Song Yun got up to say goodbye, and before leaving, he made a point of reminding He Tiantian to go to work the next day.
The cook's job was simple; she only needed to prepare one meal, lunch. Villagers who ate at the mine paid five coins a month for food; otherwise, they brought their own meals from home.
Few villagers bring their own lunch in winter because it's cold. If they bring it in the morning, it'll be completely cold by noon, and eating it will feel like chewing on ice crystals.
He Tiantian agreed to the job for two reasons: first, the working hours were flexible, giving her plenty of time to take care of her two daughters; second, she could go to town every month to buy supplies with the mine's oxcart.
She also wanted to go to the city to see if she could find some other work to earn money.
The next day, He Tiantian got up very early.
Before leaving, He Tiantian kept reminding Lantern and Dumpling not to run around and to heat up yesterday's leftovers if they got hungry.
Zhao Denglong confidently assured He Tiantian that he would take good care of his younger sister.
He Tiantian felt a warmth in her heart and, without thinking too much, followed the men from the village who were going to work, heading towards the mine next door.
It looks close, but it's actually quite far when you walk there!
It took He Tiantian about an hour to get there, and she was exhausted.
In ancient times, when communication relied on shouting and transportation on foot, nothing was truly convenient.
There were two guards at the entrance of the mine. He Tiantian stood far behind them and waited until all the men from the village had gone inside before she came forward.
"Sirs, I am the new cook. May I ask where I should report for duty?" He Tiantian asked with a smile, mustering her courage.
The two gatekeepers, one fat and one thin, looked fierce and menacing.
The skinny constable looked down on He Tiantian with disdain and said impatiently, "When did the mine hire a new cook? Mining area is restricted; no unauthorized personnel allowed!"
The fat constable also had a fierce look on his face. He thought He Tiantian was quite pretty. He'd heard that beautiful women worked in the sex trade everywhere; was this guy just trying to get close to her?
In just one minute, He Tiantian had no idea how these two constables had portrayed her.
Then a servant came over and shouted, "Wang Da, Wang Er, what are you two standing there for!"
"This is the new cook that Director Song hired for the mine. Why don't you let her through right away?" Mo Zhu jogged over. He was Director Song's personal servant.
Early in the morning, Director Song instructed that a cook should come over today so that he could come and take a look. This was to prevent the people at the mine from not recognizing her and causing any further mistakes.
Mo Zhu had been by Director Song's side for so long, but she still couldn't understand why her master was so concerned about a cook.
Until he saw He Tiantian's appearance.
Is this...is this really a cook? Where did he find such a beautiful and young cook?! It completely overturned his understanding!
Despite his inner shock, Mo Zhu remained calm on the surface as he respectfully led He Tiantian inside.
The mine wasn't very big; I heard it had only been in operation for about six months. Along the way, He Tiantian saw miners pushing carts to transport the excavated black gold stones down the mountain.
Black gold stone was called this in ancient times, but it is actually the coal used in modern times.
However, in ancient times, coal mining required the imperial court to send people down to mine, and the coal mined was only for the use of the imperial court, for metallurgy, forging utensils and weapons, etc.
Ordinary people who use coal without authorization are violating the ban!
"Sister-in-law He, this is the kitchen where we cook in the mine." Mo Zhu led He Tiantian into a mud house, which was quite spacious inside.
There were three or four stoves, three large pots, and a woman who looked about her age was tending the fire.
"Erhua Niang, this is the new cook."
The woman called out to Erhua looked up and was immediately stunned.
Isn't this Old Zhao's jinxed daughter-in-law? What's she doing here?
You have to understand how many people are vying to be the cook in the mine; it's a very lucrative job! She spent a lot of money to bribe her way into getting the position.
She was incredibly jealous, but Erhua's mother stood up with a smile on her face. She wiped her apron with both hands, the apron was so dirty and moldy that its original color was no longer visible.
"Young man, I know this person, he's from the same village," Erhua's mother greeted him warmly.
Those rough hands, covered in dark grooves, grasped He Tiantian's hand, and seemed very familiar with her.
Mo Zhu didn't think much of it, gave a few instructions, and then left. Anyway, there was only one Changfeng Village nearby, and everyone here was from Changfeng Village, so there was nothing strange about it.
Erhua's eyes darted around, and after watching Mozhu walk away, she shook off He Tiantian's hand with a hint of disgust.
Her tone was somewhat unfriendly, "How did you manage to find such a wonderful job!"
She even wanted to introduce her third maternal uncle's daughter-in-law to the family, hoping to gain some benefits from it.
He Tiantian had long noticed that Erhua Niang was somewhat hostile towards her, but since she had just arrived, she didn't want to break off relations with her.
"Hey, the mine is expanding and hiring. With more people, one cook definitely won't be enough. I saw a notice posted down the mountain looking for a cook, so I signed up. Who knew I'd be lucky enough to get selected."
He Tiantian made up a story with a straight face.
"Really?" Erhua Niang looked at her with a puzzled expression. How come she hadn't seen it beforehand? Otherwise, she would have struck first.
"Of course, they tore down the notice after they recruited people. It's just that God took pity on me and let me get this job for free."
In her previous life, although He Tiantian was a college student, she also did a lot of part-time jobs on Saturdays and Sundays. She knew the essence of a working person: to always have work in mind!
As a newcomer, talk less and do more!
So on her first day at work, He Tiantian took the initiative to chop vegetables, wash vegetables, scrub pots, clean the stove, and so on.
Erhua's mother had prepared a whole host of sarcastic remarks, but seeing that He Tiantian was busy and didn't give her a chance to speak, Erhua's mother decisively chose to keep quiet.
Well, at least Madam He has some sense.
The food in the mine wasn't very good either. In the dead of winter, there were only two vegetables: cabbage and radish, plus a bowl of buckwheat porridge for each person.
Even so, it's still better than the food in the villages down the mountain. Now that the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, no family can eat cabbage and radishes every day.
The mine provides lunch, and after finishing her meal and cleaning up, He Tiantian planned to go home.
I had only gone halfway when I heard people talking.
"Hey, have you heard? Lately, there have been a lot of children going missing in the village. Those bastards are really despicable, they only target four- or five-year-olds, and even seven- or eight-year-olds!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
