stingy landlady

Chapter 157 Growing Bean Sprouts Together (3)

When Guizhi and Guiling saw Li slip and fall, they both burst into laughter!

"Mother! Mother! Ling'er wants to go ice skating too!"

Guiling laughed as she looked for Li's ice skating spot, while Li walked along calling out:

"Go back with your third sister right now! I'm not going to argue with you! You kids' bones are soft and it's nothing, but my bones are hard, it hurts a lot if I fall like that!"

Li took Guiling back to the house! When Guizhi found Dazhu, he was watching the farmhands cut firewood and stack it!

The group was chatting and laughing, having a lively time! Guizhi ran over:

"Father! Father!"

"Hey! Guizhi's back! How did you find your way here!"

"Dad! I need to talk to you!"

Just then, an eleven or twelve-year-old boy, dressed in only a thin shirt, ran over!

"Big brother! Big brother! Little sister seems to have a fever again!"

An eighteen or nineteen-year-old farmhand put down the old man's head and asked:

"Third brother, didn't you give little sister her medicine yesterday?"

The boy said anxiously:

"She took her medicine! But we're out of medicine today! Second brother went to gather firewood! Little sister got up to go to the toilet this morning, and she was wearing too little and caught a chill! Sigh! Big brother! Buy little sister a cotton-padded coat! She's dressed too lightly!"

The farmhand, also helpless, squatted down and said with a troubled expression:

"I've already borrowed two months' wages from my employer! We won't have any money to celebrate the New Year!"

Dazhu sighed inwardly and said to Guizhi:

"Guizhi! Those siblings are pitiful too! Their father died early! Their mother was sick for a long time, and after spending a lot of money, she passed away too! The remaining children are burdened with a mountain of debt. The two older ones work tirelessly to pay off the debt, but alas! They don't earn much, and the youngest sister is always sick! The debt keeps piling up, and they can never pay it off!"

"Guizhi, do you have any old cotton-padded coats? Take them back for this child to wear! These children all share one coat; the second oldest went to gather firewood, so the two younger ones don't have any coats to wear! Sigh!"

Guizhi looked at the eldest son and realized why his clothes looked familiar. It turned out he was wearing Dazhu's old cotton-padded jacket! Then she looked at the child in the thin shirt, who was stamping his feet incessantly, and his toes were sticking out of his shoes.

Guizhi thought for a moment, made up her mind, and said:

"Father! It's perfect that all my brothers, or you can call me uncle, are here!"

"Oh? Miss, do you have business with us?"

Dazhu was also puzzled, and everyone's eyes were on Guizhi.

"Dad! I'm planning to sell bean sprouts, garlic sprouts, and scallions in the county town!"

When you all get home, have your families sprout beans themselves. If they don't know how, they can learn from my Aunt Zhou!

You can also plant garlic sprouts; it's easier that way. Just put a few pots on the kang (heated brick bed), fill them with soil, and plant garlic and scallions! They'll grow as long as the room is warm! We have pig and cow manure here; each of you can take some back as base fertilizer.

They'll grow fast and well! I'll help you sell them in the county town! It'll only be a few months; once the weather warms up, I'll tell you when to plant which vegetables to make money.

"Work hard with my father, and we'll all earn some money so you can all get married soon and find good wives!"

Dazhu hadn't expected Guizhi to be so generous. After thinking for a moment, he looked at the stunned farmhands and said:

"What are you standing there for! Thank the Third Miss!"

The farmhands then realized what was happening and started asking questions all at once:

"Third Miss! You're going to lead us to make money?"

"Master! Is what the Third Miss said true? Is there really such a good thing?"

Da Zhu's eyes narrowed, and his face darkened as he said:

"What? The Third Miss is speaking to my face, and you still don't believe her? Get back to work! Stop acting like you're starving!"

I'll talk to my family about it when I get home tonight!

Guizhi knew that those who came out to work as farmhands were basically from families that didn't value them much, couldn't get married, and didn't have enough to eat! So, to give them a voice in their families, she had to improve their status and have them earn money for the family.

"Everyone! Don't be so happy yet! There's still a battle to fight when you get home! Will your families listen to you? Will they let you spend the money you earn? And once you've made some money and your families are better off, will you still be able to come and work?"

Upon hearing this, the excited group immediately wilted like frostbitten eggplants!

He thought of his large family back home, where everyone else could at least get enough to eat, while he was constantly being beaten and starving! He was only alive because of God's blessing! Once they started earning money, wouldn't they make him work like a slave? He'd rather be a long-term laborer here!

The other reason is that the family is really struggling financially! He went out to work as a farmhand, and he had enough to eat and drink. The family didn't own any land, just a vegetable garden where his mother grew some vegetables! They relied on his meager wages to buy food and cover their expenses! Although his older sister was also struggling financially, she would still squeeze out a little money to help his mother!

If we can make money growing garlic sprouts, let my sister grow some and put them in the house! We can fill the kang (heated brick bed) with them, and I can sleep in the shack!

Everyone has different experiences and different thoughts.

Guizhidao:

"Actually, I think you can discuss it when you get home. It would be even better if you could make the decisions! If not, you should take a portion of the profits from the money you earn!"

If your family disagrees, but you're willing to contribute, then fine! If you're not willing to contribute, you and the rest of you can pool your resources to build another shack, grow garlic sprouts and scallions in it, and then split the profits!

Guizhi looked at the large pillar.

"Dad! What's your opinion? Am I right to say this?"

Dazhu looked at Guizhi, then at the several farmhands who were eagerly looking at him. After considering for a moment, he said:

"Let's build a shack! I'll provide the initial capital, and I'll cover the cost of things like wooden basins and garlic! When we recoup the initial investment, everyone will get a share of the profits!"

"Oh! The employer is so kind! I won't mention it when I get home! I'll work for the employer!"

This is the first long-term worker to be a doormat at home.

"Master! Third Miss! My mother lives alone! I'd like to plant some garlic sprouts at home! I'd like my sister to help me out!"

Guizhi looked at him; he was tall and thin, and quite filial! Guizhi asked:

"Why don't you let your mother grow bean sprouts! They're easy to manage and save you trouble! Planting garlic sprouts involves moving soil! The pots are so heavy! Watering them every day is such a hassle!"

"We have no land at home! No soybeans! But we have a vegetable garden to grow garlic! My mother raised my sister and me by herself! She's not in good health, so I'm thinking of earning more money to buy her some medicine to help her recover!"

My sister and I can help take care of the garlic sprouts whenever we have free time!

The other three also said they would work with Dazhu, but only this squatting farmhand stood up and said:

"Master! Third Miss! I have several younger siblings who can grow bean sprouts at home. I'm the eldest, and I'll work with you in the shed so we can earn more dividends!"

But I don't have any soybeans at home, so I'll have to borrow some from my father-in-law first! We'll deduct the money from the soybean payment when we sell the bean sprouts!