Chapter 476: Decision

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 Chapter 475: The Nascent Form of a Famous Ink Family

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  Chapter 198: Meeting Strangers, Upgrading the Space (7)

Mo Yan didn't stay long and soon came out, calling for a carriage straight to Huixian Restaurant.

When shopkeeper Xing learned of Mo Yan's intentions, he praised her for her kindness. Considering that Yun Zhao was still young, he allowed him to help out in the kitchen with washing vegetables for now. When he grew older, they would see if he could do other tasks.

As for the wages, it was temporarily set at one hundred wen per month. There was a vacant storage room in the backyard of Huixian Residence which could be cleaned up for the siblings to live in, and they would be provided with three meals a day.

For the siblings, this was already a great arrangement. Mo Yan knew that Shopkeeper Xing took in Yun Zhao because of her, so she repeatedly thanked him, keeping this favor in mind.

When Mo Yan told the siblings about the arrangements, they were extremely excited. Yun Zhao even dragged his sister Yun Sheng and kneeled in front of Mo Yan, wanting to kowtow to her, but Mo Yan stopped them.

"Sister, we have nothing to repay you with, so let us kowtow to you a few times," Yun Zhao insisted, pulling his sister down to kneel.

"Sister doesn't want you to repay anything. As long as you behave well and work hard, that's the best repayment for me."

Mo Yan pulled them up with black lines all over her head. Kneeling to parents, kneeling to the heavens, and kneeling to the deceased. If these two little ones knelt to her, she would have psychological issues, okay?

At noon, Mo Yan took them to have a meal and then bought them each a few sets of clothes from a clothing store before taking them to Huixian Restaurant.

Shopkeeper Xing found time to meet Yun Zhao. Seeing that he was young but smart, and knowing that he could read, after a brief test, he nodded to himself, considering nurturing him, but he still needed to assess his character further.

Xiao Zhu settled the siblings in the small room in the backyard. Mo Yan gave them some careful instructions before leaving Huixian Restaurant under the reluctant gazes of the siblings.

Having settled one matter and accumulated some merit, Mo Yan was in a great mood and decided to walk back while browsing the shops.

"Oh? Miss, what a coincidence, I see you again."

Passing by a clothing store, a somewhat familiar middle-aged woman's voice reached Mo Yan's ears.

Mo Yan turned her head and saw the owner of the voice standing at the doorway of the clothing store, looking friendly and amiable.

Wasn't this woman the elegant beauty she had encountered last time at Duobao Pavilion?

At this moment, the elegant beauty was wearing a chestnut-colored silk gown with wide sleeves. She wore a set of valuable jade ornaments on her head, ears, and wrists, and was followed by four or five maidservants, fully displaying the demeanor of a noble lady.

"So it's this madam. What a coincidence indeed." Others greeted with a smile, so Mo Yan naturally wouldn't turn and leave, so she smiled and replied.

"Hehe, since we've met again, would the young lady be willing to accompany me to the teahouse across the street?" The elegant lady walked over with a graceful demeanor and extended her right hand to shake hands with Mo Yan.

Mo Yan didn't move her hand, which was originally resting on her waist, and smiled, "Madam's kindness should not be refused, but there are matters at home, so I'm afraid I can't accept the invitation."

Doing favors without reason often hides sinister motives. She wasn't a three-year-old child who would obediently follow along just because someone spoke kindly to her.

The rejected elegant lady's expression dimmed, and a hint of vulnerability appeared on her still beautiful face. "Well... then, I wonder where the young lady lives. If there's a chance..."

Facing Mo Yan's seemingly smiling but not smiling expression, the elegant lady couldn't continue. The previously disguised kindness also showed a crack.

Can't keep up the act anymore?

Mo Yan coldly chuckled in her heart, showing sincerity on her face, "Hehe, madam is too polite. Since it's a chance encounter, let's leave it to fate! If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave first."

▶▶The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor

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 Chapter 974: Detailed Contract

Guo Shi was dumbfounded, her whole body going numb.

After Jiang Kuanyu finished reading, she stared at Shu Yu and asked, "Village Lord Lu? are all these things written here true?"

The contract not only clearly outlined their wages but also mentioned that due to the inconvenience of going into town, someone would assist with purchasing food every month if needed.

It even specified how much would be deducted for taking a day off, and that absenteeism without a valid reason would result in double deductions. However, if someone fell ill, only half a day's wage would be deducted.

Guo Shi didn't think any of these were problems.

After receiving Shu Yu's affirmation, she immediately ran out excitedly and explained everything to the others.

The tenant households outside found it hard to believe. Could there really be such a good landowner for tenant farmers and workers in this day and age? They were afraid they were being deceived.

