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"A total of 342 girls were brought in this time. Seventy-seven were under five, 231 were over five, and 34 were older, looking about ten years old." After a pause, Aunt Sun said carefully, "Those who are five or six can still do odd jobs, but those who are too young probably can't."
Aunt Sun was one of the first women in the Sun family to work. She had helped care for the children in the main camp, and now on the island, she took on the responsibility of the nursery, helping to look after the children of the nurses, cooks, and female soldiers. However, no matter how skilled she was, the sudden appearance of so many little girls made her feel a little confused. If they were older, it would be fine, but if they couldn't even walk steadily, she couldn't just keep them alive, could she?
This had been arranged long ago. Cheng Xi said directly: "For those over ten years old, keep a few who are nimble and send the others ashore to work in the cloth workshop first. Those over five years old can be assigned to the kitchen and the hospital to help with odd jobs. And you should also keep a few smart ones on your side, so that they can help when the nursery expands in the future. Raise the rest of the younger ones first, and all expenses will be charged to me."
This made Aunt Sun feel relieved, but she couldn't help but advise, "The gang leader is kind-hearted. It's not a big deal to have a few babies. But having too many girls is always a problem. We can't take care of them all."
How many people are there in the nursery now? It's not easy to manage the feeding, drinking, and defecation of three or four hundred children. And they're all girls. I'm afraid they won't be able to go out to work until they're ten years old. They're not as useful as boys.
Cheng Xi knew what she was thinking: "In a normal family, a five or six-year-old girl can help her younger siblings and do some odd jobs. Now she just works in a different place. You all get paid. Although they work a little less, they eat and use less. It shouldn't be a problem for them to support themselves, right?"
This was truly unexpected, stumping Aunt Sun. After a long pause, she finally said, "But, but those are just trivial chores..."
"No matter how trivial the work is, someone has to do it, and hiring someone will cost a lot. If they are both young children, girls will probably do more work than boys. Auntie, you have also taken care of children, don't you know?" Cheng Xi asked back.
This was a difficult question to answer. Girls were just as strong as boys, and they had to help out at home, in the kitchen, and take care of their younger siblings from a young age. If they were well-taught, they would be very useful, but things would be different when they grew up! Even so, she didn't dare to object. After all, it was the gang leader who said that, and she couldn't always talk back, could she?
As if seeing through her concerns, Cheng Xi said bluntly, "It's not that boys can do more, but that most of the things girls do are not considered serious work. Washing clothes, cooking, and taking care of children—which one isn't tiring and makes people's backs ache? But who would take it seriously? Only by separating them from the small household can their value be seen. For example, with a nursery, those of you who take care of children can get a salary. The same goes for weaving, cooking, and taking care of the house."
Aunt Sun's mouth dropped open, speechless for a moment. This was exactly what she'd experienced. Back when she was taking care of the children at home, her mother-in-law despised her, her husband complained, and she worked herself to the bone, never a single good word. Now in the nursery, not only was the work easier, but the foster families fawned over her daily, trying to get her to treat their children better. They offered her a generous salary, and even her husband kindly urged her to focus on her work and not worry about the family.
Is it really that different just by taking the work away from home?
Cheng Xi didn't wait for her to react and continued, "Don't think of girls as a burden. They are just as capable as boys. When they grow up, whether they work as accountants, nurses, or take care of children in the nursery, or even just as weavers or cooks, they can all contribute to the Red Flag Gang. As long as the division of labor is clear, work efficiency will increase, and the energy saved can be used to do more work. This is true for men and women alike."
These words really broke down the truth. Even though she had little experience, Aunt Sun understood it and felt that it made sense. It was the same weaving. If you work hard at home for a month, you might not be able to weave a piece of cloth. But if you work outside, take care of children, or work as a nurse, wouldn't it be easy to buy a piece of cloth with the money you earn?
Raising these girls is just to provide an extra meal, but they can do a lot of work. Even if they just become weavers in the future, it will be enough for them!
After figuring it out, Aunt Sun nodded vigorously: "Don't worry, Boss, I will definitely make all the arrangements."
Cheng Xi smiled and nodded, then gave another instruction: "But these children are ultimately under my name, so you can't treat them harshly. From now on, they will all have the surname 'Luo', so they can be considered the children of our Luoling Island. Not just the girls, but any orphans we take in in the future will also have the surname Luo. They can choose their own names after they learn to read."
Aunt Sun nodded at the first half of the sentence. After all, they were bought and raised by the gang leader, so they were naturally his own and could not be treated like child brides. However, the second half of the sentence surprised her: "These children also need to learn to read?"
There aren't many kids in the Red Flag Gang who can go to school nowadays. How could these kids, who were bought, have the luck to be able to read and write?
Cheng Xi said, "In the hospital, you can learn from the doctors and nurses. There are also female teachers in the cloth shop. The others can recite multiplication tables and listen to the Three Character Classic. The smart ones with good memory should also be selected early and taught specifically. Not to mention them, you should also learn a few more words in the future, otherwise the nursery will become a nursery. How can you take care of hundreds of children?"
