Sui and Tang Dynasties: Awakening the Supreme Skills at the Beginning

The villagers left one after another.

Uncle Wang, Wang Qingshan, Li Dahai, and the Luo brothers took a look at Li Zhen and stayed.

They are the backbone of the workshop team. After the general meeting, they will hold another small meeting.

Many things cannot be said publicly, and Li Zhen also has things to tell them.

Several people walked into the main room and took their seats.

Li Zhen didn't exchange pleasantries, but asked directly, "Second Uncle, is there anyone cheating in the workshop team?"

Although the workshop team received at least two strings of cash every month, they were not subject to any assessments, and in the first few days, they did heavy physical labor, so it was inevitable that some people would cheat.

Li Mantun hesitated for a while, shook his head and said, "No, basically. It's just that Er Laizi went to the toilet too often. He went more than ten times yesterday. I asked him if he had a stomachache, and he said no. As for the specific reason, I don't know."

"Ok!"

"In the next few days, focus on monitoring Er Laizi and don't let him get involved in the core processes."

"Okay!" Li Mantun nodded.

Li Zhen's winemaking technique uses modern advanced technology, which contains many confidential information. If someone inside deliberately leaks the information at this time, their losses will be great. This is also the reason why Li Zhen wants to recruit workers in the village. After all, everyone knows what kind of person he is and what his character is.

Luo Liang walked up to Li Zhen and whispered to him, "Boss, Lu Feng's archers and strong men want to fight you."

Li Zhen smiled and said, "Do you think Lu Feng gave you too little?"

"Yes!"

Luo Liang nodded, "These archers in the government office don't have a fixed salary. They are all subsidized by the work of the constables. Usually, after working hard for a year, an archer only gets five strings of cash, and a strong man gets three strings of cash."

"..."

Li Zhen really didn't expect that these archers, who looked so powerful, actually earned so little, even less than their workshop team.

"They see you are so generous and want to follow you."

Luo Liang added.

The others nodded in unison.

The remuneration for working for Li Zhen is extremely generous. It is hard to find a boss like Li Zhen, he is the only one in the world.

Li Zhen smiled bitterly and shook his head. He was really not that good to his subordinates. He was just following the standards of his previous company.

For example, work meals, transportation and housing subsidies, democratic management, etc.

However, in the Tang Dynasty, the landlords, wealthy people, and powerful officials were too cruel to the common people. In contrast, he looked like a living Bodhisattva.

Luo Liang whispered, "I didn't know your plan, so I didn't agree to them."

Li Zhen nodded and said, "You are right. If you are willing to join those who are tight-lipped, you can give two strings of money a month to archers and one string of money a month to strong men. Just find two to be spies. Remember to contact them one by one and don't let them know each other."

Uncle Wang said distressedly: "This will cost us an extra three strings of cash a month. What's the point of keeping spies in the county government? They are not even petty officials!"

The others also nodded frequently.

"What we are going to do will make more and more money, and will make more and more people jealous."

Li Zhen looked at everyone and smiled, "Hire more spies so that we can know things in advance. Remember there is a principle here, money disperses and people gather. People are always more important than money. Only by spending money and strengthening our own strength can we make more money back."

“Money disperses and people gather?”

As they pondered over this sentence, Wang Qingshan's eyes suddenly lit up, "I know!"

"Then tell me how you understand it!"

Li Zhen encouraged him.

"Ok!"

Wang Qingshan nodded.

"If you gather money in your own hands, no one will follow you. People will leave like water. But if you give money to others, they will gather around you."

"Hey, I wonder if what I think is right?"

Wang Qingshan scratched the back of his head and said with a chuckle.

"Yes, I never knew Qingshan was so smart!"

Li Zhen looked at him with approval in his eyes.

Li Zhen added, "Second Uncle, from tomorrow on, get some more people here. I want to build a four-story house on a ten-acre plot of land. The house we live in now is too small."

"Okay, I'm a bit busy these days. I'll go order bricks and wood tomorrow and ask the master to come over."

Li Mantun was a little excited.

"Well, when everyone makes money, I will let everyone live in a big brick and tile house."

Li Zhen dropped another bombshell, shocking several people.

"what?"

Wang Qingshan and others did not expect that Li Zhen’s plan would include building a house for them. If such a house was built, what kind of wife could they not marry?

After discussing for a while, several people left.

As soon as they left the yard, the villagers outside surrounded them and crowded around them. The women all asked to be cooks, and the young and strong ones all asked to join the workshop team.

A cook earns one guan a month, which is not as much as a man, but is enough to support a family.

Joining the workshop team meant earning at least two strings of cash a month, and having two meals of meat a day, which was already the treatment of a superior person in the village. With this treatment, even a gangster could marry a wife.

There are too many people and not many places available, so they dare not agree to anything easily, for fear of offending others if they fail to fulfill their promise.

The three Luo brothers were filled with mixed emotions. There were so many people in Shenxing Town who had not joined the workshop team, but these three outsiders had gotten there first.

Everyone in the audience looked at them.

They have fifteen vacancies for the workshop team and cooks. Whoever gets a vacancy will be able to live a good life immediately!

After a discussion among them, Uncle Wang said in a deep voice.