Shu Yu pointed to Jiang Kuan Yu beside her and said, "With master Jiang as a witness, I certainly wouldn't deceive you."

Guo Shi believed her, so she was the first to step forward and said, "Village Lord Lu, what do you think of me? I want to sign the contract."

Shu Yu smiled. "No rush, one at a time. I've answered the questions you asked me earlier. Now, it's my turn to ask."

Shu Yu began recruiting people, but since it involved farming, Da Niu had to handle some of the more specialized questions.

The number of people needed wasn't too large, and after a couple of hours, they had almost finished asking all the questions.

There were twenty households, with at least one person employed from each household, and one household had as many as four people.

For the households with four people, they were overjoyed. With four wages of six hundred wen each, they would have a total of two taels and four qian per month.

With this, it wouldn't take long to save enough money to build a house, and they would be able to eat better. Just thinking about it made them excited.

The others looked on with envy.

In the end, Shu Yu hired a total of twenty-seven people. Of course, not all of them would be responsible for farming. Two of them would work on the estate. Otherwise, even with Da Niu and his wife, they wouldn't be able to manage such a large estate.

After hiring everyone, it was time to assign tasks.

Da Niu would take care of this aspect. As the foreman for the first time, facing more than twenty people, he was still a little nervous.

Fortunately, Shu Yu was by his side, giving him courage. He had rehearsed in his mind repeatedly, so he managed to give instructions with a straight face.

Before planting crops, the soil needed to be prepared.

Since they currently only had enough seeds for twenty mu, Da Niu marked out an area for cultivation, leaving the rest for other crops.

By the time they finished their tasks, it was almost evening. Shu Yu and Da Niu returned to the city together.

Jiang Kuanyu accompanied them. He had promised to handle the affairs of the Cui family before leaving. He would make sure it was done.

Cui Lao Bo's body had already been brought back to the yamen. With Xiang Weinan's efficient handling and the clear evidence, the case would be closed by tomorrow at the latest.

Jiang Kuanyu lived in the capital and had only stayed on the estate for these two days. Tonight, he planned to spend the night in Jiangyuan County and take Cui Lao Bo back the next day for a proper burial.

Shu Yu entered the city with him, but their relationship wasn't close enough to take him directly to the Meng family's residence. She told him to go home first, have a cup of tea, and she would go to the Meng family's house first.

Little did she know that as soon as she entered her own home, the old lady said that Xiao Ya'er was in her room.

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  Chapter 197: Meeting Strangers, Upgrading the Space (6)

After weighing the pros and cons, the middle-aged man glared at the child unwillingly. "I'll let you off this time, but if you dare to come and steal again, even if I have to go to prison, I'll make sure to beat you to death first."

The child shrunk his neck behind Mo Yan and peeked out, saying, "A real man keeps his word. If I say I won't go to your house to steal, then I definitely won't."

The middle-aged man gave him a hateful look and stormed off.

Mo Yan pulled the child out forcefully. "Why do you keep going to his house to steal steamed buns? Don't you know you're likely to get caught doing that?"

Hmm, something seems off about that statement. If he doesn't steal from the middle-aged man's house, does that mean he'll just steal from another?

The child clenched his fists tightly, his face turning red with anger. "That guy is not a good person. His first wife died, and then he married a young widow. The young widow abuses the child left by his first wife every day. Not only does this old guy not intervene, he even joins in beating the child. Such scum deserves to be executed."

Mo Yan was shocked. The child and his sister were also abused and driven out of their home by their stepmother, and he harbored a deep hatred towards stepmothers. But his greatest hatred should be towards his own father; otherwise, he wouldn't keep stealing from the middle-aged man's house, transferring his hatred for his father onto the middle-aged man.

Thinking this, Mo Yan became even more determined to guide the child back onto the right path.

"Even so, you shouldn't steal from his house. People like him will eventually face consequences without others having to take action. Extreme lack of parental love easily leads to unfilial behavior. If this isn't karma, what is?"

The child was defiant. "I just can't stand it. That child can't even get out of bed after being beaten, and those despicable couple won't even let him eat. Every time I steal steamed buns, I give him some. He says he hates his father and stepmother so much, he wishes he could set the house on fire and burn his father and stepmother to death."

By the end, the child's eyes were red. He also wanted to set the house on fire; even if it didn't kill his father and wicked stepmother, he wanted to take everything away from them.

Mo Yan listened with a pounding heart, silently grateful that he met the child. Otherwise, who knows how twisted the child's psyche would become in the future.

