Chapter 236: Craftsmen Are Popular

The group went to various construction sites to check.

At one construction site, they saw several teenage boys throwing mud and making bricks. Even in such a cold weather, one boy rolled up his trouser legs and sleeves and stirred in the mud.

Su Qingmei frowned.

She pointed over there and said, "What's going on over there? Why did they recruit teenage boys? Are there not enough workers?"

Several village leaders followed her gaze and looked over there.

The village chief of Shuzheng Village immediately replied: "The boy who stirs the mud is the grandson of Mao Bu, whom you mentioned at the meeting before the New Year. There is only an old grandmother and him at home. The boy is eleven years old. We didn't want him at first. But his grandmother came to ask me to let him work on the construction site. He doesn't need to be paid, but he only needs three meals a day."

"No wages, but three meals a day?"

Several village chiefs nodded: "Yes. It's not spring yet, and the land hasn't thawed. Everyone has been hiding for a whole winter and has nothing to do."

"No food to eat?"

"No, no, that's not the case. But every bit of money saved is a bit of money. Besides, everyone in this market town wants to contribute. If the food problem of the children is solved, it can also save a little for the family."

Seeing that Su Qingmei didn't say anything, he explained: "President, don't worry, we won't let the children delay the work. And the children work hard, just as hard as the adults."

Su Qingmei stood not far away and watched for a while, then asked someone to call Xiang Zhen.

"Boss."

Su Qing'an nodded and asked about the construction site.

Xiang Zhen explained it item by item, very carefully. It seems that he really did a lot of work, meticulously and thoughtfully.

Su Qing'an nodded to him approvingly. Asked him about the children on the construction site.

Xiang Zhen glanced at several village chiefs and said, "Several village chiefs came to ask for help, saying that their families were all orphans and widows, and they had difficulties in life. So I selected a few. I also noticed that these children worked very hard and spared no effort. So I kept them."

Su Qing'an turned around again, looked at it, and said, "How about this, the wages cannot be withheld, just give half. If there are still such children under the age of fifteen who can work, they can also be given a job appropriately, but they must be arranged well and the construction period cannot be delayed."

"Yes." Xiang Zhen agreed immediately.

When the village chiefs heard this, they turned their minds to which children in their villages could be arranged? There are three meals a day and half of the wages. They all decided to go back to the village to advertise.

A half-grown kid has made his family poor, so any savings are good.

But they have to be diligent and work hard, otherwise, not to mention the president, he can cut them off.

Just as he was thinking about it, he heard Su Qing'an instructing Xiang Zhen: "The construction period I give is two months, no more. You look at the personnel arrangements in various places. If there is a shortage of manpower, ask the village chiefs to go back and call the remaining laborers in the village to help. Make sure the construction period is completed on time."

"Yes." Xiang Zhen agreed and handed her the account book in his hand.

Su Qing'an took it and took a look, and her heart began to bleed.

This is just the beginning, and she has spent so much money. My heart hurts.

The several thousand taels of silver she got from the batch of tea seeds she harvested in autumn and winter last year may not be enough to fill it. It seems that she will have to spend her savings.

Damn.

When several village chiefs saw her frowning, they tiptoed to look at the account book. Although they didn't understand, it didn't stop them from watching.

Signaled Xiang Zhen with his eyes.

Xiang Zhen glanced at Su Qing'an who was flipping through the account book, and said, "The money is spent quickly."

When the village chiefs heard this, they immediately retreated.

After looking at each other, Village Chief Zhong got the signal from everyone.

He said to Su Qing'an, "President, if the money is not enough, do you want to raise funds in each village and let everyone raise some? This market is everyone's hope. We have been looking forward to it for so many years. If the project cannot be carried out because of money..."

Immediately, a village chief agreed: "Yes, I still have some silver at home. I will go back and get it for the president."

"I also have a few taels. I will raise some money in the village and everyone will pool together."

"Yes, everyone will pool together. If the market is not built halfway, I will not be able to sleep."

Everyone looked at Village Chief Mao. Only you can't sleep? I'm afraid all of us will not be able to sleep.

Su Qing'an flipped through and looked at the budget made by Xiang Zhen.

The money she earned from selling tea seeds might just be enough, and there wouldn't be much more. If it's not enough, she could borrow from Lord Pei.

This market was built with a civil structure, and all of them were small wooden buildings. Fortunately, the materials could be collected from the mountains, saving a lot of material costs. For other places where money was needed, the money she had should be enough.

Raising funds from the villagers was too fragmented, and she didn't want to owe so many favors.

This market was her hard work, and she didn't want anyone to gossip about her in the future and point fingers at her.

Moreover, after the market was built, each village would have to pay to buy shops from her, and I'm afraid that each village would have to raise a sum of money at that time.

Su Qing'an expressed her gratitude to several village owners: "Now my budget is still sufficient. If it's not enough at that time, I will ask everyone again."

"Okay. Don't take it alone if there is something wrong. This is everyone's market. If there is something wrong, everyone will work together to find a solution."

"Okay."

After walking for a while, everyone talked about people with special skills in each village.

Su Qing'an found that each village had some masons, carpenters and blacksmiths. She didn't know if it was because of the self-sufficiency, but because of the isolation of daily life, everyone had to learn all kinds of skills in life.

And the skills are pretty good from generation to generation.

"Are there any craftsmen who can make pottery jars or big jars?"

Su Qing'an planned to make something that needed pottery jars or big jars, but she asked around in Baijia Village and found only small pottery jars, no big ones.

"Yes, yes. There are people in our village who can make them. Like a big water jar, that big, the one in our village makes it really well. It can store water and food, and it won't go bad for decades."

The village chief Fu of Shuzheng Village responded immediately.

Su Qing'an nodded: "Okay, I will need a lot of it in a while. I will ask you to introduce me to them then."

"Okay."

The village chief Fu was very happy. Someone in their village won the president's favor, and he, as the village chief, was also happy.

Several people couldn't bear to see him like this. It was as if he had won the president's favor. Tsk.

The leader of the Black Horn Village, Mao, stepped forward immediately and said, "Didn't the president say last time that we should ask if anyone knows how to keep bees? The Mao Bu in our village knows how to keep bees."

"Really?" Su Qing'an was delighted.

The mountain salt now has to be bought from outside, which is a constraint. If the sugar problem can be solved, it would be the best.

"Really. Mao Bu's daughter-in-law died this time. She is old and has a grandson to raise. When she heard me ask if anyone has some skills, she said she knows how to keep bees."

"Has she never kept bees in the village before?"

"No. She said her father was bitten to death by poisonous bees when he went into the mountains to collect honey, and she never mentioned it afterwards. And she had a son and daughter-in-law before, and she could make a living, so she never mentioned this matter."

"Then there is only her and a half-grown grandson in her family now. Can she keep bees?"

"I asked her, and she said that if she wanted to raise bees, she would call her granddaughter and grandson-in-law back, and then pass on the skills to her grandson and grandson-in-law. Anyway, her granddaughter will marry in the village next door, so it will be convenient for her to live in our village in the future."

Remembering something, he said, "By the way, her grandson-in-law also came to the construction site to help this time. I observed that he did a good job and was a good boy. When the time comes, her family will raise bees and get honey, which may become the main product of our village."

Other village leaders were not happy when they heard this.

Why don't they have someone who can raise bees?

They also want to have a main product, otherwise, in 28 villages, everyone sells the same thing, who will patronize their village's shop?

No, go back and ask again in detail.

Do you have any skills from your relatives on your mother's side that you can also learn. Don't be secretive, it's a big deal for the whole village.