After wearing it: I traded a pig for a man.

Jiang Yun Ning was a little worried and wanted to go in to check: "Jiang Che, wait outside for a moment, I'll go in and take a look."

As they were talking, they saw Jiang Anhe running out quickly with her little schoolbag on her back. She kept glancing back every now and then.

This appearance is something that no one would think is wrong.

"An He." Jiang Yun Ning walked over.

She asked, somewhat worried, "What's wrong? Did someone bully you?"

Jiang Anhe shook his head quickly: "I just saw... I saw a mouse. It was so big."

He gestured with his hands as he spoke, a hint of fear in his large eyes.

Jiang Yun Ning couldn't help but be a little suspicious. How could he see rats in the academy in broad daylight?

She looked up for a while but didn't notice anything unusual.

"If anyone bullies you, tell your aunt." She was so afraid that Jiang Anhe would be bullied that she didn't say anything, especially after seeing Daya's miserable situation.

Jiang Anhe nodded, took Jiang Yunning's hand and walked out, but still looked back to check on her again.

Seeing that no one was following, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Dinner was already prepared when we got home, and we were just waiting for the three of them to come back so we could eat.

"The village head came this afternoon and said he's already found the right people. We can start work tomorrow," Jiang Laosan said.

Jiang Yun Ning nodded: "Okay, that's perfect, my uncles and I just told us we'd come tomorrow. We can make it in time."

With enough manpower, we can work at this pace for seven or eight days and save enough soap for next month, then we can start building the house.

After the meal, Jiang Anhe lay on the stone table and began to do the homework left by the teacher.

Students under the age of ten were placed in the introductory class. Only after they turned ten and began formal education would they be divided into classes to enter the preparatory class for the preliminary examination for the young scholars. After passing the preliminary examination, they would then enter the class for the scholar examination.

The teacher in the preschool class didn't assign very complicated homework, but it was still quite challenging for five-year-old Jiang Anhe.

"Uncle, I don't recognize this character." He held the book in distress and handed it to Jiang Che, who was burning wood ash.

Jiang Che turned his head and glanced at it: "This character is pronounced 'yuan.' It means 'far' or 'distance.'"

Jiang Yuning, who was standing to the side, took out the magnolia fruit she had bought that day and began to process it.

"How do we do this?" Liu Yuzhi no longer asked what she was supposed to do, but directly asked how she could help.

"Cut them open, dig out the seeds and dry them. Don't take the empty ones." Jiang Yun Ning smiled and cut a few, telling her how to distinguish between female and male fruits.

After washing the dishes, Wang Cuihua joined in.

The family was in the yard. Jiang Anhe was reading, the women were processing magnolia fruits, and the men were processing wood ash and alkaline water.

Jiang Laosan looked up at his family members, all busy with their own tasks, and suddenly felt a pang of emotion.

He never dared to dream of such a life before.

"Father, don't forget to buy the empty courtyard next door first." Jiang Yun Ning suddenly looked up.

Jiang Laosan chuckled: "Dad bought it today. Luckily, Dad went early. The village head said that a few days ago someone came to inquire about this empty courtyard, wanting to move in."

I heard he's a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, and he has a daughter with him. He wants to settle down here.

It was getting late, and the family, having finished their busy work, slept soundly.

The next morning, the village head arrived with twenty women.

Jiang Yun Ning wanted to assign tasks to them, so she entrusted the task of taking Jiang An He to school to Jiang Che.

"Is Auntie coming to pick me up?" Jiang Anhe looked back at Jiang Yunning every few steps.

"Auntie will pick you up tonight." She smiled, clearly enjoying her little nephew's dependence on her.

She even felt that with her nephew, she no longer needed children and could simply raise him as her own son.

"Jiang Che." Jiang Yun Ning took out ten taels of silver: "When you come back, go to Brother Zhang's place and bring back the mutton fat and pork fat, and buy a few more catties of meat so that lunch can be provided."

