It's hard for my elder sister. I rely on the mountains to farm and pay off my debts.

If some people pick less but get the same wages, will everyone feel dissatisfied?

Besides, this is a good thing, but if grandma asks for too much, it will end up in trouble.

Song Zhi sorted out her thoughts and then said, "Well, let's do as Grandma said and invite ten people from the village to help pick the fruits."

"But I have another idea about the wages. I'll pay 12 wen for picking 10 jin, and increase it by 1 wen for each additional jin. This way, everyone will be more motivated and more willing to work hard."

Sometimes, no matter how many good words you say or how many favors you do, it is not as practical as directly giving benefits to your fellow villagers.

After thinking about it, Mrs. Wu felt that her granddaughter's method was better.

In addition to feeling sorry for the money, she still had some concerns. What if the villagers heard that the more they picked, the more they would get, and the whole family went up the mountain to pick the fruits? What would they do if they couldn't pay the workers?

Wu thought so and asked, "What if we pick too many and can't pay the workers?"

Song Zhi thought about it and realized that it was true. She was a poor woman now and owed foreign debts.

The only money he could take out was five taels of silver in cash. As for the money from selling cakes and jelly, it all had to be kept for turnover and to pay off debts at the end of the month.

She couldn't help but sigh in her heart. In fact, she should have picked more forsythia leaves to make tea while they were still fresh and tender.

As she came into contact with more and more people in the city, it was not difficult to find other buyers.

Alas, we are still too poor.

Whatever you do, you have to be careful with your calculations.

She calculated the amount in her mind and then proposed a limit, "We can only collect 30 kilograms per person per day."

Wu thought about it and nodded, "Okay, I'll do as you say. I'll go to the village to look for him."

Song Zhi stopped the person and said, "Grandma, don't be anxious. There are some rules for finding someone. Who are you going to choose and who are you not going to choose?"

"If the villagers ask you what you want this leaf for, how will you answer?"

Wu had a plan in mind for this person. "Let's find someone from the family that lent us money before. As for the reason you mentioned, I said that there were merchants you met while setting up a stall in the city who wanted money. You took over the business and then distributed it to them."

It seems that her milk is still a good thing. Song Zhi jokingly said, "Aren't you afraid that the villagers will also learn to go to the county town to find buyers?"

Wu waved her hand nonchalantly. "This mountain is covered in shrubs like these. Do you think anyone has the same opportunities as you and can easily negotiate this deal?"

This Wu is really not worried.

These poor people who could not even get enough food to eat did not dare to approach those who were dressed in gorgeous clothes, for fear of offending the important people.

There are even elderly people in the village who have never been to the county town in their entire lives.

How can it be so easy to establish relationships with foreign merchants?

Mrs. Wu, who had lived for most of her life, saw this situation more clearly than her granddaughter. Otherwise, why had their family been so poor before?

Seeing that Grandma knew what was going on, Song Zhi still reminded her, "Grandma, it would be best to inform the clan leader, Grandpa, about the search. If Grandpa is willing, it would be best to let him choose the person."

"Why is that?" Wu asked.

"Look, our family has received favors from most of the families in the village. Now if you go to this family instead of that one, everyone will have some opinions in their hearts.

"If the clan leader were to come forward, he would naturally choose the family with the most difficult livelihood. Then no one would be able to say anything."

There was one thing Song Zhi didn't mention. Having the clan leader select people was also a way to support the clan leader in managing clan affairs and establishing his authority. She would naturally support his work.

Wu thought about it carefully and realized that it was true.

Most families in the village have lent money to her family, but people always consider the closeness of their relationships. If her granddaughter had not reminded her just now, she would definitely have gone to find a few families with better relationships.

Wu, understanding the situation, said hurriedly, "Okay, I understand! Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

Song Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Let's select three more households and let them set up stalls at the market."

Mrs. Wu also felt that what her granddaughter said made sense. The subsequent tea picking and tea preparation would inevitably have to be handled by her granddaughter. It was indeed necessary to let her granddaughter withdraw and it would be best to let someone else do the stall work.

She wanted to go to the clan leader to discuss the matter immediately, but she suddenly stopped. It was such a big thing, and she was afraid that all the villagers would come to her house again. She had not yet prepared food for tomorrow.

She had no choice but to change her mind: "While it's still early, let's quickly prepare the goods for tomorrow and then go to the tribe leader to discuss this matter."

Song Zhi nodded in agreement, and the matter was settled.

Seeing that the rules had been agreed upon, Yang asked, "Mother, when should I go look for Ah Ping?"

Wu was so busy that she forgot about this. She slapped her thigh and said, "Look at me, I forgot about this. Go and call him back now, so that we can have an extra helper at home today."

Yang happily agreed, "Hey, I'll go right away."

She just walked to the door, then turned back and asked nervously, "Mom, you just discussed finding someone to pick leaves. Can I ask my family to help pick them too?"

Yang was worried that her mother-in-law might be worried, so she explained, "There are also these shrubs growing on the hills near my mother's home. Let them pick them, and I'll go get them when the time comes. At least it will earn some money for the family."

The daughter-in-law had said so much, and since they were her in-laws after all, Mrs. Wu nodded and agreed, "Your mother's family pays fifteen cents a day, so please ask your father and mother to help pick the fruits for ten days."

After hearing this, Yang smiled, thanked her mother-in-law happily, and hurried out the door.

She planned to go find her son first and then send a letter to her parents' home.

After her daughter-in-law left, Wu said to Song Zhi, "Your aunt's father and mother are good people, but her eldest sister-in-law is not easy to get along with. Every time your aunt goes back to her parents' home, she comes back with red eyes due to anger..."

Song Zhi pretended to be joking and said, "Then why don't you let it go!"

Mrs. Wu looked at the children walking away and lowered her voice, "Well, it's your aunt who asked for it. Besides, her family is in trouble, with so many children, so life is inevitably hard. Now that there's this lucrative job, it's not right to give it to outsiders and not share it with her family. It's not right."

Song Zhi nodded in agreement seriously.

In fact, she had another purpose in asking this question, which was to find out her attitude towards the other party.

Because she had not had a good relationship with her aunt before, she was not clear about the situation of her aunt's family.

If there is no problem with his character, we can keep in touch with each other in the future.

It’s a pity that she has no family outside her family.

It is said that her mother fled from the border when the barbarians attacked the city, and on the way she encountered human traffickers who kidnapped women and children and was separated from her brother.

At that time, her mother sprained her ankle and hid in the mountains. She was eventually rescued by her father who was hunting and brought home. They later got married.

So many years have passed, and I wonder if this uncle I have never met is doing well?