Chapter 294

The residents of Shanshui Village take the work at the herbal medicine workshop very seriously.

Early the next morning, thirty women, neat and clean, gathered in Shuiqing’s courtyard.

Time waits for no one when it comes to medicinal herbs. The sooner they are processed, the sooner they can be turned into money, so there must be no delay.

A few days ago, the herbal medicine workshop wasn’t completed yet, but fortunately, the previous brewing work had already set up the stoves, with three large pots, so it was still in time.

The courtyard was large enough to manage.

Ding Heli, Qin Yilin, and Ding Jiajia’s family of three arrived early in the morning before the mist had cleared. Today was the first day, and unfamiliarity with the venue, lack of coordination among the workers, and their unfamiliarity with the helpers could slow down the progress. So, they arrived early to make arrangements, hoping everyone could quickly become familiar with the process and cooperate smoothly.

Standing on the steps, Qin Yilin explained the specifics to the energetic women in the courtyard: “Washing the medicinal herbs is the most labor-intensive and crucial step. The cleanliness of the herbs directly affects the final product, making this step extremely important and not to be taken lightly!

Washing is divided into three stages. The first stage, rough washing, involves five people. After the herbs arrive from the fields, the person responsible must wash off all the large chunks of soil. Once the herbs appear free of obvious dirt, they are handed to the second stage;

The second stage, fine washing, also involves five people. Using straw brushes, they must meticulously clean the herbs, ensuring every nook and cranny is spotless before passing them to the third stage;

The third stage, precision washing, involves five people who will remove any damaged, rotten, or scarred parts of the herbs, then dry them before sending them inside.”

Zhao Lan, Aunt Wu, Li Tiantian, and Zhang Xiaocao among others quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Originally, Qin Yilin was supposed to explain these tasks to them yesterday, but because of the disturbance caused by Mother Fan, they had to escort her home, postponing the explanation to this morning.

They were worried all night about not doing a good job, but now they felt reassured.

While they might not be able to handle the more skilled tasks, they were confident in their ability to do the laborious work. Washing and scrubbing were tasks every woman was familiar with.

Qin Yilin continued, “The indoor steaming and boiling steps will be handled by Li Dani, Erni, and three others, with Jiajia assisting and guiding them. They are Shuiqing’s servants, so even if they mishandle the herbs, it’s their own problem, and you won’t have to pay for any damages.

However, Dani, Zhou Yu, and the rest, you’ll have to work hard. Jiajia will teach you, and if there’s anything you don’t understand, be sure to ask. Learn by watching, asking, and practicing, understood?”

In fact, since Li Dani, Erni, Zhou Yu, and the other women’s families were all bonded servants, the workshop entrusted the crucial steaming and boiling steps to them to protect their trade secrets.

Hearing this, Zhao Lan, Aunt Wu, and the others felt even more reassured!

Just as Shuiqing had said yesterday, they only needed to do their assigned tasks, and washing the herbs was straightforward with no risk of damaging them. The greatest risk was in the third stage, precision washing, as failing to remove damaged parts could affect the product’s quality and selling price.

Though precision washing was easier, it carried more risk. Suddenly, everyone preferred the hardest and dirtiest rough washing!

Li Dani, Erni, Zhou Yu, Zheng Yan, and Wang Qiuyue felt nervous about handling the crucial steaming and boiling parts, their palms sweating.

Last night, Madam had secretly informed them that this step was crucial and confidential, not to be known by outsiders, so only they could be trusted with it. She assured them not to worry, as long as they followed Jiajia’s instructions closely and with Jiajia overseeing everything, no mistakes would occur.

The most reassuring part was that Madam promised them the same wages as the villagers!

A full six hundred wen a month!

The villagers are free men, with houses to live in, fields and land. It’s normal for them to work for the landlords and get paid. They live in houses built with the landlords’ money, eat the grain allocated by the landlords, and help with farming and animal husbandry. During the agricultural off-season, they have nothing to do anyway. Even if the landlords ask them to help process medicinal herbs, they can’t refuse.

But the landlords pay them wages, even the same amount as the villagers!

How could they not work hard and diligently?!

They looked at Qin Yilin, excited and nervous, and assured her, “Madam Ding, we will follow Miss Jiajia closely, work diligently, and ensure the herbs aren’t damaged.”

The women in the village: … Why are those from Zhuangzi so diligent? While they are worried and evading, the five women from the Ding family are facing difficulties!

Both are farmers, so why such a big difference?

Indeed, the differences between people can sometimes be greater than those between humans and dogs.

Qin Yilin nodded in satisfaction, “After steaming and boiling the herbs, some will be air-dried directly, while others need to be soaked before drying. Regardless, they all need to be sliced uniformly. If any of you are good at knife skills, let me know, and you’ll be responsible for cutting the herbs from now on.

Only three people are needed for cutting herbs.

The rest will go up the mountain to pick fruits. After the fruits are picked, the head of the household will teach you how to peel them.

Alright, does everyone understand their tasks now? Let’s start by raising hands to sign up.”

Qin Yilin’s instructions were clear, and the people in the courtyard were already mentally calculating which tasks they were suitable for. As soon as she finished speaking, everyone raised their hands to declare their preferred positions. The courtyard buzzed with lively voices.

At the village gate, there was also a bustling crowd of men, rubbing their hands with excitement.

The old village chief had been seeing people off at the gate. He instructed his eldest son who was leading the group, “Be low-key on the way, go and return quickly. It’s okay to be a bit tired on the road, rest when you return to the village, understand?”

Li Wen nodded hurriedly, “Dad, I understand!”

Times are tough everywhere nowadays, and their village is buying bricks and tiles while selling rabbits, living a prosperous life. Of course, they must keep a low profile.

Otherwise, wouldn’t it attract jealousy?

Dad had said that it’s a virtue to not flaunt when others are hungry.

Otherwise, if they attract unwanted attention, they would only regret it.

“Old village chief, don’t worry, I’ll watch over them!” Fan Xiaoliu grinned broadly and assured loudly.

Immediately, there was a murmur of laughter.

“Ha, what are you watching? We’re watching you just the same!”

“You’re so cocky. As long as you’re not, our group will stay low-key!”

“We’ll keep an eye on you. That way, the old village chief can truly be at ease.”

The men were all loud and cheerful, creating a lively atmosphere.

The mood was harmonious and warm.

The old village chief couldn’t help but smile.

The men in their village had a sense of propriety. When it came to making money selling rabbits, they were all tight-lipped. What else did he have to worry about?

As long as the business of selling rabbits wasn’t known to malicious individuals, the risk would be greatly reduced…