Chapter 315: Exhaustion Is Real, But the Money Is Truly Easy to Earn

When Li Jianguo fetched Han Benzhong's two families from the corps, only Li Li Anguo and Li Li Junshan remained to cut reeds.

It was two families because Zheng Songlin's family had returned to their hometown, while Zhang Laoshi had come along. Originally, Han Benzhong had suggested calling more people, but Li Jianguo refused; the entire team was currently capable, and he had only invited Han Benzhong's group due to a prior promise. Otherwise, the team members alone could easily handle these thirty thousand reed bundles.

"Chen Xingbang and Li Junfeng went to strip reeds and press bundles," Li Li Anguo explained, putting down his sickle as he saw his elder brother arrive. "Those two piles are the reeds they cut; each even carried a bundle back on their shoulders. These two piles are what Li Junshan and I cut. Elder Brother, does this look acceptable?"

"It's fine," Li Jianguo said with a smile. "The reed bundles aren't small; they're about right and usable. By the way, have you two eaten lunch?"

"We have; Without Xiao Long brought it over," Li Li Anguo said cheerfully. "Steamed buns and dishes; they were still warm when delivered. He even brought us water, which hasn't cooled yet; it's quite nice."

"Then you two continue cutting. I'll first haul back the reeds Chen Xingbang and Li Junfeng cut, then return to haul yours."

"Alright, alright." Li Li Anguo naturally had no objections.

He enjoyed exerting physical effort and disliked technical work requiring mental engagement, which was why he stayed behind to cut reeds. Li Li Junshan remained purely because Chen Chen Xingbang and Li Li Junfeng had voluntarily offered during lunch to return and press reed bundles, making it awkward for him to speak up; in truth, any type of work was acceptable.

He was currently calculating: from morning until now, he had cut over twenty reed bundles. Excluding the odd numbers deemed substandard, had he already earned two yuan?

Two yuan could buy an old hen back in their hometown. Even earning money back home, it would take several days to make those two yuan!

He felt somewhat uneasy, uncertain whether Uncle Without Xiao Long would actually pay them once the reeds were hauled back tonight.

Thinking aside, the work still had to be done.

Li Jianguo had brought ropes beforehand. By this time, Han Benzhong and the others had already disembarked from the cart and were helping count and load the reeds cut by Chen Chen Xingbang and Li Li Junfeng.

"The bundles Li Junfeng cut are acceptable; the ones Chen Xingbang cut are a bit too thin," Li Jianguo remarked. "Li Junfeng has eleven bundles, Chen Xingbang has nine; I've noted it down."

After loading and arranging the reed bundles on the cart and securing them with ropes, Li Jianguo bid farewell to Li Li Anguo and Li Li Junshan. Since there weren't many bundles, no twisting sticks were needed for fixation; after tightening two ropes, he led the horse cart toward Old Ma's Station.

To Li Jianguo's slight surprise, both Han Benzhong and Zhang Laoshi remained at the reed lake. Each family sent one person to return with Li Jianguo, while the rest stayed behind to begin cutting reeds.

The money-earning had already begun!

Li Li Junshan immediately felt a sense of crisis. There were only thirty thousand reed bundles in total; if others cut one more bundle, he would earn one bundle less.

Although he had been exhausted moments before, he suddenly regained energy and began cutting rapidly.

Li Li Anguo did not feel such a strong sense of crisis; after all, Li Long was his younger brother and Li Jianguo his elder brother; neither would ever let him suffer a loss.

When Li Jianguo arrived at Old Ma's Station, Li Long was inspecting the reed bundles delivered by villagers, while Li Li Junfeng and Chen Chen Xingbang were in the courtyard stripping reeds.

"Chen Xingbang, you and Li Junfeng move aside; I need to unload the cart. These are the reeds you two cut and brought back. You have nine bundles, Li Junfeng has eleven, correct?"

"Correct, correct." Chen Chen Xingbang nodded, bent down, picked up the reeds he had stripped, and made way.

Li Li Junfeng also hastily vacated the center of the courtyard, moving to the side to find a suitable spot for stripping reeds.

"Don't busy yourselves yet; come over and help unload your reeds together," Li Jianguo called out upon seeing neither of them intended to assist.

"Alright!" Chen Chen Xingbang responded quickly, though his movements were somewhat slow. Li Li Junfeng said nothing but trotted over, unloading the reeds under Li Jianguo's guidance.

Over there, Li Long finished inspecting the delivered reed bundles, discarding the substandard ones and directing the rest to be transported to the stacking piles. After settling payments, he walked over to help unload the reeds and asked his elder brother:

"Elder Brother, didn't Elder Brother Zheng and the others come this time?"

"They didn't," Li Jianguo replied after finishing unloading. Watching Zheng Xiumei and Zhang Laoshi's daughter lay out bedding, he led the horse aside, speaking as he walked:

"His entire family returned to their hometown, so I didn't ask for more people. With so many from our team already, inviting more outsiders would invite criticism."

