A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Chapter 447 Tea Garden Construction Begins

Lu Jing replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Not at all, I still have a lot to learn from my employer."

"If I have the chance in the future, I will still like to ask Manager Liao for advice."

Manager Liao nodded with admiration, "Oh dear, that's why I always say Boss Gu knows how to pick people!"

"I really envy that eye for talent!"

"If I ever need to hire someone in the future, I'd like to ask Boss Gu to give me his opinion, hahaha..."

Gu Xixi caught a glimpse of the slight change in expression on the faces of Manager Liao's assistant and accountant, and smiled inwardly.

"Manager Liao is really joking."

"If you keep praising me like this, I'm going to get carried away."

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Even after selling the grain, there was still no peace and quiet.

The three fields in the village, the farm, and outside the county town will soon begin preparations for the next planting season.

The hired workers are responsible for tasks such as cleaning, plowing, spreading base fertilizer, and watering.

Gu Xixi, on the other hand, had to prepare the seeds herself.

Selection, sun-drying, and soaking in medicinal herbs.

Fortunately, this season we planted millet and intercropped a small amount of winter-stored vegetables. The hired workers have been doing this for two years and are all skilled workers.

Gu Xixi only needs to mention the key points, and everyone will know what to do.

Three days later, construction also began at the tea plantation.

Because it was a hillside that had been abandoned for many years, it would take a lot of time and manpower just to clear the land.

These jobs do not require any special agricultural skills; any strong laborer who knows how to do farm work can do them.

Therefore, after discussing it with Gu Xixi in advance, Jiang Mingyuan decided that the government would recruit a group of local laborers.

The wages were 10% higher than the daily wages of dockworkers.

They also hired a few cooks to cook large meals over a fire within the tea plantation.

We eat four meals a day, with plenty of oil and fat, to ensure everyone can work at their best.

The wages were high, the food was good, and the government's reputation guaranteed it.

As soon as these conditions were announced, long queues formed at the tea plantation's job posting office the very next day.

Once everything was in place and construction officially began, Jiang Mingyuan sent a message to Gu Xixi, asking her to come and take a look when she had time.

It was just past noon when Gu Xixi and Lü Jing returned from the orchard.

The weather is getting hotter and hotter after the start of the dog days of summer.

Aunt Zhang made pancakes rolled with vegetarian cold dishes, and another plate of cold sliced ​​pork.

Considering that people often lose their appetite during the hot summer months, the dishes are all cold, sour, and spicy.

However, Gu Xixi was too tired and hot to eat, so she took small sips of a bowl of fresh apricot iced tea.

Lu Jing took a bite of her crepe and asked, "Lord Jiang said the tea plantation construction has started. When are you planning to go see it?"

"Tomorrow," Gu Xixi said without looking up.

Stone excitedly raised his hand, "I want to go too! Tomorrow is a school day off!"

Aunt Zhang brought over a bowl of homemade pepper leaf sauce and gently patted the back of Shi Tou's head.

"What are you going to do!"

"If you ask me, no one is allowed to go! Can't they just stay home and rest during the hottest days of summer?!"

"Once other people's wheat is harvested, at least they can eat, sleep, and catch their breath."

"Your sister Xixi is something else. Since she came back from the border, she hasn't had a moment's rest. She's been spinning around like a top, going here and there."

"Even a person made of iron couldn't stand this long!"

Knowing that Aunt Zhang felt sorry for her, Gu Xixi smiled and said, "I won't go out this afternoon; I'll stay home and rest."

"Going to the tea plantation tomorrow morning is just for a look; I don't have to do anything myself, so it won't be tiring."

Aunt Zhang sat down, put a few slices of meat on Gu Xixi's plate, and then rolled up the pancake herself.

"How could I not know you? It's hot, and it's easy to lose your appetite. If you're tired, you'll have even less appetite."

"Look how much weight she's lost in just a few days!"

Despite the complaints, I felt mostly sorry for her.

Aunt Zhang handed the rolled-up pancake to Gu Xixi and coaxed, "Sweetie, at least eat a couple of bites."

