The village chief waved his hand, "I already spoke with Young Master Ye before. He said he's not often home, and it's all the villagers who take care of things inside and outside the village. So, he'll be happy if everyone contributes more."
The villagers responded one after another, "Young Master Ye is truly a good person."
"Young Master Ye only got involved because we had no money and wanted to protect our valley from being robbed."
"Let's not forget Young Master Ye's kindness in the future; he truly doesn't ask for anything in return."
"Alright," the village chief interrupted, "we'll remember this kindness over time, and there will always be a time when we can help Young Master Ye. Now that we've settled down, we won't be eating together anymore."
"Distribute the village's grain quickly, so everyone can take care of their own needs. If you want to eat better, work harder and earn more work points, and life will naturally get better. Anyone who is lazy, doesn't work, and only relies on dividends will starve, and no one will pity them!"
Everyone laughed. "Uncle, you're wrong. If you work, you get paid. Who wouldn't work like crazy? How could anyone slack off?"
Jiayin sat in Grandma Li's lap, munching on snacks, her little feet kicking happily.
The more you work, the more you earn; if you don't work, you don't earn. This is truly a good way to unite the whole village and put all their efforts in one direction.
People in this era are not as individualistic as they were in their previous lives; their sense of collectivism is still very strong. Everyone works diligently, and anyone who slacks off will be drowned in criticism.
Therefore, there's no fear of anyone taking advantage of the situation.
Most importantly, everyone in the village, young and old, has risked their lives together, so their character is guaranteed!
Everyone was happy and talked for a while longer, not dispersing until the second watch of the night.
The next day, amidst his busy schedule, Li Lao Er calculated the village's stored grain, along with the 300 jin harvested the previous day.
The village chief distributed the grains little by little according to the number of people in the village. Families with more able-bodied men received more coarse grains, while families with more elderly people and children received more refined grains.
In short, no one held it against them; everyone was very considerate and the atmosphere was harmonious.
Once the grain was carried home and smoke was billowing from the chimney, the cooking pot was finally separated from the rice cooker.
Li Laosi carried all the grain belonging to Uncle Zhao and the other six old men, as well as Doctor Zhang, back to his own home.
Uncle Zhao and the others then chased after them, refusing to eat with the Li family anymore.
Originally in Qingshui Village, their fields were cultivated by the Li family, so they relied on the Li family for food and labor, but the Li family also received a reward in the autumn.
Nowadays, the village pays wages according to work points. These six old men are disabled, so they definitely do the lightest work and get the fewest work points.
And the silver invested in the valley, together they only bought one share, so they probably won't have much silver left by the New Year.
If we continue to rely on the Li family for food and clothing, then we'll be taking advantage of them.
But Old Lady Li asked them to sit down and explained things clearly.
"My old brothers, this matter was decided by our children last night. Although we have different surnames, you helped us a lot when we settled in Qingshui Village. Even when we were fleeing famine all the way here, you did your best to protect our family."
"You can't just rush in when there's something to gain, and then leave you to struggle for a living with your broken arms and legs when there's no benefit. How can anyone be so heartless!"
“Yes, Uncle Zhao, the situation on the road was unusual. We ate in whichever cave we stayed in, sharing meals for several months. Now that things are stable, you should come back as soon as possible,” Li Laosan also advised.
Li Laosi also said, "The village chief's wife is not in good health, and the Liu family's wife next door is working in the valley, so she probably can't take care of you either. And you don't know how to cook either."
Even Jiaxi and Jia'an were complaining, "Grandpa Zhao, the rice is burnt and doesn't taste good!"
Everyone couldn't help but laugh, while Old Zhao rubbed his hands together, looking somewhat hesitant.
But Doctor Zhang patted him on the shoulder and exclaimed, “Stop being so dramatic! The Li family is kind and righteous. You’re lucky to have met them. Just accept it. This is the Li family doing good deeds and accumulating merit. They will surely be rewarded in the future.”
These words really touched Grandma Li's heart, and she hugged her little granddaughter, beaming with joy.
“Filial piety is a great virtue. Let the children of you brothers accumulate more good karma.”
Old Zhao and the others exchanged glances and stopped refusing. But they still said, "From now on, whenever the village distributes silver or grain, our wages and year-end bonuses will all go to your family. You can't refuse them. If you don't, we'll have no face to stay here."
“Okay, it’s settled then.” Old Mrs. Li clapped her hands happily. “We’ll have a family reunion dinner tonight, and then let the children go and see your yard. If you need anything, we’ll add it. We’re getting old, and we don’t know how many more years we have left. As long as we’re alive, we should live comfortably.”
With that, the matter was settled.
Uncle Zhao and the others felt they had wronged the Li family, so they went to the village chief for advice, and the village chief reassured them.
“I’ve secretly calculated that your wages this year will definitely be enough to live on, and the Li family won’t suffer any losses. Maybe in a couple of years, when the fruit from the mountain can be sold and the income from the hot springs becomes stable, we can earn even more each year.”
"That's good, that's good!" Uncle Zhao and the others were finally relieved. That evening, they had dinner with the Li family. Not only did they eat their fill, but they also drank a bowl of wine. Their faces were flushed as they went back to sleep.
The fruit trees on the mountain and the riverbank don't require much attention; you just need to be willing to work hard to take care of them.
The village's current top priority is still the hot spring valley.
As its reputation spread, more and more customers came to visit.
But Li Lao Er withstood the pressure and continued to only allow thirty or forty casual guests to enter each day, in addition to those who had booked the wooden houses and courtyards, in order to avoid chaos caused by too many people.
Guests arrive in high spirits, only to be blocked at the door; naturally, they are unhappy.
He would leave the reserved wooden skewers for the guests, register them, and try his best to ensure that the guests would come again next time and enter smoothly.
After a few days, this rule was established, and gradually individual customers started coming over to get their tickets.
Each guest entering the gate is given one of three types of wooden plaques, depending on whether they are staying in a courtyard, a wooden house, or traveling alone. The plaques are carved with different patterns and serial numbers.
Whether it's ordering food or tea, whenever there's an extra charge, the waiters will take out their little notebooks and record it with eyebrow stones.
When settling the bill, the accounts were clear and the settlement was quick.
Tao Hongying became the head chef of the valley's logistics department. Three simple thatched huts were built at the entrance of the valley, next to the small wooden house at the entrance, which were quite tidy.
The daily menu has added many new dishes, and now even accepts banquets and individual orders.
Behind the thatched shed, there were cages for raising chickens and earthenware jars for raising fish. Every morning, we would go to Xiaowangzhuang to buy pork belly, pork bones, tofu, and the like.
The village elders and women would also bring fresh wild vegetables they had dug up from the mountains for the guests to enjoy.
Tao Hongying's cooking skills are already excellent, and the guests enjoy their meals surrounded by mountain flowers and hot springs, making the food even more delicious.
So, half a month later, the Suijintan Hot Spring Valley became famous not only for its hot springs and beautiful scenery, but also for its food, which surprised everyone.
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