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Chapter 802: Chapter 805: Hiring Part-time Workers
She earned two taels of silver each month at the Tan Family, which was equivalent to the salary of a top-ranked maid in a very wealthy household.
Moreover, there was no scheming or strict rules like in large households here, which made it much more comfortable.
If she could sign on as a permanent worker, the treatment surely wouldn’t be inferior to that in other families.
"Thank you, sister!" the young man said politely.
He noticed that the woman and Duo’er were quite familiar with each other, often seen together, so it was definitely right to establish a good relationship with her.
Qiao Duo smiled slightly and then got busy with something else.
In fact, she wanted to say that she was just a small shrimp, and all she could do was offer a reminder—the rest depended on his conduct and abilities.
By noon, Duo’er had already selected fifty temporary workers, including some strong men from nearby villages.
Although they were just temporary workers, Qiao Duo’er still decided to make an agreement with them.
"I’ll go over the terms of the agreement with you. First, regarding the wages, cutting and threshing one acre of wheat will earn you sixty wen. Each person must complete at least one acre in two days, or it will be considered unsatisfactory."
"This time, the person in charge is Huang Xuewu. Uncle Huang will grade each acre you complete."
"There are three grades: high, medium, and low. Anyone who receives more than two lows will be dismissed and only half the wages paid, whereas accumulating more than four mediums will result in only eighty percent of the wages paid. Those who achieve all highs will receive an additional reward of a hundred wen."
"Additionally, leaving without special cause will result in a ten percent deduction of your wages."
"Do you have any objections or anything that is unclear?"
Qiao Duo’er summarized the contents of the agreement, as most of these people were illiterate.
"What qualifies as a special reason?" someone asked curiously.
Qiao Duo explained, "Special reason refers to situations where there is no choice but to return, such as severe illness of parents or oneself, or your wife giving birth—urgent matters like that."
"Then, where will we be staying?"
He remembered that the farmstead near Xuan Eagle Mountain Village was a vast expanse of fields, with no house in sight.
"Of course, we’ll stay at Xuan Eagle Mountain Village," joked a companion, "let’s experience what it’s like to be bandits for once."
To their surprise, Qiao Duo’er nodded, "Indeed, you’ll stay at Xuan Eagle Mountain Village. But forget about trying robbery—Lord Qin wouldn’t be pleased to catch you in the act, and I won’t be bailing anyone out at the Government Office."
"Madam Tan, rest assured, with hands and feet at work, we won’t commit such immoral acts."
"Should we bring our own dry food?"
Qiao Duo shook her head, "You just need to show up; there are people designated to cook. Three meals a day, two dishes each meal, one meat and one vegetarian, with enough rice and steamed buns to fill you up."
"Just enough isn’t okay; we can eat a lot—we need a significant amount of food!"
"You’ll have the strength to work only if you’re well-fed. Don’t worry about the food; there’s a vast field there, and it would be an achievement for you all to finish it."
Qiao Duo had no airs, and she answered every question from the temporary workers.
She even managed to crack a few jokes now and then, keeping the atmosphere harmonious.
Once they had no more questions, Qiao Duo’er asked them to press their fingerprints on the agreement.
"Lastly, I hope everyone will be mindful of safety. I hope when it’s time to pay the wages, every one of you will be present," Qiao Duo’er advised seriously.
These men were the mainstay of their families, the entire concern of their wives and children. Compared to life, everything else was insignificant.
"Just cutting wheat, how could that result in disability?"
"We’re people used to doing hard work; we’ll definitely return as we came!"
"I even promised my son I would buy him a sugar figure when I get back."
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