While the woman was cleaning up, Chunxiao got together with the craftsman and Twenty-three.
"Masters, this place is for you to stay. Everyone has brought their quilts. I will go to the village to ask about the oxcarts. If there are not enough, remember to rent one in town on the 23rd. Construction will officially begin tomorrow. The locations of the blueprints have been informed to the masters. If you have any questions, please let us know."
"Don't worry, boss. We'll go get the materials tomorrow and start work right away."
Chunxiao pulled Ersan aside and said, "I'll leave this to you." She slipped him a 100-liang silver note and said, "Go ahead and buy whatever you want. Just keep track of the accounts. I'll explain to the head of the village about hiring someone to settle the bill when I leave this afternoon. Bring the right people with you and make sure everyone is safe. Don't let anything go wrong. I'll come check on you in a few days."
Ersan was also a little nervous. After all, it was the first time for him to take charge of such a task alone. Fortunately, he had gotten to know the craftsmen well from the previous renovation and was familiar with the general process. Moreover, the materials were provided to the masonry team, so he only had to purchase some miscellaneous items and watch them work. "Don't worry, boss. I will keep a close eye on it."
As soon as the things at home were cleared out, the village head came again, "Miss, I forgot to ask, is there an age limit for you? As long as you can do the work well, it doesn't matter if you are older or younger."
"Yes, it's okay, Lizheng. You're here just in time. I'll leave the things here to him." She called Ersan over. "His name is Chun Ersan. If you have any questions, just go to him directly. By the way, our money is settled together after the work is completed. You have to keep track of the number of people on your side. We can't recognize anyone, we just count the number of people."
"That's fine." The village head smiled. "You have so much land here, I'm not afraid you'll run away." He looked at Chunxiao and said, "Well, young lady, you should tell me the details about the farmhand in advance, otherwise I'll be thinking about it all the time."
Chunxiao originally wanted to wait for people from the village to arrive before handling this matter, but since it was mentioned today and the village head couldn't let it go, he simply asked them to prepare in advance. "Since the village head can't let it go, then I will give you a general idea today. You can help me choose the people first, and we can find a place to talk."
"Okay, okay. How about you come sit in my yard? If you're not comfortable here, I have two daughters-in-law at home. Let them sit with you."
"Okay, then let's go." Chunxiao said a few words to Ersan before leaving, telling him to go back and report if anything happened. After she finished talking today, she left.
Chunxiao led the carriage and followed the village head home. Everywhere she passed, people looked at her, whispered to each other, and some smiled at her when they saw her looking at them. Most of these people were thinly dressed and had frostbitten faces.
"Village head, does anyone here grow cotton?"
"We don't have any around here, but there should be elsewhere. I know the price of cotton has been good these past two years, but everyone's hungry. There's only so much land and people, and the land we have is used to grow food. We don't have the extra experience to grow cotton, and cotton is really hard to grow. I heard the girl just say that this land is going to be used to grow cotton, right? It would be better to plant more. Cotton will be less expensive if there is more, and we can buy a few pounds to make jackets."
The two walked to a house. "This is my home, Qingya," he called out to the yard, "There are guests at home."
Chunxiao tied the carriage to a tree trunk outside the yard and followed him into the yard.
"Go get a bowl of hot water to help this girl get rid of the cold."
"You're welcome, Village Chief. Let's talk for a minute before I go back. I have another farm somewhere else, and there's no one at home."
"Then I won't waste your time, young lady."
"My last name is Yan Chunxiao. Everyone calls me Master Yan." Chunxiao smiled. "Or you can just call me Chunxiao."
"Then I won't be polite with you, Chunxiao. Tell me, what exactly do you want from this farmhand?"
"Head of the village, let's temporarily recruit 80 people for the village. Each person will receive a monthly salary of 500 wen. As long as they can do manual labor, both men and women are welcome. Children who are too young are fine. I saw someone with a disabled leg in our village today. As long as they can walk, that's fine too."
"Really?" The village head became more and more excited as he listened. This was a very low request. "Women, even those with disabilities are allowed?"
"As long as we can hoe the land, it's fine. At most, it will be a little slower, but I have more people, so it doesn't matter."
"Chunxiao, you are a good person."
Chun Xiao hadn't expected to receive such praise out of the blue. She smiled knowingly and said, "Village Head, I know it's not easy for everyone. We're helping each other. When the time comes, I'll need your help in getting me employment documents from the township government."
"Employment documents?"
"Yes, you'll know if you go to the township government and ask. I'm hiring villagers to work, and it's also beneficial for me. That's what I'm looking for in a job. Village head, do you have any other questions?"
"Do the workers have to provide their own tools?"
"I'm afraid it will be necessary in the early stages. I will arrange to get them everywhere, but they won't be necessary once everything is in place later." Farmers actually care a lot about tool wear and tear. After all, tools are valuable items for farmers.
The village head was completely relieved when he heard this. "I understand everything. I'll help you choose the people first. I'll give you the list at the end of the year. Remember to come."
"Thank you, Li Zheng. I'll go back first."
Knowing that she was in a hurry to go back, the headman did not keep her for long. Chunxiao got on the carriage, took out her hat from the carriage and put it on, then drove out of the village. Along the way, people still pointed and talked, and she didn't know if they were pointing at her or her carriage.
After driving all the way back to the village, her hands were a little stiff, so Xiaohua quickly brought her a hand warmer.
Chunxiao was a little surprised, "Where did it come from?" She held the hand warmer and her hands were warm in a short while.
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