Chapter 447 Tea Garden Work Begins
Lu Jing said calmly, "No, I still have a lot to learn from my boss."
"If I have the chance in the future, I will ask Manager Liao for advice."
Shopkeeper Liao nodded and sighed, "Oh, otherwise I would always say that Boss Gu is good at choosing people!"
"I really envy you for your vision!"
"If I hire someone in the future, I'd like to ask Boss Gu to give me a sanction, hahahaha..."
Gu Xixi caught a glimpse of Manager Liao's clerk and the accountant, and saw that their faces changed slightly, and she smiled in her heart.
"Shopkeeper Liao is really good at joking."
"If you keep praising me like this, I'll be flattered."
The two looked at each other and laughed out loud.
Even after selling this batch of grain, there is still no free time.
The three fields in the village, the farm and outside the county town will soon begin preparations for the next farming season.
The hired workers have to do cleaning, plowing, spreading base fertilizer, watering, etc.
Gu Xixi has to prepare the seeds herself.
Screening, drying seeds, and soaking medicine.
Fortunately, this season we planted corn and intercropped a small amount of winter vegetables. The hired workers have been doing this for two years and are all skilled workers.
Gu Xixi only needs to mention the key points and everyone will know what to do.
Three days later, construction began on the tea garden.
Because it was a sloping land that had been abandoned for many years, it would take a lot of time and manpower just to clear the land.
These tasks do not require any special agricultural skills; anyone who is a strong laborer who knows how to do farm work can do them.
Therefore, after Jiang Mingyuan discussed with Gu Xixi in advance, they decided that the government would recruit a group of local workers.
The wages are 10% higher than the daily wages of dock laborers.
In addition, a few cooks were hired to cook in a big pot in the tea garden.
Four meals a day, with plenty of oil and water, to ensure everyone can work at full capacity.
The wages are high, the food is good, and the government's reputation is guaranteed.
As soon as these conditions were released, long queues formed at the tea garden’s recruitment office the next day.
After everything was ready and work had officially started, Jiang Mingyuan sent a message to Gu Xixi asking her to come over when she was free.
It was just past noon and Gu Xixi and Lu Jing had just returned from the orchard.
The weather becomes hotter and hotter after the beginning of the dog days.
Aunt Zhang made some vegetarian pancakes and another dish of cold white meat.
Considering that it is easy to lose appetite in the hot summer, we usually eat sour and spicy cold foods.
But Gu Xixi was tired and hot, so she couldn't eat for the time being, so she just took a bowl of fresh apricot iced tea and drank it in small sips.
Lu Jing took a bite of the burrito and asked, "Master Jiang said that the tea garden has started construction. When do you plan to go and see it?"
"Tomorrow." Gu Xixi said without raising her head.
Shitou raised his hand excitedly, "I want to go too! The school is closed tomorrow!"
Aunt Zhang came over with a bowl of homemade pepper leaf sauce and gently patted Shitou on the back of his head.
"Where are you going?"
"If you ask me, no one is allowed to go! Can't we just rest at home on such a hot day?"
"Other people's wheat has been harvested, at least they can eat and sleep to relax."
"Your sister Xixi is so good. She has not been quiet for a moment since she came back from the border. She is spinning here and there like a top."
"If it keeps going like this, even the strongest man can't stand it!"
Gu Xixi knew that Aunt Zhang was worried about her, so she smiled and said, "I won't go out this afternoon. I'll just rest at home."
"We'll just be taking a look at the tea garden tomorrow morning. I don't have to do anything myself, so it won't be tiring."
Aunt Zhang sat down, put a few slices of meat on Gu Xixi's plate, and then rolled the pancake herself.
"How could I not know you? It's easy to lose appetite when it's hot, and when you're tired, you'll have even less appetite."
"Look, it's only been a few days and you've lost a lot of weight!"
Complaints aside, I still feel more heartbroken.
