Free Web NovelChapter 449: Chapter 236: Finding Fun Amidst the Bustle
With the difficult double-rush harvest finally over, Juhua breathed a sigh of relief. Although the focus of their work shifted back to the fields, at least the life-or-death scramble was over.
Since Li Changyu had returned and set up a shop in Xiatang Market, Qingmu decided to build one there too. He hired some people and would go with Zheng Changhe from time to time to supervise the construction and check its progress. On days he couldn’t be there, he asked Laixi and Laifu to keep an eye on things.
She also had to think about building the workshop in the village. That required early planning too—they couldn’t wait until autumn to break ground. With so many things piling up at once, Juhua found herself reflecting. ’I used to just want a simple life. But lately... it feels like things are getting busier and more complicated.’
So she told Qingmu earnestly, "Brother, we can’t have our hands in everything. We need to get all the villagers involved in the workshop, put everyone’s skills to use. The village chief should manage it in the beginning. After it’s been running for a year, we can let everyone elect their own managers."
She had discussed this matter many times with Qingmu and Zhang Huai. She’d also subtly offered numerous suggestions for drafting a set of rules suitable for a village workshop like this one.
Qingmu nodded. "That’s the right way to do it. I’m swamped, so it’s best to let the village chief take the lead on the initial setup. With Mr. Zhou helping him, it’ll be easier. I need to get Huai Zi’s help to get at least part of the shop built. Juhua, let’s just build out some of the storefront for now. We can enclose the rest of the area with a large wall and put it on hold. We’ll decide what to do with it after we see how Xiatang Market develops. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll want to move to the market ourselves."
Juhua smiled. "We bought twenty mu of land, and the plan was always to set aside a plot for ourselves. Who knows what the future will be like? When we have enough money, we can build a house with a courtyard there. It would be easy to go and stay for a while whenever we want."
Qingmu grinned. "That’s exactly what I was thinking. After all this work, we can’t show up at the market without a place of our own. Can you imagine having to stay with relatives? People would laugh at us."
After a moment, he added, "Our cousin Laifu came into some money and bought two more shops. Laixi has started selling more things, too."
Juhua nodded. "That’s a smart move. If they wait, the prices definitely won’t be the same. Brother, have you noticed if there’s more foot traffic at the market lately? I mean, is it busier than before?"
Qingmu said with admiration, "Are you kidding? Of course it is! This is already the season for paying the summer tax, and on top of that, ever since the Fang Family Workshop opened, there are a lot more people coming and going. It’s gotten much livelier. Don’t underestimate that workshop. Every so often, someone will come by to sell them lumber. The workshop also periodically ships out a batch of rice threshers from the Erli Village docks. After their shifts, the workers head to the market to eat or buy a few things. And more and more merchants are coming to see Manager Song. With all these people coming in and out, the local folks say it’s easier to sell their goods at the market than ever before. I even ran into Manager Mao once, and he said business at his Qinghui Restaurant in Xiatang Market has picked up quite a bit."
’He’d never imagined that a single workshop could have such a huge impact. If a few more shops opened up, wouldn’t Xiatang Market really start to boom!’
Juhua chuckled softly. ’It’s the natural outcome,’ she thought. ’But Xiatang Market still has a long way to go before it becomes a true commercial hub. That won’t happen in just a few years—it could take a decade or more.’
’That will require everyone to work together. She really didn’t want to get too involved—just offer a suggestion here and there, give things a little push, and that was it.’
She said to Qingmu, "Why don’t you just stay at the market until the shop is built? I’ll be here at home. Things were fine back when you were away at school. Once the shop is finished, you’ll be able to focus on the autumn harvest with peace of mind. We have about ten more mu of late rice this year, after all." As the words left her mouth, she felt a pang of regret. ’We really shouldn’t have planted so much double-crop rice. The soil can’t keep up, and it’s exhausting for everyone.’
Qingmu nodded. "Alright! It’ll be done soon enough. Don’t you worry. It’s just a simple shop with green bricks and small tiles, not some lavish manor. Everything is planned out; we just have to follow the blueprints. I hired people we know from Grandma’s village and some folks from our own village, too. I even borrowed our cousin Laifu from Manager Song to lend a hand. Everything’s taken care of."
Juhua nodded. ’They were just looking for a few days of odd jobs to earn some extra cash,’ she figured.
Qingmu and Zhang Huai were busy building the shop at the market, while Juhua was at home helping her parents harvest the Huangdou and corn—and the peppers that were absolutely everywhere!
The courtyard was always covered with things left out to dry, a picture of a bountiful harvest.
Vibrant red peppers were spread out on large winnowing baskets, Huangdou pods were laid out on the ground, and brilliant yellow ears of corn hung from the eaves. Oh, and the Shanyu were being dug up too!
