Zhou Qiu took Xiao-Cao to find Zhou Yuan. Zhou Yuan was in the living room, and Wei Cheng was courting his wife. He poured tea, asked if he wanted pastries, and asked if he was hot. The weather was getting colder, but it was still hot inside the store.
Zhou Yuan: “….”
He woke up and was angry but how could he be angry now with his husband coaxing him like this.
“Yuan Yuan, I’m coming in!”
The couple looked towards the door together.
Zhou Yuan called Zhou Qiu and saw the person behind his friend, “Xiao-Cao?” He looked surprised, “Xiao-Cao, why did you come here with Xiao-Qiu?”
When Xiao-Cao saw Zhou Yuan, she was shocked and speechless. When she saw the furnishings in the room, in her eyes, it meant wealth and honor so she didn’t know where to put her hands and feet.
Zhou Qiu pulled Xiao-Cao, who was afraid to sit down, and forced the person onto the seat, before she sat down, “Xiao-Cao is here to apply to be a worker.”
Xiao-Liu poured tea for the two of them and stepped aside, Zhou Qiu said angrily, “I saw Zhou Qingqing and Zhou Xianger at the door, and they actually dared to bully Xiao-Cao.”
This was why she pulled Xiao-Cao inside.
Zhou Yuan was stunned for a moment as Wei Cheng’s eyes flickered slightly.
Zhou Yuan saw Xiao-Cao shrinking her body, “Xiao-Cao, you are still afraid of me, we can just get along as usual.” He moved the snacks on the table in front of her, “Let’s eat the cakes.”
“Thank you, Yuan-ger.” Xiao-Cao would still be a little timid in front of Zhou Yuan and Zhou Qiu, but she was much better with them than outsiders.
Xiao-Cao didn’t move, Zhou Qiu picked up the pastry and ate it, not forgetting to stuff a piece into Xiao-Cao’s hand, Xiao-Cao just took a bite and didn’t dare to look up.
Xiao-Cao has a shy personality, and the two are familiar with each other, so he let her lower her head and eat the pastries slowly.
Zhou Yuan asked suspiciously, “Xiao-Qiu, why didn’t Muzi come?”
“Don’t mention it.” Zhou Qiu ate the pastry in her mouth, and said vaguely, “You know about Li Zhi’s wife’s pregnancy, and she barely does any work but is the work at home lessening just because she is pregnant?! Of course not, Muzi said that Li Hu was working hard outside so he was afraid that if he would come out to work then he could not take good care of Li Hu so he didn’t come.”
Zhou Yuan understood his worries.
“Let’s go out to screen people now, Xiao-Qiu, come and help me,” Zhou Yuan said.
When Zhou Qiu heard this, she was dumbfounded. “I don’t……”
“I’ll teach you.” Zhou Yuan said to Xiao-Cao, “Xiao-Cao is also here so you and Xiao-Qiu will screen out the manpower later, and you can register together after, and come to work in two days.”
This, this…she was accepted.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Xiao-Cao immediately said excitedly, “Thank you Yuan-ger, I will do my job well.”
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He can worry about his wife from a distance!
—
At the entrance of the grocery store.
“I remember you saying that Wei Cheng liked you.”
“Of course.”
“People in the village say that the workshop was opened by Wei Cheng. You are so lucky since you will definitely be able to work in the workshop.”
“Are you envious? Ah, who made Wei Cheng like me? If this workshop is Wei Cheng then I will see him later, and I will definitely hint that he can come to my house to propose marriage.”
The other girls and gers were even more envious when they heard this, and the girl in the pink skirt standing in the middle felt proud when she saw the envy of the others.
“Stop dreaming, Wei Cheng has already married a husband.” A girl sarcastically said. “Are you hurrying up to be a concubine, you are quite in a rush.”
“What——Wei Cheng already got married!!” The girl in the pink skirt screamed.
Some people originally wanted to curry favor with the girl in the pink skirt, but now there was sarcasm in their eyes as they doubted whether her words were true.
