Chapter 281 Peaceful Days
The days slipped by quietly amidst busyness and tranquility, and summer arrived in the blink of an eye.
The canneries in Jishui Village have become an indispensable part of the village.
The women went to work and came home on time every day, with their pockets full of real wages. They smiled more often, and meat was served more frequently at their family dinner tables.
As a result, the grocery stores also became more prosperous, since people had more money in their pockets and were more willing to buy some odds and ends to improve their lives.
Xiao Qiu managed the workshop more and more efficiently.
She was meticulous and hardworking, and she arranged the production line perfectly. She assigned people who were good at washing, who were good at controlling the fire, and who were quick and good at cutting the fruit. She even set fixed standards for the concentration of the sugar water and the size of the fruit pieces.
What's even more remarkable is her thoughtfulness. She remembers in advance which aunt's child is sick or which daughter-in-law wants to go back to her parents' home, and quietly adjusts the schedule so as not to cause trouble for anyone.
The women may have initially been hesitant because of her young age and past as a prostitute, but seeing that she was fair, kind, and did her job well, the initial estrangement gradually melted away in their daily interactions.
Sometimes, when she was busy and sweating, a woman would hand her a bowl of cooled tea or give her a steamed bun made at home.
Long queues had formed in the open space in front of the workshop since early morning.
Those carrying bamboo baskets or shoulder poles were villagers from the neighboring Baiyang Village and Xianshui Village, their baskets filled with fresh fruit they had just picked.
"Line up, one at a time, don't rush!"
Xiao Qiu's clear voice rang out from the crowd.
She is now very adept at handling this situation, and she leads two quick-witted women to inspect the fruit, weigh it, and keep accounts.
Xiao Ran, along with two boys, carried baskets of weighed fruit to the well behind the workshop, where several hired laborers were already cleaning them.
"Aunt Wang, these peaches of yours are really nice, so big and well-proportioned," Xiao Qiu said with a smile, picking up a white and red peach and looking at it.
Aunt Wang from Baiyang Village beamed with joy: "That's right! The rains have been good this year, and we've taken excellent care of them! We're hoping to get a good price for them!"
An old man from the nearby Xianshui Village quickly handed over his basket: "Little Qiu, look at my plums, they're sweet and I guarantee there are no wormholes!"
Although Jiang Ling is still purchasing fruit in the modern market recently, she has greatly reduced the amount she buys.
Everything else needed was purchased directly from the area around the village.
Since the news spread that the cannery in Jishui Village was buying up large quantities of fruit, several nearby villages have become lively.
Fruits that couldn't be eaten or sold for a good price in previous years can now be exchanged for real copper coins. Who wouldn't be happy?
Even the carpenter's family in Baiyang Village, who had a slight disagreement with Jiang Ling before, shamelessly sent their daughter-in-law to sell half a basket of apricots.
Xiao Qiu pretended not to recognize him, priced him according to his quality, and did not make things difficult for him.
The workshop was bustling with activity.
"Sister Xiaoqiu, do you think the sugar water concentration is okay?" Sister Zhao, who was in charge of boiling the sugar water, scooped up a spoonful of sugar water and handed it to Xiaoqiu.
Xiao Qiu lightly dipped her finger in the mixture, tasted it, and nodded, saying, "Sister Zhao, the sweetness is just right; we can add the peach pieces now."
On the other side, Xiao Ran was moving a basket of cleaned and drained peaches to the cutting board.
He had grown taller since the beginning of spring, and his shoulders were broader. When he lifted the heavy bamboo basket, faint muscle lines could be seen on his arms. His movements were steady and powerful, and he was no longer the slightly thin boy he used to be.
Xiao Yi followed behind him like a little tail, helping to pass the empty baskets, her little face full of seriousness.
Jiang Ling came from the general store and stood at the entrance of the workshop for a while.
She didn't go in to disturb them, but simply placed a few bottles of refreshing plum juice on the table by the door, indicating that Xiao Qiu would share them with everyone later.
Not long after I returned to the shop, I saw dust rising from the direction of the village entrance, and several familiar horse-drawn carriages were heading towards the general store.
It's the Ji family's convoy; they're here to pick up goods again.
The leader of the group was the old steward of the Ji family, surnamed Zhou. He was a steady and capable man who had dealt with Jiang Ling several times before and they had always been very polite to each other.
"Mr. Jiang, I apologize for bothering you." Manager Zhou got off the carriage, smiled and cupped his hands. "This time, it's still the same number as the order, 1,500 cans, all kinds of flavors."
"Manager Zhou, thank you for your hard work. The goods are all ready and in the warehouse."
Jiang Ling led Steward Zhou to the warehouse.
Because of the opening of the cannery, Jiang Ling built a warehouse behind the yard.
The canned goods produced are placed directly into the warehouse.
Xiao Ran and Xiao Qiu were extremely busy every day, and Jiang Ling herself couldn't find the time, so she handed over the task of guarding the workshop and managing the warehouse to Zhao Daye's youngest son, Zhao Sixi.
Zhao Sixi was literate and could do arithmetic.
He is a year older than Xiao Qiu, and is now a sixteen-year-old young man.
He was the only one of Grandpa Zhao's children who did not get married.
He was more shy than his three older brothers, and he was also more handsome and had a scholarly air about him.
Jiang Ling recently felt that Sixi and Xiaoqiu were getting a little too close.
At first, I thought they were exchanging work-related information, but recently I've noticed that they both look a little shy when they're together.
Jiang Ling led Manager Zhou to the warehouse, where Zhao Sixi was checking the inventory with the ledger.
He was wearing a clean blue cotton jacket, and his hair was neatly combed. When he saw Jiang Ling and Steward Zhou come in, he quickly put down the account book and came forward to greet them, "Miss Jiang, Steward Zhou."
"Sixi, list out the Ji family's goods," Jiang Ling instructed.
Zhao Sixi nodded, skillfully opened the ledger, compared it with the goods list handed over by Manager Zhou, and called over several young men from the village to carry out canned goods of different flavors in an orderly manner.
He was extremely careful when checking the quantities, and he would put a checkmark on the ledger after each box was moved.
"Manager Zhou, please check. If there are no problems, please sign and affix your seal."
Manager Zhou carefully inspected the boxes and nodded in satisfaction: "The quality of the goods here from Boss Jiang is consistently high, and the nobles in the capital all praise them highly."
He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "To be honest, Mr. Jiang, even the palace is frequently sending people to inquire about these canned goods. They're in high demand and short supply. Our young master's idea is that if Mr. Jiang can increase production, that would be even better."
Jiang Ling pondered for a moment and said, "This is already the maximum output. The village only has so many people, and everyone has to take care of the crops in the fields. Besides, fruit is very seasonal, and once the season is over, the raw materials will also be a problem. Please tell Young Master Ji that maintaining the status quo is manageable, but if we expand further, I'm afraid we won't be able to manage it."
Manager Zhou expressed his understanding and promised to deliver the message.
After the goods were loaded, Manager Zhou settled the payment, which was a silver note from a money exchange in the capital, and the amount was not small.
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