Chapter 381: Chapter 381: Recruitment Aftermath
Mrs. Zhu was quite self-aware. She knew perfectly well that if she and her husband were on their own, they could forget about living a good life. Eating dirt and dust was far more likely.
So, mentioning splitting the family was just a threat, meant to pressure her parents-in-law into agreeing to her first two demands.
But she never expected that Ji Qingshan, utterly despondent after this series of blows, would split the family so cleanly and decisively.
It was too late to say anything.
After Ji Huan and the first branch, the third branch had also split from the Ji Family.
It was a formal separation, but they wouldn’t be moving out. They would all continue to live in the old family home.
Besides the fields and livestock, Mrs. Zhu also got one of the two east wing rooms she’d been coveting. Ji Mingmao was moved there from the west room of the main hall.
Du Caizhu didn’t say anything about it.
In fact, she paid no mind to anything. She ate when it was time to eat, drank when it was time to drink, and spent the rest of her time in her room with Ji Liantang.
It was as if Ji Liantang was the only person in her world.
As for Ji Liantang himself... Granny Kang risked being thrown out again to go see him. He had no new injuries, but he just lay on the kang bed with lifeless eyes, looking as if he’d lost the will to live.
Granny Kang was miserable, truly miserable. She felt as if her heart had been hollowed out.
She couldn’t understand how her outstanding son had ended up with such a sinister, fierce woman.
Her son was beaten so badly he couldn’t get off the kang bed, and the man of the house’s health had collapsed. With her pillar of support gone, even the volume of Granny Kang’s scolding dropped significantly.
Ji Qingshan, on the other hand, seemed to have come to terms with things. He didn’t lose his temper anymore and drank every last drop of his prepared medicine.
He also had Granny Kang watch over the fourth son, telling him to stop being difficult, drink his medicine obediently, and focus on getting well. Once he recovered, he was to join him in the fields or find some other work. He should give up on his ambitions of becoming an official and resign himself to being a farmer for the rest of his life.
However, his version of resignation was clearly different from what most people would understand it to be.
「Meanwhile.」
As soon as word got out that they were hiring from other villages, a great number of people showed up.
Ji Huan set aside a full day and, along with Ji Xuelan and Widow Xie, interviewed people from morning till night. In the end, they selected thirty people, all from nearby villages.
Over a dozen people came from Huangban Village as well. Ji Huan interviewed these candidates personally, calling each one into the house for a brief chat. Ultimately, she kept three of them, all of whom were Widow Xie’s former workmates.
As a result, some of the villagers who had been rejected before couldn’t help but complain. They didn’t understand why Ji Huan would rather give people from other villages a chance to earn money than favor her own. Wasn’t this a case of favoring outsiders?
Ji Huan didn’t offer much of an explanation. She only said that anyone from their own village who wanted to try again could participate in another round of interviews alongside the outsiders.
At the same time, she selected ten experienced workers from her current staff to act as judges. Using an anonymous system, they would score the interviewees together.
Take vegetable chopping, for example. The candidates would chop the vegetables in the backyard, mark their work, or stick their name to the bottom of the plate, and then bring it to the front yard for the judges to see.
After a comprehensive comparison, the judges would announce the names of the selected candidates.
As it turned out, those who had been eliminated before were still eliminated, even with a second chance.
Only five people managed to make a comeback, and all five had one thing in common: ever since failing the last interview, they had been practicing relentlessly at home.
The saying "opportunity favors the prepared" is absolutely true.
As for those who were eliminated again, this time they didn’t know who to blame.
There were ten judges, after all. It wasn’t just one person’s decision...
Having lost to the outsiders in front of everyone, they couldn’t blame Ji Huan for choosing others. They could only blame themselves for not being skilled enough and for not being prepared like the ones who succeeded.
After reassigning these thirty-five people, there was nothing left to worry about.
But this incident also had a minor aftershock.
The hiring of outside workers had just ended when, that very afternoon, Widow Xie’s brother showed up at her door.
In truth, this wasn’t the first time they had caused trouble.
