Chapter 309

Shuiqing patiently waited for everyone to discuss for a while before smiling and saying, “It’s okay. The quantity of herbs this time is quite substantial. I’m worried about being robbed by refugees if I go to the city alone, so we’ll sell them together when the men from the village go to sell rabbits.”

“As for wages, it’s better to pay them on time.”

After all, as the owner, she profits when there’s profit and naturally bears the losses when there’s a loss. If the herbs can’t be sold, that risk falls on her, not the employees. Their wages must be paid regardless, so why delay it? Paying on time also builds a reputation for reliability!

“But, but the herbs haven’t been sold yet. I’m worried,” Aunt Wu said hesitantly.

“What if we didn’t do a good job, and the pharmacy won’t accept them? Wouldn’t that mean Shuiqing would have no income? Paying wages in advance would cause a loss,” Fan Xiang asked worriedly.

Li Tiantian asked straightforwardly, “What if the pharmacy has enough medicine and doesn’t take ours?”

Hearing their sincere concerns for the herbal workshop and her, Shuiqing felt warm inside.

Qin Yilin chuckled and waved her hand, saying, “Ah, you’re underestimating me too much!”

Seeing their puzzled looks, she continued, “I’ve checked all the processed herbs. They’re of excellent quality. You can rest assured.”

Shuiqing added, “Yes, besides that, Uncle Ding, Aunt Ding, and I have discussed that if the city’s pharmacies don’t take our herbs, we’ll form a transport team ourselves and escort the herbs north to sell in other cities. They will sell eventually. Now, let’s distribute the wages. After working hard for a month, it’s time to get paid.”

Hearing that Shuiqing had considered all their worries, smiles returned to everyone’s faces.

Ding Jiajia was in charge of calling out names, and those called went up to receive their wages.

As Ding Jiajia gently called names, Yan Qiu sat behind a table, watching the women press their fingerprints. Next to her, Wanxia handed over strings of copper coins, and Xing Hui reminded, “Count the money clearly on the spot. If there’s any discrepancy later, it won’t be easy to explain.”

They earned twenty wen a day, and even with four days off a month, they still got paid. Those who didn’t take extra leave earned six hundred wen a month, almost one tael of silver, which was distributed in copper coins.

Six hundred wen in coins, strung together, formed six heavy strings. Holding them felt substantial. To these women, it wasn’t just about the appearance of having a lot of money; it truly was a significant amount!

Many of them were the ones managing household finances, with savings exceeding six hundred wen, but this money was different. It was money they had earned themselves, and it was substantial for just one month of work!

Shuiqing’s comment about them working hard for a month wasn’t entirely accurate—they didn’t feel it was hard work at all. It was quite easy, they ate well, had rest, and still earned six hundred wen.

The women, with bright smiles, quickly waved off the reminder to count the money, saying, “No need, no need! I trust you, there won’t be any mistakes.”

Shuiqing’s girls not only could write but also do arithmetic; how could they make mistakes?

Besides, counting the money on the spot might imply distrust, which would be embarrassing. They couldn’t do such a thing.

Shuiqing seriously said, “No, it’s important to count the money on the spot for both of us. Don’t be embarrassed; everyone must do it. If there’s an error, we can correct it immediately.”

Everyone knew Shuiqing’s character well enough by now. When she spoke seriously, it meant the matter was important and not to be argued!

So, the women who received their wages either sat on chairs or squatted on the ground and began to count their copper coins.

Fortunately, the coins were already strung together with hemp rope, which made the task easier.

Some women who had not yet heard their names called were already too impatient to stay seated. They stood up, waiting anxiously yet joyfully.

By the time the last woman received her wages and everyone confirmed there were no mistakes, most of the morning had passed.

Shuiqing thought about the first time they distributed wages. Everyone was very excited, eager to rush home to share the good news. Given the large amount of money they were carrying, it wasn’t convenient to keep it on them. It would be safest to take it home first. Thinking this, she said, “We’ll take the morning off. Come back to work after lunch.”

“Okay!” The enthusiastic response was filled with joy. Aunt Wu and Zhao Lan, carrying six heavy strings of copper coins, began to make plans in their minds.

After the price of flour increased to six coins per pound, a month’s wages could buy a hundred pounds. Adding a hundred pounds of grain to the existing supply at home could ensure they were well-fed, or it could extend their food supply for a long period.

Salt was relatively expensive, costing dozens of coins per pound. However, salt lasted a long time; a pound could be used for quite a while. The salt they had at home was enough to last two to three years, so there was no urgency there.

However, they needed to prepare winter clothes. Last winter was exceptionally cold. Luckily, they had stored enough firewood, and the whole family barely got through the winter by keeping the fire going every day. Even if this winter wasn’t as harsh, having warm clothes would mean they wouldn’t have to stay indoors all the time. Moreover, they needed to work at the herbal shop in winter, so warm winter clothes were essential. It was time to plan winter clothing for the whole family…

The young girls like Li Tiantian, Zhang Xiaocao, Xu Ting, and Fan Xiang were thinking about what kind of hairpins and ribbons to buy.

Ninety percent of their wages were given to the community, and they kept ten percent. Even ten percent amounted to sixty coins, which was enough to buy a hairpin or a ribbon, with plenty left over.

They had noticed that Jiajia’s sky-blue hairpin looked very pretty, and the bright red ribbon was very festive. They weren’t sure if it was because Ding Jiajia looked good wearing them or if the hairpin and ribbon themselves were attractive. Either way, they really wanted one just like it.

A group of them walked briskly towards their homes in the village, only to find the village unusually quiet.

Too quiet.

Normally, the village children, who were disliked by both cats and dogs, would be chasing chickens and dogs around, either provoking scolding from other women or getting chased by their own mothers. But today, there was none of that.

Zhang Xiaocao’s house was the closest. She opened the door and found no one inside, staring blankly and asking, “What’s going on? Where is everyone in my family?” How come neither her mother nor her brothers were there? The busy farming season was over.

Zhao Lan cheerfully invited, “Come on, let’s go to my house first. My father-in-law usually doesn’t go out. Let’s ask him.”

“Yes, let’s check with the old village chief. He knows everything that goes on in the village. We can’t go wrong asking him,” Aunt Wu agreed.

A group of them hurried to the old village chief’s house, only to find it empty too.

The old village chief wasn’t home either.