NOVPUB
Chapter 651: 641
Afterward, I don’t know whether they sent telegrams or wrote letters home, but on the fourth day, Zhao Erkui’s wife arrived—a rather nimble-looking woman. Plain in appearance and not tall, she nonetheless had a crisp and articulate way of speaking that made her a perfect complement to Zhao Erkui.
Shen Yunfang adhered to the principle of dealing with the small before the great by, after treating Erkui’s wife to a meal, explaining to her the rules and regulations of the farm. She had spent two days formulating these, not expecting they would be needed so soon.
"Sister-in-law, rest assured, although I haven’t had much education, I am a reasonable person and wouldn’t dare to do anything shameful," said Erkui’s wife confidently. She knew that working here wouldn’t be easy; she could tell from the modest sum of money Zhao Erkui sent home every month. Therefore, she was determined to make a good impression and to stay on to work, not just for the money, but for Erkui’s sake, she couldn’t afford to slip up.
"Haha, I’m just taking precautions. I also come from a rural background and have seen too many unreliable and foolish things done by those who can’t see straight. Erkui and the others came to help me out of respect for my family’s Li Hongjun, so I don’t want any future conflicts over this or that to ruin the brotherhood between them. That wouldn’t be good for anyone, right?" Shen Yunfang said, leading her on.
Getting along with a man like Zhao Erkui could be rather pleasant, but dealing with their families was not always so straightforward. Just like the military wives in the family quarters, all harboring their little schemes, a few were inevitably troublesome.
"Sister-in-law, let me also speak frankly. The reason I threw everything aside and came here to work is to earn more money for my children’s school fees. I’ve no other motives; as long as there’s money to be made, I’ll work hard," she said earnestly. "And no false modesty here, sister-in-law. I’m used to hard work back home. What work is there to be done here? Erkui has mentioned some in his letters. I’m not boasting, but if I can work as well as my husband, then keep me on. If not, and you don’t approve of my work, you won’t need to say anything—I’ll just pack my things and head back home," Erkui’s wife said briskly.
Shen Yunfang chuckled, "Alright, then it’s settled." She quite liked people with this disposition, where everything is laid out on the table, making them easy to get along with.
"Now, about the accommodation—I need to discuss this with you. We only have the one dormitory building, and in total, there are only twenty suites. Those who started working with me from the beginning are guaranteed a suite if their family members come. Anyone who comes later won’t have this perk. Of course, this is on the condition that both of you are working for me. If you leave, I’ll need to take the room back." Seeing that Erkui’s wife nodded, Shen Yunfang continued, "Originally, with you coming, I should have had Erkui pick a suite, but the second and third floors’ furniture isn’t in place yet. So for now, the two of you will need to squeeze onto a single bed. When the next installment of furniture arrives, you can move into a suite. You can go have a look now and pick out a room if you like." The only suite currently with a double bed was Chen Jing’s; the others were vacant.
It seemed she needed to press Master Yang for the furniture order.
"No problem. The bed I saw didn’t seem too small. We can manage squeezing in together," said Erkui’s wife. When she first arrived, she had gone to Erkui’s dorm to drop off her luggage and had been astounded by the beauty of the place. The approximately 1.2-meter-wide bed they’d be sharing was perfect—it had been months since they saw each other, and it would be a warm reunion.
With Erkui’s wife arriving, it seemed improper to just add her to an existing team, so Shen Yunfang assigned her to specialize in watering and weeding the soybean fields until more people arrived, and jobs could be redistributed.
And indeed, within a few days, many more followed suit.
The farm became bustling once again.
Whenever someone arrived, Shen Yunfang went over to exchange a few words and greet them. First, to show the hospitality of a host, and second, to assess the character of the new arrivals.
But to be honest, you really can’t tell much from just a few words. However, at the very least, there wasn’t anyone she took an immediate dislike to just by looking at them.
This time, Shen Yunfang didn’t hold a dinner, but instead gathered everyone together for a meeting.
"First and foremost, as the owner of this farm, I welcome everyone’s arrival!" Shen Yunfang chose a universal opener.
Miao Shan led the applause from below, and the others followed with their claps.
Shen Yunfang smiled and pressed her hand down, saying, "Those present here are all not considered outsiders. You’re the family members of our first batch of staff. In theory, before they called you over, they should have already gone through the situation here with all of you. But I still need to repeat and emphasize this point, hoping everybody will pay attention."
"This is the new set of rules and regulations for our farm. From now on, things in the farm will be carried out strictly in accordance with the provisions of these rules and regulations," Shen Yunfang said, and even shook the papers she held in her hand, "I’ll post this at the stairways of the second and fourth floor. Everyone must read it. If someone breaks any rule listed here, don’t blame me for not showing any leniency."
After she finished speaking, some women started whispering below. Shen Yunfang’s gaze swept over them.
Qian Yu tugged at his wife and told her to shut up.
Only then did Shen Yunfang look away, "Now that we have female comrades here, our dormitory will certainly feel more like home. But at the same time, I also want to remind everyone that while the men are brothers, we women are sisters-in-law. Living together, it is inevitable that the spoon will collide with the pot’s edge. I hope everyone can be rational and tolerant when conflicts arise."
Seeing no objections from below, Shen Yunfang nodded and continued, "Since no one is speaking out, I will take it as agreement that you all can comply."
Next, Shen Yunfang announced some personnel changes. After observing for three months, she had identified several talents from Li Hongjun’s comrades in arms. Seizing this opportunity, she promoted Zhang Chunwang, whom she rated highly, to team leader, with Chen Jing, Zhao Xuebing, and Li Dabao as group leaders for three groups.
She had discussed with Zhang Chunwang and these group leaders in advance and had agreed upon their work tasks.
Among the newcomers, aside from Sun Dawei and Zheng Hao who were single, and the wives of Zhao Dabao and Liu Jianqiang who hadn’t arrived, the wives of the remaining ten people came. Of course, Chen Jing’s wife had arrived early. Others included Zhao Dabao’s older brother, Zhang Weizhong’s sister, Zhang Chunwang’s older sister, Zhao Xuebing’s sister and brother-in-law, totaling fifteen people. Of course, several people had commitments at home and had agreed to come after the New Year, in the coming spring.
