Every household in Shanshui Village attaches great importance to the work at the medicinal herb workshop.
The next morning, the thirty women cleaned themselves up and gathered neatly in Shuiqing's courtyard.
Medicinal herbs wait for no one; the sooner they are processed, the sooner they can be converted into silver. Not a single detail can be neglected.
The herbal medicine shop wasn't finished a few days ago, but fortunately, we had built a stove for brewing wine and had three large pots, so we still had time.
The yard is big enough that we can manage to work out, albeit with some difficulty.
Ding Heli, Qin Yilin, and Ding Jiajia, a family of three, arrived before the morning mist had cleared. Today was their first time there, and their unfamiliarity with the venue, the lack of coordination among the staff, and their lack of understanding of their helpers would all slow down the process. Therefore, they came early to make arrangements and try to help everyone get familiar with the process and cooperate smoothly as quickly as possible.
Standing on the steps, Qin Yilin explained the specifics to the energetic women filling the courtyard: "Washing the medicinal herbs is the most time-consuming and laborious step, and it is the first step. The cleanliness of the herbs directly affects the finished product, so this step is crucial and cannot be taken lightly!"
The cleaning process is divided into three stages. The first stage involves five people doing a rough cleaning, which is when the medicinal herbs are unearthed. The people in charge of this step have to wash away all the large clumps of soil covering the herbs until there are no obvious clumps of soil left. Then the herbs are handed over to the second stage.
The second group of five people carefully washed the herbs, using bundles of straw and thatch to scrub them clean, cleaning every nook and cranny before handing them over to the third group.
The third group of five was responsible for meticulous washing, with a slightly different task: cleaning the wounds, rotten parts, and scars from the medicinal herbs, then drying them before taking them inside.
Zhao Lan, Aunt Wu, Li Tiantian, Zhang Xiaocao, and their group quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Yilin was supposed to tell them these things yesterday, but Fan's mother came and made a scene, so everyone escorted her home and she could only wait until this morning to hear it.
After they returned yesterday, they were so worried about not doing a good job that they spent half the night on edge, but now they can finally relax.
They can't do easy or difficult tasks, but they can handle these physically demanding ones! Besides, this really isn't even considered physically demanding; any woman can do washing and scrubbing.
Qin Yilin continued, "The steaming and boiling process inside the house is handled by Li Dani, Erni, and the other three, with Jiajia providing guidance and assistance. They are servants of the Shuiqing family, so even if they ruin the medicinal herbs due to improper handling, it is their own business and they cannot be blamed on you. Naturally, you do not need to pay compensation."
However, Da Ni, Zhou Yu, and the other three of you will have a tough time. Jiajia will teach you. If you don't understand something, be sure to ask. Watch more, learn more, and ask more questions, okay?
The reason was that the five women, including Li Dani, Erni, and Zhou Yu, and their families were bound by a death contract. For the herbal medicine shop, the steaming and boiling process was considered a core technology, and they felt more at ease using their own servants.
Zhao Lan and Aunt Wu were even more relieved after hearing this!
Just as Shuiqing said yesterday, they only needed to do their own job well, and cleaning the medicinal herbs was not difficult at all, and there was no risk of damaging the herbs.
The most crucial step is undoubtedly the third stage of meticulous washing, because if damaged, rotten, or unhealthy medicinal materials are not picked out or not thoroughly removed, the appearance of the finished product will be damaged, which will indeed affect the selling price.
Fine washing is easier, but it's riskier. Suddenly, everyone's favorite job turned out to be the hardest and dirtiest rough washing!
When Li Dani, Erni, Zhou Yu, Zheng Yan, and Wang Qiuyue heard that the crucial steaming and cooking part had been handed over to them, their palms sweated with nervousness.
Last night, the lady secretly spoke to the five of them, saying that this step involves the secret of processing medicinal materials and cannot be known to outsiders, so they have to bear the responsibility. At the same time, she told them not to worry, as long as they follow Jiajia's instructions carefully and Jiajia is there to supervise and guide them throughout the process, there will be no mistakes.
Most importantly, the lady paid each of them the same wages as the villagers!
A full six hundred coins in a month!
The villagers are free individuals. They have houses to live in and fields to cultivate. It is normal for them to work for their employers and receive wages. They live in houses built with money provided by their employers and eat the grain allocated to them. They help their employers with farming and raising livestock. They have nothing to do during the off-season, so it wouldn't be a problem if their employers asked them to help process medicinal herbs. They couldn't possibly refuse.
But the employer paid them wages, even the same amount as the villagers!
How could they not work diligently and conscientiously?!
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