stingy landlady

Chapter 167: Recruiting Begins

Zhao continued:

"Taozhi! Look! This outfit of yours was also a gift from your aunt! Go play with Guixiang and the others, even their clothes, though worn out from sewing, are better than the ones your mother went through all the trouble to buy for you!"

"Maybe if you're a little more diligent and have a sweeter tongue, I might even help you find a good way to make money!"

Taozhi was intrigued! She put down her embroidery.

"Mom! I'm going! I'm going to find Sister Guixiang to play right now!"

"Go on! Slow down on the slippery road!"

When Guizhi returned home, she found several new friends: Hongmin, Hongli, and Taozhi. Taozhi rarely played with them, which surprised Guizhi, but she still politely greeted her, "Sister Taozhi!"

Taozhi called out shyly, "Third Sister!"

Gui Hong then came over and said:

"Third Sister! You didn't come back yesterday! We were making fried meatballs and fried dough twists at home! They were so delicious! It's a pity they all froze last night! We'll have to heat them up first before we can eat them!"

Peach Branch said:

"I heard from my mom that we're making fried meatballs tonight. Sister Guixiang, take my second and third sisters to try some! There's a Yangko dance tonight, so let's go eat fried meatballs after we watch it. Freshly fried ones taste different!"

Dazhu walked in from outside, took out a bag, poured it onto the kang (a heated brick bed), and a pile of colorful folded paper spilled out!

“You girls have a lot of things to do, so why not fold some flowers and play around with them? Fold them up and put them away for the people doing the Yangko dance.”

This job is great, perfect for these girls. They can do whatever they want, mix and match as they please. And nobody will complain anyway.

Dazhu called Guizhi aside to talk.

"Guizhi! Why are you back so late? Did something happen? Your mother keeps asking, and I'm not sure what's going on. I'm afraid she'll get anxious and upset, so I've been trying to coax her to go to the old house. There are more people around to talk to, so she won't keep nagging me every day!"

"Dad! Nothing's wrong! Uncle Xu Hong and the others only came back last night. I figured since it's my first year up the mountain, I'd wait until they're all safely home before I came back! There's nothing I need to do at home!"

"Your Uncle Xu Hong didn't have much experience the first year he went up the mountain! After he gets more experience, you can stay home and wait! If anything happens, it's not far, and we can get in touch with you! Although there's not much for you to do at home, at least everyone is back safely for the New Year. As parents, we can finally rest easy!"

Alright, since you have nothing else to do, go have some fun! You didn't sleep well last night, did you? Eat dinner and then get some more sleep! What do you want to eat? Dad will have someone make it for you!

Guizhi stretched and said:

"Dad! It feels so good to be home! I'm my little one in front of Mom and Dad again! I don't have to worry about anything, as long as I'm well-fed and warmly dressed! Hehe!"

"This child! Talking nonsense! No matter how old you get, you'll always be your parents' precious daughter!"

Gui Hong secretly found Gui Zhi and asked her:

"Third Sister! Didn't Taozhi learn needlework and embroidery before? Even though she was younger, she could sit still! Unlike me, when I sit down to embroider, it feels like there are needles pricking my bottom. I always want to get up and move around!"

I figured she must have wanted to do something with us since she suddenly came to visit us yesterday! Yesterday, in my older sister's room, she saw my older sister's embroidered dress and wouldn't let go of it, constantly asking my older sister how it was embroidered!

We're hiring anyway, so if she wants to go, let's include her! What do you say, Third Sister?

Guizhi felt it didn't matter whether she went or not, and said:

"We'll look for someone who keeps her mouth shut, someone who signs a confidentiality agreement. If she can do needlework, even better! Young, unmarried women are preferred! Older women who can leave their families are also acceptable!"

"Newlyweds are best avoided! Even if you do accept one, you should explain that there are too many bachelors in our area! A young wife going there could easily ruin your reputation!"

Gui Hong immediately opened her eyes wide and asked,

"Does Third Sister mean we should start recruiting people now?"

Guizhi nodded emphatically and said:

"Let's start recruiting from Taozhi! Hongmin can go too, we'll ask our mother and second aunt to help us find some! Taozhi and Hongmin, if you have any older female relatives, that's fine too! Let's find thirty people first!"

After the New Year, once we find someone, we'll take them to Huanghua Village. As soon as the handicraft workshops in Huanghua Village reopen, we'll head to the county town to look for a shop! How about it? The shopkeeper, Guihong?

"Great! Excellent! I'll go talk to them right now!"

As soon as Taozhi got home, she told Zhao Shi the good news!

She clung to Zhao's arm and jumped for joy.

"Mom! Mom! Guihong told me today that I should go to work and earn money! Haha!"

Zhao asked carefully:

"Tell me slowly! Peach branch, what happened?"

Peach Branch said excitedly:

"Mom! Guihong said they're going to set up a handicraft workshop. They're looking for people who can do needlework, and even better if they can embroider! There's money to be made, Mom! They'll pay the workers!"

The pay is 800 coins a month, including room and board! If you're hardworking and do a good job, you'll be paid per piece! At the end of the month, we'll see the results, and you can choose whichever option pays more!

Those who are slow will earn eight hundred coins, but those who are fast will definitely earn more! Mother! I want to go with Guixiang and the others!

Suppressing her inner elation, Zhao asked again:

"How many people are you hiring? Just a few young girls? Where will you be working?"

"They said they need to find thirty people to go to Huanghua Village! They've been there every day lately! Guizhi just came back from there today!"

"Mom! Hongmin is going too! Oh, right! They said she has to sign a confidentiality agreement. She can't tell anyone about the needlework she does. They'll dock her pay! Mom! I'm tight-lipped, I won't say anything!"

Ms. Li was also surprised to hear that they were hiring:

"So you guys were busy running your handicraft workshops in Huanghua Village all day! You're all quite capable! Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Gui Hong interjected:

“Mom! This wasn’t the only idea we had at the time. It’s only now that Aunt Xu has confirmed things that we’re being asked to come home and recruit people! Mom! We’re just following Aunt Xu’s lead!”

The three sisters discussed it and decided that from now on, they would address Wanrou as Aunt Xu in public! After all, it's much more trustworthy to have an adult in charge than three children in charge!

The cassia branches also slipped through the cracks:

“Mom! I just got back this morning. Aunt Xu told me after my eldest and second eldest sisters went home! You weren’t home when I got back, but Sister Taozhi and Hongmin were here right away, so I told them first!”

Anyway, at least we'll have company when we work together!

Li suddenly had a whimsical idea:

"Oh! What a great thing! Mom, let's go work too! It'll be lively and fun with lots of people!"

Gui Hong smiled and said:

"Haha! Mother! Only eight hundred coins a month! You earn a few taels of silver a month selling bean sprouts and garlic sprouts, and you're quitting? Besides, you don't care about the silver in the grass and trees?"

Mom! How about we switch? I'll stay home and look after Fourth Sister! I'll keep all the money from selling bean sprouts and garlic shoots! The weather's getting warmer, so we can grow and sell vegetables again!

"Mother, go to Huanghua Village to do handicrafts; you can earn eight hundred coins a month!"