261 Assured
The cooking utensils, rice and flour and daily necessities were bought. They could buy vegetables themselves, and also could raise chickens and ducks. In this way, they would be able to settle down properly.
Five liang could make them buy a lot. The family could easily live on it for three or four months.
Ding Erzhu did not turn the money down. He had nothing in his hands!
Feeling burdened, he sobbed as he held the money in his palm. “Nephew, and Niece-in-law, please count it against our salary. We can’t ask you for any more money!”
Qiao Xuan smiled. “In that case, count two liang out of it as wages. The house building is not counted. When the house is torn down at the end of the year, we can still use the wood.”
A piece of wood with a width of thirty centimeters and a thickness of two centimeters cost less than twenty wen. Three tales of silver, including labor and roof, was enough to cover a simple wooden house for their family of three.
Ding Erzhu nodded and agreed.
They could start a family and live frugally in that 2 liang.
Luckily, it was still summer and they did not need to care about heating yet.
Qiao Xuan decided to pay them one liang a month, and with the first two months excluded, the salary would be given starting from the third month.
Ding Erzhu was startled, saying that it was too much and refused to accept it.
Qiao Xuan smiled. “Just take it. I have a lot of work for you to do in the future. You will know soon! By that time, if you think that I pay you too little, feel free to tell me!”
Shao Yunduan added. “Please take it. The money isn’t much when you realize how much work you need to do. We are paying others on our payroll, the same money.”
Ding Erzhu had to accept it since he failed to turn it down. “Okay… But don’t worry, I will watch over the fields for you diligently!”
After Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan left, Ding Erzhu told Ms. Zhou about the money, who cried. “I miss my Ding Xiang. She was such a nice child, I wish I had… I had…”
Ding Erzhu replied with a pale face. “It was my fault…”
Ms. Zhou felt sorry for him and shook her head. “No, it is not! Anyway, let’s just drop it, drop it…”
The couple sobbed, looking at each other for a while.
Qiao Xuan felt her heart feel lighter when she was done with this.
Zhang Chunlai was not part of her family and she had no time to train her employees. So she hoped that Uncle Erzhu and his wife should be able to do that well on her behalf.
After three days, Shao Yunduan would go to the college for discussions with his fellows and teachers. Qiao Xuan told him about going into town with him, so she could visit Manager Qin at Mingren Tang to talk about tea leaves and watermelons.
Shao Yunduan did not turn her down, but he still felt quite worried. “At that time, you should stay at Mingren Tang and not run about. Manager Qin is our friend, and he won’t set us up…”
Feeling warmed, Qiao Xuan smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t wander around. Manager Qin would not be able to set me up so easily…”
Shao Yunduan smiled and nodded.
The following day, Qiao Xuan continued to work on the lipsticks in the floral field. Soon the Yuezheng Family should come to fetch the goods.
She was going to stop the work of lipsticks after she had 1,200 pieces ready.
Qiao Xuan did not foresee that Yuezheng Xiao would come to the village personally and that Xie Jingrong would be with him too.