The Princess of Northern Land

Chapter 144 - 144 144 Thinking About (1)_1

?Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Thinking About (1)_1 Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Thinking About (1)_1 “People should be content,” said a chosen worker, looking at the gloomy faces of those not picked. He shook his head, sighed, and walked away with a few others. They had to hurry back home to prepare their tools; their whole family needed to start working the next day in order to earn as much as they could this summer.

They didn’t have the luxury to meddle in others’ affairs.

“Why weren’t we picked?” the remaining people were taken aback. They didn’t say anything wrong, did they? If Lin Ziyin wasn’t satisfied with their wages, couldn’t they negotiate? How could they simply be rejected?

“What should we do now?” they asked each other, completely clueless.

“We can’t just let them disregard us,” Zhou Dasheng fumed. The Zhou family was accustomed to taking advantage of others, having routinely exploited the Lin family. Now that the Lin family had moved, why the cold shoulder?

“Disregard us? Who are you kidding?” some selected workers who were still around retorted, regarding Dasheng with scorn. “The money is owned by the Lin family. They can choose whom they want to employ. Even if you went to complain to the emperor himself, you wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.”

Having said that, they brushed off the disgruntled group and went their own ways.

“Summon Lin Changshu, give us an explanation!” a stout woman yelled defiantly at the entrance of the Lin’s residence.

Qian Xuan and his group watched all this with indignant hearts. Yu Shaohui and Kong Yier scoffed, strode over, and thrust their palms onto a large wooden beam. In an instant, the thick beam shattered to splinters, some of which flew and hit the people, causing them to cry out in pain.

“Are you not content with the wages? Then, find some wealthy employer in the market. As Mr. Lin said, if he can’t afford you, he definitely won’t hire you. As for those who want to stir up trouble, we’re not afraid. We have justice on our side, and the king of Feng City is known for his fair governance. If you get hurt while causing trouble here, we’re not afraid to argue our case at the government offices,” Qian Xuan taunted standing up.

The color drained from many faces in response to Shaohui and Yier’s display of force. Who would dare provoke them further?

Truthfully, these people were just interested in getting benefits. Deep down, they merely subscribed to a peasant-like mentality, often bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Therefore, the way Shaohui and his group handled the situation was spot-on, and the crowd dispersed almost instantaneously.

“If you refuse the toast, you must drink a forfeit,” Kong Yier laughed, watching the retreating figures with disdain.

“Enough, don’t stir up more trouble for the master,” Yu Shaohui said.

“Understood.” Yier nodded, grabbed a table and walked into the courtyard with Shaohui following behind.

Qian Xuan watched them go with a somber expression, then silently stepped into the courtyard.

The strenuous cultivation work started the next day.

“Ziyin, what should we do with the chopped reeds?” someone asked.

“Place them on the empty ground over there,” Lin Ziyin instructed, pointing in the distance.

“What about the reed roots?” weren’t a problem amongst the experienced farmers, even if the job was tough. What troubled them more were the reed roots in the ground.

This plant had developed roots, making it extremely tough to eradicate fully from the mud.

“You have to dig them out,” Lin Ziyin replied. “For those areas with reeds, you get an extra twenty copper coins per acre,” Ziyin announced.

“Great, we will make sure to completely remove the reed roots.” The promise of extra pay excited everyone.

Every family chosen for the job threw all they had into the effort. The adults chopped and flipped the soil, while older children and the elderly carried reeds and gathered roots. In this way, large families had the advantage, and by midday, many families were working efficiently and harmoniously together.