Chapter 513 Recruiting Lotus Root Diggers
The north wind howls.
The people who came to Dahe Village all hunched their shoulders, their clothes clinging to their bodies, offering no protection against the biting cold wind.
Cheng Wanwan walked over wrapped in a cloak. Before she could speak, someone took the lead and the group of people suddenly knelt down to pay their respects.
Greetings to the people of Sui'an!
Cheng Wanwan was immediately embarrassed and said repeatedly, "Get up quickly, it's cold. Let's get straight to the point and not waste time."
Everyone then got up from the ground. Because there were so many people and nowhere to sit, they just stood there talking.
She took a breath and said loudly, "See the dried-up pond in front of us? I called everyone here so that you could go down into the pond and dig for lotus roots. You won't understand if I just talk about it. Dashan, go down and demonstrate."
Zhao Dashan immediately took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his trouser legs, and waded barefoot into the water.
That's how it is these days. Doing this kind of work in winter means going barefoot into the freezing water. There's no other way. Otherwise, lotus root starch wouldn't have become a precious item that only the empresses in the palace could use.
He waded through the mud to pinpoint the approximate location of the lotus root, then began digging a hole with a shovel. He scooped water into the muddy pit before digging for the lotus root. Usually, he had to dig to a depth of half a meter to a meter before he could see the lotus root. Once he found it, he couldn't use a shovel anymore; he had to use his hands to carefully dig it out bit by bit. Skilled people could dig out a whole lotus root, but for beginners, just being able to dig one out was already a good achievement; one couldn't expect too much.
Zhao Dashan dug out a whole lotus root, washed it with water, held it up, and looked at everyone, saying, "This is the main root, and the ones next to it are the secondary roots. If you come across any, just dig out the main root; keep the secondary roots for planting..."
He explained it in detail, and everyone nodded as if they understood but not quite.
Cheng Wanwan said, "This job is roughly like this. If you think you can do it, stay. If you think it's too tiring, you can leave now. But if you change your mind in the future, you can come back. Dahe Village welcomes everyone anytime."
She gave the choice to everyone.
Those present were unsure what to do, mainly because walking barefoot in the water would be very cold, and getting frostbite would be a greater loss.
At this moment, Zhao Dashan climbed out of the water and said, "It was indeed very cold when I first went into the water, but after my feet stepped into the mud, I didn't feel cold anymore, and it even felt a little warm. The main thing is to wear warm clothes on your upper body, otherwise you will easily catch a cold."
Someone tried it out on the spot, and it's true, once you step into them, they're warmer than wearing shoes, making your upper body feel even colder.
“Those who are willing to stay and work can come over and register.” Cheng Wanwan looked at everyone. “Those who sign up to work for ten days can receive a set of winter clothes now. Those who sign up to work for twenty days can receive a six-pound winter quilt now. However, if you sign up but do not complete the work, you will not only have to return the winter clothes and quilt, but your wages may also be deducted. Of course, special circumstances will be excluded.”
Upon hearing this, some homeless people immediately rushed forward to sign. They lived under the open sky and on the ground. If they were lucky, they could find shelter in a dilapidated temple. If they were unlucky, they would find a sheltered alley and then find dry grass and burlap sacks to put on the ground for the night. They would shiver from the cold all night. If they had a quilt, they wouldn't have to be afraid of the cold no matter where they slept at night.
A large group of homeless people eagerly signed the papers, and then were led by Manager Yan to the warehouse to collect their winter clothes and blankets.
The winter clothes were a complete set: a short-sleeved cotton-padded jacket and a pair of thick cotton-padded trousers. They felt very warm to the touch, and the homeless people put them on immediately, instantly feeling warm. Each person also received a thick quilt, about 1.2 meters wide, or they could pay to exchange it for a wider and thicker quilt, with the money deducted from their wages.
Seeing the ragged homeless people sign their names and get new clothes, everyone present immediately signed without hesitation, at least for ten days, meaning that everyone present got a winter coat.
At this time, many people came to Dahe Village to inquire about the news. Seeing this scene, what else was there to consider? They signed and sealed the document directly.
Cheng Wanwan laughed. Nearly two hundred people had arrived, and judging by the numbers, more and more would be coming. They had solved two major problems for her all at once.
She clapped her hands to quiet everyone down: "The village market has just been built and hasn't been rented out yet. People without a place to stay can temporarily make do in the houses in the market. If you don't want to make do, you can go to the Dahe Inn in the village to sleep in a dormitory-style room, with men and women separated. I've already made arrangements there. As long as you're a worker digging lotus roots, it'll be two coins a night."
Upon hearing this, the homeless man cheered.
They had a hard time finding dilapidated temples in the city and often had to sleep on the streets. But when they came to Dahe Village, they were able to sleep in proper houses. The people of Sui'an are truly the Guanyin Bodhisattva sent down by heaven to save them.
The storyteller also said that the people of Sui'an are fierce. How are they fierce?
Those with families in the city naturally didn't want to spend the night crammed together with the homeless. Sleeping in a dormitory in an inn was the best option, costing two coins a night, which was barely acceptable.
"We'll officially start work tomorrow, everyone go back and rest first."
Cheng Wanwan asked Manager Yan to lead everyone to the market.
By the time the market was expanded, it was already winter. There hadn't been enough time to attract businesses, so only a few shops were rented out. Most of the shops were empty, filled with dry straw. The homeless could just find an empty room to stay in, but they weren't allowed to fight over territory, or they would be kicked out.
These shops were not given to Cheng Wanwan for free. She paid rent and rented them for a month. Since they were empty anyway, the village head was happy to see it happen.
The next morning, another large group of people came to Dahe Village, mostly from Hekou County and Fenghuang County. After registering, they were taken directly to the lotus pond to work. The strong men were responsible for digging lotus roots, some women were responsible for washing the lotus roots, and some poor children were responsible for transporting the lotus roots to the designated warehouse for storage.
The people in Cheng Wanwan's yard were also busy. Although lotus roots can be stored for a long time in winter, there were just too many of them. If they weren't dealt with soon, they would easily spoil.
In December, Dahe Banquet launched a new dish: stewed pork ribs with bamboo shoots. Some of the lotus root was kept for Dahe Banquet, and some was given to Lao Zhao's canteen. Cheng Wanwan planned to make lotus root powder from the remaining lotus root. Firstly, lotus root powder has high nutritional value and a high market price, and secondly, only by making it into lotus root powder can it be preserved for a long time.
Granny Ma knew how to make lotus root starch and directed everyone in the courtyard to work on it.
First, peel the lotus root and cut it along the holes. Because the workers digging the lotus roots are not skilled, there are many broken lotus roots and the holes are full of mud. After cutting them open, wash them carefully and then soak them in clean water for about half an hour.
Next comes grinding the lotus root into a paste. The diced lotus root is placed in a stone mill, water is added, and it is ground into small pieces, slowly becoming lotus root paste...
Just as everyone was busy in the courtyard, Granny Qi led Zhao Shagen in: "This young man said he has something very important to hand over to Anren personally."
As soon as Zhao Shagen entered, he bowed and handed over a money bag.
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