Chapter 197: Foremen Crowd Around, Hiring a Large Workforce

As soon as Qin Xiao stepped out of the land trading department, a large group of people rushed forward to surround him.

They were not beggars or people trying to rob him. They were foremen looking for work.

Anyone leaving the land sales department had come to buy land, and landbuyers would need buildings and estates. The foremen were there to offer their services.

“Young Master, do you need workers? I have many men under me who are hardworking and accustomed to hardship, and our wages are negotiable.”

“Young Master, Young Master! I have plenty of hands too, capable of any kind of work.”

“Me too! I’ve taken on plenty of jobs and helped build many estates. I have plenty of workers.”

“Young Master, spare us a bite to eat! I have several cultivators under my command whose work far exceeds that of ordinary mortals.”

Amidst the ordinary laborers, even a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator had stepped forward to recommend himself.

The bustling crowd made Qin Xiao feel as though he had returned to a labor market in his previous life—the kind mainly offering manual labor.

But Qin Xiao had a problem. His ideas needed cultivators to carry them out; ordinary people would be of little use.

Wait—the reason he had chosen the Qingshui River was to sift and wash sand for making glass. Ordinary workers might not be able to do the heavy work he needed, but he could hire them to wash sand. Not just any sand would do for glass; it needed sorting and washing.

“Quiet down, everyone. I’ll take all of you,” Qin Xiao announced. “Each foreman, tally your people and discuss a reasonable rate among yourselves for my reference.”

Ultimately, he decided to take them all on. His plot of land was vast, and there would be plenty of tasks suited for ordinary people. Earning a living was difficult for common folk; since they wanted work and he had tasks that needed doing, employing them was the best course of action.

“Young Master, you’ll take all of us?”

“Just how large is the land you purchased?”

“There are quite a lot of us here. Should we confer amongst ourselves and select only a portion? You are generous, Young Master, but we cannot take advantage of you.”

Though bewildered, these foremen were honest commoners. While this young master clearly had money, they knew better than to fleece him ruthlessly.

“It’s fine, I’ll take everyone. I bought three thousand mu of land. Never mind this many people; I’ll need even more. Just draw up a roster, register the personnel, and settle on the wages.”

Qin Xiao had not expected them to consider his interests, though it was entirely unnecessary given his vast wealth.

The foremen were stunned by the number. They had seen plots of a few mu or dozens of mu, and even a hundred was not surprising. But this was the first they had heard of three thousand mu.

“Then how many people does the Young Master require? We can help recruit more.”

On hearing that Qin Xiao had three thousand mu, the foremen all offered to help find workers.

“No need. I mostly need cultivators, not many ordinary workers. We can talk about it later if I need more.”

Qin Xiao refused. His plans needed many cultivators and fewer ordinary workers. This chapter was taken from novelping(.)com without permission.

“Young Master, I can help find cultivators,” the Foundation Establishment foreman hurried forward to say.

“You? You’re merely at the Foundation Establishment stage; what kind of cultivators can you recruit? Foundation Establishment or Body Refinement? Never mind, find as many as you can. By the way, what is your name, and what are the standard wages for cultivators?”

Unfamiliar with the going rates for cultivators, Qin Xiao seized the opportunity to inquire.

“Answering the Young Master, this humble one is Li Liangping, at the late Foundation Establishment stage,” he replied respectfully. “Cultivator wages are generally calculated by the day. Qi Condensation cultivators earn anywhere from one to three Spirit Stones daily, depending on their exact realm.

“For Foundation Establishment cultivators, wages start at ten Spirit Stones per day. Mid-stage Foundation Establishment fetches twenty, late-stage brings thirty, and peak Foundation Establishment commands fifty.

“I don’t know the rates for Golden Core cultivators. People at that realm don’t take this sort of work.”

Li Liangping answered honestly.

Qin Xiao thought the rates were reasonable. They were not expensive, considering these were Foundation Establishment cultivators.

