Chapter 280 It's been a year since I came to Jishui Village
The glass jars and fruit were purchased by Jiang Ling.
Jishui Village is located in the southern part of the country, and it has a wide variety of seasonal fruits.
Once the fruit from the village's own orchards ripens, Jiang Ling will no longer need to buy fruit from outside.
Canning is simple; the most important part is the high-temperature sterilization process, which could also be done in ancient times.
Xiao Qiu learned the fastest; Jiang Ling taught her only once and she mastered it.
She is skillful and quick, able to peel and cut pieces quickly and neatly, and can accurately control the sweetness of the syrup.
"Miss Jiang, is this alright?"
Jiang Ling smiled and nodded: "Very good, the size is just right. Remember, add the fruit after the sugar water boils, and turn off the heat after cooking for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, so as to preserve the freshness of the fruit."
"OK."
Xiao Ran was in charge of sealing it. After putting the lid on, she wrapped a strip of cloth soaked in wax around the mouth of the jar, and then used fire to melt the wax and seal the mouth to ensure that it was completely sealed.
Xiao Yi carefully inspected each can, fearing that improper sealing would lead to spoilage.
Just as everyone was busy at work, Ji Wensheng's urgent letter arrived.
Jiang Ling opened the package and found a detailed description of the booming sales in Beijing, along with a long order for a thousand cans of food, covering all flavors.
"Sister Jiang, canned goods are selling so well in Beijing?" Xiao Ran asked, looking surprised after reading the letter.
"It certainly exceeded expectations." A hint of a smile flashed in Jiang Ling's eyes, but she already had a plan in mind.
“It seems we need to expand production. Xiao Ran, go and talk to Uncle Zhao and see if we can find a few more nimble women to help. We’ll pay them by the day, and we won’t treat them unfairly.”
"Okay! I'll go right now!" Xiao Ran replied and ran off.
Jiang Ling then looked at Xiao Qiu: "Xiao Qiu, you've learned a lot these past few days. From now on, the daily management of the workshop will be handled by you. You'll be responsible for arranging everyone's work and checking the quality of the fruit and canned goods. Is that alright?"
Xiao Qiu was stunned for a moment, her eyes filled with surprise and excitement, then she nodded vigorously:
"I...I can do it! Don't worry, Miss Jiang, I will do my best!"
This was the first time she had been entrusted with an important task. She was both nervous and excited, feeling that she was finally no longer just a maid who could only do odd jobs.
When the news spread, many women in the village volunteered to sign up.
Jiang Ling selected ten quick and efficient people and divided them into two groups. One group was responsible for processing the fruit, and the other group was responsible for boiling the sugar water and sealing it. This assembly line operation greatly improved efficiency.
The workshop is bustling day and night, filled with the sweet aroma of sugar water and fruit. Even passing villagers can't help but stop and ask with a smile if they can buy a couple of jars to try.
Jiang Ling deliberately kept some canned goods to sell to the villagers at cost price.
Some of the seals weren't very good, so we just gave them to everyone to try.
As the days went by, the cannery gradually got on track.
This time, Ji Wensheng didn't use scarcity marketing like he did with toilet water; instead, he offered large quantities to satisfy every craving.
In addition to its own caravan, it even distributed its products to salt merchants in Jiangnan.
Because he knew that canned fruit was only seasonal.
Once fresh fruit becomes available, sales of canned fruit will drop significantly.
So we need to seize this opportunity to sell quickly.
As sales channels expand, demand surges.
For the past two months, the canneries in Jishui Village have been bustling with activity.
In the early morning, before the sky was fully bright, the crowing of roosters echoed throughout the village.
Xiao Qiu was always the first to arrive at the workshop. She carefully inspected the stove, cleaned the tools, and made sure everything was in good order.
After that, the women who came to work arrived in twos and threes, greeting each other, changing into clean smocks, putting on masks, chatting and laughing for a few minutes, and then getting busy at their respective posts.
"Sister Zhao, you cut these peaches so evenly."
"Hey, practice makes perfect. Did your kid go fishing again yesterday? I saw his trouser legs were all wet."
"Yeah, he's really naughty! I'll have his dad deal with him later."
The women worked tirelessly, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones about everyday matters, creating a harmonious yet busy atmosphere.
Xiao Qiu moved among them, checking the temperature of the syrup from time to time, or inspecting whether the fruit pieces were the right size.
She didn't talk much, but her eyes were serious, and the women all respected her authority.
Xiao Ran was mainly responsible for moving heavy objects, carrying baskets of washed fruit in, and then moving sealed canned goods to the cool and ventilated warehouse next door to stack them neatly.
Although he is young, he is very strong, works diligently, and never complains.
Xiao Yi is the workshop's "joker" and quality inspector.
He imitated Jiang Ling, standing on tiptoe to check if each can was sealed tightly, looking very serious.
Occasionally, a woman would tease him, and he would grin, revealing a missing front tooth, which would make everyone laugh along with him.
Jiang Ling didn't keep an eye on things all the time; she spent most of her time in the general store.
Since things got on track, she hasn't really been involved in the workshop's affairs.
Because she herself had a lot to do, in addition to managing the grocery store's inventory, the fireworks factory had only recently gotten on track.
Although he's the boss in name only, he still has to be involved in all the necessary matters.
That afternoon, Jiang Ling was sitting in the shop checking the accounts when Grandpa Zhao strolled over with his hands behind his back.
"Miss Jiang, busy?" Grandpa Zhao asked with a smile as he stepped across the threshold.
"Uncle Zhao, please have a seat." Jiang Ling put down the account book, stood up and poured him tea. "Thanks to the people you found, the workshop is quite efficient."
"We're all neighbors, we should help each other out," said Grandpa Zhao, taking the rough porcelain teacup, taking a sip, and sighing.
"With your canned food business, many families in the village have an extra source of income, the women have more energy to work, and the children can eat more meat. This is a great thing!"
"I'm happy to see everyone's lives getting better and better," Jiang Ling said with a smile.
Grandpa Zhao paused for a moment, then said with a touch of emotion, "I still remember the first time I met you last year. I was wondering how a young woman like you could manage all by herself. I never imagined that you would not only make a good living for yourself, but also bring prosperity to our entire village."
Jiang Ling looked out the window. The sun was already high in the sky, and the temperature was gradually rising. Summer was just around the corner.
I remember the first time she opened the door "last year" was also in the summer.
Before we knew it, a year had already passed.
She had been worried that her age would increase tenfold, and that aging in her sleep was not a good thing.
It seems that it doesn't now.
"That's all because I met you, and the kind-hearted villagers in the village."
Jiang Ling was not exaggerating or flattering. The factory explosion and her father's death were unforeseen events; without them, she didn't know what her life would have been like.
Now, they are probably still struggling to breathe under the weight of debt.
Where would they find the resources to help the villagers and reopen the fireworks factory?
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