GBP Chapter 145 is a load of rubbish; they're giving us too much face.
Chapter 145 is a load of rubbish; they're giving us too much face.
Aunt Zhou didn't know why Lin Chang'er wanted to bring these people over, but she knew that Lin Chang'er was now supporting not only the Gu family of nearly ten people, but also the coastal defense team, her own family, and several relatives who all depended on her for a living.
With so much work piled on her shoulders, Lin Chang'er almost wished she could be in two places at once, but unfortunately, she couldn't split herself into several parts, and she was almost flying with busy work.
So, as soon as Lin Chang'er gave the order, Aunt Zhou didn't ask a single question and immediately went to find the four most shrewish women in the village.
They are clearly Dong Guo Shi, Zhou Tai Po, Shi A Po, and Niu San Tai Po.
There was originally a member of the Lin clan who was even more capable than these people, but didn't the Lin family break off relations with Chang'er?
Lin Quede is still imprisoned in the county government office. As long as the court does not hold a hearing, the Lin family cannot even see him.
Also, fearing that more people would be lost, Old Master Lin suppressed the faction of Lin Quede and dared not cause trouble for Chang'er again.
Back then, the Lin clan members repeatedly threatened Chang'er, telling her not to seek help from her family if anything happened in the future.
If she were to approach Granny Lin now, the Lin clan might very well make fun of Chang'er.
Everyone knows that when Chang'er asks for help, she never just asks; she always pays real money. She wouldn't let the Lin family benefit from it.
Meanwhile, the four members of the Dongguo family, upon hearing that Lin Chang'er was looking for them, forgot all about their work at the stove. They quickly wiped their hands on their aprons and hurriedly followed Aunt Zhou to see Lin Chang'er, as if they were afraid that if they came, their work would be taken away from them.
When Aunt Zhou brought the people over, the Gu family was just having dinner.
Lin Chang'er then served several plates of food separately and invited the Dongguo family and other women to eat in the backyard.
They were served good rice and food, and the old women didn't feel neglected.
When Lin Chang'er finished eating and went over to talk, he was not only eating with his mouth full of oil, but he was also thinking about whether he could take some leftovers home for his little one.
Lin Chang'er had lived in this era for quite some time, so she naturally understood their little schemes. "I came back late today and suddenly thought of asking a few old ladies for help. It just so happens to be mealtime, so I don't know if these dishes will suit the tastes of the old ladies."
"Please make do with what you have to eat, ladies. I've already asked my mother and sister-in-law to make braised pork, it'll be ready in a bit..."
The elderly women were secretly delighted, but they still pretended to refuse.
Dongguo spoke first, "These are already very good, quickly tell your mother to stop."
Grandma Zhou also said, "Even during festivals, we might not get to eat this much good rice and vegetables. We're all full, so tell your mother and sister-in-law not to bother."
Grandma Niu Er and Grandma Shi nodded in agreement.
Lin Chang'er smiled and said, "It's alright if you're full. We can put it back in a big bowl later and eat it tomorrow."
The elderly women were overjoyed to hear this, but they still apologized verbally, though they couldn't hide the smiles on their faces.
Lin Chang'er stopped beating around the bush and said, "To be honest, I called you here because I need your help with something."
"Tell us what it is, and we'll definitely take care of it for you." Granny Zhou patted her chest. Although Zhou Hai had a disagreement with the elders of the other branches yesterday, he was still the village head, and Granny Zhou had the highest prestige among them.
The other elderly women nodded, indicating that they would do everything they could to help Lin Chang'er.
Lin Chang'er then sighed and recounted the tragic events that had befallen the fishing village in the south.
The old women turned pale with fright, as if they were about to be next.
Seeing this, Lin Chang'er continued, "Although it's a long journey across the sea, it won't happen to us tomorrow, but we still can't be careless, right?"
"If that day ever comes, the government troops will be too far away to help in the immediate crisis. Uncle Hai wants the men in the village to form their own coastal defense team first. Most families are not willing to do so. They have their reasons, and we won't say much."
"But, it was so hard to find some men who volunteered to train and protect our village. But what happened? The old ladies don't know that our threshing ground, which we only use a few days a year, was used by them for training. Those people actually refused and even pointed at them and laughed at them."
Lin Chang'er put on an indignant look, "Think about it, old ladies, who can say that just because we're poor, people won't rob us?"
"If that day ever comes, they will all be willing to risk their lives for us."
"To be honest, this really chills my heart."
Grandma Niu Er had a fiery temper. "They're all those short-sighted, black-hearted bastards. Chang'er, tell me what you think. Tomorrow morning, I'll bring a stool and sit at their doorstep, making sure they can't come out."
Grandma Shi chimed in, "I'll go with you."
Lin Chang'er waved her hand, "There's no need for that. It would be better to avoid them turning around and blaming the old ladies."
"Do you have any ideas?" Granny Zhou asked.
Lin Chang'er blinked. "I was just thinking that these elderly ladies are highly respected, could they step forward and say something, so that those people don't discourage our coastal defense team?"
"Don't talk nonsense, we're giving them face. Don't worry, Chang'er, starting tomorrow, I'll bring a bamboo chair to the threshing ground and see who dares to say a word against it..." Granny Zhou said confidently.
The other elderly women chimed in.
Seeing this, Lin Chang'er quickly thanked the old women and asked Sister-in-law Gu to stir-fry some seasonal delicacies, which the old women ate with great satisfaction.
Before leaving, they not only wrapped braised pork in oil paper for each person, but also half a pound of brown sugar and a pound of melon seeds.
Although they weren't given cash, the old women were a hundred times happier than if they had received cash; half a pound of brown sugar was worth a man's wages for a day.
There's also a bag of braised pork. Poor families only buy a little bit of melon seeds during the New Year; they don't usually buy them by the pound.
No wonder the men and women in the village are all willing to work for the Gu family; such a courteous employer is hard to find.
The elderly women took their things, said goodbye to Lin Chang'er, arranged a time in private, and happily went home.
That night, dozens of coastal defense team members went out for the first time to help Lin Chang'er go to the beach, and the pots were full of clams, duck eggs, crabs, fish and conch.
Lin Chang'er did not assign them any tasks, nor did she interfere with the methods they used. Some of them had experience on boats before, and they wove simple nets for fishing and shrimp, while others brought fishing rods for sea fishing.
Lin Chang'er led Gu Dasao and a few children to search for rare items and had a great harvest. They found a small bucket of sea urchins, enough to last until the end of the month, and a few small abalones. Eels and the like were commonplace.
Fortunately, when Lao Liang and his friends came to experience beachcombing before, they used the buckets once and didn't take them with them. They gave them all to the Gu family, otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to hold all the harvest from one night.
Lin Chang'er wasn't stingy, so she let each household take some home to eat.
However, with so many things, it took a lot of time to pack them up, and it wasn't until the moon was high in the sky that the packing was finally finished.
Small fish and shrimp are worthless, but even small fish can add up over time. However, if you're selling fresh seafood, these things might not be easy to sell.
Lin Chang'er lay in bed, half asleep, when suddenly she remembered something and woke up Gu's mother that very night to explain the matter...