The next morning, Ye Sanquan resigned from his job in the workshop and went with Ye Erquan and Zhao Tieniu to Baiweilou to take measurements.
Ye Caiping had considered who could fill the vacancy.
After looking around, I thought of my three cousins, but only Wuquan was unemployed.
The reason why Wuquan wasn't recruited was because we wanted someone from my second uncle's family to do farm work.
Now that Sanquan has job freedom, he can also do farm work.
So Wuquan took over Sanquan's work position.
Wu Quan's wife brought a basket of salted eggs and two packets of brown sugar.
Although Wu Quan's wife only got married last year, she is not young, already twenty years old. It seems that she delayed marriage for several years because of the mourning period.
She placed the salted egg on the table shyly: "This salted egg was given to me by my family. The yolk is sandy and oily. My husband's aunt just thought it was something new to try."
Ye Caiping happily accepted it: "I like salted eggs, thank you. Oh, you called me the child's aunt? You..."
Wu Quan's wife blushed immediately: "It was only three months ago yesterday..."
Grandma Ye and Madam Du immediately smiled: "Oh my, our Ye family is going to have a big, fat grandson at the end of the year!"
Ye Caiping smiled.
After chatting for a while, Wu Quan's wife left.
In the evening, after the workshop closed, Ye Caiping went to the workshop to distribute wages.
After receiving their wages, everyone exclaimed in surprise: "Wasn't I supposed to get 30 coins a day? How come I only got one tael of silver? Also, we all had two days off! It should have been 840 coins!"
Ye Caiping smiled and said, "The two days off will still be paid. If you take another day off, one day will be deducted. Also, the extra 100 coins is a bonus. Everyone will get it as long as they work hard. If anyone slacks off, it will be deducted."
The workshop workers were excited and happy, each one as energetic as if they had been injected with chicken blood: "Don't worry, we will all do our best."
Life was peaceful and serene. It must be said that as long as the Duchess was ignored, life was quite good.
On the third day of the third month, the Duchess's servants finally arrived.
More than twenty guards, along with four maids and five old women, filled Ye Caiping's courtyard to the brim.
The Duchess lay in the side room, while the servants all knelt outside, saying, "Madam..."
The scale of the event was incredible.
Ye Caiping stood in the courtyard and said with a smile, "Is Madam going back today?"
The Duchess was still in her room. Her injuries had healed considerably, though she still felt a slight ache, but it didn't prevent her from walking.
"Go back and change your clothes." The Duchess gave Ye Caiping a cold look.
These past few days, Ye Caiping has been so busy that she hasn't come to her room again, which has made the Duchess somewhat angry.
How could a small farmer be so disrespectful to her?
The Duchess had been watching all the trivial matters in Ye Caiping's household these past few days, such as building an outhouse and sending salted eggs, which were all rather unseemly.
At this moment, all her servants were kneeling in the courtyard, but she wouldn't let them get up.
This display was meant to show the farmer how important her status was.
Granny Yu closed the door, helped the Duchess change into a new set of clothes, and then adorned her head with jewels. With the support of two maids, she walked out step by step.
Old Mrs. Ye and Madam Du had never seen such luxurious attire before. That golden hair and that outfit... tsk tsk, even if they sold all of them, they couldn't afford it.
Ye Caiping laughed.
Is it meaningful for a top nobleman to deliberately show off in front of farmers like them?
"The carriage is already waiting outside, Madam, please." Granny Yu said in a low voice.
The Duchess said calmly, "Xiaoxue, take out 50 taels."
In the crowd, a young maidservant bowed and handed a box to Ye Caiping. Inside were five ten-tael silver ingots.
"Thank you for taking care of me during this time, Madam Ye."
Ye Caiping's face darkened. Not only her, but even Old Madam Ye and the others were speechless.
Ye Caiping said, "Madam... let's not even talk about the food and drink we've had during this time. That silk quilt alone must have cost more than fifty taels."
Lady Pingguo's face darkened slightly. Xiaoxue exclaimed, "Madam Ye...you...this silk quilt is from your family, isn't it? This fifty taels of silver, isn't it enough for Madam and the nanny's food and drink for the time being?"
As he spoke, the way he looked at Ye Caiping was like that of a greedy person.
The Duchess of Pingguo also had an expression of "I knew it."
Ye Caiping laughed in exasperation: "Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. I don't want your thanks, Madam, nor do I want your money for the meal. As for this silk quilt, it was Madam who wanted to buy it."
“Our farming family really can’t afford such a precious thing. Since you’ve slept with it, it’s yours. You can take it with you.”
"The bedding was bought for you, Madam, for a total of 82 taels. Now that you don't want to give it to me... I dare not accept it either, so I'll just consider it an act of charity. Please take the silk bedding back with you, Madam."
He shook his head, giving a "whatever" look.
These words put the Duchess and her entourage in an awkward position, making her seem like an ungrateful wretch who not only didn't appreciate it but also wanted to take advantage of them!
The Duchess of Pingguo's lips twitched, and she glared coldly at Xiaoxue: "I haven't finished speaking yet, what nonsense are you spouting?"
Xiaoxue shrank her neck.
As she spoke, she looked at Ye Caiping and smiled, "Madam Ye, you've misunderstood. This 50 taels is just for the meal. I was just about to ask you about the silk quilt when you got anxious, and then Xiaoxue talked nonsense, which is why you misunderstood."
In doing so, Ye Caiping was accused of judging a gentleman by her own petty standards.
"Granny Yu, take out another 100 taels. This is for the silk quilt, and the rest is for Madam Ye's errand fee."
Seeing that she was trying to make amends, Ye Caiping naturally wanted to save face for her.
If she were to stubbornly pretend to be aloof and say she didn't want 100 taels, but only 82 taels, that would be a slap in the face to the Duchess.
He smiled and said, "Thank you, Madam."
Lady Pingguo finally felt a sense of relief. When she had just given 50 taels, she felt that even giving one more coin would have been too much. This time, for the sake of face, even giving another 100 taels would have been worthwhile.
"Madam Ye, thank you for taking care of me during this time. I will take my leave now."
The Duchess smiled, and surrounded by servants, she went out the gate and got into her carriage.
The convoy departed in a grand procession.
The villagers couldn't help but marvel at the magnificent convoy.
Ye Caiping and her family walked out the door and watched them leave.
Granny Zhao rushed to Ye Caiping's side: "What kind of distinguished guest is this?"
Ye Caiping said, "Oh, the merchants who cooperate with us have been staying here for a few days."
The villagers, including Granny Zhao, didn't ask any more questions. They just praised the caravan for being so impressive, as it was all made of horses and even the servants' clothes were so nice.
Ye Caiping quickly pulled Ye Daquan: "Brother, let's follow them."
Ye Caiping was afraid that the Duchess would run into Li Jiaojiao; given the powerful plot twists, she felt it was very likely.
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