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“Let me assign tasks to each of you now.”

“Songnian, Zezhen, Wenlin, Lan’er, you’ll be working with me as my assistants.”

Xu Songnian was tasked with handling the accounts, involving cost and profit calculations, and wage distribution—essentially, he would occupy a pivotal role in financial matters.

Xu Zezhen would manage dispatching goods. The workshop shipped out many items daily, and physical tasks like these were better suited to men due to the requirement of strength.

Xu Wenlin was responsible for receiving goods. Raw materials were shipped in from various places, and Wenlin’s meticulousness, patience, and, most importantly, her strong judgment skills made her ideal for the job. During one training session on receiving goods, she identified a five-pound discrepancy in a shipment of twenty-some bags just by sight.

Thus, Wenlin was the perfect candidate for this role.

Chu Lan’er took on human resources. The workshop saw new arrivals and departures daily, though departures were fewer and arrivals more common. Managing shifts, leave requests, and other related tasks were quite complex.

“Dinggui, Yuncai, you two will learn procurement under Chu Haodong.” Chu Haodong had previously expressed a desire to have Sun Dinggui and Li Yuncai, both eloquent children, as his assistants.

“Xiaoqiu will work with Qingzhi.” Chu Qingzhi needed someone with culinary talent for product development, and Tian Xiaoqiu was exceptionally gifted in this area.

She had a unique talent: her palate was particularly sensitive, allowing her to detect the subtle components of food, a skill not everyone possessed.

She could also become a wine taster, a skill Chu Qingzhi planned to train her in separately.

Tian Xiaoqiu was overjoyed upon hearing her assignment. To her, working under the most respected individual in Chu Village meant a bright future was assured.

After half an hour, Shen Ruyue had clearly laid out everyone’s future responsibilities.

“Does anyone have any questions? If there’s anything unclear, ask now to avoid difficulties later.”

“We understand everything. There are no questions.”

“Good,” Shen Ruyue nodded. “There’s no work today, and you’ll have tomorrow off as well. The day after tomorrow, you’ll officially report to the workshop. For now, head home and stay safe on the way!”

With everything said, the children bowed gratefully to the four sisters before heading home.

The four women shared a smile, their efforts having paid off.

Xu Songnian and Xu Wenlin hurried home, excitedly announcing, “Mother, we’re back!”

Li Qingyin was working in the duck pen when she heard the children’s voices, puzzled by their early return, “I’m here.”

The children set down their things but took their gifts to Li Qingyin.

“Mother, we passed! We’re now part of Chu Trade. This is the gift Sister Qingzhi gave us; I want to give it to you,” Xu Songnian presented his gift.

“Mom, I passed too! I scored two hundred points. Impressive, right?”

“Stepmom, I passed as well. This is my gift for you, as a thank you for taking me in.”

“That’s wonderful. You’ve done so well.” Li Qingyin admired the three gifts before her, her heart swelling with pride but gently pushed the gifts back, “These are very precious to you; keep them for yourselves. I don’t need them.”

Xu Songnian insisted, “Mother…”

Li Qingyin patted her son’s back, noting how much he had grown over the years, “I’m happy knowing you feel this way. Keep the gifts for yourself.”

Xu Wenlin suggested, “Mother, if you won’t accept them, let’s open the gifts together at home.”

Li Qingyin agreed with a smile, “Alright.”

Once home, they gathered around the table with the exquisite gifts laid out, each child hesitant to unwrap theirs.

“Shall we open them together?” Xu Songnian suggested.

“Okay.”

They carefully removed the paper flowers, causing the wrapping paper to fall away, revealing the gifts inside.

Each received a circular box made of sturdy red paper. Opening the lid, they found a small circle in the center surrounded by four compartments, each filled with a different treat: gold ingot-shaped candies that closely resembled real gold ingots in size, color, and shape; small cakes, walnut crisps, pork jerky, and peanut candy—altogether weighing about two pounds.

“Wow, this gift is too exquisite!” exclaimed Xu Wenlin.

“So exquisite. I’ve never seen such a beautiful gift before,” Tian Xiaoqiu marveled, eyes wide with surprise, before noticing, “There’s writing on the lid.”

Xu Songnian and Xu Wenlin quickly examined their lids…

“My inscription reads, ‘A sharp sword is honed by grinding, and plum blossom’s fragrance comes from the bitter cold.’ What about yours?”

“Mine says, ‘Endless toiling will eventually reveal gold from the sand,”‘ Xu Wenlin shared.

“Mine is, ‘Thousands of hammerings remain unyielding, as does the enduring spirit amidst winds from all directions,”‘ Tian Xiaoqiu added.

Moved, Xu Songnian reflected, “These are words of encouragement. The sisters are truly kind to us.”

“I’ll definitely repay the kindness of the sisters in the future,” Tian Xiaoqiu vowed sincerely.

Xu Wenlin nodded, “Without Sister Qingzhi, who knows where our family would be.”

Li Qingyin emphasized, “Wenlin is right. Sister Qingzhi and her family have helped us immensely. You must remember their kindness for the rest of your lives.”

“We understand, Mother. Don’t worry,” Xu Songnian promised solemnly.

Li Qingyin affectionately touched her daughter’s head, “You were saved by Sister Qingzhi too. Without her, I might have lost you.”

“Right, Sister Qingzhi is also my lifesaver!” Xu Wenlin said with a smile.

Tian Xiaoqiu silently vowed to never forget the kindness of Chu Qingzhi’s family.

At this moment, similar scenes of warmth were unfolding in the homes of all the students, filled with joy and gratitude.

Chu Qingzhi, carrying the lease agreement, visited the village chief’s house. They had rented the ancestral hall for three months from the village chief, and it was time to hand it back.

Upon hearing Chu Qingzhi’s purpose, the village chief took the keys and then shared a thought, “Qingzhi, I have an idea I’d like to discuss with you, if you don’t mind?”

As Chu Qingzhi was now essentially the village chief’s superior, he spoke more politely than ever.

Chu Qingzhi nodded, “Please, go ahead.”

After a moment of hesitation, the village chief proposed, “What if you established a school within the fief? There are about a thousand children here who, if they could read and write a few characters by the time they grow up, would find it much easier to find work anywhere.”

“With more people earning, you could also collect more taxes, right?”

Chu Qingzhi considered the suggestion briefly. It seemed to be a win-win proposal, beneficial to both the community and herself. The idea of starting a technical school to cultivate the survival skills of the children began to take root in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more intrigued she became by the concept.