Chapter 110
Zhou Lin's plan to hire two day laborers caused quite a stir in the village.
It's only been a little over a year since the family separated, and they're already using temporary workers.
It seems the young couple must have earned quite a bit of money last year.
Since most villagers go to the mountains to collect firewood and dig wild vegetables, Mu Jin's newly opened half-acre vegetable garden is brightly lit next to the back door, surrounded by a bamboo fence, and is so neat and tidy that it's hard for passing villagers not to notice it.
"Tsk tsk, Lin lad is really something. Look around our village, how many families employ day laborers?"
"That's right, I never thought that young Lin would have such good fortune."
Upon hearing this, Yi Fulang whispered, "You know what, ever since we separated the family, I've seen Jin Ge'er and Lin Xiaozi living better and better lives. Looking at Lin Xiaozi now, he's like a completely different person compared to last year."
A woman chimed in softly, “I think the Zhou family is just unlucky for him. Look at what kind of life Lin lived before the family split up. He didn’t have any nice clothes to wear, and I bet he was always hungry. Look how thin he was back then. He worked every day, from spring to winter, and I never saw him rest.”
“Jin’er, look how prosperous they are! Ever since they got married, their lives have become more and more prosperous. They’ve even opened a dye shop.”
"Renjin is a kind-hearted boy. If you were to take him, would you be willing to use the rice and grain from your home to support a stranger?"
The husband thought about it seriously for a while, then sighed and shook his head with a smile.
In the village, most families are reluctant to waste a single grain of rice. Except for the New Year, they rarely have enough to eat. They don't even have enough for their own families, let alone to feed others.
"Have you seen the vegetable garden that Jin-ge started a while ago?"
Everyone nodded in unison. "You mean, his vegetable garden at home isn't small, and it's not enough to feed his whole family?"
A woman spoke mysteriously in a low voice: "I think they must have a way to make money selling vegetables, unlike us who go to town and can't sell much even after half a day. Otherwise, why would they need such a large plot of land to grow vegetables?"
“I’m telling you, don’t go around gossiping about the Zhou family.”
Everyone looked at the man who had spoken with shining eyes and nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, none of us are that big mouth."
The husband coughed lightly, "I had something to do a couple of days ago, so I went to town early and saw that young man Renlin was delivering a cart full of vegetables to the restaurant."
"I knew it! Jin-ge'er is really cunning. He kept such a good thing a secret so well."
"That young man from Renlin is quite capable. With his skills, he's managed to connect with the town's influential people, something others can only envy."
Upon hearing this, some of the women and husbands chatting under the big locust tree at the village entrance felt a pang of jealousy, while others plotted to get closer to Mu Jin, hoping to benefit from her fame.
For a moment, everyone had different thoughts.
Mu Jin sneezed softly, and Zhou Lin beside him immediately became alert as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Jin'er, what's wrong? Do you have typhoid fever? Go back to your room and rest. I'll watch over things here."
Mu Jin sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I'm perfectly fine, don't make such a fuss."
Zhou Lin was still somewhat worried, and Wang Li looked at him with concern in her eyes as well.
Mu Jin was both angry and amused, and just wanted to shoo the two of them, one big and one small, aside.
Ever since he became pregnant, he's been like a delicate glass doll at home. The slightest movement from him is enough to make the family want to keep their eyes glued to him, stick their arms to his arms, and help him walk all the time.
"I'm really not that fragile."
Mu Jin sighed helplessly and smiled. Seeing that no one else came to the door, she carefully put away the pen and ink she had borrowed from Mu Zhou.
On the table was a sheet of paper with about twenty names written on it. After the ink dried, Mu Jin picked it up and handed it to Zhou Lin.
"Among those people who came, do you have any good ideas? Let's go to the village chief's place later and have him take a look."
Zhou Lin nodded slightly. "There are a few honest and upright men. I'll take them to my great-grandfather to take a look. He's been in charge of our village for so many years, he's definitely better at judging people than we are. You stay home and rest, I'll be back in a bit."
Mu Jin didn't try to be strong. Seeing how obedient he was, Zhou Lin smiled slightly and strode out the door like a gust of wind.
Mu Jin quickly called out to him, "Wait a minute, I still have something to say."
Zhou Lin immediately stopped in his tracks as he rushed out the door.
Summer has arrived, and once we've hired temporary workers, it's time to build a new house.
Wen Zhaoran has been making a fuss about this matter several times in the past two days.
Building a new house is easy, but where will the people live is another matter.
“In a few days, we’ll be building a new house. Remember to ask your great-uncle if there are any vacant houses in the village. We’ll probably have to rent one for three to five months.”
If it were ten days or so, Mu Jin could shamelessly bring all the boys, big and small, back to her parents' home for a visit, which would probably be fine.
But it's inconvenient to stay at anyone's house for three to five months with several guys.
Zhou Lin nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "I remember there was a family in the village who moved to the town a couple of years ago, leaving behind a few brick houses in the village. They might be able to rent them out."
Mu Jin was surprised. "A brick house? I doubt it will be cheap. Let's see if there's a cheaper, sturdy thatched hut that we can make do with."
Zhou Lin simply said he understood.
Now that Mu Jin is pregnant, he has made up his mind to find a good place to live.
