Chapter 320: Working Hard
Editor: Atlas Studios
As Chen Sanzhu did not have any luggage, he could move in directly. On the other hand, Xu Jian needed to go home and pack up. Mainly, he had to tell his landlord that he wouldn’t be renting the tenant land next year. He also had to make clear to his landlord that he was only going out to find a job and wasn’t running away. He planned to slowly repay his debt in the future.
The moment they left, Liu Ting turned his head and asked Mu Yangling, “The conditions you offered are too generous. How is this hiring long-term workers? Even the assistant shopkeepers in the county don’t receive such treatment.”
“I offer a high salary, but the work is also tedious.” Mu Yangling said, “Uncle, I’ll get them to plow the land tomorrow. You and Uncle Yuan can come over and help too. When the time comes, you and Uncle Yuan will lead them. Other than food and accommodation, you’ll receive double their benefits.”
Thinking that Mu Yangling was joking, Liu Ting shook his head and laughed. “Child, I don’t know who you take after. It’s as if your mouth is smeared with honey. Alright, I’ll come over with your Uncle Yuan tomorrow.”
Hence, the next day, Chen Sanzhu and Xu Jian met Liu Ting and Liu Yuan at the door. Mu Yangling introduced them before taking out two contracts. She said to the two of them, “This is the contract stipulating that you have to work for my family for ten years. After ten years, it’s up to you to decide if you want to stay or leave.”
Xu Jian hesitated for a moment before asking, “Miss, then, can we get married when we save up money in the future?”
Stunned, Mu Yangling asked, “Isn’t this your own business?”
Smiling, Liu Yuan said, “Ah Ling, a long-term worker has to receive the approval of their employer should they wish to get married.”
Weren’t the employers too controlling?
Liu Ting explained in a low voice, “Generally, in order to feed fewer mouths, the employers don’t allow their long-term workers to get married…”
This was because the long-term workers’ family had to live with the employer’s family. Getting a wife was not a problem, because although the wife was an additional mouth to feed, she was also a source of labor. However, children were a different case because children under the age of eight were not very useful.
Realization dawned on Mu Yangling. She looked at Xu Jian, whose face had turned red, and said, “You guys can make your own decision on this. If you want to marry, just do it.” After a pause, she continued, “If you guys do a good job and the experimental plots yield results, I can even help you with the betrothal gifts.”
This time, not only Xu Jian, but even Chen Sanzhu’s eyes lit up.
Initially, Chen Sanzhu did not take this matter to heart because he felt that he might be single for the rest of his life. Getting a wife required money. He could not even support himself, so how could he get a wife?
However, if his employer was willing to help, it would be different.
Chen Sanzhu and Xu Jian patted their chests and promised, “Don’t worry, Miss. We’ll definitely work hard.”
Satisfied, Mu Yangling signed the contract with them before bringing them to the fields to show them the Mu family’s land. Then, she brought them to see the experimental fields that had been set aside and said, “In the future, we’ll mainly work on this piece of land. Before the sky turns cold and the ground freezes, I want you guys to plow the land and bury the grass.”
Chen Sanzhu and Xu Jian expressed that there was no problem and started plowing the land one after another. Mu Yangling looked at them for a while and felt that her family still had to buy an adult cow. Now that the mule and cart were being used by Xiuhong, they needed livestock to help out with the farming at home.
Mu Yangling planned to plant all the rice seeds she had harvested this year next year. As for wheat, she had no idea yet. She could only hope that the four of them would have some ideas.
Mu Yangling had already told Liu Ting and Liu Yuan her thoughts, but whether it was effective or not, she could only find out when she did the comparison next year after the rice ripened and harvested.
Hence, Mu Yangling only gave them a few pointers before entering the city to buy two sets of clothes for Xu Jian and Chen Sanzhu. After moving two bags of grains over for them, she said, “The vegetables are in the vegetable garden at the back. While I’m not around, you guys can go to the fields and work on your own. If you have anything you don’t understand, just ask my great-aunt. If my great-aunt asks you to do anything, just obey. If you need anything, look for my Uncle Ting and Uncle Yuan. Do you understand?”
Xu Jian and Chen Sanzhu agreed respectfully. After Mu Yangling rode away, they straightened their backs.
Chen Sanzhu touched the brand new clothes on his body and sighed. “I’ve never worn such new clothes in my life.”
“So what Miss said is true.” Xu Jian’s eyes lit up as he clenched his fists and said, “As long as we work hard and achieve results in the experimental field, Miss will definitely help us out with the betrothal gifts when we get married.”
“Do you really want to get married that badly?” Chen Sanzhu looked at Xu Jian in confusion.
“You don’t want to?” Xu Jian said, “I’m the only one in my family. If I don’t get married, that’s the end of my family line.”
Chen Sanzhu was silent for a moment before saying, “My father didn’t ask that I marry. He only asked me to try my best to stay alive.”
“That’s different. Now that we have hope, we have to set higher ideals. Let’s go change and go to the fields. Although Miss said that we should focus on the experimental fields, we can’t neglect the other fields. Perhaps if Miss will find us hardworking, she will help us marry in four to five years.”
Chen Sanzhu was also full of enthusiasm when he heard that. He went back with Xu Jian to change into old clothes, before leading the newly-bought cow and carrying the iron plow to the fields.
Great-aunt had been secretly watching them. Seeing that the two of them continued working in the fields from early till late even after four to five days, she was finally satisfied. She said to Shu Wanniang, “Don’t think that Ah Ling is young. She has very shrewd judgment. The people she hired are conscientious about work and highly diligent. Aside from Zhang Wu and Zhang Liu, Chen Sanzhu and Xu Jian are also full of energy even when no one is watching them.”
Shu Wanniang pursed her lips and smiled. “Aunt, are you relieved now? Since Ah Ling dared to leave them here and go elsewhere, it can be seen that she has made arrangements.”
“Even if she said that the latrine pit was fragrant, you would still nod vigorously.” Great-aunt muttered, “I really don’t know if you’re the mother or if she is. I’ve never seen anyone so obedient to their daughter.”
Shu Wanniang knew that Great-aunt was just teasing, seeing as Great-aunt also went along with whatever Xiuhong said these days. She went into the house and gave her some money. “Aunt, go to the city and buy two catties of meat. Send some over to them. Our family should eat some fresh meat, too.”
When Bosi, who was playing with wood chips at the side, heard this, he immediately stood up and looked at the two of them with shining eyes. He shouted while breathing heavily, “Meat! Meat! I want to eat meat, too!”
Kejia looked at her younger brother in disdain and turned to her mother. “I want braised meat.”
Shu Wanniang wanted to hold her forehead. “There’s no shortage of meat for you guys to eat. There’s meat every day, but it’s as if you haven’t seen meat in eight lifetimes.”
Great-aunt laughed out loud and said, “These two kids are like their fathers. They all like to eat meat!”
At this moment, Qi Haoran also laughed out loud and said straightforwardly in front of everyone, “Like her father, Ah Ling likes to eat meat. So Magistrate Fang, just ask them to serve meat dishes. I’ll leave these vegetable dishes for you guys to eat.”
The smile on Magistrate Fang’s face remained unchanged as he obediently got someone to change the menu to one with meat dishes in the restaurant.
Mu Yangling secretly pinched the flesh on Qi Haoran’s waist. However, she said with a smile, “Sorry to make you splurge, Magistrate Fang. I’m okay with both meat and vegetarian dishes.”
The smile on Qi Haoran’s face froze. It was only after Mu Yangling let go of him that he let out a huge exhale. It hurt too much!