When we arrived at Datian Village, a faint night had fallen. Smoke was rising from the chimneys of the houses where people were eating late, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere, with the occasional bark of a dog.
The great river flows quietly at the foot of the village, shrouded in a thin mist, like a veil that seems to appear and disappear.
The Qiao family assumed that the group would be spending the night in the county town, so they had already prepared dinner.
Upon seeing the group appear at the door, Madam Feng immediately became anxious: "Oh dear, I just finished dinner and didn't leave any for you. I'll go get some right away, but you'll have to wait a little longer."
He hurriedly went to the kitchen.
"Aunt, we've already eaten in town," Qiao Lian'er said. "We're still feeling full."
Looking around the yard and kitchen, they were all empty. It seemed their trip to the mountain today had yielded nothing.
"What kind of work did you find today?" Grandma Qiao asked.
Qiao Laosan stretched out his palm, and four taels of silver plus half a string of coins appeared in front of Qiao Laotai.
"So much money!" Mrs. Feng exclaimed. "Did we run into a boss who's really generous?"
The others were also surprised; how could one earn so much money doing hard labor all day?
"It was Sister Lian'er who came up with the idea, and it was also Sister Lian'er who made the water we drank effective."
Then, Qiao Dameng told everyone the whole story.
All eyes turned to Qiao Lian'er again. She lifted the millstone in front of everyone, showing off her strength and taking the initiative to seize the opportunity. Lian'er was too daring and bold.
In the past, when the Qiao family went to the county town to find short-term jobs, they would sit on the street waiting like other people. Sometimes they would not get a single job after a whole day and would end up spending their travel and accommodation expenses.
"Great! Let's go to the county town tomorrow too. If we add a few more people, we can earn more money." Da Yong suddenly became enthusiastic.
“Yes, after a month of this, plus the savings we already had, we should be able to build a big courtyard,” Dacheng said.
Grandma Qiao poured cold water on their hopes: "Don't think things will go so smoothly. Do you think good things happen every day? Even if our Qiao family members have a few more opportunities because they are stronger, we won't earn much more than others."
Old ginger is spicier; Old Mrs. Qiao revealed all of Qiao Lian'er's innermost thoughts.
“Mother, even so, we Qiao family members are all strong, so we should earn as much as we can. In the past, when we couldn’t get any work, I believe that in the future, employers will give priority to our family,” said Qiao Lao Er.
Grandma Qiao: "That's right. Let's send two more people tomorrow to build up the reputation of the Qiao family. Remember, don't take all the work. Leave some room for others. It's not easy for them to earn a living. Don't get into conflicts with others, or the other workers will ostracize us and we won't have a place to stay."
Everyone nodded in agreement. In a competitive environment, you must ensure that others have food to eat as well as you yourself; that's the way to survive.
Qiao Lian'er said, "I have a more lucrative way to make money. I can earn tens or even hundreds of taels of silver per trip."
Everyone was a little incredulous at their ears. Even when the mushrooms were growing at their peak, they had never earned more than a hundred taels of silver.
Old Man Qiao couldn't help but lower his voice: "Lian'er, what's the trick?"
Grandma Qiao quickly said, "Everyone, go inside and close the courtyard gate."
The whole family went into the main room, which was suddenly packed with people.
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