Chapter 79 Competition Selection
The tea plantation contract, heavy with the smell of ink, had not even warmed up in Shen Lingning's kang cabinet when the wind blew across the entire compound as if it had legs.
"Have you heard? The Zhou family's daughter-in-law is really going to recruit people to work in the mountains!"
"Can I be selected? Will I really get paid in cash every day?"
"Tsk, who knows? The spot must be very valuable..."
After dinner, the aroma of burnt corn paste still lingered on the stoves of every household, but many people could no longer sit still and involuntarily moved towards the Zhou family's courtyard.
Shen Lingning was writing a recruitment plan on an old notebook under the dim light of a kerosene lamp.
Zhou Weiguo held Fubao in his arms and pointed at the picture book with his rough fingers. His low voice mixed with the chirping of insects on a summer night made the courtyard seem particularly quiet.
But this tranquility was soon broken.
"Sister Lingning, are you busy?"
Aunt Sun was the first to step in, with a smile on her face, but her hands were busy, carrying a few freshly picked rapeseeds, "I grow these at home, and I'll give Fubao some vegetables."
Shen Lingning hurriedly stood up and took it: "Auntie, you are too polite, please sit down."
She knew clearly that Aunt Sun came to express her support and also to get first-hand information.
Aunt Sun smoothed her hair and placed the basket on the table in Shen Lingning's house. She said sheepishly, "Lingning, did I hear that you really bought the mountain?"
Shen Lingning smiled and nodded: "Yes, aunt, it hasn't been officially announced yet, so I didn't dare to make it public."
Aunt Sun sat down on the chair and looked into the room: "Is Fubao asleep?"
Shen Lingning nodded, with gratitude in his words: "Sleep, I've troubled you and Tiedan to take care of this little guy for me these two days."
Aunt Sun waved her hand and whispered, "It's nothing, just a matter of helping each other. I came here just to ask, now that the tea plantation has been leased, are you going to start hiring workers?"
Shen Lingning was not surprised to hear Aunt Sun's question, as she had never intended to keep the news secret.
He directly shook Aunt Sun's hand and said, "Don't worry, your Qiuxia will definitely be recruited."
As they were talking, Liu Jinfeng arrived, followed by two unfamiliar wives, their eyes filled with anxiety and longing. Soon, four or five people were standing in the yard, all talking at once, their topics revolving around the word "job recruitment."
Shen Lingning knew he couldn't dodge it, so he simply put down his pen. His voice was clear but not loud.
Making sure everyone could hear clearly, he said, "Dear sisters-in-law and aunts, we have booked the tea plantation, but we don't need too many people at the beginning. We are initially planning to hire ten people."
"Ten people?"
There was a sudden murmur in the courtyard, which was obviously less than everyone expected.
"Sister Lingning..."
A tall and thin wife squeezed forward and said, "Look, my wife is not in good health, and the two kids are waiting to eat with their mouths open... Can I..." As she spoke, she wanted to stuff two eggs into Shen Lingning's hands.
Shen Lingning's hand retracted, and the egg fell to the ground without being caught, with the egg white and yolk all over the floor.
The yard suddenly became quiet.
Fubao sat in the cart, let go of the tin frog in his hand, turned his head, and looked at it with his big eyes blinking.
Shen Lingning's face was calm. He bent down and wiped the dirt carefully with waste paper before speaking: "Sister-in-law, I know your difficulties. But the work of the tea mountain is a collective work, not just for me, Shen Lingning.
We need to establish fair and just rules for who to hire and who not to hire. Otherwise, I'd be letting down my leaders who trust me, and I'd be letting down all the sisters who are looking forward to this little bit of income."
The tall and thin wife's face changed when the egg fell to the ground and she was about to speak, but the young wife next to her grabbed her and shook her head at her.
Shen Lingning glanced at the crowd and said, "Tomorrow, I will post a recruitment notice at the door of the Family Committee, stating the conditions and assessment methods. Anyone who wants to come is welcome to sign up. We will have an open selection."
"Assessment? Farming requires assessment?"
Someone murmured: "It's just weeding and digging the ground, who can't do it..."
Shen Lingning remained unmoved: "Tea farm work is meticulous, requiring steady hands, careful attention, and a willingness to work hard. Setting the rules upfront is good for everyone."
Aunt Sun immediately chimed in: "Lingning is right! Without rules, there's no order! I'll be the first to sign up!"
Liu Jinfeng followed suit: "I'm signing up too! I earn my living by my own strength, so I'm not afraid of the test!"
But more people were worried, especially those like Wang Shufen who were usually lazy and trying to find connections.
Wang Shufen herself did not come, but sent someone she knew to come and inquire. Upon hearing this, the daughter-in-law curled her lips and turned away.
The next morning, a recruitment notice with the red stamp of the Family Affairs Committee was posted.
It is clearly written in black and white:
1. Recruiting 10 workers, with priority given to families of military martyrs, those with particularly difficult families, and those who are hardworking and diligent;
2. Applicants must take a simple assessment, which involves clearing weeds from a designated plot and loosening the soil, with a time limit of half an hour.
3. Representatives of the Family Committee and the contractor shall jointly evaluate and select the best candidates;
4. Wages will be settled daily and calculated based on the amount of work completed.
There was a huge crowd in front of the notice, and those who could read read it to those who couldn't.
Some people are rubbing their hands in anticipation, some are sighing, and some are rolling their eyes and calculating in their minds.
Aunt Sun and Liu Jinfeng signed up without hesitation.
There are also several daughters-in-law whose families are really in financial difficulty and who are willing to work hard, who have signed up.
Only then did Li Hongmei twist her waist and come over to look at the notice.
He snorted, "Wow, you make it look real! It's just weeding, right? Who can't do that?"
Her voice was so shrill that everyone around could hear: "I think it's just a pretense. In the end, who will be used? It's still up to some people to decide!"
She glanced sideways at Shen Lingning who was arranging the assessment area.
Shen Lingning seemed not to hear. She was directing two soldiers who came to help to use lime powder to mark out ten squares of equal size. The weeds inside were of the same height. This was the "examination room" she had specially reserved.
"Weiguo, please help me with the timing later."
Shen Lingning said to Zhou Weiguo next to him.
Zhou Weiguo nodded, took out a military stopwatch, and walked towards that station with an expressionless face. He exuded an air of majesty, which made those who wanted to get close to him and make friends with him retreat.
The assessment is scheduled for three o'clock in the afternoon, when the sun is at its hottest.
This is also what Shen Lingning meant: "Working in the tea mountains is not easy. If you can't endure the hardship, don't come here sooner."
Before three o'clock, the examination room was already full of people.
There were people signing up, watching the fun, and making their own plans. The air was filled with the smell of scorched earth and the sweat of the crowd.
The chirping of cicadas makes people restless and irritable.
Ten old hoes were neatly placed against the wall.
Shen Lingning announced the rules: "Within half an hour, clear the weeds on your plot and loosen the soil. Speed and quality will be considered. Now draw lots to determine the plot."
The lottery tube was made by Damao and Tiedan using old newspapers. The two little guys held a bamboo basket and let everyone taking the test draw a paper ball, which seemed particularly fair.
"start!"
Zhou Weiguo took out the stopwatch and shouted in a low voice.
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