vstars Chapter 513 The children are very active
Chapter 513 The children are very active
The eldest child's face was filled with anxiety. He held the second child with one hand and tightly grasped the corner of his clothes with the other hand. He stared straight at Jing Chunxi, afraid of missing her every move.
He practically shouted, "Miss, my father asked me to ask you if we could take the dried bamboo shoots and sweet potato flour away first. The house is full of them that were delivered a few days ago. It rained the day before yesterday, and the ground is a little wet, so we dare not pile them in the yard. If we don't take them away right away, they won't be able to fit into the house."
Da Ya's voice was filled with pleading, fearing Jing Chunxi wouldn't hear clearly and thus delay the sweet potato flour collection. Da Ya's face flushed red as he continued, "We originally asked the villagers to deliver the goods before the 16th day of the first lunar month. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow are the last two days. Who knows how many people will come to deliver the goods? We really can't fit them all in the house!"
His voice was trembling a little, as he was afraid that he would not be able to complete the task assigned by his parents, and his facial expression was extremely anxious.
Jing Chunxi smiled faintly, her eyes calm. She had already planned to transfer the goods into the space over several times, so she wasn't in a hurry. But she also didn't want to keep Daya in suspense, nor did she want Daya's parents to worry.
So she smiled at Daye and said, "Don't worry! Let your father and mother take care of the goods. Uncle Qi and Uncle Chong San will go back with you soon. They will take away all the goods that can be weighed today in the evening. Tell your father that he won't get into trouble." Her voice was gentle and firm, and her words were like a reassurance to Daye.
"Okay! That's great. Thank you, Miss." The eldest boy was filled with gratitude, a bright smile on his face, and all his worries disappeared in an instant. The second boy also followed his brother and kept thanking Jing Chunxi, his eyes full of gratitude.
After a while, Daya shouted loudly towards the boat again, looking behind Jing Chunxi, and called out: "Uncle Qi, Uncle Chong San, my father said that you don't need to bring your own scales this time. We have prepared several at home, all for you to use. Hurry up!" His voice was still so anxious, probably because he was afraid that if he went too late, he would not be able to do much work.
"You kid are quite smart. Just wait!" Chongsan walked out of the cabin, cursed with a smile, and went back to gather people. He couldn't hide his admiration for Daya on his face.
The eldest child followed up with a sentence: "Uncle Qi, the children in the village all want to help earn a few copper coins. Can you use a few more?" As soon as these words came out, the group of children next to them stopped talking and looked at them with anticipation on their faces.
Ah Qi laughed angrily: "I haven't said anything about hiring people yet! You want to hire more people. Are you afraid that I won't have all the money?" But although he was laughing, he still softened his tone and said: "Pick ten big ones, you can choose the ones yourself and you can manage them!" This gave the initiative to Da Ya and also put some pressure on him.
"Okay!" Daya responded excitedly with a satisfied smile on his face, and immediately turned around to look at his friends.
"Big boy! Remember to choose me." A child of the same age as Big boy shouted loudly, fearing that he would be forgotten.
"And me." Another child shouted, unwilling to be left behind.
"And I!"
"Dahe is one."
……
Among the large group of children, the older ones were delighted, their faces beaming with joy. They clapped each other on the shoulders and excitedly discussed the matter, confident that they would definitely have a share. The younger ones, however, were less enthusiastic, pouting and looking discontented. Even Erya's eyes showed disappointment, knowing his chances were hopeless, but he dared not say a word.
There are always a few brave ones who say: "Uncle Qi, you are not fair. We were able to carry the dried bamboo shoots last time, why don't you want us this time?" There is a bit of grievance in their voices when they say this.
Who wouldn't want to do something like this where they can earn some money and join in the fun? Last time, I brought back five copper coins, and my parents were so happy for a long time, praising them for being so capable!
"That's right, Uncle Qi, let's do this. The younger ones will carry the dried bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and black fungus. The older ones will carry the sweet potato flour." Another child also agreed. It was thanks to him that he had even thought of how to distribute the people.
