Chapter 45: Manpower
Su Ruojin was so happy that she almost flew up. She ran straight up the stairs and stepped into the corridor, shouting to them happily: "Uncle Feng, Brother Dashi... Brother Ershi..."
The Feng family's father and son were so happy to see the Su family again that they couldn't express it in words. They were so excited that they kept grinning, "Second Madam, Master... Madam... First Young Master... Third Young Master..."
Calling them one by one.
Su Yanli held the sleeping Su Sanlang in his arms, and gently went up the stairs. He asked Mother Dong who came out to greet him, "Have you arranged for them to eat?"
Mother Dong slept in the same room with Su Ruojin, so she knew what the young master was thinking. She was very happy to see the Feng family coming. She arranged for them to wash up first, and then for them to have dinner, but they refused to eat no matter what, saying that they had to wait for the master to come back.
Su Yanli nodded. Shu Tong came over to pick up Sanlang and he was also smiling from ear to ear. The arrival of the Feng family also meant that he would feel much more relaxed.
Cheng Yingzhen was originally in a very low mood, but when she thought about the Feng family bringing a woman with them this time, she looked up and asked, "Brother Feng, where is the person you brought with you?"
Mother Dong called to the kitchen, "Xianggui, the Madam is calling you."
Under the corridor lights, a sallow-faced young woman in a clean linen dress came out holding Su Silang. She looked at Su Yanli and his wife with a dull expression, as if she wanted to salute but didn't know what to do.
Seeing his niece looking so stupid, Feng Wangtian wanted to push her away anxiously, but then he realized that she was holding the young man, so he didn't dare to move, "That...that..."
Although the person was numb, sluggish and malnourished, she was well-kept and could hold the baby. Su Ruojin was willing to give her a month to try it. If she was still so numb and sluggish after a month, she would not dare to use it.
"Dad, let's eat first."
Su Yanli knew that his daughter had her own ideas, so he said nothing and nodded, "I will listen to Ah Jin."
She smiled and held her father's hand, while Su Yanli turned around and held Cheng Yingzhen with his other hand.
Uh...only Su Dalang was left behind.
Su Ruojin turned around and reached out for her brother's hand, pulling him as well, and the family walked into the kitchen like a small team.
Mother Dong took Su Silang from Xianggui and said to her, "Go to the kitchen and serve dinner to the master and the lady as I told you."
Xianggui didn't nod, but went into the kitchen as she was told. She looked slow, but she was quick and nimble in serving rice and dishes, as if she was used to serving others at home.
Feng Wangtian stood at the kitchen door and looked inside quietly. He was worried that his niece would not be liked by his boss, and he was very anxious. But when he saw that everything was in order, he was greatly relieved.
The Feng family didn't want to eat at the same table with the Su family, so Su Ruojin opened another table in the workshop and let them eat freely. "If it's not enough, ask Aunt Gui to come over and add more for you."
"Enough, enough!" The Feng family father and son looked at the three dishes and a soup. Now that they were the boss and made money, they could eat better than when they were working before the New Year. The portions were large and they were very satisfied. They sat down. They had been traveling for two or three days and were very hungry, so they ate voraciously.
Xianggui held the bowl and watched her uncle and his two sons eating. She looked at her own round plate, which contained big white steamed buns, braised pork, scrambled eggs with black fungus, stir-fried cabbage, and pork ribs and radish soup in a small bowl beside her. She had never eaten such delicious food since she got married. Her wooden eyes flashed in the dim light. It was like a dream. Could it be that her uncle really didn't lie to her, and she was really destined to live a good life?
Both groups of people have been busy and toilsome all day. No matter what ideas or plans they have, they decided to sleep first.
On the second day, Su Yanli got up on time, washed, and had his meal. After eating with his eldest son, he had to go on duty and could not be delayed. Su Dalang went to exercise without fail, so the father and son could go to Shu Tongshu's breakfast stall together.
Cheng Yingzhen and her youngest son slept until they woke up naturally. Su Ruojin did the same. When she got up and went to the kitchen to boil water as usual, Xianggui, who had just arrived yesterday, came forward with water for washing her face and asked softly, "Second Madam, do you want it sent to the bedroom?"
Su Ruojin shook her head and said, "I'll put it on the washstand at the kitchen door from now on."
Xianggui followed instructions and brought back the water for washing her face.
Su Ruojin stood in the corridor without moving. The father and son of the Feng family were cleaning the yard and tidying up the weeds along the wall.
"Where's Ershi?"
Feng Dashi smiled and replied: "I went to help at the stall."
Don't say anything at all! Su Ruojin walked into the kitchen with a smile, washed her face, and ate breakfast.
It’s just different having more housekeepers at home!
Su Ruojin sighed repeatedly, no wonder everyone wanted to be rich, it felt so good to have someone serve you in everything.
How come the woman who was so numb that her eyeballs could not move last night, seemed like a different person after a night? Although her face was still sallow, she looked much better. That's right. It would be bad if I didn't have to pay you and still look at you with a dead look on my face.
After eating, Su Ruojin moved a small stool and sat in the corridor, and asked Feng’s father and son to come and sit over.
Feng Wangtian was embarrassed to sit on the stool and wanted to sit on the steps, but Su Ruojin stopped him, "The stone steps are cold, it will be uncomfortable when you get sick in your old age."
They were peasants and didn't care about such things. Since the young lady meant well, Feng Wangtian had no choice but to do as she asked and sit on the stool.
Su Ruojin didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "Uncle Feng, you sent Dashi and Ershi back so quickly. Besides learning Chinese characters from us, do you have any other plans?"
Feng Wangtian rubbed his hands when the young lady asked him this. He earned ten taels of silver a month, and he was in a hurry to send them here, as if he was in a hurry. He was really embarrassed and said with a red face, "These two guys can only weed the hawthorn forest and apply fertilizer at home. They can't do any real work. It's better to send them to the young lady. If you have anything that you don't know how to do, let them run errands."
Uncle Feng was being too modest. It was just weeding the hawthorn forest and applying fertilizer. In ancient times, production was low. Even though this was just a small job, it occupied all the labor force in the family and could not be finished even if the work was tiring all day long.
Su Ruojin wanted to use them in the first place, so she smiled and said, "We got an advantage in the hawthorn business last year, but if you help my family again this year, it's unlikely that you can earn ten taels a month. So, do you still want your two brothers to stay?"
"I'll stay, of course." Even if it's only one or two ounces a month, it's much more than what I'd earn working so hard at home.
Su Ruojin smiled and said, "I am planning to open a breakfast shop this year. I need to add one more person in front and back of the shop. Then I will keep both Dashi and Ershi brothers."
"That's great." Feng Wangtian thought that the Su's breakfast shop was short of one person, and thought that Ershi might stay. Unexpectedly, Dashi would also be kept. He happily promised, "I will plant hawthorns well this year, and I will bring a lot of hawthorns to sell in winter."
Before Feng Wangtian went back, Su Ruojin had agreed on a contract wage for the Ershi brothers, two taels per month, and one tael per month for Xianggui. "If you do a good job, there will be a reward at the end of the year."
One tael per month? Wouldn't that be twelve taels per year? Oh my God! Xiang Gui's eyes suddenly burst into flames, and she knelt down in front of Su Ruojin.
"My dear, please buy me."
Su Ruojin looked at Feng Wangtian.
The two Feng brothers were hired workers, and so was Xianggui. If they didn't do their job well, they could pay themselves and leave at any time.
(End of this chapter)
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