stingy landlady

Chapter 148 Logging Up the Mountain

Guizhi looked at everyone and said earnestly:

"Alright! As long as you're willing to stay, let's work hard and maintain our community!"

"Wow! That's great! The employer has let us stay! Thank you, employer!"

"The employer has finally agreed to let us stay! I thought they would just make us new bedding and be done with it! The employer didn't mean that!"

"The boss is really a good person! We'll do whatever the boss tells us to do!"

Guizhi and Xu Hong went into Xu Hong's room! Wanrou was in Jushuang's room, helping to make bedding! All the women in the village who knew how to sew came in handy! They hurriedly finished making the bedding!

"Uncle Xu Hong! Since you're here, make the best of it! I'll say it again, we don't support idlers here. Those who stay home to feed the pigs and cattle, and a few of the villagers who aren't in good health, go up the mountain to gather firewood. The rest of the able-bodied people can go up the mountain to cut timber!"

Xu Hong asked:

"Miss, are you cutting down thick timber? Are you sure it's not just gathering firewood?"

Guizhi instructed, "Yes! Uncle Xu Hong! Go and buy some long saws and big axes! After we finish felling the trees on the mountain, since it's snowing, we can roll the logs down the mountain to the flat ground, then we can gather them together and haul them back!"

Guizhi added:

"Uncle Xu Hong, cut down more trees! Remember where you cut them down, and replant them in the spring! That way, there will still be trees to cut down decades from now!"

Then, Guizhi explained to Xu Hong her purpose for cutting the wood:

"Uncle Xu Hong! After the New Year, let's open our own timber workshop! We can simply saw the timber into various types of planks, strips, and blocks, and then we can transport it out to sell!"

Transport them to the county seat, then to the prefectural city to sell! Especially to those workshops that make wardrobes for the Prince's mansion! Why not make money off them if you have the money?

Xu Hong listened quietly:

"Uncle Xu Hong! We can only cut down dead trees in winter. We can't come to cut them down in the spring, so try to find the thickest ones and cut down as many as possible! Please be careful to keep your personal safety in mind!"

Those married women who aren't pregnant, come and cook; they'll all be paid! If they're all pregnant, find a few women from the village to cook on the mountain!

Bring rice, oil, salt, pots, pans, and other necessities from home! Also, plan to build a shack on the mountain! Uncle Xu Hong, you can handle it; just bring them back before the New Year!

The specific tasks will have to be arranged by Uncle Xu Hong!

Xu Hong felt that the people he had brought back finally had a chance to be used, and he couldn't suppress a smile as he said:

"Alright! Miss has a plan! She's given us guys work to do! That makes me feel good! On behalf of all the brothers, I thank you, Miss!"

Guizhi smiled:

"Since you're all here, consider yourselves long-term laborers! Work before the New Year, and we'll pay you all at once during the holiday! We'll talk about springtime later!"

Let's take it one step at a time!

Guizhi remembered something else:

"Uncle Xu Hong! Logging in the mountains is hard work! Kill all the chickens and ducks at home and freeze them! Take some up the mountain and cook everyone a meat dish often! It's very important to ensure everyone's physical strength! Having a healthy body is more important than anything else!"

Xu Hong also solemnly said:

"Miss! We need to buy a pig to sacrifice to the mountain god before we go up the mountain to cut down trees!"

"Okay! Uncle Xu Hong can arrange it! If there are still people selling cabbage, radishes, and potatoes in town, go and buy more! What we have stored is far from enough for so many people! It's not as convenient to buy vegetables up in the mountains as it is at home!"

Life on the mountain is tough! I can't think of any other things suitable for so many of us!

Xu Hong hurriedly said:

"Miss! This is already very good! They came suddenly, and it's already a blessing that they have work to do and food to eat! We've all experienced much harder lives than this, and besides, you've even made them new bedding! Make sure everyone has a proper meal!"

"Miss! Don't overthink it! Any one of these people is several years, even more than ten years, older than you! If you're still so insensible, you'll really be ungrateful!"

Xu Hong briefly explained the village's arrangements.

"We bought ten haymaking tools. We have a lot of cattle, so we have plenty to eat! These people have been taking turns chopping hay these past few days, and we've prepared quite a bit of hay! There are also ten people at home who can take turns chopping hay to feed the cattle and going up the mountain to collect firewood! The farmhand who feeds the pigs remains the same, and he can also go collect firewood in his spare time!"

In addition, ten people were arranged to transport wood home and supplies on the way up the mountain!

They also found two elderly women in the village to come up the mountain and help with the cooking!

"Okay! As long as Uncle Xu Hong makes the arrangements! Wanrou is pregnant, so Uncle Xu Hong should come back to visit her often!"

After Guizhi and Xu Hong led the farmhands up the mountain to cut timber, they saw that those who stayed behind in the village were working in an orderly manner! Wanrou and Jushuang often worked and talked together, so they didn't feel lonely!

Seeing that the sky was overcast, Guizhi was afraid that heavy snow would delay her on the road, so she hurried home!

Early in the morning, when the sisters were practicing kung fu, Gui Xiang was nowhere to be seen!

The two sisters came hand in hand to find Gui Xiang, whose eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying!

Gui Hong asked:

"Big sister! What happened to you? Who bullied you?"

Guizhi carefully observed the room and found it was not in a mess at all!

"Big sister! Did you have a nightmare? Why are you so sad?"

Upon hearing this, Gui Xiang burst into tears, tears streaming down her face like raindrops!

"Big sister! Tell me! What happened?"

"Second sister! Third sister! I... I've lost my innocence! Waaaaah!"

Gui Hong and Gui Zhi looked at each other in confusion. Gui Hong asked:

"Big sister! Who ruined your reputation? We're not afraid of him now! Tell us! I'll go chop him up!"

Guizhi also comforted him, saying:

"Big sister! What's the big deal if you lose your innocence! As long as you're alright, that's all that matters!"

Unexpectedly, these words made Guixiang cry even harder!

"Big sister!" The two sisters were dumbfounded! They dared not say another word! They quietly waited for Guixiang to recover!

"Second sister, third sister! I think I'm pregnant!"

A bolt from the blue left the two girls completely stunned!

Guizhi asked cautiously:

"Hey sis! I've never seen you getting close to any men before, have I?"

Guizhi sobbed as she said:

"I don't know! I haven't been indecent! How come it's like when my mother gave birth to my sister!"

"What was your mother like when she gave birth to your sister?" Guihong asked curiously.

"That's right! That's right! When Mom had her miscarriage last time, weren't you all there? Mom bled a lot!"

Me! I'm bleeding too, just like Mom! Waaaaah!

Gui Xiang barely managed to finish speaking before bursting into tears again!

"I! My stomach hurts so badly! I! I can't see a doctor, if it ruins my sister's reputation! I'd rather die than let you down! Waaah!"

Gui Hong couldn't bear it and started crying too.

"Waaaaah! Eldest sister! I don't want you to die! Waaaaah! Eldest sister! I won't get married, I'm not afraid of being implicated! Third sister! You shouldn't get married either! Let's live like this, sisters! No one will dare to bully us! Waaaaah!"

Third sister! Say something! We're not getting married anymore!