"The workshop team not only has to work, but also has to practice martial arts to protect our workshop. Tomorrow morning, young people aged 16 and above and under 25 who want to join the workshop team should come to Brother Zhen's door. We will test everyone in terms of strength, reaction, and endurance. The top ten will be able to enter. No one can help the rest. Remember to eat a full meal in the morning, otherwise you will not have enough strength to pass the test!"

As soon as everyone heard that they would be tested on their abilities, they stopped arguing and gradually dispersed.

Uncle Wang did not mention the five cooks' vacancies, and no one asked about it.

The villagers left and the yard became quiet.

Li Zhen returned to the room, fell asleep immediately and did not speak a word all night.

On the second day, before daybreak, Li Zhen noticed a lot of noise and bustle outside the door.

Li Zhen finished his meditation and stood up. His spiritual power was circulating in his body. He felt relaxed all over, as if he had advanced to a higher level.

He finished washing up and walked out.

There were lanterns and torches outside his house, as bright as day. The entire workshop team, led by Uncle Wang, was setting up a shed to build a large canteen.

On the other side, Luo Liang gathered dozens of young and strong men and tested them.

Luo Liang was very strict in selecting candidates. He divided the selection into three items: lifting large stones, running and horse stance, which respectively tested the applicants' strength, speed and endurance. After a fierce competition, he finally selected ten winners to join the workshop team.

After the selection was completed, the five cooks were also selected.

They are the wife of Da Wangbo, the wife of Li Dahai, the third sister-in-law and the fourth sister-in-law of Wang Qingshan and the widow Liu Sanjie.

They set up two large pots in the shed they had just built.

I bought some millet, bean and wheat flour from the village, a piece of pork, and some vegetables and radishes from Li Zhen's house.

Dinner was served that morning.

Bean and wheat flour pancakes, millet rice, pork stewed with vermicelli, vegetable, radish and egg soup, pork stewed with radish.

The aroma of the food wafted far away.

More than sixty people from the workshop team, young and old, gathered around, and many villagers and children watched from afar, all drooling at the food.

Li Zhen waved his hand and said, "Start serving the food!"

Everyone rushed forward, fearing that they would not be able to eat anything if the food was all gone, and the scene fell into chaos.

"Don't push, line up!"

Li Zhen took a bench and drew a line.

The crowd immediately became orderly and followed a straight line to get rice, bread, vegetables and soup.

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

"There's really a lot of meat. This bowl must be at least half a pound!"

"The millet rice is piled high, there's an egg in the vegetable soup, and there's plenty of pancakes. It's great!"

“It’s just like Chinese New Year, isn’t it?”

"It's better than Chinese New Year. Do you have meat and rice during Chinese New Year?"

"They are catching up with the landlords!"

"Oh, I really envy them. Once they join the workshop team, their lives will be elevated to a higher level!"

The villagers outside all had green eyes and kept swallowing their saliva.

"As soon as he made some money, he started to spend lavishly. All these people are eating meat. Even if he had a mountain of gold at home, he would eat it all up. He is such a spendthrift!"

There were discordant sounds coming from outside.

Everyone turned around and saw that it was Li Youcai who came here following the scent.

"It's Uncle San. Come over and have something to eat!"

Li Zhen looked at the sour Li Youcai and greeted him.

Li Youcai shook his head, looking mature and steady, "The money was saved!"

"For the poor, money is saved, but for those who can make money, money is earned. These are just small amounts of money. Spend small amounts and earn big amounts!"

"Uncle San, what do you eat for breakfast?"

"Of course I eat meat!"

Li Youcai showed no sign of weakness, holding his head high and chest out, looking as if he was no worse than anyone else.

"Li Xiucai is just boasting. Everyone knows that you eat porridge in the morning!"

There was a burst of laughter among the crowd.

"Nonsense!"

Li Youcai's beard was curled up.

"Your stinky boy didn't want to drink porridge this morning and cried several times. Do you think we are deaf and blind? Haha!"

Someone came out to expose his family's past.

After joining the workshop team and being encouraged last night, they were no longer afraid of Li Youcai, the big shot whom they usually did not dare to underestimate.

"Nonsense, nonsense. I have 500 acres of land. How can I eat porridge in the morning? I'm going home to eat meat now. You just wait and see!"

Li Youcai turned around and left in embarrassment.

Some children outside, seeing everyone else eating meat and pies, couldn't help but hug their parents' thighs and were determined to eat the meat and pies even if it meant suffering.

Li Zhen couldn't bear it, so he asked those who were already full to bring some bread over and share it with the child.

Li Zhen's eyes were opened and he realized how much the villagers, who had no food in their stomachs, could eat.

Anyone could eat at least three bowls of millet rice, five bean and wheat pancakes, a bowl of stewed meat, and three bowls of egg soup, even the five cooks were no exception.

It's so delicious!

This was Li Zhen’s first impression of the villagers.

"Everyone, take it easy. Don't choke. We'll have rice and stewed meat tonight."

Li Zhen shouted loudly.

After hearing what Li Zhen said, people reluctantly put down their bowls and chopsticks.

"Gather, gather!"

Li Mantun shouted loudly.

At this time, Li Jianing and sister Li Xia came over.

"Brother, wait a moment. I have something to tell you."