Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 166 Grabbing the Job

"Eh, here it is." Gu Jin’an came over in response and read the contents of the contract to the four people from Old Guo’s family.

The first clause stated that there should be no ill intent; the safety of all tofu and spices must be guaranteed. Should any issue arise with the tofu or spices, all those involved in the work would be held collectively responsible, compensating for the losses together and facing prison time together.

Upon hearing the first condition, Old Guo and his family were stunned; they hadn’t anticipated such a strict contract.

Gu Jin’an explained, "Grandpa Guo, we all rely on tofu and seasoning spices to make a living; if there’s an issue with either, none of us would benefit. For our livelihood, we must adhere to the first clause."

Gu Jin’an was quite eloquent, with a smile on his face and a gentle voice that eased the agitation and unease in Old Guo and his family.

Old Guo thought it over and said, "My family can comply with the first clause, how about you?" He turned to ask the other three families.

He Dazhuang, He Tugou, and He Shengzi had made money by clearing new land alongside Old Guo and now held considerable respect for him. They also agreed with what Gu Jin’an had said. Since they would be working with these products, they had to ensure the safety of the tofu and spices. Otherwise, if there were problems, the business would fail, and so would their jobs.

"We can do it too," the three men from the He Dazhuang, He Tugou, and He Shengzi families replied.

Seeing that they could accept the first clause, Gu Jin’an then continued to the next part.

The following clauses were simple, merely requiring confidentiality about the work being done and not to divulge any secrets. Another stipulation was that while working, personal cleanliness must be maintained to prevent sweat or other substances from dripping into the soy milk or spices, as this could spoil the flavor. The products could not be taken home to work on; all work had to be done at the workshop of the Gu Family, and so on...

After hearing everything, Old Guo and his companions felt it was reasonable and immediately nodded in agreement, "Brother Gu, we are willing to sign the contract for this work."

"Once the contract is signed, you’ll have to act in accordance with what’s written in it. If you fail to comply, you’ll have to pay compensation, or even end up in prison. Make sure you consider this carefully," Third Grandpa said. "There’s no need to rush your decision; we still need to repair the old house, buy stone mills and mortars. You can go back and discuss it with your family before giving us an answer."

"Brother Gu, what are you talking about?" Village Chief He came to pick up some tofu with He Dacang and others when they entered the courtyard, they overheard Third Grandpa and others discussing contract work and couldn’t help but ask.

Third Grandpa did not hide the matter and told Village Chief He, "We are planning to convert the newly purchased old house into a workshop, hiring some hands to work there grinding beans and spices. We are discussing it with Brother Old Guo at the moment."

Upon hearing this, the village chief’s eyes lit up, and he eagerly asked Third Grandpa, "Brother Gu, how many people are you looking to hire? The He family has many who are capable of working. If you are hiring for these jobs, could our He family take on this work?"

Village Chief He, worried that Third Grandpa might be concerned about the mischievous nature of the He family, quickly added, "Rest assured, Brother Gu, ever since He Dacai and his gang were caught, many of the village youths have changed considerably. There might still be minor issues, but with my oversight, I assure you they won’t cause any trouble for your families."

He sighed and added, "It’s all because of poverty. If they could get a stable job and earn money to support their families, they would certainly turn over a new leaf with the hope of better days ahead."

Village Chief He then mentioned San Lai, "That lad is getting married today; he has been quite well-behaved and diligent recently. His old house used to be filthy and in disarray, but now he’s taking the initiative to fix and clean it. All these changes come from seeing a hopeful future ahead."

So, if the He family members had work to do and each household could look forward to better days, they would change for the better.

Third Master did not immediately agree but said, "We’ve already spoken to Brother Old Guo, and we have to consider their families first. If we still need people later on, we will then consider others."

Knowing that this wasn’t something he could rush, Village Chief He smiled and said, "That’s only right."

He didn’t intend to undercut Old Guo’s family; they were also members of the He family, and his primary concern was to prevent the Gu family from hiring people from other villages. He wanted to secure these jobs for his He family first.

Village Chief He then asked in detail about the contract and the wages. When he heard about signing a contract and the collective responsibility clause in case of any issues, he didn’t find it too harsh since their family also sold tofu under contract. Learning about the substantial wages made him ecstatic, and he hoped that the businesses of Tianfu County, along with those of the Gu and Luotian families, would grow larger so that they could employ all members of the He family.

After discussing the hiring of workers with Third Grandpa, Old Guo and his companions went to work in the fields. They had been clearing land for over ten days, and today was their last day. Once the work was done, they could come to collect their wages.

After they left, Liang Zhuzi and others came to pick up tofu and also heard about the situation, showing keen interest. However, Liang Zhuzi knew that with the He family around, the jobs wouldn’t fall to them, but they could compete for a share of the spices business.

Thus, after picking up the tofu, Liang Zhuzi didn’t leave in a hurry but stayed to inquire about the spices, "Miss Xiao Yu, when your family opens the workshop, could you perhaps provide us with some extra spices?"

He knew that Gu Jinli was the one in charge of producing spices, so he addressed her directly.

Gu Jinli smiled; Liang Zhuzi was indeed clever to have set his sights on the spices so quickly, "Why do you need so many spices?"

Liang Zhuzi glanced at Village Chief He, who was sitting in the courtyard chatting with Third Master, and wished he could drag him away. The old master was also sharp; seeing that Liang Zhuzi hadn’t left, he decided to stay as well, determined to eavesdrop on his conversation.

Village Chief He had been observing Liang Zhuzi, and when he saw him looking, he gave him a smile that left Liang Zhuzi at a loss for words.

With no choice, Liang Zhuzi shared his plan, "Spices, unlike tofu, can be stored for a long time. I want to take about a hundred pounds or so to sell in other counties and make some extra money."

Tofu and spices were only sold in Tianfu County, and other counties didn’t have these commodities. If he took a few people to sell them in other counties, they could make a lot of money.

Upon hearing Liang Zhuzi’s idea, Village Chief He’s eyes gleamed with excitement. However, when he heard about Liang Zhuzi’s request for a hundred pounds of spices, he immediately exclaimed, "Liang family nephew, the Gu family only makes so much spice in one day; you want a whole hundred pounds for yourself, don’t be too greedy; leave some for others."

Liang Zhuzi was already familiar with Village Chief He from his daily trips to pick up supplies at the Gu family, so he spoke without reservation, "Uncle He, by taking more spices, members of your He family will have work to do. This arrangement benefits both our families, so please don’t compete with me for it."

"It’s not that I’m competing with you; it’s that our He family is poor. Even though Brother Gu’s family has been looking out for us, who wouldn’t want to do a business that brings in money?" Village Chief He, not willing to back down, stood up and said to Gu Jinli, "Xiao Yu, when there’s more spice production, make sure to provide some extra for our He family too. We have many people and can carry it to sell in farther places, even hundreds of pounds wouldn’t be too much to handle."

Spices could be stored, and taking extra would not be an issue.