Now the most enviable person in the village is not Wang Shijing, but Zhao Lizheng! When Wang Shen asked this question, Wang Qian also looked at Wang Shuping a little anxiously, so Wang Shuping had no choice but to say, “Shijing and Yunan have their own plan. They are worried…” He didn’t even have to say what they were worried about. Wang Qian couldn’t help it any longer and hit Wang Wenhe. “Are you still concerned about that family? What else can that family give us except trouble?! What else do you plan to do?”

Wang Shen, who received a sign from her husband, hurriedly stopped her mother-in-law with an anxious expression on her face. But Wang Wenhe just said, “You can’t take this recipe.” Wang Qian’s breath almost didn’t come out, her eyes full of tears. Wang Shen was also extraordinarily disappointed and angry, but Wang Wenhe just raised his hand. “Listen to me, guys.” After taking a few breaths, he continued, “I am really biased towards Wang Dali’s family and I hope that Wang Zhisong will give our Wang clan a fighting chance to promote our clan in the future. Toward Wang Shijing I really wasn’t fair enough. If we’d really accepted this chrysanthemum tea recipe from them, our family would be even more stabbed in the back in the future. If that happens I don’t know how much dirty water would be poured on us.”

Wang Qian shed tears, but Wang Shuping said, “Father, your concern is right. When Shijing and Yunan proposed it to me, I also refused. Now that Uncle Zhao opened the path, they can also start a business and earn money without worrying. This chrysanthemum tea might be even more popular than the jam, since it can also cure diseases. It will also earn more, so it won’t be sold for a cheap price.” Wang Shen was also a bit disappointed and her eyes could not help but redden. But Wang Wenhe was happy that his son understood him and patted his son’s hand. “Shuping, father made you feel aggrieved. In the future, father might still be confused about some things, but let’s not envy other people’s money and raise your Wang Yan well.” Wang Shuping nodded and Wang Yan swore, “Grandpa, I will study hard.” Wang Wenhe stroked his grandson’s head, his eyes filled with relief.

※

The storm passed and the punishment of Wang Dafu’s family also came to nothing. However, many people openly and secretly criticized Wang Dafu’s family, including his father Wang Benchang. If asking for money-making recipes was justified, who with money-making skills would still dare to show them out in the future? That was obviously something to think about. Even if they were from the same clan, the clan rules did not stipulate that crafts had to be shared with the clan free of charge.

Naturally, if Wang Dafu’s family could not save face, you didn’t even need to mention that after their big fight with old lady Wang both sides tore their faces and revealed a lot of family private affairs through old lady Wang’s broken mouth. Wang Chenxiang and Wang Guo were usually very close to each other and they would gossip about everything in their families. Wang Guo would then repeat it to old lady Wang. Old lady Wang’s shrewish nature could be considered unique in Xiushui Village, so Wang Dafu’s wife simply could not quarrel with her. But afterwards, Wang Benchang reprimanded his daughter-in-law severely.

But no matter how severe the situation was outside, Wang Zhisong was just sitting alone. He lost face in the county school and did not want to listen to the village gossip. He agreed with old lady Wang that after three months he would start living in the county town and old lady Wang would rent him a house. The old woman had saved some money, but if she wanted to rent Wang Zhisong a house in the county town, it would still be a struggle. So on seeing Wang Shijing’s family spend so much money, she not only hated him, but also had some thoughts about it.

If their fields could not be planted in time, their next year harvest would be problematic and would earn them less money. Old lady Wang, making up her mind, took the three silver taels given by Wang Wenhe and hired some people. Each person would be paid 12 copper coins, not including food but with boarding in the firewood shed. No one in the village was willing to do it, so old lady Wang went to the county town to hire refugees like Wang Shijing did. Even if there was no food included in such an already small amount of money, there were still a few people willing to do it, since it was difficult to find other jobs. However, the people who took this job were people who were not physically strong, so it was unusually difficult to find any people who worked in teams.

When they were hired, Wang Chunxiu stopped working and Wang Zaizheng also hid back at home. Old lady Wang also did not force them anymore. After all, after spending money to hire people, there was certainly no point in letting their own family members work any longer. Old lady Wang hired five people, one of whom was a woman, so Wang Chunxiu asked her to even wash their family’s clothes. The woman refused to do it, saying that she was here to plant the fields, not to wash clothes. It was only twelve copper coins a day, so how could this family act so shameless? But Wang Chunxiu said that she would not get paid unless she washed the clothes. It would be winter soon, so in order to earn some money for the winter, the woman gritted her teeth and endured it.

Within two days of their arrival, the five people recognized other refugees who were working in the Wang Shijing’s family fields and were hired just like them. Upon asking, their family also did not cover food and accommodation, but if they finished plowing the fields in 20 days they would earn 60 copper coins a day. They were also already paid a deposit of two taels of silver. They did the same work in the field, but the difference in the pay was just too big! Then, they also heard from the mouth of the ‘villagers’ that the family they were working for was cruel and even tried to rob their own son of money. The hired help from Wang Shijing’s side, out of the goodness of his heart, reminded them not to finish the job until they were paid money.

Now the five people panicked, especially the woman who also had to wash the Wang family’s clothes. The five people together no longer worked and went together to old lady Wang’s house to request a deposit. The woman also asked for extra money for washing their clothing. Then both sides quarreled. Old lady Wang and Wang Chunxiu said that they shouldn’t even think about a deposit and would not be paid until they finish their work. While the other side said that they wouldn’t work until they got the deposit.

