Back in the village, seeing the anxious faces of those who had been searching for her, Zhao Jiaqi felt rather embarrassed!
Upon noticing the white cloth wrapped around her head, they understood she had been injured. Liu Qinshi rushed faster than Li Pozi!
"Oh dear, how did this happen? You've even cut your head!"
Li Pozi approached and, seeing her still smiling, her heart finally stopped its frantic pounding. "Child, you're injured, how could you have run off by yourself? You worried us so much we almost dug up the whole village to find you!"
Zhao Jiaqi dared not speak the truth. She merely touched the cloth on her head and said with a smile, "I cut myself and didn't know if there was a doctor in the village. I was afraid of scaring you, so I went to town by myself. It's nothing serious, just need to drink some medicine!"
This explanation was plausible enough, and everyone stopped asking further questions, returning to their homes. On such a cold day, searching for someone hadn't made them feel cold, but rather had made them sweat from worry!
Returning to the house, Fan Zehao arranged for his wife before heading up the mountain to find the other group of people.
When the village chief learned that Madam Fan had gone to town for medical treatment, his legs suddenly gave out, and he slumped into a snowdrift.
"If a living person goes missing in the village, I..."
Fan Zehao felt a bit sorry for him, that at his age he should be so frightened. He picked him up, "How could a grown adult get lost? They aren't a three-year-old. Come on, let's go home for a drink!"
He also wanted a drink to calm his nerves.
On the way back, the village chief became a spectacle in the village. A man in his fifties, so frightened he couldn't walk, being carried back by someone!
For lunch, the three aunts and one master didn't let her lift a finger. Instead, they busied themselves in the kitchen, and a sumptuous meal was soon served.
They didn't eat at separate tables today, mainly because a significant matter was yet to be announced!
The dishes were laid out, and the wine was served. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Fan Zehao, their gazes full of smiles that could no longer be concealed.
Their mouths seemed to stretch all the way to their ears!
"I heard from my wife that you are planning to use the more than a hundred taels to rent shops and set up a factory. Then let's divide the remaining three thousand!"
As Fan Zehao spoke, everyone nodded enthusiastically, their eyes glued to the banknotes in his hand!
Without further ado, he took out thirty one-hundred-tael banknotes. He first handed six one-hundred-tael banknotes to his master, Granny Li. "For a day as a teacher, for a lifetime as a mother. In my heart, this money should go to you first!"
Li Pozi was so moved that she cried. With trembling hands, she took the banknotes. "I never expected that in my old age, I would still get such a good disciple. It was worth it!"
However, she didn't put the banknotes away but placed them on the dining table. Seeing her cry, the others comforted her.
Zhao Jiaqi understood her hardship and, with a smile, held her hand. Their hands clasped tightly under the table, and they exchanged a knowing glance, a smile conveying unspoken words!
Afterward, Fan Zehao, showing some cleverness, distributed the remaining banknotes evenly and handed them out.
Li Pozi, Zhao Jiaqi, Liu Qinshi, Wang Zhangshi, and Meng Sunshi each received six hundred taels. For the remaining one hundred and seventy taels, Fan Zehao gave his wife thirty taels as capital, and then pushed the last one hundred and forty taels to the village chief's wife.
"This is the remaining money. It's all yours. As for whether you rent shops or continue to use it as capital, that's up to you. Please take good care of it!"
Seeing the money, Liu Qinshi dared not accept it and quickly handed it back to Zhao Jiaqi. "Madam Fan, you should take this money. My memory is poor, unlike you, who are young, quick-witted, and have a good memory!"
Zhao Jiaqi looked at the small amount of money before her. Compared to the wealth she had created, it was merely a drop in the ocean.
"How about this? Village Chief, please work hard this afternoon and find a decent shop in town. The location should be good, and the annual rent should be within fifty taels. I'll draw up some designs this afternoon, and the aunts will need to find capable workers. Uncle Meng, Uncle Wang, and husband, you can look for empty houses in the village that are suitable to set up a simple workshop as soon as possible. With the end of the year approaching, we can try to earn some more money!"
Listening to Zhao Jiaqi's assignments, this was quite a significant undertaking.
The village chief pondered for a moment. "The year is almost over. Renting the shop first is the priority, and then we can renovate the workshop. We can discuss the rest after the New Year!"
"No!" Zhao Jiaqi refused without hesitation.
As they looked at her with puzzled expressions, she didn't offer much explanation. "This matter must be settled before the year ends. We'll probably have a few days off for the New Year, and we can still make a small profit around the fifteenth. Do you think this money is too hot to handle?"
The women heard her and agreed. Her words made sense. Although time was tight, hadn't they rushed through things before?
"Let's do as Madam Fan says!" Liu Qinshi pinched his leg under the table, cursing him internally for his loose tongue.
Fan Zehao noticed that his wife seemed a little off today. With the New Year only nine days away, it was a time to rest before the year ended. Everyone had earned some money and was likely looking forward to a good New Year.
He said, "The ground is frozen now. Even turning an empty house into a simple workshop would at most involve dismantling the kang [heated brick bed] inside and setting up a few large tables. If the windows or doors are broken, they can be repaired. As for building anything else, that's impossible unless it thaws."
Everyone in the countryside knew that houses weren't built during the frozen season, and Zhao Jiaqi was no exception.
"I'm not expecting to build a proper workshop. I just want everyone to have a place to work collectively. It shouldn't be cold inside, there should be hot water to drink, and the kitchen should be able to cook. When their conditions improve, we can plan the workshop then!"
Hearing this, Fan Zehao understood his wife's intention!
"Alright, I'll take care of this with the uncles. We'll definitely complete the task you've assigned by tomorrow afternoon!"
The couple, through their back-and-forth conversation, settled the matter so quickly that it left the village chief dumbfounded.
They ate and drank without delay. After eating, the village chief got up and drove his horse-drawn cart to town. Fan Zehao, along with Uncle Wang and Uncle Meng, began searching for suitable houses in the village.
He understood his wife's intentions: to connect a few houses, remove the courtyards, dismantle the kangs in each room, and set up a few long tables. Chairs would be placed on either side of the tables. It was simple; it just required more people to help with the dismantling.
After receiving the village chief's approval, they found several houses at the eastern end of the village. These houses were in good condition, the roofs didn't leak, the rooms were spacious, and the kitchens could be used for cooking after cleaning the yards.
Immediately, he asked Uncle Wang to gather some people, offering them twenty wen each for dismantling the kangs and walls.
For this kind of work, people were very willing to do it. Those who stayed home could earn twenty wen in half a day. Upon hearing the call, almost all the men in the village came.
There were some among them with less agile legs, but Fan Zehao didn't mind, adhering to the principle that many hands make light work, so they could finish and rest earlier!