The teaching staff of the Red Flag Gang is still too weak. It will take several years or even decades to train them. However, some basic math and literacy education can be carried out in batches and popularized through various channels. Then, the smart and enterprising ones can be selected for in-depth education. In this way, efficiency will be improved and costs can be greatly reduced.
She said it simply, but Aunt Sun heard a hidden meaning. The nursery was going to be converted into a nursery, so wouldn't that mean she would be promoted? She had to find a way to learn to read and write, or someone else would take her place!
With an idea in mind and after carefully inquiring about the remaining procedures, she headed to the hospital in high spirits. Now that the girls were all staying in the hospital, without the war, the wards were empty, and with a few minor modifications, they could accommodate everyone. Of course, the nursery would undoubtedly be built larger in the future, so she had to recruit some staff early.
When they arrived, they called everyone into the courtyard. Aunt Sun said, "The gang leader said that from now on, you are all members of the gang. This island will be called Luoling Island, and you will all change your surnames to 'Luo'. Once you can read, you can choose your own names."
This caused a commotion below. The girls washed and ate as soon as they disembarked from the boat. After being led to the compound, almost everyone had fallen asleep. Waking up to hear this was truly surprising. But they weren't surprised by the change of surname, but by the change to the same surname as Oshima. It seemed the women's words were true; they truly were members of the Red Flag Gang!
Many people were filled with joy and anticipation, but this good luck was not over yet.
Aunt Sun continued, "Of the thirty-four older ones, fourteen can stay on the island, and the remaining twenty will be assigned to the weaving workshop on shore. There, they can learn weaving, embroidery, and dyeing. Before the age of fifteen, they're apprentices and don't get paid, but they won't have to worry about food and clothing. When they turn fifteen, they can become regular workers and receive wages. Oh, and by the way, there are female teachers in the weaving workshop, and everyone can take classes."
Now the older girls were all excited. Most of them had grown up and had heard a lot of nonsense. They had always thought they were bought to be sent to brothels or to be slaves. Who could have imagined that there would be decent jobs? As for female teachers, no one cared much. They were lucky enough to learn some weaving and embroidery skills.
"Those who stay can work in the kitchen, hospital, and our nursery, starting as apprentices. But they all need to be smart; we'll be selecting them carefully later." Aunt Sun joked with a smile, then said to the younger ones, "You kids can learn by doing odd jobs, but don't be lazy. The young ones can stay in the nursery first, where they'll be cared for. You can join the laborers when you're older. Don't forget, it's the gang leader who raised you. You kids are lucky, so you should remember his kindness."
After these words were spoken, many smart ones knelt down. Erya also knelt down quickly and pulled Xiaonan aside to kowtow together.
Aunt Sun quickly waved her hand and said, "Get up, get up! Don't get your clothes dirty. Okay, let's split up into teams. Someone will come to question you later. You better be alert and smart. I guarantee you'll find a good place to go."
This wasn't a job for just one department, and the gang leader had instructed the other leaders to select the people together. But Aunt Sun had also made up her mind: even if the children were older or too frail, they had to stay in the nursery and not be allowed out to be tortured to death. She understood the gang leader's intentions, but what if someone didn't understand? Besides, having more girls would be a good thing; if they could train a few clever ones, they could serve as trusted and helpful figures.
Logically, these girls had just been bought and sold, being picked over like merchandise. However, on Luoling Island, well-fed and warmly clothed, and facing such a kind and clear-spoken aunt, their fears were much lessened. And those who came to be picked were all women, without exception. Some would speak to them, while others chose those who were tall or had larger arms and legs, seemingly without any intention of causing trouble.
Erya was still a little timid, but this time, she gritted her teeth, grabbed Xiaonan's hand, and walked up to the kind aunt: "I, I want to stay in the nursery."
Aunt Sun hadn't expected a maid to come straight to her. She couldn't help but smile, bent down, and looked at the girl straight in the eye: "Why, are you afraid to go somewhere else?"
Erya quickly shook her head and pulled the people around her forward: "This is Xiaonan, I want to stay and take care of her."
Looking at the girl who was thinner and smaller than herself, Aunt Sun knew what was going on. She patted the girl's head and said, "It's not easy for you sisters either. So, stay here. Can you take care of the child?"
Erya nodded vigorously: "I have taken care of my younger brother! I can also cook!"
Aunt Sun smiled and said, "Good boy, what's your name?"
"Erya, she is Xiaonan." Erya replied quickly.
"From now on, both of you will have the surname Luo, don't forget it."
Smiling, she stood up and went back to picking people. Erya was stunned for a long time, then suddenly turned to the girl beside her and said, "From now on, I will be Luo Erya, and you will be Luo Xiaonan. Don't forget."
The little guy blinked blankly and nodded vigorously.
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