"Hurry and eat. You’re leaving with your brother-in-law in a bit."

After Su Liyan sat down, she saw the other two women feeding their man.

Snapping back to reality, Su Liyan immediately picked up her bowl and cooed:

"Hubby~~ I’ll feed you, too~~"

Su Changyu, watching from the side, didn’t quite understand.

But he was deeply shaken.

At only seventeen, two months younger than Su Changliang, Su Changyu’s heart was now filled with nothing but admiration for his brother-in-law.

’This is how a man ought to live. Just like my brother-in-law. Now that’s what I call a satisfying life.’

"Liyan, you’ve been craving sour things lately, haven’t you? I saw you eat several pickles,"

Zhao Qiao’er said with a gentle smile, glancing over at Su Liyan as she fed Lu Yuan.

Beside her, Song Meiqin chuckled and added:

"That’s a good omen. Sour for a boy, spicy for a girl, you know~"

After the meal, Lu Yuan led Su Changyu out of the house while it was still dark.

By the time Lu Yuan and Su Changyu arrived at the factory outside the city by carriage, the sky had completely brightened.

The factory’s main courtyard was already packed to the brim with people.

The ledgers Lu Yuan had been looking at that morning were, in fact, the factory’s employee roster.

Many people had shown up on the afternoon of the second day of the Lunar New Year, the same day the notice was posted at noon.

And the third day? Even more came.

The nearby villagers who first caught wind of the news didn’t even bother with New Year’s visits; they just ran straight over to sign up.

After all, the offered compensation was three maces of silver a month, with lunch and lodging provided.

For city dwellers, such benefits might not seem like much.

It was, after all, the standard for those living in the city.

But for the villagers, it was a different story entirely.

They were even more eager to come, especially since they knew this large workshop was run by the Zhao Family.

Here in the territory of Taiping City,

a word from the Zhao Family carried more weight than a decree from the County Magistrate.

An enterprise run by the Zhao Family was more reliable than one run by the Imperial Court itself!

Three maces of silver a month—the same wages as a city folk.

And since the Zhao Family was behind it, people were fighting tooth and nail for a position.

How could the life of a farmer, who relied on the whims of the heavens for their food, possibly compare to a secure job that paid regardless of drought or flood?

The old steward had told Lu Yuan that by the morning of the third, the place was already packed. All nine-hundred-odd positions had been filled.

Those who arrived too late and missed their chance were so full of regret they were slapping their thighs in frustration, wandering around the factory grounds, unwilling to leave.

Right now, all nine hundred-plus of them were in the factory’s main courtyard receiving safety training.

The training would take all morning, and they would only start working in the afternoon.

After giving Su Changyu his assigned tasks, Lu Yuan found a corner, lit a smoke, and listened in to make sure nothing was being missed.

He watched the old steward on the high platform, shouting himself hoarse.

Lu Yuan felt a pang of sympathy for the old man.

The man was almost forty, which was considered quite old in this era.

But because he served Aunt Zhao, he ate well, lived well, and had the best of everything. On top of that, he himself practiced a Technique.

That was the only reason he didn’t look his age.

Still, it wasn’t sustainable for him to be this busy all the time.

He was constantly running back and forth between the Zhao Family’s affairs and the factory’s affairs. It was too much.

Lu Yuan genuinely felt for the fellow.

’Maybe I should ask Song Meiqin to come be the factory manager for me?’ he mused.

Lu Yuan thought it was a solid idea.

Song Meiqin was a very capable woman. Not only was she great with numbers, but as the former wife of a high-ranking official, she definitely knew how to manage people.

’Wow, she’s a natural-born factory manager.’

’I’ll discuss it with Song Meiqin later. If she’s willing, she can have the job.’

’If she just wants to relax at home, she can relax at home. I’ll just have to find someone else.’

’In any case, I can’t let my own woman be forced into anything.’

’Besides, the factory manager position is pretty relaxed. It’s not like she’d have to be here watching over things every single day.’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

...

「The Fifth Day of the New Year」

A little after ten in the morning.

The main house of the Zhao Family’s central courtyard.

Song Chi looked like he was on the verge of tears as he pleaded:

"Brother-in-law!!! You have to help me!!!"

Lu Yuan: "..."

’Why the hell is he calling me that already?’

Meanwhile, Song Meiqin, who was eavesdropping outside, flushed a deep red and huffed coquettishly:

"Hmph. That spineless fool. How could he just sell me out like that?!"

Beside her, Zhao Qiao’er raised an eyebrow and hummed.

"Tsk, tsk~

You can say that, but I bet you’re just thrilled to bits on the inside, aren’t you~"