The usual drinking sessions were filled with laughter, but today as the wine cups were raised, a sense of unease settled. The village chief silently put his cup back down.
The meal wasn't a happy one; sighs filled the air. As the village chief left, he simply expressed his reluctance to part. After spending so much time together, everyone had developed feelings, and this sudden departure was truly hard to accept.
The next day.
Early in the morning, Liu Qinshi arrived with swollen eyes, clearly having cried. Coupled with a lack of rest, Zhao Jiaqi couldn't help but heave another sigh upon seeing her.
"Auntie, come inside to talk!"
They entered the house one after another. Fan Zehao, meanwhile, was outside chopping the remaining pork into small pieces, waiting for it to thaw before using it for cooking.
Inside the room, Zhao Jiaqi presented the results of her efforts over the past few days. She had drawn out every pattern she could think of, a whole stack of them, numbering at least a hundred.
She solemnly handed these over to Liu Qinshi: "Auntie, the fabric dolls from this workshop are not the priority. The key is these design drafts!"
"Without these, it will be very difficult for you to continue running this workshop in the future, so this top priority is entrusted to your safekeeping!"
Zhao Jiaqi handed her the drafts she held and repeatedly instructed: "No matter who asks for them, you must not give them away, unless... unless your life is in danger. This is the essence of this workshop. Once these designs are gone, and you can't come up with new ones, this workshop will truly face collapse!"
Liu Qinshi was not foolish. Hearing Zhao Jiaqi speak so earnestly, her heart began to pound.
"I understand. I will definitely keep them safe and promise not to tell anyone!"
When it came to making money, she was determined to keep her mouth shut, not even her own sons would stand in her way of becoming prosperous.
Handing this over, Zhao Jiaqi felt she had completed more than half of her mission. This village had many elderly, weak, sick, and disabled people, and it was very poor. Without any avenue for development, this place would soon disappear from the map of the inner city.
"Auntie, you can take out one of these design drafts every two months. Then, you can decide based on the sales of the fabric dolls outside, but don't deplete your resources. You should also actively seek out people who can design drafts, regardless of gender or age, as long as they have talent!"
Liu Qinshi knew these were Zhao Jiaqi's final instructions. She committed them firmly to memory and promised: "Don't worry, the shop we opened together, I will ensure it remains open. Our Nanlan Fabric Doll Shop will surely take root in the town, and perhaps even spread to every corner of the inner city!"
Zhao Jiaqi didn't dare to hope for that day. At least, she wanted the villagers to get rich first. Once the village developed, those who had left would return. Perhaps, by then, with more people and greater strength, miracles might even occur!
As the two were chatting, the village chief came running, saying that furniture had arrived from town and asking how Zhao Jiaqi wanted it arranged.
Zhao Jiaqi followed the village chief to the workshop.
Following her instructions, the furniture delivery men, along with the villagers, set up the tables and benches. The remaining women placed fabrics and needles and thread, with a basket every half a meter. The five-meter-long tables were pushed together; it was quite a sight to see people sitting on both sides.
With preparations underway, Wang Zhangshi and Meng Sunshi had also found enough women to start working. Everything was ready, only the wind was missing.
Zhao Jiaqi pulled the village chief to a secluded spot and whispered: "My husband has brought out the wild boar meat. Find some skilled people to come to my house and cook. Today, everyone in the village will share a meal, as a way of... celebrating the opening and bringing good luck!"
The village chief nodded, his expression not entirely pleasant, but he was helpless. When the heavens want to rain and a mother wants to marry off, these things cannot be interfered with by humans.
When the villagers learned that they would be eating at the hunter's house for lunch, and that there was more than half a pig, they were overjoyed. They eagerly grabbed their tools and went to help.
Bowls and chopsticks, tables and chairs, even iron pots and wooden basins were brought by people. There was no need for the village chief to say anything; the villagers were very proactive.
Cabbages were cheap these days, and every household grew them. Seeing that Fan Zehao's family didn't have many vegetables, each family brought one, forming a small mountain.
When it came to cooking skills, Zhao Jiaqi was indeed good, but today she had stepped aside. The village chief's wife personally took charge.
She also sent the village chief out to buy white flour from town to make braised pork with vermicelli, topped with flower rolls. The last time she ate this one-pot meal, it had satisfied her completely!
While the village chief had not yet returned with his purchases, Liu Qinshi began to teach everyone about the workshop.
"Our workshop will definitely expand in the future. Now, anyone in the household who can do needlework, please sign up. Those who have already signed up don't need to do so again!"
"I can do it too, though my skills aren't very good!"
"I can too. Sewing clothes, making clothes, anything like that is not a problem, but my embroidery is a bit lacking!"
"I can too. Although it's not as good as Granny Li's, it's at least presentable!"
Seeing everyone's enthusiastic participation, Zhao Jiaqi hid to the side and chuckled. If she wasn't mistaken, she even saw some men trying to sign up.
While the village chief's wife was painting a rosy picture, Zhao Jiaqi and Granny Li whispered to each other: "Your Aunt Liu, in the blink of an eye, has become the sole decision-maker of this workshop. Look at her smug expression; she truly has the makings of an official!"
Granny Li winked at Zhao Jiaqi.
"Master, my aunt speaks with great force, and she is also the village chief's wife. Her prestige in the village must be higher, so entrusting the workshop to her management is indeed acceptable!"
After speaking, she lowered her head and whispered into Granny Li's ear: "Don't underestimate the situation now. In less than a year, this village will surely be prosperous and populous. By then, I feel Auntie will be so busy she won't have time to rest!"
She felt that it was good now, but when more responsibilities arose, she would definitely not be so relaxed!
Granny Li smiled and waved at Zhao Jiaqi: "If that's the case, then she will be willing to do it!"
The two of them said no more, continuing to watch the men who bravely stepped forward to sign up. Zhao Jiaqi shook her head upon seeing this, truly worthy of being the village chief's wife; her way with words was indeed remarkable.
Lunch was prepared late and eaten late.
The sight of an entire village gathering for a meal like this had never happened in Nanlan Village before. Today was the first. The village chief, unable to prolong his speech, began.
First, he thanked the couple, Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Zehao, saying a great deal. Then, he spoke about the workshop, urging everyone to cooperate actively.
"Whether our village can become the wealthiest village in town in the future depends on everyone's unity and joint efforts. If you want to live a good life, let's unite as one and charge forward. If you don't want to eat meat every day, you can withdraw now, and I will not stop you!"
"However... if any of you betray us and leak our village's secret to becoming rich, causing our village to fail to make money, then I will never forgive you. The entire village will gang up on you. Those who want to develop in this direction, be warned!"