"That makes sense," Li Long nodded. "In just one day, the team members delivered over a thousand reed bundles, and this was without prior preparation. The daily deliveries will only increase from now on. However, quite a few were substandard; henceforth, the accumulation of substandard reed bundles within the team will not be small."

"How are those two doing?" Li Jianguo turned his head to glance at Chen Chen Xingbang and Li Li Junfeng, who were currently stripping reeds, and asked quietly.

"They possess some cleverness," Li Long said with a smile. "Let me state the ugly truth upfront: stripping reeds and pressing bundles are light tasks, so the pay is naturally low. Earning money is no problem, provided the reed bundles meet standards. The criteria are clearly established; whatever standard others follow, they must follow too. I will definitely not accept substandard ones."

"Are they upset?"

"Somewhat unhappy, admittedly. However, I made it clear: I am accountable to those above; otherwise, I won't receive the funds, and I cannot incur losses myself, correct? I stated that when Father worked here previously, this was the standard. If they wish to work, they must adhere to this; if not, I won't force them. Providing a few meals is no issue, but wanting money without meeting standards is out of the question."

"Yes, that's exactly it." Li Jianguo now felt his initial impressions of several relatives were accurate. "However, rest assured; earnings back in our hometown are meager. Once you settle the accounts tonight, they will undoubtedly be extremely happy."

Li Jianguo was correct. By the time he completed three trips hauling the reed bundles cut by Li Li Anguo and Li Li Junshan, Chen Chen Xingbang and Li Li Junfeng had each pressed out over ten to twenty reed bundles.

"Brother-in-law, Li Junfeng, don't rush. The first step in pressing reed bundles is stripping reeds. Although you pressed fewer bundles today, you stripped quite a lot of reeds. Judging by the quantity, each of you could press at least thirty to forty bundles tomorrow. It will be different then."

Li Long offered this consolation while calculating accounts, addressing the somewhat dejected Chen Chen Xingbang and Li Li Junfeng.

"Of course, if you feel that stripping and pressing reeds is difficult and prefer to cut reeds instead, that's also fine; tomorrow you can choose for yourselves. However, you may only choose once more; no further changes are allowed, otherwise the courtyard will become chaotic."

"No change; I won't change," Chen Chen Xingbang spoke first. Li Li Junfeng thought for a moment and also decided against changing.

"The final calculation is: Li Junshan cut thirty-four bundles, totaling three yuan and forty fen; Second Brother cut twenty-nine bundles, with one substandard bundle counted at five fen, totaling two yuan and eighty-five fen. Brother-in-law cut nine bundles, two of which were substandard, and additionally made eighteen reed bundles, totaling one yuan and seventy fen. Brother-in-law, the quality of these reed bundles isn't great; today I won't count the substandard ones against you, but starting tomorrow, bundles of this quality will not be acceptable."

"Good." Chen Chen Xingbang accepted the one yuan and seventy fen, feeling somewhat excited internally. Although it was only half of Li Junshan's earnings, he was confident he could press more bundles tomorrow, earning at least three yuan in a day!

"Li Junfeng had eleven reed bundles, two substandard, and pressed twenty-three reed bundles. Among these, two were too poor and won't be counted."

"Fine, fine, Uncle Without Xiao Long, no problem; tomorrow I'll strive to make them all qualified," Li Li Junfeng said. He hadn't intended to compete with anyone; earning money was sufficient.

Working large-scale jobs for others outside previously yielded at most one yuan per day, yet required such immense hardship!

"Then your total is two yuan and five fen. Alright, come collect your money." All four accepted their payments, feeling very happy.

Previously, when working large-scale jobs, payment was received only after completing the work. Now, although working for relatives felt slightly awkward, the payment was truly satisfying; this felt so refreshing!

After Li Jianguo unloaded the reeds and went to fetch those cut by Han Benzhong and the others, Li Li Anguo realized the disparity upon his return.

Although the others had cut reeds for merely two or three hours, the quantity hauled back amounted to seventeen bundles for one family and fifteen for the other.

Moreover, not a single bundle was substandard.

Han Benzhong and Zhang Laoshi expressed some dissatisfaction, claiming their hands were rusty and they had cut slowly.

Fortunately, this meant there would be ample work for stripping reeds tomorrow.

Li Long had not settled accounts with these two families; Li Li Anguo learned only upon asking that the two families worked together and would be paid collectively based on the total reed bundles.

This made him feel that these people were truly different from himself.

The four of them, having earned money, also felt exhaustion, each harboring their own thoughts.

Dinner was prepared by Zheng Xiumei and He Ping assisting Uncle Lao Luo: steamed buns and soup rice. Having both solid and liquid food made the meal particularly comforting. The stoves inside the house had all been set up; Li Long thought it was time to purchase some coal. Just with these few stoves, the amount burned throughout winter would certainly not be small.

