HLnovel Chapter 42 Do you rent out your argumentative friends?
Chapter 42 Do you rent out your argumentative friends?
Zhao Lianhua said "Oh" and hurriedly walked outside.
Durian Spirit's assigned task by Zhao Taohua was to guard the house, while Menstrual Spirit was to embroider handkerchiefs at home.
I must say, since I started using silk and satin to embroider handkerchiefs, my menstrual cycle and mood have improved considerably.
Those coarse cloths used to be rough to the touch.
Zhao Taohua chose a piece of wasteland that no one else had chosen, and with her command, the argumentative trolls charged into the wasteland like a raging bull.
Miracles happen with great force; he uprooted all the thick vines and tangled roots.
After clearing away the weeds, he began to turn the soil.
Every swing of his hoe kicked up large swaths of dirt, the force of which shook the ground.
Even when faced with hard, large rocks, the argumentative person never backs down.
He grabbed it with both hands and shouted, uprooting the man-sized rock and throwing it far away.
Zhao Taohua, Qian Shi, and Zhao Ershu broke up the clods of earth that the nitpicker had stirred up, leveled the soil, dug furrows, sowed seeds, and finally covered it with soil.
In one day, the three men and the eccentric had finished all the work on ten acres of land, leaving the villagers who were also clearing the land in astonishment.
"Sigh, I really envy Peach Blossom's family for having such a spirit, it's even more useful than an ox."
"Who can argue with that? Ten acres of wasteland, overgrown with thorns and jagged rocks, were quickly and neatly cultivated by the nitpickers."
Just as Zhao Taohua's family finished packing up their farm tools and were preparing to go home, Grandma Feng called out to Zhao Taohua:
"Peach Blossom, do you rent out this argumentative person from your place?"
Zhao Taohua was taken aback when a money-making idea she had never considered before popped into her mind.
Even the argumentative person was stunned when they heard what Grandma Feng said.
rent?
What does he think?
He listens to the Little Celestial Master because she is very capable. Why should he listen to an old woman like her?
The next moment, he heard Zhao Taohua respond loudly:
"Rent it out? Of course I'll rent it out!"
Her voice was filled with barely suppressed joy and excitement, and the smile on her face was like a profusion of flowers blooming in spring.
She grabbed the trouser leg of the argumentative person next to her and said to Grandma Feng:
"Grandma Feng, my family's 'nitpicker' charges one hundred coins for cultivating one acre of land, and it's guaranteed to be exactly the same as the land we cultivate!"
A hundred coins isn't a lot, but it's not a small amount either. However, if you spend the money, won't you suffer less?
Grandma Feng said happily, "Then I'll make it a deal. Tomorrow morning, you'll help my family cultivate one acre of wasteland, no... four acres!"
As she spoke, Grandma Feng counted out three hundred coins from her bosom and gave them to Zhao Taohua.
The village chief said that planting one mu of perilla and motherwort can earn at least two and a half ounces. If that's the case, why not earn more?
When the other villagers heard that Zhao Taohua's family rented out their argumentative talents, they all started to get interested as well.
Zhao Taohua never expected that the troll's strength could not only be used to do chores for her family, but also to be rented out to help her earn money.
She raised her voice to reassure the villagers: "Don't rush, everyone, take turns!"
The pedantic man accepted all comers from Zhao Taohua, stuffing hundreds or even three hundred coins into his pocket.
Does this mean she's agreed to everything?
The nitpicker quickly calculated how many acres Zhao Taohua had agreed to, and when he came up with the number thirty acres, he clenched his fists but hesitated to lash out.
When another villager was about to give Zhao Taohua money, the troll couldn't take it anymore.
However, at this moment, Zhao Taohua refused to accept it.
She said to the villager, "My family can only clear 15 mu of land at most in a day. Your family of four can clear the land in one day or two and finish it by yourselves."
"I don't want to waste that money hiring my argumentative jerk again."
When the nitpicker heard Zhao Taohua defend him and refuse others on his behalf, he felt a slight jolt in his heart.
It was somewhat unexpected, and also strangely comfortable.
He unconsciously loosened his clenched fist and felt that this little Taoist priest was not as annoying as he usually was; in fact, he seemed much more pleasing to the eye now.
He thought to himself that although this little Taoist priest exploited him like a skinflint, he was still somewhat honest.
Upon hearing Zhao Taohua's words, the villager said, "We can clear that acre of land ourselves. I want to plant another acre, and I'll leave that acre of wasteland to your argumentative family to clear."
"So that's how it is," Zhao Taohua said, and accepted his one hundred coins.
The other villagers were the same; they were all willing to wait two days for Zhao Taohua's argumentative family.
And so, Zhao Taohua took on another fifteen mu of land.
Seeing how seriously she was talking to the villagers, the nitpicker wasn't as angry as before and just let her be.
Zhao Taohua walked home happily, never expecting to earn four and a half taels of silver in the village.
She walked ahead, the sunset glow like brocade, gently draping over her and outlining a faint golden halo around her.
She suddenly turned her head, her eyes reflecting the dazzling sunset, and said to the troll with a smile:
"You nitpicker, you did a great job today. Tomorrow, you need to do a good job helping the villagers reclaim the wasteland. Don't let me down, understand?"
The troll remained silent.
But under the glow of the sunset, his dark face appeared somewhat reddish-black.
When the three of them got home, they dusted themselves off, washed their hands, and started making dinner.
The three of them worked together, and soon the stir-fried green beans, fried eggs, and vegetable soup were ready.
Zhao Taohua could accept milder dishes, but eating cornmeal every meal was unbearable. The rough texture of the cornmeal made it difficult for her to swallow, and every bite was torture.
In the past, we had debts and needed to save money to build a new house, so we had to force ourselves to eat. But now there's no need to force ourselves to eat when we don't have to.
The purpose of making money is to live a better life.
"Mom and Dad, our family's life is getting better now, so we don't need to buy cornmeal anymore, we can eat rice instead."
Zhao Taohua suggested.
"But rice is more than twice as expensive as corn grits."
Qian was used to being frugal, especially after she and Zhao Ershu separated from the old Zhao family house. She wished she could split a large sum of money in half to spend.
"Mother, a pound of rice is only worth ten coins, but this evening the pedantic fellow earned us four ounces and five hundred coins."
There's also a woman named Menstrual Spirit who can embroider forty-eight handkerchiefs every day.
She used to sell her coarse cloth handkerchiefs for ten coins each; now, she uses silk and satin—how much would she sell them for?
After Zhao Taohua finished speaking, Zhao Ershu immediately chimed in:
“Peach Blossom is right, Red Swallow, I’ll go to town to buy rice tomorrow.”
He's been eating corn grits for over thirty years, and he's had enough of it.
Last Mid-Autumn Festival, Peach Blossom bought two pounds of old rice. The aroma of that rice still lingers on the tip of my tongue, making me want to eat another bite!
Only then did Ms. Qian snap out of her past thoughts. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled:
“Our hard times are over. Now, not only can the spirits earn money for the family, but once the herbs on the ten acres of wasteland have grown, we can earn at least twenty-five taels.”
As she spoke, Qian's eyes were filled with hope.
“Mother, it’s already September and the weather is getting cooler. Why don’t you go and buy some cloth tomorrow to make a thick coat, and also buy some cotton to make a cotton-padded jacket?”
This time, Ms. Qian did not refuse; she readily agreed.
"Okay, Mom will go to the fabric shop tomorrow and pick out some fabrics."
Having a daughter who can earn money gives Ms. Qian a great sense of security.
Just as the family of three had finished discussing and washing up and going back to their rooms to sleep, a frantic scream suddenly came from the village!