After Ye Hongyun returned, she had someone send some frostbite ointment. Zhang Hulan asked Luo Changqi to distribute it to the children and told them that it was sent by the county magistrate's wife.
In the afternoon, Yuan Gang came back from outside. He went back to the village to inquire about the news. There was also a rumor in their village that Zhang Hulan didn't want them to work anymore, so she found a lot of beggars to come back. There was one village that didn't have such a rumor.
Zhang Hulan decided to satisfy those people. Since they all said that she didn't want them to work anymore, then forget it.
Zhang Hulan said to Yuan Gang, "Uncle Yuan, please tell Uncle Luo to give me the account book, and then tell the people not to leave in a hurry after work."
Yuan Gang sighed inwardly, feeling both sympathy for his fellow villagers and anger at them. Why were they spreading such nonsense?
Yuan Gang did not plead for mercy. He nodded and went to find Luo Changqi.
Luo Changqi quickly brought the account book to Zhang Hulan, and Zhang Hulan immediately asked Nanny Tao and Chuntao Zhuer to help calculate the wages of those people and count out the copper coins.
Now that we have three more people who can read and do math, things are a little easier.
When work was over in the afternoon, Zhang Hulan asked Zhang Hujun and Zhang Hubing to carry a basket of copper coins to the farm and wait there.
Everyone was a little curious about what they were going to do today.
Luo Changqi asked the people from Daliang Village and Yuan Gang's village to stand aside. Zhang Hulan did not say anything to them. She just called out their names and started paying their wages.
The people in the two villages were even more confused. They had only worked thirteen days this month, so why would they give up their wages now? Some people had a bad feeling in their hearts.
Some villagers who were receiving wages asked, "Mrs. Zhang, why are you paying us now?"
Zhang Hulan said, "Those who have received their wages, please stand aside. I will talk to you after you have received your wages."
After the villagers from the two villages received their wages, Zhang Hulan stopped calling out their names.
At this time, Zhang Hulan spoke up: "Yesterday, the county magistrate called me to the county government office for questioning. He said that I didn't want to spend money to hire people to work for me, so I found some beggars to work for me for free. He also said that I abused children and even found children of four or five years old to work for me."
As soon as Zhang Hulan said this, some people in the crowd lowered their heads.
Zhang Hulan continued, "As for me, I think I have done the right thing for all of you.
You should also check your conscience and ask yourself, have I done my best for you?
But what did I get in return?
I can't afford to hire people from your two villages, so you don't have to come tomorrow."
The people from the two villages immediately became anxious, "Mrs. Zhang, I didn't spread bad things about you, it's none of my business..."
"Yes, they were the ones who spread it, we didn't. Please don't implicate us..."
Many villagers are crying out for injustice, saying it is none of their business.
Zhang Hulan said, "I know that not everyone in your two villages is spreading this rumor, but I don't want to care who is spreading it. I don't have the time to do that."
Someone else said, "Mrs. Zhang, you are being unfair..."
Zhang Hulan said coldly, "Fair? I kindly let you work to earn money to support our family, but you say bad things about me and slander me behind my back. Is this fair? What do I want?"
Then someone else shouted, "Haven't you figured it out? She just doesn't want to use us anymore. She's taking this opportunity to fire us..."
Luo Changqi and Yuan Gang all looked at the person who spoke with unfriendly expressions.
Zhang Hulan was too lazy to argue with these people, and said, "Even if I don't want to use you, so what? It's my money, I can use whoever I want, and your opinion is useless."
Zhang Hulan's words left the man speechless. Zhang Hulan was right. She could use her money on whomever she wanted.
The man said to the others viciously, "Did you all hear that? The money is hers, she can use whoever she wants. Why did she use us? It's because the wages are cheap.
Now the laborers outside can earn thirty cents a day, but she only gives twenty. She is no different from those rich people, neither of them is a good person.
I think everyone should stop working for her and let her do it on her own. Let's find work somewhere else."
Luo Changqi was about to get angry, but Zhang Hulan smiled and shook her head at him.
Zhang Hulan looked at those people coldly, to see if anyone agreed with that person.
Some people who had heard the rumors knew that they could no longer make a living here, so they echoed: "That's right, let's not work for her anymore, let her do it herself..."
Not many people agreed, as most people still didn't want to lose their jobs.
They were all clear-headed, and most of them were ladies. Earning twenty cents a day was already a lot, and that included a meal.
Those who do the hard labor earn more, but can they do the work?
Zhang Hulan ignored the pleading looks. There were rumors in the village, and they must be aware of them, but none of them told her about the rumors.
If someone had come and talked to her about this, Zhang Hulan would at most fire the people who passed the message, and the rest could continue to work.
Zhang Hulan looked around at everyone and said, "For the rest of you, if anyone doesn't want to work, you can leave and I will pay you your wages immediately."
Is anyone leaving? Of course not, they are not stupid.
The villagers in the village where there was no rumor looked at each other and were glad that there was no rumor in their village, otherwise everyone would have no work to do.
Seeing that no one spoke, Zhang Hulan said, "Okay, let's all go."
Zhang Hulan took Zhang Xinyao and Zhang Xinyi away, and Nanny Tao and Chuntao Zhuer followed immediately.
Zhang Hulan also brought Zhang Xinyue and Zhang Xinyi. They must be given such opportunities to meet more often, so that they can understand the complexity of human hearts in the future.
The villagers from other villages all dispersed. In the past, people from several villages walked together. This time, the villagers from the village that could continue to work tomorrow deliberately walked faster and kept some distance from the people from the other two villages.
The villagers from the two villages behind were still arguing as they walked, blaming those people who spread the rumors.
After people from other villages left, the people in the village started to eat.
Liu Cong and his friends crowded together again, and the kid named Gouzi came up to Liu Cong and whispered, "Brother Cong, Madam Zhang is so scary when she gets angry."
Liu Cong said: "Good people are often bullied. Madam Zhang has to manage so many people. If she doesn't have a temper, how can she manage them?"
Mingying said, "Brother Cong, Madam Zhang is a very good person. Logically, Madam Zhang would not drive away the people from those two villages. Why did she drive away the people from those two villages?"
Liu Cong continued, "It's the same old saying. Good people are often bullied. Madam Zhang must be trying to establish her authority and is being unreasonable on purpose. There are so many people in the village. If she were to be reasonable with everyone, she probably wouldn't be able to do anything every day. And there's..."
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