Chen Baiyi dragged herself home in exhaustion and excitement. She had yet to count the exact number of orders, but from the few pages, she knew that it must be quite a lot.
It would be too slow for her to do it all alone. Why not hire someone to do it? Many women in the village didn't go out to work. They all washed clothes and cooked at home. They had plenty of free time, so she could hire them to help.
When the villagers heard that Chen Baiyi was looking for someone to work for her, they thought that since they had nothing to do at home, they might as well take a look.
At the time Chen Baiyi specified, many people came. They stood at the door of Chen Baiyi's house and talked non-stop. Without them even knocking, Chen Baiyi knew that everyone had arrived.
After bringing them in, Chen Baiyi decided to explain the conditions and rules to everyone first in case anything happened in the future.
"Since I'm the one who asked everyone to help, we're business partners now. I'll teach everyone how to make them for free. I'll also provide the customer source. The teaching is free, and I'll take the commission. After everyone makes them, I'll sell them at the market."
Chen Baiyi paused for a moment to let everyone process it before continuing to explain, "Commission is a small portion of the earnings from everyone selling the bamboo baskets that they made, and it is my compensation."
"Your salary depends on the number of bamboo baskets that are sold. Every basket counts. When I come back from the market, I will give everyone the money."
After she said everything, the villagers discussed it softly, but no one gave an affirmative answer.
As Chen Baiyi watched everyone whispering, she said, "If you don't want to do it, you can go back now. I won't stop you. We're all from the same village. I've been neighbors with all of you since I was young. I won't lie to you guys. I want to earn money with everyone."
When everyone heard Chen Baiyi say that, they felt less worried. Yes, they were from the same village and they bumped into each other often.
Someone asked, "How much can we earn per basket?"
Chen Baiyi made a gesture and everyone was shocked. Even though the cost and the commission had been deducted, the profits were still considerable.
Everyone agreed.
Therefore, Chen Baiyi began to teach everyone how to make the bamboo baskets more stable, how to make different patterns, and so on. Most of the people in the village knew how to make bamboo baskets, so the main point was to learn how to make patterns.
Soon, everyone mastered it. Chen Baiyi handed the task list to everyone while she watched them make them. If there was anyone who didn't understand, she would guide them.
When Zhang Xiulan found out that Chen Baiyi was teaching the villagers how to make bamboo baskets, she cursed Chen Baiyi for being a traitor. Her family had raised her for so many years, but now that she had the ability to earn money, she actually taught the technique to outsiders.
She couldn't sit still anymore. She went to find Chen Baiyi to argue.
Zhang Xiulan found Chen Baiyi and questioned her, "Why did you teach these outsiders how to earn money and even hand all these jobs to them? Isn't it better to leave moneymaking opportunities for your family?"
Her voice wasn't soft, and it had a hint of her unique harshness. The people in the courtyard naturally heard her words. Because she had jeopardized everyone's interests, everyone glared at Zhang Xiulan.
What did Zhang Xiulan mean? What did she mean by leaving it to outsiders? Was Zhang Xiulan supposed to earn all the money alone? Chen Baiyi had already said that everyone should earn the money together. To think that Zhang Xiulan was older than Chen Baiyi yet so selfish in comparison.
Zhang Xiulan didn't expect everyone to be in Chen Baiyi's courtyard. She knew that she was in the wrong and didn't dare to speak anymore.