The Farm Girl and the Executioner (Rebirth) 55

Chapter 55: Finding Workers

That night, while they were sleeping.

Jiang Huaizhen, aware of her identity as an executioner, had intentionally avoided sleeping with the little girl, fearing her baleful aura would affect her. But Ping’er, having just arrived in a new place, was particularly resistant to strangers, especially since her own grandmother had the face of a villain.

Seeing Ping’er clinging to Lin Shuang, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Lin Shuang didn’t mind. As long as she could be in the same bed with Jiang Huaizhen, having an extra child wasn’t a big problem.

Jiang Huaizhen said, “Let her sleep on the inside. You sleep in the middle.”

Lin Shuang couldn’t have been happier and placed Ping’er on the inside.

The bed was of a standard size, just right for two people. With one more person, it was a little crowded, but fortunately, Ping’er was just a small child.

But no matter how small, she still took up space.

Lin Shuang pressed against Jiang Huaizhen, feeling her soft body. Thinking of the words on the household register she had seen during the day, her mood was clearly not as calm as before.

No matter whether Jiang Huaizhen had feelings for her or not, or whether she cared about this matter, in the end, she had still preserved this nominal status between them.

She lay flat between the two of them and asked the little girl beside her in a low voice, “Ping’er, do you know what big sister does?”

Ping’er replied, “I know. Big sister chops off the heads of bad people.”

“Then are you afraid?”

Ping’er had been a little afraid at first, but thinking of what Aunt Shuang had said during the day, that big sister was the person Auntie liked, she replied, “I’m not afraid.”

Lin Shuang said, “Yes, big sister is the best person in the world. Not only did she cure Grandma’s illness, but she also saved Aunt Shuang, and now she’s saved Ping’er. Our family was pieced together by big sister, bit by bit.”

Jiang Huaizhen lay there stiffly, Lin Shuang’s gentle voice flowing into her ears.

She wanted to say that she was not as good as she had said.

But in the end, she did not interrupt the conversation between the big and the small and just lay there quietly.

She let her thoughts wander.

Could a person fall in love with many people in a lifetime?

Of the two people in love, how many could be faithful to the end?

Or was there no such thing as a faithful person in this world?

No one would always like an old piece of clothing. No one would love a boring person for years, no matter how amazing they were at the beginning.

What were her biological parents like in the beginning? Were they also in love with each other, with a deep trust in each other?

But later, what had changed in their hearts that had made her father despise her mother and bring his lover back to flirt in front of her?

And what kind of mood was her mother in when she had hacked the person she had loved to the bone to death?

In her chaotic thoughts, a soft voice came from the side, “Huaizhen, my back is itchy…”

Jiang Huaizhen was pulled from her thoughts and asked softly, “Where is it itchy?”

“My back, above my shoulder blades,” Lin Shuang turned her back to her.

Hearing this, Jiang Huaizhen turned on her side, reached out, found the spot, and scratched her through her clothes.

But she didn’t scratch the right spot. Lin Shuang said with dissatisfaction, “Put your hand inside and scratch. It’s so uncomfortable to scratch through the clothes like this.”

Her slightly coquettish voice entered her ears. Jiang Huaizhen’s fingers curled slightly before she lifted the back of her clothes and reached in.

The moment her rough fingertips touched the delicate skin of her back, her fingertips paused. After a long moment, she pressed down.

After scratching for a while, she asked, “Is it still itchy?”

Lin Shuang was comfortable from her scratching and didn’t want her to take her hand away. But she had been scratching for a long time, so she said reluctantly, “It’s not itchy anymore.”

Jiang Huaizhen withdrew her hand and gently pulled her clothes back down.

But as her hand was withdrawn under the quilt, as if possessed, her thumb and forefinger gently rubbed together, feeling the delicate and warm touch on her fingertips just now.

…

Lin Shuang took Ping’er out early the next morning. Her first stop was Zhang Mainiang’s house.

Zhang Mainiang’s husband had a younger brother, but the two families had separated and lived in different places, not very close.

When Lin Shuang arrived, Dahua and Xiaohua were squatting at the door, playing.

The house was dilapidated and could only be described as having four bare walls.

Seeing the two girls of similar age, Ping’er let go of Lin Shuang’s hand, ran over, and squatted down beside them.

Xiaohua giggled at her.

Dahua, being a little older, remembered that Lin Shuang had given them food before. She stood up and asked, “Aunt Shuang, are you looking for my brother?”

Lin Shuang smiled. “I’m looking for your mother. Is she at home?”

Caitou, who was in the house, heard the voice and ran out.

Lin Shuang looked at the soot on his face. He must have been cooking.

“What do you want with my mother?”

It had to be said that this little boy didn’t seem very easy to get along with. They had met several times, but his eyes were still filled with caution.

“I have some adult business to discuss.”

Hearing this, Caitou walked to the edge of the drying yard, cupped his hands, and shouted at the top of his lungs toward the fields, “Mother—a guest is here. Come home quickly—”

After shouting twice, Zhang Mainiang’s faint reply came from the other side.

