Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 237 - 236: Must Find a Way

Chapter 237: Chapter 236: Must Find a Way

Li Dahe was still cautious; he planned the chicken coop and the cattle shed together, a place rarely frequented, inconspicuous.

Especially since the cattle shed had two empty troughs, which could be easily converted to house chickens.

Raising chicks was even easier, didn’t even need the aunts to unleash their full potential—Uncle Guan was quite skillful and, with Zhao Zhuangshi’s help, they started with bustling activity.

Li Dahe was relieved and felt at ease, his worries significantly lessened;

Principal Wu was optimistic about the future and in good spirits;

Uncle Guan was delighted at the prospect that kids would always come to the cattle shed.

Only Zhao Zhuangshi, who had been drafted for labor, was full of gloom, carrying all the sorrow alone.

"Dammit... when it comes to good things they never think of me, but when there’s dirty work with the animals, they never forget me..."

"Zhuangshi, you must have the right attitude. Are you serving animals? You’re nurturing the next generation for the country, they are the future hope of the nation, in realizing the four modernizations as soon as possible..."

"Uncle, can you just admit I’m wrong and stop nagging? I’ve memorized that spiel of yours!"

"Hey, just memorizing it is not enough; you have to keep it in mind and think about it at all times..."

"..."

It will still take another twenty-odd days for the chicks to hatch, and the winter cabbages in the reserved land were just sprouts. The village school needed to find ways to add vegetables for the kids on their own.

Seeing the children’s yellow and gaunt faces daily, Lin Nianhe lost all appetite for shabu-shabu.

"We need to figure something out."

Looking at the children following Principal Wu in music class on the playground, Lin Nianhe muttered to herself.

If she could wait another two years until the spring breeze of reform blows through north and south, she had a thousand ways to lead the villagers to wealth.

But now... she had to resort to tricks just to set up a chicken coop.

It was tough.

She couldn’t possibly lead the whole village to assemble matchboxes...

Hmm?

Why not?

At times like this, to supplement household income, the most common job was this kind of unskilled piecework.

Lin Nianhe’s thoughts suddenly expanded. She didn’t rush to find connections with match factories but rather flipped open her notebook and wrote "matchbox" on a blank page as a reminder.

She had looked through the local records a few days ago; in Lan County, ten thousand matchboxes could be exchanged for four yuan. This job... it was better than nothing.

Lin Nianhe looked at those three mocking characters and beside them, she wrote two big characters—

Outsourcing

Yes, look for factories with outsourcing business, involve oneself in work that isn’t too difficult but also isn’t easily replaceable.

Not too difficult so that it can be spread among the villagers, not easily replaceable so they can keep their jobs.

Lin Nianhe thought and wrote, pondering whom to ’shear wool’ from next...

"Teacher Lin!"

Suddenly, a young-white-haired head appeared by the window.

Lin Nianhe was so focused she hadn’t noticed her surroundings and was startled.

She closed her notebook and frowned at Wu Genmao with a tone of displeasure: "What is it?"

Wu Genmao leaned by the window and whispered, "My big brother is asking, how’s the merchandise?"

Lin Nianhe’s tone grew even colder: "Didn’t we agree on half a month? Why the rush after just a few days? Besides, you haven’t even finished digging your vegetable cellar yet. Where am I supposed to put the stuff I bring? On the playground?"

Wu Genmao nodded attentively: "Teacher Lin, don’t be angry, I had no choice but to ask... Get mad at my big brother, he’s the one who insisted on asking, hehehe."

Lin Nianhe: "..."

She suddenly knew exactly who to fleece.

Heh, hehehe...

Just for giving her a fright, she’d go out of her way to make sure Bai Bo was the one to pay!

Lin Nianhe’s eyes were dark and unreadable, and Wu Genmao felt uneasy watching her.

Why did he feel like someone was about to be very unlucky?

Rubbing his arms, Wu Genmao realized he was probably overthinking it. Sister-in-law is such a good person, she wouldn’t screw over my big brother, right?

So he said, "Teacher Lin, there’s another thing. Li Da and I have almost finished digging the vegetable cellar, those bricks..."

"Okay, once you two are finished, take a couple of days off. I’ll let you know when I’ve got the bricks," Lin Nianhe said as she flipped open her notebook and handed him a few Food Tickets, "I forgot earlier, you two don’t have any Food Tickets, right? Take these, and if it’s not enough, let me know, and I’ll figure out a way to exchange some more for you two."

Wu Genmao’s eyes instantly reddened: "Sister-in-law, you, you... whatever you say goes, I won’t have a second word about it! Li Da and I can finish up the remaining work on the vegetable cellar tonight, don’t you worry!"

Being with sister-in-law means meat, meals, money, and tickets too!

The best decision of his life was the day he hopped on that train...

Lin Nianhe raised the corners of her mouth and said to him, "Alright, there’s no rush in these couple of days, don’t work yourselves too hard."

"Mhm! Then I’ll go and fertilize the private plot."

Wu Genmao ran off.

Lin Nianhe watched him go and sighed again.

For these two guys, she now somewhat didn’t know what to do with them.

To consider them our own, they were Bai Bo’s followers;

To regard them as outsiders, they truly worked hard without any complaints, even Yufei, who fell into the wolves’ lair, was well taken care of by them, and still remained chaste for Miss Guan until today.

In half a month, should she let them go eat bullets with Bai Bo too?

Lin Nianhe felt somewhat reluctant; these two were the lowest level, brainless errand hoodlums, and they never even had the prestige that village tyrant Zhuangshi used to have.

"Got to think of a way again..."

One problem hadn’t been solved yet, and another problem came along.

Life, it seems, is like a programmer’s job, always ready to fix some bizarre bug that pops up.

"My home is up north on the Songhua River, where there are forests coal mines, and those fields full of soybeans and sorghum..."

The children’s singing voice came over, Lin Nianhe turned her head to look, unable to refrain from laughing at the sight of those earnest little faces gathered around Principal Wu.

"Teacher Lin, why does the song mention soybeans and sorghum, but we plant corn?"

During the break, a few little bastards ran back to the classroom and asked Lin Nianhe.

Lin Nianhe: "That’s a good question... why didn’t you ask Principal Wu?"

Little bastards: "Just thought of it!"

Lin Nianhe: "..."

Why do they grow corn, indeed?

Lin Nianhe would like to know too.

Seeing that she didn’t answer, Niuwa’s mouth curled up in a smile.

Sister Lin... oh, Teacher Nianhe now looks like she’s trying to bluff her way out of losing at checkers.

Niuwa said, "I think this question should be asked of Teacher Wen, it’s part of labor class content!"

The others blinked, "Is that so?"

Niuwa nodded earnestly: "Yep."

"Then let’s go find Teacher Wen!"

The little ones ran out again.

Niuwa didn’t run; his eyes curved into crescents, his little hands gripping the edge of the desk, his chin resting on the back of his hands, grinning at Lin Nianhe.

Lin Nianhe ruffled his little head and pulled out a White Rabbit creamy candy from the drawer and stuffed it into his mouth: "You’re the clever one!"

With the candy in his mouth, Niuwa’s eyes curved even more.

He said, "Teacher Nianhe, Zhang Dahu has asked me several times, asking when you will teach him math."

"Hmm?"

Lin Nianhe slapped her forehead.

These past few days she’s been preoccupied with the children’s meal issues and had forgotten about Zhang Dahu, who was eager to become an accountant.

She asked, "What did you tell him?"

Niuwa chuckled, arms wide: "Sister Lin, give me a hug and then I’ll tell you."