This time everyone on the boat laughed, but the children on the shore were all serious. There were many people and they were brave. No one showed any fear, and they all wanted to gain the greatest benefit.
"That's right, we have less strength so we have to pay one less copper coin." A child said cautiously, fearing that he would be rejected. After saying this, he looked at his companions, fearing that others would disagree and blame him for being too talkative.
But no one refuted what he said. Jing Chunxi laughed again, thinking that these children were quite interesting, united and had no internal conflicts.
"I can also help Uncle Seventh to hold the weight."
"Seventh Uncle, I studied in a private school for two years, I can count! Just use us."
The children expressed their ideas one after another, the expectation in their eyes only increased, and the atmosphere remained warm.
Ah Qi looked at Jing Chunxi. The young lady didn't mind the children's noise, but instead kept staring at them with a smile, her eyes brimming with admiration. He knew the young lady wouldn't be stingy with the silver. Judging from her previous behavior, she probably wanted to keep the children happy.
Ah Qi gritted his teeth and simply made the decision: "Go, go, go, all of you go! Just do what you are supposed to do when you get there, and no one can be lazy, otherwise don't blame Uncle Qi for withholding your wages." There was a hint of severity in his voice, but it couldn't hide his love for the children.
"Haha! That's great. Thank you Uncle Qi, thank you Miss!" The children cheered with bright smiles on their faces, and thanked Ah Qi and Jing Chunxi one after another.
Some children even took advantage of the situation and planned to earn all the wages for the past few days: "Uncle Qi, we will help you for a few days while you collect goods. We will definitely come earlier than you and leave later."
"Okay, okay, go quickly. Those who haven't eaten yet should go back and eat something to avoid being exhausted." Ah Qi waved his hand, not wanting them to quarrel anymore.
The children suddenly started to chatter and rushed towards the dock like a race. Some of them disappeared in the blink of an eye. The younger ones, who couldn't keep up, also called out from behind, but they kept walking: "Brother! Wait for me!" Their voices echoed on the dock, with a hint of childishness and joy.
Jing Chunxi turned around and looked at Ah Qi, who had an amused look on his face. He smiled slightly and calmly instructed, "Uncle Qi, remember to take your boxes with you. As usual, I'll go check on you before dark."
"Got it, Miss! But how could the Prince's men arrive so quickly today?" Ah Qi was still a little puzzled, a look of confusion in his eyes. If they had set out by land at the same time, how could they arrive a day or two later? How could they possibly arrive today?
"Uncle Seventh is right. It's not like we haven't seen the Crown Prince's Golden Shadow Guards before. Besides, who says they must set out from Jian'an City? It would only take half a day to send a letter to the people in Sanming County by carrier pigeon." Jing Chunxi smiled slightly, with a bit of wisdom in his eyes.
She continued, "Don't worry, Uncle Seventh should arrange more people and hurry up. You don't have to worry about anything else. I think the prince's people should have been waiting for us in this mountain city a long time ago. Maybe they think we are too slow." She was naturally very confident about the things she was in control of.
Ah Qi's eyes showed a hint of surprise, but he quickly regained his composure. What the young lady said was not impossible. He nodded and said, "I see, young lady! It's also a good thing that the young lady allowed us to exchange the small silver and copper coins in Jian'an City. Otherwise, we would have had to go through so much trouble to get here."
But the box of silver and copper coins is too heavy, so half of it must be left on the boat. Anyway, we won’t need that much today.”
Jing Chunxi nodded and said, "Seventh Uncle, let the eldest boy lead the others to be smart. Remember to put all the weighed items into the house, stack them as high as possible and sort them well, so that you won't be confused when the time comes." Jing Chunxi talked a little more, his eyes full of seriousness.
"Miss, please rest assured in our work. If the eldest boy is careless, Ah Qi will deduct his coins first." Ah Qi said with a smile, full of confidence.