He had already started making plans in his mind.
"One pound of old rice can be exchanged for at least one and a half pounds of millet. If you exchange it all, wouldn't you get thirty pounds of millet?"
"Boss, could you please replace my old rice with millet?"
Niu Dalei was a little embarrassed.
"What, isn't it good to have rice to eat?"
"It's good, but it's too extravagant. If it were millet, it would be worth at least thirty catties!" Niu Dalei said, scratching his head.
Zhao Zheng came to his senses.
How could he have forgotten about this?
Rice can be exchanged for two jin of millet, and old rice can be exchanged for one and a half jin.
For the mall, millet is a high-quality grain, with cheap ones costing six or seven coins and good ones costing ten or twenty coins.
In contrast, Chen Mi was treated like it was free.
If this were millet, Zhao Zheng would be losing money hand over fist.
"Working under me requires eating rice. Wouldn't that be embarrassing for me?" Zhao Zheng thought for a moment and then took out five more catties of old rice. "Considering you have a large family, I'll add another five catties of rice as appropriate!"
Niu Dalei was deeply moved and bowed repeatedly, "Thank you, boss! Don't worry, I will definitely take good care of the workshop for you and get everything done!"
An employer that pays wages before a full month has been worked—you couldn't find one like that even with a lantern!
"Leave the grain at my house first, and carry it back after dark," Zhao Zheng reminded him.
Niu Dalei was as excited as if he were pounding garlic. He left the rice at Zhao Zheng's house without any worries and immediately ran to the back mountain to supervise the work.
Meanwhile, at Yang Zhaodi's maternal home, Yangjia Village.
Sixty percent of the villagers in this village are surnamed Yang. It has half the population of a small mountain village, making it a small village.
These days, it's all about small villages marrying into big villages, and big villages marrying into townships. If someone from a big village marries into a poor village, they'll definitely be laughed at by the villagers.
"Tie Niu, we're almost at the village. Let me down."
"No, I promised Uncle Zhao I wouldn't let you take another step." Liu Tieniu was panting heavily and refused to let her get down.
Jiang Wogua, who led the team to collect the goods, joked with a smile, "If the people in your village saw you coming back in a cart, they would be extremely envious."
Yang Zhaodi blushed, "It's all because my father-in-law dotes on me!"
Soon, the group arrived at the village entrance, but before they could enter, they were stopped by the village's security guards. "Halt! Where did you come from?"
"We come from a small mountain village. This is our village's letter of introduction."
Jiang Wogua took out the letter and handed it over, but the leading man was illiterate and said with a dark face, "What letter of introduction? We don't recognize it. You must have been sent by bandits to scout ahead..."
As they were talking, a dozen men surrounded the group with wooden forks.
Just as a fight was about to break out, Yang Zhaodi, who was sitting on the cart, recognized her younger brother in the crowd. "Silang, stop! These are all my uncles from my husband's village!"
Yang Silang was taken aback when he saw the woman sitting on the cart, dressed in new clothes and with a rosy complexion. "Third Sister, why are you back!"
He hurriedly said to the people around him, "Put down the fork, my sister is back!"
"It really is Zhao Di!"
"Zhaodi, why are you back on a cart? Who is this man? Why is he pulling you? Is he your new boyfriend?" a middle-aged man joked.
"No, no," Yang Zhaodi hurriedly waved her hand. "He is my family's long-term worker. My father-in-law personally asked him to bring me back."
"Your long-term caregiver?"
Everyone around was stunned. "Your in-laws are so wealthy, how can they afford to hire long-term workers?"
Yang Silang was also stunned. He looked Liu Tieniu up and down, thinking that the person who had brought his third sister back was his new brother-in-law.
But upon hearing her third sister's words, she immediately felt they were absurd.
How could he not know the situation of the Zhao family?
They've all come to the Yang family to borrow grain. Can they afford to hire long-term laborers?
