"Haha, Young Master Gu, you actually noticed these things? I did see such phenomena before, but I was too embarrassed to say." Mei Xiang said a little awkwardly.
Gu Qingcheng smiled and said, "I'm not blaming you. The cafeteria didn't give you a proper position before. I felt like you hadn't found what you were good at yet. Isn't this an opportunity? You go manage the saplings, and Hehua goes to the cafeteria."
Gu Qingcheng reassigned the two of them to their new positions, making them both feel like they had struck gold. Helping Huang Wenming this time was really worth it. Getting close to Young Master Gu and letting him recognize them had unexpectedly led to promotions for both of them.
Gu Qingcheng said, "Mei Xiang, cultivate more fruit tree saplings. I want to plant the entire hillside with fruit trees in the future."
"No problem. My husband's family is in this business. I've seen the village planting rice, millet, and potatoes, but I haven't heard anything about planting fruit trees, so I didn't say anything."
"Ha, I thought there weren't any talented people in this area, so I wasn't in a hurry. It seems I haven't communicated enough with everyone."
Gu Qingcheng then said to Hehua, "From now on, change the hygiene habits of the people in the public cafeteria. Make them as clean as you are. Before cutting vegetables, they must wash their hands. After any unsanitary actions, they must wash their hands before touching food. By the way, it would be best if you could form a set of procedures for this. You can dictate them, and let Scholar Huang help you write them down. I'll revise them later, and this will be the operational procedure for cafeteria work from now on."
"Understood." Hehua, as a new official, was eager to make her mark. Hearing Gu Qingcheng's instructions, she immediately had a direction.
As they chatted, Gu Qingcheng brewed Qimen Black Tea for them. This tea was a top-grade leaf she had acquired in Jinsha City, with a delicious flavor. Although they weren't connoisseurs, everyone could still appreciate good tea. Mi Guo, meanwhile, was busy preparing the meal.
Mi Guo made a Squirrel Mandarin Fish, steamed a plate of shrimp, made fried oysters, stewed a sea cucumber and pork rib soup, and served red mushroom fried noodles as the staple. Since it was the first time having guests at home, Mi Guo decided to prepare a lavish meal. About an hour later, the food was ready. Mi Guo brought the dishes to the table and invited everyone to eat. Gu Qingcheng brought out the osmanthus wine for everyone to share.
They ate and chatted. Huang Ming took the opportunity to ask Mei Xiang and Hehua about the specific steps involved in arranging everything from engagement to marriage. The gathering concluded harmoniously, with everyone satisfied.
The next day, Hehua officially took office. However, to her surprise, her appointment as the leader of the public cafeteria caused discomfort among the other three assistants. They were all middle-aged women over 30. Previously, there was no specific leader. Mei Xiang, being more outgoing, would take the initiative to respond to matters, and over time, everyone had come to rely on her leadership. These three women had joined after Mei Xiang, so they had to defer to her. But now that Gu Qingcheng had officially appointed Hehua as the leader, some people were secretly displeased. They felt that Hehua, who had joined later and wasn't particularly outstanding, had become the leader. "Hmph, it must be because Hehua is particularly skilled at flattering Young Master Gu!" These people were secretly jealous and were reluctant to follow Hehua's instructions. Hehua began to experience these undercurrents of discontent after she started her new role.
Hehua announced that from now on, everyone in the cafeteria must wash their hands before cooking. Cutting boards for raw and cooked food must be separated. Upon entering the cafeteria, a cloth cap must be worn to cover all hair, preventing it from falling into the dishes. These rules made the women very unhappy. Ju Hong was particularly vocal. Seeing Hehua's meticulousness, she couldn't help but sneer, "Look at who it is! When she first arrived, her head was full of lice, and she could eat three bowls of rice. Now that she has a title, she's putting on airs?"
Hehua felt a surge of anger upon hearing her tone, but thinking of Gu Qingcheng's expectations, she suppressed her temper and said, "I am doing this for the good of the public cafeteria. If anyone is dissatisfied, that's their business. However, if anyone disobeys the rules, I will not hesitate to report them to Young Master Gu for punishment."
Ju Hong, hearing Hehua using the rules and Young Master Gu to suppress her, was speechless for a moment. She could only continue chopping the vegetables with a loud clanging sound.
That noon, the cafeteria was to host important guests from the public. Gu Qingcheng instructed Hehua to prepare several impressive dishes to entertain them. This guest was none other than Mr. Jiang. Mr. Jiang was once again leading a group of artisans up the mountain. Gu Qingcheng felt that he was working diligently. Knowing that he was heading up the mountain early in the morning, and arriving around lunchtime, she asked Hehua to prepare a few dishes to entertain Mr. Jiang.
Ever since Mr. Jiang brought people to Phoenix Village and reaped benefits, he had made it his hobby to scout for artisans everywhere. As long as he found suitable individuals and successfully sent them to Yunwu Mountain, he would receive a generous referral fee. Why wouldn't he? Moreover, after these artisans came to Phoenix Village, none of them complained when they returned home for holidays. On the contrary, they all praised Phoenix Village for being kind, paying wages on time, and providing meals far superior to what they had at home. Their accommodation was also good. Although it was a communal sleeping area, it was clean. In fact, some artisans even found their homes unsanitary after working in Phoenix Village, with fleas and lice crawling everywhere. They could clearly see lice on their children's heads, moving in and out of their hair. They would say that the women and children in Phoenix Village all wore clean clothes, had fresh hair, and not a single louse egg or live louse crawling on their heads. Even when they worked in Phoenix Village, they were required to use insect repellent. Having grown accustomed to being clean, they felt uncomfortable upon returning home to see their wives and children with lice-infested heads. Because of this, some artisans even considered moving their entire families to the mountain.
Besides the clean environment, high wages, and good food on the mountain, a free school was also about to be established. All eligible children would have to attend school. Not only would there be no tuition fees, but if the children attended school obediently, the public would also provide them with 5 catties of rice for free. With these artisans returning home and sharing their experiences, it became increasingly easy for Mr. Jiang to recruit artisans for the mountain. Some skilled artisans even approached Mr. Jiang, asking him to bring them up the mountain. To persuade Mr. Jiang to take them, they would even offer him additional benefits, allowing Mr. Jiang to profit from both sides. Gu Qingcheng, naturally, welcomed Mr. Jiang bringing skilled artisans to the mountain.
As the weather began to improve, Gu Qingcheng had planted a mulberry field on the mountain, awaiting the growth of mulberry leaves for silkworm cultivation and weaving. Additionally, she had found a lime mine about ten li away and required artisans to burn lime. Fish ponds had also been dug on the mountain, needing experienced fish farmers. Every part of Phoenix Village was in need of skilled individuals. These much-needed artisans enjoyed good salaries, with the highest earning up to three taels of silver a month, and the lowest earning over one tael. After the famine, the vast majority of villagers were very cautious. With the public providing grain, their basic needs for food and drink were met. They rarely spent money, so the silver they earned was almost entirely net savings.