The dog ran in with the letter, its face beaming with joy.
He hadn't opened it yet, thinking he wanted to show it to his mother first.
Jiang Jiuniang reached out to take it and was about to open it when Zhang Saozi thought it might be inconvenient for her to be there, so she got up to find an excuse to leave.
As soon as he stood up, Jiang Jiuniang grabbed him and said, "Sister-in-law, don't go. It's just an ordinary family letter. It's nothing. Besides, I have something important to tell you later."
Hearing her say that, Sister Zhang sat down again and continued making her little shoes, without disturbing Jiang Jiuniang and Gou'er reading the letter.
Jiang Jiuniang opened the letter and saw the familiar handwriting; it was indeed written by Lianhua.
He told her that the people she needed had been arranged, and also mentioned the business in the capital. He then mentioned his family members one by one, saying that everyone was doing well and there was no need to worry. However, he reminded Jiang Jiuniang that she should be careful during her pregnancy and not overwork herself.
At the end of the envelope, Lotus said she had prepared a surprise for her, but she couldn't tell her yet; she would find out when it arrived.
"This little girl is playing mysterious with me!"
Jiang Jiuniang smiled and closed the letter, knowing that her task was completed. She then said to Sister Zhang, "Sister-in-law, I have something I'd like to discuss with you. I wonder if you would be willing to do me a favor."
She held Zhang's hand, her eyes filled with a hint of coquetry.
Thinking that she wanted her to do something for her, Sister Zhang immediately said, "Just tell me what it is, and I'll definitely take care of it for you!"
If she hadn't been holding a needle and thread, she would have patted her chest and promised.
"Hehe, since you're so straightforward, sister-in-law, I'll just say it directly. I'm thinking of setting up a few workshops in the village and opening a few shops in the city. I'll hire some female workers to do the work. We don't come here often, so we can't take care of many things. I'd like to ask you to help me manage things and keep an eye on things for me."
She tried to keep her words simple so that Sister Zhang could understand her meaning instantly.
Sister-in-law Zhang did understand, but she was stunned for a moment.
“Jiu Niang, I know it’s a good thing that you want to set up a workshop in the village and help our villagers improve their lives. If possible, I would also like to find a job in your workshop to earn some money to supplement our household income. But you asked me to be the manager… I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it well. I’m just a rural woman with little experience…”
As Zhang said this, she nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, her heart pounding. She was overwhelmed with gratitude, but also extremely apprehensive, feeling that she couldn't do a good job of what Jiang Jiuniang had asked her to do.
“Sister-in-law, don’t rush to refuse. Let me explain. The reason I chose you is threefold. First, you are the person I know and trust most in this village. I feel more at ease entrusting this matter to you than to anyone else. Second, you are a very decisive person. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to manage your family so well. I admire that about you. Third, I will send some people from the capital to assist you. If there is anything you don’t understand, just ask them directly. Don’t be embarrassed. If you don’t know something, just learn it. There’s nothing shameful about it.”
“This is an idea I’ve had for a long time. This world is unfair to us women. There are many things that women are not allowed to participate in, but I’m going to go against the grain. My shops and workshops will hire both men and women, but mainly women. After all, there are some heavy jobs that women can’t do, so it’s more suitable to hire men. I know that you are also an ambitious person and would definitely like to help more women, so please agree to my request!”
Jiang Jiuniang had wanted to bring this up with Zhang Saozi for a while, but she was worried that Lianhua hadn't trained the people yet, so she kept waiting for news. Now that she could finally talk about it, Jiang Jiuniang poured out everything she wanted to say.
Influenced by Sun Shi, Zhang's wife had always managed her husband and son well at home. Zhang Youwei was also a good man, and the family was very happy. Later, she even sent her youngest daughter to work as an accountant. This shows that she hoped that women could also have a good future, which did not necessarily depend on marrying into a good family, but on their own efforts.
Aunt Zhang's mind was in a mess. She never expected that Jiang Jiuniang would think so highly of her and entrust her with such an important task. What would happen if she didn't do it well?
"How about this, didn't you send people over? Can I learn from them for a while before I start managing things properly?"
She licked her lips, still looking somewhat nervous.
“No,” Jiang Jiuniang shook her head without thinking. “A manager needs to have a certain authority. You have to act like a manager from the beginning so that everyone will submit to you. Otherwise, it will be difficult to manage later.”
People from the capital are bound to be a bit arrogant. If Sister Zhang is inferior from the start, it will be too difficult for her to take over power from them later.
There is bound to be competition between people, but Jiang Jiuniang didn't want Zhang Saozi to go through those things, so it was best to arrange everything from the beginning.
"But don't worry, sister-in-law, I'll stay here until I finish my postpartum confinement. I'll teach you everything and help you establish your authority in the workshop, so don't worry."
If we're going to do it, we should do it thoroughly so that Sister Zhang can feel at ease.
Zhang's wife breathed a sigh of relief; it was good that Jiu Niang was there, and she instantly felt much more relaxed.
He pulled Jiang Jiuniang aside and said, "But business here is probably not doing too well. Wouldn't it be a bad idea for you to do so many businesses at once? Why don't you try doing one thing first and then gradually expand?"
Sister Zhang's words were well thought out; she neither offended Jiang Jiu Niang nor failed to offer the right advice.
Jiang Jiuniang understood what she meant and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, I'm confident. We focus on making money from the rich."
Hearing her say that, Sister Zhang was relieved and said with great emotion, "Jiu Niang, thank you. You are always thinking of us. I really don't know how to thank you enough."
"What's the big deal? This is our family's roots. Now that our family is doing well, it's only right that we help the villagers. I hope everyone gets better and better."
Then she added, "Sister-in-law, I've told you about this matter. After that, please keep an eye out for hardworking, honest, and virtuous women in our village and the surrounding villages. Young girls are fine too, but it would be best if they were clever, quick-witted, and eloquent, so it would be easier for me to arrange jobs for them in the shop. If you know any reliable people in your family, you can also arrange a few for me."
To put it simply, they wanted to support Zhang's family, and Zhang was instantly moved to tears.
Jiang Jiuniang knew that Zhang's family was a good family; they had taken care of her family when they fled famine, so they were reliable. Such people deserved her help.
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