Last year, when they were selling hot and spicy soup, Xie Kun and Mrs. Ma came to the stall and caused a scene.
But at the time, Widow Xie and Hu Liang stuck to the story that the stall belonged to Ji Huan and they were just working for her. Ji Huan, in turn, had resolutely driven them away, so no trouble came of it.
This time, however, they had come after doing their research.
The dehydrated vegetable business, just like the hot and spicy soup, was still Ji Huan’s. But Widow Xie was a supervisor of sorts, in charge of a whole group of people! So it shouldn’t be too hard to get the two of them in, arrange a managerial position for them, or at the very least, get them on the payroll in name only to collect a salary, right?
Any sisterly affection Widow Xie had for Xie Kun had long been exhausted by his repeated antics. After hearing his shameless demands, she spat right in his face. Without another word, she pointed at the main gate and told him to get out!
Of course, Xie Kun and Mrs. Ma weren’t about to leave quietly. They ran into the middle of the courtyard and started shouting.
The couple worked in tandem, determined to humiliate Widow Xie.
But they failed to consider that all the workers in the courtyard depended on Widow Xie for their livelihood. Who would possibly side with them?
Setting aside the practicalities, Granny Xie had been living with Widow Xie for a year now. Who didn’t know the reason why? The story of how Xie Kun and Mrs. Ma had mistreated and abandoned their elderly mother had long since spread everywhere.
An unfilial son and a wicked woman with rotten hearts like them wanted to win sympathy? In their dreams!
Seeing they hadn’t managed to stir up any trouble, Xie Kun and Mrs. Ma grew annoyed.
Mrs. Ma pointed at Widow Xie and demanded, "You’re willing to hire workers from other villages, so why can’t you hire your own brother? Are you even human? Do you have a heart? And to think Xie Kun has called you ’Big Sister’ all these years!"
Widow Xie held back Hu Liang, who wanted to step forward and argue. No matter what, he was of a younger generation. It wouldn’t look good for him to publicly talk back to his uncle and aunt.
Hu Liang was worried that her consideration for family ties would make her go soft, but he didn’t realize that after everything she had been through, Widow Xie had seen through it all. What were titles like ’sister’ and ’brother’ worth if their hearts were not aligned? When that happened, even the closest blood ties were useless.
"Last year, when you two were about to throw our mother out at the Land God Temple, I begged you both. Why didn’t you remember I was your big sister then? Why wouldn’t you listen to a single word I said?"
Xie Kun fell silent.
Mrs. Ma, however, was brazenly self-righteous. "Even the top and bottom teeth clash sometimes. It’s normal for a brother and sister to have conflicts. What’s the big deal? You’re being way too petty. Can’t you just let Xie Kun apologize to you? Let’s be clear, though. After he apologizes, you have to let us..."
"Then you two can get lost right now," Ji Huan’s voice suddenly cut in.
She had heard there was trouble at Widow Xie’s house and guessed it was these two clowns. Turns out, she was right.
Mrs. Ma recognized Ji Huan and knew she was the boss here, so she didn’t dare yell at her. She just pulled a long face and muttered, "This is our family’s business..."
Ji Huan smiled. "I don’t have to get involved in your family business. But you’re making this scene because you want to work here, right? If that’s the case, then no one’s word matters more than mine. So let me tell you, even if Aunt Xie let you in today, I would still throw you out."
Mrs. Ma’s voice instantly shot up. "On what grounds? So many people came for interviews, so on what grounds are you telling us to get lost? You’re completely unfair!"
"It’s my business. Who I hire, who I don’t, whether it’s fair or not—I’m the one who decides. Do I need to explain myself to you?"
Mrs. Ma was furious. "And here you are, claiming you treat workers from other villages and our own village the same. That’s a complete lie to fool people! I’m going to go spread the word and let everyone see your true colors!"
"We do treat everyone equally. The prerequisite is that they have to be a decent human being. Unfilial and disrespectful people are the exception. Any problem with that?" Ji Huan raised an eyebrow.
Xie Kun and Mrs. Ma were struck speechless.