The village chief opened the gate to the Lu family's courtyard. Because there were guests, Wang Lan lit candles. Candles were precious items in the countryside, and only a few families in the village had them. Normally, even for lighting, the villagers used resin oil, which produced a lot of smoke and smell, which Qin Xiaozhou disliked. That's why he bought candles to bring back today.
The village chief's purpose was simple: "Dayun, I heard you're going to build a pavilion on the outskirts of the county town? When it comes to hiring, you should prioritize the people from our village."
This year there has been little rain, and the grain harvest is likely to be limited. If it weren't for the fact that it would be difficult to move around without a travel permit after leaving the county, many people would probably have fled the famine last year. If we want to keep people here, we need to make sure the villagers have money.
Lu Yunfeng didn't want to make a decision on this matter easily. Not to mention that all the hardworking and strong men in Wangjia Village were building houses in his village, the embroidered tower was to be decided by Qin Xiaozhou. He wouldn't make any promises for Qin Xiaozhou easily, and could only politely indicate that he would consider it.
The village chief understood his meaning and couldn't help but sigh. In just half a year, the Lu family had already shown signs of becoming very wealthy and powerful. In the future, Wangjia Village would probably no longer be under his control as the village chief. The villagers valued friendship but were also very pragmatic. They listened to whoever had the ability. He patted Lu Yunfeng and said, "You two are capable. Keep up the good work."
The next morning, Lu Yunfeng went to Zhao Jiataizi. Zhao Yong was surprised that his cousin would come to him. When he heard that Lu Yunfeng would deliver chickens and ducks to the county town every other day, he was even happier. He patted his chest and assured him, "Cousin, don't worry, I'm the best at killing chickens and plucking feathers."
After leaving the Zhao family, Lu Yunfeng went to find a carpenter. Zhao the carpenter was a craftsman who made tables, chairs and benches. Unfortunately, the villagers were not particular about the craftsmanship. They would cut down trees from the mountains and chop them into shapes haphazardly, making do with what they had. As a result, Zhao the carpenter could barely make ends meet and could only feed his family.
Lu Yunfeng explained his purpose: he needed skewers for the barbecue, and he had come to find someone to make bamboo skewers.
Carpenter Zhao stood up from a pile of wood shavings, excitedly dug out a chair, and asked Lu Yunfeng to sit down. "How big and long should this skewer be? Is there anything special about the wood?"
Lu Yunfeng gestured with his fingers to indicate the thickness and length of the bamboo, saying, "Bamboo will do. It's just for skewering meat. As long as it's not poisonous, it's fine. We don't need to be picky."
There was no reason for Zhao the carpenter not to take the job. He asked about the quantity, and Lu Yunfeng roughly calculated, "Three hundred pieces a day."
There are only a limited number of people settling in the county town. People who go to the market go in the morning and rush back in the afternoon. No one would eat barbecue under the sun in this hot weather. Business only comes in the evening when the sun's heat dissipates. Most of the people still in the county town in the evening are locals. Selling five or six chickens and three or five rabbits a day is considered quite good. Three hundred sticks are more than enough.
He then stated the price: "Ten sticks for one coin."
Carpenter Zhao calculated that he could earn at least thirty coins a day. He had bamboo at home, and making bamboo skewers wouldn't be difficult. This business was worthwhile. He immediately arranged a delivery time. When he heard that he only needed to deliver it to Zhao Yong in his village, his smile widened.
The early morning was hot and humid. The embroiderers in the embroidery shed were already embroidering and making clothes. Each of them had two cloths beside them. One was damp and used to wipe the sweat from their hands. Sweaty hands would not only wet and soil the fabric, but also make their fingers slippery and difficult to hold the needle. The other clean cloth was used to dry their hands.
Qin Xiaozhou had a craving, so she cooked a big pot of rice wine with small glutinous rice balls and eggs in the kitchen. But then she felt her mouth was tasteless, so she made a cucumber salad. Wang Lan ate a white steamed bun and then a cucumber salad. "Don't eat cold things in the morning. Eat less sour and cold foods, or you'll get a stomachache. Yesterday, um, about what your great-aunt mentioned, is there anything you can arrange?"
Wang Lan still remembered her elder brother's kindness. Wang Gui had secretly helped her in the past few years, and besides, he was her own brother. They were blood relatives, and even if their bones were broken, their tendons would still be connected.
Qin Xiaozhou was thinking of getting some snacks to satisfy his cravings. It was late May, and this morning, the sun had barely risen when it was already unbearably hot and humid. The plants and trees around the house were all wilted, and people couldn't muster any energy.
"As long as you're not lazy, you'll always have work to do."
"Oh, good, good." Wang Lan was pleased and became even more efficient with her hands. She served rice wine and steamed buns to Jingming, and worried that the child would get too hot, she carried him to the eaves to cool off in the wind. Only then did she pick up Lu Xiaosi to feed him. "Your second and third cousins are hardworking and have a conscience. If you give them work to do, they will remember your kindness."
Qin Xiaozhou thought of the crispy duck. She had done a part-time job there for a semester when she was a freshman. It was crispy, numbing, and fragrant. Just thinking about the numbing sensation made her mouth water. She got up and walked towards Qingzhugou. "As long as I work hard and don't have any other messy thoughts, we're all relatives. There's no reason not to keep in touch."
Inside the duck pen in Qingzhugou, Wang Dahe was cleaning. The smell of duck droppings was strong, but he had enjoyed a delicious duck meal last night, so he didn't mind at all. He was all smiles and was even happier when he saw Qin Xiaozhou. "Niece-in-law, this place is dirty. If you want any ducks, just tell me and I'll catch some for you. Don't come in."
Qin Xiaozhou didn't want to go inside either, so she just stood outside, grabbed the duck by the neck that Wang Dahe handed her, and tied its wings and feet together. Passing by the construction site, Lu Yunxing jumped down from the half-built wall, snatched the duck, and took on the task of killing and plucking it.
The duck feathers were left in a corner of the yard. Qin Xiaozhou turned them over with a small wooden stick, while Wang Lan, holding a bamboo broom, said, "This duck smells strong. Don't let it get on your clothes. I'll sweep it up and bury it by the roadside."
"Don't throw it away." Qin Xiaozhou looked towards Qingzhugou. Those hundreds of ducks must have at least half a pound or eight ounces of down. "Can we wash this down with something to get rid of the smell?"
Wang Lan shook her head. "Although duck down is warm, it's not easy to remove the fishy smell. This small handful of duck down needs to be washed seven or eight times. It's better to keep the rabbit skin. Rabbit skin is easy to shave and make clothes for embroiderers to sell."
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
