Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 271 - 270: A Prosperous Community

Yun Niang quickly asked, "Just now Liu Qi reread the delivery standards you wrote, Steward Qin, and it says that each book box must come with two shoulder straps?"

Qin Yao was eating her meal with big bites, unable to speak, but nodded after hearing this, asking with her eyes if there was any issue. Mrs. He’s skills were already very good, and now with Mrs. Qiu’s details added, oh heavens, she hadn’t realized the workers were eating so well!

She took another big bite of the multigrain bun soaked in broth, it was so delicious.

In the same venue, Qin Yao felt elated, while Yun Niang looked conflicted.

"Initially, we bought ready-made ones from the embroidery workshop in the county, a bit expensive. Now that the demand has jumped from a hundred to ten thousand, calculating the cost, it’s even more expensive!"

She hesitated and proposed, "I was just thinking, why not have the wives in nearby villages make them for us?"

Qin Yao asked in confusion, "Can their embroidery skills meet our standards?"

Yun Niang nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, several villages nearby have very skilled embroideresses, and the patterns on the shoulder straps are simple. If they make them, we just have to provide them with materials and pay them a few dozen coins."

Yun Niang had just calculated the cost. Originally, buying ready-made straps from the embroidery workshop cost ninety coins each. If they got the village women to make them, the cost might only be fifty or sixty coins.

The fabric for the shoulder straps didn’t need to be very high quality, just strong and soft enough to alleviate shoulder pressure.

The difference between fifty or sixty coins and ninety coins over ten thousand pieces would amount to three to four hundred taels of silver.

Qin Yao finished her meal from the jar, and Mrs. Qiu proactively came over to take the jar and chopsticks to wash. She was just waiting for Qin Yao’s "empty bowl" to finish today’s work and go home.

Yun Niang enviously glanced at Mrs. He and Mrs. Qiu, two sisters-in-law, and continued discussing the detailed procedures with Qin Yao.

For example, they could still procure fabric and thread from the city’s embroidery workshop, and with a larger volume, they could negotiate lower prices. Then they would inform the embroideresses in nearby villages to come and take the work.

It would be best to have one skilled embroideress responsible for overseeing the work, helping with quality control and delivery, which would also facilitate unified management.

Additionally, payment would be piece-rate; the more you do, the more you earn. The price for each piece of embroidery would be clearly marked. The skilled embroideresses in the city set high prices, but shoulder straps were like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut for them.

The village embroideresses, as long as they got fifteen or twenty coins per piece, many would compete to do the work.

Quick-handed ones could make two pairs of shoulder straps a day.

Qin Yao looked at Yun Niang in amazement, surprised she could use the phrase "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

Thinking back to a year ago, Yun Niang was focused on managing her small stall, speaking softly and rarely going out. She didn’t have the decisiveness or boldness she has now.

"General Manager Qin, what do you think?" Yun Niang looked at Qin Yao, a bit anxious, waiting for her decision.

Qin Yao stood up and said, "Very good, I think your idea is excellent. Let’s handle this matter as you suggested. First, draft a proposal for me; if I see no issues, I’ll allocate funding for you to implement it."

Yun Niang was overjoyed and quickly nodded, saying she would definitely handle this matter well.

But then, she suddenly remembered that she couldn’t write a single character, only knew how to spray ink, and her smile fell.

Qin Yao knew what was bothering her and suggested that if she couldn’t write, she could use drawings, or mentally organize the process clearly and then tell her.

"Or you can find someone who can write to help you," Qin Yao said with a smile, looking at Liu Qi who was now being pressed by Liu Zhong to practice arithmetic by the millstone, winking at Yun Niang.

Yun Niang chuckled and exclaimed a "hey," understanding the suggestion.

Qin Yao spent the entire afternoon at the factory, helping wherever needed. With her around, everyone seemed to work with more enthusiasm.

The happiest of all was Liu the carpenter; with Qin Yao’s arrival, all the responsibilities on his shoulders were lifted, and he even had time to sit with Uncle Jiu on a pile of lumber and smoke a pipe.

The two watched as the new factory neared completion, their smiles radiant, and their eyes sparkling with delight.

At dusk, the workers gathered from various villages finally finished their work and left in groups.

The mountain paths, which used to be empty year-round, now echoed with people’s chatter.

The sounds reverberated in the silent valleys, bringing endless vitality to the overly quiet forests.

The villagers working in the fields in Liu Family Village watched the young workers returning home with the setting sun, feeling that life was becoming more and more promising.

And it was all because the stationery factory was built in the village, attracting people and bringing signs of prosperity.

Qin Yao walked home in the fading light of the sunset, crossing the riverbank paths. Along the way, the villagers greeted her warmly.

Those with children working at the stationery factory told her that if the kids misbehaved, she should let them know, and they’d take care of those rascals.

Those with daughters proudly said, "Our girl is capable and sensible; no need to worry, Miss Qin. Whatever the factory assigns, she will surely do it well!"

Since the factory didn’t restrict gender, many unmarried or marriageable girls joined Yun Niang’s painting group. As the group consisted entirely of girls, Sister-in-law Zhou jokingly referred to them as a "women’s army."

The wages the girls earned were even a couple of coins more than the average male carpenter, earning twelve coins a day, which after settlement, would be taken home as a heavy sack of copper coins.

The families now realized that girls could also earn money to support the family and themselves, proving they were quite capable.

Previously, the clan elders constantly preached about having a thriving population but never acknowledged that girls were also part of that population. Now, seeing those girls happily returning home after work, even they couldn’t help but smile, softly murmuring:

"Prosperous, prosperous..."

Several families with only daughters drove away matchmakers seeking to arrange marriages, saying their daughters were in no rush to marry and that they preferred to keep them home for a few more years.

These fifteen-year-old girls were the main workforce in the factory, not only earning money but also subsidizing their families. Who would dislike keeping them home when they grew older just to eat extra food?

They wished to keep them home a few more years, treating them well with good food and clothing.

However, there were a few cases where parents would exploit their children, and the factory management kept a watchful eye, taking their wages and holding onto them until needed to prevent those scoundrel parents from seizing them.

With the stationery factory as a backbone, these unfortunate children could now secretly buy themselves some treats, their faces gaining a healthier hue.

The villagers weren’t eloquent, but their gratitude was evident in their eyes. Long after Qin Yao had walked away, they watched from afar, reminding her to send the children to their homes to pick vegetables, gather mulberries, and dig peanuts to take home.

Qin Yao dreaded these gestures; while she appreciated the kindness, she quickened her steps, almost running home to escape the overwhelming warmth, shutting the door with a "bang," leaving that wave of enthusiasm outside.