"I soaked the soybeans, and I'll grind them into soy milk this afternoon. I'll make you some tofu pudding."

Not wanting Aunt Zhang to worry, Gu Xixi took a big bite, smiled broadly, and exclaimed, "Mmm! Delicious!"

In the past, when Gu Xixi couldn't eat, Aunt Zhang would cook special meals for her.

For example, tender tofu pudding, after it has cooled completely, is drizzled with a honey syrup made by mixing honey and white sugar in a specific ratio.

Finally, add a spoonful of rose jam for extra flavor.

Even when Gu Xixi has no appetite, she can still eat two bowls in one go.

Stone looked at this, then at that, grinned, and uttered the essence:

"Grandma Zhang always treats Sister Xixi like a child."

"So what?" Aunt Zhang's face hardened, then she smiled again. "Even when your sister Xixi is seventy or eighty years old, she'll still be a little kid in my eyes."

As Aunt Zhang spoke, she put meat on Lü Jing's and Shi Tou's plates, saying, "You two get the same."

"You're all growing, you need to eat more!"

Lu Jing felt a warmth in her heart. "Auntie, you should eat meat too. Don't just give it to us and then be reluctant to eat it yourself."

When she first arrived, she envied Gu Xixi for having so many family members around her.

But now she has become part of the family.

Gu Xixi, Lü Jing, and Shi Tou exchanged glances, and together they filled Aunt Zhang's small bowl in no time.

Aunt Zhang chuckled, "They're really worried the cook will go hungry!"

Even so, it was clear that she was very happy.

The family continued eating.

Seeing that Gu Xixi was gradually eating well, Aunt Zhang was a little relieved and asked, "Do you still want to go to the tea garden tomorrow?"

"I just heard from Jingjing that Magistrate Jiang didn't insist that you go; he told you to go when you have time."

Gu Xixi said, "Let's go. It's a tea plantation that I co-managed with the government."

“I am a farmer, and he is an official.”

"The government has already saved me a lot of trouble, so I shouldn't be too presumptuous, should I?"

Aunt Zhang was ultimately reasonable; she sighed, nodded, and said, "That's true."

“We are related to Magistrate Jiang, but that’s precisely why we need to be extra careful in our actions.”

"After all, the yamen is not just about Magistrate Jiang; there are so many eyes and so many mouths."

Seeing that Aunt Zhang had agreed, Gu Xixi winked at Shi Tou.

"Didn't you say that Mr. Song taught you to read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles?"

"Now that you have this opportunity, you should go out and broaden your horizons."

Shi Tou's eyes widened in surprise, then he saw Gu Xixi wink at him.

The clever Stone immediately turned to Aunt Zhang, looking pitiful, "Grandma..."

“Go ahead, go ahead!” Aunt Zhang raised her hand.

"I can't control the older ones, so I might as well let the younger ones run wild too!"

Stone cheered and jumped up from the stool.

"Great! I knew Grandma loved me the most, she would definitely agree!"

After laughing, Gu Xixi remembered the prescription she had been stuck on last night and asked:

"Did Master say where he went on a house call?"

Now, Aunt Zhang knows the old doctor's whereabouts perfectly well, even better than Gu Xixi, his apprentice.

Aunt Zhang said, "There is a wealthy family surnamed Wang in Qingtian County. His daughter-in-law has been married for three years but has not been able to get pregnant."

“I heard it wasn’t an emergency, and I didn’t want him, at his age, to have to run into the city under the scorching sun.”

"But Old Jiang said that this kind of consultation is the easiest and pays the most, so he insisted on taking it."

Fortunately, that family was quite capable; they sent a carriage early in the morning to pick up Old Jiang.

"He can also take care of the other patients in the city while he's at it."

Aunt Zhang suspected that Gu Xixi had something to do, and said, "He said he would definitely be back tonight."

Gu Xixi returned to her room and, as usual, rummaged under the bed to find the black wooden box containing money that Gu Bapi had left behind.

She unlocked the door and looked inside at the silver notes, silver ingots, and copper coins that were full.