Chapter 286 A Capable General
When Aunt Zhang mentioned Uncle Gu, her face was filled with displeasure. "What good could come of him coming to our house?"
"He took a piece of torn paper from who knows how many years ago, saying that your grandfather owed him a debt!"
Gu Xixi was stunned. As far as the original owner could remember, it seemed that she had never heard Gu Baopi mention this matter.
"Did he say what he owed and how much?"
Aunt Zhang shook her head. "No, he knew you were not at home, so he had to wait until you came back to tell him."
Gu Xixi washed her hands and said, "Then let him wait."
"I have to go to the border tomorrow."
Now everyone in the village follows Gu Xixi in growing corn, except Grandpa Gu's family.
He didn't collect the debt earlier or later, but chose to dig up the old debt at this time, which was obviously intended to vent his anger.
Aunt Zhang said distressedly, "Why are you leaving again just after coming back? You don't even take a break!"
Gu Xixi looked back and smiled, "As long as we get through this busy period, we'll have plenty of free time to rest at home."
As she walked towards her room, she said, "I'm going to change my clothes. If Uncle Chen comes later, please ask him to wait for a while."
He Jinglan smiled at Aunt Zhang and followed Gu Xixi into the house.
Aunt Zhang shook her head and said, "You asked Lao Chen to come home. Is there something going on? He is really busy all the time."
Inside the house, as the two of them changed their clothes, He Jinglan sighed, "I'm so happy that I can finally go to the border again."
"When I came back, there was still no trace of Master Liu."
"Since I've been away for the past few days, the village school has been closed. If I go out again, wouldn't I be as irresponsible as Master Liu?"
Gu Xixi said with some amusement, "Don't complain. Wasn't it Master Liu who took care of you when you went out a few times before?"
He Jinglan pouted in grievance, "Master Liu must have thought the same thing! He just knew I was in the village school, so he kept delaying and refused to come back!"
She threw herself at Gu Xixi and pretended to cry, "I can't go this time."
"You must be careful!"
"Give my regards to Aunt Lin and the others!"
"Watch the sunrise for me. I like the sunrise over the border the best!"
"Oh, I left behind that wolf-hair brush, which was made by Meng Chengping himself. I didn't want it anymore. If you find it, please bring it back to me."
"And the baby we helped deliver, please help me take a look at him and hold him!"
…
Every time He Jinglan made a request, Gu Xixi would agree with a smile, which was really doting on her.
At sunset, Chen Dafu came to Gu Xixi's house.
Aunt Zhang moved a small stool for him to sit on in the yard, and brought him a large bowl of cold porridge.
"You must be thirsty from working. Have a drink and take a break. I'll go call Xixi over."
Chen Dafu took the bowl and thanked him, and after drinking it, his mouth was filled with saliva.
Aunt Zhang cooked the porridge in the afternoon, and she deliberately put less corn and red beans in it, so that people could mainly drink the soup.
It was cooked in advance and let cool. The soup was smooth, sweet and refreshing. It was originally prepared to be served with pancakes for dinner.
Seeing Gu Xixi coming out, Chen Dafu immediately stood up and said, "Boss."
Gu Xixi smiled and said, "I told you not to be so polite. Uncle Chen, please sit down."
Chen Dafu sat down calmly and said, "The boss passed by the field this afternoon and told me that he was looking for someone. I wonder what he was looking for?"
Gu Xixi talked about the farm. "I have recently transplanted tea trees and planted half an acre of fruit and vegetable fields. In the initial stage, I still need to take care of everything myself. I still need to hire someone to do the daily care and basic farm work."
"This hired worker is different from you. He doesn't get a share of the harvest, but the work he does is not hard, and he is paid 500 yuan a month."
"There is a utility room in the farm, which can be used as a temporary residence. There is also a place to cook, and the hired workers can bring their own meals or bring food to cook."
Chen Dafu listened and nodded slightly seriously.
After Gu Xixi finished her request, Chen Dafu said, "It's easy to find someone."
"The boss only grows these few crops. His daily work is watering, fertilizing, weeding and pest control, and also looking after the farm. Five hundred coins is a lot."
"However, since it is the boss's own property, we must find someone who is honest, reliable, and clean."
Gu Xixi smiled, "That's right."
She also didn't want to go to the farm and find it covered in shit and urine one day.
Chen Dafu frowned and thought for a while, then suddenly realized, "Oh, right, I have a candidate."
"She is a widow named Wu in our village. Although she is a woman, she is naturally strong and can do farm work as well as a strong man. She also likes to be clean. As a woman, she is always more careful than ordinary men."
Gu Xixi was surprised, "She is so hardworking, doesn't she need to cultivate her own fields?"
Chen Dafu sighed, "Well, her husband died of illness last year, and her husband's family disliked her for only giving birth to two girls, saying they wanted to divide the family, but in fact, they didn't give any house or land to the three of them, which was equivalent to driving them out."
Gu Xixi frowned, "This is too much."
Chen Dafu said, "Who says it's not true? This woman is really pitiful. I heard that there are not many people in her family."
"The villagers saw that they really had nowhere to go, so the village chief had to negotiate with her husband's family and helped them to get two dilapidated houses in his old house, so they finally had a place to stay."
Gu Xixi asked, "How do they live during this period?"
Chen Dafu said, "I also heard it from my wife. That woman is very strong. She often goes to the shoe shop along the official road to help people wash shoes and earn some money."
"I've been to that kind of place. The people who stay there are all poor people passing through. The bedding on the big bunk bed is shiny black."
"It's really hard to clean. In winter, my wife's hands were frozen like radishes and covered with chilblains."
After hearing this, Gu Xixi had already made a judgment.
She said seriously, "It's her."
Chen Dafu was a loyal and kind person, and he was happy for Widow Wu. "Okay, I'll go back and tell my wife, and ask her to tell Widow Wu."
After all, there are always a lot of gossips around widows, and Old Chen has to avoid suspicion!
Gu Xixi nodded and said, "I have to go out for the next two days, so I'll trouble my aunt to tell her that if she is willing, she can go to the farm to try working for a few days."
"When I come back and check if she is suitable, I can give her the first month's salary in advance, and she can also bring her daughter to live in the farm afterwards."
Chen Dafu was a little excited, "Boss, you saved the three of them! She must be happy!"
Gu Xixi smiled slightly and said, "I also live in the farm occasionally. As a woman, it is more convenient for me."
The hiring has been agreed.
Gu Xixi escorted Chen Dafu outside and said, "Although there are fifteen acres of land over there, most of it is empty."
"There are six acres of land nearby. I have decided to plant winter wheat on it. I will definitely have to hire people when the time comes."
"So I want to invite Uncle Chen to go there. We'll do the same thing as now, except Uncle Chen will have to take on the role of manager. When there are more fields in the future, I'll need someone I can trust to help me take care of the places I can't take care of."
"Of course," Gu Xixi smiled, "there will be a salary for the stewardship."
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