Chapter 31 - New Farmhand
Yao Daocheng pulled his son over and said with a smile, "The child is fifteen this year, named Yao Kang, and he should be about the same age as Young Master Meng, right?"
He pushed the boy again, "Come on! Kang'er, thank Young Master Meng!"
The boy was dressed in rags, probably because of his inferiority complex as a peer, and he didn't dare to look up at him. He just whispered, "Thank you!"
It turned out to be a younger brother, who looked like he couldn't even get enough food, but he was taller than him. He was so angry when he compared himself with others.
"You're welcome." Meng Xiaoxi smiled, "I'm eighteen this year, and we're all farmers. Uncle Yao doesn't need to call me Young Master. My name is Meng Xiaoxi, just call me Xiaoxi. Come in and sit down!"
"Oh, good, good! This yard is really big!" Yao Daocheng sighed.
Shen Qingzhou came out of the backyard and saw a boy of the same age following Meng Xiaoxi and walking into the house. He immediately felt an alarm in his heart, and then he saw that the car repairman was also there, and he felt relieved.
Meng Xiaoxi looked up and saw him, and hurriedly introduced him: "Come on! Brother Shen! Uncle Yao from that day came to pay back the money. This is his son Yao Kang, and his illness has recovered."
He turned around and said to the two of them: "This is Brother Shen. He and I are considered family."
He smiled embarrassedly again, "More than family."
Shen Qingzhou glanced at him meaningfully and nodded at them: "Come in and sit down!"
"Oh! Good."
Although Yao Daocheng didn't understand the relationship between the two, he could see that this man was not a simple farmhand, but should be considered the head of the family.
Shen Qingzhou's aura was so strong that the two of them felt a little awkward. Yao Kang secretly glanced at him with some envy in his eyes.
After sitting down, Meng Xiaoxi pushed the fried rice candy towards them: "This is freshly made, have some!"
The air was filled with a strong sweet fragrance. Yao Daocheng waved his hand and said: "No, no! We came here after we had eaten."
Although the smell made people drool, Yao Kang pursed his lips and shook his head.
Meng Xiaoxi smiled faintly and did not force them.
Yao Daocheng took out the money and handed it to him: "My child has been sick recently. I dare not leave for too long and have not found a job. Moreover, many wages are not paid immediately. I will pay back the few dozen coins I spent later."
The remaining money is all here, and he can't even make up for a few dozen coins. It seems that his family is now penniless.
Meng Xiaoxi hesitated and said, "It's a period of famine now, and the wheat is not ripe yet. Why don't you save some for the flowers? Everyone has hard times."
He had experienced the feeling of poverty and distress. At the Mid-Autumn Festival last year, he was also troubled by a few hundred coins.
"No, no! Thank you for your kindness, Master Meng." Yao Daocheng still didn't change his words, "We both have hands and feet, as long as we can find work, we won't starve."
Meng Xiaoxi remembered the carpenter's words and asked him unintentionally, "Has Uncle Yao always lived in Qinghe Village? Or did you move there later?"
"No." Yao Daocheng smiled bitterly, "We were originally from Linzhou and lived near the lower reaches of the river. Last year, our hometown suffered a flood and we had no harvest. Even the houses were washed down, and many people were buried in the flood. Floods happen every year, and this time it was particularly serious. The villagers walked out in groups of three or two to find another way out. We got separated from the villagers and came to Qinghe Town more than a month ago."
”I see! Then you don't even have a field, where do you live in Qinghe Village?"
"I live in a small house in the woods north of the village. I heard that it was built by the forest ranger in the past, but it is now deserted."
Just like Brother Shen settled in the dilapidated temple.
"I see Uncle Yao is skilled in craftsmanship, can't he find a suitable job in town?" Meng Xiaoxi asked him again.
"Alas!" Yao Daocheng sighed, "I know a little about carpentry, but the tools I brought were sold one after another on the road to exchange for money to buy food. I can't get work without things. There are few mountains and forests here, and there is no place to process wood in town. I can only do odd jobs, which are not available every day."
Meng Xiaoxi's expression moved, and he continued to ask: "I wonder if Uncle Yao can do farm work?"
Shen Qingzhou heard his intention, and the two of them exchanged glances, tacitly understanding each other.
Is he going to introduce him to a job?
Yao Daocheng nodded quickly and said, "Yes, yes! My family also planted a few acres of land before, but because the land was low-lying, the harvest was not very good. I can do any work."
He asked again in confusion, "It's not the busy summer season yet. Is there anyone looking for a temporary worker?"
“It's not short-term labor, it's long-term labor, but--” Meng Xiaoxi looked at the young man next to him, "Yao Kang isn't too young, so if he has plans to start a family in a few years, we can only sign on for a couple of years. “I don't know what to do,” she said.
This is relatively true.
"It's not important whether you start a family or not."
After all, the problem of food and clothing has not been solved, but he said "we"?
"Yes, your family?" Yao Daocheng had a vague guess.
"Well, my family has nearly 100 acres of land, and my elder brother Shen and I are a little too busy, so we plan to find one or two more people to help. The wages will be calculated based on the current wages. I wonder if Uncle Yao is willing to come?"
If it were another family, Yao Daocheng might still hesitate. After all, he is not alone, and he has a half-grown son. The son seems to be honest and silent, but in fact he is a little stubborn. He is afraid of causing any unpleasantness with the host family.
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