Chapter 37 Sisters, Come Eat

In the distance, Liu Chenxu sat behind a table. Facing the women who were desperately squeezing toward him, he showed no panic at all. He simply waved his hand and said, “Don’t rush. Everyone will get work. We’ll take turns. First report your names. I’ll register them all. Anyone who pushes and breaks order will lose the chance to work in the future.”

Just that one sentence quieted all the noisy women. They obediently lined up.

Within minutes, registration was complete. There were over one hundred able-bodied women in the entire village.

“Aunts and sisters, at present we need ten workers per day. Although the number of positions is limited, Brother Chen is striving to ensure everyone can earn money. So we’ll adopt a rotation system. Each group will have a base of ten people. After one group works for a day, the next group will follow. If there are fewer than ten people left, they can be merged into other groups. The daily wage remains twenty copper coins. Each group must choose a leader and report to work on time…”

Liu Chenxu spoke clearly, arranging everything in an orderly fashion.

“Well?”

Li Chen looked at Yu Qingwan and asked with a smile.

“Very good. He’s a capable person.”

Yu Qingwan pressed her lips together, finally at ease.

Work soon began.

Five large stoves in the courtyard were lit at the same time. Every two women were assigned to one stove—one to tend the fire, the other to boil the salt.

The ashes from the burned firewood were piled, as Li Chen had instructed, into large earthen jars and into the temporary shed that had been set up.

Though they did not know why the ashes were not to be scattered, since Brother Chen had said so, they followed his instructions.

Hou Xiaobai distributed the salt for boiling according to the proportions set by the little maid-wife, measuring out precise amounts for each pot to prepare the brine.

After the brine was boiled twice, it was poured into large wooden buckets and carried into a small storage room.

Inside that small storage room, another large stove had already been set up. The clever little Liu Chenyi assisted the little maid-wife in completing the final two steps—adding plant ash and filtering the salt through cloth.

The little maid-wife was intelligent. These past days at home she had practiced refining salt several times, and each attempt had succeeded. The refined salt she produced was almost equal in quality to the first batch Li Chen had made.

Moreover, she had carefully calculated how much plant ash was needed each time. Together with Liu Chenyi, she divided the ash into small packets in advance. When needed, they simply added one packet into the wooden bucket, greatly improving efficiency.

Zhao Dashi carried the buckets back and forth, helping the little maid-wife and Liu Chenyi with the filtering.

Of course, the small storage room was treated as a strictly confidential area. Liu Chenxu had solemnly told all the women that the salt-refining method was secret. No one was allowed to enter without permission, or they would never be hired again.

The women were obedient. Not a single one approached within five meters of the area, ensuring the secret remained undiscovered.

As chief coordinator, Liu Chenxu was extremely busy—receiving firewood, paying wages, keeping accounts, instructing the women on boiling salt, and helping carry brine. He was running around without a moment’s rest.

Since Li Chen’s home stood alone halfway up the mountain, they could freely enclose land as needed.

His courtyard was large enough to accommodate forty or fifty people working at the same time without difficulty.

If expanded further, it could hold even more.

Li Chen always kept his word. Thirty copper coins per bundle of firewood, fifteen copper coins per bundle of grass. Whoever brought firewood or grass was paid immediately.

However, Liu Chenxu was strict in accepting materials. Everything had to be weighed accurately. If the weight was insufficient, it was rejected. If there was too much dew or moisture, it was rejected as well.

Fortunately, the villagers understood and, for now, no one attempted to cheat by adding inferior goods.

By midday, diligent villagers had already come to sell a bundle of grass.

“Mother, even though we didn’t get to boil salt, we still earned money—fifteen copper coins!”

Zhou Jiao held fifteen copper coins, overjoyed.

“Quick, let’s go cut more grass. If we can bring back another bundle before nightfall, we can sell it too. Your father can at least gather one bundle of firewood a day. Together, we’ll earn even more.”

Wang Caifeng urged her.

The mother and daughter, full of energy, rushed out again to cut grass.

Li Chen watched the orderly scene with satisfaction.

When he had some free time, he went to the deer pen and fed the deer.

The herd had grown accustomed to staying there and no longer feared him much.

When he entered the enclosure, some of the fawns even came over to rub against him affectionately.

After feeding them, Li Chen brought out a jar of wine he had purchased in the county town. He divided it into more than a dozen smaller jars. Then he selected a strong female deer and drew some blood, mixing it into the wine.

Once that was done, the first batch of salt was ready.

The quality was excellent, almost indistinguishable from the salt he himself had made.

Li Chen was very pleased and generously praised Liu Chenyi and the little maid-wife.

Their work being recognized filled both the older and younger girl with joy, and they threw themselves into their tasks with even greater enthusiasm.

After storing the jars of wine, Li Chen returned to the house and resumed making the hand crossbow.

By the time he finished, it was already past mid-afternoon.

He asked the little maid-wife and Liu Chenyi to cook while he took over the final two steps of the salt refinement.

As the women boiling salt smelled the fragrant aroma of food, they could not help swallowing repeatedly. Their stomachs began to growl.

Look at Brother Chen’s household—during these years of war and famine, they ate two or even three meals a day.

Unlike them, who now ate only once daily and felt unbearable hunger in the afternoon and evening.

They longed for payday. If they could eat two meals every other day, that would already be considered a good life.

Unexpectedly, when the meal was ready, Li Chen stepped out and called out, “Aunts and sisters, come eat.”

“Huh?”

The women were stunned.

“Brother Chen, are you… calling us?”

A woman in her forties asked in disbelief.

“Of course I’m calling you.”

Li Chen nodded with a smile. “I forgot to mention—besides twenty copper coins a day, we also provide one meal. It’s just rice and vegetables. I hope you won’t mind.”

The crowd erupted instantly. The women cried out in excitement.

In these times, having work was already difficult enough. To also be given a meal—it was unimaginable.

“Brother Chen, you’re too kind! You’re even feeding us a meal? We won’t eat for nothing. So many sisters here have plenty of steamed buns. If you want to eat, you can come anytime and eat from any of us!”

Some bold and lively women laughed teasingly at Li Chen.

Yet judging from their wolfish gazes, if Li Chen truly nodded in agreement, they might collectively pin him down.

Li Chen retreated instantly.

He might be fearless at all times, but right now he was genuinely intimidated by these spirited women.

Meanwhile, the women leaning over the courtyard wall to watch were so envious they nearly drooled. They now only hoped their own group’s turn would come soon.

Then they too could earn money and eat.

However, just as everyone had sat down to eat, a commotion broke out near the firewood collection area.

Everyone turned to look.

They saw Liu Chenxu pointing angrily at a split bundle of firewood. “Brother Zhou San, this is not very honest of you. You stuffed stones inside the firewood to increase the weight? Isn’t that cheating to get more money?”