Even so, Wei Laosan couldn't escape the harassment, because the people working for Yan Qingqing's family in the orchard were also eyeing this lucrative job. Fortunately, Wei Laosan was from another village and didn't interact much with the villagers, otherwise he might not have been able to withstand it.
Since Wei Laosan wouldn't give them face, they had no choice but to inquire indirectly at Yan Qingqing's house. However, Yan Qingqing's house was no longer what it used to be; there were now people guarding the gate, and not just anyone could come and go as they pleased.
Fortunately, Yan Qingqing didn't keep them waiting too long. Since the recruitment news had already been released, she naturally wanted to get things done as soon as possible. So Yan Qingqing asked Li Xiangping to compile a list, and then went to find Wei Laosan. The two of them worked together and finally selected ten people to go for interviews.
Wei Laosan didn't know who to choose, but remembering what Yan Qingqing had said about following your feelings, he picked five who looked honest and simple.
Those who were selected were naturally extremely grateful, determined to perform well, while those who weren't selected remained calm. At least they had made it to the interview stage, and given the frequency with which Yan Qingqing's family was hiring, they might be next.
As it turned out, Wei Laosan's judgment was quite good. These burly men were not only reliable and capable, but also very perceptive. In addition to learning how to raise chickens and ducks from Wei Laosan, they also helped plant trees and divert water.
The workers for the ecological orchard are all in place, so Yan Qingqing asked Yuan Huiniang to start buying chicks and ducklings.
Time flies, and it happened to be Li Xiangkang's day off, so Li Xiang'an picked him up from the school.
Yan Qingqing wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but Li Xiangkang seemed to have grown taller in the past two weeks. From a distance, he even looked like a handsome young man.
Yan Qingqing was immediately filled with a sense of pride, like a child growing up. To be honest, of all the children left behind by the original owner, Yan Qingqing was closest to Li Xiangkang. Firstly, because Li Xiangkang was young and it was easier to cultivate a relationship with him, and secondly, because Li Xiangkang was indeed very attached to her. People can only develop a better relationship by spending a lot of time together.
Li Xiangkang had just stepped off the carriage and still looked quite composed, but when he saw Yan Qingqing, he started running over and hugged her tightly, saying, "Mother, I've missed you so much! Have you missed me too?"
Yan Qingqing patted his head and replied, "Of course I want to, but you're already seven years old and you're still acting like a spoiled child. Aren't you afraid your older brothers and sisters will laugh at you?"
Upon hearing this, Li Xiangkang looked around and noticed that his older brothers and sisters were all staring at him. He immediately blushed and felt a little embarrassed.
However, Li Xiangkang paused for a moment, then took out a calligraphy brush from his sleeve and handed it to Yan Qingqing, saying, "Mother, look, this is a reward the teacher gave me."
Yan Qingqing took the brush and saw that it was a wolf hair brush, and the workmanship and quality were quite good.
Yan Qingqing smiled and said, "Why did the teacher reward you? Is it because you've made progress in your studies?"
Li Xiangkang blushed and said, "Not entirely. My teacher said he really liked the New Year's gift you gave me, Mother."
Yan Qingqing: ......
Yan Qingqing was a little suspicious that the teacher might think her New Year's gift was too expensive and was returning the favor in a roundabout way, or that the teacher really liked their family's food and wanted to express his appreciation. If that was the case, should she prepare another gift for Li Xiangkang to take back?
Seeing Yan Qingqing's unsettled thoughts and changing expressions, Li Xiangkang quickly added, "Mother, the teacher really praised me too. He said that I have made great progress in both my understanding and my writing. If I work a little harder, I can try out for the exam at the latest next year."
Yan Qingqing looked at Li Xiangkang suspiciously. He had only studied for half a year. Even if he was a genius, it was impossible for him to pass the preliminary examination.
Seeing that Yan Qingqing didn't believe him, Li Xiangkang became a little anxious. Li Xiang'an chuckled and said, "Mother, this time Fourth Brother is telling the truth. Master Chen even specifically told me to fully support Fourth Brother's studies, saying that he is a promising student."
Master Chen was thinking of having his fourth brother try the exam this year, but Mother said that haste makes waste, and that failing would damage his confidence, so she suggested he try again next year.
Although Li Xiangkang only attended school for half a year, his photographic memory made learning much easier. Moreover, strictly speaking, Li Xiangkang did not only study for half a year; Yan Qingqing also taught him a lot at home, and the things Yan Qingqing taught him could not be learned from books.
In addition, Xiao Mochen, whose knowledge and experience were far superior to those of ordinary teachers, was also a source of great joy for Li Xiangkang. During the Spring Festival, Li Xiangkang stayed at home for nearly a month and was inseparable from Xiao Mochen. He never let up, while the other children were too busy playing and forgot most of what their teachers had taught them. In comparison, Li Xiangkang's progress was very noticeable.
Since Li Xiang'an had said so, Yan Qingqing naturally wouldn't discourage Li Xiangkang. She said a few words of encouragement to motivate him to work even harder in the future.
Just as the mother and son finished speaking, Li Xiangjian and Xiao Mochen came down from the mountain.
Li Xiangjian was like a wild man. Not only was he tall and burly, but he also had a beard. He didn't look like a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy at all; he looked like a burly man in his thirties.
If Xiao Mochen hadn't been there with her, Yan Qingqing wouldn't have recognized him as her son; he was just too awful.
Not only Yan Qingqing didn't dare to recognize them, but the Li siblings also didn't dare to recognize them.
Li Yueniang cautiously asked, "Are you my third brother? What happened to you?"
Li Xiangjian replied with a displeased look, "If I'm not your third brother, then who am I? You even secretly ate eggs from Grandma's chicken coop before."
Li Yueniang blushed when Li Xiangjian exposed her shortcomings. Back then, she was so hungry that she dared to steal an egg that an old hen had just laid, even though she was afraid of being beaten. She never expected that her third brother would see her like that.
Yan Qingqing frowned, then glared at Li Xiangjian. He didn't know how to save face for his sister in public. She was a girl, after all.
But now is not the time to talk about that. Yan Qingqing looked at Li Xiangjian and asked, "What happened to you? You were perfectly fine when Mother saw you last time."
Li Xiangjian pursed his lips but didn't say anything.
Xiao Mochen, who was standing to the side, coughed and explained, "Third Cousin ate something wrong, that's why he's like this. He should recover after a while. It won't cause any major harm to his health."
Yan Qingqing glanced at Xiao Mochen but didn't ask any further questions. As long as Li Xiangjian wasn't seriously injured, that was fine.
Li Xiangjian breathed a sigh of relief when Yan Qingqing didn't press the matter, and then said, "Didn't Mother miss us and want us to come back for a reunion dinner? Hurry up, I haven't had a proper meal in a while, I've been eating raw meat every day."
Yan Qingqing glanced at Li Xiangping and the others, thinking back to how lonely she felt during dinner that day. It seemed they had taken it to heart. Yan Qingqing sighed, thinking that these children were indeed worth raising; they were all thoughtful.
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