Chapter 53
Not long after Li Shopkeeper left, people gradually came to the village.
The Wang family only just learned that the picking wasn't that fast, and those who came now were mostly surnamed Gu.
There were a few unfamiliar faces too, it seemed they were the aunties' relatives?
"Second son's wife, good morning! This is my mother's younger brother. I mentioned the lychees to him yesterday, so he came with me today to get familiar with the place."
Just thinking of Aunt Hua from yesterday, she came forward with a man younger than her to greet Luo Ge.
"Uncle." The man looked to be an older generation than them, so Luo Ge greeted him.
"Many thanks to Aunt Hua for spreading the word for our family. Come over, let me weigh the lychees for you. If there are more later, you can bring them too, as long as the fruit is good, our family will take it all."
Luo Ge said as she weighed the fruit for them.
"Alright, alright."
That uncle didn't seem as chatty and outgoing as Aunt Hua, although he seemed pleased to hear Luo Ge's words, he only responded in a soft voice.
"Hey, my brother is like this, not much of a talker. Don't mind him, Second son's wife," Aunt Hua said with a laugh to Luo Ge.
"It's no problem, as long as he works quickly. Uncle has picked these lychees so cleanly, it's pleasing to see."
Luo Ge naturally didn't mind such things as she said this while calculating the amount and recording it.
"Uncle has eighty pounds here, 320 wen. Take the money."
"Aunt Hua, yours is sixty pounds, 240 wen. Take it."
Earlier, she had exchanged quite a few copper coins from Li Shopkeeper to have enough to pay for the lychees.
"Alright, alright, thank you, thank you."
Seeing Luo Ge immediately pay the silver coins, that uncle was overjoyed, looking excitedly at the money in his hands.
"You're welcome." Luo Ge smiled at this.
Aunt Hua was also delighted, "You keep working, we won't linger any longer."
"Okay."
Seeing more and more people come, they didn't stay long after greeting her.
With Aunt Hua bringing that uncle first, the others felt reassured to bring their own relatives too.
The other aunties who brought relatives also felt at ease, each bringing their own kin to have Luo Ge weigh the lychees and pay them.
Being from the same village, everyone was related one way or another, and they were all honest folks. From yesterday until now, Luo Ge hadn't encountered anyone trying to mix in rotten fruit to deceive her.
This point truly made her quite happy.
Didn't this also prove that they hadn't misjudged these people?
Thinking this, her smile grew wider. Gu Jinchen had just returned from the river after washing two baskets of fresh lychees when he saw her expression.
"So happy? Aren't you tired?" Seeing the sweat on her brow, he felt a tinge of heartache.
Although the aunties helped carry the scales when weighing, it was still laborious work.
Upon hearing this, Luo Ge shook her head, but before she could say anything, he brought her to a nearby stool without further ado.
"You rest for a bit, I'll take over receiving the lychees."
With that, he took the bag of copper coins and account book from her arms.
"Second son's wife..."
"Auntie, come over to me, I'll weigh them for you."
Seeing someone call for Luo Ge, he immediately waved them over instead.
His speed at weighing, calculating, recording, and paying was no less than Luo Ge's, even faster by quite a bit.
He finished all the tasks swiftly, leaving time to peel the lychees too.
As soon as someone arrived, he would welcome them over, not giving Luo Ge any chance to work.
"Husband..."
"Wife, if you really can't sit still, why don't you go peel the dried lychees with the children?" Gu Jinchen turned to see Luo Ge's wistful gaze after inviting someone over, and his heart skipped a beat.
He admitted he couldn't resist his wife's eyes that seemed to plead with him, so he carefully considered before suggesting this.
Luo Ge: "......"
She turned to look at the few children who had finished their tasks and were now idly watching them.
....The little bit of work the children had was clearly not enough for them to fight over, they were this bored already. It was practically the same as resting, right?
Oh dear.
Seeing Luo Ge's expression, Wang Sister-In-Law and Aunt Zhang exchanged an amused look.
"The second son has grown sensible, knowing how to dote on his wife now."
The other aunties also commented with a laugh upon seeing this.
They didn't think Luo Ge was trying to slack off - they had all seen how hard she had been working.
"Luo Ge, ah, just listen to your Second son. Let him handle the work he can, don't tire yourself out when someone is willing to dote on you," Wang Sister-In-Law said with a smile as well.
Although not yet three months along, Luo Ge and Gu Jinchen hadn't mentioned it to anyone, but most of the aunties and sisters-in-law were experienced enough to know.
Seeing Luo Ge and Gu Jinchen occasionally paying attention to her belly and touching it, they understood what was going on.
Nothing big happens in the village without the villagers knowing. They knew the doctor had visited the Gu family that day.
Realizing the newlyweds likely didn't want to announce it so early, the villagers tactfully didn't ask too many questions.
But now, seeing this, Wang Sister-In-Law couldn't help but remind Luo Ge, as the first three months were the most crucial time to be cautious.
"Sister-In-Law speaks true." Seeing Wang Sister-In-Law glancing at her belly, Luo Ge understood and obediently agreed.
After that, she obediently rested, only occasionally walking around with Gu Jinchen for a bit.
Seeing Gu Jinchen so carefully attending to and doting on his wife, the aunties were greatly amused for quite a while.
.....As Luo Ge expected, Auntie Luo and Elder Sister Xiu Niang came in the afternoon.
They even brought two large baskets, over 130 pounds of fresh lychees.
"I'll head back first, Xiu Niang will stay here to help you."
Auntie Luo knew of Luo Ge's request yesterday for Elder Sister Xiu Niang to come help, so she said this after selling the lychees.
"Okay."
With an extra person helping out, today's output should increase significantly.
But by now, all the open spaces in the courtyard were almost filled with lychees being sun-dried, they might have to use the courtyard at Wang Sister-In-Law's home as well.
"Aunt Zhang, when the next batch of lychee flesh is ready, can we borrow your courtyard to sun-dry it there?"
The kitchen at the Gu residence was quite spacious, used for brining the lychees and adding sugar, while Wang Sister-In-Law and the others peeled the flesh in the courtyard.
Wang Sister-In-Law and the others knew what Luo Ge was making, but never asked too many questions or pried, just focusing on peeling the lychee flesh.
Although Wang Sister-In-Law had agreed before, it was still necessary to confirm again.
"Of course, no problem. I'll help move it over to our place later." Aunt Zhang readily agreed upon being asked.
Coincidentally, the lychee flesh was ready around the same time Wang Big Brother returned after picking more lychees. He and Gu Jinchen set up some racks in the Wang family courtyard to sun-dry the flesh.
Who knows where they went to pick the lychees from - each batch seemed bigger than the last. Auntie Luo's group had just brought over a little over 100 pounds earlier.
But now, Wang Big Brother brought back nearly 200 pounds. Gu Jinchen weighed and paid them.
At that moment of receiving nearly 800 wen in silver, Aunt Zhang, Wang Sister-In-Law, Wang Big Brother, and the others were visibly overjoyed.
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