Aunt Zhang handed the rolled pancake to Gu Xixi and coaxed her, "Be good, at least eat a few bites."
"I soaked the beans and will grind the soy milk this afternoon. I'll give you some tofu pudding."
Gu Xixi didn't want Aunt Zhang to worry, so she took a big bite and smiled, "Mm! Delicious!"
In the past, when Gu Xixi couldn’t eat, Aunt Zhang would cook special meals for her.
For example, after the tender tofu pudding has cooled down, it is poured with honey juice made by mixing honey and sugar in a specific proportion.
Finally, add a spoonful of rose jam for flavor.
Even when Gu Xixi has no appetite, she can still eat two bowls in one go.
Shitou looked at this, then looked at that, grinned and said the essence:
"Grandma Zhang always treats Sister Xixi like a child."
"So what?" Aunt Zhang's face turned serious, then she smiled again. "Even if your sister Xixi is 70 or 80 years old in the future, she will still be a little kid in front of me."
Aunt Zhang said as she put some meat on Lu Jing and Shitou, "The same goes for you two."
"You're all growing, you need to eat more!"
Lu Jing felt warm in her heart. "Auntie eats meat too, don't just give it to us, you won't be able to bear to part with it yourself."
When she first came, she envied Gu Xixi for having so many family members around her.
But now she has integrated into this family.
Gu Xixi, Lu Jing, and Shitou exchanged glances, and everyone worked together to fill Aunt Zhang's small bowl in a blink of an eye.
Aunt Zhang laughed, "You're really worried that the cook will be hungry!"
Having said that, you can tell she's very happy.
The whole family continued to eat.
Aunt Zhang was relieved to see that Xixi was gradually enjoying her food. She asked, "Are you still going to the tea garden tomorrow?"
"I just heard from Jingjing that Magistrate Jiang didn't force you to go. He told you to go when you are free."
Gu Xixi said, "Let's go there. The tea garden was originally jointly run by the government and me."
"I am a farmer, and he is an official."
"The government has saved me a lot of trouble, so I shouldn't be too complacent, right?"
Aunt Zhang was reasonable after all. She sighed and nodded, "That's right."
"We are related to Magistrate Jiang, but the more so, the more cautious we must be."
"After all, Magistrate Jiang is not the only one in the government office. There are so many eyes and mouths."
Seeing that Aunt Zhang agreed, Gu Xixi winked at Shi Tou.
"Didn't you say that Mr. Song taught you to read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles?"
"Now that you have this opportunity, you should go out and broaden your horizons."
Shitou widened his eyes in surprise and saw Gu Xixi winking at him again.
The clever Shitou immediately turned to Aunt Zhang and said pitifully, "Grandma..."
"Go, go!" Aunt Zhang raised her hand.
"I can't control the big one, so I just let the small one go!"
Stone jumped up from the stool with joy.
"That's great! I knew grandma loved me the most, she would definitely agree!"
After Gu Xixi laughed, she remembered the prescription that she had hit a bottleneck last night and asked:
"Did the master say where he was going to see a patient?"
Now Aunt Zhang knows the old doctor's whereabouts very well, even better than Gu Xixi, his apprentice.
Aunt Zhang said, "There is a wealthy family named Wang in Qingtian County. His daughter-in-law has not gotten pregnant for three years after marriage."
"I heard it wasn't an emergency. I didn't want him, at his age, to run to the city in the hot sun."
"But Old Ginger said that this kind of consultation is the easiest and makes more money, so I had to take it."
"Fortunately, that family is a decent person. They got up early and sent a carriage to pick up Old Jiangtou."
"He can also see several other patients in the city."
Aunt Zhang guessed that Gu Xixi was busy and said, "He said he would come back tonight."
Gu Xixi returned to her room and found the black wooden box containing money left by Gu Baopi from under the bed.
She unlocked the door and looked at the banknotes, silver bars and copper coins inside.
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