Chapter 454: Purchasing Fruits
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Shen Ruyue was not feeling well, so she went back to rest. Chu Qingzhi took over her duties. Already swamped with work and with the payroll due in a few days, she was incredibly busy.
After arranging most of the tasks in the morning, a group of beggars arrived.
They had already helped harvest the family’s rice and came today to dig a fruit cellar for Chu Qingzhi.
The chosen location for the cellar was in the vegetable garden behind the old house. Initially surrounded by a hedge, the area was now enclosed with a brick wall, approximately one acre in size.
Half an acre was occupied by the workshop, a quarter by the cattle shed and the stable, leaving another quarter.
Chu Qingzhi led the beggars to the backyard, having already planned the entrance to the cellar. “Wait here for the master to come before starting work.”
All the tools were ready, just waiting for the master digger to guide them.
Digging a cellar required expertise, as improper digging could cause a collapse, risking injury.
The beggar leader hesitated before asking, “Miss, will it still be two meals a day?”
Chu Qingzhi replied, “Not only two meals, but you’ll also get some wages after the work is done. I don’t mistreat those who work for me.”
The beggar leader was overjoyed, “Thank you, miss.”
The other beggars were excited, silently vowing to work hard and live a dignified life in the future.
It didn’t take long for the master digger to arrive, a meticulous man in his fifties with a young apprentice.
Chu Qingzhi greeted him at the entrance, “Master Peng, thank you for coming.”
Master Peng was amiable, waving his hand, “You’re paying, I’m working, that’s how it should be. Where’s the site? Let’s get started.”
Chu Qingzhi led him to the backyard. Master Peng immediately directed the beggars to start working.
There were many types of cellars. The high-spec ones looked like rooms, square and neat. Chu Qingzhi wanted to dig a high-spec cellar, big enough to store ten thousand catties of fruit.
Master Peng, with thirty years of experience, said it could be done in three days.
Chu Qingzhi offered fifty taels of silver if the work could be completed in three days, for him alone. The others received their separate wages.
Wealthy families wouldn’t be so generous. Master Peng, motivated by the hefty reward, worked extra diligently.
Chu Qingzhi watched them work when suddenly Chu Lianghong’s voice came from outside, “Qingzhi, are you there?”
“Yes,” Chu Qingzhi quickly went out, “Grandpa Hong, what’s the matter?”
Chu Lianghong pointed to his sugarcane field, “Do you need sugarcane? I can sell it to you at a lower price, so I don’t have to transport it.”
His sugarcane was usually sold to a sugar workshop in the county, but transportation was troublesome. Knowing that Chu Qingzhi’s family made ice cream bars requiring sugar, he came to offer it.
Chu Qingzhi thought about it. If she bought the sugarcane, she could push out the sugarcane juice ice cream bar.
It was the end of August now. The ice cream bar business would only stop until the end of September.
“Grandfather Hong, how much per catty for the sugarcane?”
Chu Lianghong replied, “If you buy it all, I’ll charge you nine copper coins per catty.”
Chu Qingzhi said, “Then please bring two hundred catties first. For the rest, I’ll let you know when to deliver more.”
Chu Lianghong slapped his thigh, happily, “Alright, I’ll go cut it right now.”
Then, a group of village children ran over. Chu Junbao looked at Chu Qingzhi with hope, “Sister Qingzhi, we also want to earn some money. Do you have any way?”
Chu Qingzhi smiled and asked, “What do you need money for?”
Chu Junbao counted on his fingers, “The New Year is in a few months, and we want to buy new clothes.”
The other children echoed, “We also want new clothes.”
Chu Qingzhi found the children adorable and agreed, “Alright, how about you go pick golden berries at the foot of the mountain? I’ll pay five copper coins per catty, how’s that?”
Golden berry is a wild fruit. When it matures, the fruit is bottle-shaped, brownish-red, and has thorns.
When picking the fruit, a cloth was laid on the ground and scissors were used to snip the berries. This way, there was no need to touch them with hands, avoiding the risk of being pricked by the thorns. Everyone was quite clever in this approach.
From the foot of the mountain to the bamboo leaves forest, there were wild golden berries. It was not a problem to pick one or two hundred catties.
Some villagers had already gone to pick them but only gathered a few catties for home use, like making medicinal wine.
Chu Junbao was eager, “We’ll go pick them right away.”
Coincidentally, Xu Songnian and Xu Wenlin, having just delivered bamboo leaves, overheard Chu Qingzhi’s conversation.
Xu Songnian’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as he looked at Chu Qingzhi, “Fifth Cousin, do you still need golden berries? We can go pick them too.”
Their bamboo leaf picking area was full of golden berries.
“Yes, I’ll take as much as you can gather.” Chu Qingzhi couldn’t help but offer some advice upon seeing the admiration in the children’s eyes, “I have a tip for you, do you want to hear it?”
Xu Songnian nodded eagerly, “Please tell us, Fifth Cousin.”
“You know there are many idle children in your village. You could have them help you pick the berries. Pay them one or two copper coins per catty, and then bring the fruits to me for five copper coins per catty. You don’t have to pick them yourself and can still earn a good amount. Understand?”
Xu Songnian’s eyes shone brightly, “Fifth Cousin, you’re amazing. I understand.”
Chu Qingzhi added, “I plan to collect a thousand catties. Once your village is done, you can also gather from other villages. I’ll let you know when we reach the required quantity.”
Xu Songnian nodded with a smile, “Understood, Fifth Cousin.”
The siblings happily went back home.
Chu Qingzhi watched them leave, finding these hardworking and obedient children endearing.
Chu Xujin’s house construction was advancing, with the roof beams being installed, and thus requiring fewer workers.
Chu Qingzhi approached An Shanwu, “Brother An, do you have a moment?”
An Shanwu, wiping his sweat, came over with a smile, “Yes, are you planning to build another workshop?”
“Yes, this time it’s for bread, biscuits, and sausage.” Chu Qingzhi handed the blueprints to An Shanwu, “Brother An, please take a look. When can we start?” After a quick glance at the blueprints, An Shanwu said, “Let’s go to the site first. We’ll discuss more there.”
“Okay.”
Chu Qingzhi had made a comprehensive plan for the entire area at the foot of the mountain, dividing it into two major zones: a workshop area and an office area.
The office area would be further divided into several smaller sections based on function, which would be detailed in the meticulous planning stage..
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