Chapter 307: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 307: Wu Shi Jumps into the River, Xiao Ruiyuan Comes Searching (2)
"I... I'm willing, Tie Tou will definitely be willing." Wu Shi grasped Mo Yan's hand excitedly, her eyes reddening again, "Our family has done so many wrongs to you, but you still think of your cousin in such a good way. I... I don't know how to thank you."
"Aunt, this is just a small favor, you don't need to be like this."
Mo Yan held her trembling hand in return, feeling the roughness and cracks in her palm, feeling ashamed for her previous hesitation.
This honest and somewhat weak woman had once used these hands to bring warmth to the original owner. Yet she had turned a blind eye to this woman's plight out of consideration for Old Mo and the others. Mo Yan felt guilty.
Wu Shi couldn't speak for a long time, feeling nothing but gratitude towards Mo Yan.
When Wu Shi finally calmed down, Mo Yan continued, "As for the wages, it's set at seven hundred copper coins per month. I'll give Uncle four hundred copper coins at the end of each month, and the remaining three hundred will stay with me temporarily. When your cousin gets engaged, Aunt can come to me to collect it. What do you think, Aunt?"
"Seven hundred coins? That's so much?" Wu Shi was stunned for a moment, then quickly added, "Yan'er, since your cousin is going to help out, you can't give him such a high wage just because he's a relative. Two or three hundred coins a month would be enough."
Working as a laborer in the city for a month straight only earns six hundred coins, while being a shop assistant at the rice shop is much easier, and pays better than manual labor. Seven hundred coins is too high, she couldn't accept that.
"Aunt, working in a rice shop isn't easy. Seven hundred coins isn't considered high, that's the usual wage for shop assistants. You can rest assured!" Mo Yan felt a bit helpless. If it were someone else, they would only complain about low wages, where would they ever complain about high ones!
Wu Shi felt somewhat relieved, "That's good! You can decide on the wages. Aunt has no objections."
Mo Yan nodded, "Alright, then I'll give him four hundred coins per month and keep three hundred coins."
"Um, that's fine." Mo Yan thought for a moment before reminding, "Aunt, regarding the wages, you should only tell others that it's four hundred coins per month. Even to cousin, you should keep it a secret. I'm afraid he won't be able to keep it to himself and might let it slip."
Wu Shi was puzzled, "Why is that?"
Mo Yan realized she didn't understand, feeling somewhat speechless. She decided to be straightforward, "Cousin is turning eighteen soon and should start saving money for marriage. But since you're not in charge at home, if you give the money back to them, will it really benefit others in the end?"
Wu Shi's eyes welled up with tears! Exactly, if she gave the money back, it would just end up in her mother-in-law's pocket, and eventually be given to her younger sister-in-law as dowry. Her poor children had to get up before dawn to go up the mountain to chop wood, working themselves to exhaustion. They barely made any money, and whatever they earned was all taken away by her mother-in-law, who still complained it was too little, and didn't even let them eat enough every day.
Now, Yan actually considered this as well. She, as their mother, had been so muddle-headed, she really didn't deserve those children!
Thinking of this, Wu Shi felt even more grateful, "Yan'er, thank you, really thank you!"
Mo Yan held her warm hand, shaking her head with a smile.
Seeing that Wu Shi's clothes were too thin, before leaving, Mo Yan gave her a new cotton jacket. The jacket was made by Li Xiu according to her own size, and since they had similar body shapes, it would fit Wu Shi too. Then she gave her some pastries, letting her take them secretly.
Wu Shi really needed these things, but she owed too much to the Mo family, and refused to accept them no matter what, until Mo Yan pretended to be angry, and she felt too embarrassed to refuse. When she left, her eyes were still red.
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