"Okay!" This time, the men answered in unison.
The host provided them with oxen and donkeys, regardless of the quantity of goods. If there was a lot, they would use oxen to pull the cart; if there wasn't much, they would ride donkeys to deliver it. Either way, it was easy; it was just a matter of people coming over, and it wasn't tiring at all.
Shuiqing tentatively brought up the topic: "I have a batch of handicrafts here."
The person who had been bowing and looking down looked up in surprise, their eyes filled with undisguised joy and anticipation.
She immediately understood and continued, "It's about making toothbrush handles. I don't know if the villagers have mentioned it to you. I'll provide them with the tools, and after they finish making them, they'll send them to the workshop, and after inspection, they'll receive their wages."
"You can do that if you want, but would you be willing to exchange what you've done for supplies?"
Her thought was that she couldn't pay them wages at the beginning. These were people who had endured hardship, hunger, and cold. She was afraid that they would be reluctant to spend the money. In that case, they would have to do extra work but would only have cold, hard cash to keep, which would not be good for their health.
If this continues, not only will the elderly and children's bodies not be able to keep up, but even the strongest men and women may not be able to withstand it.
Therefore, it's best to use it to exchange for supplies.
Making toothbrush handles is not tiring or physically demanding, but the oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, chicken, duck, goose, rabbit, pig, sheep, rice, and flour you get in return can all improve your meals!
Large livestock like pigs and sheep are raised first, while other animals will eventually be eaten. The livestock can be raised until autumn, which is the perfect time for the busy farming season to replenish their oil and nutrients, killing two birds with one stone.
The villagers of Zhulin Village agreed without hesitation.
They certainly can't compare to the people of Shanshui Village. Those people are free, while they were bought by their master with money. They should do whatever their master tells them to do. Now, they're even giving them supplies in exchange for their work. Isn't that a sign of the master's benevolence? Otherwise, it would be reasonable not to give them anything at all.
However, "Madam, what should we do if we don't know how?"
"Does Zhulin Village have any materials for making toothbrush handles? If not, we can just bring some back from Shanshui Village this time."
Shui Qing shook her head and explained, "The toothbrush handle is made of bamboo. Do you think we need to bring it back from Shanshui Village?"
Not only do we not need the resources from Shanshui Village, we can't even use up all of the resources from Zhulin Village!
Even the children realized what their village had the most of: bamboo! Whether it was moso bamboo or small, slender bamboo, there was plenty of it. Otherwise, how could it be called Bamboo Forest Village!
"Take a nap and when you wake up, go to the workshop. I'll arrange for someone to teach you how to do it. Once you've made a batch, send it over and exchange it for supplies to take back."
This year, there aren't enough raw materials for sugar production, so the sugar mill can't be built. You all need to do these jobs first, take care of yourselves, and wait until next autumn when the sugarcane is ripe in large quantities. Then the men will make sugar, and the women will continue doing these handicrafts.
"When the imperial examinations resume, you can switch to making calligraphy brushes. Then you won't need to come here to exchange them for things to take back; you'll be paid directly." Shui Qing said, while mentally refining the industries of Zhulin Village.
Like medicinal herbs, sugarcane can only be produced for one season. When spring comes and the weather gets hot, sugarcane is not easy to preserve and is prone to rotting and spoiling. Therefore, the sugar must be made during the winter.
At other times, especially during the summer off-season, the brush workshop was able to fill the gap.
Whether it's a calligraphy brush or a toothbrush, the more skilled you are, the better. The reason for placing the calligraphy brush in Bamboo Forest Village is because Bamboo Forest Village has many varieties of bamboo! Especially the small and thin bamboo and black bamboo, which are perfect for making calligraphy brush handles.
From now on, she will focus on producing toothbrushes, while Zhulin Village will concentrate on developing calligraphy brushes. The two sides will divide the work and not compete with each other.
The people of Zhulin Village were stunned, as if they were walking on cotton, it was unreal.
An hour ago, they heard Old Man Xu talk about the workshop with great envy, and then they heard that the master would also make arrangements for them. They felt that this was a very distant thing, and they didn't know when it would be realized.
But in less than an hour, the lady told them that they could also do handicrafts, and not for free, but to exchange them for things to take back to the village!
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