Jiang Che nodded, took the silver and put it in his pocket, then carried Jiang Anhe, who was clutching his trousers, onto the oxcart.

"I'm leaving." He turned his head.

Jiang Yun Ning was somewhat surprised, but nodded with a smile, "Okay. Be careful on the road."

After seeing the two off, Jiang Yun Ning turned around, and the young wives in the courtyard immediately started talking.

"Yun Ning, is it really twenty coins a day?"

Are there any requirements? Can someone who can't read do it?

Are you still hiring? My sister-in-law is also unemployed at home.

The village headman only found young wives from the village, mostly in their early twenties. They were all quick and efficient, honest and hardworking.

Upon hearing the village head say that Jiang Yun Ning's family was hiring female workers, everyone was eager to get a chance. They were all incredibly excited, afraid of being rejected.

Jiang Yun Ning was getting a headache from the constant noise, but she also knew how important those twenty coins a day were to these women.

This is not just an income, but also an opportunity for them to prove themselves to their families.

She raised her hand to soothe them: "Ladies, please be quiet and listen to me."

The chattering women fell silent, looking at Jiang Yun Ning with expectant expressions.

"Our workday starts at Chenshi (7-9 AM) and ends at the end of Shenshi (3-5 PM). We have half an hour for lunch and rest. The pay is twenty coins a day, settled daily."

She needs to see how well these people are doing. If there are no problems, she will switch to monthly pay and give them two days off each month.

"My God. The village head didn't lie to me."

"Yes, twenty coins a day. My husband only earns thirty coins a day doing manual labor in town. And he doesn't even have work every day."

"Hmph, I'll be able to earn money from now on, and I'll never have to put up with my mother-in-law's temper again."

I don't know who said that last sentence.

Jiang Yun Ning felt a pang of sadness, but she still needed to make things clear.

"Let me make this clear from the start," Jiang Yun Ning said, pouring cold water on their excitement. "If you're working in my house, you have to strictly follow my instructions. And you can't tell anyone about the steps you take each day, not even your relatives or family. Those who can accept this can stay; those who can't can leave now."

"Don't worry. I'll do whatever you tell me to do. I absolutely won't divulge a single word."

"That's right, twenty coins a day. I'd do it even if it meant sweeping the pigsty every day."

Although they hadn't worked outside much, they knew that any way to make money was something they had painstakingly figured out.

Leaking secrets to your employer is tantamount to cutting off your own source of income.

Jiang Yun Ning nodded with great satisfaction, and then divided the twenty people into four groups.

They were given two groups each to take to the small wooden house in the backyard.

"Sister-in-law, brother, you two are responsible for taking a walk around from time to time and seeing if anything seems amiss," Jiang Yun Ning instructed the two who were itching to get out of the house and join in the work.

Jiang Yuntian grinned: "Hehe. I never thought I'd be in charge of people one day."

Liu Yuzhi laughed and playfully nudged him: "It's all because Yun Ning is smart. You two were born of the same mother, but your brains are worlds apart!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun Ning quickly made an excuse to slip away, fearing that Liu Yu Zhi might suddenly ask her how she knew how to make soap.

When Jiang Che returned with the lard, Jiang Yuning was examining the magnolia seeds that had been dried for a while.

"There are still twenty-eight coins left." After unloading the cart and washing his hands, he took out the remaining coins and handed them over.

Jiang Yun Ning glanced at him and said, "You can keep it. It's inconvenient if you don't have any money on hand."

"I don't hide money from others." Jiang Che glanced at her quickly, grasped Jiang Yun Ning's wrist, and placed the copper coin in her palm.

Then, somewhat awkwardly, they went to the backyard to sweep the pigsty.

Hearing this, Jiang Yuntian scratched his head and said, "Who is this kid pointing at? I haven't been hiding any money from him."

Jiang Yun Ning was also a little stunned. Why did she feel that Jiang Che's words... seemed a little off?