If Wei Cheng knew about this then he would swear to God that he didn’t know the girl in the pink skirt and that this girl was delusional. She was indeed delusional, she had always assumed that all the men in the village who had even glanced at her mistakenly had taken a fancy to her.
Xiao-Liu glanced coldly at this act, and the maids cultivated by the family did not dare to make a sound.
“Now, we will be starting to screen people for the job, please line up.”
The gers and girls all hurriedly lined up.
Zhou Yuan and Zhou Qiu stood at the door.
Xiao-Liu said to everyone, “This is the owner of our Wei Family’s Workshop.”
“Hello, everybody!”
Seeing Zhou Yuan’s demeanor, the gers and girls in the Wei Village despised the words of the girl in the pink skirt even more. This village girl said that Wei Cheng liked her, she must be delusional.
The girl in the pink skirt is still a strange flower, others despised her so they acted as if she wasn’t there- the girl just looked at Zhou Yuan with aggrieved lips, as if Wei Cheng was a heartless person.
Xiao-Liu murmured a few words in Zhou Yuan’s ear, Zhou Yuan blinked after listening, his husband liked that girl in a pink skirt? Xiao-Liu said that the girl in the pink skirt was delusional, and asked if she wanted to drive her away. Zhou Yuan didn’t care, and let her be.
“You are Zhou Yuan—”
With an abrupt shout, Zhou Xianger and Zhou Qingqing stared at him in disbelief.
“Oh, Zhou Qingqing, Zhou Xianger, I’m bad at embroidery and I’m not good at handicrafts but I can still enter the workshop. Ah, you two are so skillful but I don’t know if you can enter the workshop.” Zhou Qiu said intentionally.
Zhou Qingqing and Zhou Xianger gritted their teeth, their faces colorful.
Unexpectedly, the workshop was related to Zhou Yuan, The Wei Family’s workshop turned out to be the workshop of Wei Cheng’s family.
They and Zhou Yuan disliked each other, and they offended Zhou Yuan repeatedly. Will Zhou Yuan let them enter the workshop? The workshop pays 30 wen a day, if they get this job, they will be able to choose a better husband in the future…
No, they have to think of a way.
Zhou Qingqing and Zhou Xianger calmed down.
Zhou Qingqing changed his expression, and said softly, “Xianger and I came to see the job in a serious way. Yuan-ger won’t refuse us since we both have top-notch handicrafts. If Yuan-ger has selfish intentions and prevents us from working in this workshop then I don’t know if the workshop’s posting of the recruitment request is sincere, or if they are just playing us.”
Zhou Xianger replied, “Qingqing, don’t talk about it, I feel uncomfortable when you say it like that- who made us country people, if we are fooled and waste time, we can only suffer in silence.”
“Xianger, it’s okay, everyone is here, if they are really unfair then let’s seek justice together.” Zhou Qingqing looked at Zhou Yuan, “Yuan-ger is also a countryman, and we are still from the same country, so he shouldn’t look down on us country people. We should be treated equally.”
Zhou Qingqing and Zhou Xianger’s words were inciting, and the other gers and girls were also worried.
Zhou Qiu was very angry and wanted to tear the mouths of the two of them as the two dared to attack Yuan Yuan indiscriminately, but Yuan Yuan didn’t say anything, treating them as if they were just talking nonsense.
Xiao-Liu sneered coldly, and raised her voice, “Our workshop recruits people fairly.” He paused, “In addition to recruiting regarding the dexterity of people, character is the most important thing.” Xiao-Liu looked at Zhou Qingqing and Zhou Xianger, and said loudly, ” I’m afraid that the Wei Family; ‘s Workshop doesn’t like the character of the two girls, so please leave.”
The delicate faces of Zhou Qingqing and Zhou Xianger twisted instantly.
Zhou Qiu listened to his words, and the others also pointed at the two, mocking their character with their gazes.
“Why do you let us go—we won’t go, my character is bad then yours is bad as well! Why is it that even when Zhou Qiu’s embroidery work is so bad but she can enter the workshop, it seems that Yuan-ger has selfish intentions by letting her enter the workshop but she is still saying that they are fair!”
