"It's in the workshop you helped build earlier. I need to build a few large stoves inside, and I'd like to ask for your help."
"No problem, we can spare a few people to help. I will definitely put your matter first."
"Thank you very much."
After arranging this matter, Shen Jia went to the blacksmith shop to pick up the large iron pots she had ordered before. Each iron pot had a diameter of one meter. She planned to build twenty symmetrical large stoves directly in the workshop, and leave space for the molds and the machines she had prepared in the rest of the room.
As soon as the apprentice in the blacksmith shop saw Shen Jia coming, he hurried to greet him, and at the same time reminded his master who was still busy that a guest had arrived.
"Boss Shen is here. Do you have any new needs? Or do you want to check on our progress? Don't worry, we are working hard to meet your requirements and will definitely not delay your work."
The blacksmith shop owner, stepping out of the door, listened to his apprentice's words, brushed off the iron filings, and asked, "Boss Shen, the iron wok you requested will be ready soon. There's only one left. Is there anything else you'd like to change?"
Shen Jia nodded and replied, "I just came to see how many we have made so far. When this last one is done, remember to come find me at Shen's Tofu Shop.
Also, I want you to print out what I've drawn on this drawing. Take a closer look and see how long it will take."
This is a device Shen Jia has devised over the past few days that can save energy and effort when pressing dried tofu. Considering that the production of dried tofu requires considerable pressure, if someone has to exert constant force, they won't be able to hold out for long.
Now she wants to make a suitable press and install it directly on the large machine she brought back. When the time comes, it will definitely be more effective.
Looking at the detailed drawings handed over by Shen Jia, even the knowledgeable old blacksmith was a little confused, but out of his sixth sense, he took the paper and looked at it carefully.
"No problem, but new things always take time. If there is no progress after ten days, I will ask my apprentice to return the blueprints to you."
After finishing the things she had done before the New Year, a day had passed. When she came to the shop, she saw that the tofu that she had prepared in excess yesterday had been sold out. It seemed that her guess was correct.
Fuqiu was still fiddling with the abacus in front of her. The crisp sound of the wooden beads colliding with each other was her favorite thing now. Seeing the young lady who was in charge of the plan come back, she quickly stopped what she was doing.
"Jia Niang, you're back! How's the workshop going?
I'm telling you, you're incredibly prescient. You didn't realize the owner of Huicuilou came to our door today, so anxious he said the tofu we prepared before the New Year was in short supply and was about to sell out.
Worried that our shop wouldn't make much at the start of the new year, he called people over to block our shop early in the morning and took away 200 kilograms at once. I was worried about him when I saw his attitude.
Li Qin and his friends also brought quite a bit, saying that during the New Year, many people would definitely be willing to spend some money to buy some delicious food.”
Before Shen Jia could ask any questions, Fuqiu spoke out everything in advance like pouring beans. After learning about this situation, Shen Jia felt that his workshop should not open too late.
So I told everyone what I had been busy with today, and everyone began to truly realize the large scale of the tofu workshop and the large number of items required.
The next day, Shen Jia did not go to check on the equipment he had ordered, but like everyone else, waited for the arrival of Li Qin and his group in the early morning when the sky was gloomy.
As soon as they saw Shen Jia, they began their familiar New Year greetings again. This happened several times before the noise in the yard finally stopped.
However, Shen Jia had something to tell them today. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm sure you've heard that I built a new large workshop a few hundred meters away from the shop.
Because the workshop is about to open, we need a lot of people, so we will officially recruit workers in ten days. However, we don't want everyone.
Because the workshop is built in the town, we cannot provide housing for the time being, so we only need people from the village who can be reached within an hour by mule cart.
If you live within this range, you can tell the villagers about this. I can lend you the mule that grinds soy milk in the workshop to escort the villagers back and forth every day. This time, I am recruiting workers of all ages, regardless of gender, between 15 and 40 years old.
Monthly wages vary depending on the work done, ranging from 400 to 500 wen, with lunch provided and daily round trips. Peddler traders like you can also come to me. I'm planning to have a presence in every village in the county.
That's about it. You can tell your family about this, and we'll also post a notice outside the shop. Whether you can get in depends entirely on your ability."
After finishing this long string of words, Shen Jia quickly gulped down a large cup of tea. After drinking it, she waited for a reply from the others, but they just stayed where they were, in silence for a long time.
It was the people standing at the back who reacted first and shouted, "Thank you, Boss Shen, thank you, thank you!"
