Chapter 211: Looks Good, Wins Hearts
Chapter 211: Chapter 211: Looks Good, Wins Hearts
"Ouch!" Zhou Jian Country cried out in surprise from the burn, but when he saw the young lady across from him was about to burst into tears, he quickly shut his mouth.
Seeing her daughter’s clumsiness, Li Guihua scolded her, "Minglan, you’re so clumsy! Apologize to Mr. Zhou."
"S-sorry," Li Minglan hurriedly apologized. "I didn’t do it on purpose. I was just so happy that I got distracted. I have some burn cream at home, I’ll go get it!"
"It’s alright, it was just a little." Zhou Jian Country couldn’t bring himself to be upset with a girl of sixteen or seventeen.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Go get it!" Li Guihua glared at her daughter. "So clumsy. Hurry up!"
Li Minglan scurried away like a frightened little rabbit.
’That girl is quite interesting,’ Zhou Jian Country thought. ’And... and she’s very pretty. It’s just... she’s a bit young. What a pity!’
He decided not to dwell on it. There were still things to discuss.
Zhou Jian Country explained that his older brother had gone to the city and received affirmation from the city staff, as well as praise from the provincial staff. That’s why he had been sent to personally tell Miao Dahai to deliver five hundred flower baskets, large and small, as soon as possible.
Previously, Miao Dahai had submitted ten flower baskets. They needed to make fifty baskets of each design and deliver them directly to the store. The store would purchase them according to the contents of the official document and wouldn’t give them any trouble.
Hearing Zhou Jian Country’s words, Miao Dahai was even more delighted and thanked him repeatedly.
Li Minglan came back with the burn ointment, placed it in front of Zhou Jian Country, and said, "Mr. Zhou, this is excellent badger oil, a top-quality burn cream. You should apply some right away."
"Thank you," Zhou Jian Country said gratefully. Being this close, he finally got a clear look at Li Minglan. She was indeed as graceful and elegant as a bright, lovely orchid. But seeing how Director Li, despite her age, still possessed a lingering charm, he knew that Li Minglan would surely grow up to be even more beautiful.
"It’s what I should do; it was my fault to begin with," Li Minglan said. Then, blushing, she ran outside to join the others in weaving baskets.
"Mr. Zhou, we’ll weave the baskets as quickly as possible. When the time comes, I’ll personally deliver them to the store," Miao Dahai promised. He then asked Director Li to go to her house and help prepare a meal to host Zhou Jian Country.
Zhou Jian Country and his men left after lunch, but the impact of the news he brought grew larger and larger in Nianqiao Village.
Now, almost everyone in the village had gathered to ask Miao Dahai about the prices for the flower baskets.
Miao Dahai didn’t hide anything and directly took out the document to read aloud.
This reading caused a huge uproar in the village.
Some men also came to ask if they could learn. Director Li replied that they could.
Some men heard that their wives hadn’t come to learn and were gossiping outside instead. They were so angry they went right up and hit them. What’s the damn use of wagging your tongue all day? You can’t eat it, and it won’t earn you any money.
Because of the flower basket procurement, the entire Nianqiao Village became bustling with activity.
However, most families were excited. Those who had already learned could start earning money right away. Those who hadn’t learned before immediately joined in to learn.
Liu Lanhua and Wang Cuihua saw that the villagers they had painstakingly gathered around them with pumpkin seeds were now gone, and they were fuming with rage. However, when they heard that weaving baskets could sell for so much money, they shamelessly came over to learn as well.
Of course, they didn’t have the nerve to learn from Zhao Nuanyue. They learned from a woman in the village with whom they were on good terms.
But that woman wasn’t easy to deal with. She directly asked them for two *jin* of grain. If they didn’t give it, she wouldn’t teach. Others weren’t on good terms with them, so even if they brought gifts, they wouldn’t teach them. So, they could only grit their teeth and agree.
For the five hundred flower baskets, Zhao Nuanyue calculated the amount of willow branches needed and then began to lead everyone in treating them, treating it as an internship for them. At first, everyone wove slowly. They were afraid of doing a poor job, which would not only waste materials but also result in their baskets being rejected as substandard by Director Li and Miao Dahai. All their effort would be for nothing.
Later, as they became more skilled, their speed increased.
The five hundred flower baskets were completed in half a month. Miao Dahai personally drove the ox cart to the county town and brought back three hundred and sixty yuan and many industrial coupons. When this money was laid out in front of them, the people of Nianqiao Village were even more shocked.
They had originally thought the money wouldn’t be distributed until the end of the year, but Miao Dahai said that since the villagers had earned it, the money would be paid out every time he returned from selling baskets.
Zhao Nuanyue was the teacher, so from now on, for every flower basket Nianqiao Village sold, she would receive three fen. Therefore, from the five hundred baskets, Zhao Nuanyue earned fifteen yuan. At the same time, Zhao Nuanyue had completed twenty large flower baskets. A large basket sold for one-and-a-half yuan, and the commune member who made it could receive one-third of that, which was fifty fen. This amounted to ten yuan. Adding the previous fifteen yuan, Zhao Nuanyue would receive a total of twenty-five yuan and ten industrial coupons this time.
When everyone heard that Zhao Nuanyue would be getting twenty-five yuan, they were all very envious, but no one was jealous. After all, it was Zhao Nuanyue who had taught them the skill, and it was she who had brought this path to prosperity to everyone.
However, everyone became even more thrilled when Miao Dahai called their names and they received their one-third share of the sales price from Dong Sanshu. Some people earned five yuan, while those who were fast-handed and made more could earn over ten yuan.
"The rest of the money will be kept in the accounts and distributed together with wages at the New Year," Miao Dahai said. "This is another source of income for our Nianqiao Village. If your skills are good, you can pass them on to the next generation. As we reap the benefits, we must not forget the idea and weaving methods contributed by Ms. Zhao Nuanyue. Now, everyone, please applaud and thank Ms. Zhao Nuanyue."
The moment Miao Dahai finished speaking, everyone burst into applause.
Zhao Nuanyue stood up, bowed to everyone, and clasped her hands together, saying, "You’re all too kind. Although I’m not originally from Nianqiao Village, I have received a lot of help from everyone. I only hope that through my own efforts, I can help the elders and fellow villagers who have helped me live a better life. As long as you’re willing to learn and willing to work, everyone’s lives will get better and better."
After Zhao Nuanyue said this, she was met with even more applause.
Liu Lanhua and Wang Cuihua, who had originally wanted to retaliate against Zhao Nuanyue, had no choice but to once again behave with their tails between their legs.
For one, they couldn’t find an opportunity to act against Zhao Nuanyue. For another, if the villagers discovered them trying to harm Zhao Nuanyue, they probably wouldn’t be able to stay in Nianqiao Village any longer.
However, their hatred for Zhao Nuanyue would not fade with time. Since they couldn’t deal with Zhao Nuanyue, they would look for an opportunity to go after Zhao Nuan Yang and that chubby little baby girl.
In the past, during the slack farming season, everyone would gossip about this family and that, which often led to many quarrels and family conflicts. But this year, everyone was busy earning money. Only when summer arrived, and the willow branches were no longer suitable for weaving, did they stop.