"Even so, with your small arms and legs, what can you do? If I hadn't found you today, you would have been caught and punished by him. Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about your sister. She's so young, if something happens to you, who will take care of her?"

The child lowered his head and said nothing, evidently thinking of his young sister and agreeing with Mo Yan's words.

Mo Yan nodded inwardly, patting the child's head. "If you're willing, big sister will help you find a job. It might not pay much, but it should be enough to support you and your sister. That way, you won't need to steal anymore, and you won't have to worry about getting caught and beaten."

The child's eyes lit up, but then he hesitated. "Will they accept me?"

He had tried working at a restaurant before, washing dishes without pay, just for some leftover food. But they rejected him because he was too young and slow, fearing he might break dishes.

"As long as you're willing to learn and work hard, they will accept you," Mo Yan reassured him. "Tell me where you live, and go back first. I'll let you know when I find a job for you."

This time, the child readily told Mo Yan where he lived.

Mo Yan bought some food and personally escorted him back, also meeting his skinny little sister, which filled her heart with a bitter sweetness. She learned that the child was seven years old, named Yun Zhao, and his sister was five years old, named Yun Sheng. From their names, they didn't seem like names ordinary commoners would choose.

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 Chapter 973: Three Questions

Shu Yu gave them time to consider and went back to the main hall to have some tea.

The buzzing noise from the courtyard continued, occasionally punctuated by raised voices.

After almost half an hour had passed, someone finally stepped forward and expressed a desire to ask Shu Yu a few questions.

Shu Yu looked up and recognized the woman from the Cui family's neighboring household. She had made quite an impression on Shu Yu, and her senses were sharp, so Shu Yu nodded and said, "Go ahead, ask your questions."

"What kind of crops do you plan to grow on the land you purchased, village lord Lu?" the woman asked.

Shu Yu smiled and replied, "I intend to cultivate a type of food that you have never seen before."

"Never seen before?" Guo Shi widened her eyes. "Since we've never seen it before, we won't know how to grow it. What if we ruin it?" Would they be held responsible?

Shu Yu shook her head. "The food I want to grow is called sunflowers. They don't require high soil quality and are easy to grow. My older brother has successfully cultivated them before, and he will be living on this estate. When the time comes, he will teach you how to plant them."

Da Niu nodded beside her.

Guo Shi was astonished. The master's older brother would personally work in the fields?

Unable to contain her excitement, she swallowed hard and asked, "What about wages?"

"You will be paid according to the standard wages for farm workers in Jiangyuan County, which is six hundred wen per month. Of course, if you perform well, I will increase the wages and provide additional rewards."

Initially, the wages couldn't be too high, or else it would seem too easy to make money under her employ, which might create misconceptions or foster laziness. However, she couldn't let her workers live in hardship either. How could they work diligently if they couldn't eat well or dress warmly? As long as they worked earnestly, she would treat them fairly.

Guo Shi quickly grasped the implications behind Shu Yu's words and felt a wave of emotions stirring within her.

She tightened her fist slightly. "How many people does Xiang Jun plan to hire?"

"Currently, the plan is to hire thirty people. However, not all of the thirty will necessarily be chosen from among you. I will need to assess suitability, and only those who are suitable will be employed."

Guo Shi understood this point.

Seeing her deep in thought, Shu Yu asked, "Do you have any other questions?"

Guo Shi shook her head. "No."

Shu Yu thought to herself that after all the discussions, there were only three questions? It seemed she had to take charge.

Last night, Shu Yu had already prepared the contract.

She brought it out and pushed it in front of Guo Shi. "This is the contract. It contains many important points. Ask everyone about it. If there are no issues, then I will start selecting people."

Guo Shi lowered her head and saw densely written characters on the paper, but she recognized very few of them.

So many conditions? Suddenly, she felt difficulty breathing and a sense of suffocation.

Jiang Kuanyu, who was standing nearby, understood that not many people among them could read. He took the contract and began reading it aloud, line by line.

As he read, Jiang Kuanyu grew more astonished.

The contract didn't just impose requirements on the tenant households; it also held the same constraints for Shu Yu herself.

No wonder it was so detailed. But now that she was a landowner, wasn't she being too kind? She was even more reasonable and considerate than him, a former landlord.

Seeing the look in Jiang Kuanyu's eyes, Shu Yu knew exactly what he was thinking, and her mouth twitched involuntarily.

She didn't want slaves who could be beaten and scolded, exploited mercilessly. She wanted employees who would work hard to improve their lives. Furthermore, she wasn't Zhou Bapi; she wasn't cruel and ruthless. There was no need to worsen the already difficult lives of others. Couldn't everyone make money and live well together?

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 Chapter 91: Son

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