In the courtyard, once Qiao Xin left, everyone else also began to take action.

Old Mo went to the pharmacy alone to fetch medicine.

Nanny Qin, holding a large sum of 100 taels of silver, felt a heavy responsibility.

She wasn’t sure whether Qiao Xin truly trusted her, or if she was just carefree, leaving her to handle everything on her own without any supervision or second-guessing.

Even though she had lived in the Hou family for most of her life, she had never had a master treat her this way!

Even as a daughter-in-law, Xu Shi and Zhang Shi were completely following her arrangements!

What Nanny Qin didn’t know was that Qiao Xin always trusted her people; if she had doubts, she wouldn’t employ them.

She respected talent and believed that, over time, people’s true character would show.

There was no need to test them from the start.

Choosing servants was something Qiao Xin had never dealt with before, and Xu Shi and Zhang Shi were novices in this regard, so the task had to fall on Nanny Qin.

If you want the horse to run, you must feed it good grass.

She couldn’t just give someone a few copper coins and expect them to bring back ten or eight servants, could she? It wasn’t something a reasonable person could do.

When Qiao Yunqing entered the house, leading a cow, he found the front door wide open.

Several unfamiliar workers were hauling items in and out, and the courtyard was already filled with various things.

Young Qiao Yirui was bent over, writing furiously.

Before leaving, Qiao Xin had assigned them a task: to register the items delivered by others, categorize them, and then organize them.

Each person would be rewarded ten copper coins for their work.

This was a good opportunity to earn some pocket money, so the little ones were naturally eager not to miss it.

Qiao Sanlang, the best at mental calculations, was assigned the task of keeping the accounts.

Qiao Dalang and Qiao Erlang were responsible for managing the younger siblings and the workers.

The Mo family controlled everything from the sidelines, giving directions on where to go.

As soon as Qiao Sanlang saw his father enter, he jumped up from his seat, “Father, you’re back?”

Qiao Yunqing, dressed in a gray short jacket, wearing a rain hat, holding the cow with his right hand and carrying a wooden plow with his left, looked like an old farmer.

When he saw his son, he asked, “What are you doing? Where’s your grandmother?”

“Grandmother went out. I’m helping her with the accounts. All these things in the yard were bought by Grandma, Mother, and Aunt Xu.”

Qiao Yunqing put down his load, patted his son’s head, and said, “Then you must be careful. If you make a mistake, your reward might not be enough to cover the penalty.”

Qiao Sanlang’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He couldn’t believe what his father had said, and he immediately protested, “Grandmother didn’t say anything about a penalty! How could I lose my ten copper coins?”

“Your grandmother gave you ten copper coins?”

Qiao Sanlang immediately realized that his father had no idea what his grandmother had given him!

He thought of how his older siblings had their own pocket money, but he and his younger sister were always in a tough spot.

Every time they earned a little, their mother would take it all.

When everyone pooled their money to buy something nice, he couldn’t participate.

His siblings would give him some, but after a while, it became so embarrassing.

At that moment, Qiao Sanlang had no idea that his younger sister had already started complaining to Qiao Xin early in the morning.

The little fellow’s mind was now filled with the thought: The heavens are going to abandon him, and he’s going to lose that money!

Seeing his son’s changing expressions, Qiao Yunqing couldn’t help but smile inwardly: “What mischief is he planning now?”

“No, Father, can you not tell Mother? I only have a little pocket money, and when everyone buys something, I can’t pitch in. I can’t always take advantage of my siblings, right?” Qiao Yirui said, looking troubled.

Qiao Yunqing paused, then asked, “Your mother takes all your pocket money?”

Qiao Sanlang hung his head and nodded, “Yes, I’m not refusing to give it to her. It’s just…”

He was too young to articulate why it didn’t feel right, but he felt that his mother’s actions were unfair.

Qiao Yunqing patted his head and pulled him onto his lap, taking out some copper coins to hand to him. “It’s not your fault. I’ll talk to your mother later. You take this and share it with your sister. If anything happens, just tell me.”

Surprised by the sudden turn of events, Qiao Sanlang hadn’t expected that his father, instead of scolding him, would actually agree with him.

He couldn’t help but pout, showing a small dimple on his cheek.

“Thank you, Father, but I don’t want the money. I can earn it myself!”

“Hmm? Earn it yourself?” Qiao Yunqing was a bit surprised.

Had the family become so poor that his child had to go out and earn money at such a young age?

“Grandmother has already made a chart. Those who do well at memorization, mental arithmetic, or writing can earn a reward each month. Anyone who helps at home also gets a reward. I’ve seen it. I can work hard on my memorization, writing, and help with the pigs and cows. I can earn at least thirty copper coins a month. In a year, I could save up half a silver coin.”

Qiao Yunqing was taken aback. So, this was how he planned to make money.

It was a good idea, but he was concerned about whether he was too focused on money and might raise a child who valued profit over all else.

“Do you think we should accept this money?”

Qiao Sanlang seemed conflicted: “I don’t know. Many of my friends work all day and get scolded by their parents for eating idle food. But Grandmother says she raised me when I was little, and I will take care of her when she’s old. It’s an exchange of equals. Children aren’t lazy. It’s not shameful to work for pocket money.”

“Father, if you get the monthly allowance, will you have to work too?”

Qiao Sanlang suddenly came up with a ridiculous idea, and after seeing the knowing look on his father’s face, he quickly realized: “You mean, you would work for it too?”

Qiao Yunqing smiled: “That’s right. Everyone works, and everyone gets a share. If you earn money, you must give half of it to the family. The rest can be yours to spend freely. If you want a monthly allowance, you must do the work assigned by your mother.”

There would be no laziness allowed under Qiao Xin’s rule.

Even three-year-old Qiao Sanlang had to wipe tables and feed chickens.

As for his son, who was about to take the imperial exam, he still had to help in the fields and experience the beauty of hard work.

A little labor was nothing for him!