The quarrel between the two sides naturally attracted a crowd of onlookers. Wang Zhisong knew that his mother wanted to save money to rent him a house in the county town so he didn’t care. In his opinion, they are just homeless people so if someone wanted to hire them they should already be grateful. If his family did not hire them, where would they go to make money? Wang Zhisong felt that he would be safe as long as Shao Yunan didn’t go to the county school to make trouble, and he didn’t provoke him.

With this quarrel, the villagers of Xiushui Village refreshed their understanding of old lady Wang’s family. Someone who took short time work in the county town, after being busy for the whole day, would get paid 20 copper coins. But wages would go up during the busy farming period, but these people for a mere 12 copper coins were willing to work from dawn until night without any rest. Could old lady Wang be even more stingy? Then when the woman began to argue, the villagers sighed even more.

Her 12 copper coi wage also covered washing the clothes of that entire family. Especially when they heard that woman shouting that Wang Chunxiu made her even wash her pants after her time of the month. The villagers’ uproar, mockery, and disgraceful voice almost drowned Wang Chunxiu. After that, it was spread that Wang Chunxiu used to let Nizi wash her dirty pants, which was brought up a lot by old ladies, daughters-in-laws, and old Aunts who pointed it out. The woman’s dirty pants should be either washed by her own mother, or by herself. They should not be carelessly washed by others or by some ignorant little girls. It was really shameless.

When the quarrel became particularly fierce, Wang Shuping came. As soon as he came, everyone quieted down. Although Wang Wenhe’s prestige has declined among the clan, Wang Shuping still enjoyed great prestige among the young people of the clan and even the clan elders were very optimistic about him. It was also most likely that he would be the future clan patriarch. As soon as old lady Wang saw Wang Shuping, she asked him to give her a judgment. However, Wang Shuping only glanced at her lightly and opened his mouth to ask, “Is Wang Zhisong home?” Old lady Wang froze and subconsciously answered, “Wang Zhisong is studying inside.” Wang Shuping… “How can he study when there is such a mess outside? Call him out.” Old lady Wang was not happy, “Why should I call him out? He doesn’t understand these things, he just needs to study well.” Wang Shuping didn’t want to argue with old lady Wang anymore, so he just shouted, “Wang Zhisong come out.”

Wang Shuping called him, making Wang Zhisong who was pretending to be deaf and blind in the house not know how to respond. Finally, he had no choice but to come out of the house. Wang Wenhe looked at him and said, “Wang Zhisong, your eldest brother is already separated. Your second brother is in prison and your father is old. So now you are the one in charge of the family. But why are you still reading like this inside?” Wang Zhisong frowned slightly as he answered, “Mother is the one who makes the decisions about hiring workers. Moreover, the daily wage of twelve copper coins is not a small amount. There are also many refugees in the county town, so if these people don’t want to work, there are other people who would be willing to do it.”

The woman immediately shouted” “Twelve copper coins a day to wash your family’s clothes and your daughter’s dirty pants! No one would be willing to do it!” Wang Chunxiu had long been shamelessly hiding inside the house, but Wang Zhisong’s eyes just fleshed with disgust as he replied, “If you don’t want to do it, don’t do it. Can my sister still force you?” The woman shot back, “If I don’t wash the clothes, your sister said that I would not be paid! I heard that you are a scholar. Why are you so unreasonable? ” Wang Zhisong couldn’t stand to be insulted with his status as a scholar, so he said coldly, “It’s because you didn’t ask clearly before you agreed to come to work and now you are blaming my sister. Since you washed clothes, naturally you did less work in the fields. You are so picky with work. If you don’t want to work just don’t.”

“You!” The woman couldn’t refute Wang Zhisong and just cried. Wang Shuping looked at Wang Zhisong expressionlessly and said, “Wang Zhisong, my father gave three taels of silver for Aunt Wang to hire people. There are only five people and each of them is paid only 12 copper coins a day. For five people, it’s 60 copper coins a day. With three taels of silver, you can hire them for 50 days. That is not counting Uncle Wang and that your family has cattle. I would like to ask, who in the village with cattle still needs six people to work for 50 days? Even if there are no cows, 50 days is still more than enough.” As soon as Wang Shuping said this, Wang Zhisong’s expression changed, while old lady Wang felt guilty. The villagers were also surprised as someone asked, “This is not coveting the patriarch’s money, right?!”

“Old Aunt Wang, you are too good at calculating. The patriarch gave three taels of silver to help your family hire people, but now you even want to get a share for yourself. You are also counting your family’s wages, right?” Wang Zhisong was instantly embarrassed. Wang Shuping was right in front of him and the old woman, who was already doing a bad job, dared to spill out even more and stammered. “They are willing to work for 12 copper coins a day, so why should I take the initiative to increase their wages?”

“You’re the one who said you could only pay 12 copper coins a day! Not a coin more! We also have to pay for our meals!” The five workers immediately shouted, “If it hadn’t been for the coming winter, who would want to work for you!” Old lady Wang immediately said, “But you were still willing to earn it!”

“This old woman is too unreasonable!” Wang Shuping asked the five workers aloud, “For how many days have you been hired?”

“Fifteen days.”

“Wow!” Immediately, some people said, “Fifteen days is only 900 copper coins so old lady Wang wanted to keep more than 2 taels of silver for herself.” Old lady Wang’s face could no longer be held up and even Wang Zhisong was not able to help her. Then the hired woman shouted again, “They say that people who study are reasonable, but how can you be so black-hearted?” Wang Shuping reached out directly to old lady Wang. “Aunt Wang, 900 copper coins is not much, Aunt should not be short of it. My father is sick and needs to see a doctor and take medicine, so since you can bear the cost of hiring others, give me back the three taels of silver.”

Edited by: Jaisland

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