"What do you mean? It doesn't mean anything. Why is your face so red, Brother Zhishan?" Zhao Erleng's wife asked Jiang Zhishan with some curiosity.
"Sister-in-law Erleng, you should hurry up and get busy. This is all wasteland that needs to be cleared!" Jiang Ling quickly smoothed things over when she saw this.
Zhao Erleng's wife, being straightforward, didn't think too much about it. She nodded, smiled, and turned to walk towards their own field.
"Don't worry, they don't have any bad intentions!" Jiang Ling patted Jiang Zhishan on the shoulder.
Jiang Zhishan nodded and continued working in silence. After a while, Zhao Erleng's wife's loud voice reached Jiang Ling's ears again.
"Sister-in-law Jiang, we've come to help you!" Jiang Ling looked up and saw Zhao Erleng's wife leading a group of people in front of her. They were all carrying hoes and smiling at Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling was a little puzzled and was about to ask when Zhao Erleng's quick-tongued wife spoke up first: "You've helped us so much, now that your family needs to clear wasteland, it's our job. Don't worry, with us here, I guarantee we'll clear all twenty acres of wasteland today!"
"Is it everyone?" Zhao Erleng's wife asked, turning to the crowd behind her.
"Yes!" everyone shouted in unison, raising their hoes.
A large group of dark figures quickly walked into Jiang Ling's field and began working diligently. These farmers worked very fast, and before the sun had even set, more than half of Jiang Ling's wasteland had already been cleared.
Jiang Ling, worried that they would be too tired, quickly said, "Let's skip it today. I'll pay you all five copper coins each when we get to my house later!"
"What? Sister-in-law Jiang, we didn't want your money for the work!" Zhao Erleng's wife shook her head and refused.
"Everyone, this is the result of your hard work, so please don't refuse it. I'm thinking of building a house here in the future, and I'll need more help then!" Jiang Ling said with a smile.
Seeing that no one nodded, Jiang Ling quickly turned to Jiang Zhishan and said, "Brother, go to the box and get a hundred copper coins to pay these brothers and sisters-in-law their wages!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhishan turned and ran towards the old house.
Those around them panicked even more upon seeing this. Zhao Erleng's wife scratched her head awkwardly and said, "Sister-in-law, aren't we being too polite by saying that? You've discovered the water source and controlled the locusts. If we look at it that way, we're the ones who owe you!"
Jiang Ling smiled and comforted her, "Sister-in-law Er Leng, we're all from the same village, let's not talk about owing each other anything!"
Zhao Erleng's wife looked at Jiang Ling and continued, "Then...then why are we being paid wages?"
"Because I want you to help me build a mud-brick house in the future! If you help me with the work this time without charging a penny, how can I have the nerve to ask you for help again?"
Jiang Ling tucked Zhao Erleng's wife into a few words. Zhao Erleng's wife felt that there was something wrong with what Jiang Ling said, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. In the end, she could only scratch her head and frown at Jiang Ling.
Jiang Zhishan was fast on his feet and soon returned with a hundred copper coins. Jiang Ling placed five copper coins in each person's hand. The people either accepted the coins with trepidation or with smiles on their faces.
After handing out the last person's coins, Jiang Ling looked at everyone and said, "In a while, I'll need some people to help me make adobe bricks, and I hope you'll all lend a hand then."
"Oh, Sister Jiang, what are you saying? Don't mention helping or not. Just say the word and I'll be the first to come with my husband!"
"Yes, yes! As long as Sister Jiang says the word, we'll definitely participate!"
Everyone chimed in with their own opinions.
Jiang Ling smiled and thanked everyone one by one, and everyone happily left Jiang Ling's land.
Seeing the vast expanse of land cleared, Jiang Ling scattered cotton seeds one by one, and finally gently covered it with the turned soil.
After a busy afternoon, Jiang Ling felt sore back and aching waist. Jiang Zhishan was not much better off. In just one afternoon, with others helping him, Jiang Zhishan felt as if his arms were filled with lead.
After returning home, Jiang Ling busied herself cooking. After dinner, some children from the village came to Jiang Ling's yard and listened attentively to Jiang Zhishan's lesson.
"Jiang Shi, come out for a moment!" The village chief gently knocked on Jiang Ling's door.
Jiang Ling quickly got up, pushed open the door, and came out. The village chief, with a smile on his face, glanced at Jiang Ling's yard and asked, "I already know about Jiang Zhishan teaching. Now that there are more children, there just happens to be an empty space near the Lu family ancestral hall. Why don't we have classes there from now on?"
"Oh, right, take these candles. If it's inconvenient for Jiang Zhishan to teach during the day, use these candles for lighting at night!" The village chief took out several candles, each as thick as a baby's arm, from his pocket and placed them in Jiang Ling's hand.
Jiang Ling thanked the village chief repeatedly, but the village chief looked at the sky and said, "I should be the one saying thank you. In all these years, our Lu Family Village has never produced a scholar, let alone a xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations)!"
“Unlike your mother’s village, we don’t have a private school here. We’ve all suffered because we’re illiterate. Now that Jiang Zhishan is here, I feel a little more at ease!” The village chief said, his voice trembling with emotion.
Jiang Ling quickly said, "Zhi Shan probably won't stay here for long, but it should be three to five months! Don't worry, Village Chief!"
Jiang Ling thought the village chief would look disappointed after hearing this, but to her surprise, the village chief said with a satisfied look, "Alright, thank your brother for me. Three to five months is enough time for these children to learn to read and write for a long time!"
"By the way, your contract should be returned in the next day or two, then I'll give it to you!" the village chief added.
Jiang Ling nodded and thanked the village chief, who then turned and left.
More than an hour later, the children left Jiang Ling's house one after another. Jiang Ling looked at Jiang Zhishan, who was covered in mud, and said, "Take off your clothes, I'll wash you up."
Jiang Zhishan blushed and hesitated for a long time before finally speaking: "Big...Big sister, I didn't bring any change of clothes."
Jiang Ling was speechless. She blamed herself for being too busy lately. Jiang Zhishan hadn't changed his clothes for several days in a row, and Jiang Ling hadn't even noticed. Jiang Ling sighed helplessly. It seemed that she would have to go to Changning Town again tomorrow. Thinking of this, Jiang Ling said to Jiang Zhishan, "Then let's go to town with your older sister tomorrow. Your older sister will buy you some fabric to make you a new dress!"
"Don't refuse. I'll get upset if you're too polite to me!" Jiang Ling quickly added, anticipating what Jiang Zhishan was about to say.
The next morning, Jiang Ling brought Jiang Zhishan to Changning Town again. This time, they bought some pastries and a few feet of dark blue coarse cloth before returning home.
Just as they reached Zhao Erleng's house, Jiang Ling suddenly stopped. At the same time, she grabbed Jiang Zhishan behind her and pulled him behind a big tree before he could react.
"Big...Big sister, what's wrong?" Jiang Zhishan asked Jiang Ling with some curiosity.
"Shh..." Jiang Ling gestured for Jiang Zhishan to be quiet, then pointed in her own direction.
The two of them were stunned by what they saw.
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