Chapter 468: A visit to the distillery for inspection (2)
A Blessed Daughter
Chapter 468: A visit to the distillery for inspection (2)
Translator : Virichime
This translation made by Moonlight Teatime.
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That day, Wei Ruo arrived at Shitou Village, where she had established a distillery. The distillery was still under construction, so this visit also allowed her to check on its progress in person.
The site lay with mountains at its back and a stream flowing in front. The surroundings were pleasant. What had once been an open stretch of land now held several newly built structures.
Because it was meant for brewing alcohol, the buildings differed quite a bit from ordinary houses. The biggest difference was the boiler room, which was used for distilling spirits. Most ordinary distilleries did not have such a structure, and even the builders had not known what it was for.
“Greetings, boss!”
“Good day, boss!”
“Boss, you’re here!”
“…”
Upon seeing Wei Ruo, everyone greeted her eagerly and warmly.
All those currently working here were long-term laborers from Wei Ruo’s estate. They were full of energy because Wei Ruo treated them exceptionally well. Not only were their wages higher than elsewhere, but she also implemented a reward system—those who performed well received extra bonuses.
Those assigned to farming were rewarded based on the yield of the rice fields they managed; the higher the yield, the greater the reward. Such treatment went beyond that of ordinary hired laborers and was nearly on par with tenant farmers.
Yet they enjoyed even greater security than tenant farmers. If tenant farmers had no harvest, they gained nothing, whereas these laborers at least had guaranteed wages from their employer.
Those assigned to work in the workshops were treated the same way—if production went well, they too received rewards.
Such favorable conditions were rare to find, not only in a bad year like this one, but even in good years as well.
Wei Ruo smiled and nodded. “You’ve all worked hard.”
“It’s no trouble at all, not at all. Boss, please be careful—there’s still a lot of clutter here. There are beams lying across the ground; watch your step so you don’t trip,” one of the long-term workers reminded her thoughtfully.
“Alright,” Wei Ruo nodded.
After making a full round of inspection, Wei Ruo was very satisfied with the construction of the workshop. It matched her original plans exactly, and both the progress and quality of the work met her expectations.
At this rate, the distillery would be able to begin operations officially next month.
It seemed she would need to start selecting workers for training, as well as preparing the crops needed for brewing.
After finishing the inspection, Wei Ruo went to the home of the village head of Shitou Village. Standing outside the fence, she was just wondering whether the village head was at home.
“Young Master Xu!”
The village head, Shi Dayou, came out of the house and warmly greeted Wei Ruo when he saw her.
Shi Dayou was in his early thirties. One of his legs was slightly lame, and he walked with a noticeable limp.
He did not look like someone with much authority, and given his relatively young age, he hardly seemed like the head of a village.
Shi Dayou opened the fence gate and invited Wei Ruo inside. “Young Master Xu, please come in, please come in.”
Wei Ruo entered through the gate and followed Shi Dayou into the house.
The interior was simple, but very clean.
“Young Master Xu, did you come today to inspect the progress of the distillery’s construction?” Shi Dayou asked.
“Yes,” Wei Ruo nodded, then added, “Besides that, there is another matter I would like to discuss with you, Village Head.”
“If there’s anything our villagers can help with, Young Master Xu, please don’t hesitate to ask. We’ll help however we can!” Shi Dayou said quickly.
“It’s not that I need your help. When I entered the village, I noticed the rice seedlings in the fields around the village. Their growth looks somewhat unusual. Based on my experience, there may be a problem with them,” Wei Ruo said.
After hearing Wei Ruo’s words, Shi Dayou fell silent for quite a while.
“Village Head?” Wei Ruo called out to him.
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