Before long, the petite woman appeared at the end of the small path with a basket on her back. When she got closer to the door and saw Lin Shuang, she was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “Why is Shuang’er here?”

She was petite but not bad-looking, just very thin.

Lin Shuang called out “Sister Mai” and handed her the flatbreads she had brought. “Here, I just made these this morning.”

Ever since Old Woman Hao had used Ping’er’s matter to frame them, she had not dared to give food to the children in private. Now, she only dared to do so in front of an adult.

Zhang Mainiang swallowed and took them with some embarrassment. “You’ve spent money again.”

Seeing the flatbreads, Dahua and Xiaohua stood up in unison, their eyes fixed on their mother’s hand.

Zhang Mainiang gave each of the sisters a piece, then called Caitou over and gave him a piece as well.

Caitou wiped his hands on his clothes, took it, and eagerly stuffed it into his mouth.

Zhang Mainiang also handed a piece to Ping’er, but Ping’er shook her head.

“She’s already eaten at home,” Lin Shuang said.

“It’s really her good fortune to be with you.”

Lin Shuang smiled. “Huaizhen is soft-hearted and can’t bear to see little girls suffer.”

Zhang Mainiang had two little daughters herself, and hearing this, she couldn’t help but sigh. “Little Jiang looks cold, but she has a warm heart. Thanks to her back then, otherwise you wouldn’t have had it easy either.”

Lin Shuang agreed with this. In this life and the last, it was all thanks to Jiang Huaizhen.

“Thank you and Caitou for speaking up for us yesterday.”

Zhang Mainiang shook her head. “It was just the truth. We can’t eat your things and then frame you.”

“If only everyone thought like you,” Lin Shuang blinked, then got back to the point. She took out the small clay figurine she had brought and explained her purpose.

As soon as the small clay figurine appeared, the two little girls, Dahua and Xiaohua, stared at it.

Lin Shuang’s eyes curved into a smile. Which little girl in the world could resist the charm of mohele? And because of this, she had more confidence in this business.

Zhang Mainiang looked at the figurine in her hand, and the small clothes and accessories on it, afraid that she had misheard, and asked again.

“You mean, you want me to embroider clothes and accessories for these little dolls?”

“Yes. I’ll provide the materials. The tops, pants, and shoes, as well as the whole set of skirts, each have a price. The simpler single pieces are two, three, or five copper coins, and a whole set can be around twenty coins.”

Zhang Mainiang was a little incredulous. “Just these few small clothes, and I don’t have to provide the cloth, and I can earn three or five copper coins for making them? I can make several in one day.”

Lin Shuang said, “If you’re not at ease, we can settle the payment for each set as you finish it. Even if I’m lying, I can only lie to you for a day or two.”

Zhang Mainiang smiled awkwardly. “That’s not necessary. I’m not afraid that you’re lying. I just feel that this money is too easy to earn.”

Lin Shuang smiled. “Huaizhen just happened to meet a big client in the city, and that client is in a hurry to order a batch of these exquisite little clothes these few months. But the villagers have always avoided her like the plague. We originally wanted to just give it to an embroidery workshop, but then we thought, since there’s such an opportunity to earn money, why should we let outsiders benefit? There are still some villagers who don’t mind us.”

Zhang Mainiang suppressed her excitement.

Besides working in the fields to support her family, she had no other income. During the new year, she didn’t even have the money to buy a catty of meat for her children to enjoy. It was her younger brother-in-law’s family who had sent some grain to help them get through the winter. This one small piece of clothing could earn five copper coins. If she made two, she could buy a catty of meat. Where could she find such a good thing?

“How can we mind Little Jiang? She took that job back then to earn money to treat her grandmother. Our Caitou admires her very much and even talks about wanting to touch her ghost-head saber one day.”

Caitou, who was listening on the side, nodded his little head like a rattle-drum.

Seeing that they didn’t mind Jiang Huaizhen’s identity as an executioner, Lin Shuang was also happy.

“I knew you would think so, sister. That’s why she brought back this job, and I came to you first before I looked for anyone else.”

Zhang Mainiang was instantly moved. “Girl, you’re so considerate of my hardship.”

Lin Shuang smiled. “Then it’s settled. When I’ve chosen a few more people, I’ll go and buy the needles, thread, and cloth in a couple of days, and then I’ll teach everyone how to do it.”

Zhang Mainiang quickly said, “Shuang’er, since you’re still short on manpower, my younger brother-in-law’s family, Qiao’er’s mother, her embroidery is also not bad. Can she also do it?”

“Why not? Then you can help me tell her.”

“Alright. I’ll go and tell her later,” Zhang Mainiang readily agreed.

Seeing that she had finished her instructions, Lin Shuang took Ping’er’s hand and took her leave.