Then came a series of thanks. No matter how Shen Jia tried to stop him, he couldn't stop them from bowing continuously. In fact, this news was also shocking to others.
Pick-up and drop-off, free meals, monthly salary, these words put together always make people feel unreal. Even the waiters at Huicuilou are a little tempted. Unfortunately, their restaurant has been developing well recently, and maybe they can also increase the monthly salary.
Because it was still early for recruiting, Li Qin and his group did not completely lose their minds because of the news. They took the goods first and sold them before going home.
When the family heard the news, they were even more excited than Li Qin, especially the three daughters-in-law. When they heard that they also had the opportunity to work, they could hardly contain their excitement.
"Really? They're hiring women too!"
"This Boss Shen is really unique. I've only heard of landlords hiring maids and kitchen girls. Now we can also go to the workshop to work."
"Four hundred coins a month, that's two taels of silver for five people a month. My goodness, I've never seen so much silver since I was a child."
Even Li Xianglan, who has always supported her husband in selling tofu, never thought that she would have the opportunity to work. Now it seems like a pie in the sky.
But all of this depends on the decision of Old Man Li. After all, his family still has fields in Lijia Village. If everyone goes to the town to work, what will happen to the fields at home?
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Old man Li casually knocked the pipe in his hand on the edge of the table, took a puff of smoke, looked at everyone's eyes looking at him, and sighed:
"Since Boss Shen is willing to give you a chance, then all of you young people should go and participate. Your mother and I will stay at home. Boss Shen seems to mean that you can go home every day, so it's not a big deal.
Besides, the children of the first and second wives need someone to look after them, so Da Wa, Er Wa, and Daya can also help with the chores. If they are not chosen, they will be responsible for the family farmland, and they will get a share of the money from selling the crops in the future."
Because before the family was divided, everyone had to hand over a portion of their earnings to their family. This was considered fair, as people could have food to eat when they got home after finishing their work.
After hearing this, they remembered that they might not be selected, and their excitement was immediately suppressed.
Then Old Man Li added, "Shuanzi, go and invite the village chief and clan leader. You must tell the villagers about this. We are all family, so it's best not to hear about this from other people."
Li's second sister-in-law immediately disagreed, "Dad, why are you so ungrateful? This matter should only be known to our family. If everyone in the village knows, how can we be selected?"
"No brains!"
Old man Li immediately yelled angrily. Looking at his unconvinced second daughter-in-law, he said reluctantly, "Didn't you hear what Shuanzi said just now? Boss Shen would hang the recruitment information directly on the door. Don't you think the villagers won't see it when they go to town?"
Our family has caused some gossip in the village because of the large amount of soybeans we bought, and Shuanzi's tofu sales are also well known. Aren't you afraid that our family will have no place to stand in the village in the future?"
Upon hearing this, the second daughter-in-law of the Li family quickly shrank her body. What her father-in-law said made sense. In fact, she often heard sour words when she was washing clothes recently, but her family's life had improved, so she didn't bother to care what others said.
Li Qin immediately responded: "Dad, I'll go right away."
Old man Li then instructed his daughters-in-law to quickly stew the meat that Li Qin had bought today with the remaining tofu, and while eating, he told the village chief and clan leader about this matter.
For this matter, the village chief and clan leader specially gathered all the villagers together and talked about it, telling everyone that the town was recruiting workers, and they were long-term workers, with a monthly salary of more than 400 wen.
He even casually called Li Qin out to talk, saying that he had been selling goods at Shen's Tofu Shop and must have a better understanding of their needs. Li Qin explained his experiences and feelings one by one, which won the villagers' applause.
Sure enough, after this day, the Li family no longer heard gossip when they went out, and the villagers treated them better than before.
The secret pleasure brought by this good popularity soon made the Li family realize the wisdom of Old Man Li.
Everyone was silently looking forward to the arrival of ten days later, but in the town, Shen Jia saw that it was almost the tenth day of the first lunar month, and she felt it was time to go to the next county to pick up the machine she had ordered.
For safety reasons, this time Shen Hao and Shen Jia set out together in the family's ox cart. Riding in the wind and snow, listening to the sound of footsteps on the snow, and with someone driving for them, if it weren't for the low temperature, it would really feel like they were out for a trip.
Shen Jia held the hand warmer given to him by Shen's mother, directing the route while looking at the bleak winter snow around him.
"Uncle San, continue walking along this road for another mile and you will reach the city gate of Guanghe County."
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