Unaware of Zhou Lin's thoughts, Mu Jin, after speaking, sent him to the village chief's house.
As a result, they waited and waited, and by noon, after lunch, no one had returned.
Mu Jin frowned slightly. In the afternoon, the dye shop had a little free time and was preparing to send Bai Qiqiu to see Village Chief Mu.
Zhou Lin, his face flushed, rushed into the courtyard.
Mu Jin breathed a sigh of relief. "Where did you go? Why are you so late?"
Zhou Lin grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and held up the contract in his hand to Mu Jin.
“I went to my great-grandfather’s place, talked about the man I needed to hire, got the address of that family, and then went to town to rent the place. Tomorrow I will pay the five months’ rent together and then I can move in.”
"You actually rented that brick house?! You've really grown up, now you even know how to act first and ask questions later!"
Upon hearing this, Mu Jin's earlier worries turned into anger all at once.
Zhou Lin quickly reassured him, "Calm down. Three qian of silver a month, even five months would only amount to one and a half taels of silver. The money we earn from vegetables at the rice noodle shop is enough for a month."
Mu Jin grabbed his ear. "But you have too much money at home, don't you? If it were just a regular thatched hut, half a tael of silver would be enough. Wouldn't it be better to save a tael or two?"
Zhou Lin grinned, not daring to resist. If it could calm his husband down, he would gladly give up his ears.
At the entrance of the dyehouse, three little heads peeked out in unison, their big, watery eyes wide open, watching Mulan tame her husband.
The three brothers didn't dare to utter a sound, afraid that their eldest brother would get angry and scold them too.
Seeing Zhou Lin grimacing in pain, Mu Jin immediately turned her anger into laughter.
Well, since Zhou Lin has already made an engagement with that family, he can't afford to disrespect his husband in public.
However, a reprimand is still necessary.
"If you dare to do something behind my back again, I'll teach you a lesson!"
Seeing that Mu Jin's anger had subsided, Zhou Lin rubbed her slightly reddened ears and said, "I won't dare to do it again."
Mu Jin gently rubbed his ear, her eyes tender, and asked softly, "Does it hurt?"
Zhou Lin's eyes immediately lit up, and he looked radiant. "It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt at all."
Bai Qiqiu clicked her tongue in amazement, having learned a way to tame a husband from her elder brother.
Look at my brother-in-law, acting like he doesn't care about money, just like the owl at my feet.
Mu Jin took the contract from Zhou Lin, along with the piece of paper with Lai Ying's name written on it.
The village chief thought the man was quite good, so he circled his name with a pen.
Zhou Lin sat down next to him and said gently, "Grandpa has selected six people, one of whom is Lin Huzi, the thinnest man who came. Grandpa probably felt sorry for him and thought he was a good person, so he selected him too. He said whether we want him or not is up to us."
Mu Jin thought about it carefully. Among the group of men, Lin Huzi was a thirteen-year-old boy, wearing tattered clothes and with a thin frame, looking as if a gust of wind could blow him away.
He was also pitiful. When he was six or seven years old, his parents passed away unexpectedly, leaving him with a baby brother who was less than a year old and still crying for food.
His grandfather and great-uncle didn't like him, let alone his three uncles and one younger uncle.
It's like playing Cuju (ancient Chinese football), one family finishes playing, then another family starts.
Several close relatives and uncles gave him about a bushel of grain and an ounce of silver. Feeling that he had done his duty as a relative, he didn't ask them about it again.
That would have been fine, but what was even more infuriating was that his uncle, using the excuse that he was too young to farm, wanted to take back the eight acres of land that originally belonged to his father.
Consider it a gift from Lin Huzi's deceased father to his grandfather and great-uncle.
The elderly couple from the Lin family lived with their eldest son, so they naturally sided with him.
Village Chief Kim was furious and looked down on the Lin family's behavior of bullying their own nephew.
They devised a plan to force the eldest son of the Lin family to leave five acres of land for Lin Huzi, but it could only be taken back when he turned fifteen.
Those three mu of land should be given to the Lin family elders. However, every year after the harvest, three shi of grain must be sent to Lin Huzi.
The eldest son of the Lin family was resentful, but the other members of the Lin family who had not benefited from the situation spoke up for the village chief, accusing him of being disrespectful as the eldest uncle and bullying his own nephew.
The eldest son of the Lin family reluctantly agreed and signed the contract in front of the village chief. Logically speaking, he got three acres of land for free, so it wasn't a loss.
However, the eldest son of the Lin family was extremely greedy, and he probably never intended to return those five acres of land.
Thus, five- or six-year-old Lin Huzi was forced to grow up overnight. Before he was even as tall as the stove, he picked up the spatula and, imitating his father from his memories, started a fire to cook porridge and rice for his younger brother.
The neighbors, including the aunties and husbands, couldn't bear to see him suffer, so they would occasionally help him out and take care of Lin Huzi's brothers.
Lin Huzi was a grateful fellow; after eating someone else's grain and receiving new grain, he was quick to return some of it.
Every now and then, when he has a spare moment, he will hold his younger brother and go to the fields to help his uncles and aunts who used to work.
As a result, the neighbors around them mostly liked the two brothers.
The two brothers have finally grown up, albeit with some bumps and bruises.
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