At that moment, a representative approached from the mortal labor groups. “Young Master, our groups have tallied our numbers. We have five hundred and thirty people in total. Three hundred Copper Coins per day for men, and two hundred for women-is the Young Master satisfied? If not, we can lower the wages slightly.”

The foremen had elected a chief spokesman to report to Qin Xiao.

“No problem. Since you are working for me, I’ll provide food and lodging. This world has none of the five social insurance schemes or the housing fund, so I’ll give each of you another hundred Copper Coins a day—four hundred for the men, three hundred for the women.”

Qin Xiao added a hundred Copper Coins to everyone’s pay. Why not pay men and women equally? Most of it was physical labor, and the men would do the bulk of the heavy work. In his view, giving them the same wages simply because men and women were equal would be unfair to the men.

“Many thanks, Young Master! You truly possess the heart of a living Bodhisattva! We swear not to slack off and will work wholeheartedly for you!”

The chief foreman froze at Qin Xiao’s words, then hurriedly knelt to thank him. This was a living Bodhisattva!

They had come from nearby villages and towns to earn a living. Hearing about Qingzhou City’s construction boom, they had brought their families along to work. But the Outer City estates were mostly finished, and work was becoming harder to find. Some crews had been idle for a long time.

An employer who hired them, raised their wages, and provided food and lodging—he really was a living Bodhisattva!

“Get up. We don’t stand on ceremony here. What is your name? Since they elected you as their chief foreman, it means they trust your character. From now on, you’ll act as their overall manager. Take a look at this map to familiarize yourself with the location.”

Qin Xiao handed the map directly to the chief foreman.

“Thank you, Young Master. This humble one is called Pan San; you can just call me San’er. Let me inspect the map.”

Pan San took the map and studied it. Only then did he see that the young master had not lied: it really was three thousand mu.

“Reporting to the Young Master, I now know the location. However, the distance is rather far; if we set out now with our baggage, we won’t arrive until tomorrow. Please forgive the delay.” This story is hosted at novelping(.)com.

After locating the plot, Pan San returned the map to Qin Xiao and explained.

Pan San did not mind the distance. They were ordinary people who had to walk with their luggage; it would take time.

“That’s fine. I’ll get you a little over a hundred carriages. This is long-term work, so bring clothes and whatever else you need.”

Qin Xiao guessed they must have plenty of luggage. Five people to a carriage should be enough.

“Is there a place nearby to purchase carriages?”

“Yes, yes! Thank you, Young Master!” Pan San hurried to answer when he heard that Qin Xiao would buy carriages for them.

“Calculate the cost based on five people per carriage and let me know the total. And you, little Li, take a look at the map and give me a roster estimate for the cultivators.”

With that, Qin Xiao passed the map to Li Liangping.

“This humble one will make arrangements immediately.”

Li Liangping studied the map and mentally counted how many people he could find.

“Ah, Young Master Qin, still here? Good timing. Come with us to mark the boundaries. Every bit must be measured properly to avoid trouble later.”

The official who had processed the contract earlier had just secured personnel from the surveying department and was surprised to find Qin Xiao still lingering.

Turning to the crowd of workers, the official barked, “You lot! If you’re looking for work, go elsewhere. Scatter and don’t get in Young Master Qin’s way.”

“No need to shout. They are the workers I hired.” Qin Xiao was annoyed by the official’s scolding.

“Young Master Qin, you can use our construction department if you want to build an estate. It costs a little more, but the quality is guaranteed.”

“Leave that be. I prefer working with them. Let’s go mark the land first.”

Qin Xiao refused the offer. He wanted to get the land boundaries settled.

“As you say, Young Master Qin. Let us proceed.”

The official knew Qin Xiao’s mood could change quickly. He said no more and headed out of the city.

“Yun Man, stay here and handle these arrangements for now. Master will be right back.”

With a parting instruction to Yun Man, Qin Xiao followed after the surveying party.