A ray of morning light streamed into the room through the window.
Lin Yinan opened her eyes and slowly sat up in bed.
After washing up, she slowly walked to the dining hall.
At this moment, Zhang and Aunt Li had just put away their pots and pans.
"Second Aunt, is there any food left?" Lin Yinan leaned against the door frame, watching the busy women in the dining hall.
Zhang stood up, wiping her wet hands on her apron. "Yes, I saved some for you!"
She brought out the porridge and flatbread and asked her, "Where would you like to eat? In the courtyard or in the main hall?"
"Let's just do it in the yard."
The sun was shining brightly at that moment, and sitting under the oilcloth kept me warm and cozy.
Zhang put down her bowl, turned around, and went back into the dining hall to keep busy. With so many people eating, they were never idle. After finishing breakfast, they cleaned up, and then they had to start preparing lunch, chopping firewood, washing vegetables—all of which required time and effort.
Although their meals consisted of only one dish and one bowl of rice, and were very simple, after cleaning up, the group had to take turns carrying the swill to the pig farm in the morning and evening to help cook the pig feed.
When Liang Wen and his group entered the county government office again, they saw a beautiful woman with fair skin sitting quietly in the courtyard, which was covered by an oilcloth, eating.
Hearing the sound, Lin Yinan turned around and glanced at the group.
She sat there calmly, her chin slightly raised, her face exquisitely beautiful, her dark eyes serene as water. Her slender fingers held a spoon, while her other hand held a piece of flatbread, eating a mouthful of porridge and a bite of flatbread.
Liang Wen was slightly lost in thought. Realizing his rudeness, he quickly cupped his hands in greeting and said, "My apologies. Third Master Yun asked me to wait for him here."
Lin Yinan knew who they were. Yun Mo had told her last night that Liang Wen was knowledgeable and capable.
She raised her hand and pointed to the lobby, "No need for formalities, sir, please come in and wait."
The group entered the lobby and took their seats.
Lin Yinan finished her meal quickly, then stood up and put the bowls and chopsticks away in the dining hall.
Liang Wen then noticed her prominently protruding belly.
"Anan, should we make tea for the people outside?" Yunyan looked out through the dining hall window.
Lin Yinan put down her bowl. "No need."
As she walked out of the dining hall, Yun Mo and Lin Yiheng walked in.
The three sat down at the next table. Liang Wen saw Lin Yinan sitting next to Yun Mo and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He quickly composed himself and looked at Yun Mo, saying, "Third Master Yun, I heard you're building houses. If we move down here, could each household be allocated a house?"
I just inquired and found out that the houses they are building are being distributed to each household for free.
Lin Yiheng opened the ledger, took out a small pure gold abacus from his sleeve, and nimbly counted on it, as if what Liang Wen said had nothing to do with him.
Yun Mo frowned slightly and turned to look at Lin Yinan.
"Anan, what do you think?"
Lin Yinan took a sip of water, put down the cup, and said calmly, "What benefits can you offer us that you're asking us to give you a new apartment right off the bat?"
Her words made the group blush and turn pale with embarrassment, leaving them speechless.
An older man, unconvinced, pointed at Lin Yinan and said, "We men are discussing business, what are you, a woman, meddling in for?"
The others joined in the jeering, their tone full of contempt.
"Yes, yes, hurry back and embroider."
"If you don't understand anything, don't point fingers here."
"Since they're not sincere about talking, let them go back!" Lin Yinan glanced at the group and said to Yun Mo.
Yun Mo stood up nimbly and gestured for Liang Wen and the others to join him.
Liang Wen and the others did not expect that Lin Yinan could dismiss them with just a few words.
She then asked Lin Yiheng, "Brother, have you figured it out? How much silver do we still need?"
"Once the two projects are completed, a total of 37,000 taels will still be needed," Lin Yiheng said, closing the ledger.
"Okay, have them go to the accounting office to collect it later."
As Liang Wen stepped out of the lobby, he paused, then asked Yun Mo unwillingly, "Third Master Yun, who is she?"
Yun Mo lifted his eyelids and glanced at them, clearly displeased with how they had spoken of his wife earlier.
"She is my wife, and she makes all the decisions, big and small, in Longtan."
Liang Wen could hear the pride in Yun Mo's tone; they actually let a pregnant woman be in charge!
It wasn't easy to come out like this, and he wasn't giving up. Liang Wen turned around and quickly walked up to Lin Yinan, bowed and saluted, "Boss, I'm sorry for what happened earlier. Could you give us another chance?"
Lin Yinan's hand holding the cup trembled, and the water in the cup spilled out.
She stared at Lin Yiheng with a bewildered expression. When did she become a bandit leader?
Lin Yiheng clenched his fist and held it to his mouth, trying his best to suppress his laughter.
"How could you be so careless? Did you get burned?"
Yun Mo rushed over anxiously, lifted his sleeve to gently wipe the water from her hands, touched the cup—it was lukewarm—"Luckily, it's lukewarm water."
"I'm fine." Lin Yinan pulled him down to sit.
Lin Yinan raised the corners of her mouth slightly, her eyes cold as she looked at Liang Wen standing to the side, "You can stay if you want, but only we can set the conditions."
"What are the conditions?"
“Sign a ten-year contract with me, and after ten years, I’ll give you the house for free. If you’re willing, we can sit down and discuss the details. If not, the door is over there; goodbye.” Lin Yinan said calmly.
Without hesitation, Liang Wen sat down in the same spot as before, followed closely by his younger brother. The others thought for a moment and then sat down as well; they had no other choice.
"What if I don't want to do it anymore in ten years?" Liang Wen didn't quite understand what she meant.
"When the contract expires, the house will be yours, and you will be free. However, for the next ten years, you must follow our arrangements for all your work. We have fixed working hours and rest periods, and we provide three meals a day."
"Of course, there will be monthly performance targets, and those who meet them will be rewarded. Conversely, those who fail to meet them will be punished accordingly. Holiday gifts will be given out during festivals."
Liang Xiaodi looked at her with sparkling eyes, "Like those people having lunch here this morning? What's the reward?"
"Yes, that's right. The rewards are not limited to rice, flour, cooking oil, money, or daily necessities. They will be adjusted according to future developments."
As soon as Lin Yinan finished speaking, everyone turned their attention to her.
When Lin Yinan was first questioned, the older man slapped his thigh and said, "Boss, I'm willing to sign this contract."
"Mr. Liang, what are you doing here?" The couple who sought medical treatment last night came out from the back of the lobby, carrying their child.
Seeing the child nestled in the man's arms, Liang Wen's eyes darted around excitedly. "Is Gou Dan all better?" she exclaimed in delight.
"Alright, thanks to the Third Madam for saving us."
The couple were about to kneel down to Lin Yinan again when Yun Mo stopped them.
“Madam… when shall we sign the contract?” Having made up his mind, Liang Wen did not want to drag things out.
Lin Yinan smiled faintly, "No rush, you all go back and pack your things first. We'll sign the contract when everyone is here."
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