin?"
Ruan Jiayue was stunned: "..."
The men who saw many female soldiers nodding subconsciously said: "..."
This year, married men always feel a little lonely, while those who are not married and are almost of the same age feel... suddenly not so anxious to get married.
Miao Wan also knew that her words were biased, but she had to show her attitude, and she would have to wait and see what the specific situation was in the future.
If you keep chatting for too long, the roast duck will be cooked.
She said nothing more, "Let's start with the elders first. Not counting the bonus, this is the filial piety of all of us younger generations, Dad, Mom, Amanda, and uncles and aunts. This is the filial piety of the younger generations to you."
Mrs. Zhang took the heavy purse and opened it. Wow, the goldfish were several times bigger than the children. She smiled so hard that her face was full of smiles. She felt that the word "filial piety" seemed to be worthy of her attention again.
Children were given six goldfish weighing one ounce each, and elders were given six goldfish weighing one jin each. After the elders and children had been given the fish, it was the turn of others.
First, the owners of the two shops, Ruan Jialin and Zhang Sanzhuang, both received considerable bonuses this year, with six goldfish weighing five taels each.
The female soldiers and workers in Qianjinlou received a higher bonus, six goldfish weighing two taels each.
As for the servants working in the fields and the guys at the Ju Fu Restaurant, they all got the same amount, a little more than the children, six goldfish weighing 150 grams each.
Sun Yaozu's bonus is the same as last year. Because Sun Laohuo refused to take the bonus, his bonus is the same as the shopkeeper's.
The bonuses for the Lin, Yu, and Yang families were all given to these three families in advance. Since they have many people in their families, they all spent the New Year at home.
As for the share of the profits, as more and more shops were opened and the family members became more diverse, Miao Wan did not mention it in front of everyone. She would discuss the share for the second aunt-in-law after the New Year when everyone sat down and discussed it slowly.
At this time, Sun Laohuo's apprentice shouted, "The roast duck and bread are ready, get ready to light the kiln!"
Miao Wan immediately packed up the account books and boxes and hurriedly stood up, "Hurry up, prepare the New Year's Eve dinner!"
As soon as she finished speaking, everyone got busy. It had been dark for a while, and the newly bought liquor had been put on the table, ready to be drunk with the New Year's Eve dinner.
After being praised countless times, the children began to laugh and beg to climb onto the adults.
Miao Wan went to talk to her uncle and her grandson Ada about how to make the hamburger, and Qiao Ruichen and his father followed her.
Zhang Sanzhuang, along with a few of his friends and brothers, started to prepare the spicy skewers stall cart and light the fire, in order to prepare the three kinds of soup ingredients for Bo Xia Gong.
The other guys also followed Ruan Jialin's instructions and moved the armchairs for the elders and the stools for others.
The entire tent was bustling with activity, accompanied by laughter and noise, creating a New Year's scene that was a hundred times more lively than that in other people's homes.
But not everyone is happy.
Although the women of the Nguyen family and Nguyen Qi's sons did not receive any wages or bonuses, they had many children, so the money they received was not small.
All the servants bought by the Qiao family were not used as slaves. Qiao Shengwen and his wife did not care about them, and Qiao Ruichen was even more so. He could only obey.
Qiao Shengwen and his son have the final say on major family matters, while Miao Wan has the final say on minor matters. However, as long as you enter the Qiao family mansion, Miao Wan is the decision maker unless it is a major matter.
She has no class concepts at all. She treats people as employees and considers every aspect of their lives very carefully.
But the Ruan family is different.
Even though the Ruan family did not treat their servants harshly, they were used to treating them differently from the servants who served them.
Before the Chinese New Year, Ruan Qi made the final decision to give the servants in the house two months' extra wages, and the masters had no other ideas.
If it were under normal circumstances, these servants and maids would definitely not think too much about it. Every family is like this. At most, it would be a matter of giving them more or less reward money.
But Miao Wan gave gold to everyone. Seeing the servants around them who were also in death contracts like them smiling as brightly as flowers, the servants of the Ruan family felt very uncomfortable.
While they were still happy about having an extra few strings of coins, the servants of the Qiao family were already counting their gold for the New Year and could redeem their bonds at any time. How could they not feel disappointed?
The Ruan family brought seven people to the northwest, which was still less than the number of the master.
Most of them had served in the Ruan family for a long time. Although they felt a little sad, the increasingly strong aroma and the rumbling of their stomachs all dispelled the sour feeling.
There was only a coachman and his wife who was responsible for taking care of Ruan Jiasheng's children. Both of them looked very unhappy, and the sourness and dissatisfaction in their eyes could be seen by anyone if they hadn't lowered their heads.
The couple looked at each other, made up their minds, and sneaked out of the tent.
Because A Dun was afraid of scaring people, he kept hiding in the corner of the tent. Miao Wan asked him to pour wine into the bowl.
He felt a little strange when he saw that the two men did not go to the kitchen like the others, nor did they move things, but walked around the tent and headed towards the east row of houses.
The kitchen is on the west side of the house, and all the moving and lifting work is done in the main hall and Zhang's house, so they all go to the west. Why are they going to the east?
Adun thought about it, hesitated, put down the jar of wine, and followed him out secretly.
As soon as the roast duck came out of the oven, it was quickly sent into the tent, but the remaining bread was not rushed. It was left outside for a while and was brought into the tent only when it felt less hot.
The middle of the tent was already empty, with Boxia's stall for soups and dishes at the innermost part, and long tables on both sides filled with various ingredients, wine and meat.
There were only a circle of chairs and small stools of different heights in the middle, and it seemed like they were really preparing for a buffet.
Miao Wan made such arrangements, also considering the convenience of making noise, allowing everyone to perform some talent shows from time to time, which would be so lively.
We are not afraid even if no one starts it. The children have not forgotten their passion and can start a fire at any time. As long as they put some rouge on their eyebrows and have a cup of Coke, they will be happy.
Just as Ruan Qi and Sun Lao were slicing duck, and several of his apprentices were preparing side dishes and cutting bread for hamburgers, a sharp scream suddenly came from outside, and stopped abruptly halfway through.
Sun Laohuo and the others were so scared that they almost cut their hands, and a few timid children burst into tears.
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