Ma Efen took the gourd ladle and left the woodshed.
She returned ten minutes later.
"Come on, drink up."
This time, I served it in a wooden soup bowl.
"Mom, did the fish soup cook so quickly?"
Zhu Wenjuan was somewhat surprised. She had seen her sister-in-law from her maternal family drink fish soup. First, the fish had to be fried until golden brown before adding eggs. The fish soup would have to be simmered for at least 15 minutes to become thick. Sometimes, if there were no eggs, tofu would be used as a substitute.
She took the soup bowl.
There was only one small, unpleasant-smelling fish in the bowl, smaller than her palm, and the soup was somewhat cloudy.
It's not milky white at all.
Just like the sewage used to wash fish.
Fish is fish, and soup is soup.
No side dishes were added.
"Mom, is this fish rotten?"
Zhu Wenjuan asked cautiously.
"What do you mean 'stinky'? I spent money to buy this fish for you. It's not stinky at all. Tao'er and I can only eat coarse rice porridge. You don't know how lucky you are. What other wife is like you, able to have a postpartum period and drink fish soup? The granddaughter-in-law of Granny Li next door had milk before her baby was even born. You good-for-nothing, you're still being dramatic even though you don't have any milk. Hurry up and drink it. If my precious grandson goes hungry, I'll make you pay."
Seeing that she wouldn't drink, Ma Efen glared at her with her slanted eyes.
After being scolded, Zhu Wenjuan had no choice but to bring the soup bowl to her lips.
The stench made her gag.
But thinking that her son hadn't had a drop of breast milk since birth, she gritted her teeth and forced down a large mouthful.
The fish soup had no salt added at all; besides the fishy smell, it tasted completely bland.
Zhu Wenjuan pinched her nose and drank it all.
"Eat the fish too."
Ma Efen continued.
"Mom, it smells too bad, I can't eat it."
Zhu Wenjuan felt like throwing up; she covered her mouth, unable to stop feeling nauseous.
Seeing her mother-in-law staring intently at her, she had no choice but to pick up her chopsticks and eat the fish piece by piece.
There were many fish bones, and in the brief moment of spitting them out, the fishy and foul smell rushed into my nasal cavity.
"vomit--"
Zhu Wenjuan vomited directly into the soup bowl.
Reluctant to spit it all out, he forced the fish paste that had risen to his throat back down.
"Fine, fine, don't eat it then."
Ma Efen was so annoyed by her actions that she almost threw up.
He simply took the soup bowl and left.
The bowl was full of vomit, and she didn't want it anymore.
They threw the bowl and all outside the door.
A stray dog passing by came running after smelling the aroma.
Apart from the fish bones, the bowl was practically licked clean.
Although the fish was smelly, at least she had something in her stomach. After finishing the fish soup, Zhu Wenjuan took a nap.
She didn't know.
The days ahead will only get harder.
evening.
I have just returned from outside the city.
Seven carriages followed behind, stopping together in front of the house.
"Get down, everyone."
As soon as he finished speaking, many people got off the carriage one after another.
There were strong men, young men, middle-aged men, and burly women.
They all looked like experts at farm work.
A full hundred people stood neatly outside the door.
"Everyone is waiting here."
After finishing speaking, Jin knocked on the door. After the doorman opened the door, he went in and reported to Yan Xia. The two of them came out together.
"Sister Xia, these are servants I bought from three towns. They all know how to do farm work and have clean backgrounds. They are either refugees or people whose families have all died. You can trust them. There are a total of one hundred people, and it cost 350 taels of silver. Most of them are strong laborers, so the price is a little higher. The women are cheaper. This is the remaining three hundred taels."
Jin Yu held the silver note with both hands and handed it to Yan Xia.
"Keep them. We're still short of people. I estimate my village can get about fifty, but you'll need to buy another fifty. Hurry up and think of a way. I can't wait any longer. I'll give you two more days at most."
"Okay, I understand."
"Yes, take them to the house at the end of the city to stay for a few days. Tomorrow, prepare bedding, clothing, food and other necessities for them. Then, hire a group of craftsmen to build a row of wooden houses on the wasteland next to the rice paddies. Ask any of the servants if they know how to build, and send them over as well. No need to lay a foundation. It should be done in three days. Hire as many people as possible, and don't worry about not having enough money."
Yan Xia then took out another two hundred taels and gave it to him.
the next day.
He carefully prepared bedding, clothes, and various daily necessities for his servants, and also recruited a group of craftsmen to take to the rice fields. When he returned in the afternoon, he did not rush back to his residence.
Instead, he went to the grain shop, bought a lot of grain, and delivered it to his house at the end of the city.
Then, before the shops on the street closed, I went to the local brokerage firm.
Busy from morning till night, and rushing to catch the bus on the road.
His whole body felt like it was falling apart.
It hurts so much.
As soon as I arrived at the brokerage, I spotted a familiar figure.
"The White-Toothed Man?"
"Young Master Jinyu?"
The two called out to each other.
"Young Master Jinyu, are you here to buy servants? This is my first day on the job."
Aside from some bruises on his cheeks, Bai Xiaobao's injuries were almost completely healed.
Young people recover quickly.
The torn clothes had several patches, with dense stitches.
Seeing that he still had the same youthful vigor as when we first met, I felt relieved.
I was planning to speak to the original manager after I finished this matter.
It seems we won't need it.
“I’ve been to all the other brokerage firms in town, but I haven’t found any suitable ones. Is the brokerage firm you’re working at a newly opened one? Do you have many servants? I need fifty people who can do farm work. They can be men or women, as long as they are not too old or too young.”
"Yes, yes, yes, our Zhu Ji Brokerage has more than a dozen shops in total. This is just a branch. If you need it, I will transfer someone from another place to you within three days at the latest."
The commission rates for real estate agents buying houses are different from those for selling people.
If a servant is paid three taels of silver.
The commission would be 150 coins.
The more you sell, the more you earn.
Upon hearing that Jin Yu wanted to buy fifty servants.
Bai Xiaobao was very excited.
If all fifty are calculated at three taels each, that's seven and a half taels of silver.
"Okay, my requirements are: clean background, preferably no descendants, honest and upright, no thieves or cheats, good health, and quick work. You select fifty people for me, and I will come to check them in two days. Remember, they must meet my requirements, understand? This is a deposit of one hundred taels, and the rest will be given in two days."
"Alright, Young Master Jinyu, I'll take care of it right away."
It's easier to get things done with someone you know well. After the two signed the contract, Jin Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
He finished his business without even entering the brokerage shop. If it were someone else, it might have taken them half an hour to finish talking. Back at his house, Jin Yu fell fast asleep, not even bothering to eat dinner. He was so tired and sleepy.
Two days later.
Yan Xia returned to Baihua Village.
Bai Lizheng selected sixty people for her. Some families had five strong laborers. Yan Xia selected some people with good character and finally only kept forty people.
Tell them to pack their bags and luggage, and meet at noon tomorrow.
Everything went smoothly for Jinyu as well. Bai Xiaobao was surprisingly reliable; he brought over seventy people for Jinyu to choose from.
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