42. Bothersome people

The work proceeded well. Before lunch, Mingli came with potter and Shu Ya made many orders. When he heard the amount he felt very happy, as the whole summer he had not enough earning as many potters came to town to sell their water cheaply.

"Miss, I have many pots already pre-done. How many do you need?" He stood there all excited as he saw a small farm filled with people that had happy faces.

Shu Ya looked at slowly getting smaller mountains and then turned her eyes towards him. "How many do you have? If I know the amount, then I can tell you do we need more."

He was stunned by her words but rushed to tell. "Miss we have a few hundred big pots, same with middle and small pots"

Shu Ya thought for a moment then asked. "Do you have some kind of protection on your pots so moist would enter? I need them to be dry inside for a long time."

He nodded. "As we live on north things get wet quite fast. So I put protection around my pots so they can be even in water, but things inside won't get wet. You just need to seal it with beeswax... but beeswax is quite expensive right now."

Shu Ya remembered her pots with beeswax and smiled. "I just need to be sure that water won't enter. About the top, we can always seal it with clay. It's not as good as beeswax but it is good enough."

The potter nodded. "Here, everyone is doing it that way. Beeswax is used for light in winter so it's too expensive to use it as sealing for food. Sealing with clay is just the same."

Shu Ya ordered more pots and let those that arrived been put in the storage. Inside she told few workers to make space for pots so they constructed few (police).

Lunch was sumptuous with a lot of rice and side dishes. People patted their stomached contently and quickly moved to work on the rest of the carrots. The yard was filled with lines over lines of drying carrots.

Thinly sliced slips of carrots spread sweet smell and made everyone invigorated. Shu Ya looked at the clear sky and asked herself how fast will weather turn.

When everyone left after thick porridge with lots of vegetables and meat and promised coins they had huge smiles in their faces.

Before they left Shu Ya came to them one more time. "I hope to see you all again in two days. As long you work well I won't treat you badly. Have a good rest. Next whole week we will have many things to do."

Everyone bowed to her and smiled as they travelled back home. It was not even a night when they arrived in the city.

Mingli rented few carriages only to transport workers and drivers stayed to earn more coins and eat good food. They already promised to drive people again in two days.

When he came back home he found the big winter heaters all in the garden with coal inside. In wonder, he looked at his brother that sat outside in simple garment. "What is going on?"

"Miss said that the next few nights we will take heaters out so carrots can dry faster. Look, we took them out only for a short time and they allowed starting to be drier. I think in two or three days they will be completely dry." He poked one if strips and could already feel that it became dryer.

Shu Ya came out of her room and smiled. "If we leave them drying on this heat that these heaters give away, I think we will be able to dry most of it until tomorrow night. Rest can be left to dry under the roof. We need space when they come back, and I fear the smell will enter dried carrots. Better storage them on time."

The whole night and the whole day they dried the carrots over the big heaters. As they became dry enough the cut it in smaller bits and put inside pots. Shu Ya took one stripe and started chewing on it. "Mhmmm, how sweet."

Even tho the carrots were not too big, but they were unusually tasty even dried."Leave two pots if uncut carrots."

Everyone curiously tasted dried carrots and to their wonder, it tasted really good. So soon all of them walked around with those strips and enjoyed the carrots like someone sweets.

The big heaters were brought back to their rooms and finally, they could sleep again inside. They all choose to sleep outside the night before as it was very warm in the yard.

Yard was enclosed space that had only some sunlight from above. But for drying, it was amazing. Looking at just a dozen pots filled with carrots, they couldn't believe that is all from all the huge amount they got.

With a smile, Shu Ya went to the kitchen and put some of the dried bits of carrots inside cooking porridge and when it started cooking and becoming again big, they couldn't believe it. They usually dried only meat. This was the first time they made dried vegetables. But listening to her future plans, they knew they won't be hungry for a long time. Very long time.

But next day look line of carriages set up for their farm. Everyone was already awake. Mingli came quickly into the kitchen and shook in anger while reporting to Shu Ya.

''Miss, the food is on its way but there seems to be strange thing happening. It seems some people found out that miss is paying well and feeding everyone. So many people came. What should I do?'' He was trying to control his anger around her.

Shu Ya smirked. ''It seems we did attract some bothersome flies. Let's see what will happen. This is going to be interesting.''

Mingli saw her being calm so he suddenly calmed down but when he came out he almost laughed. ''Miss, look just behind everyone who is coming.''

Bolin and Shin Young were staring daggers at the people in front of them with a malicious smile.

Shu Ya almost chuckled. ''I think they heard something about me from those smart ones. I wonder what happened so so many people came. It can't be work and money. I don't pay more than anyone else.''

Mingyu stood from her other side and smiled brightly. ''The food?''

With the two young men from her both sides protecting her the two girls stood behind her and waited patiently. They could feel the change in Shu Ya's behaviour. And that never meant anything good.