Chapter 113: Trouble Over Wages

When the Chen Qun family arrived, Chen Wuji was twisting rope with Yuan Jinshi.

Given Yang Tiejiang's recent pressure was somewhat high, he gave Chen Wuwei and the others a brief instruction: each afternoon they go to the city, only do half a day's work, to give Yang Tiejiang a little relief, so this artisan won't be worked to death at the forge.

After this arrangement, Chen Wuji soon had nothing much to do.

Although he now had nearly two hundred taels of a huge sum in his pocket, it was still far from the time to relax and enjoy blessings.

So he planned to, during this period, go into the mountains in the mornings to mess with the mountain's aquatic products and check the traps.

Without talking about how much money it would sell for, at least it could improve the family's meals a bit.

Doing it himself is definitely cheaper than buying with money, and the food is better too.

"Wuji, this little brat told me you gave him wages today?" Chen Li, hurrying with Chen Qun into the second courtyard, breathless like an ox, still asked politely.

"Yes, I gave it!" Chen Wuji stood up, glanced at the Chen Qun family, and said, "Eleventh Uncle, what's the matter? Didn't Chen Qun bring the money back?"

He thought Chen Qun had lost the silver money.

"He brought it back, but it's just a bit too much..." Chen Li said.

Chen Wuji laughed upon hearing that, "Two hundred sixty cash is not much. Chen Qun's comprehension is excellent; today he only tried his hand a little. Once he gets more familiar, he should be able to earn even more."

"But how could you give so much!" Chen Li exclaimed upon hearing it, stamping his feet in agitation, "Change it, two hundred sixty cash as wages is really too much. This is even more than Liu Tiechui earns each day; Liu Tiechui's daily work on the dock is hauling heavy bags, a hard labor, after great hardship."

"What did this kid do? Just help you sell a pot, how could he earn more than someone who does hard labor? This is inappropriate, really inappropriate."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yan Shi immediately grabbed Chen Li's sleeve, frequently giving him looks.

Chen Li remained unmoved and continued, "Wuji, our family are your tenant farmers; logically we shouldn't need wages, we work for you for free. If you're willing to give something, that's your kindness, helping our family, but this is too much; we can't accept it, or we'd lose our conscience."

Chen Wuji waved his hand, "Eleventh Uncle, let me explain how these wages work: here it's more work, more pay; no work, no pay; if it doesn't sell, you get not even a single copper coin."

"Today Chen Qun and they sold twenty-odd pots together, so he should have these wages; if tomorrow he doesn't sell any, he won't bring home even a single copper coin."

"Not only Chen Qun; everyone is the same. I treat everyone equally, so don't keep arguing with me about this. Have you eaten? Let's eat together later; the food at home will be ready soon."

"No, no, we're going home to eat ourselves!" Chen Yan Shi said with a beaming face, kicking Chen Qun hard, "Hurry up and thank Brother Wuji? From now on you don't have to listen to your father, but you must listen to Brother Wuji, understand?"

"Understood." Chen Qun hung his head, bowed to Chen Wuji, "Brother Wuji, you're seeing a joke; my parents have been like this since I was little, I can't persuade them, it gives me a headache."

"You little brat, what are you saying!" Chen Yan Shi grabbed Chen Qun's neck and walked off, "You've only done a day's work and you're already starting to despise your parents, right?"

"Brother Wuji, we're leaving first!" The Chen Qun being dragged upside down hurriedly waved at Chen Wuji.

Chen Li sighed helplessly, gave Chen Wuji an apologetic glance, stomped his foot heavily, then turned and hurriedly followed.

Until they had been gone a long time, Chen Wuji could still hear Chen Li and his wife arguing, and the sounds of disciplining their son, faintly mixed with the noise of a donkey whip, not knowing whose body it landed on.

Huo Sanniang heard the noise and came out of the courtyard, "Who came?"

"Eleventh Uncle and his wife brought Chen Qun." Chen Wuji chuckled lightly, "Eleventh Uncle thinks I gave Chen Qun too much wages, worried he didn't do anything good, so he came to ask."

Huo Sanniang smiled, "Giving too much in wages can sometimes be a problem too!"

"No one would disagree." Chen Wuji shook his head, laughing.

After coming back today, he hasn't had a moment's peace.

First, Yuan Jinshi's two brothers shouted that they didn't want wages, trotted out the servant's talking points, repeated them over and over to Chen Wuji; Chen Wuji, finally left with no choice, could only, in the name of reward money, forcibly shut their mouths.

Next, Chen Wuwei's family came over.

They believed Chen Wuwei, but just brought over an old mother hen for Chen Wuji.

In the countryside, an old mother hen is very precious, and it's an important gift for countless people to express gratitude.

For ordinary favors they send eggs; if the favor is big and the relationship close, they send an old mother hen.

Huo Sanniang squatted beside Chen Wuji, helping to twist the rope, "Selling pots sounds like a decent livelihood; if life can go on, don't go into the mountains, it's too dangerous."

Chen Wuji shook his head, "At least for now it's not possible; you can't put all your eggs in one basket, I can't sell pots without seeing any prospects, otherwise I'd abandon the hunter's skills. There are plenty of good things in the mountains; anyway, I have time now, I'll take a turn when I can, no need to worry."

Life has only just barely gotten better; how could we be lax at this time?

Seeing this, Huo Sanniang didn't advise further, just muttered a stubborn fellow.

"Come inside, I'll apply medicine for you." She said unhappily.

Chen Wuji grinned widely and followed Huo Sanniang into the house.

Huo Sanniang took the ointment, turned and sat on the edge of the kang, her firm buttocks pressing out a perfect, incredibly alluring curve.

Chen Wuji lay down smoothly on the kang's edge, resting his head on Huo Sanniang's soft thigh.

This is truly the best pillow in the world.

Huo Sanniang smiled faintly, chiding, "How am I supposed to apply medicine to you like this?"