Zhou Qingqing and Zhou Xianger lost their minds in anger and shouted.
Zhou Qiu was about to refute their words as she couldn’t let others have a bad impression of the workshop but Zhou Yuan took a step forward, looked down at the two of them, and said in a clear voice, “Because the workshop is run by my family, and I am the owner of the workshop. If I won’t hire you guys then I don’t need to explain the reason in public.”
Zhou Yuan looked directly at Zhou Qingqing and Zhou Xianger, not angry but strict.
No matter how unwilling Zhou Qingqing and Zhou Xianger were, since they had already insulted Zhou Yuan in public then if they said anymore, they would feel even more ashamed and could only walk away in embarrassment.
The delayed recruitment started and it was a smooth process.
They listed the accepted people and made their final decisions.
A group of people waited anxiously outside.
Just as he was about to announce the list, suddenly, a woman with a haggard face rushed over and knelt in front of Zhou Yuan.
“Please, you must recruit me. I’m homeless. If I don’t have a job, neither I nor my children can survive. I don’t need wages, just give me and my daughter food. Please, I will kowtow to-”
One started and then the rest followed.
“My lord, I beg you, I will also kneel in front of you, and I don’t want wages, as long as you give me room and board then I don’t want anything but these.”
“Me too, I can sign be your long-term worker for the rest of my life and work for you. Please accept me. If I don’t have a job, my mother-in-law will sell my child. If I have a job then my mother-in-law dare not sell my child easily. I can accept lesser wages.”
“…”
In this situation, he asked Xiao-Liu to ask for the names of these several people, and only one person was on the employment list. Zhou Yuan couldn’t bear to drive people away so it was Xiao-Liu who reminded him, “Master, let us go to Master Wei, he should have a way to him.”
Zhou Yuan asked Xiao-Liu to stay to comfort the masses while he went in to find his husband.
Wei Cheng had a full view of the situation so when he saw the anxious-looking wife approaching, he got up and pulled him to sit down, and passed the teacup in his hand, “I saw it all, drink a glass of water first, don’t worry, I’m here.”
Zhou Yuan drank the water obediently and looked at his husband eagerly while drinking.
Wei Cheng’s heart softened when he was looked at by his wife’s soft eyes.
Hiring more people is a small problem.
He just didn’t know whether those people were really in trouble or had another purpose, they needed to be investigated.
After Zhou Yuan drank his tea, he looked at Wei Cheng eagerly. Wei Cheng smiled and said, “Okay, they can all be recruited, but making an exception will cause dissatisfaction among others. Let those people sign long-term contracts and their wages will be reduced by half. Don’t worry, if they pass the qualifications later on, they can be given their full wages.”
This will also give him enough time to arrange for someone to investigate, if they are really in difficult situations then he doesn’t mind helping them.
After hearing his husband’s arrangement, Zhou Yuan’s eyes lit up. This method is good, so he ran out in a hurry.
Those who were not on the original list, after learning that they could be hired as an exception, had to sign long-term contracts and their salary would only be ten wen. Some people didn’t want it, it wasn’t like they were lacking meals so how could they sign a long-term contract that would only pay two cents?
Other people wept with joy.
Later, it was found that these people were either kicked out by their families or on the verge of being sold as slaves by their poor families.
There was also a woman who gave birth to a ger and a daughter, and her in-laws were dissatisfied with her and wanted to sell her ger child. If the woman had money the family would depend on her and she could support her family. She would be strong enough to protect her children.
Thank you for the chapter!!
+1
Wow, those people love to be dramatic… 🙄
Thank You for the new chapter (๑♡ v ♡๑)
Thank you for translating! Zhou Yuan and Wei Cheng are so cute together 😊
Thanks for the chapter! slavery is a horrible, no matter the form it takes & the only way to really stop are decent living conditions & a stable country able to handle bad times without placing the cost on ordinary people.