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“That’s right, with that amount, we are already content,” the group expressed their happiness.
With each person receiving over a thousand catties, they could cultivate a significant area of land. Once this year’s harvest is successful, they planned to buy more high-yield crop seeds from Wangfei to ensure abundant yields next year. The mere thought of it made them happy.
“Alright.”
“Princess, we will go retrieve the land deeds.”
“Very well.”
After the group left, Wen Chao spoke up, “Princess, with so much land, do you need to hire laborers?”
Wang Jinhe nodded, “You’re right, I do need to hire laborers. I can’t manage all that work alone; I’d be exhausted.”
“Do you have people in mind?” she asked.
Somewhat sheepishly, Wen Chao nodded, “Yes, I do have some individuals in mind, but I wasn’t sure if Princess needed them.”
“Of course, I need as many hands as possible. However, I expect honesty and hard work from them. I’m looking for laborers, not ancestors,” Wang Jinhe laid down the rules upfront, ensuring she wouldn’t be taken advantage of.
Wen Chao nodded, “Understood. I know some people from farming backgrounds who have been doing odd jobs due to having limited land. I’ll inform them. If you need them, they can start work soon.”
“Great, let them know that the pay is five hundred copper coins per month. Also, inform them about the benefits. If they cook for themselves, I’ll provide a subsidy,” Wang Jinhe instructed.
“Alright, I’ll go inform them right away,” Wen Chao said before turning to the magistrate with a slightly embarrassed expression, realizing he had forgotten to mention it to the magistrate.
The magistrate waved his hand dismissively, “Go ahead.”
Wen Chao hurriedly left and went to a location outside the city to find those individuals.
“Brother Wang, have you found any work yet?”
“Wen, you’re here. It’s been tough finding work; we haven’t found anything yet,” despite being out for a while, they hadn’t secured any work, and their funds were running low. They were unsure of what to do next.
“Coincidentally, Princess is looking for help with farming, hiring laborers at five hundred coins per month. During busy farming seasons, she’ll provide subsidies. If you cook for yourselves, she’ll also offer additional support,” Wen Chao explained.
“No need for subsidies; we’ll go,” they replied.
“Indeed, if Princess needs help, how can we let her provide subsidies?” Upon hearing that Princess required assistance, the people around eagerly spoke up.
Coming from families with limited land, they had sufficient manpower, which led them to seek work outside. Thanks to Princess’s high-yield crop seeds in the past two years, their lives had improved significantly.
Being able to work for Princess was considered a blessing for them.
“Alright, wait for a day, and I’ll come to find you tomorrow. You’ll likely start working in the fields then. Princess has purchased a significant amount of land from the wealthy landowners here, so inform your acquaintances too. We still need more hands,” Wen Chao instructed.
“Got it, we’ll handle the labor issue.”
“Thank you, Brother Wang. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave,” Wen Chao expressed before departing.
“You go ahead and handle your affairs.”
Upon returning to the county yamen, Wen Chao sought out Wang Jinhe. By the time he arrived, the landowners had already returned with their land deeds, and Wang Jinhe was in the process of paying them.
“Princess, the laborers have been arranged. I’ve asked them to reach out to others, and we’ll go inspect the land together tomorrow,” Wen Chao informed.
“Great.”
The next day, Wang Jinhe, accompanied by the laborers, inspected the vast expanse of land. Wen Chao made sure all the workers were present.
Arriving at the location and seeing the endless stretch of land, everyone felt quite content. However, the only downside was the lack of accommodation.
“Do you know how to build houses?” Wang Jinhe inquired, looking at them.
“We have some knowledge.”
“Princess, I know people who specialize in construction. If you need, I can have them come over promptly,” Wen Chao offered.
“Thank you.”
Soon, the construction workers arrived, and Wang Jinhe began discussing the construction of the houses with them.
“I have about one to two hundred people here, with three people in each room. I need you to calculate the required space. It would be ideal to construct a compound where we can also grow fruits and vegetables,” Wang Jinhe instructed the builders.
“No problem, leave it to me.”
Looking at the laborers, Wang Jinhe asked, “Do any of you recently married men have wives who are good cooks and are currently apart from them without children?”
“We do.”
There were a total of over ten individuals.
“Go back and ask your wives if they are willing to come and help. If they agree, they can cook, and I will pay them a salary each month.”
“As for your salaries, it will amount to around one or two silver coins per month. The cooks will receive five hundred coins each. Once the autumn harvest is over and the land is taken care of, you can return home for the New Year. During the two or three months of rest, you will receive three hundred coins per month.”
The newcomers were pleasantly surprised to hear that and found out Wen Chao had negotiated higher wages for them.
“When we are working, it’s only right to accept payment, but if we’re not working, it doesn’t feel right to accept payment. After the autumn harvest, if we return home, we won’t need payment. This money isn’t just coming out of thin air,” they expressed their concerns.
Wang Jinhe, seeing their stance, could only nod in agreement, “Alright, the overseer will be from my side, and you should follow his instructions when the time comes.”
After arranging everything, Wang Jinhe had them familiarize themselves with the overseer.
The overseer brought in this time was Liang’s son, who had been working with his father for a long time. He was diligent, personable, and skilled, making him a valuable assistant.
During the construction of the houses, those who didn’t return home helped by cutting trees and constructing temporary shelters. Once the compound was completed, these temporary structures would be taken down.
The next day when Wang Jinhe revisited, the houses were taking shape, and some young women were assisting.
It took almost half a month to complete the compound, thanks to the collaborative efforts of dozens, if not hundreds, of individuals.
After the compound was finished, Little Liang had already purchased plenty of bedding, and food along with vegetable seeds were provided.
Looking at everyone, Little Liang said, “Our household tradition is to provide two sets of clothes per quarter. The bedding is for everyone to use. If it gets dirty, clean it yourselves. There will be enough food, including meat, every day.”
After Little Liang’s words, everyone became excited.
“In the future, we will grow fruits and vegetables on the compound for self-sufficiency. Keeping chickens and ducks might require help from your wives,” Little Liang explained.
The group of women promptly nodded, “We’re ready for it.”
With such favorable conditions, they were eager to work hard.
Wang Jinhe watched as Little Liang instructed everyone, feeling amused by how well Little Liang had inherited his father’s teachings.
“Rest for now, and we’ll start preparing the land and planting tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
Although it was called rest, no one actually rested. The men went to the nearby hills to chop wood, while the women began clearing the land and preparing for planting vegetables.