Chapter 35: I want all of these girls!
At six o'clock in the morning, voices could be heard outside the Zhao family's gate. Zhou Mujiao turned over, dozed off for a while, and then got up.
As expected, it was Aunt Feng and her group. Yesterday, they went to help Zhou Mujiao find people, and just as Xiulan had worried, eight spots were not enough. This morning, a total of fifteen people came. The oldest was almost fifty, named Aunt Yang, and the youngest was only twelve years old, Aunt Yang's granddaughter, Yang Xiaoya. When they saw Zhou Mujiao, the grandmother and granddaughter looked over expectantly.
Aunt Feng was very embarrassed: "Ajiao, the conditions you offered are too good, so everyone came. If you don't need so many people, then Xiulan and I will go back."
Xiulan also looked apologetic. Both she and her mother-in-law were thin-skinned. When they were looking for help, they didn't know how to refuse when others asked for it. For example, Aunt Yang and Yang Xiaoya, the grandmother and granddaughter depended on each other for survival and sometimes didn't know where their next meal would come from. Aunt Yang had to beg them in tears. How could they not take them along?
The two of them had already decided that if Zhou Mujiao didn't need so many people, they would give their own spots to her. As for the others, they were all people they had previously arranged to meet. They came up this morning to check things out, just in case Zhou Mujiao accepted them.
Aunt Yang pulled Yang Xiaoya to Zhou Mujiao, looking very reserved: "Six, Six Ya, no, Ajiao! Ajiao, Xiaoya is very good at handicrafts, and she's quick too. If you think she's too young and can't do as much as others, you don't need to give her twenty-five coins, fifteen coins will do, or even five coins! As for me, I don't need money, just give me a meal!"
Zhou Mujiao cleared her throat, and Aunt Zhao came out with a needle, thread, and a few scraps of cloth. Before she could speak, Yang Xiaoya ran over, picked out a light blue piece of cloth and a light yellow thread, and started embroidering on the spot.
The little girl was a bit nervous at first with so many people watching, but once she got into the zone, she became completely absorbed and worked quickly and efficiently. Before long, she had finished embroidering a yellow chrysanthemum.
The blue fabric with light yellow flowers is simple yet elegant. The stitches are dense and the edges are well-bound. Zhou Mujiao nodded: "Xiaoya, stay. Your wages will remain the same, twenty-five coins a day. We will settle your wages for the previous day at the end of each day."
Aunt Yang burst into tears on the spot and quickly covered her mouth, otherwise she would have cried out loud.
Yang Xiaoya also breathed a sigh of relief. Although she was excited, she remained relatively calm, though her face was flushed.
Zhou Mujiao glanced at her again and nodded secretly.
When Xiulan and her family said that the Zhao family needed to hire people to do the work, everyone was a little hesitant to believe it, because the Zhao family was even poorer than their own. But Xiulan and her mother-in-law spoke with great detail, so everyone was skeptical. When they arrived at the foot of the mountain in the morning and saw the sandy road leading from the foot of the mountain to their doorstep, with large stone slabs laid at the entrance, all clean and tidy, they believed it to some extent even before seeing anything.
Then, Aunt Zhao handed over a basket of scraps of cloth and pretty thread, and everyone's eyes lit up as they stared at Zhou Mujiao.
Zhou Mujiao smiled slightly: "Since you're all here, why don't you all try your hand at embroidery? If you all have Xiaoya's embroidery skills, even if you don't have Xiaoya's speed, you can stay."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped forward to get their cloth and thread. They sat on the floor outside the Zhao family's house and quietly began to embroider. Shi Ba, who had just gotten up, also came to join in the fun and got a piece of cloth to embroider as well.
Zhou Mujiao leaned closer: "What does Shiba want to embroider?"
The little girl hid the handkerchief and said mysteriously, "Sister, go away! I'm not telling you now that I'm eighteen!"
Zhou Mujiao clicked her tongue, ruffled her hair, tied it back up, and then ignored her, standing with Aunt Zhao to observe the fourteen people.
Xiulan finished first. She embroidered a magpie perched on a branch. The picture was simple, but it conveyed joy at first glance. Her embroidery skills were praised by Aunt Zhao.
The second and third to finish were a pair of sisters surnamed Luo, one sixteen years old and the other seventeen. Their embroidery skills were quite good, but their aesthetic sense was a little lacking. However, these could be improved later. Zhou Mujiao was also kept on the project.
The remaining people gradually completed their tasks, with varying skill levels, but overall, they all passed.
The last to finish was Aunt Yang. She was the oldest and her handiwork was quite good, but she was the slowest. Zhou Mujiao noticed that after she finished, she carefully checked every detail and went back to fix any missing parts.
Zhou Mujiao and Aunt Zhao exchanged a glance, both quite satisfied with the fifteen people present today.
"Everyone, come in. This first batch of goods has already been ordered by our customers and will be delivered in half a month. So we need everyone to work hard and catch up. After this batch is finished, I will formulate a daily production plan based on the order volume and everyone's production capacity, and try to make things easier for everyone."
As Zhou Mujiao spoke, she opened the door to the embroidery room and asked everyone to find a seat.
After Zhao Yunjing hung the blackboard on the wall, Zhou Mujiao quickly wrote a few lines on it and then tapped the blackboard: "These are the rules that everyone must abide by. It is best not to violate them. My tolerance for mistakes is very low. Once is enough, but once is not enough. No matter who it is, if you cross the line above, then I'm sorry, please find another job."
Yang Xiaoya raised her hand: "Sister Jiaojiao, could you explain it in more detail? We can't read!"
Zhou Mujiao paused, then looked down at the audience, who all looked bewildered. Her hand remained awkwardly still.
Zhao Yunjing walked onto the stage, stood next to her, and glanced at her. The audience immediately felt pressured and shrank back.
Zhao Yunjing glared at Yang Xiaoya and said in a deep voice, "If you can't read, I'll teach you. Now, listen to what she has to say and try to memorize it!"
Yang Xiaoya couldn't describe her feelings at that moment. Much later, when she could read and write herself, she realized that the look Zhao Yunjing gave her was not just a warning, but more accurately, a death stare.
Aunt Zhao, sitting in the last row, tried to smooth things over, saying, "Yun Jing, go prepare lunch. A Jiao, you continue with the discipline."
Before leaving, Zhao Yunjing glanced at everyone again. The Luo sisters, who were timid, almost burst into tears at his gaze.
Zhou Mujiao cleared her throat: "Let's continue..."
She briefly explained the rules of the embroidery workshop, the start time of each morning, the lunch time, and the end time. After she finished, she asked everyone, "If there is anything you don't understand about what I just said, you can ask now, and I will answer it on the spot."
Luo's older sister raised her hand: "Then, if I have to go to the toilet a few more times because I'm not feeling well, will my wages be deducted?"
"You won't have your wages deducted, but if the situation is serious, it's best to take a day off. Of course, you won't get paid for the day you take a day off. But I don't recommend that you force yourself to work for just twenty-five coins. As long as you're alive, you can always make a comeback. As long as you work diligently, I'm more than willing to hire you."
Luo's older sister breathed a sigh of relief.
"Start dividing into groups now."
The fifteen people were divided into three groups, each responsible for two processes. Aunt Zhao was in charge of the final garment assembly stage. Her group consisted of Aunt Feng, Aunt Yang, and two other younger girls.
After dividing the group into teams and registering the rosters, Zhou Mujiao took out the fabric and samples, tapped the blackboard, and said in a deep voice, "Next, I'm going to announce the most important rule. You can forget everything I said before, but you must remember this one!"
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