He pulled Yang Zhaodi aside and said, "Sister, what nonsense are you talking about? Everyone in the village knows about your husband's family situation."
"Oh, it's true, I really didn't lie to you." Yang Zhaodi didn't know how to explain. "Let's go home first!"
Yang Silang thought it was because there were too many people and Third Sister was embarrassed, so he snorted coldly, "At least Zhao Laosan has a conscience and is willing to let you leave!"
Yang Zhaodi frowned and slapped her younger brother on the head. "Don't you dare speak ill of my father-in-law! What Zhao Laosan? You have to call him Grandpa!"
Yang Silang pursed his lips and gestured towards Jiang Wogua and the others, "What about the others? Are they family members of the person who brought you back?"
"Oh, really, they're from a small mountain village, and they also work for my father-in-law!"
Yang Silang laughed, "Third Sister, it's only been a few days, how come you've learned to lie? Do you think I'd believe something so outrageous?"
"Believe it or not, this is the truth." Yang Zhaodi stomped her foot angrily. "I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going home."
"Sister, let me help you carry the bamboo basket." Yang Silang snatched the basket and slung it over his shoulder. "It's so heavy! What's inside?"
"I'm afraid I'll scare you to death if I tell you!" Yang Zhaodi glared at her lively younger brother, then said to the man in the lead, "Uncle Meng, these are all people from my husband's village. They've come to our little mountain village to collect mountain products."
"What kind of mountain products do you want to buy?" Captain Yang Meng asked.
"Dried mushrooms, game skins, and medicinal herbs are all available," Jiang Wogua explained. Only then did Yang Silang realize that these people were not actually Yang Zhaodi's 'new man's' family.
He couldn't help but ask, "Are you really working for Zhao Laosan for a living?"
When traveling, Jiang Wogua had to give Zhao a proper face. "That's right, we are all soldiers under Captain Zhao. This time, we are not only here to escort Zhaodi, but also to collect mountain products from Yangjia Village."
The people of Yangjia Village were stunned when they heard this.
Wasn't it said that Yang Zhaodi's father-in-law was a lazy and good-for-nothing?
How did he suddenly become the team leader, with so many people under him relying on him for their livelihood?
Yang Silang swallowed hard, pointed at Liu Tieniu, and said, "Then he really isn't someone you just found..."
"No, I'm just a farmhand for Uncle Zhao, I make a living off the Zhao family!" Liu Tieniu hurriedly waved his hand in denial.
Yang Meng clicked his tongue in amazement. "In that case, let's go in."
Seeing that Yang Meng had made way for her, Yang Zhaodi breathed a sigh of relief. "Uncle Jiang, I'm going home now. If you're done with your work, please leave. Don't wait for me!"
Jiang Wogua nodded.
Fearing that Liu Tieniu would be misunderstood by the villagers, Yang Zhaodi had him follow Jiang Wogua.
On her way home, many villagers recognized Yang Zhaodi. "Oh, Zhaodi's back! Are you wearing new clothes?"
"Look at that rosy cheeks! She must have eaten something delicious at her in-laws' house to get all chubby!"
"What's that sparkly thing you're wearing on your wrist? It must be expensive, right?"
A sharp-eyed older woman immediately noticed the silver bracelet and women's watch on Yang Zhaodi's wrist.
Yang Zhaodi subconsciously withdrew her hand, "It's nothing!"
If her father-in-law hadn't insisted that she wear new clothes, bracelets, and a watch, she definitely wouldn't have.
That's too flashy.
How hateful he is!
Before she even got home, she could feel the intense jealousy from the people in her hometown village.
Yang Silang was excited, "Sister, your return this time is completely different from the last one!"
Yang Zhaodi rolled her eyes at her younger brother. "What's different?"
"You've gained weight, gotten fairer, and become even more beautiful. I didn't even recognize you just now. I thought you were some rich young lady from a wealthy family!"