Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 85 Worry
Madam He really wanted to go to the third branch of the family to see what was going on, but now she couldn't even get through that door.

"Someone else is coming." The steward's voice had barely faded when six or seven men walked over.

"They were all found by the eldest daughter-in-law. They will come to mine after the spring planting season."

Mrs. He frowned: "You've started looking for people so early?"

“They still pay wages,” the foreman said. “Now each person gets sixty coins a day, mainly to learn mining techniques from the craftsmen.”

What skills are needed for mining?
He clutched her aching chest, and none of the elders in the clan cared, just watching Xie Yuyan spend money like this.

It's crazy.

“Help me to go find the Second Madam,” said Madam He.

The steward lowered his head: "The second old lady said she hasn't been feeling well lately and won't see anyone."

Yang Mingshan's youngest son, Yang Yu, goes over to talk to her every day, so why doesn't anyone stop him? Madam He clenched her clothes tightly: "They think I'm useless."

There was another matter that the steward was reluctant to tell Madam He at this time, but he had to mention it: "This morning I met Madam Yu. Madam Yu told us to make some preparations, as we need to take stock of the large and small warehouses in a couple of days."

Madam He gritted her teeth and said, "Aren't the large and small warehouses all in their hands now? Why are you telling me this?"

The steward pursed his lips: "Some of the fabrics were to be distributed as gifts on New Year's Day, do you remember?" Those fabrics were moth-eaten and were originally placed in the small storeroom to frame the Third Branch of the family.

just now……

He's mind went blank for a moment. Could a few bolts of cloth really win over Xie Yuyan? Would those people believe that Xie Yuyan was after such a small amount of money?

What if they don't believe it?

The manager stammered, "Mother Yu..."

Mrs. He took a deep breath: "What other message did that old man send?"

The steward said, "Mother Yu said that Madam Xie has something to instruct us to do, and I'm afraid... I'm afraid she wants us to distribute the winter gifts."

When the men and women receive the moth-eaten cloth, they will certainly not let her go.

When He thought of those who had been sent to the yamen, and Liu Zhi, who spent his days writing legal documents for Xie Yuyan, her legs went weak.

The steward whispered, "Should we bribe Mama Yu to help us get the cloth replaced?"

The knife that was meant to stab others is now pointing its blade at them; they can't just go and meet it head-on.

Suddenly, Ms. He felt that there was no path under her feet.

……

Three bedrooms.

The two accountants in the Yang family have been writing non-stop since early morning because there is just too much silver to be spent.

The wood and craftsmen needed to make tools cost a lot of money.

They also needed to buy iron hoes and iron shovels from the imperial blacksmith shops, as these were essential items for mining.

Not to mention that the eldest daughter-in-law paid the hired workers in advance, which was unprecedented.

However, this lady was a domineering person, and no one dared to easily persuade her, so they had no choice but to do as she instructed.

Xie Yuyan looked at the men from Sanhe Village. Shi Yong had led his men to Lanzhou, leaving a few men behind to continue making lotus root charcoal. Among these men, Meng Jiu was the most skilled miner.

Xie Yuyan instructed Meng Jiu: "Teach all the men sent to Sanhe Village to mine and extract minerals, just as I have instructed."

The coal pit outside Sanhe Village was returned to the villagers by the county government, and the villagers then sold it to Xie Yuyan.

In the eyes of the people of Sanhe Village, Madam Xie was the most trustworthy. Without her, they would not only be unable to return to Shitankeng, but would also die in the village next spring.

Besides, they weren't comfortable holding onto the mine; it would be better to sell it to Madam Xie. Everyone would just need to follow Madam Xie's instructions without worrying about anything else.

Meng Jiu looked at the people in the room. Xie Yuyan said, "What is it? There's no need to hold back."

Meng Jiu then said, "We've been mining for years, and I've never seen anyone use so much wood for support. Using a lot of wood slows down the digging of the pit, and it costs a lot of money."

Meng Jiu was afraid that Xie Yuyan's business would lose money.

