The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 509 - 507 Arrangement

Chapter 509: Chapter 507 Arrangement

The Wang Family was about to take this list and go purchase the materials, and also hire people to work the clay and make adobe bricks.

Grateful for Wang Yongzhu’s forthright manner, Master Chiang also listed a few reputable shops and kilns that he regularly patronized, for they not only offered fair prices but also high-quality goods.

Wang Yongzhu decisively made the call and let Song Chongjin send Master Chiang back to town, taking the opportunity to visit the shops Master Chiang recommended and place orders directly following the list he had provided.

Master Chiang enjoyed dealing with such straightforward clients, and had not expected that in this countryside, a young lady would act so decisively.

Her trust in him also made Master Chiang feel a sudden surge of obligation not to betray her confidence.

He immediately slapped his chest, guaranteeing with his reputation that he would build a courtyard for the Wang Family that was not only sturdy and attractive but would also last a century without issues.

Once everything was settled, Wang Yongzhu took out a silver note of one hundred taels for Song Chongjin to go purchase materials.

Master Chiang then took his leave. This trip back to town, he was not only going to help choose materials but also to call on his old workmates, who had followed him for more than ten years. They got on well together, their craftsmanship was top-notch.

But the most important thing was their excellent teamwork.

All of this had been previously agreed upon with the Wang Family. Hiring Master Chiang meant bringing him and his crew. The wage would be the same as others, not only ensuring beautiful workmanship but also saving them the trouble of finding help elsewhere—who knew what kind of people they would be able to find?

Building a house was no joke.

After sending Master Chiang off, no one in the family could afford to idle.

Wang Laozhu went off to find a geomancer; on the day they broke ground, he would have to perform a ceremony on the homestead, which was necessary before digging the foundation.

As for the three Wang brothers, both Wang Yongfu and Wang Yongping were well-liked in the village. They had already thought of more than ten able-bodied men with whom they had good relations to ask for help when the time came.

Not to mention just working the clay in the fields to make adobe bricks, then waiting for them to dry out before moving them to the homestead required a great deal of effort.

As for Wang Yonggui, Wang Yongzhu had intended to assign him tasks too, but these past few days, although the season for collecting mountain goods had passed, people still came to the Wang Family to sell because they were short on money or for various other reasons.

Turning them away could harm their reputation. Having just established a foothold, they naturally couldn’t drive away customers.

Upon reflection, Wang Yongzhu knew that Wang Yonggui was the laziest of them all. If he were asked to work the clay and make bricks every day, he surely wouldn’t last. Besides, he could be quite ruthless with himself, and there was a real chance that he might injure himself to avoid work, not only failing to help but also necessitating someone to take care of him.

Better to assign Wang Yonggui to handle the mountain goods business at the old residence, look after the children, and help with various other family chores.

Wang Yonggui had been anxious from the moment Wang Yongzhu began assigning tasks, initially hoping to land the favorable job of accompanying Master Chiang to buy materials.

When assigning tasks, Wang Yongzhu had also considered this possibility, even thinking of letting Wang Yonggui handle the material purchase since he was quite eloquent.

But that was just a fleeting thought.

How could Wang Yongzhu possibly entrust such a large sum of money to Wang Yonggui? Although he seemed to have improved, if he suddenly had a change of heart on the road and ran off with the money, where would they find him?

Besides, for material purchases, Wang Yongzhu was concerned about quality. With Wang Yonggui’s love for money, there was a chance he might collude with the shop owners.

Buying subpar materials and telling oneself they are top quality, one might be cheated without even realizing it, especially if one is clueless about such matters.

Since the house is for one’s own use, of course, it cannot be taken lightly.

After much consideration, Wang Yongzhu decided not to test Wang Yonggui’s integrity with money, as the cost would be too high.

As for Wang Yongfu and Wang Yongping, both were too naive, and Master Chiang was a shrewd man; they would not be able to control him. If Master Chiang harbored any ulterior motives, they probably wouldn’t notice, while Song Chongjin could keep him in check.

Wang Yonggui felt a chill in his heart upon hearing his sister assigning Song Chongjin to procure the materials.

Seeing that his eldest brother and Laosi had been assigned tasks, Wang Yonggui’s unease grew as he nervously watched Wang Yongzhu.

He breathed a sigh of relief at the task Wang Yongzhu had arranged for him, and seeing the teasing look in his sister’s eyes, he knew she was looking out for him.

He quickly said, "Sister, rest assured, Third Brother guarantees you, I will diligently collect the mountain goods. When there are no customers, I’ll take care of running errands too! If I can’t handle this, I won’t have the face to live in the new house!"

Wang Yongzhu nodded and continued with the assignments.

To hire help, one would have to pay wages and also provide meals.

If you want those who come to help to put in effort and build the house quickly, the food can’t be bad; there has to be enough oil and water in it, because without sustenance, who would give their all?

So, one must buy vegetables, buy meat, and also find someone to cook.

Feeding ten or twenty people three meals a day, on top of the three or four women and several children at home, would be too much to handle without additional help in the kitchen.

Old Granny Zhang knew exactly whom to ask for help, as she’d observed for years who was quick and diligent during village celebrations and who wasn’t the type to sneak off with the host’s food back home.

Old Granny Zhang took on the task of cooking. She had overseen her sons’ weddings and elders’ funerals, and had helped other families, so she knew exactly what to do.

She immediately identified those who could help, and on finding a few women she trusted, she offered them five wen a day, meals included, which no one refused.

Nowadays, peasant families were idle with nothing much to do, just staying at home. For those in financial difficulty, consuming only two meals of porridge a day without starving, and making it to spring, would be a feat.

Hearing that the Wang Family provided three meals and wages, not just women but also men were eager to come.

Old Granny Zhang, along with Lady Lin and Lady Jiang, borrowed several large pots and steaming baskets from a few well-acquainted families, and had the Three Wang Brothers and a few others set up several earthen stoves in the yard, piling up firewood like a small hill.

They also brought wheat and sorghum out of the family’s granary to the village mill to be ground into flour. In such weather, steamed buns could last a few days without spoiling and could be reheated at mealtime, making them convenient and filling.

With everything prepared, Old Granny Zhang also arranged with the village’s tofu seller, fishmonger, and butcher, ordering specific amounts of tofu, fish, and meat to be delivered to the Wang Family daily.

As for vegetables, there was no shortage of cabbage and radishes in the back yard.

When Wang Yongfu and Wang Yongping spoke to well-connected villagers, no one refused to help.