!.

Han Benzhong and the others would depart once this task concluded, while Second Brother Li Li Anguo and the other relatives would definitely stay until next year. Purchasing extra coal was undoubtedly the right decision.

Of course, this had to be done whenever an opportunity arose; otherwise, there would be no time.

That evening, Li Li Anguo and the others went to rest early. Li Long stayed outside to inspect those reed bundles and reed ties; finding no safety hazards, he closed the main gate.

This main gate had originally belonged to the old horse compound. It should have been divided up when the squadron's assets were split, but Li Long spent money to buy the entire old horse compound, so these two large iron gates remained as well.

In Li Long's view, the old horse compound still lacked a local dog, and then everything would be complete. If there was any disturbance, a dog would be far more alert than a person.

Just as he closed the gate, someone arrived outside; seeing that cart, Li Long knew they had come to deliver reed bundles.

He opened the main gate and accepted the goods seriously. There was no other way; since people had come to deliver, he could hardly refuse to accept them.

Shining his flashlight, he finished inspecting the reed bundles bundle by bundle; Li Long's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and he said to Tao Tao Dayong, who had delivered the reeds:

"Tao Dayong, the quality of these reed bundles isn't very good. Of these thirty-odd bundles, eleven are substandard; I cannot accept them. For the remaining twenty-four, I will give you three yuan and sixty fen..."

"Xiao Long, don't do that; these reed bundles were beaten out at my home just today, how could they possibly be substandard..." Tao Tao Dayong tried to curry favor, "Look, every time before I've brought you the best ones; this time, just don't be so strict..."

"Tao Dayong, if I accept them, the county inspection of these reed bundles will definitely fail, and I'll have to cover the cost myself. Moreover, once you open this loophole, if you can bring substandard goods, others can too, and then I can forget about completing my task."

Li Long was absolutely determined not to open this loophole; before Tao Tao Dayong and the others had even arrived, Li Long had already pulled out the three substandard reed bundles that Chen Chen Xingbang had pressed and thrown them onto the roof. These could not be handed over, and leaving them in the courtyard was an eyesore.

He knew that once he relented even slightly, endless trouble would surely follow.

Seeing that persuasion was futile, Tao Tao Dayong had no choice but to haul the substandard ones back.

After accepting reed bundles from two more households, Li Long's mood improved somewhat—after all, most villagers were not like Tao Tao Dayong, trying to exploit loopholes; basically, they were quite good, and at least the goods they brought were largely up to standard.

Having one or two substandard bundles was normal.

It was not until past twelve o'clock that Li Long locked the gate, resolved not to open it again. With such intermittent arrivals, how long would he have to stay awake?

Fortunately, no one else delivered anything afterward. He roughly estimated that today he had accepted over eighteen hundred reed bundles. Tomorrow might break two thousand; if so, the required quantity of reed bundles would be met in less than fifteen days.

It was fortunate that accounts had been settled earlier; otherwise, the cash on hand might not have been sufficient.

He wondered whether Li Li Xiangqian would send a truck the day after tomorrow to haul them away; if not, the money he had on hand would truly become tight. Moreover, there simply wasn't enough space in the courtyard to pile up that much stuff.

It would easily lead to a fire.

Thinking these thoughts, Li Long fell asleep. Although he wasn't doing physical labor, inspecting, calculating accounts, and haggling with people over standards of acceptance or rejection all day long was quite exhausting.

The next day continued as before. Li Long could clearly feel that starting from the second day, the enthusiasm of his second brother Li Li Anguo, his brother-in-law Chen Chen Xingbang, and his two male cousins had suddenly surged.

This was the right approach; since they had come to earn money in the first place, why resort to those little tricks? Working steadily and earning the money was what mattered most.

That evening, after settling accounts, all four had received more than three yuan each. Although it was not as much as the Han and Zhang families had received, those two had acted collectively; the four of them felt no envy, and during dinner that night, they talked much more than usual.

The quantity of reed bundles collected that day directly surpassed three thousand, startling Li Long!

Everyone's enthusiasm was truly high!

Of course, he was also quite happy; at this rate, they might gather enough reed bundles in just ten days.

On the third day, when technician Chen Zhenming arrived with a truck to haul away the reed bundles, he too was startled. According to Li Li Xiangqian's statement, he should have been able to take five thousand today; now it seemed they were nearing ten thousand!

This pace was simply too fast!

If things continued like this, he could come once a day. Today, it would take at least half a day just to finish the inspection, and the remainder would require two more trips to haul away.

Fortunately, he had arrived early, thinking that an early start would mean an early finish; had he come late, today's work might not have been completed at all.

Chen Zhenming's arrival brought Li Long's reed bundle collection work to a temporary halt; he devoted his full efforts to assisting Chen Zhenming in inspecting and handing over the reed bundles in the courtyard.

More than half the day passed in this manner.

Of course, the result was quite satisfactory. (End of chapter)