The skilled widow is busy farming

As expected, villagers from the next few villages came to ask for help. They took it for granted and asked for food back.

He was scolded and driven away by his second uncle and clan elder.

The uncle said angrily, "The village chief and the elders didn't come, and the clan elders didn't see them, so they sent a few boys to ask for food. We don't owe them anything. I really made Xiu Niang guess. Two more times They are just ready-made white-eyed wolves, so please be more alert."

"Uncle, don't worry. I know it well and won't give out food easily. I think it's better to use my wages to pay the bills and find someone to work for us. The food can't be given away for free."

"Yes, write the contract with your thumbprints on a black and white paper, and ask the village chief, clan elders, and villagers who borrowed food to all stamp their thumbprints and sign their signatures. Don't say that we are oppressing them if you don't admit it when the time comes."

"Understood, I'm determined to prevent them from biting back."

"In the final analysis, our village is united. Without Xiu Niang's advice, our village would not be able to travel so far. Baoshan, you have worried about things in the village these years. You have been worried and worked hard. You are the main contributor to the success of our village. We. I won’t let you pay for it in vain. Those boys in the capital are entrusted by the whole family in our village and will never treat you unfairly."

"Thank you, uncle. I understand that they all have the same surname, regardless of inside or outside."

"Well, don't worry. Even if my words don't count, you know Xiu Niang's character. How is Li Quan doing lately? Is he doing well?"

"It's OK. I heard that he will be transferred out at the beginning of the new year to work in the Ministry of Industry in the capital. This is considered to be a squeeze into the capital. According to Xiu Niang's arrangement, Li Kang and the other boys will go to other places to serve as county magistrates, and they will work hard to achieve political achievements before returning. , if you can’t get in, you will continue to go out. If you have political achievements, you can become a frontier official, and Brother Rui is the leader."

"Our village relies on those people who are trying to keep up their reputation outside. Be careful, don't make mistakes, don't learn from mistakes. The children are young, and I'm afraid they won't be able to stabilize themselves."

"Yes, Xiu Niang came to the capital several times just to look after the children. Let me remind you that the children from our village are not allowed to take concubines and play with women, and they are not allowed to drink and get drunk outside. These are the things that I have been saying all the time. Next year, my eldest son will be replaced. The capital takes care of clan affairs and embroidery building."

"Xiu Niang said she wanted to go to Jiangnan in a few years, you see."

"Okay, it doesn't matter. There are only advantages and no disadvantages to her going. She has good vision and is more capable than men. There is nothing wrong with that. I am afraid that her body is not handsome enough. Over the years, she is not as good as when she was young. I heard the children say, You can also get sick in the winter, so that’s what I’m worried about.”

The second uncle really loves the younger generation.

"That's the reason. I'm worried about this too."

"Let's discuss it further. If she really wants to go, let the boss and his wife come with her. At least there will be someone to take care of her."

"also."

A few days later, the village chief came and formally begged Lijia Village for help. Their village had suffered the greatest loss. They didn't listen to the second uncle's advice. Many people didn't take it seriously. The food was confiscated at night and all the food was caught in the rain.

The second uncle sneered, "Why did I remind you in the first place? I came to the village to tell you. It rained heavily that night, so the men in the village and I came to help you sort things out. I didn't treat you badly."

The village chief grimaced, "Brother, it's my fault. I didn't take it seriously. After two good days, I drifted off and treated myself like an onion. It's all my fault. More than half of the people in the village have food." We are all soaked in the rain and crying. There is nothing we can do. For the sake of past friendship, please save us one more time."

The village chief covered his face and cried. No one wants the food when it rains. It is easy to get sick if you eat it yourself, which is very troublesome.

They were about to pay the grain. In the past few years, the county magistrate asked for grain without asking for money. If he couldn't hand it over, he would recruit young men to join the army. That would be a matter of death. If he couldn't come back, the villagers would cry.

"Food can be given, but I can't give it for free. I need people. I use labor money to pay off debts. Anyone who comes to borrow food must sign and press fingerprints. You and the elders of the Lizheng clan must press fingerprints, and the villagers must also press fingerprints. Why should our village Even if it’s for free, the villagers can’t agree.” “I’ll go back and discuss it with the clan elders and pass the word on.”

"Go back, there is no free lunch in the world, third child, we can be considered playmates who grew up together. People are always self-reliant and self-reliant. This is how Lijia Village was born through hard work. Even the women and children in our village have to work hard. There is no such thing as a free lunch." People complain that no one separates your family from mine. It was the collective effort that made us what we are today."

The second uncle coldly put down these words and left.

The village chief stood there with his head lowered, his mood washed away by the rain and his second uncle's words.

It is too difficult for the poor to stand up. A heavy rain knocks them back to their original shape. If they want to compete with Lijiacun, they will undoubtedly lose before they even start.

This time he finally understood that Lijia Village could turn around because everyone in Lijia Village was sacrificing for the clan and their children and grandchildren. It was not just one village chief or one Xiu Niang who was sacrificing, but everyone, including the children, was sacrificing for the clan.

When the marriage was decided in the village, no one said no, no one resisted or had any objections to the children, regardless of age or sex. They lived with hope and high pride, with a positive attitude, courage and perseverance.

They might as well be a bunch of kids.

Three days later, the village chiefs and elders of several affected villages, as well as the villagers who had borrowed food, all came.

Agree to all the requirements of Lijiacun, sign and fingerprint, how much grain is borrowed, those who have money will give money, [-]% cheaper than the market price, those who have no money will send people to work, use the labor money to offset the account, learn a craft to increase the number of years of working, Until it is repaid.

The villagers all agreed, and there was no resentment. After all, they could still learn crafts and skills. It was just that they couldn't make money, but they could learn the skills. However, they were much more merciful than the masters outside, and they still had a way to survive.

In the end, Lijia Village took the initiative and took them to the county government to hand over this year's grain. They didn't give them public grain. They were afraid that some fools would do something careless again, so they simply took the village chief and clan elders and gave them the public grain from the previous villages. All handed over.

This left only the problem of food for the villagers, and a little would be enough. Everything was done in a thorough and proper manner, and the village chief and the elder villagers all knelt down in front of the second uncle, the uncle and others.

Feeling grateful for the harvest, I returned to the village with the food.

After the autumn harvest, several villages sent many half-year-old children to work in Lijia Village. There were also strong laborers who came to ask for work. Just give them a mouthful of food. I'm sorry to ask for more money. We eat other people's food in vain. No money was given to eat.

The bosses in Lijiacun are much kinder than those outside. They also provide a way of life and food for them.

No money is given but the food is provided. Meat and vegetables are provided, and serious grains are used as staple food. It is not a loss at all, and everyone is very satisfied.

The children were told to work carefully and carefully and not to be lazy, so that the second uncle nodded with satisfaction, thinking that as long as they worked hard, they would be given some meat to take back during the New Year, and they would not be left empty-handed.

Xiu Niang heard about these follow-up things, and she realized that they were all done by the men, and she did not interfere. She mainly focused on teaching the children to weave brocade and tapestry in the weaving workshop. There were a group of older children who could reluctantly become apprentices, and they could be sent to the capital for embroidery on horseback. Lou can replenish his manpower, and a few more years of experience will be of great help. It's no problem to be a small worker.

She decided to weave a small kang screen, this time in the Danqing ink style, using different-color and two-color tapestry, and tried it without embroidery. She developed new skills and made the embroidery house and weaving workshop invincible. Craftsmanship is the foundation. .

Once she gets familiar with it, she can teach it to her disciples, and it will be safe.