In less than half an hour, Tian Sangui, who was gathering weeds, heard excited chattering coming from behind him, getting closer and closer.
She straightened up and turned around, and good heavens, her jaw almost dropped!
There were about twenty or thirty children behind her, ranging from fifteen or sixteen to seven or eight years old, their big eyes blinking and their small eyes blinking.
With her bright red lips parted, she waited for Tian Sangui to assign her tasks.
Wang Erwa jumped down from the collapsed wall and stood beside her, instinctively covering his head with his hands.
He pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, making a short, crisp sound, and at the same time winked at her with his right eye, as if to ask for her praise.
"Impressive, isn't it? Everyone in the village, big and small, is here!"
Tian Sangui was overjoyed. He nudged Wang Erwazi in the chest with his elbow and praised him, "You're something else! Impatient!"
Wang Erwazi was deeply hurt by her words and quickly covered his chest, bending over to endure the pain.
"And...me...I'm a goofball!"
The last chubby guy was barely dressed, and his wide, dark eyes were full of pure kindness.
He sucked on his short, chubby thumb and ran to them as fast as he could.
He slowly recommended himself in a childish voice.
Caught off guard, Wang Erwazi, still holding his hand, continued, "And there's also...Hanwazi?"
What can you do?
The simple-minded boy quickened his pace and answered loudly, "I...I can...do...work!"
With that one sentence, Wang Erwazi turned to Tian Sangui and said, "Look, you said you'd take anyone who can work!"
"Of course, what I, Tian Sangui, say always stands!"
"If you want to work for me, I have to make the terms clear upfront: the wage is ten coins per person per day. If you work this afternoon, that's five coins for half a day. When you finish work in the evening, come find me, Tian Sangui, to settle your accounts. Once the day is settled, I will never go back on my word!"
Tian Sangui loudly announced her rules and prices for doing business here.
Don't underestimate them just because they're children. When they get home in the evening, their families will naturally know whether what Tian Sangui said is true or false.
Tomorrow, the workers will be at Tian Sangui's disposal, and she can choose whichever she wants to use.
Those who weren't chosen will naturally hate Zhang Gui when they get back. If it weren't for her making things up, they would have already signed up and made a fortune. How could they let Tian Sangui pick and choose them?
Zhang Gui is the most despicable, so what if she plays the villain for once? She's happy to be carefree.
When the young soldiers heard that they would get paid after work in the evening, their faces lit up with joy and their spirits soared.
"What are you waiting for, San Gui? Tell me what to do! We can't wait any longer!"
"Yes, hurry up and tell me, what do you want to say?"
The atmosphere at this moment was exactly what Tian Sangui had expected.
She cleared her throat: "Look at your feet, clear away the stones and waist-high weeds, the big ones in front, the small ones behind, line them up in a row."
Following Tian Sangui's instructions, the young soldiers began to line up and stand in an orderly fashion.
"The three of you and the simpleton together should take baskets and collect the weeds and stones from everyone's hands, then arrange them in a line for easy cleanup later!"
"Did you all understand?"
It's so simple; anyone with a simple mind can understand it immediately.
"Understood!"
"Alright, everyone to your positions, let's begin!"
At Tian Sangui's command, the children, big and small, were full of excitement and moved forward quickly to get to work.
They were all used to doing farm work since they were young, and their hands moved quickly and efficiently, without any hesitation or slackness.
Children don't have the cunning and slyness of adults, and they are the most honest when it comes to work.
To be honest, Tian Sangui really liked these child soldiers.
As the sun began to set, Zhang, having rested well, regained her energy.
When she came out, she saw that Tian Sangui had led a group of children to work halfway up the mountain.
She was worried that no one would help her and what she would do with all the work.
She strode over to Tian Sangui's side, bent down, and picked up the stone.
"San Gui, where did you find so many children?"
Tian Sangui chuckled and said, "I didn't find it myself, Wang Erwazi helped me find it. What do you think, Mother?"
"Your work speed is no worse than an adult's, is it?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang turned around and looked at them: "They are indeed capable. You must pay the children the same wages as adults, so they don't think we can't afford it and then not come tomorrow!"
Zhang's concerns stemmed from Zhang Gui's influence.
Tian Sangui knew perfectly well: "Don't worry, Mother, I've already talked to them. They'll pay Lord An's wages, and I'll settle the bill with them after work!"
"Okay, Mom supports you. If you don't have enough money on you, take this first. We're not going to steam buns, we're going to fight for our pride and show the villagers whether we can afford to pay the workers!"
Thinking about what happened that afternoon, Zhang still felt aggrieved.
This time, we must regain our lost face no matter what.
Let Zhang Gui slap himself in the face.
"Alright, if I run out of money, I'll definitely ask Mother to make up the difference!"
Tian Sangui comforted Zhang Shi, and having gained her daughter's trust, the anger in her heart slowly dissipated.
As the setting sun disappeared behind the highest mountain peak, Tian Sangui announced that work was done.
The children jumped and cheered, eagerly awaiting the moment when Tian Sangui would hand out the money.
She took out the money bag she had prepared beforehand and distributed the money by the mountain road where they would meet in the afternoon.
Each child received five coins, and the children happily ran down the hillside, eagerly rushing home to show them off.
They can earn five coins too!
Finally, fifteen coins were given to Aunt Wang and her two sons.
Strangely, the two little kids didn't smile at their mother, but they grinned at her. Why was that?
She didn't know, but Wang Erwazi, who was squatting behind her, knew very well.
He secretly squinted, staring intently at the two boys.
Those two bastards, we should give them a good talking to when we get the chance. They dare to look at anyone, they've got some nerve, haven't they?
My mood suddenly sank. I picked up a small stone, and with a surge of anger, I flung it out, cutting the tall, tender green weeds in half!
"Wang Er?"
"......"
"Wang Er?"
"......"
What's going on? Why isn't she responding?
Turning around, I saw him squatting on the ground, playing with pebbles, looking sullen.
Tian Sangui took a deep breath and shouted at him, "Wang Erwazi?"
"Why!"
"What?"
He finally heard her calling him, so he quickly dropped the stones and ran to Tian Sangui.
"Here, thank you for calling help and solving my immediate problem. This is your payment!"
Wang Erwa was stunned. He also got paid. The ten coins he was given last time were still not spent. And now he was being given a lot more money.
"Hehe, I got a share too!"
In his joy, he made sure to wipe his hands clean, afraid that he might get Tian Sangui's hands dirty when he received the money.
"Thanks to you this time, I can forget everyone else but you. Here you go!"
Tian Sangui stuffed ten coins into his hand.
After reading it, Wang Erwazi's face lit up, and the gloom in his heart dissipated.
"Then I'll take it for now, and I'll buy you candy tomorrow!"
Tian Sangui smiled wryly. When did this Wang Erwa learn to flatter people?
Sigh, the world is full of wonders. Whether she pleases him or not, she has to go home and cook!
What should we eat tonight?
Let's make a steamed egg custard. I haven't had it in a long time, and it's making my mouth water.
Fry another batch of cumin-flavored mashed potatoes, add some ketchup, and it's crispy, tangy, and delicious!
Stir-fry two plates of garlic-flavored lean pork slices and make a bowl of seaweed soup.
Let's just have something simple to eat!
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