Watching the large and small figures disappear into the distance, Zhang Mainiang suppressed her excitement and said to Caitou, “Aunt Shuang and Aunt Little Jiang are both good people. If anyone in the village says anything bad about them in the future, if we can speak up for them, we should. It’s not in vain that they think of us when there’s something good.”

Although her son was young, he had a fierce personality. After her husband’s death, some bachelors from the village would occasionally come to the end of the village. As soon as he saw someone approach, he would take a stick and bang on a pot lid, making a loud noise, which would attract the attention of the few households at the end of the village.

Seeing this, those rascals would run away in fear.

Later, as soon as the pot lid sounded, the surrounding area would know that someone with bad intentions had come. A few of the neighbors also saw Zhang Mainiang’s attitude, and the old women and young wives would all run out to help curse. Over time, no one dared to come to the end of the village anymore.

Not only that, but this child also protected his two younger sisters. No matter if they knew them or not, as soon as they got close, he would be extremely vigilant, afraid that someone would kidnap his two younger sisters and sell them.

Some people in the village would point and gossip behind his back, saying that this child had a fierce personality and couldn’t take any losses. At such a young age, he was like a mad dog, biting people randomly.

Because of this, she could understand Jiang Huaizhen’s situation to some extent.

Hearing his mother’s instructions, Caitou quickly nodded.

“Mother has a job now and can earn a lot of money. I’ll buy you meat to eat then,” Zhang Mainiang said with a smile.

Hearing that there was meat to eat, the three children instantly cheered, chirping like a flock of birds.

After leaving Zhang Mainiang’s house, Lin Shuang returned to the West Mountain Valley, then pulled Jiang Huaizhen to the village chief’s house.

She planned to find a dozen or so women who were skilled in embroidery to do this work together.

She also needed to find a few who were skilled in carpentry to make some gift boxes.

In her past life, some of the merchants who had sold mohele well had put the small dolls in exquisite gift boxes with a few sets of clothes and accessories, and the price had increased by dozens of times.

Jiang Huaizhen was not good at talking, so Lin Shuang had her just show her face, and she would do the rest of the talking.

The last time they had come to pay back the money, Matron Yan’s attitude had indeed made Lin Shuang a little unhappy. But the day before yesterday, when Old Woman Hao had come to cause trouble, she had not taken the opportunity to kick them when they were down, which had at least earned back some of her goodwill.

And her granddaughter, Dongzhi, was a good girl.

On top of that, her husband was the village chief. If Lin Shuang and the others wanted to find people to work with, they couldn’t bypass him.

Hearing Lin Shuang’s words, the village chief looked at Jiang Huaizhen. “Is this true? One set of clothes and accessories for twenty copper coins?”

Seeing Jiang Huaizhen nod, he stroked his beard and smiled. “How can there be no one? I’m afraid people will be fighting to do it.”

Lin Shuang said, “That’s not necessarily true. People dislike us.”

Matron Yan, who was next to them, heard this, her face flushed red, but she was reluctant to leave and pricked up her ears to listen to them talk.

The village chief waved his hand. “Who can have a problem with money? If the outsiders are unwilling, can’t we, the old Jiang family, find a dozen or so who are good at embroidery?”

He could see that Jiang Huaizhen was a capable person. Since a good thing had come to their door, why should they be taboo? He even used the words “our old Jiang family.”

“I went to Caitou’s mother’s place this morning. She’s already taken two spots,” Lin Shuang said.

“Then how many more do you need?”

“Ten,” Lin Shuang said.

The village chief calculated. “It’s not past the busy farming season yet. When it’s busy, one set a day is the most they can do. When it’s not busy, two sets a day. This wage is much better than finding work in the city.”

“You can’t even find work in the city now. You have the strength, but nowhere to use it.” With that, he slapped the table. “Don’t worry. I’ll find you ten people later.”

Lin Shuang nodded. “Thank you, Seventh Grand-uncle. But we’re not looking for anyone from Old Woman Hao’s and Lin Mancang’s families, so we don’t cause any arguments and get bitten in return.”

The village chief said, “I know that.”

The news that Lin Shuang was looking for people to make small clothes and accessories quickly spread throughout Whitewater Village. The villagers were all gossiping, and the village chief had chosen ten people the next day, two of whom were his own daughters-in-law.

Matron Yan also wanted to do it with them but was scolded.

“Last time, when she was borrowing money, you were gossiping, and she heard you, and you’re still not ashamed. Now that you see there’s money to be earned, you’re sticking to her. What do people think? Besides, our family has already taken two spots. With you, there will be no spots for others who want to do it. Who knows what they’ll say about me as the village chief behind my back.”

She had no choice but to pout unhappily and went back to her room in a huff.

Dongzhi was overjoyed and told everyone that her Sister Huaizhen was amazing, that she had gotten a job from outside for the village to do.

The children of the few families who had gotten the job were also beaming with joy and ran around with her. Those who hadn’t gotten it were sarcastic, saying that they had received the executioner’s favor and would definitely be unlucky with her in the future.

Dongzhi was not convinced and beat up the children of those few families. The whole village was in an uproar.