A woman grabbed Kang Yueran's arm and refused to let go. "Oh, Yueran, you're getting more beautiful as you get older. Not only are you beautiful, you also look wealthy."
Kang Yueran couldn't stand other people's excessive enthusiasm. She gently broke free from the woman's hand and said, "I'm going to settle the bill with the two shop owners."
After seeing off the two shopkeepers, the women gathered around Kang Yueran again.
Kang Yueran smiled and said, "Stop praising me! I bought some rice and coarse cloth, and they've already been delivered to the village head's house. You guys should hurry up and get them."
This sentence was very effective, and the women hurried to get their things.
Ye asked Kang Yueran, "Are you still going to visit your uncle's house?"
"That's our home. Uncle's house collapsed a long time ago. There's no need to go. Just pretend that no one knows each other."
Ye listened to Kang Yueran's words very much. Without saying anything more, she turned around and went back to her work.
After a while, Kang Yuanchen ran in and asked, "Yueran, are you going hunting in the mountains?"
Kang Yueran didn't want to deal with the questions from the village women at home, so she jumped up and said, "Let's go!"
When we got to the village, we found that Kang Yuanchen had organized more than ten people to go with him. "We didn't bring any bows or crossbows, so there's safety in numbers."
They were all acquaintances who could be called by name, so Kang Yueran didn't mind. "You're right, let's go!"
In the evening, the group carried the two wild boars back to the village. They took the smaller one and took the larger one to Kang Hong's house, asking him to share it with the villagers.
Kang Yuanchen's house was almost full. Many people, young and old, men and women, came and asked why Kang Yueran suddenly came back to celebrate the New Year and whether he was going to do business in Fengtou Village.
Kang Yueran was a little annoyed and loudly urged everyone to go home first and gather at the village entrance at noon tomorrow.
After breakfast, some villagers went to the village entrance to take a seat and wait.
Someone came to urge Kang Yueran to go earlier, but Kang Yueran ignored them and only went to the village entrance slowly after lunch.
Kang Hong couldn't bear the villagers' urging and told them that Kang Yueran wanted to grow cotton.
Seeing Kang Yueran coming, everyone surrounded him and started asking questions.
"Yueran, we work for you, will you also build a house for us?"
"If you don't build the house, I will give you the land in five years." She didn't want to encourage the villagers' greed.
"Yueran, do we have the holiday gifts, the monthly holidays, and the 300-wen bonus for an extra year of work?"
"There are only festival gifts, no holidays or processing fees."
Kang Yan said, "Growing cotton is different from working in a kiln, and it's right at my doorstep, so why would I need a day off?"
Villager Kang Youdu retorted, "We have no objection to not having a day off, but why can't we get a raise? Even the disaster victims in the mountain villages can get a raise. They can even have a house in eight years."
Yueran, we have the same ancestors, you can't just think about outsiders and ignore family ties."
Kang Yueran raised her hand to stop Kang Yanshun and said to everyone, "On average, each family has about four males between the ages of fifteen and forty-five.
After five years, the wasteland can be used to grow crops normally. Four people can get eight acres of land. Even if we calculate based on the lowest grade of land, one acre will earn five taels, and eight acres will earn forty taels.
The monthly wages were five hundred coins, which for four men was two taels of silver, twenty-four taels a year, and one hundred and twenty taels for five years. All together, it was one hundred and sixty taels.
I haven't calculated the income from the eight acres of land in five years. If any of you feel it's not suitable, you don't have to come. I won't force you."
Kang Yanshun continued, "Who among you can earn 160 taels of silver in five years? Yue Ran is already losing money, so don't be ungrateful!"
He pointed at an old man in the crowd and said, "You have six sons and four grandsons who are all old enough. That's ten people. How much money can they make in five years?"
The old man chuckled and said, "Chief, please don't point at me. I don't think it's inappropriate."
Do you really think he is stupid? Ten people, the monthly salary alone is five taels, which is sixty taels a year, and three hundred taels in five years. There is also twenty acres of land, which is much more valuable than a house.
He has many sons and daughters-in-law, and with the money he earns from spinning and weaving, we'll see how his family lives in five years.
Everyone in the village was silently calculating in their hearts that those with more sons would naturally be suitable, but those with fewer sons would not be willing to do so.
"Yueran, there are only three people in my family who are suitable. Five years of earnings is too little. Can you lower the age limit a little, to between ten and forty-five?"
Kang Hong was very angry. "Can a ten-year-old child farm? There's nothing we can do about the small population. Other families put in 100% of their effort and can eat dry rice, but your family only puts in 30% of the effort and can only eat porridge. This is fair!"
"Village head, those with a larger population already live better than us. If they continue to do this, how are we going to survive in the future?"
If you can feed so many mouths, your life won't be too bad.
Kang Yanshun felt very ashamed. He and Kang Hong asked Kang Youzhao to call Kang Yueran back to celebrate the New Year. They indeed intended to ask Kang Yueran to help the villagers, but he did not expect that the villagers were so shameless.
"As I said before, if you think it's suitable, then work with Yue Ran. If you think it's not suitable, then go out and find work based on your own abilities. We won't force you."
The young man spoke again, "Yueran, aren't you still selling porcelain in the city? Why don't you just let me go? I'm smart and I can definitely make a lot of money for you."
The owner of the colored porcelain shop was paid well, and it seemed the villagers had heard about it. "The colored porcelain shop has enough employees, no need to hire any more."
"What about Heshun Wharf?"
Kang Yueran's expression turned stern. "You can't do any work where I work that makes more money than growing cotton. And the work that makes less money than growing cotton is also very tiring."
Seeing that the man wanted to speak, Kang Yueran made the decision first, "After the New Year, I will send someone to sign a contract with you. If you think it is suitable, then sign it. If not, then don't sign it. I will never force you!
"Everyone, go back and think about it carefully, or discuss it. Okay, let's all go!" After saying that, he walked away.
"She's leaving now? No more discussions?"
Kang Yanshun scolded, "What are you discussing? Isn't what Yue Ran said clear?"
He said to everyone again: "Let's disperse and go home to discuss it!" After that, he winked at Kang Hong, and the two of them left.
Those who could make decisions had all left, and there was no point in staying, so the villagers went back home in groups of three or four.
After Kang Yanshun and Kang Hong left, they went to Kang Yuanchen's house to talk to Kang Yueran. Both of them felt very guilty, but Kang Yueran was very open-minded and comforted them in return.
But being open-minded is not enough. "Now that the villagers have enough to eat, the next step is to make their lives better. Why don't I build a school in the village and invite two teachers to teach the villagers to read and write?"
"Men and women, regardless of age, as long as they are willing to learn to read, can come to the school. I will pay for the construction of the school and the hiring of teachers. Villagers do not need to pay tuition to learn to read, they just need to buy some pens and ink."
Kang Yanshun was stunned for a moment and then felt even more ashamed, "Yueran, the villagers only want to take advantage of you. It's rare that you still care about them."
Kang Hong couldn't hold back his tears again, "Yueran is a good child with a kind heart, and he never forgets his roots!"
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