Mr. Jing and His Little Husband

Chapter 61

Returning to the Village

“Big Brother Huang, let me explain in detail about this soap. The most ordinary and lowest grade one is this yellow piece I have in my hand, odorless, with strong cleaning capabilities. In addition, there’s this white one, with added goat milk, which enhances its color and fragrance. Long-term use can improve skin radiance and provide a whitening effect.”

Jing Yi then introduced different types of soap, such as honey soap, floral soap, fruit-scented soap, each with different effects.

The more Jing Yi talked, the brighter Huang’s brothers’ eyes became. They had a keen business sense and understood the tremendous opportunity in this.

At present, these are cleaning products, and the profits are substantial. If they turn this into beauty and skincare products, the profits will be immeasurable.

‘’Big Brother, Second Brother, there’s also a top-tier product, which is medicinal soap. Ginseng and lingzhi can be added. For the high-end market, it’s up to you. As a commoner, it’s difficult for me to compete at a higher level, and I understand that. As for the lower-end market...’’

He paused, then continued earnestly, ‘’I’m not a saint; I’m just an ordinary person. I hope our products can cater to all groups. We should produce affordable products so that ordinary people like me can also have the chance to use them.’’

This statement deeply moved the Huang Brothers. They changed their household registration in their teens, and they would carry the scorn and restrictions they faced before the change throughout their lives. So, when Jing Yi mentioned benefiting everyone, they felt it personally.

‘’Big Brother will do his best to help you,’’ Big Brother Huang promised solemnly.

‘’As for the way we cooperate, let’s consider me as the seller. We should keep a low profile. This is the safest approach for me at the moment,’’ Jing Yi explained to himself.

Oddly enough, this statement made Big Brother Huang look at him differently. This young man not only had a sharp mind and great ideas but also was truly clear-headed. He could see the situation clearly, understand himself, and think about the future.

‘’By the way, Big Brother, I do have one condition. You will definitely set up a factory for making soap in the future, right? Can you raise the Huang family banner and set up a branch in the village? Don’t worry; I only want affordable products. The product delivery will be handled by connecting with the Huang family. As for security, I will ensure that too. Or you can send someone to supervise; that would be even better.’’

Jing Yi didn’t forget to seek benefits for the villagers.

The men in the family were too busy with farm work, but the women, children, and young folks could come to work. It was an additional source of income.

As for whether the Huang family would send someone to supervise, Jing Yi didn’t mind. In fact, he hoped for it. He had nothing to hide, and if the Huang family sent someone, he could save the cost of hiring patrols.@@@@

‘’I will present your request to them as well. Young man, I admire you!’’ Big Brother Huang stood up and gave Jing Yi a sincere bow.

Second Brother Huang did the same. They had not made a mistake with this brother.

One donkey cart was used to transport and assist two carters to the stable to unload the cart, letting the horses and donkeys relax. Afterward, they paid the four carters and sent them away.

All the people gathered in the front yard, with the Jing family members sitting inside the east side main house, and the front door was left open for convenience in listening.

Jing Yi stood on the steps in front of the jasmine gate, making arrangements for the people. “You will live in this courtyard from now on. There are five back rooms, which can be allocated two by two.” Jing Yi said while calling Jing An out, using paper and pen to record each person’s information and work arrangements.

“Now, everyone please report your names. If you don’t want to use your original name, you can follow my family’s surname, Jing. But I won’t force you, and if you’re willing to use your own name, it would save me the trouble of coming up with new ones.”

Jing Yi was straightforward; he was not good at coming up with names. Then, two young male cousins stepped forward. They were honest and felt that by following the main family, they should take on the family name. They changed their surname but kept their original first names, called Jing Renyi and Jing Renhe. The elder brother was twenty years old, and the younger one was nineteen.

Then there was a middle-aged man who knew some carpentry work and changed his name since his whole family had passed away, and there was no meaning in keeping his old name. Jing Yi gave him the name Jing Ming, hoping for a brighter future for him. He was only thirty-eight years old and still young by modern standards, so he could completely start a new life.

Next were the women who had been sold by her family and the ger sold by their previous owners. They didn’t want to keep their original names. Jing Yi didn’t have any particular preference for names for the opposite sex, so in the end, it was Chuxia who came up with the names Jing Dan and Jing Cui. They were called Aunt Dan and Aunt Cui in their daily lives.

Hearing these two names, Jing Yi’s mouth twitched, but he managed to control his expression when Chuxia looked back. That was close. The two of them were thirty-six and thirty-three. Ancient people looked older, and because they had suffered so much while on the run, Jing Yi had thought they were in their forties, nearly fifty.

For the others who didn’t change their names, Jing Yi expressed his relief, “That’s great, you saved my brain cells.”

Among the remaining people, there was a man named Qiao Maisheng who knew how to read and write. This year he was also thirty-eight. His appearance indicated that he had lived well before.

After gathering detailed information, the next step was to arrange their work. Initially, the role of the few male laborers was to work in the fields, so they would start with that, as it would also help them adjust and see their character. The heavier household chores, like sweeping, fetching water, and chopping wood, were also assigned to them. They would each receive a monthly salary of six hundred wen.

Jing Ming, a man in his thirties who knew a little carpentry, would be responsible for carpentry work. His monthly salary was eight hundred wen.

Tong Mujie and his wife would be in charge of supervising the entire household and handling the specifics. Tong Mujie would have a monthly salary of eight hundred wen, while Aunt Dan and Aunt Cui, who were responsible for cleaning and other household chores, would each receive five hundred wen.

Aunt Cui was also good at cooking, having been responsible for the kitchen of the second young lady in her previous owner’s house. Therefore, she would also be in charge of preparing meals for the family. The meals for the servants would be prepared by Aunt Dan.

Upon learning that Tong, the overseer, was also skilled at sewing, Jing Yi considered letting him use the good fabric from the city to make some clothes for everyone. Not only would they provide more warmth, but it would also be more convenient, as the cotton clothing was difficult to clean, and there was nothing to replace it with.

As for why not buy new cotton clothes, Jing Yi thought that it would depend on their performance, and rewards and punishments would be clear in his hands. Those who did well would not only receive bonuses and paid leave but also have new houses built for them. There would be many benefits.

Regarding the four young kids they brought back, Jing Yi said he hadn’t decided yet, so for now, they would keep them as flexible labor. After all, these were children he had raised from a young age, and he trusted them.

Unexpectedly, the eleven-year-old boy, Gao Kun, refused to cooperate.