Xie Yuyan asked, "Something happened?"

“Find a few experienced masters to guide you, and you’ll generally be fine,” Meng Jiu said. “But if you’re unlucky, there’s nothing you can do about it. Everyone knows that, so you can’t blame the employer.”

Although the imperial court had laws, if someone died, the usual punishment was just some money.

Most miners die in this job; once you've done it, you're prepared for it.

According to the old lady, if you build the pit step by step like this, you won't be able to carry out much ore, and you won't earn much money.

“The imperial court has laws,” Xie Yuyan said. “If there is an accident in the mine, the mine owner will be held accountable. Moreover, if the mine collapses, everything will have to be started all over again. You are not afraid of losing your life, but I am afraid of losing money.”

"Since you're working for me, I'll do whatever I say. Whether it's profitable or how much you make is none of your concern."

Seeing Xie Yuyan's cold gaze, Meng Jiu shrank back and could only obediently bow, saying, "I will do as you command, Madam." The Madam seemed to be angry, and he dared not say another word.

Xie Yuyan said, "As long as you don't deliberately slack off, I will pay you no matter how long it takes to dig the mine."

"On the contrary, if anyone fails to support the timber properly, fails to report water seepage, or does not follow the rules, not only will they not be paid, but those who repeatedly fail to correct their mistakes will never be allowed to work for me again."

Meng Jiu responded.

Xie Yuyan looked at the hired workers in the room.

"I pay a lot of wages, but I also have a lot of rules. If you feel you can't meet them, leave as soon as possible, lest you regret it after signing the contract."

A few words were enough to intimidate everyone in the room.

There are many mine collapses, but most mines are located in remote areas, and the mine owners often try to cover them up, so the local people are unaware of how horrific they are.

Those details only appeared in the official reports after the incident at the imperial coalfield.

Therefore, she does not allow anyone to play any tricks or schemes. As long as they do things properly, it is best not to make any mistakes.

After saying this, Xie Yuyan continued, "We still need some craftsmen. After the spring planting season, those who are willing to come to the Yang family can sign a contract with us now and receive three months' wages in advance."

Several accountants fiddled with their abacuses, and the eldest one couldn't help but shake his head. The lotus root charcoal was selling well, but the price was too low.

After spring plowing, the weather began to warm up, and fewer and fewer people used lotus root charcoal. The old lady had put all her money in the mine pit, and couldn't take it out for a while, in case it came in handy.

If they can't earn money and can't support the Yang family's caravan, the entire Yang family will soon be dragged down.

After everyone had left, the old accountant couldn't help but advise, "Madam, you should keep more money in hand. On New Year's Day, the ancestral worship and banquet will require money from the public funds."

He paused for a moment, then continued, “I’ve been doing the family accounting for so long, and I’ve seen a lot. Even though the family members are sending money now, they’ll ask you for interest after a month or so. If you can’t pay, they’ll get suspicious and insist on taking back their share of the money. What will you do then?”

"When the lady accepted the money, she only said that anyone who asked for the money back before the due date would not be allowed to do business with her in the future, but she did not say that it would not be returned."

"The old lady can barely handle one or two clansmen, but if there are more, even if Inspector He comes, it will be of no use."

“Once you run out of money, those arrangements will become unsustainable, and you'll only end up losing money.”

The old accountant felt something was amiss at the time, but because the elders of the clan were present, he couldn't say anything.

I just listened to the eldest daughter-in-law arranging various matters and could tell that she was kind-hearted despite her cold exterior. That's why I came to persuade her, because I really didn't want the third branch of the family to repeat the same mistakes.

Back then, the third branch of the family still had land and houses to compensate the clan, but now... what is the eldest daughter-in-law going to do? Give away her water shop?

Before Xie Yuyan could respond to what the old accountant had said, Zhang Shi, who was standing next to him, began to tremble involuntarily, her mind filled with memories of the past that had happened in the first three branches of the family.

(End of this chapter)